This review may contain spoilers.
Review for the actual show. 9.6/10
A slow, bleak portrait of the morally dubious, charismatic conman for the right reasons: Jimmy Mc.Gill. From the hypersensitive rejection of his perfect, mentally ill brother, the loyally, morally, lovingly destructive muse of Kim, to Howard’s unnecessary character assassination, Nacho’s organised plea for freedom from the cartel, Mike’s cold escape from his own corruption; the lifelike pacing and lived in atmosphere of this desperate world dances with with the law, morality and responsibility in a way only real life could. Jimmy is finally left an honest man, burnt out like a cigarette you share, a toxin worth savouring, inhaling lies and exhaling truth before throwing it all away. He did it all for her, to see her face, so his other half knows he has never changed. The cigarette they share is mutual peace and understanding of what they are but Kim can’t put out his fires anymore, he can’t change, won’t stop playing the game but his soul is still good man.
Saul was addicted to the game, the ego, the play and how much he could get away with. There are sheep and there are wolves, Jimmy becomes Saul after succumbing to his label of the naughty scumbag little brother. A wolf as opposed to a sheep stuck on the butchers’ farms land, grasping straws wherein you could just take from the factory. Why put criminals in jail when you could just work with them? From breaking bad’s masterpiece of dramatic irony, family and crime comes a modern, darker and more human insight into what a good man really is. His girl came back. He proved he is who he always been, someone who will do anything for what he thinks is right. As she walks away it cuts to black as his perspective is gone. He is at home with his criminals, a king amongst men, a lawyer to everyone. The law, his time, the deal will never compare to the regret of him snowballing the suicide of his own brother. You despise characters and take on the hatred of sabotage to be hit with grief, guilt and moral
From the black and white flash forwards to his mundane, thieving escapades, to eggshell walking cartel drama, touching, cold, repressive moments from Mike Ermantraut, this show goes above and beyond the typical episodic formula. It justifies and expands Saul’s and the law’s existence. The shot composition, depth of field, texture, editing and air tight tension make this cinema. More boring? Yes. More realistic, raw and cinematically precise, astute yet expansive? Yes. Two different shows entirely. One legacy of personal, legal boundary breaking ends triumphantly compared to Walter white’s familial, tragic, moral downfall. An absolute nerve wracking, warm experience of emotional turmoil. I couldn’t sit in the awkwardness and reality of this failing lawyer struggle harder and harder to do the right thing.
Howard didn’t need to die, Nacho didn’t need to kill himself, Kim didn’t need to turn the car around from justice to profit, Mike didn’t need to work and die by corruption, Chuck didn’t need to set his house on fire and Jimmy could have never been a lawyer. None of this would have happened. No meth would be made, no innocent people would have died. Every character is rich, Lalo’s twisted smile and charm is deeply unsettling. You set rules and expectations, they will be broken. Until there’s no going back. What starts as a law, family drama becomes a meticulous melting pot of perspectives of what make up morality, a fight for the good that law should stand for. The subtlety and symbolism, deserved shock and awe makes this one of the best shows ever made. Bob Obendirk deserves all the awards.
This review may contain spoilers.
Review for the actual show. 9.6/10
A slow, bleak portrait of the morally dubious, charismatic conman for the right reasons: Jimmy Mc.Gill. From the hypersensitive rejection of his perfect, mentally ill brother, the loyally, morally, lovingly destructive muse of Kim, to Howard’s unnecessary character assassination, Nacho’s organised plea for freedom from the cartel, Mike’s cold escape from his own corruption; the lifelike pacing and lived in atmosphere of this desperate world dances with with the law, morality and responsibility in a way only real life could. Jimmy is finally left an honest man, burnt out like a cigarette you share, a toxin worth savouring, inhaling lies and exhaling truth before throwing it all away. He did it all for her, to see her face, so his other half knows he has never changed. The cigarette they share is mutual peace and understanding of what they are but Kim can’t put out his fires anymore, he can’t change, won’t stop playing the game but his soul is still good man.
Saul was addicted to the game, the ego, the play and how much he could get away with. There are sheep and there are wolves, Jimmy becomes Saul after succumbing to his label of the naughty scumbag little brother. A wolf as opposed to a sheep stuck on the butchers’ farms land, grasping straws wherein you could just take from the factory. Why put criminals in jail when you could just work with them? From breaking bad’s masterpiece of dramatic irony, family and crime comes a modern, darker and more human insight into what a good man really is. His girl came back. He proved he is who he always been, someone who will do anything for what he thinks is right. As she walks away it cuts to black as his perspective is gone. He is at home with his criminals, a king amongst men, a lawyer to everyone. The law, his time, the deal will never compare to the regret of him snowballing the suicide of his own brother. You despise characters and take on the hatred of sabotage to be hit with grief, guilt and moral
From the black and white flash forwards to his mundane, thieving escapades, to eggshell walking cartel drama, touching, cold, repressive moments from Mike Ermantraut, this show goes above and beyond the typical episodic formula. It justifies and expands Saul’s and the law’s existence. The shot composition, depth of field, texture, editing and air tight tension make this cinema. More boring? Yes. More realistic, raw and cinematically precise, astute yet expansive? Yes. Two different shows entirely. One legacy of personal, legal boundary breaking ends triumphantly compared to Walter white’s familial, tragic, moral downfall. An absolute nerve wracking, warm experience of emotional turmoil. I couldn’t sit in the awkwardness and reality of this failing lawyer struggle harder and harder to do the right thing.
Howard didn’t need to die, Nacho didn’t need to kill himself, Kim didn’t need to turn the car around from justice to profit, Mike didn’t need to work and die by corruption, Chuck didn’t need to set his house on fire and Jimmy could have never been a lawyer. None of this would have happened. No meth would be made, no innocent people would have died. Every character is rich, Lalo’s twisted smile and charm is deeply unsettling. You set rules and expectations, they will be broken. Until there’s no going back. What starts as a law, family drama becomes a meticulous melting pot of perspectives of what make up morality, a fight for the good that law should stand for. The subtlety and symbolism, deserved shock and awe makes this one of the best shows ever made. Bob Obendirk deserves all the awards.
