(SPOILERS: Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad)


So… how do I put this? When adhering to precedent, Better Call Saul is a show that shouldn’t logically exist. When it was first announced that Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould would be developing a prequel series to the acclaimed Breaking Bad, showcasing the origin story of morally dubious criminal attorney James “Jimmy” McGill a.k.a. Saul Goodman, I and I presume many others responded with a resounding… really?

Given the quality of its source material, I didn’t expect Better Call Saul to be bad. I figured it’d be something along the lines of an enjoyable episodic comedy where we witness Saul represent a colorful collection of criminals, indulging in wacky shenanigans to keep them out of prison. But frankly, at best, I figured it would be a cute little addition to the Breaking Bad universe, and, over time, would fade into obscurity.

And never have I been so glad to be proven so, so wrong. Better Call Saul not only crafted its own hilarious, romantic, disturbing, heartbreaking, tragic tale, but defied the precedent set by countless, soulless, cash grab prequels and surpassed its predecessor. More nuanced and complex characters, more subtle and methodical storytelling, and a far more satisfying and thematically cohesive conclusion.

And today, on the eighth anniversary of its premiere, it’s time to give praise to Better Call Saul, a no holds barred, unprecedented miracle.


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[00:00:00] - Intro/Shoutouts
[00:02:26] - Structure: A Brief Opening Statement
[00:04:00] - Mike & Nacho: The (Not So) Unexpected Complications Of Associating With The Mexican Cartel
[00:29:42] - Jimmy & Chuck: (or) How I Learned To Fear Electromagnetism & Resent My Baby Brother
[01:00:56] - Jimmy & Kim: All Is Fair In Love & Law
[01:58:49] - Afterward: A Lesson To Not Soon Forget
[02:01:32] - Outro/Patrons


MUSIC

"Shared Smoke" by David Porter
"Better Call Saul (Main Title Theme - Extended)" by Little Barrie
"Old Yazoo" by The Boswell Sisters
"Help me Lord, To Stand" by The Original Chuck Wagon Gang
"When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again' by Marijohn Wilkin
"The Prisoner's Song" by Wilf Carter