'Better Call Saul'

Of all the characters in Vince Gilligan's masterful 'Breaking Bad', the one I found least interesting was Walter White's fast-talking, immoral lawyer, Saul Goodman.

He was an anomaly. Whereas (almost) every other character was painted in shades of grey, with all their contradictory impulses and thoughts given full reign, Goodman was a one-note caricature. Little more than a stereotypical, sleazy attorney, who appeared to exist solely to inject some unnecessarily broad comedy into proceedings.

To be honest, if it hadn't been for Covid-19, I probably would have never even watched the spin-off/prequel, 'Better Call Saul.'

And, had I not done so, I would have deprived myself of the best thing I've ever seen on television.

And I mean, ever.

It's fantastic.

Not wishing to give any spoilers away (I really do want you to watch it if haven't already), the best summary is the short, pithy blurb used by Netflix itself: "Before he was Saul Goodman, he was Jimmy McGill. And if you're calling Jimmy, you're in trouble."

The word 'trouble' probably tells you all you need to know about the clients Jimmy represents and the scum-topped pond he swims in.

His clients are very rarely deserving of escaping punishment, not least those connected to the Salamanca drug cartel. For, just as in 'Breaking Bad', everything that takes place does so with the spectre of the Mexican drug cartel looming above.

Except, in this prequel (of sorts), we get to find out more about the personnel involved. Gustavo Frings was always one of the most intriguing characters the first time around, and the extra time spent fleshing out his past, and the origins of his long-running feud with the psychotic Hector, is not wasted.

We, again, get to see the unhinged Tuco in action, albeit not for long. However, that's more than compensated by the later arrival of Hector's nephew, the charismatic (and just as homicidal) Lalo.

Then there's Mike, probably my favourite character in TV history apart from Saul himself. In 'Breaking Bad', he - like Saul - was a one-note caricature; an old-school heavy of few words. However, here he's given much more room, and the whole show is infinitely better for it.

He's still one of the scariest things ever captured on film (the brilliant Jonathan Banks is an actor who can make a simple, "Hello" sound like a hellish threat), but, by exploring his past, and seeing what he does when not employed by Saul or Walter White, we finally see a human being. One who at least has a clear moral code, and sticks to it, regardless of the pain and trouble it causes him.

And then we get to Saul himself.

Bob Odenkirk is a skilled comedian, and thankfully so. For there are still extended moments of broad comedy. At times, even farce: The machinations Jimmy employs to both exonerate his clients and further his own career or wealth, oftentimes stretch credulity. However, that's the point: He's a showman, the legal equivalent of Liberace - showmanship is part of his armoury, as he is so fond of telling us. Although a lawyer by trade, his best work is always done outside of the courtroom.

It's never less than fun to watch him scheme, and then execute his - often - immoral plans. However, finding out why he even contemplates taking such risks is even more enjoyable.

To this end, enter the neurotic uber-lawyer, Chuck McGill. Jimmy / Saul's older brother.

Played by the wonderful Micheal McKean, Chuck is everything his brother is not - he's not just a respected attorney, he is the most respected attorney in the State. He's not simply a stickler for the rules, he's a slave to them. The contrast with his ethically-dubious sibling couldn't be clearer. Nor could the shadow the younger McGill brother has lived in all of his life.

However, to gloriously complicate matters further, Chuck, despite his noble bearing, isn't beyond being underhanded himself, when needs serve. Like Mike and Saul, the shades of grey are what move him from a stereotype, and into being a genuinely great television character.

But it's not just Chuck who allows us to see who Jimmy truly is. We also get his relationship with Kim Wexler, a smart, successful lawyer, and - just to add a bit more spice to the mix - a former protege of Chuck.

It's a bittersweet, touching romance, and one that - again - comes coloured grey. Ambitious, and essentially principled, she too offers a counter-point to Jimmy. However, like Chuck, she's also not averse to bending the rules (admittedly, it's normally due to Jimmy's influence). And, Jimmy, despite his overall lack of integrity, has rare moments of nobility. Especially when it comes to Kim.

The odds are stacked against them making it. But it's fun watching them try.

Like 'Breaking Bad', 'Better Call Saul' has some breathtaking sequences - again, I really, really want you to watch it, so I won't give anything away, but Saul and Mike's encounter with a rival drug cartel, and their subsequent adventures in New Mexico's barren-lands is easily one of the best things I've ever seen.

It's an amazing TV show.

It truly is.

And one that hasn't just emerged from the considerable shadow cast by it's exceptional predecessor, but eclipsed it.

Trust me - call Saul. You won't regret it.

It's all good, man.

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