Better Call Saul Series 2 - Strugglin' Jimmy
I have a feeling the first series of 'Better Call Saul' was a big gamble for Gilligan, he made a very full narrative in fear that the show was going to not make it to the second series. As a result of this, Series 2 is very much a stepping stone of a series that is all about movement and plot development that some as much as a full narrative as Series 1. This is in no way a negative when taken apart from the rest of the show nothing really jumps out in Series 2 but the show still manages to be an impressive and engaging masterpiece. It is such a brilliantly constructed season, Series 1 has this set of ideas that the whole series is based around yet here we move on to something much more serialised and the ideas and concepts unveil themselves at a slow but interesting pace. At the end of the first series Jimmy is in a position where we think this is going to be the big change, he has this power and authority that is almost unnerving but Series 2 shows him fight with his own perception of himself. It's about appearance, interactions and how you present yourself, Jimmy battles with the hovering implication of 'The means Vs the ends' which is essentially the show's throughline and it makes it an incredible series.
There's this well-known fact about 'Better Call Saul' that makes the show quite divisive, it is the fact that plot threads are revealed at a glacial speed and often all come together episodes after their introduction. Some people find this to be frustrating but I find it mesmerising, there's something about seeing an event take place and trying to work out where it fits into the story without it being shoved down our throat with frustrating exposition. The second series has a very clear cut plot that can be summed up incredibly quickly, but the way this unveils itself is all commented in exploring the reasons behind character's actions and thought process whilst also keeping the audience entertained and fixated. When revisiting the show I found myself to enjoy the slow pace a lot more than my first watch, the show has this reputation of being a spinoff to one of the most critically claimed shows off all time so you can't help but enter with your own expectations. When you compare the basic outlines of the plot of a series of 'Breaking Bad' compared to 'Better Call Saul' it can really seem like a really inferior show but there's something about the 'how' of these events that makes the show so gripping. We can include an opening sequence that see's Jimmy trying to get some elderly clients on a bus that takes about 15 minutes but has lasting consequences and says so much about who Jimmy is as a character. Throughout Series 2 there is a feeling of acceleration, so many scenes add a little bit of momentum that all culminates in that gorgeous final reveal. I see it as a bit of an in-between series as it is about setting the pieces for Jimmy and Chuck's climax in Series 3.
We begin Series 2 in a dark situation, Jimmy knows who Chuck really is and how much he truly resents him, there is this feeling of resentment and struggle in where Jimmy is as a character. He has the golden opportunity of his career in front of him but has to carry his own perception of himself, he is 'Charlie Hustle' to so many people and perhaps that is how he will achieve happiness but he can't do that and impress his brother. I'm babbling a bit but the point is that the way Jimmy's character is framed is beautiful, I adore how his situation is essentially impossible and you totally feel for every decision he makes. He essentially is finding who he is, finding what kind of person he needs to be but the people in his life tug and hold him in places that he feels he can't escape from. Chuck doesn't think he deserves to be a lawyer because he is jealous of Jimmy's social skills and disguises this as resentment for his criminal past, as seen in the opening to 'Rebecca' Chuck holds this horrid perception of Jimmy that he can't accept could be anything else. Kim loves Jimmy, she admires him but tries so hard to ignore Jimmy's questionable morality, her ignorance to his criminal activities results in her being often dragged down with him, she desperately wants him to not be 'colourful' but Jimmy cant not be. Jimmy was a lawyer to impress Chuck, he wanted to show that he had grown as a person but due to constant dismissal from Chuck was left in a position of having to resort to morally grey activities. He adores scamming those who are rich and arrogant because in many ways they reflect his brother's arrogance, yet as his relationship with Kim grows it keeps him in this struggle of wanting to be good and true.
I love how essentially within two episodes Jimmy is in his ideal position, he isn't part of HHM but a really good law firm working as a professional lawyer with every benefit that entails. Yet he faces the reality of his own methods, he genuinely cares about this case and he just can't adapt who he is, the opening of 'Amarillo' and the recording of the advert all show how skilled Jimmy is but he can't play everything straight. The absolutely devastating arc of him finally being able to start his dream law firm with Kim and then committing fraud in order to keep him close to her is an insanely well-developed arc that pays off beautifully. The culmination of Jimmy's arc throughout the series is that vital printer scene, that fraud he commits is completely understandable and something so brilliant developed for his character, he risks everything and does it for Kim, it's a crucial but understandable mistake that the consequences of are wonderful. I love the fact it pushes Chuck, he plays a bit of a background villain throughout the second series, he spends a lot of time trying to catch Jimmy out but the beautiful thing is that he gets given the smoking gun to his aims and pushes everything in order to fulfil his lifelong bitterness to his brother. The final few episodes that see Jimmy and Chuck risk everything against each other are some of my favourite moments of the show, the printer scene with Chuck is almost unwatchable due to the tension and I love so much.
Throughout this, Mike's plot runs parallel at a much slower pace, he fits the role of hitting that 'Breaking Bad' itch as this world open up more and more. I remember whilst watching the original show, I never considered who Mike is as a character, I understood his motives but I love the fact this show leans on an element of his character that's just a bit out of view in 'Breaking Bad'. Mike is suffering from the guilt of his past, as seen in Series 1's 'Five-O' but here we explore what that guilt looks like and how far Mike is willing to go in order to avoid more murder. The first half of the series sees him help Nacho in order to keep his family financially afloat, we always knew he did what he did to help his family but here is the exploration of that beautiful 'ends vs the means' argument that runs parallel with Jimmy. How far will you go in order to pull of something noble and righteous? He puts himself in danger with Tuco but it is when his family is threatened that he is put in that impossible situation, his ends are confronted by his means and it is beautifully done. The slow build-up to Mike coming to terms that he may have to murder Hector is brilliant (its also a pleasure to see Mark Margolis back in this role, he absolutely kills it). Then the payoff to that being the 'Don't note' is brilliant, this is the way they bring back a fan favourite character and I love it for that.
Once again, the show is still one of the best-made things currently on television. The reliance on visual storytelling and not treating its audience like idiots is so admirable and proves that this method works and should be used more. Sometimes sequences are just so creatively stunning that they outweigh the fact it isn't a big plot moment, there's a beautiful extended sequence showing the Border Crossing that is made to look like one continuous shot with this brilliant score, it is an incredible moment that essentially just reveals the idea behind how drugs are smuggled across the border. Stuff like this reminds me that the worth of a scene is not measured on what is revealed, but how the elements are revealed and what the implications of how this scene is constructed will pay off. Bob Odenkirk delivers a once again incredible performance, his smooth-talking is better than ever but it really comes down to his performance in the finale which proves that he is an outstanding talent. Jonathan Banks doesn't get as much to do as he did in Series 1, but his performance is still incredibly constructed especially during the sniper scene. Rhea Seehorn and Michael Mckean become front and centre characters here and I adore their performances, Kim is sympathetic yet mysterious and Chuck is damaged yet viscously unlikable.
Whilst not as strong as the first series, there is still an impressive amount to love in this series. It often falls down to the fact it is merely a set-up series, it is an Act 2 to the Chuck and Jimmy relationship which is brilliantly well realised and incredibly compelling. My favourite episode is probably still 'Klick' for its incredibly satisfying payoffs and wonderful tension, but I honestly can't say there is an episode that I didn't adore.
Thanks for Reading!