Better Recall Saul: "Hero"

Welcome to the new TV Recap series Better Recall Saul that chronicles the adventures of Better Call Saul and a young criminal lawyer as he cuts his teeth down in ABQ, and his Breaking Bad buddies might stop by to wish him luck. Feel free to join every Tuesday as the adventures unravel and the story behind one of the funniest and sleaziest lawyers in TV history begins to take form and remind us why he is such a great character in the first place. Is this spin-off meant for greatness, or is it the worst idea that AMC has ever done? You'll have to read on to find out the truth.

"You're the kind of lawyer guilty people hire."

- Betsy Kettleman (Julie Ann Emery)

Plot:

After seeing footage of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) taking on the Saul Goodman persona, things cut to the current moment in which Jimmy stands before the Kettlemans and a big dilemma. What does he do about their money? When they refuse to hire him as a lawyer, he decides to help them find an alibi that will get them out of trouble. They went camping without any word of leaving. This gets Nacho (Michael Mando) free and sends Jimmy on a quest to find a way to make money. He now believes that he can help criminals get out of tight spaces. He upsets coworker Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) by spending all of the money on a makeover and stealing their font. He even pulls a stunt to save a man dangling from a billboard to become a town hero. However, when he does, he hides it from Chuck (Michael McKean), who is still scared to go outside. Jimmy is starting to become a new man ready to help criminals with any means necessary.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Bob Odenkirk

MVP:
Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk)

Lines are starting to blur and the picture of Saul Goodman is starting to form. While we get glimpses into presumably Jimmy's past in which he conned people, there's an understanding that Jimmy is regressing. He is becoming a weasel in the way that he once was. His stunts are getting bigger and his schemes are more thought out. He is a master in training as he becomes a hero in his own world. Yes, he made it all up for the glory, but he also is starting to form the personality that will define him for all of Breaking Bad. Most of all, this is the first episode that feels distinctly different from Breaking Bad while still existing in the same universe. Overall, a very impressive episode that will hopefully kick the remaining episodes into a higher gear than what's been seen before.

Best Scene

It is a scheme that seems so far fetched that you wouldn't believe that Jimmy would pull it off. As someone is removing his billboard by request of Kim, he is filming a commercial. However, things go wrong as the billboard worker falls off and is dangling by his safety latch. Jimmy decides to save the day while on camera and receive a lot of publicity. It is soon revealed following the rescue that it was all a stunt that was meant to get him attention. While the other lawyers can see through it, it is the first sign that Jimmy is willing to mislead the media in order to make himself look like a hero. It is also the first great moment of the show in which Jimmy becomes the character we want him to be as opposed to a person who simply seems sleazy.