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.
"Are you punking my abuelita?"
- Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz)
Plot:
Upon getting kidnapped by Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz), Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) tries to find a way to escape with his life. With his clients potentially dead, he convinces Tuco to let him go. However, this results in everyone driving out to the desert and potentially killing the two skaters. In the process, Jimmy convinces Tuco to let them live, but break their legs as punishment. Jimmy continues to live life with that guilt, but finds that the desperation allows him to smooth talk his way out of every situation. Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) is paranoid by electronic waves and forces Jimmy to keep his phone out of the house while he wears a space blanket. When things finish up, Jimmy is visited by Tuco's henchman Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) who wants to find the skaters and get their money with the alternative being to hurt Jimmy.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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| Raymond Cruz |
MVP:
Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz)
In a familiar pattern, it is the supporting players that make the show work. While Jimmy is supposed to be an interesting character, his only real charm remains in his ability to string together lies to get him out of corners. It is also hard to find any intensity in them when there is expressed knowledge within the show's early run that Jimmy will not only live, but change his name. Still, the sight of Tuco after his death on Breaking Bad is nice. He was always the crazy one in the Salamanca story line that definitely packs punches in the disturbing ways. To see him so obsessed with respecting his abuelita is especially a nice touch and the presence of his henchmen are a thankful continuity with the other show. Still, it is great to have Tuco around, as he brings a necessary fire to the series.
Best Scene
Upon returning from the horrific sight of the skaters getting their legs broken, Jimmy begins to start up the racket of helping criminals. In the show's first time lapse montage, he is seen helping several clients and finally making enough money to live. While it doesn't quite resonate as well as the Breaking Bad montages, it does manage to convey everything that is essential about the character without wasting too much time. It also gives it a personality and even manages to end it with a sting of having Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) reject his ticket. While I find this bit to be greatly obnoxious, it is a clever and perfect way to end this particular montage.
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