I waited 500 days for this and believe me it was worth it. Jimmy is officially Saul Goodman now. Felt great to see Robert Forster for one more time. Rest in Peace, Robert.
33 Reviews
Just like breaking bad, it gets better as it continues
hotrobinproductions24 February 2020
You really have to hang in there for this show to hit, by the looks of it, it is REALLY shaping out to do nothing but deliver, which Vince Gilligan has done ever since episode 1 of breaking bad. The only thing he's failed to do at this point is disappoint, which is MORE than a good thing.
That last scene was so good!
yoghert_5525 February 2020
Kim is such a good character, and actor! I have a really ugly feeling something bad is going to happen to her. It's very tense! We know Saul, Mike, Gus, Hector, etc from breaking bad, but we don't know what's going to happen to her! I hope Saul doesn't get her killed or something :S
Great, as expected.
alphadarklite24 February 2020
Photography is spectacular
haildceu24 February 2020
The last scene where the handrail cuts the image into two parts is perfectly composed. The left part (higher stairs) is putting oppression on the right part (lower stairs in the corner) where Kim stands, which subtly expresses her anxiety and pressure for what she did. And the color tone is turned into dark blue from warm orange in the court, indicating a loss of justice and degeneration of character.
Not only the script but the image is filled with numberous details.This is why Better Call Saul is the one and only of all TV shows.
Still one of the best shows on TV
thomasgreuel24 February 2020
At times Better Caul Saul was moving a little too slowly for my taste, but it has picked up, and the first episode of season 5 is TV at its best.
The BW intro with Gene's storyline is back and incredibly tense. It keeps me begging for more.
The episode has this mix of subtlety (in tiny reactions by Kim and Mike) and in your face moments, delivered mostly by Jimmy.
We see a lot of familiar faces, and while nothing much new happens ( a lot of strings from last season are tied up), the episode is tense and promises the Breaking Bad vibe we all long for.
The BW intro with Gene's storyline is back and incredibly tense. It keeps me begging for more.
The episode has this mix of subtlety (in tiny reactions by Kim and Mike) and in your face moments, delivered mostly by Jimmy.
We see a lot of familiar faces, and while nothing much new happens ( a lot of strings from last season are tied up), the episode is tense and promises the Breaking Bad vibe we all long for.
Jimmy's on the decline, While Saul's rising.
bcrisman24 February 2020
A seriously great episode of better call Saul! Honestly one of the best. The montages in this show really are a thing of beauty! Kim is one of the best supporting characters in any show I've watched, she's very good at acting with her face, with no words needed.
If this is any indicator, this will be the best season of better call Saul yet.
Is the magic man Saul or Vince Gilligan
benkrieser24 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
What an unreal start to season 5. Not just the standard unbelievable acting of Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo and Rhea (ofc Jonathan too). It was just spectacular filmography. Highlight was definitely Saul giving out phones with just beautifully made transitions and classic dialogue of Saul that I had missed for the last year and a half. Hard to give a 10 to something that isn't breaking bad like Ozymandias but seriously good episode and excited for what Lalo has in stall for the rest of what is looking to be the darkest season of BCS
ALSO, the Robert Forster cameo was emotional but beautiful and a fantastic send off for Ed
Rating: 9.3
ALSO, the Robert Forster cameo was emotional but beautiful and a fantastic send off for Ed
Rating: 9.3
Bob Odenkirk Is A Magician When It Comes To Playing Saul Goodman
alkhawammarie17 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is so well shot, it has an amazing montage of Saul conducting his business and passing out flyers and legal advice. This episode also has a great cameo from the late Robert Forster who sadly passed. The heat is turned up on Nacho as he feels more and more uncomfortable with Lalo. This is the show that keeps on delivering.
Back with a bang
jackkemp-3061224 February 2020
Better Call Saul is one of the most consistent shows out there in terms of its quality and season 5 has picked up exactly where it left off in terms of that. This seasons opener is nothing short of being one of the strongest better Call Saul episodes to date
We can only ponder about where it goes from here. We know we have 22 episodes to go now but this episode will prove itself to be fundamental in what appears to be the beginning of the end for the characters that have been built up so far.
We can only ponder about where it goes from here. We know we have 22 episodes to go now but this episode will prove itself to be fundamental in what appears to be the beginning of the end for the characters that have been built up so far.
Great way to start the new season!
ste_palom24 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Fantastic episode to start the season. Lalo has been built in the last season a the new enemy that Gus and Mike need to take down and after this episode, we know that Gus considers him a huge threat for his future business. We also see, as I expected, that Mike and Gus are not in good terms anymore, it seems that is gonna take a bit more for Mike to truly "break bad". As for Saul and Kim, wow, I feel so bad for Kim, she's now looking like "season 5 Skyler" just that this time we got an actual sympathetic female character. Also, Jimmy has complete embrace his Saul persona and he is really good at this. However, the highlight of this episode for me was that insane post-Breaking Bad opening segment, wow it was so intense, you could feel the pressure keep building and building. I was almost sure that he wasn't going to get caught and then that cap driver came in and it all went south really quickly.I am not sure what Saul is going to do, but since that one will be the last post-Breaking Bad scene I predict that things will not go the way Saul wants.
Not a bad start
Kingslaay8 May 2020
Finally BCS is back. We see him embrace his new personality. The truth is that Jimmy McGill or slipping Jimmy never existed, he was always Saul at heart trying to fit into a normal world. His epiphany shows him realising that and seeing it clearly for the first time. The seeds and life differences between him and Kim are being sown.
Puff!
rasulrizvan25 February 2020
. By the way, I would like to mention one VERY interesting detail that operators use more than once. Here she is in the scene with a bag of sweets in the machine. It would seem: Why did they show us this? But if you look closely, you can notice an interesting relationship between a bag of sweets and Kim's customers. The bottom line is that at first acquaintance Jimmy is trying to get a bag in an honest way by paying his money, but he does not want to get out. Also with Kim, because playing honestly, she could not convince customers. And as if to finally get this bag, it was necessary to do a little odd act, well, also with Kim. And I use Google Translator to convey my thoughts, so forgive me if you did not quite understand me.
Go Jimmie Go
Hitchcoc20 April 2022
Two real focuses. First of all we have the competing drug cartels beginning to claim turf. The chicken man lays down the law but there are bigger issues with pride being one of them. There is a delightful edge to each encounter. The cinematography is so good here. The other element is the rise of Saul Goodman from the ashes of Jimmie's haphazard world. Kim is reluctantly roped in when she sees conventional legal work isn't going to cut it on the street.
Magic
benjaminchristopher24 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Again, as many episode openers of the much beloved "Better Call Saul" opens up, with a flash forward in the ominous black and white.
It then draws us back in right where it left off 2 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long, I'm old now :( ).
After so many events unfolding, I believe we have the near finished product of Saul Goodman. His morality meter is flying off the compass and he's chosen his fate.
The scene in the tent, flogging his phones and getting his client base was genius. In typical Better Call Saul/Breaking bad montage style, it gave me goosebumps watching him work his magic!
The events which take place in the drug turf world is still engaging and can't wait to see more of Mike!
Welcome back BCS, you've been missed and now, like back in the old ages before Netflix took off- you deliver us a week by week episode release! Something to look forward to each week!
It then draws us back in right where it left off 2 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long, I'm old now :( ).
After so many events unfolding, I believe we have the near finished product of Saul Goodman. His morality meter is flying off the compass and he's chosen his fate.
The scene in the tent, flogging his phones and getting his client base was genius. In typical Better Call Saul/Breaking bad montage style, it gave me goosebumps watching him work his magic!
The events which take place in the drug turf world is still engaging and can't wait to see more of Mike!
Welcome back BCS, you've been missed and now, like back in the old ages before Netflix took off- you deliver us a week by week episode release! Something to look forward to each week!
Game On!
greggwager24 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
As nonchalantly and routinely as Season 5 of Better Call Saul begins, don't overlook the masterful touches that keep you thinking and ruminating. Gilligan and Gould have profoundly painted themselves into a corner by promising a detailed and plausible story about how the twisted and maniacal Saul Goodman comes into being.
In "Magic Man," they ante up.
The final encounter between Mike and Kai shows clearly the difference between the latter's untempered braggadocio versus steely resolve wrapped around a good heart. Mike doesn't kill Kai, rather gives him one in the chops, or what Kai's papa should have done long ago. But Werner's ghost lingers, challenging all who knew him to stay in the game.
Such simple encounters help set up characters, settings, and props on the chessboard. Good criminals make it by the end of the story; bad ones don't. What's the difference? Stay tuned.
And Kim Wexler proves that swindling the system for comfortable millionaires of Mesa Verde is not the same as for a helpless poor family. Saul doesn't balk in such situations, but Kim feels the ache of betraying her ethics.
Fring dances with Lalo. So does Nacho.
Goldfish and his bubbles still provide the ambiance that represent Saul's new family, while Kim gradually reveals herself as the fish out of water.
In Breaking Bad, Saul taunted Walter and Jesse when they ponied up a five-figured sum to save Badger from a prison shiv. Morality hurts.
Gene feels it too when he is made by a taxi driver. Expense and inconvenience or murder?
In "Magic Man," they ante up.
The final encounter between Mike and Kai shows clearly the difference between the latter's untempered braggadocio versus steely resolve wrapped around a good heart. Mike doesn't kill Kai, rather gives him one in the chops, or what Kai's papa should have done long ago. But Werner's ghost lingers, challenging all who knew him to stay in the game.
Such simple encounters help set up characters, settings, and props on the chessboard. Good criminals make it by the end of the story; bad ones don't. What's the difference? Stay tuned.
And Kim Wexler proves that swindling the system for comfortable millionaires of Mesa Verde is not the same as for a helpless poor family. Saul doesn't balk in such situations, but Kim feels the ache of betraying her ethics.
Fring dances with Lalo. So does Nacho.
Goldfish and his bubbles still provide the ambiance that represent Saul's new family, while Kim gradually reveals herself as the fish out of water.
In Breaking Bad, Saul taunted Walter and Jesse when they ponied up a five-figured sum to save Badger from a prison shiv. Morality hurts.
Gene feels it too when he is made by a taxi driver. Expense and inconvenience or murder?
A very promising start
sackofwhine24 April 2020
Storywise, as usual, phenomenal. Can't wait to see how this will develop. Lalo is already one of my favorite characters in the BB universe. What an amazing performance by an underutilized actor, Tony Dalton.
Bronwen Hughes directed this episode with a lot of care with the usual effective editing at hand. Just love how so many possibilities blossom out of the first episode of the season already. The writers are geniuses, truly.
Bronwen Hughes directed this episode with a lot of care with the usual effective editing at hand. Just love how so many possibilities blossom out of the first episode of the season already. The writers are geniuses, truly.
Good start
crippamatteo-370722 March 2020
Solid magic
choombaz23 April 2020
A very solid opening to the season. I feel like this show has a very locked in formula but it is so subtle it is hard to put my finger on it and it is entirely possible I am just making the whole thing up. The b/w scenes, the one scene (in this case, the Magic Man scene) that relies on an over abundance of style including fast cutting and specific music or song choice.
This show and this episode in particular really highlights the poisoned relationship between Jimmy and Kim and every time he corrupts her just a little bit more my heart just breaks for her a little bit more.
Saul is here and he is not pretty
dierregi7 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It took four series for Saul to appear and now that he's here I start to miss Jimmy. Wearing his gaudy, vulgar shirts and acting to impress his low-life clientele, Saul starts building his core business and turning into the "criminal" lawyer of BB.
Kim is not too impressed even if she's giving in once more and playing along. She starts to be Slipping Kim and we're left wondering how low she's going to slip.
Mike and Gus have a mild confrontation after the German debacle and a "solution" to the Lalo problems starts to be hinted at. Since the Salamancas are such a pain, I still wonder why Gus bothered to save Hector...
On a side note, the more I follow the criminal life, the more I wonder why they bother, since it seems a lot of stress and danger and not much fun at all - such as having a lot of "dirty" cash and being unable to spend it. Besides being constantly at risk of a violent, unpleasant end. Seriously, what's the point?
Kim is not too impressed even if she's giving in once more and playing along. She starts to be Slipping Kim and we're left wondering how low she's going to slip.
Mike and Gus have a mild confrontation after the German debacle and a "solution" to the Lalo problems starts to be hinted at. Since the Salamancas are such a pain, I still wonder why Gus bothered to save Hector...
On a side note, the more I follow the criminal life, the more I wonder why they bother, since it seems a lot of stress and danger and not much fun at all - such as having a lot of "dirty" cash and being unable to spend it. Besides being constantly at risk of a violent, unpleasant end. Seriously, what's the point?
5x01
formotog17 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Great start to the season. As always the cinematography is exceptional and the music is fantastic. The Gene storyline seems to be taking off but I guess we'll have to wait another season to see where it ends up. As always, I feel like the Mike/Gus side of the show is the far more intriguing part of the show, and their dynamic in this episode was particularly engaging. I love how there is no clear power dynamic between the two; neither really has power over the other, and underneath the differences, there is certainly a mutual respect and admiration there. Can't wait to see what this storyline produces this season, especially with Lala and Nacho. Nonetheless it's still good to finally see Saul, in the flesh and absolute as his criminal lawyer self. I just wonder where they take him from here; surely his story and Mike's must collide this season? That's what I'd imagine. This opener did set up a lot to be explored, through some excellent, nuanced writing. I accepted this show is a slow burner a long time ago, and while I'm not a huge fan and think it's the main thing holding it back, I just have to accept it. I'm hopeful that this season will be one of the best
Low 8
Low 8
Puff!!!
rasulrizvan25 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
.By the way, I would like to mention one VERY interesting detail that operators use more than once. Here she is in the scene with a bag of sweets in the machine. It would seem: Why did they show us this? But if you look closely, you can notice an interesting relationship between a bag of sweets and Kim's customers. The bottom line is that at first acquaintance Jimmy is trying to get a bag in an honest way by paying his money, but he does not want to get out. Also with Kim, because playing honestly, she could not convince customers. And as if to finally get this bag, it was necessary to do a little odd act, well, also with Kim. And I use Google Translator to convey my thoughts, so forgive me if you did not quite understand me.
Good start to a great season
SweetD1926 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm quickly loving this just as much as breaking bad. The black and white scenes are great, they signify the future..that is a very bleak future btw...
Surprising to see all the Kim hate...well I guess it's not hate but pathetic complaining.
You never hear men complain about the leading man especially when it's only about his looks...
Kim signifies the old jimmy..her reactions to his changes are paramount...really show that he is no longer jimmy. The parasite Saul has taken over. Nacho, Lalo and Mike are really delivering as well..take a chance on this show and don't listen to bored housewives..notice the only characters they hate are women. I'm guessing they're a 4/10.
Surprising to see all the Kim hate...well I guess it's not hate but pathetic complaining.
You never hear men complain about the leading man especially when it's only about his looks...
Kim signifies the old jimmy..her reactions to his changes are paramount...really show that he is no longer jimmy. The parasite Saul has taken over. Nacho, Lalo and Mike are really delivering as well..take a chance on this show and don't listen to bored housewives..notice the only characters they hate are women. I'm guessing they're a 4/10.
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