With the shadow of one of the most beloved TV dramas of all time looming over it like a 747 over Albuquerque, the first two seasons of Better Call Saul had a degree of difficulty unlike any other show in recent memory. Not only did it have to avoid besmirching the legacy of its illustrious predecessor Breaking Bad, it also had to create its own universe, and tell its own story. And thus far, with the exception of the occasional Breaking Bad cameo, Saul has succeeded largely in telling its own unique tale. But after two seasons of slow and steady character development in this new world, the world of Saul is starting to collide with the world of Breaking Bad, raising both the stakes as well as audience anticipation. In the relatively slow paced season 3 premiere, the seeds are being planted for what is sure to be a conflict heavy season.
The season opens with a flash forward of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) as sad sack Gene, manager of the local mall Cinnabon, as he deals with such problems as teenage shoplifters, and frosting a fresh batch of rolls. Midway through a workday, he inexplicably collapses behind the counter, a mystery that will surely be revisited later in the season.
Thankfully for those who are less interested in the trials of lower middle management food service staff, the rest of the episode takes us right back to where Season 2 left off, with Chuck (Michael McKean) secretly recording Jimmy’s confession that he was the one that doctored legal documents to get Chuck’s firm thrown off of a case. The brother’s complicated relationship continues to evolve in the premiere as we see genuine brotherly affection between the two, even as they secretly detest each other.
But the real highlight of the premiere is the story of the taciturn Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), who saw his plans to kill Victor Salamanca foiled by an errant car horn and a cryptic message “Don’t” left on his windshield. Mike, in typical Mike fashion, quickly realizes that the only way he could have been followed is if he had a digital tracker on his car. And in probably the best shot piece of the entire premiere, proceeds to disassemble his car, piece by piece to find the hidden piece of spycraft. The entire Mike montage is truly a joy to behold, focusing on Mike’s gravitas, rather than any specific dialogue. He is a man of few words, and the show hammers that point home, filming scenes that span literally five minutes or more with no dialogue at all. Such scenes that perfectly befit Mike’s character and only add further heft to the times when he does talk.
Better Call Saul has always loved to sprinkle in Breaking Bad easter eggs, and the premiere is no exception. One of Jimmy’s elderly casually mentions all the flowers that she is growing in her garden, including, Lily of the Valley (nice!).
Although the premiere does start off a bit slowly, simply building on what happened at the end of Season 2, it definitely feels like the table is being set for the rest of the season. And although I missed Nacho’s (Michael Mando) always welcome presence, there is little doubt that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the Salamanca clan. Of course, we all know where all the Salamanca’s will end up eventually.
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