MovieChat Forums > Better Call Saul (2015) Discussion > Does Better Call Saul Rank With Breaking...

Does Better Call Saul Rank With Breaking Bad In Terms Of Best TV Series Of All Time?

posted 6 years ago by jasonbourne (1027)
8 replies | jump to latest

Better Call Saul does not rank with Breaking Bad in terms of Best TV Series of All Time It's a prequel and we know prequels or sequels usually does not do as well, so some of the complainers have a point. However, I do enjoy the series and have seen the majority of the shows. Would I rank it over these? Season 3 and Season 1 of BCS gets in. Then it's Season 2 and then Season 4. How do you rank the seasons?

https://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/

Season 1 first aired on February 8, 2015 and contains 10 episodes. Better Call Saul is a spin-off of the hit drama series Breaking Bad and centers around the life of Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). The series begins after the Saul's connection to the characters on Breaking Bad, but eventually goes back in time to 2002 as Saul, who goes under the alias of Jimmy McGill, reflects on his life.

Some of this season's most popular episodes include "Pimento," "Five-O," and "Mijo."

Memorable moments from this season include:

- Jimmy is forced to talk his way out of a life or death situation after a scam goes horribly wrong.

- Mike must come to terms with tragic elements of his past.

- Jimmy devises a series of elaborate ploys to attempt to win clients.

Season 2 first aired on February 15, 2016 and contains 10 episodes. Jimmy first decides to quit law, but decides to stick with it after accepting a new job offer.

Some of this season's most popular episodes include "Gloves Off," "Nailed," and "Klick."

Memorable moments from this season include:

- Jimmy and Kim take their relationship to a new level.

- Jimmy has no intention of giving up his old methods when he takes a new job.

- Jimmy puts his relationships with Kim and his brother Chuck in jeopardy.

Season 3 first aired on February 15, 2016 and contains 10 episodes. In season 3, Chuck gains an advantage over Jimmy due to his possession of an incriminating tape of Jimmy's confession.

Some of this season's most popular episodes include "Chicanery," "Lantern," and "Witness."

Memorable moments from this season include:

- Jimmy and Chuck find themselves at odds with one another.

- Jimmy tries to figure out a way to deal with his debts.

- Kim decides to take some time off while Jimmy tries to figure out a way to make amends.

https://www.ranker.com/list/best-seasons-of-better-call-saul/ranker-tv

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I don't think you can decide that until the whole story is wrapped, as it is a show that you may think say in season 5 oh that's why such and such happened in season 4. It's a bit like a novel where the last couple of chapters start to tie together the story as a whole and those are the ones that make it a great novel or just a good read, this can go either way even for me who thinks it great right now.

[–] jasonbourne (1027) 6 years ago

First, let me say that I think Better Call Saul should be considered for Best Series, but it isn't remotely close to Breaking Bad.

Yeah, I agree with your post and that's why Season 4 wasn't summarized just yet. So far, I think people agree that Season 3 was best with Chuck vs Jimmy as the highlight. Season 4 may be the worst. Sure, it had the usual great storyline and cinematography, e.g. Something Stupid cold open (usually the cold opens are the best part of the episode). Or the story behind the superlab and potential danger. However, there is a limit to the story telling and cinematography no matter how good when it's just turns out to be filler. You have to deliver. I rather have watched some action like how Hector and Lalo took revenge on the hotel proprietor that disrespected them. I thought Ziegler was going to go bye bye since Wiedersehen is good bye. However, he just escaped into the desert. Lalo and Nacho go to see Gus at Los Hermanos and the memorable part is Lalo littering in the parking lot. To me, that is not satisfactory. I can accept it for one or two episodes, but we need some action to wrap up the subplot. I mean did Jimmy looking for his new office exciting enough for you? We still have four years to go until Breaking Bad, so I don't want Jimmy to be going back and forth from Jimmy to Saul all that time. We need more time jumps and action.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Yeah like I say jury is out for me until the entire series wraps, I may walk away and think it was good but they got caught up with trying to tie everything into Breaking Bad way too much. Like I said in another thread Nacho (Ignacio) and Lalo were names mentioned in Breaking Bad when Walt and Jesse held Saul at gunpoint in season 2 (Saul thought Lalo had sent Walt and Jesse, telling them it was all Nacho not him) so fine they're bringing that in.

I do think at present they are spending a lot of time tidying up loose ends to bring it up to speed with Breaking Bad, when in actual fact it doesn't matter or need to be.

Yes Lalo and Nacho are likely integral to Saul as I said in that scene in BB he mentions them so before BB he has to get to know them, so fine. However the building of the lab not so much, BB watches know that the lab was there and there was a cook before Walt, for BCS watches who've never seen it it doesn't matter at all. Yes the interactions between Lalo and Gus are important and we need to know that stems from Hector, Gus pulled Hector's treatment and Lalo is obviously aware that Hector could have got even better.

This is where it gets interesting though, for the BCS watches who have not seen BB, if they go on and watch BB after, the whole of Gus being a nasty piece of work reveal will not have the same impact it did to us when it happened, because they will already know. At present I'm not watching Saul's story I'm watching a show about before Breaking Bad, Gus should have just been a side character who we see as villainous but not outright vicious, that still should be to come in Breaking Bad.

Kim's backstory could be told though, that's another thing for me at present, it feels like once BCS is done we're going to get a Kim Wexler spin-off show about before she got to New Mexico.

Of course once the series wraps those thoughts may disappear and it will have been worth all that, hence jury out because I'm not season by season on BCS it's the whole series that'll decide it (much like BB did).

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rootvegetables (1699) 6 years ago

I think it is a very well-made show. Very well directed, superbly shot, well acted and thoughtfully - at times quite subtly - written. Yes, it is an extremely deliberate and sloooooooow burn; but it is a very very good show.
Is it on the level of Breaking Bad? In my opinion, it is not. Very few shows (or movies, for that matter) are.

[none]

[–] TearofLys (2656) 6 years ago

No. BCS is a pretty good show, but there have been several pretty good shows. Breaking Bad the perfect combination that put it in the rarified air of great shows.

[–] jriley555 (8214) 6 years ago

early on, i thought it might be.

but after the meandering of the past season, it has dropped out of that realm.

still an avid fan. but not like before.

[–] Ghostdog (7) 6 years ago

I don’t think it ranks. Love the show but it is a prequel and limited in where it can go. We learn a bit more about characters we already know the future for. The originals are always free to move as they see fit. Not in the same class as BB, The Americans or Homeland. JMHO.