A rare prequel that deepens its predecessor while standing firmly on its own. Better Call Saul is slower and more meticulous than a typical crime drama, but its character work, visual precision, and tragic slow-burn payoff make it one of TV’s great prestige series.
Better Call Saul
Where to watch: Buy
TV Show · Crime · Drama
Sun
Created by: Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn
Overview
Six years before Saul Goodman meets Walter White. We meet him when the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is “fixer” Mike Ehrmantraut. The series tracks Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer".
Created by
Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould
Cast
Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Tony Dalton, Giancarlo Esposito
Curator Review
Verdict
A rare prequel that deepens its predecessor while standing firmly on its own. Better Call Saul is slower and more meticulous than a typical crime drama, but its character work, visual precision, and tragic slow-burn payoff make it one of TV’s great prestige series.
Best for
Viewers who like character-first crime drama
Fans of slow-burn, carefully constructed storytelling
People who appreciate legal drama mixed with underworld tension
Viewers who enjoy morally complicated antiheroes
Anyone looking for a series with exceptional acting and craft
Skip if
You want fast plotting and constant action
You prefer lighter, more overtly comedic legal shows
You dislike deliberate pacing or long setup
You need a series that is self-contained and upbeat
Overview
Better Call Saul begins as a sly, often funny character study about a hustling lawyer trying to outrun his own limitations, then gradually reveals itself as a tragic transformation story. The show’s great achievement is that it makes Jimmy McGill’s choices feel both inevitable and heartbreaking, while giving Mike Ehrmantraut an equally rich parallel arc.
Worth noting
It is less propulsive than many crime dramas, especially in the early seasons, but the patience pays off. The writing is precise, the direction is elegant, and the performances are consistently outstanding, with Rhea Seehorn’s Kim Wexler becoming one of the series’ emotional anchors.
Bottom line
Season 1 is solid but restrained, season 2-4 deepen the moral and legal machinery, and season 5-6 deliver the heaviest dramatic material and the most essential viewing. As a complete run, it is one of the strongest examples of a prequel expanding a world without feeling secondary to it.
Themes
moral compromise, identity transformation, crime and law, ambition, deception, loyalty, consequences, corruption