Better Call Saul Web Series: Cast, Plot, Episodes, Storyline & How It Connects to Breaking Bad

  

Better Call Saul Web Series: Cast, Plot, Episodes & How This Breaking Bad Prequel Redefines Crime Drama

Introduction 

Better Call Saul is what you have been waiting for if one of those many people who have watched Breaking Bad said, "You know, the show could use more lawyers." Created and produced by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, this TV show is essentially a prequel to Breaking Bad taking a closer look on the background of the glib and morally vacuous lawyer Saul Goodman (Whom Bob Odenkirk plays). And let's face it, if you have watched Breaking Bad, you knew someone would eventually need a lawyer. So, it might as well be the guy who elevates legal advice into nothing less than performance art.

The series follows Jimmy McGill, a struggling public defender, who grows into the sleazy, larger-than-life lawyer we know and love as Saul Goodman. And as you plunge into this series, it becomes quickly apparent that this is much more than a legal drama: it deals with moral issues, family relationships, and the gradual slide into chaos, with some nice sarcasm on the side. Much could be said about Better Call Saul being one of the better TV shows around, and, it is much more than the colorful characters and morally ambiguous nature. No, it is far more fascinating because it actually does something much more fine: it takes a character whom we thought we knew and makes us care about him, to root for him, to even pause and think about our own idea of right or wrong.


 

Jimmy McGill: Lovable Screw-Up to Saul Goodman

The heart of Better Call Saul is Jimmy McGill, a man who is doing everything within him to make something out of himself. A constant source of weirdly charming antics and a smile, he is the sort of guy that you know, deep down, will probably make terrible decisions. Thus, Jimmy would probably fit into the category of someone whom you would root for-as long as that could take you on board as a character, at least somewhat socially handicapped.

When we first meet Jimmy, he's a public defender working for bread and butter in those cases no other lawyer would take. He has no designer clothes, no connections, but he's driven. Okay, he's got a slight conman quality, but slow down! There's some genuine goodness in him. With him, we also see the typical struggle: wanting a better life but being literally crushed by it, decisions, and, of course, what looms larger and larger as that of his older brother, the successful Chuck McGill, played by Michael McKean.

Chuck is one of the most interesting characters: a successful lawyer, obviously skilled, but incredibly troubled as well. He has a powerful influence over Jimmy, and his antagonistic relationship with his brother is almost one of the emotional anchors of the series. Watching Jimmy strive to get Chuck's stamp of approval for all the wrong reasons only to be utterly tormented by his brother's sense of superiority is disheartening and ugly. And this is where the series latches you on: you can't help but sympathize with Jimmy, even if you know each of his actions comes with a price that will follow him for ages.

Saul Goodman: A Antihero's Lawyer.

Chosen above all, Jimmy undergoes a ridiculous transformation into the fast-talking, morally flexible lawyer Saul Goodman we all know and love from Breaking Bad. Watching this transformation is somewhat like looking at a funhouse mirror reflection of Jimmy: decisions taken with just a blink of an eye turn out to be ever so slightly worse than the last, and quite magnetically flowered to avert the view. By the time Saul Goodman really expresses himself from Jimmy, the absurdity of it all will not stop one from chuckling: Saul is a character who will corrupt the law, pervert the truth, and maybe throw in a billboard and a bright flash of advertising every once in a while just to remind you to call him. An amazing "genius" who will do justice for the heaviest of illegal activity committed by whomever you may name.

The catchphrase: "Better Call Saul!" It's cheesy, it's fun, and it fills in the blank for everything Saul Goodman stands for. Some would call Saul's abnormal morality the same as crassly comparable to that of used car salesmen. But there was something relatable about Saul who took it to the limit with his persona. It's perfectly clear that Saul wouldn't shy away from random hooliganism; it seems that was more of his forte; you run into a little trouble, and voila! Saul gets you out in spite of how many questions you may choose to, or not to ask!

 

The Side Characters: A Supporting Cast That Steals the Show

Different perspective begins to sneak in toward the end of season four, however. Much as Better Call Saul focuses mainly on Jimmy/Saul, it also has a quirky cast of side characters that make the viewing experience even better. Mike Ehrmantraut, played by Jonathan Banks, is one such character. Former cop Mike is a fixer who specializes in doing no-nonsense work and remains stoic and strikingly serious all the time. Albeit morally ambiguous, his sense of responsibility and honor make one a joy to watch in the role itself, giving his deadpan delivery just that much more value. There is a kind of "don't mess with me" demeanor about Mike that makes him one of the characters audience loves. You can almost hear him saying, "I'll get the job done, but don't ask me to like it."

Then there is Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), the lawyer from Jimmy's world that's on equal footing with him, who becomes one of the most significant characters on the show. Smart with her own set of skills, Kim feels the burden of having to retain and keep her moral compass intact while the waves wash over her into Jimmy's increasingly shady schemes. Her relationship with Jimmy is tangled with love, mutual respect, and various doses of deep frustration. She might not be as grandiose as Saul, but she is the grounding element to his life-whether he wants to acknowledge it or not. Watching her navigate her ethical dilemmas against her affection for Jimmy lifts an emotional texture to the show, making it all the more compelling to buy into her character's development.

And, of course, there’s the mysteriously dangerous Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). If you’ve watched Breaking Bad, Gus is the kingpin of the operation, a coldly rational businessman who will wait years before springing his trap. His appearance in Better Call Saul gives added tension and foreboding as we witness the unfolding of his criminal enterprise with the slow, careful building up of his empire. It is a treat watching Gus interact with Mike, as their shared past and unspoken understanding are on the edge of hysterics.

 

Slow Burning Better Call Saul

If the slowness of the series is not what one should expect in a prequel, that would be what makes this series of its own. Certainly, a very slow-burning show, it gathers within the character arc and tension through four seasons. The kind of show that takes you sitting in long silent scenes with the feeling of going nowhere from nowhere—until they suddenly pay off in enormous waves of big returns. It may take one or two episodes for things to get moving in a sure way, but when they do, they hit like a truck.




The slow burn may at times be frustrating, at times quite satisfying. There will be times when you find yourself yell at the screen, “Come on! Get to the good part!” And then, when the good part comes, you fulfilledly realize it was well worth the wait. This series is a tease to its audience in giving away piece by piece of what actually unfolds. When you finally see the transformation of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman, it feels earned. It wasn’t just about watching a character ascend into the life of a criminal lawyer; instead, it was about watching his life come apart at the seams, like a slow-motion car crash, so painfully terrible that you can’t look away.

Shows with Humor and Heart

Better Call Saul is undoubtedly a drama, but it doesn't shy away from its fair share of humor. There is no shortage of quirky characters, awkward situations, and absurd scenarios that lighten the overall tone. With an undercurrent of dark comedy, this is especially visible in the way Saul devises some of his ingenious-but-unconventional strategies as an attorney. It's the kind of humor that makes you chuckle, even when that should probably not be the case.




As well as providing laughs, the heated backstory in this show contains a great deal of goodness also. Better Call Saul wants to show us that this is the journey of a lawyer but, indeed, a man who has been wrested with his own identity, relationships, and standing in this world. And although Jimmy McGill might make some real big blunders, you know what; you can't help but sympathize with the guy knowing that he is sliding over to dark and dangerous roads.

In Conclusion: A Show That Is Able to Stand on Its Own

Once you've reached the end of Better Call Saul, you've figured it out: it is not just a prequel to Breaking Bad. It's the story of a man stumbling down a winding path to find his rightful place in the world, however contrary to the rules that may appear. It is funny, it is dark, and it is often frustrating- but always engrossing. Saul Goodman may be the face of the show; it's the surrounding cast- the people who push, challenge, and love him- that make this show deserving of high acclaim.

So if you somehow have not yet seen Better Call Saul, maybe it is time to do so. And if you have? Well, it's about time for a rewatch.