BETTER CALL SAUL “Marco” Review

What will Jimmy do in the wake of his recent discovery? Read on to find out.

The official description from AMC:

In the aftermath of recent events, Jimmy seizes an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend. Chuck adjusts to a new way of life.

Last week saw the finale of The Walking Dead’s latest season, and this sees the finale of Better Call Saul‘s first, thus bring a temporary end to AMC‘s two biggest shows (and best for that matter). That being said, all good things come to an end, and if shows like this ran continuous, they wouldn’t be quite as enthralling. But will Breaking Bad fans love this culminate episode? Or is it more tailored towards newer views? The answer is a little of both, with the end result being both dramatic, and teasing (but not in the usual cliffhanger way).

Having realised that it was none other than his own brother, Chuck, that’s been keeping him from working at HHM, Jimmy goes on a bit of a soul search, giving his case to HHM and taking a trip to his old stomping ground, Chicago. This leads to him reuniting with longtime friend, Marco, and eventually becoming “Slippin’ Jimmy” once more. Though it was nice to see the return of “Slippin’ Jimmy”, and in this series’ main timeline, it wasn’t the direction that I hoped this series would head into for it’s finale. Don’t get me wrong, we were delivered some entertaining moments, with Jimmy and Marco getting up to some fun, but I was hoping for more of a conflictual altercation between Jimmy and his brother Chuck.

Though the acting doesn’t drop in quality, there also isn’t much that stands out. Yes, Bob Odenkirk (Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman) continues to give a mixture of emotion and comedy, but even this great actor isn’t at his best. This however is partially due to Peter Gould‘s script, as with some scenes feeling longer than necessary, it inevitably leads to some overacting. Joining Odenkirk, we get a wonderful supporting role for Mel Rodriguez (Marco), with the chemistry shared between his character and Odenkirk’s being fantastic to say the least. He also brings a comic timing not too dissimilar to Odenkirk, with there being a charming tone to his character. Patrick Fabian (Howard Hamlin) and Jonathan Banks (Mike Ehrmantraut) also as ever give solid performances, with the former showing a side of humility that we’re not used to, and the latter building upon his already intriguing character.

Better Call Saul‘s first season comes to a fitting end, as though the events of “Marco” aren’t quite what I hoped (though I should have guessed given the title), they allow for both clarity, and depth to Jimmy McGill. It also opens the door for his next chapter, as though this is subtly done, it’s still powerful, and enthralling.