Jackson Ball reviews the sixth episode of Better Call Saul…
In my previous reviews of this series, I have expressed a concern for Better Call Saul. The main opinion I’ve taken away from the first half of season 1 is one that double-edged; the series is enjoyable, but may rely too heavily on its predecessor, Breaking Bad. The duality of this concern manifests itself perfectly in episode 6, ‘Five-O’.
Warning! Spoilers Ahead – You have been warned!
In this week’s episode we see very, very little of the shows titular lawyer. Saul (Bob Odenkirk), or Jimmy as he is currently going by, takes a back-seat this time around, in favour for something Breaking Bad fans have been clamouring for: a back-story for Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathon Banks).
Mike has always been something of an enigma for audiences; ever-cool, ever-composed, ever-mysterious. Outside of the existence of his granddaughter and the fact that he can kill you a thousand different ways, there’s still not really much we know about the man. Well, that all changes with this week’s episode.
As per the Better Call Saul formula, Mike’s story is told over the course of a chaotic, backwards-forwards timeline. We first find Mike in the ‘present’, remaining tight-lipped in an interrogation room with two detectives. He refuses to talk until his lawyer is present, and we all know who that lawyer is going to be before he even arrives. Upon Jimmy’s arrival, he acts as the audiences advocate, as he asks to brought up to speed with the situation. Odenkirk may be cameoing in his own show here, but he does so to fantastic effect.
We discover that Mike’s son (like himself) used to be a police officer in Philadelphia, before he was murdered in what seemed like a gangland ambush. Now though, the detectives suspect foul play and are coming to Mike for help. Surprisingly though, he is less than cooperative.
The episode continues to build both pace and intrigue as Mike has a similar interaction with his son’s widow, who is also desperate for answers. It is clear that Mike knows more about the murder than he is letting on. We also learn that his son’s death caused him a nasty spout of alcoholism, before he eventually decided to move out to Albuquerque.
The episode climaxes with Mike revealing to his daughter-in-law the real circumstances surrounding the murder. He confesses that the police force was riddled with corruption and he himself was no exception. His son, however, was different; the one cop who wasn’t dirty. Unfortunately though, his immaculate morals cost him his life when two of his fellow officers grew concerned and arranged his murdered. It’s an unbelievably emotional scene, with Mike composed façade finally cracking as he breaks into to tears; a truly flawless performance from Banks.
Despite this level of quality television, my major concern for this series remains intact.
As I’ve said, this episode is fantastic and easily the high-point of the series so far. However, Banks’ incredible performance aside, I forced to question whether or not ‘Five-O’ is another case of the series over-catering to Breaking Bad fans. Would an entire episode based on Mike’s back-story have the same impact or significance if we hadn’t seen him in the original series?
I’m not saying the writers of Better Call Saul should be cautious of viewers of the show who haven’t seen Breaking Bad, as I imagine that’s a very rare scenario. However, they do need to be wary of using the precursor as a crutch for this series. Outside of this episode there is also other examples of key moments that rely heavily on the viewer have an in-depth knowledge of Saul’s original dealings with Walter White and co: Episode 1’s cliff-hanger with Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Martinez) immediately springs to mind.
Take nothing away from ‘Five-O’; it is an episode of supreme quality. I just worry that Better Call Saul doesn’t know what it wants to be: a side dish to Breaking Bad, or a great series in its own right.
Jackson Ball – follow me on Twitter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ONsp_bmDYXc&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5
Originally published March 13, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
