Is Better Call Saul doomed from the start due to unreasonable expectations? The beauty of Breaking Bad was that the popularity crescendoed with its ending. Aside from the great writing, Breaking Bad was binge-watching at its best. How can Better Call Saul ever top that experience for viewers?
I think the show is doomed for reasons other than the show itself. I hope I’m wrong though.
I still haven’t seen last night’s episode (I watch the day after via streaming on AMCTV.com) but, I think it has a few things going for it. First, it’s a prequel, not a sequel, so there’s no real threat of it tarnishing the legacy of Breaking Bad. Second, it’s an entirely different concept, so it stands on its own. Saul provided comedic relief in an otherwise dark and intense show, so when I heard there would be a spinoff around him, it actually made sense. I don’t expect to like it as much as BB, however. I think one issue they may have is excessively trying to appeal to the fans of BB with cameos and such. We knew Saul and Mike had a history, so that’s okay, but seeing Tuco was… equal parts “cool!” and “why?”
Oh give me a break. Is there a reason I should call Saul? He never calls me. I left a message on his all-digital answering device at one point in the recent past, but I have yet to receive the courtesy of a reply via telephonic device. It’s not clear to me why I should continue making calls to him when, in point of fact, he never answers and doesn’t appear to return those calls that have been placed unto him.
Better Call Saul is off to a nice start, and will likely improve as the story line takes shape. It doesn’t outperform BB, but that’s too high a bar. I gather that AMC has already approved a second season, so it’s hard to see how it would be doomed. (Of course Saul himself is doomed in one sense.)
The Breaking Bad team is highly talented and now operates with great efficiency. There’s no way Better Call Saul will be a bad show. That said, there’s no accounting for audience interest, but the fact that it will be a little more light-hearted will probably help. Recall that Breaking Bad had low ratings for most of its run.
