BETTER CALL SAUL SCRAWL: SEASON ONE FINALE

Episode: 110 MARCO

Slippin’ Jimmy was the nickname for Jimmy McGill in his young wild days. Jimmy who we all knew as Saul Goodman from BREAKING BAD, a now legendary show that had an edgy moment occurring about every ten minutes, or less...

And when the news came out that Walter White’s slimy lawyer would have his own series titled BETTER CALL SAUL – and his tough sidekick Mike was along for the ride – the possibilities were endless. One couldn’t imagine how many exploits Saul could get into and out of, all within the pulpy, pot-boiling, visual page-turner of a template; which this spinoff takes on in a much slower pace than its mile-a-minute predecessor.

Grade: D

The genius of Bob Odenkirk’s acting can serve as a downfall, at times. For example, one scene in this lackluster season finale titled MARCO has Jimmy doing the usual bingo game (the machine sounding strangely like a bong) for his Elder Law clients. The performance, as Jimmy slowly breaks down while reading the numbers, is, as usual, sublime – problem is the scene drags on way too long.

So when Jimmy returns back home to Chicago and reunites with the episode’s tubby title character, becoming a barroom/alleyway con artist once again, thanks to farfetched ruses and a handsome montage there’s a lot to take in… it's just not very interesting. A trip down memory lane is fine – only we never experienced his shady past long enough for this odyssey to mean to the audience what it supposedly means to Jimmy. Which isn't much. He's happier when the magnet of fate pulls him back home, where good news awaits. We all know, though, the future never remains bright for our perpetually unlucky hero. And thankfully, the way things turned out, Slippin' Jimmy has been put to rest, because he pales to Jimmy the Lawyer. Who pales to Saul Goodman.