With its second episode, "Mijo," Better Call Saul finally obtains Breaking Bad's mojo. That's more than just some cheeky wordplay; the new spin-off series from Peter Gould and Bad creator Vince Gilligan is finally coming into its own in the exact same week it premiered. Fans fearing it won't live up to the hype, rejoice.
From its frantically edited close-up shots of Tuco (Raymond Cruz) chopping up red peppers, "Mijo" thrusts a kinetic reborn energy which Sunday's "Uno" flirted heavily with, but this sophomore episode truly excels upon. From its cold opening onward, the universe of Breaking Bad once again thrives in its demented, twisted and delightfully dark lunacy. While, yes, this means Better Call Saul continues to rely on its father's series to strive, there's no denying the show comes into its own quirks once Jimmy a.k.a. Saul (Bob Odenkirk) walks into frame.
Definitely more so than last week, Gilligan and Gould try hard to make sure Saul does not come across as Walt-lite. While their origins have some similar molds — in witnessing two men's reformation of identity through crime, with Walt turning from public school teacher to criminal meth dealer and Saul transferring from public defender to criminal lawyer — the creators are smart enough to know Saul is not as smart as Mr. White but he talks a hell of a lot more than he does. That, of course, has and will be Saul's greatest weapon, and what made Sunday's opening so hard-breaking, as we witnessed that power taken from him thanks to his checkered future events. Just like Tuco says, as he points a gun square at his chest, "Wow, you got a mouth on you."
Gould, as the man who came up with Saul's initial character back in Breaking Bad's second season, is certainly more sure-handed with his pen this week, taking sole writing duties for "Mijo"'s teleplay now that the pesky character situating from last week is out of the way. The writing is sharp and has a bouncy, beating pulse, and keeps the plot moving at a steady, sure-fired pace while not forgetting to study Jimmy's ever-growing character, as well as everyone else. That latter part include some new characters Chuck (Michael McKean), who we were introduced to in the pilot, and Nacho (Michael Mando), a new face who works for Tuco and, as we see at the end of this episode, has some big plans for the next couple episodes.
Of course, a lot of the delegated fury comes from Michelle MacLaren's continuously well-guided direction and the show's always fantastic editing. MacLaren always has been one of Breaking Bad's greatest forces behind the camera, and while it's great to hear she's taken the helm of Warner Bros.' upcoming Wonder Woman — a position this writer championed here to get — "Mijo" proves she'll be a missed presence in the episodes to come.
MacLaren keeps the montages snapping — in one scene, literally — and even when the show falls into the typical prequel traps of stumbling to wring out true suspense — on account of us already knowing what happens to a majority of these characters — she still masterfully finds manners of which to spry true tension out of choice moments. Needless to say, the creators behind Better Call Saul know their disadvantages, and are doing some great things to make sure they don't let the odds overweight them.
The spirit and joy of Breaking Bad is alive and well, that much is certain from "Mijo." While we all know where it'll eventually lead, Gould, Gilligan and the rest of the team players have some competent and engaging ways to progress their spin-off baby. It may not be up to snuff — at least yet — with their original series. But don't you dare, for a second, call this Breaking Bad-lite.
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