‘Better Call Saul’ was a series that seemed doomed to be little more than an extension of ‘Breaking Bad’. And probably that’s how it would have ended if it hadn’t been for those responsible for finding it on the fly. Of course it had virtues at the beginning, but I am also clear that the first season is the worst of all -and even so it was already quite good-. And also that the sixth has been the best.
If something has limited ‘Better Call Saul’ so far, it has been precisely the fact that a lot of history was set in advance, and that is that we already knew that certain characters could not die or disappear without a trace. These latest episodes of ‘Better Call Saul’ have left that limitation behind and have served to to close this universe even better than the one that ‘Breaking Bad’ gave us in 2013 -and, obviously, much superior to what was ‘El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie’-.
everything shines
This review contains spoilers for the final episode of ‘Better Call Saul’
I am aware that saying that something is perfect is an exaggeration, because there is always some room for improvement, no matter how small. That does not mean that you do not have problems talking about the end of ‘Better Call Saul’ in those terms, since there were infinite options and those responsible for the series have found a great point of balance so that everything turns out fully satisfactory both in the purely plot and in the emotional.
The main axis of the series has always been the progressive transformation of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman. There were countless moments when it seemed that the character magnificently played by Bob Odenkirk He had already taken the final step, but it was his painful breakup with Kim that finally pushed him forward and what has now served to achieve relative redemption.
And it is that that confession in court does not feel so much like that he regrets everything he has done as that he himself knows the impact it had on Kim, being that what he really feels. In addition, the series knows its protagonist very well and knows that the most dangerous thing he has is his command of the word and his ability to cajole anyone -if he almost ends up serving a ridiculous sentence considering everything he did!- , something here used simply to release all the burden that has been for him to exercise as Saul Goodman.
The ending that ‘Better Call Saul’ needed
All that, and other details such as the appearance of Bryan Cranston remembering the one thing Walter White truly regretted leads to that ending feeling like a flawless close. Both Jimmy and Kim will have to continue to answer for what they did – he already in jail for so many years that he will surely end up dying there and she with the shadow of a huge civil lawsuit – but both are at peace with themselves.
A mere redemption for two characters who are not entirely clear that they deserve it? Not at all in relation to the rest, but for themselves. The thing is, they got to that point at different times, with the character played by Rhea Seehorn, the great discovery of ‘Better Call Saul’ that has been giving us an interpretation worthy of any existing television award for years, doing it before. The ending is just a way for both Jimmy and Kim to get back in sync, which is why he feels much more optimistic than he really is. Well, that and no mass shooting taking place like the one in the last episode of ‘Breaking Bad’.
There are more remarkable details in the last episode of the series such as the surprise appearance of Betsy Brandt or how they tie up small loose ends that were left at the end of ‘Breaking Bad’ -although that was being done for several episodes-, but for a long time the really essential part of the series was Jimmy and Kim, a relationship resulting from the doubts of their responsible for where they wanted to take ‘Better Call Saul’, a series that now would be meaningless without everything that it has given us. The icing on the cake is that they also remember Jimmy’s brother (Michael McKean), the other really key relationship in his life and that at the time was even more important than his bond with Kim.
In short
The ending of ‘Better Call Saul’ is amazing, the perfect finishing touch for a series that has not stopped growing season after season to the point of ending up surpassing ‘Breaking Bad’, something that at the time seemed simply impossible. Now I only hope that they keep their word to leave him here or that if they return to this universe later, it will be to improve themselves.