‘Better Call Saul’ season 3: While you wait, here are some episodes to re-watch
While there’s certainly excitement around the upcoming third season of “Better Call Saul,” it’s easy to understand the feeling of chomping at the bit. Just remember for a moment here that the show is not returning until April, and that is a very long time in order to see new episodes of a show that you very much love and enjoy.
For the sake of this article, the goal is simple: To best optimize your time. This is the Peak TV era, and with so many options out there, it’s awfully hard to find a lot of time to re-watch old episodes of one of your favorites … let alone watch something for the first time. While you almost certainly should check out all of “Better Call Saul” if you got the time — re-watching it may also enable you to pick up on a few things you may have missed — you can get by even if you watch just the handful below. They allow you to see the best of the show without taking up a huge chunk of time over the coming months.
“Uno” (season 1) – The first first episode of the whole series of course has to be on here! This is where you get your first look at Gene, Jimmy McGill’s alter ego following “Breaking Bad,” and where you also get a chance to see some of the character’s early origins. Many newcomers are introduced, and the Tuco cameo at the end was both unexpected and wonderful at the same time.
“Hero” (season 1) – When it comes to pure ridiculousness, this may be the best episode of the whole series. It was a chance to watch Jimmy stage his own publicity stunt for the sake of popularity, and the crazy thing is that it actually did him some good. It’s probably the closest thing that we’ve seen to some of the bigger “Breaking Bad” action sequences.
“Five-0” (season 1) – The best performance from Jonathan Banks of the series to date. This almost feels like a different show at times a la “Meet Mike,” but every now and then, this is okay. This episode not only taught you so much about the man he was in this moment, but also where he came from and how the ghosts of his past shaped him.
“Inflatable” (season 2) – This is where some of the ridiculous suits were born, as Jimmy did everything in his power to be fired from Davis & Main without cause so he can keep his signing bonus that he got upon joining. It’s also where we see a great deal of movement in his personal / professional relationship with Kim Wexler, which is one of the standout elements of season 2.
“Klick” (season 2) – The most-recent episode of the show, and one that featured all sorts of big movement whether it be Chuck’s health crisis to the betrayal at the end. This is probably the episode that gives you the best sense of the complex Jimmy / Chuck relationship that we’ve seen. There may be some degree of love there, but it’s blinded by a little bit of the jealousy and the rage that has build up over time.
Have any favorite “Better Call Saul” episodes that are not on this list that you want to share? Let us know right now in the comments.
(Photo: AMC.)