Flightless Unicorn

All I need to say is that Bob Odenkirk was born to portray Saul Goodman. The most captivating aspect of the show was the masterful and nuanced wordplay frequently employed by Saul, or rather Jimmy. This show is all about his rhetorical finesse and persuasive tactics. The series adeptly illustrates the power of words, achieving feats that muscles can’t even dream of, and showing how sometimes even money pales in comparison to the art of eloquence. This show was the first series I ever completed, watching all six seasons down to the very last dialogue without missing a single installment. However, I deducted one star due to certain inconsistencies and lapses in maintaining engagement and realism. For instance, the harassment of Howard Hamlin without a substantive reason, or for offering Saul a job, appeared incongruous with the show’s realistic theme and felt misaligned. Why would someone forsake their pressing daily responsibilities to engage in elaborate pranks on another person by wasting hard earned money and precious time? Moreover, at certain junctures, the scriptwriters seemed to deliberately protract the narrative with delayed plot developments and superfluous scenes. Additionally, The portrayal of Mike Ehrmantraut felt inconsistent and detracted from the show's realism. While Mike is depicted as a highly skilled and agile fighter, the actor Jonathan Banks, over 70+ years old around that time, appears frail and elderly in everyday scenes. This discrepancy breaks immersion and makes action sequences less believable. A more physically agile actor would have been a better fit for the role. Mainly, the scene where Mike single-handedly eliminates an entire gang in the desert is implausible and strains credibility. However, his quick-witted nature suited him well and added depth to his character. Overall, I awarded it a 4-star rating. I hesitate to compare it with Breaking Bad, as I admittedly skipped directly to the final episodes after Gus’s departure from the storyline. Thus, while I didn’t watch exactly every episode of Breaking Bad, I did fully immerse myself in and finish this series.