Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Episodes: 10
Duration: 40 minutes (per episode)
Better Call Saul: Season 4 (Blu-ray) – Series Review
Normally lawyers are there to help you with your problems and keep you out of jail if needed, but what happens when the lawyer himself is in trouble? In season 4, things go down for our guy Jimmy McGill after losing his permit. Things don’t go well for Mike either, meaning that there are quite some events happening. If you have seen the previous episodes you know how hectic it can get, so get ready for some sneaky conversations and practices that shouldn’t and can’t see the light of day.
The first episode shows us the aftermath of the tragic events of the last season. Hector (Mark Margolis) suffered from a heart attack while having a meeting with Nacho (Michael Mando) and Gus (Michael McKean) while the renowned Charles McGill (Giancarlo Esposito) died in a tragic fire. It doesn’t take long before the news gets to his brother Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk), who is feeling rather depressed by these events. Mostly because he feels bad as the whole incident might be his fault. Even more, he lost his lawyer permit for one year with the malpractices he performed. To get at least some money, he tries to find a job in another sector. Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and himself are still together, but the past events don’t improve their relationship, on the contrary. When Jimmy and his companions get in some trouble, things go haywire rather fast.
Mike (Jonathan Banks) on the other hand has his own fish to fry in this season. He is working together with Gus and has to work as a security consultant at Madrigal Electromotive but this is just a scheme to hide the real reason for Mike’s presence. A big plan is in motion and he is a part of it. To make things even more ‘exciting’, the Salamanca gang isn’t willing to give up their territory.
The last few seasons have been a roller coaster of several incidents and this season feels like the culmination. The fire, the consequences of Jimmy’s mistake, how he further descends into the dark pit of cheating and lying, it just shows the tilting point for Jimmy and how he evolves into Saul Goodman. The character development shows nicely, how he is able to go from a depressed, tortured soul to someone who is able to feint it like it’s nothing. Relationship wise, it’s nice to see how Kim and our lawyer react towards each other, how all these events influence their feelings. In a way, it’s sad that Mike and Jimmy don’t have more parts together, but maybe their paths cross in a possible next season.
With all the different plots, intertwining events and so on, the flow can be seen as rather slow or chaotic. The main developing storyline could have gone a bit faster and there is so much going on. Some parts might seem a bit unnecessary and make you wonder why it was even added. At the start of each episode, there is a flashback to some old memories, related to what happens in the one you’re going to watch. It’s a nice way to see how everything is connected and why some of the characters are acting that way. The actors do such a good job portraying the feelings and struggles everyone is going through. Mostly Bob Odenkirk, as he has to be the hurt brother that wants his lawyer permit back while starting to go dark on the side. The same can be said for Rhea Seehorn as she sees her boyfriend change triggering different reactions from her part.
Regarding the extras, the Blu-ray version comes with a plethora of extras for you to enjoy. Deleted scenes are added to get a more complete story while there are also bloopers to lighten the mood after the darkness of the episodes. There is also some explanation about how the lab is being built, comments on the episodes and more than enough to discover!
Conclusion
Season 4 continues the story of Jimmy McGill or the so-called Saul Goodman. After his past issues, he has to get his life back on track again. It’s interesting to see how everything slowly evolves. The dynamics between everyone, the escalations between the gangs, there is a lot to take in and to keep track of. If you’re looking for some brainless fun, you might want to reconsider your choice, as this series is quite content-heavy.
Better Call Saul: Season 4 (Blu-ray) - Series Review,
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