As a general rule, TV spinoffs are not very good, and that is a generous way of saying that for every “Frasier” (the most literate sitcom in Broadcast history that I think is actually a better show than “Cheers”) there are five spin-offs that get cancelled after a first season. In fact, “Better Call Saul” is probably the only great spin-off since “Frasier.”
And I’ll admit that I was as skeptical as anyone. Sure, I loved Bob Odenkirk’s wily, shady-but-likable strip mall lawyer on “Breaking Bad” but wouldn’t a show about the comedic relief of a serious masterpiece be like retelling one of Shakespeare’s royal tragedies from the point of the clown instead of the king?
But “Saul” is no slouch to the tension, suspense, and gut-wrenching drama that made “Bad” so compulsively watchable, and it has that same level of skill in the masterful technical aspects that could rival most major studio movies. It’s not a better show than “Breaking” but this fellow portrait of an undervalued schlub-hero trying to achieve bigger things is good enough to stand on its own and shutdown any doubts “Bad” lovers might have had. The season finale won’t air until tonight, but for now I’ll give the season an…Grade for Season One (So Far): A-