By Jake Pellegrino
columnist

Season two of the highly acclaimed “Breaking Bad” spin-off series “Better Call Saul” premiered last Monday on AMC.

It is unfair to compare “Better Call Saul” to “Breaking Bad,” because the former show has little to do with it. It does feature nods to “Breaking Bad,” like in the episode “Cinnabon” that featured an alcoholic beverage from late season four of “Breaking Bad,” or a very distinctive license plate featured from early on in season one. “Better Call Saul” has Mike Ehrmentraut as a central character and other character cameos from “Breaking Bad,” and it does take place in Albuquerque.

Otherwise, “Better Call Saul” stands on its own, making for quite an exceptional and artful television show.

“Better Call Saul,” features one character from Breaking Bad at its center – Saul Goodman, known in this series as Jimmy McGill. The show takes place six years prior to when McGill donned the “Saul” persona in “Breaking Bad.”

Season one of “Better Call Saul” focused on exploring who Jimmy McGill was, and how he differed from the Saul we all knew and loved. Season two’s premiere points us towards a season that will be more centered around McGill analyzing the life choices he has made, the same life choices that have gotten him to where he is today.

His pondering causes McGill to briefly close up shop as a lawyer, following the many hurdles he has had to jump over in the last season that have ultimately smacked him in the face. His issues include the Kettlemans refusing to hire him, Tuco Salamanca kidnapping and almost killing him in the middle of the desert and Chuck, his own brother, basically telling him off.

It is through this build-up of events that we get to see the highs and lows of Jimmy. However, it also makes for a pretty slow start.

There is a lot of talking, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The heavy use of dialogue allows for good character development, especially between McGill and Kim Wexler (McGill’s lawyer friend and budding love interest who works at HHM – Jimmy’s nemesis Howard Hamlin’s law firm).

Wexler and McGill are pretty much the only major characters seen in this episode. In season one, we only saw the professional side of Kim, but in this episode we get to learn more about who she is.

“Better Call Saul” is the perfect example of a dramedy done right; although it is primarily a drama, it could not survive without it’s comedic portion. The dramedy aspect is a central part of the storyline, as the jokes are interwoven into the plot. They aren’t just thrown in for laughs.

This is also a show about morality and begs viewers to ask the question “What is the concept of morality itself?” When we think we have the answer, it flips the question around on its head and forces us to question our own morality once again.

Is it ethical to stage a car accident to obtain a potential client or directly replicate a competitor’s advertising in order to obtain notoriety? It will be interesting to see how the series continues to answer these difficult questions for the viewer.