Better Call Saul: Season Six Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Better Call Saul: Season Six Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 17, 2022

Sony has released the sixth and final season of AMC's terrific 'Better Call Saul' to Blu-ray. The package is similar to previous season releases, featuring top-end video and audio qualities as well as an extensive collection of bonus content, which includes audio commentary tracks for every episode.

Below are review links to the first five seasons, which are essential viewing before digging into season six.

• Season One
• Season Two
• Season Three
• Season Four
• Season Five

Official synopsis: Better Call Saul’s final season concludes the complicated journey and transformation of its compromised hero, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. From the cartel to the courthouse, from Albuquerque to Omaha, season six tracks Jimmy, Saul and Gene as well as Jimmy’s complex relationship with Kim (Rhea Seehorn), who is in the midst of her own existential crisis. Meanwhile, Mike (Jonathan Banks), Gus (Giancarlo Esposito), Nacho (Michael Mando) and Lalo (Tony Dalton) are locked into a game of cat and mouse with mortal stakes.

It was incredible that a TV show about a high school teacher turned meth cook turned out to be one of the more brilliant TV programs of this century, and it's even more incredible that a spinoff about the sleazy lawyer in that show turned out to be one of the best shows ever put on television. Saul has been remarkable in every facet: writing, directing, acting, photography, editing, music, and so on and so forth. The show has been a masterclass in every aspect of the television medium, and it's sad to see it depart. However, season six offers a brilliant send-off that is more of the same, and rightly so, but bringing the story to a satisfying end all the same. Season six digs deep into its characters, but never in a way that feels hackneyed or forced. They evolve but also stay the same, maintaining essential characteristics while also propelling forward in their worlds of their own making. Likewise, the final season builds on the substance and style developed over the first five seasons, holding true to what made the show get to this point. However, it also finds its own personality and storytelling individuality as well. TV just doesn't get any better than this season or this show.

The following episodes comprise season six. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging.

Disc One:

• Wine and Roses: Nacho takes flight in the wake of the deadly attack on Lalo's compound. Jimmy and Kim's bond grows stronger as they plot their course. Mike questions his allegiances.
• Carrot and Stick: Jimmy and Kim find a new way to make use of old adversaries. Harsh realities dawn on Nacho in his not-so-safe haven, leaving Mike to hold the line. Gus investigates his suspicions
• Rock and Hard Place: Nacho is forced to choose where his loyalties lie. Jimmy must decide whether he wants to remain a "friend of the cartel" after his reputation is called into question.

Disc Two:

• Hit and Run: Gus takes extreme measures to protect himself against looming threats. Jimmy and Kim enlist a local pro to put on a show. Howard seeks outside counsel.
• Black and Blue: While business booms for Jimmy, the vise tightens on the cat and mouse game between Gus and Lalo. Howard doesn't pull any punches when it's time to put an end to a nuisance.
• Axe and Grind: Kim and Jimmy enlist a knowledgeable contact. Howard scrutinizes Jimmy's business practices. Mike refuses to compromise as tensions mount within Gus' operation. Lalo interrogates a witness.
• Plan and Execution: A last-minute snag threatens to derail Jimmy and Kim's meticulously laid plans. Mike and Gus prepare for a confrontation. Howard's investigation finally yields results. Lalo seizes an opportunity.

Disc Three:

• Point and Shoot: An unexpected visitor forces Jimmy and Kim to face the consequences of their actions. Lalo and Gus each try to anticipate the other's next move.
• Fun and Games: Gus finds himself in front of a cartel tribunal while Mike ties up loose ends north of the border. Decisions are made about the future as a partnership reaches a breaking point.
• Nippy: Gene returns to his Slippin' Jimmy roots, painstakingly planning and rehearsing an intricate scheme involving new allies and many moving parts.

Disc Four:

• Breaking Bad: Emboldened by recent successes, Gene throws caution to the wind and escalates his enterprise to new levels -- until one of his accomplices discovers an unsettling truth.
• Waterworks: An upsetting phone call disrupts Kim's new life and sets her on a difficult journey. Under unexpected pressure, Jeff panics and makes a mistake. A discovery is made that will send shockwaves far and wide.
• Saul Gone: In the series finale, Jimmy McGill seals his fate in one final act of showmanship. Kim takes her future into her own hands.

Better Call Saul: Season Six Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's 1080p Blu-ray presentation for the sixth and final season of the wonderful Better Call Saul looks fantastic. It's an image that very satisfying and right in-line with the previous five seasons. That means that this is an excellent picture. The digital source is clean and clear with noise kept to a bare minimum. Details are sharp across the board, including the standards like faces and clothes but also all variety of environments, from swank clubs and law offices to back alleys and other dense and gruff urban environments. Clarity extends to every corner of the frame, and the only soft elements are those which are deliberately out of focus. Colors are terrifically balanced. The show maneuvers through a myriad of locales and lighting conditions, so there's always some diversity in how a scene is color timed, but whether scorching hot or cool (or even black and white), there's always fine tonal balance on display. Blacks are great, ditto whites, and skin tones appear healthy and natural. There's practically nothing here to complain about; this is another terrific Saul Blu-ray release.

Better Call Saul: Season Six Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is also fantastic. The track maintains an uncanny sense of balance and perfect execution of all elements. Musical engagement is a delight: spacing is great, subwoofer usage is balanced, surrounds are utilized in just the right proportion, and volume is perfectly dialed in. Atmosphere is wonderful. The listener will always feel immersed into each and every shot, scene, and sequence; the sound engineers have created a lifeblood in terms of precision audio cues, and the Blu-ray perfectly reproduces those elements. Even limited to the more traditional 5.1 configuration, lacking the surround-back and overhead object channels, there is no mistaking the laser precision at work here. More intensive sound effects likewise enjoy robust depth and stage engagement; performance of these heavy-hitting sounds always delights. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration.

Better Call Saul: Season Six Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements are spread across all four discs. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover. Disc One:

• "Wine and Roses" - Behind the Scenes at Casa Goodman (1080p, 29:21): Director Michael Morris offers what is essentially a commentary over the opening segment of the opening episode through different takes. Morris talks about the "elements, ideas, and impulses" that went into the making of the "teaser" that opens the season.
• American Greed: James McGill (1080p, 9:49): An "episode" of American Greed featuring Jimmy McGill which covers the basics of the Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad narratives.
• Audio Commentaries: For Wine and Roses:" Peter Gould, Diane Mercer, Cheri Montesanto, Kathryn Madsen, and Joey Reinisch. For "Carrot and Strick:" Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Ariel Levine, and Julie Ann Emery. For "Rock and Hard Place: Peter Gould, Gordon Smith, Jenn Carroll, and Larry Benjamin.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): For "Rock and Hard Place:" "Kim's Dilemma" (0:37).

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Hit and Run:" Peter Gould, Ann Cherkis, Rhea Seehorn, and Jenn Carroll; and Trina Siopy, Ashley Michelle Marsh, Steve Litecky, Peter Diseth, and Al Goto. For "Black and Blue:" Peter Gould, Alison Tatlock, Thomas Golubic, and Skip MacDonald; and Melissa Bernstein, Rich T. Sickler, and Clementine Dunnell. For "Axe to Grind:" Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Diane Mercer, Mark Johnson, and Denise Pizzini. For "Plan and Execution:"Peter Gould, Thomas Schnauz, Patrick Fabian, Ed Begley, Jr., and Josh Fadem.

Disc Three:

• Training Videos (1080p, 20:07 total runtime): A six-part hybrid live-action/animated series focused on instructing viewers on the art of making movies, dealing with equipment, life on the set, and more. Included are Safety, Set Life, Visual Storytelling, Working with Actors, Editing, and Movie Magic.
• Audio Commentaries: For "Point and Shoot:" Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Gordon Smith, Jenn Carroll, and Chris McCaleb. For "Fun and Games:" Peter Gould, Ann Cherkis, Rhea Seehorn, and Jenn Carroll; and Michael Morris. For "Nippy:" Peter Gould, Alison Tatlock, Denise Pizzini, and Joey Liew.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): For "Fun and Games:" Gus Walks Out (0:32). For "Nippy:" You're Good (0:51).

Disc Four:

• Gag Reel (1080p, 5:15): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Series Adjourned: Saying Goodbye to Saul (1080p, 25:22): Reflecting on season six and the series and where it's all taken the cast, characters, crew, and more.
• Fear and Loathing in Omaha: The World of Gene Takavic (1080p, 14:50): Looking more closely at the Saul Goodman/Gene Takavic character and his larger arc in this universe, focusing on the episodes which fully tell the story of this persona.
• Audio Commentaries: For "Breaking Bad:" Peter Gould, Thomas Schnauz, Marshall Adams, Phillip W. Palmer, and Pat Healy. For "Waterworks:" Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Bob Odenkirk, Carol Burnett, and Melissa Ng. For "Saul Gone:" Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Marshall Adams, Nick Forshager, and Joana Zhang.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): For "Saul Gone:" Backyard Escape (1:39).

Better Call Saul: Season Six Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

From end to end Better Call Saul has been one of the best shows on television of this era, and frankly one of the best ever produced. It's narratively enthralling, very well acted, the photography and technical construction are superb, and its praises could just go on and on. At six seasons, the show feels just the right length, and Sony has done well by its Blu-ray. It's not any better than any previous seasons, which still places it in the format stratosphere. This season, and the entire series on Blu-ray, earns my highest recommendation.