Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Better Call Saul: Season Two Blu-ray Movie Review

A ten-episode education in terrific TV craftsmanship.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 27, 2016

Better Call Saul's second season had the unenviable task of living up to, and certainly everyone hoped surpassing, the show's brilliant first season, following the exploits of a attorney Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) on his way to becoming Breaking Bad's popular slimy attorney Saul Goodman. The season does that...in it's own way. The ten-episode string is almost tediously careful in its construction and extremely slow to develop, but it's a season filled with character and plot nuance that allow the show to breathe with a remarkable cadence and clarity. It's a considered, and in some ways risky, trade-off, eliminating the faster pace and reckless abandon of some shows in favor of a seriously slow-burn, at times almost entrancing, construction. Frankly, the season does in ten episodes what it might could have done in half that many or fewer, but Creator Vince Gilligan has injected the show with a fantastically absorbing, real-life rhythm that explores well beyond the cruder plot details and finds favor in how it finely hones its craft and deliberately, and with great consideration, goes about its business. Essentially, it's more Mike than it is Jimmy.

Season two follows Jimmy and his burgeoning personal and professional relationship with Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), both of them on the upswing of their careers, he at law firm of Davis & Main and she at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill. But neither are certain that they're where they're destined to be in either facet of their lives. Meanwhile, Mike (Jonathan Banks) finds himself pulled ever deeper into a dangerous world of high stakes cash and danger when he becomes entangled with a pair of pushers, Nacho and Tuco (Michael Mando and Raymond Cruz), and eventually Tuco's dangerous uncle, Hector (Mark Margolis).

Season two's cadence rewards the patient viewer with a cliffhanger that brings everything from the season, and much of the construction and character relationships established prior, and promises to set season three in motion in a way that should definitely start pointing it a little further from Jimmy and closer to Saul. At only ten episodes, and even with the pacing, viewers owe it to themselves to stick through and experience the magic that is the season's subtleties and ability to paint a larger picture as it goes, almost as if it begins zoomed in tight on a particular section of a picture and slowly pulls back to reveal a much larger, and much more complex, image that's still far from complete but promises much more while steadily reinterpreting everything that's come before it. It's magical in its construction, a tough sell for those who demand a faster structure, but it's television at its most methodically brilliant and absorbingly detailed.

None of that would matter without acting to back it up and sell the illusion. The cast is magnificent, every bit as good as season one and, with the more deliberate construction and extremely fine character detailing, in some ways superior to Breaking Bad. Beyond just the raw qualities each actor brings to his or her part, it's in the finely tuned interactions that sell the series. The primary cast understands not only their own character, but the characters around them. It's not just arcing motivations and plot points but rather the finer-point qualities that come with, in the real world, years -- decades -- of knowing oneself and those closest to them and how both their corner of the world and the greater world at-large work. It's also about how they, in turn, are seen by and fit in with others and the world. It's remarkable to watch if only to marvel at Gilligan's creation, the writers' sharp content, and the cast's command of it all. Never mind the plot details, which are juicy in their own way, even if most all of the greater drivers in the season really only build to season three rather than resolve in season two. If for no other reason, watch in awe of TV at its very best.

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

Disc One:

• Switch: Jimmy and Kim's relationship takes a new turn. Mike decides it's for the best to sever his affiliation with an unrestrained associate.
• Cobbler: To keep a potentially messy situation from unraveling, Mike brokers a deal. Jimmy works to exonerate an eccentric client.
• Amarillo: Jimmy's client outreach efforts thrive, and he exhibits new heights of showmanship. Mike is perplexed by daughter-in-law Stacey's troubling news.

Disc Two:

• Gloves Off: Jimmy's actions unexpectedly create waves for Kim. Mike catuously weighs a lucrative proposal that might bring about dire consequences.
• Rebecca: Jimmy becomes frustrated with his restrictive work environment. Kim pulls out all the stops to dig herself out of a seemingly bottomless hole at HHM.
• Bali Ha'i: Jimmy finds comfort in a familiar place. Kim receives a life-changing proposal. Mike is pushed to the limit when what he holds dearest is threatened.
• Inflatable: Mike's growing frustration shows when his hand is forced. With Jimmy's help, he works to keep the peace. Jimmy boldly forges a new path forward.

Disc Three:

• Fifi: Mike is determined to settle the score with a dangerous adversary. An unexpected opportunity to gain a competitive edge falls in Jimmy's lap.
• Nailed: Mike is methodical in his mission. Chuck's capabilities are called into question. Jimmy is suddenly faced with a very personal dilemma.
• Klick: Jimmy is forced to make a hard choice. Mike takes matters into his own hands. Hamlin relays shocking news while Chuck's condition continues to evolve.

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

Better Call Saul: Season Two's 1080p transfer is colorfully lively, richly detailed, and extraordinarily clear. The digital source material absolutely shines on Blu-ray, presenting practically very frame with razor-sharp accuracy that makes each episode a joy to watch. Detailing is extraordinary. Whether finely appointed suits and ties or cruder, roughhewn clothes, slick office lines or dusty and ragged desert terrain, clean and detailed automobile paint or rusty and dinged finishes, the presentation never stutters or fails to deliver amazingly tactile and lifelike textures in every inch of the frame. Colors sparkle. The palette is varied and healthy, with a significant sense of vibrancy but, at the same time, grounded authenticity. Whether large swaths of brilliant primaries, earthy desert shades, or anything in between, the transfer never misses a beat presenting the show's impressive diversity of color with pinpoint accuracy. Black levels are richly deep and pure. Flesh tones are consistently accurate. Source noise is kept to a bare minimum. No other source or encode issues are apparent in any quantity worth mentioning. This is a brilliant 1080p presentation from Sony.

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

Better Call Saul: Season Two isn't the most intensively sonically active program to hit Blu-ray, but the accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack handles the program's rather minimalist (with some splashes of greater activity) needs very well. The show is largely dialogue intensive, and beyond a few brief moments of wide reverberation when the situation warrants, it's presented naturally in the middle with excellent prioritization and lifelike clarity. Music is fairly straightforward, featuring a little too much of a pronounced rear end presence in a few instances but generally balanced along the front with excellent clarity and just enough low end support to give it a natural weight. Light atmospherics, whether natural environmental bits or a little more involved office or traffic details, are finely integrated. Heavier directional effects mark the most impressive heavy bits in the season, whether simple cars maneuvering form side to side or, later in the season in "Fifi," a chopper moving from front to back or a jet engine powering side to side. The season's penultimate episode begins with some heightened sensory effects the enhance, in a jumble, a number of otherwise hushed elements, a sensation which repeats near episode's end. It's not the most entertaining track in existence, but Sony's presentation handles the season's rather straightforward wares well enough.

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

Better Call Saul: Season Two contains supplements on all three discs. Some are found under the "Special Features" tab and others under individual episode listings. As usual for a Sony TV release, this contains the annoying menu system that lists everything on all discs, prompting users to swap discs when something doesn't appear on a disc, despite being listed on every one. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Switch:" Creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, Executive Producer Thomas Schnauz, and Actor Bob Odenkirk. For "Cobbler:" Peter Gould; Writer Gennifer Hutchison; Actors Rhea Seehorn, Mark Proksch, and Michael Mando; and Editor Skip MacDonald. For "Amarillo:" Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Writer Jonathan Glatzer, Assistant Joey Liew, and Producer Jenn Carroll.
• Switch Table Read (1080p, 40:28): Assembled cast and crew read through the season premier's script. From July 8, 2015.
• HSC: Beaches 'n' Peaches (1080p, 3:36): Everyone has a fetish.
• Davis & Main Mesothelioma Commercial (1080p, 1:05): A legalese commercial aimed at victims of mesothelioma. Anyone who has watched cable news during the day is familiar with these sorts of commercials.
• "Who Stole My Nest Egg?!" Commercial (1080p, 1:01): Another ad from Davis & Main.

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Gloves Off:" Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Producer Diane Mercer, Writer Gordon Smith, and Actor Patrick Fabian. For "Rebecca:" Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Writer Ann Cherkis, Director John Shiban, and Producer Diane Mercer. For "Bali Ha'i:" Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Rhea Seehorn, Music Supervisor Thomas Golubic, Supervising Sound Editor Nick Forshager, and Actor Jonathan Banks. For "Inflatable:" Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gordon Smith, Diane Mercer, Actor Ed Begley, Jr., and Editor Kelly Dixon.
• The Takedown (1080p, 6:07): Making one of the season's key fight sequences.
• Davis & Main Sandpiper Commercial (1080p, 0:50): A TV ad for the fictional law firm.
• Jimmy and Kim: A Complicated Relationship (1080p, 8:05): A closer look at the characters and the actor who portray them.
• Constructing Davis & Main (1080p, 8:50): A look through one of the season's key set pieces.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 6:28).

Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Fifi:" Vince Gilligan, Thomas Schnauz, Bob Odenkirk, and Composer Dave Porter. For "Nailed:" Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Patrick Fabian, Editor Chris McCaleb, and Re-Recording Mixer Larry Benjamin. For "Klick:" Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Writer Heather Marion, Actor Michael McKean, Costume Designer Jennifer Bryan, and Jonathan Banks.
• Landing "Fifi" (1080p, 3:46): A quick look at using a real B-29 bomber during "Fifi."
• Building the Shot (1080p, 4:45): Planning, constructing, shooting, and digitally supporting a key shot.
• Settling the Score: Original Music by Composer Dave Porter (1080p, 7:25): Porter discusses music for a key scene in the season finale that was ultimately left out of the final product. The supplement proceeds to show the scene with the music intact.
• "You're the Greatest!" Commercial (1080p, 0:55): Another make-believe ad from the show.
• In Conversation: Jonathan Banks & Mark Margolis (1080p, 31:30): The actors chat at-length about anything and everything. Audio is occasionally tinny and hollow.

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

Better Call Saul: Season Two is nothing short of brilliant television. Though arguably too slow and, in some ways, defensibly so, the show nevertheless takes advantage of its pacing to construct the sort of intimate portraits and detailed world analysis that lesser shows cannot accomplish in double, or more, the number of episodes. Season two may superficially say little over ten episodes, but internally it speaks volumes in terms of advancing the story and demonstrating a command of the medium few other shows can offer. Sony's Blu-ray is terrific, really only held back by the terrible menu system. Video and audio are superb and the supplements are great, headlined by multi-participant audio commentary tracks for every episode. Very highly recommended.