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“It’s showtime!”

Spin-offs have no right to be this good. When AMC announced they had ordered a series about “criminal” lawyer Saul Goodman, many were skeptical. Described by Bob Odenkirk (Goodman) as “85% drama and 15% comedy” the show fast establishes itself as quirky yet serious, that succeeds in separating itself from its progenitor, and one that proves us skeptics wrong.

We join Saul six years prior to the events of Breaking Bad. Living with his brother (who suffers from electromagnetic sensitivity) he is near bankruptcy, working from the back room of a nail salon and taking any criminal defense case he can. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead. From there we are invited to follow his criminal efforts as he attempts to find a way out from the hole he himself has dug.

The show was always going to be make or break depending on Odenkirk’s performance, and it is evident in the first scene that he is as stellar as ever. While not a character study to the extent of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul aims to show again the rise and fall of an enigmatic anti-hero. Intelligent, fashionable, and slimy, Goodman is a persuasive and alluring figure who immediately demands our attention. But why should we give it to him? Because the writing is terrific, because the storytelling is thoughtful and intelligent, because the cinematography is darkly beautiful, and because the principle actors (particularly Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks) have already in just a few episodes given award-worthy performances. The most recent episode is on-par with some of Breaking Bad’s best, and, this early in the series, that bodes well for its future.

Better Call Saul is a sharp and mature show, hilarious yet thoughtful, and it deserves your attention.

Better Call Saul can be seen on Netflix, with new episodes added every Tuesday.