Better Call Saul season 2

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Better Call Saul
Season 2
File:Better Call Saul Season 2.jpg
Home media cover art
Starring
No. of episodes10
Release
Original networkAMC
Original releaseFebruary 15 (2016-02-15) –
April 18, 2016 (2016-04-18)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 1
Next →
Season 3
List of episodes

The second season of the American television series Better Call Saul premiered on February 15, 2016, and concluded on April 18, 2016. The ten-episode season was broadcast on Monday nights in the United States on AMC. A spin-off-prequel of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, both of whom also worked on Breaking Bad.

This season, like the previous, mainly takes place in 2002, with Bob Odenkirk reprising his role as Jimmy McGill, a lawyer who has a feud with his brother Chuck (Michael McKean). Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), is Jimmy's former Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM) mailroom co-worker, now an HHM attorney and Jimmy's lover, who leaves the practice of law at HHM to start a solo practice in office space she shares with Jimmy. Jonathan Banks also reprises his role as Mike Ehrmantraut, who is engaged in a feud with the Mexican drug cartel after a staged altercation with Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz), which was paid for by Nacho Varga (Michael Mando), lands Tuco in prison and draws Hector's (Mark Margolis) attention to Mike.

The second season of Better Call Saul received acclaim from critics, and six nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series.

Production

During the production of season 1 on June 19, 2014, AMC ordered a second, 13-episode season of Better Call Saul to air in 2016.[1] However by November of that year, season 2 had been shorted to 10 episodes.[2]

Casting

Mark Margolis and Daniel and Luis Moncada reprise their roles from Breaking Bad as Hector "Tio" Salamanca and Leonel and Marco Salamanca, playing Tuco's uncle and cousins respectively, who are high-ranking members of the Mexican drug cartel.[3][4]

All of the main cast returned for this season. Bob Odenkirk returns as Jimmy McGill, Jonathan Banks returns as Mike Ehrmantraut, Rhea Seehorn returns as Kim Wexler, Patrick Fabian returns as Howard Hamlin, Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, and Michael McKean returns as Chuck McGill, Jimmy's elder brother.

Filming

Production for the second season of Better Call Saul began in June 2015, two months after the first season finished airing.[5] Better Call Saul is set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the same location as its predecessor.[6]

In the first scene from the first episode of the season, Jimmy / Saul is hiding his real identity under his Gene Takavic alias while working at a Cinnabon in an Omaha, Nebraska shopping mall. The Cinnabon scenes in Better Call Saul are set in Omaha, but filmed at the Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[7]

Cast and characters

See also: List of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul characters
Bob Odenkirk (Jimmy McGill), Jonathan Banks (Mike Ehrmantraut), and Rhea Seehorn (Kim Wexler)
Patrick Fabian (Howard Hamlin), Michael Mando (Nacho Varga), and Michael McKean (Chuck McGill)

Main

Recurring

  • Ed Begley Jr. as Clifford Main, managing partner at Davis & Main.
  • Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca, Tuco's uncle and Don in a Mexican drug cartel branch that distributes in Albuquerque.
  • Kerry Condon as Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike's widowed daughter-in-law and the mother of Kaylee Ehrmantraut.
  • Mark Proksch as Daniel "Pryce" Wormald, a pharmaceutical employee selling pills to Nacho. He also hires Mike as security.
  • Omar Maskati as Omar, Jimmy's assistant at Davis & Main.
  • Jessie Ennis as Erin Brill, a lawyer at Davis & Main who is ordered to shadow Jimmy.
  • Brandon K. Hampton as Ernesto, Chuck's paralegal/assistant at HHM.
  • Vincent Fuentes as Arturo, a criminal working for Hector Salamanca.
  • Rex Linn as Kevin Wachtell, the CEO of Mesa Verde Bank and Trust.
  • Cara Pifko as Paige Novick, senior counsel for Mesa Verde.
  • Manuel Uriza as Ximenez Lecerda, a truck driver for Hector Salamanca.
  • Eileen Fogarty as Mrs. Nguyen, owner of a nail salon and Jimmy's landlord.
  • Josh Fadem as Camera Guy, a UNM film student working for Jimmy.

Guest stars

  • Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca, a ruthless, psychotic Mexican cartel lieutenant in the South Valley.
  • Jim Beaver as Lawson, an arms dealer.
  • Kyle Bornheimer as Ken ("Ken Wins"), an ill-mannered, arrogant stockbroker, previously appeared in the Breaking Bad episode "Cancer Man".
  • Daniel Moncada and Luis Moncada as Leonel and Marco Salamanca, Tuco's viciously violent cousins and Hector's nephews.
  • Maximino Arciniega as Domingo "Krazy-8" Molina, reprising his role from Breaking Bad.
  • Ann Cusack as Rebecca Bois, Chuck's ex-wife.
  • Clea DuVall as Dr. Cruz, Chuck physician, who suspects his condition is psychosomatic.
  • Brendan Fehr as Bauer, a military captain.
  • Joe DeRosa as Dr. Caldera, a veterinarian who serves as Mike Ehrmantraut's liaison to the criminal underworld.
  • Stoney Westmoreland as Officer Saxton, who previously appeared in the Breaking Bad episode "I.F.T."
  • Debrianna Mansini as Fran, a waitress, who previously appeared in the Breaking Bad episode "Madrigal".
  • Jennifer Hasty as Stephanie Doswell, a real estate agent, who previously appeared in the Breaking Bad episode "Open House".
  • Juan Carlos Cantu as Manuel Varga, Nacho's father who is the owner and manager of an upholstery shop.
  • Hayley Holmes as Drama Girl, a UNM film student.

Episodes

See also: List of Better Call Saul episodes

Taking the first letter of each episode title and rearranging them yields "FRINGSBACK" ("Fring's back"), foreshadowing the reappearance of Breaking Bad character Gus Fring.[10]

Better Call Saul season 2 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
111"Switch"Thomas SchnauzThomas SchnauzFebruary 15, 2016 (2016-02-15)2.57[11]
122"Cobbler"Terry McDonoughGennifer HutchisonFebruary 22, 2016 (2016-02-22)2.23[12]
133"Amarillo"Scott WinantJonathan GlatzerFebruary 29, 2016 (2016-02-29)2.20[13]
144"Gloves Off"Adam BernsteinGordon SmithMarch 7, 2016 (2016-03-07)2.20[14]
155"Rebecca"John ShibanAnn CherkisMarch 14, 2016 (2016-03-14)1.99[15]
166"Bali Ha'i"Michael SlovisGennifer HutchisonMarch 21, 2016 (2016-03-21)2.11[16]
177"Inflatable"Colin BuckseyGordon SmithMarch 28, 2016 (2016-03-28)2.03[17]
188"Fifi"Larysa KondrackiThomas SchnauzApril 4, 2016 (2016-04-04)1.93[18]
199"Nailed"Peter GouldPeter GouldApril 11, 2016 (2016-04-11)2.06[19]
2010"Klick"Vince GilliganHeather Marion & Vince GilliganApril 18, 2016 (2016-04-18)2.26[20]

Talking Saul

Talking Saul is a live aftershow hosted by Chris Hardwick, which features guests discussing episodes of Better Call Saul. These episodes discussed the second-season premiere and finale episodes of Better Call Saul.

Talking Saul episodes for Better Call Saul season 2
No.
overall		No. in
season		Episode discussedGuestsOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
11"Switch"Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Bob Odenkirk and Rhea SeehornFebruary 15, 2016 (2016-02-15)0.744[11]
22"Klick"Jonathan Banks, Vince Gilligan and Peter GouldApril 18, 2016 (2016-04-18)0.641[21]

Reception

Critical response

The second season of Better Call Saul, much like the previous, received critical acclaim from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a score of 97%, based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Better Call Saul continues to tighten its hold on viewers with a batch of episodes that inject a surge of dramatic energy while showcasing the charms of its talented lead."[22] On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the second season has a score of 85 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[23]

Terri Schwartz of IGN gave the season as a whole 8.7/10, praising the acting performances and cinematography, but criticizing the lack of focus, stating, "There's a lot to love in Season 2 of Better Call Saul, but still some elements to improve upon."[24] Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine gave it a perfect four star review and wrote, "the show's writing is as economic and poetically parred [as its visual aesthetic]. Each moment is compact, leading to the next with unpredictable, behaviorally astute precision."[25] Daniel D'Addario of Time praised the show and wrote, "in its second season, Better Call Saul allows us into a new world of complexity by deepening one of the show's pivotal relationships. It's the best-case scenario for a spin-off: a show that occupies a familiar world but opens up entirely new themes."[26]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Better Call Saul season 2
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Switch" February 15, 2016 1.1 2.57[11] 1.0 2.14 2.1 4.71[27]1
2 "Cobbler" February 22, 2016 1.0 2.23[12] 1.0 2.14 2.0 4.37[28]1
3 "Amarillo" February 29, 2016 1.0 2.20[13] 1.2 2.61 2.2 4.81[29]
4 "Gloves Off" March 7, 2016 0.9 2.20[14] 1.2 2.59 2.1 4.79[30]
5 "Rebecca" March 14, 2016 0.8 1.99[15] 1.2 2.63 2.0 4.62[31]
6 "Bali Ha'i" March 21, 2016 0.9 2.11[16] 1.0 2.14 1.9 4.25[32]1
7 "Inflatable" March 28, 2016 0.8 2.03[17] 1.2 2.61 2.0 4.64[33]
8 "Fifi" April 4, 2016 0.8 1.93[18] 1.2 2.68 2.0 4.61[34]
9 "Nailed" April 11, 2016 0.8 2.06[19] 1.2 2.67 2.0 4.73[35]
10 "Klick" April 18, 2016 0.8 2.26[20] 1.2 2.52 2.0 4.78[36]

^1 Live +7 ratings were not available, so Live +3 ratings have been used instead.

Accolades

Ceremony Category Recipients Result
32nd TCA Awards[37] Outstanding Achievement in Drama Better Call Saul Nominated
Individual Achievement in Drama Bob Odenkirk Nominated
68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards[38] Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Kelley Dixon ("Rebecca") Nominated
Kelley Dixon and Chris McCaleb ("Nailed") Nominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series Phillip W. Palmer, Larry Benjamin, Kevin Valentine ("Klick") Nominated
Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role For the episode "Fifi" Nominated
68th Primetime Emmy Awards[39] Outstanding Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Bob Odenkirk Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Jonathan Banks Nominated
7th Critics' Choice Television Awards[40] Best Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
Best Actor in a Drama Series Bob Odenkirk Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Michael McKean Nominated
2016 American Film Institute Awards[41] Television Programs of the Year Better Call Saul Won
74th Golden Globe Awards[42] Best Actor – Television Series Drama Bob Odenkirk Nominated
21st Satellite Awards[43][44] Best Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
Best Actor in a Drama Series Bob Odenkirk Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Film Jonathan Banks Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV Film Rhea Seehorn Won
53rd Cinema Audio Society Awards[45] Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series – One Hour Phillip W. Palmer, Larry B. Benjamin, Kevin Valentine, Matt Hovland and David Michael Torres ("Klick") Nominated
69th Writers Guild of America Awards[46] Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
Episodic Drama Gordon Smith ("Gloves-Off") Nominated
Heather Marion and Vince Gilligan ("Klick") Nominated
Thomas Schnauz ("Switch") Nominated

Comics

AMC released a digital comic book as a tie-in for Better Call Saul titled, Better Call Saul: Saul Goodman and the Justice Consortium in the Clutches of the Judgernaut! in February 2016, prior to the second-season premiere.[47]

References

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External links

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