After a critically acclaimed six seasons, the Bob Odenkirk-led Better Call Saul came to an end last August.
For many, it even surpassed the parent series Breaking Bad, and its absence has left an Albuquerque-sized hole in our hearts ever since. Thankfully, there’s a new AMC series starring Odenkirk that should help with that: Lucky Hank.
The comedy-drama series premieres on March 19th, with new episodes dropping every Sunday at 9pm ET/6pm PT. In it, Odenkirk plays a cantankerous college English professor whose mid-life crisis affects the lives of everyone around him. Notably, while the series is set in Pennsylvania, it was actually filmed in Vancouver.
Based on Richard Russo’s 1997 novel, Straight Man, Lucky Hank was developed by Paul Lieberstein (The Office) and Aaron Zelman (Law & Order) and co-stars Mireille Enos (The Killing), Olivia Scott Welch (Fear Street), Diedrich Bader (American Housewife), Sara Amini (Future Man), Cedric Yarbough (Speechless) and Suzanne Cryer (Silicon Valley). Lucky Hank also reunites Odenkirk with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul executive producer Mark Johnson.
While Odenkirk’s first series after Better Call Saul would have garnered attention regardless of quality, Lucky Hank has, thankfully, been quite well-received following its premiere at SXSW earlier this month.
It’s worth noting that only the first five seasons of Better Call Saul are streaming on Netflix Canada. The final season, which was at one point streaming on AMC+, isn’t currently on that — or any other — subscription streaming service.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: best-of lists. There’s just something oddly therapeutic about putting these together and celebrating the year that was with others.
In the case of MobileSyrup‘s traditional annual ‘Favourite Things’ lists, it’s a chance to write about subjects beyond the purview of tech. This can be anything, really, but I’ve always liked to structure mine around one entertainment title per medium to keep things interesting. And boy, was 2022 a great year in this regard. Whether it was the end of one of my all-time favourite franchises, a reintroduction to a wonderful subset of cinema or that time I bonded with Kratos himself, this year was quite memorable — here’s why.
Favourite game: God of War Ragnarök
There are a lot of “father stories” in games, but God of War Ragnarök is easily my favourite. (Image credit: PlayStation)
I played around 50 new games this year, but God of War Ragnarökis easily my favourite. From its incredible and emotionally-charged narrative to engrossing and visceral combat, it’s a genuine masterpiece. But I’ve written about Ragnarök extensively at this point, and I’m not sure what else to say in regards to the game itself.
Instead, I want to touch on my experience following its release. Earlier this month, I wrote a personal essay about game’s central father-son story, which I related to more deeply than almost any other in gaming. Now, I was pretty nervous putting out that piece; I don’t talk about my “daddy issues” often, and I’d certainly never written about them publicly at length. Thankfully, the response to my piece was nothing short of incredible. First, Matt Sophos, Ragnarök‘s narrative lead, tweeted it alongside some lovely words. Having even one of the key creatives behind something so important to me saying such things was heartwarming and more than I could have imagined. And then he saw it.
Chris Judge — what a class act.
Yep, Kratos himself, Christopher Judge, saw Sophos’ tweet and shared his own response. I was stunned. His soulful performance across 2018’s God of War and Ragnarök — so intense and commanding, yet wonderfully soft and understated — resonated strongly with me, so to have him give what was easily the kindest and most profound response to anything I’ve ever written just moved me. Naturally, such exposure led to my piece blowing up a little bit, and I was elated to have so many people share stories about their own fathers and express gratitude towards Judge and me. Nowadays, people are so quick to be nasty online, especially when you express any sort of emotional vulnerability, but I was overjoyed to see such universally positive reception.
Oh, and the week later, I actually got to thank Judge in person at The Game Awards after he won Best Performance and delivered a lengthy-but-beautiful speech. (Shoutout to CGM‘s Dayna Eileen for getting his attention while I stood there meekly!)
Video games have such a uniquely powerful ability to bring people together, and my entire Ragnarök experience was the perfect example of that.
The “Naatu Naatu” dance number in RRR is the most purely joyful and smile-inducing scene in any movie I’ve seen all year. (Image credit: Variance Films)
In a sense, this was both the easiest and toughest decision to make, as there are so many films that could have taken this spot for me. Everything Everywhere All At Once for its tonally audacious exploration of generational trauma. Aftersun for its hauntingly beautiful exploration of a child’s empathy towards her struggling father. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On for being just so damn cute and heartwarming.
But beyond all of that, RRR actually had me feeling rather wistful. Growing up, much of my time with my dad’s side of the family consisted of watching Bollywood movies, and I have fond memories of watching them. That said, I’ve steered clear of those kinds of movies because I’ve since fallen out with that family and there’s baggage there. Watching RRR, however, I was reminded that there’s an entire world of Indian cinema that I’ve been missing out on. In many ways, I felt exactly like I was living out the Ratatouille meme, and that was just icing on the cake for such a joyful and thrilling movie.
Honourable mentions: Aftersun, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Banshees of Inisherin, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Favourite TV show: Better Call Saul
The relationship between Jimmy and Kim is the beating heart of Better Call Saul. (Image credit: AMC)
When people used to argue whether Better Call Saul was better than Breaking Bad, I would steadfastly stick with the latter, my all-time favourite series. But by the end of the Breaking Bad prequel’s six-season run, I am happy to say, definitively, that it’s easily better.
Sure, it has everything you loved about Breaking Bad — the rich plotting, stunning cinematography, top-notch performances and exquisite antihero characterization. But it does all of that and more. In a feat of utter brilliance, co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould took a clownish supporting character, Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman, and made him more layered and interesting that Walter White. If Walt was a time bomb, Jimmy was a man in quicksand, slowly sinking while trying to claw himself out, and making his morality struggle even more fascinating as a result. Nowhere was that more apparent than in Season 6, where we see how Jimmy’s past failures inform where he ends up in the show’s post-Breaking Bad scenes. Through sharp writing and Odenkirk’s masterfully complex performance, Jimmy remains sympathetic even at his lowest, and it made for some gripping television.
And best of all, Jimmy’s not even the best character — that would be his partner, Kim Wexler, brought to life through a criminally overlooked, awards-worthy performance by Rhea Seehorn. Like Jimmy, her innate decency is put in constant conflict with a surprising mischievous side, and the ways in which she struggles with that are captivating. Fans knew going in that she’s not around come the events of Breaking Bad, but Gould, Gilligan and co. ensure that the directions they take her in are always far more compelling than you might have expected. All the while, supporting characters like Howard (Patrick Fabian), Nacho (Canada’s Michael Mando) and Breaking Bad favourite Mike (Jonathan Banks) go through their own surprising-yet-satisfying arcs. That’s to say nothing of Lalo (Tony Dalton), a dastardly charming villain who proved a brilliant foil to Giancarlo Esposito’s more measured Gus Fring.
After nearly 15 years, it seems like Gilligan and Gould are ready to leave Albuquerque behind with Better Call Saul, but man, what an unforgettable ride it’s been.
Honourable mentions: Severance, Andor, The Afterparty, Under the Banner of Heaven
Podcast: The Movie Podcast
#TheMoviePodcast team had the honour of attending the The Lord of the Rings: #TheRingsOfPower Los Angeles red carpet and premiere.
One of the good things to come out of COVID for me was the discovery of more podcasts in my free time. One of my favourites of these has been The Movie Podcast, hosted by Daniel, Shahbaz and Anthony. The gents are all likeable and share a winsome rapport as they produce reviews, interviews and more on movies and TV, making every episode a real treat.
But what I most admire is how much they’ve built up the show this year. This started off as an independent passion project from a few Canadian boys, and it’s grown into something much bigger and more impressive. I’m in awe of the opportunities that have come their way as the result of their hard work, including interviews with the likes of Canada’s Hayden Christensen and Deborah Chow (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel), as well as Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke (Raymond & Ray), Sam Raimi and Michael Waldron (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), almost the entire Mythic Quest cast, Michael Giacchino (for both Werewolf by Night and Lightyear), Brendan Fraser (The Whale) and many more. As someone who’s been trying to do more interviews lately, I find their journey truly inspiring, and I’m excited to see what they do in 2023.
At first glance, it might be weird to see a 33-year-old writing a memoir, especially less than a year after leading a Marvel movie. But We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, isn’t really about Simu Liu. Instead, the Canada-raised actor uses the book to pen a lovely, inspiring tribute to his parents, who emigrated from China when he was just four years old with hopes of a better life, which, in turn, paved the way for him to become Shang-Chi.
If there’s one theme among my more personal writing lately, it’s the idea of a young adult looking back on their formative years to gain a more nuanced and empathetic perspective on the people who populated it. That’s We Were Dreamers to a tee — Liu reflecting on his many early conflicts with his parents to come to a deeper appreciation for everything they did. It’s Liu being far more mature, earnest and funny than the Twitter folk who routinely hate on him for stupid years-old comments would lead you to believe, and it makes for an engrossing read. (The anecdotes about his life as a struggling actor and work on the likes of Kim’s Convenience are also quite fun.)
Above all else, though, We Were Dreamers also got me thinking more about my own family. My dad’s side came to Canada from Guyana when he just a few years old, while my mum’s parents were in their early ’20s when they came from Scotland. That’s something I, who’s only ever known Canada as home, have always taken for granted — that terrifying uprooting of your entire life on what’s effectively a colossal gamble in a completely different place. As a result, I found myself more grateful and proud — not only of what they went through, but the countless immigrant families who have done the same. We could all use a little more empathy in this world, and I’m grateful for Liu’s book for giving me just that.
Although AMC’s hit series Better Call Saul recently wrapped, Straight Man, a new Bob Odenkirk project is in the works. The series is currently filming and will debut later in 2023 on AMC and AMC+.
Straight Man has no involvement in Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad universe. Instead, the new AMC series is described as a “midlife crisis tale.” Starring Bob Odenkirk, Straight Man focuses on a grizzled William Henry Devereaux, Jr. The series is based on Richard Russo’s 1997 novel of the same name.
AMC has said that Straight Man follows Devereaux’s life and career as the “unlikely chairman of the English department in a badly underfunded college in the Pennsylvania rust belt.” Not only will the series cover Devereaux’s career but his family life and the balancing act that goes along with it.
Alongside Odenkirk, the series stars Mireille Enos as Lily Devereaux, William’s wife. Olivia Scott Welch has also been cast as daughter Julie Devereaux. Additional cast members include Diedrich Bader, Sara Amini, Cedric Yarbrough, and Suzanne Cryer.
Straight Man is currently filming in Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s said that filming should wrap by December 2022. The series has been given an order of eight episodes to make up the first season. It’s being adapted by Aaron Zelman and Paul Leiberstein, who is also serving as co-showrunners and directors. Odenkirk is also attached as producer.
While Odenkirk is continuing to work with AMC, former Better Call Saul costar Rhea Seehorn is making her way to Apple TV+ alongside Vince Gilligan. Announced earlier this month, Apple has acquired the untitled “blended, grounded drama” from Gilligan. This project will see Seehorn take the lead.
Apple has acquired the next series from Vince Gilligan, the award-winning creator of Breaking Bad and co-creator of its prequel, Better CallSaul.
The new series, which is currently untitled, will see Gilligan reunited with Rhea Seehorn, who co-starred in all six seasons of Better Call Saul as fan-favourite character Kim Wexler. Gilligan has previously expressed interest in working again with his fellow Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul alums, so it remains to be seen who else besides Seehorn might come on board.
Per Deadline, the series will be a “blended, grounded drama” that’s been compared to The Twilight Zone in terms of how it “bend[s] reality and focusing on people and exploring the human condition in an unexpected, surprising way.” In a statement, Gilligan added that he’s looking forward to focusing on a more heroic character after 15 years of antiheroes.
While we otherwise know little about the series, it’s nonetheless a major get for Apple TV+., as Gilligan and Seehorn are just coming off last month’s critically-acclaimed conclusion to Better Call Saul, which is itself seen as a conclusion to the Breaking Bad universe. Seehorn was also just nominated for her first Emmy, and has garnered significant buzz for a second nomination next year when Better Call Saul‘s final episodes are eligible for awards.
According to Deadline, eight or nine studios were in the running to snag Gilligan’s series, but the creator’s previous work with Apple TV+ bosses Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht on both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul ultimately helped Apple win out.
It’s not yet clear when the new series is expected to release.
In another timeline, we may have been playing a Breaking Bad video game inspired by Rockstar’s popular Grand Theft Auto series.
That’s according to Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, who brought up former ideas for a game adaptation of his hit AMC/Sony Pictures Television series on the latest episode of the Inside the Gilliverse podcast.
“I’m not much of a video game player but how can you not know Grand Theft Auto?” Gilligan said. “I remember saying to the two gentlemen who said yes originally to Breaking Bad, I said ‘who owns Grand Theft Auto, can’t you have like a module, can there be like a Breaking Bad [adaptation]?’
He noted that he and the Breaking Bad creative team actually spent “a lot of energy and talent into writing three or four stories” for potential games.
“There were a lot of people hours poured into that,” Gilligan said. “Making a video game is damn hard. It takes years and millions of dollars, especially when you’re trying to break new ground with VR. It never came to fruition though, which is a shame.”
Given that Sony is heavily invested in the gaming space through its PlayStation division, it’s perhaps surprising that it didn’t do more with Breaking Bad in this market. Incidentally, the last Grand Theft Auto game, Grand Theft Auto V, launched in September 2013, two weeks before Breaking Bad ended, so there’s definitely been a lot of time since to make a similar game set in the “Gilliverse.”
That said, Gilligan noted that he and the Breaking Bad creative team didn’t want to release a game just to cash in on the series’ success. “You gotta make it great. Execution is everything,” he said, citing the infamous Atari E.T. game as an example of a poor adaptation.
“We just don’t have enough bandwidth usually to make it work,” Gilligan said. “I wouldn’t hold your breath on a video game.”
Instead of a video game, Gilligan has spent the years following Breaking Bad on the critically-acclaimed Better Call Saul prequel, which is itself coming to a close with an August 15th finale, and the El Camino sequel film on Netflix. That said, Gilligan says he’s planning to move on from the Breaking Bad universe after Better Call Saul, so even if Sony made a game based on that, it’s likely that the creator won’t be involved.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Eddie Brock/Venom must face off with a serial killer who’s bonded with a symbiote to become Carnage.
Based on the Marvel Comics character Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage was directed by Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings franchise) and features returning Venom cast members Tom Hardy (Eddie Brock/Venom), Michelle Williams (Anne Weying) and Reid Scott (Dan Lewis), alongside series newcomers Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight).
Original theatrical release date: October 1st, 2021
Amazon Prime Video premiere date: April 23rd, 2022 Genre: Superhero Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Stream Venom: Let There Be Carnage here.
A Very British Scandal [Amazon Original]
This miniseries dramatizes the real-life marriage of Ian and Margaret Campbell, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, and the scandalous legal case they get caught up in.
A Very British Scandal was adapted by Sarah Phelps (Dublin Murders) and stars Claire Foy (The Crown) and Paul Bettany (WandaVision).
Original TV broadcast run: December 2021 (U.K.)
Amazon Prime Video premiere date: April 22nd, 2022 Genre: Historical drama Runtime: Three episodes (58 to 59 minutes each)
The full list of movies and shows hitting Prime Video this month can be found here.
AMC+
Better Call Saul (Season 6)
In the final season of Better Call Saul, Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) plot their revenge against Howard (Patrick Fabian), while Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and Mike (Jonathan Banks) face off against Lalo (Tony Dalton), with Nacho (Quebec City’s Michael Mando) getting caught in the middle.
Better Call Saul was created by Breaking Bad veterans Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
AMC/AMC+ premiere date: April 18th, 2022 (first two episodes, new episodes Mondays at 9pm ET) Genre: Drama Runtime: 13 episodes (around one hour each)
Note that only the first half of Season 6 is ongoing; following a brief hiatus, the second half premieres on July 11th.
Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) directs this in-depth look at the career of NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, featuring interviews with the likes of Magic, former U.S. President Barack Obama and entertainer LL Cool J.
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: April 22nd, 2022 Genre: Sports documentary Runtime: Four episodes (56 to 1 hour, 1 minute each)
Barry (Saturday Night Live‘s Bill Hader) struggles to leave the hitman world and pursue acting, leading him to reflect on what compels him to violence in the first place.
Barry was co-created by Hader and Alec Berg (Seinfeld) and co-stars Stephen Root (King of the Hill), Vancouver’s Sarah Goldberg (Hindsight) and Henry Winkler (Happy Days).
Crave premiere date: April 24th, 2022 at 10pm ET (first episode, new episodes every Sunday at 10pm ET) Genre: Dark comedy Runtime: Eight episodes (around 30 minutes each)
Early in his crime-fighting career, Batman hunts down a serial killer known as The Riddler, whose crimes have a deeper connection to the Wayne family.
The Batman was co-written and directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and stars Robert Pattinson (Good Time), Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Colin Farrell (The Lobster), Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings series) and John Turturro (The Big Lebowski).
Original Canadian theatrical release date: March 4th, 2022 Crave premiere date: April 18th, 2022 Genre: Superhero Runtime: 2 hours, 56 minutes
Cassie (The Big Bang Theory‘s Kaley Cuoco) balances sobriety and CIA work in Los Angeles until an overseas assignment puts her at the centre of another murder mystery.
Based on Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel of the same name, The Flight Attendant was developed by Steve Yockey (Supernatural) and co-stars Zosia Mamet (Girls), T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) and Rosie Perez (Fearless).
Crave premiere date: April 21st, 2022 (first two episodes, new episodes every Thursday at 9pm ET) Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)
This series explores the U.S.’ infamous Watergate scandal from the perspective of Martha Mitchell, a socialite and wife to Richard Nixon’s Attorney General, John N. Mitchell.
Based on the first season of the “Slow Burn”podcast, Gaslit was created by Robbie Pickering (Mr. Robot) and stars Julia Roberts (Homecoming), Sean Penn (Milk), Dan Stevens (Legion), Betty Gilpin (GLOW) and Shea Wigham (Boardwalk Empire).
Crave premiere date: April 24th, 2022 (first episodes, new episodes every Sunday) Genre: Political thriller Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)
Stream Gaslit here. Note that a $5.99/month Starz add-on is required.
The Man Who Fell to Earth
An alien comes to Earth seeking the one scientist who can save his species.
Based on Walter Tevis’ 1976 novel of the same name, The Man Who Fell to Earth was created by Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married) and Alex Kurtzman (Fringe) and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Jimmi Simpson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Clarke Peters (The Wire) and Rob Delaney (Catastrophe).
Crave premiere date: April 24th, 2022 (first episode, new episodes every Sunday Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
Oprah + Viola [Netflix Original]
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey interviews actress Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder) about her memoir, Finding Me.
Nadia and Alan stumble into another existential adventure.
Russian Doll was created by Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black), Leslye Headland (Sleeping With Other People) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) and stars Lyonne, Charlie Barnett (You), Greta Lee (The Morning Show) and Ottawa’s own Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek).
Netflix Canada premiere date: April 20th, 2022 Genre: Documentary Runtime: Seven episodes (26 to 33 minutes each)
White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch [Netflix Original]
Director Alison Klayman (Jagged) explores the popularity of clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch in the ’90s and early 2000s and its exclusionary marketing strategy.
Two years after Season 5, the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul will finally premiere on April 18th.
However, it should be noted that the 13-episode Season 6 is being split in two. The first half will kick off with a two-episode premiere on the 18th and run until May 23rd, with the latter half picking up on July 11th and concluding on August 15th.
For this final season, AMC is doing something a little different — the series will air on both its TV network and its AMC+ streaming service. This means that those who have AMC’s TV channel and cord-cutters alike can tune into the Season 6 premiere on April 18th at 9pm ET.
AMC+ costs $6.99 CAD/month in Canada and is available exclusively as a channel on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
Set before the events of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul follows fan-favourite Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) as he works to become the lawyer who eventually meets Walter White (Bryan Cranston). In the final season, Jimmy and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) get up to even shadier business while Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and Mike (Jonathan Banks) wage war against Lalo (Tony Dalton). Quebec City’s own Michael Mando co-stars as Nacho.
