Tech on TV: Better Call Saul. Click here for transcript. (video link)

On the surface, nothing about Better Call Saul appears particularly innovative. Crime and legal dramas stand as one of TV’s oldest formats, and this one happens to be set in the near-past. The show can’t even draw on the latest headlines where the bleeding edge of tech runs into law. On top of that, of course, Saul spun-off from the wildly successfully Breaking Bad, meaning a lot of this world’s largest narrative arcs have been spelled out already (to say nothing of the critical shadow Breaking Bad casts). 

And yet through three seasons, Better Call Saul has surprised viewers from every angle—its subtle tech-savvy included. If the show’s writing and visual language don’t give it away, Saul happens to boast one of television’s most experienced and creative staff and crew. Even if Jimmy McGill doesn’t have hacker friends or carry a futuristic laser pistol, the show hides plenty of clever VFX work in relatively plain sight.