Alan Sepinwall

The complete critical companion to AMC’s Emmy- and Golden Globe–nominated series Better Call Saul from the author of Breaking Bad 101 and The Sopranos Sessions"If you love Better Call Saul this book will be a great pal to hang out with while you muse upon it; if you like Better Call Saul then I think this book might make you love it!” —Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman)Named one of the most anticipated books of the year by the AV Club Timed to the 10th anniversary of the first season, this ultimate companion book serves as a guide to the series’ greatness and place in pop-culture history as fans kick off celebratory rewatches and new fans discover the series for the first time.Saul Goodman v. Jimmy McGill: The Better Call Saul Critical Companion collects chief TV critic at Rolling Stone Alan Sepinwall’s critical essays on every episode of the Emmy- and Golden Globe–nominated series. Sepinwall covered Better Call Saul from start to finish, and conducted exhaustive interviews with creator Vince Gilligan and stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seahorn, reproduced here alongside new interviews with series cocreator Peter Gould. ​Across six critically acclaimed seasons, Better Call Saul surprised audiences and subverted Breaking Bad fans’ expectations for what a prequel/sequel series could be. Bob Odenkirk reprised his role as the morally compromised defensive attorney and revealed the tragic and inevitable downfall of Jimmy McGill, a small-time con artist with big dreams and even bigger schemes. Audiences were introduced to now iconic characters, including Rhea Seahorn’s Kim and Michael McKean’s Chuck, as well as villains like Tony Dalton’s Lalo, who rivaled Breaking Bad’s most sinister creations.

AMC's Breaking Bad is among the most beloved, critically acclaimed American television series of our time. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series charts the transformation of high school science teacher Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) into a cold, calculating meth kingpin. Breaking Bad 101 collects esteemed critic Alan Sepinwall's (Uproxx) popular Breaking Bad recaps in book form, featuring new, exclusive essays and completely revised and updated commentary-as well as insights from and interviews with the creative masterminds behind Breaking Bad. The ultimate critical companion for one of the greatest television dramas of all time, Breaking Bad 101 offers fans Sepinwall's smart, funny, and incisive analysis of the psychology and filmmaking craft behind each episode and celebrates the series' unique place in pop-culture history.

While working at the "Newark Star-Ledger," Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall created a popular column debating the merits of then-current television. Eventually they went on to successful careers as critics elsewhere, but the debate raged on and now comes to an epic conclusion in TV (THE BOOK). Alan and Matt have established The Pantheon of top TV shows using a complex, obsessively all-encompassing ranking system by which to order and stack them up against each other. With a mix of lively entries on critically acclaimed and commercially successful classics such as Seinfeld, The Sopranos, Star Trek, The Simpsons and Twin Peaks and illuminating essays on short-lived favorites such as Taxi, Freaks and Geeks, and My So-Called Life, TV (THE BOOK) is sure to spark conversation and debate among readers. TV (THE BOOK) is a must-have for long-time television and film buffs and for young enthusiasts who, fresh off their latest Netflix binge, are looking to expand their knowledge of the medium and wondering what show to start streaming next.