Better Call Saul

The Sopranos

NOW

Amongst (several) other things, the mobster classic looks at how immigrants can lose connection to their native country down the generations.

A finale, then, is a touchy affair, as the emotional stability of a show’s entire fandom rests in the palms of the showrunners’ hands. And if you think I’m exaggerating, just ask a Game of Thrones fan what they thought of The Iron Throne.

That was an extreme case but it did prove the power of a finale to tarnish a show’s legacy (although House of the Dragon is so far doing some good damage limitation). Here, however, we take a look at the ones who secured theirs.

Needless to say, the SPOILERS abound.

A character study of another anti-hero in the Bad universe, crooked lawyer Saul Goodman (played by Bob Odenkirk), Better Call Saul is a firm adherent of the “show, don’t tell” philosophy. Every shot brims with meaning and begs for deconstruction.

AMC’s official Better Call Saul Insider Podcast does just that, as series editors turned podcast presenters Chris McCaleb and Kelley Dixon consult the heads of the various production departments to find out just how each episode came together. As one reviewer on Apple put it: it’s a film school of a podcast.

Line of Duty 

BBC iPlayer​

Line of Duty has become a national institution, with series six still to come.

In a whole new spin on the police procedural, Line of Duty puts the coppers themselves under the microscope, as the series follows the anti-corruption investigations of AC Unit 12.