Summary: Jimmy feels guilty and calls the Kettlemans to warn them of Nacho and also calls Kim to let her know they are in danger. The next day the Kettleman house is sacked and Nacho is taken by the cops. Jimmy is taken to him and Nacho says he didn't do it and that Jimmy will be dead unless he gets out by the end of the day. Jimmy realizes the Kettlemans likely kidnapped themselves but nobody believes him except Mike. Mike gives Jimmy some advice and Jimmy goes hunting for the Kettlemans, finding them in a forest behind their house with the stolen money.
The Good: I praised the previous episode for having excellent writing and this was more of the same. The writing and structure of the episode feels so organic in a way most shows can't accomplish. Everything flows beautifully from scene to scene and the seemingly filler moments end up paying off down the line in a way that feels completely natural. An example here is Jimmy getting Mike to help him. There have been several Mike/Jimmy scenes in previous episodes which were paid for laughs and there was another one here. But shockingly, it was more than just some humour as it ended up being a crucial part in the story to get Jimmy and Mike acquainted and to help Jimmy ultimately find the Kettlemans. And best of all, the ways the characters behaved made logical sense and there were never any contrived plot points used to bring these characters to helping each other. The conflict in this episode was also really well done. I love the way the show has introduced and concluded storylines that end up playing a part later in the story. We saw it before with the skater boys and now we get it again with the Nacho storyline. Last episode we got to see the terrors and brutality of Nacho and Tuco, which makes Jimmy's situation all the more terrifying since we understand what will happen if Nacho is ultimately condemned. Without having shown us what these villains do, there wouldn't be nearly the same amount of tension in the episode. Speaking of tension, I was impressed with the ways tension was used. Particularly the use of phone sequences was great, though there were a couple of flaws with them (see: The Bad). It's impressive that I was on the edge of my seat watching a guy make phone calls and the writers deserve credit for making it possible. Another thing I liked about the phone scene is how it tied into Breaking Bad with Jimmy's character. One notable characteristic of Saul is his impatience and desperation. There is a scene in Breaking Bad where we see Jesse check his voicemail only for it to be flooded by messages from Saul. It was a good comedic scene in Breaking Bad, and yet it pays off here to be a believable characteristic for Jimmy as we see him calling Nacho over and over, adding more and more details. I was overjoyed to see more Mike/Jimmy scenes in this episode. Jonathan Banks does Mike's serious aspect so well and with Jimmy being so overly eccentric, it allows for some hilarious interactions, even when they are talking about important plot details like the Kettleman kidnapping. I also really enjoyed the flashback. it adds some more depth into Jimmy's relationship with Chuck which is slowly gaining my interest. It seems that Jimmy became a lawyer to turn his life around and to make himself and Chuck proud which I feel will be an important detail to remember. The ending also provided a nice cliff-hanger and some good moments. We got another example of the brilliant writing with the "here's Johnny!" moment, which wouldn't have worked as a joke if we didn't see Jimmy use the same phrase in the flashback earlier in the episode. I also enjoyed the way each of the Kettlemans were portrayed. Betsy is clearly the leader of the relationship while Craig just kind of does what she tells him. Lastly, I liked the reveal of the money to end the episode. It should be interesting to see where things go from here. The Bad: While I enjoyed the phone scenes, it was a bit repetitive to have two of them. It took away from the genuine excitement of both of them since they weren't one off scenes. The second phone scene also had some story problems. While the tension was good, it did leave me confused as to why the cops went after Jimmy anyways. If they were just bringing him to Nacho why arrest him? And if they didn't know who he was, why would they just drop the arrest once they learned his identity? They must have had some reason to arrest him, and we don't know what it was so it feels like the scene was just played out that way for drama. There was one other poor moment I noticed. The detectives asked Kim why she wants Jimmy to take a look around the house but we don't get an answer. It feels kind of sloppy and pointless for them to ask why if we don't get to hear why. The Unknown: There never seems to be much unknown for this show. This show is usually just a case of watching and enjoying the way the story is put together. Why was Jimmy in jail when Chuck went to save him? What did he do? What was Jimmy's life like beforehand? What will Jimmy do now that he has seen the money? Best Moment: Nothing really stood out but everything was solid. I will go with the second Jimmy and Mike interaction, as it beautifully brought Mike into the main story. Character of the Episode: Jimmy again. I get the sense it will be Jimmy more than its not throughout the show. Conclusion: Another solid episode of storytelling as I become more and more invested into the show. Score: 67
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|