Summary: A flashback shows Secretariat replying to a letter from a young BoJack on TV. Later, he is banned from running and commits suicide. In the present, BoJack has won a Golden Globe for his book but is still unhappy. BoJack gets Princess Carolyn to get him in consideration for a Secretariat movie. He auditions but the role goes to Andrew Garfield instead. Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter start coming up with random ideas to invest in to BoJack's annoyance. But one of their investments (a Halloween in January store) injured Andrew Garfield and BoJack gets the role. Later at a party, BoJack runs into Diane and they reconcile. Diane wants to go to a third world country and make a difference but Mr. Peanutbutter convinces her to stay.
The Good: This was a rock solid finale. It started on the right note with a flashback showing us Secretariat's downfall, which is essential in highlighting the tragedy of BoJack's childhood. Secretariat was his hero, and in the end he was banned for life and committed suicide, which would be hard on any child. There is a really sad irony on juxtaposing Secretariat telling BoJack to keep running to what's ahead no matter what, only for him to kill himself merely a month later. Very evocative stuff. BoJack's personal story in this episode sums up his role in this series. Surprisingly, BoJack gets everything he ever could have wanted in this episode. His book is a raucous success, even winning a Golden Globe... for best comedy/musical? This show is quite good with its absurdist humour. Anyways, BoJack has an award, he's loved by the public now, and he even manages to land the lead role in Secretariat (after Andrew Garfield breaks every bone in his body walking into a floorless Halloween in January store... seriously what the hell?). Despite all of his success, BoJack still feels miserable in this episode. He can't help but dwell on the negative and can't take his mind off of his last interaction with Diane in "Downer Ending". This is a perfect way to summarize the main ideas of this show. This is about a man who is so extremely privileged with luxuries that 90% of people can only dream of, and yet he is eternally unhappy. This episode explores that idea magnificently and it is a good finale because of its dedication to this idea. And of course the comedy is high quality. As indicated by my comments in the above paragraph, t's really impressive how this show manages to weave these hilarious moments of absurdity into an episode which otherwise takes itself seriously. It's amusing and it makes the show feel richer and more entertaining since it doesn't let the bleak tone dominate the show. This makes it more accessible and easier to stomach compared to a show that is relentlessly miserable for its entire run. There are plenty of nice jokes throughout the episode. I already mentioned the hilarious Halloween in January store, with the hilarity of the idea only being surpassed by BoJack's witty remarks responding to it. All of Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter's ideas and interactions are quite funny, and the show is better off for getting these two characters to interact more. And again, there's lots of good animal jokes with my favourite in this episode being Sebastian reacting to the mosquito in his tent. Also, that joke with the armless orphan was delightfully dark. Diane's story feels mostly like set-up for her story in the next season, but it is effective. She clearly wants to do big things with her life, but hasn't found that level of inner satisfaction through writing BoJack's book. It's interesting to see Diane dealing with similar problems of unhappiness to BoJack, making her seem almost like a younger version of BoJack who is in the process of having her dreams ruined by the Hollywoo tar pit and its promises of "later". Her moment with BoJack in this episode is quite good, combining their stories in a melancholy way as they both look into their future with various problems of their own. The Bad: This episode is too focused on set-up and resolving things cleanly. That's not necessarily a problem, but it does make this finale feel surprisingly anticlimactic, and almost weirdly placed. One big reason for this feeling is because the set-up and resolution are happening concurrently, creating a bit of a confusing tone. Is the story ramping up, or is it settling down? I'm not sure, and the episode doesn't feel sure about that either. It's a shame because there isn't anything outright bad in this episode, it just carries a weird tone for a season finale. The montage at the end is pretty cheesy. It doesn't feel earned to see all of these characters happy with each other, and I was confused by the purpose of it. This show hasn't pandered to our emotions like that before, and I'm not sure how this sequence accomplishes anything. It's very forgettable. Princess Carolyn and Vincent's relationship still makes me roll my eyes. The idea of Vincent is funny, but the way that everyone seems to stupidly not realize that he's an adult turns a good joke into a frustrating story. It destroys any sense of reality in this world when the characters behave so stupidly. Especially considering that this show wants us to connect with the plight of these characters. The Unknown: What's going to happen with BoJack's new movie? You can bet that he will find a way to make things messy. Will Diane be satisfied by staying in LA? I think she will want to leave to go with Sebastian in third world countries. How will this affect her relationship with Mr. Peanutbutter, who clearly does not want her to go? Best Moment: I really laughed at the Halloween in January store. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: A good episode to close out season 1. There's nothing especially worthwhile in this episode, but it's a solid conclusion to a season that eventually found its footing. Season 1 surprised me in the end. The first half suggested a bland, uninspired animated comedy with limited humour, annoying characters, and an unengaging storyline. But the second half of the season took some surprising risks in maintaining a more serious and emotionally powerful tone, and the result is a fun animated show that somehow captures serious emotion themes perfectly. This is a unique show, the type of which I haven't seen before. This first season was a mixed bag, but there have been signs of greatness, especially in the terrific penultimate episode "Downer Ending". I'm curious to see where the show goes in season 2, and I'm hopeful that the show spends more time on its themes of battling with inner unhappiness, rather than its below average comedy. Score: 65
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Summary: 6 months have passed. Corlys again brings up the issue of the Crabfeeder but Viserys doesn't want to take action. Rhaenyra is sent to pick a new Kingsguard member and she picks Criston. Alicent continues to meet with Viserys. Viserys meets with Corlys and Rhaenys and considers their proposal for him to wed Laena. It's a good match but she is very young. Word arrives that Daemon has stolen a dragon egg and is intending to wed Mysaria on Dragonstone. Otto is dispatched to stop him, and Rhaenyra comes along anyways. Rhaenyra gets back the egg without bloodshed. Viserys is surprised when she returns, but they end up finally opening up to each other. Viserys tells her that he intends to wed. At the next small council meeting, Viserys reveals he intends to wed Alicent. Corlys storms off and returns to Driftmark where he meets with Daemon to form an alliance.
The Good: A lot of the developments here were entertaining to watch. The main plot of this episode centred around Viserys' impending decision to take on a new wife. Through this story, we got a bit of a battle between background characters as both Otto and Corlys attempted to play the game to get Viserys to pick their respective daughters. Viserys may feel like he has agency, but it's abundantly clear after this episode that Daemon was right and that he's simply being manipulated by those around him. Corlys is the more honourable and straight-forward man, openly telling Viserys what he wants and why Viserys should care. Corlys creates the strongest argument for Viserys to wed Laena, and the episode makes it clear that this is the best move politically for Viserys. But the only issue is that Laena is 12, and seeing Viserys interact with her was suitably icky. It's easy to see why Viserys would be against this idea, and Otto is cunning enough to take advantage of this. He's smart enough to not directly ask Viserys to marry Alicent instead, but he continues to force his daughter onto Viserys, so when Viserys is uncomfortable with Laena's age, he will have a much older option directly in front of him who he has developed a good connection with. Otto's plotting is clever, and he outdoes Corlys to make the Hightowers the most direct ally to the throne. Otto is extremely detestable with his subtle manipulations, and you can't help but feel for Corlys who hasn't done anything wrong but has now been spurned from the throne two successive times (first with Rhaenys and now with Laena). It's no surprise that he's had enough and decided to ally with Daemon. The king spurns him and refuses to address the pirates that are attacking his fleet, so why should Corlys remain loyal? Viserys' decision to wed Alicent is already having dangerous consequences. Speaking of Daemon, he plays a surprisingly small role in the episode, but he continues to steal the show. Matt Smith is so good at portraying this ruthless rogue and he brings a level of humanity to Daemon through his obvious love for his family. The dragon egg confrontation is an excellent scene that is dripping with suspense since we don't know what's going to happen. Otto is certainly looking for any excuse to take Daemon out of commission, while Daemon is exactly the kind of guy to escalate this situation unnecessarily. Plus, he has a dragon. Right when things look to be heating up, Rhaenyra arrives and we get to see more of how she handles problems as she comes up to Daemon with a resolve to end things without any bloodshed. She is very impressive in this scene, carrying herself with confidence and being observant enough to realize that Daemon is lying about the whole situation. We would expect Daemon to be brash enough to re-marry, but it becomes clear that this entire situation was nothing more than an attempt to get some attention. Daemon has no intention to wed Mysaria, since she has no idea about any of this, and furthermore, she's not even pregnant! This was a surprising twist, but it makes sense and humanizes Daemon a bit more. It also makes Rhaenyra look good since she's the only one who recognizes Daemon's little stunt for what it is and she takes care of it in a mature way. Rhaenyra has a really good episode overall. I had voiced my concerns about how the show didn't do a great job of connecting us with the character in the last episode, but that is rectified here. We get a much better idea of Rhaenyra's plight by getting lots of scenes with her. We can see her frustrations when she is ignored at court, we can see her pain when she breaks down in the Sept while trying to make peace with all of her troubles, and we see her determination and persistence when she talks back to Rhaenys and goes to resolve the Daemon problem. This episode does a terrific job of characterizing her further, making us understand her motives and fears, and the scenes with her are all quite good. Corlys allying with Daemon is a strong ending to the episode. This is likely a big moment of alliances shifting that will have huge repercussions on the upcoming conflict. I'm interested to see where the Crabfeeder story will go. We don't get to meet him directly, but the brief, horrifying scenes of what he has been up to are effective in making this guy feel like an interesting, exciting threat. It was nice to learn a bit more about Lyonel Strong. The previous episode saw him get cut off by Otto, but here we get to see that he has a good head on his shoulders. He's a pragmatic man who isn't afraid to offer up his opinion, and he (so far) doesn't seem to be playing the game of thrones for his own gain. The production remains a treat to experience. Caraxes and Syrax looked and sounded fantastic in this episode, and their presence elevated the Dragonstone stand-off further. I also adored that establishing shot of Dragonstone, with the fog adding so much more atmosphere and mystique to this ancient location. The Bad: I thought that the relationship between Viserys and Rhaenyra wasn't handled very well in this episode. A lot of their dialogue with each other felt clunky. At the start of the episode, it was intentional to establish how awkwardly they feel around each other, but even when they were "opening up" to each other, the dialogue still felt so stale. It didn't feel like either was being genuine, and I was very confused that the show was trying to tell me that they were genuinely connecting in these scenes. All Viserys did was say how much he misses Aemma in a flowery way, and I'm not sure why this made Rhaenyra feel like she got to connect with her father. Especially since Rhaenyra's troubles stem from her feeling like her father isn't recognizing her talents. I think that their moment of connection could have been written far better. Why on Earth would Viserys not tell Rhaenyra that he planned on marrying Alicent? If he genuinely wanted to connect more with her, surely he would have tried to explain his plans to her instead of surprising her at the small council alongside everyone else. Viserys makes some bone-headed decisions in this episode, and while most are understandable, this one is baffling to me. I also found that Viserys' decision to marry Alicent wasn't appropriately built up. It would have been more effective if we had a better idea of their relationship and what Viserys likes about her. The show tells us that Viserys has connected with her, but we don't see enough of it for this to fully work. I get the sense that the show tried too hard to make this a surprise, and some of the storytelling depth was lost as a result. The visual effects weren't quite as pristine in this episode. I especially noticed it on the establishing shot of King's Landing, which looked notably worse compared to the last episode. The Unknown: Who exactly is the Crabfeeder? How big of a threat will he be for the Seven Kingdoms? Will Daemon and Corlys try to take him down without Viserys' approval? Will this start a war? How does Alicent feel about marrying Viserys? How will this affect her relationship with Rhaenyra? Will Rhaenyra be able to accept her best friend marrying her father? What are Daemon's current goals? Does he intend to wed Mysaria? Why? What will become of his new alliance with Corlys? Will they work together and oppose the king? Or will they simply put their powers together to fight the Crabfeeder? Best Moment: Daemon's confrontation with Otto and Rhaenyra was exciting and interesting. Character of the Episode: Rhaenyra. Conclusion: A solid episode of table-setting that pushed the plot along. I had a couple of issues with the lack of emotional storytelling, but this was fine enough. Score: 60 Summary: BoJack decides he will write a better book within a week. He struggles to focus and ends up doing drugs with Todd and Sarah Lynn, getting them to help him. He ends up on a drug trip where he faces his own insecurity and regrets with where his life has gone. He has a vision where he lives with Charlotte in an alternate life, but is forced back to reality. Upon waking up, he learns he submitted the book to Princess Carolyn who says it was gibberish. BoJack visits Diane at a ghostwriter convention, apologizes to her and asks if she thinks he is a good person. She doesn't respond.
The Good: This was a strong immersive experience that got to the heart of who BoJack is. The episode is interested in telling this story from the very first scene. We open with immediate follow-up of the events in the last episode. BoJack is still furious about Diane's book, and the scene does a great job of exploring why BoJack is so angry. This opening scene tells us that BoJack's big issue is that he wants his book to reflect the person he wants to be, rather than the person he actually is. Diane is too good of a writer to spin such lies, so she paints an honest picture of who BoJack is, and BoJack detests her for being astute enough to see who he really is. It's a bit tragic since BoJack's mean-spirited words towards Diane in this first scene come as a result of him wanting her to like him, but he's hurt by the realization that she perceives him in the same way that he perceives himself. And this is problematic because BoJack hates who he is, so he feels that Diane must hate him too. There's a lot of depth here, and I really appreciate that. The rest of the episode commits to exploring BoJack's inner dilemma and it does that in a compelling way. It doesn't take long before the episode turns BoJack's attempts to write a book into an excessive drug sequence. At first, this sequence is just amusing fun, and it does that well. The editing is clever, there are some signature witty jokes, and Todd and Sarah Lynn are typically fun characters which give this sequence a lighter tone. But then BoJack's inability to accept who he is starts to rear its head when he asks Todd if they are cool, and Todd says that he no longer expects anything from BoJack other than the worst. It's a damning moment for BoJack because Todd is essentially admitting that BoJack is a bad person and it isn't realistic to expect him to be anything but a bad person. Following this, BoJack's drug trip gets worse and worse and he gets stuck reliving some of his worst memories, biggest insecurities, and biggest regrets. This is such a powerful experience that makes you understand the depth of BoJack's pain, and how much regret and sadness he carries in his daily life. His life is built on mistake after mistake, and it's so sad to see him dreaming of a life where he could have avoided the Hollywoo tar pits and instead lived a quiet family life with Charlotte. But it's far too late for that, and Charlotte telling BoJack "I wish you had chosen this life" was a brutal way to end that sequence. Horrified and unsettled by his experience, BoJack goes to make things right with Diane and hope for the validation that he can change things around because he's still a good person. What follows is the season's crowning moment, a real downer ending where BoJack essentially begs to Diane and bares his soul, but still does not get the answer that he was hoping for (see: Best Moment). This scene is absolutely brutal. It's such an accurate portrayal of depression with BoJack's desperation for external validation that he's good and that he isn't doomed to be the awful person that he thinks he is. BoJack's words to Diane here go from an introspective apology, to begging real quick, and it's brutal to see Diane unable to confirm that BoJack is a good person after all that he has done. Her silence speaks volumes, and it is especially impactful in a series with so much dialogue that it rarely pauses for long enough for there to be silence. It's a dagger into BoJack's heart, made even worse with the random guy shouting "hey aren't you the horse from Horsin' Around", a gutwrenching reminder that this is likely all that he will ever amount to being. Absolutely brutal storytelling. Emotionally, the episode was terrific. But let's not take anything away from the terrific production that went into the drug sequence. The art and animation in this sequence was outstanding, and it captured the feeling of a trippy fever dream to perfection. I loved the way that BoJack's past memories were integrated into this sequence, as well as his relationships with other characters. The show does a good job of making everything come full circle. The season started with BoJack struggling to write his book, and now it comes back to him in the same position. The writers have fun with some procrastination jokes, and they throw in some other good laughs in the episode. The reveal of "Doctor Who" actually being "Dr. Hu" was really funny, and I love what was done with the character. I also quite liked the brief moment where BoJack tries to burn Diane's book, fails, and simply kicks it over instead. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. This was easily the most consistent episode of the show. The Unknown: Is it too late for BoJack? Is it possible for him to change his ways after so many years of being the same? Best Moment: The ending of the episode was really something. Who would have ever expected this show to have a moment that was so emotionally resonant? BoJack's begging to be validated as a good person is the type of ugly emotion that TV shows very rarely portray. I was surprised to see an animated TV show paint such a realistic and meaningful portrayal of mental health struggles and inner conflict within a character. Just a stunning scene overall. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: This was unexpectedly fantastic. "BoJack Horseman" has struggled for consistency up until now, and with average comedy and some good ideas, I expected that the show would not be able to hit that next level. Shockingly, this episode took an evocative turn to give us a very real and impactful look at how BoJack views himself and his life, and that made for a vivid and harrowing experience that was far better than anything else the show has attempted thus far. Who would have thought that this animated comedy would find something special in an exploration of mental health? Well done. Score: 76 Summary: BoJack works on his new movie which is being shot at Mr. Peanutbutter's house. He realizes Todd has found out about his rock opera and thinks that Todd is trying to sabotage him. In reality, Quentin Tarantulino has taken a liking to Todd and together they make increasingly ridiculous changes to the movie until it devolves into becoming a bi-monthly box of snacks. Diane finishes BoJack's book and sends it to Pinky. BoJack reads it, hates it, and demands that Diane start over. Upset, Diane leaks some chapters to Buzzfeed so that BoJack can see that the book is good for him. BoJack isn't happy and instead fires her.
The Good: This episode has decent comedy with the movie storyline. The opening scene is amusing, and it's fun watching this movie go from a serious project to increasingly ridiculous as Todd introduces wackier ideas to Quentin, who inexplicably seems to love Todd. This is all incredibly absurd, but it is funny and makes the episode fun. There are plenty of nice jokes, like Diane not being able to eat in her own house, Naomi Watts wanting to get away from the boring "complex" characters, Mr. Peanutbutter's fixation with V-necks, and Wallace Shawn's fun cameo playing BoJack. BoJack's personal story is again engaging. This episode mostly focuses on BoJack's realization that Todd discovered his role in sabotaging the rock opera. He's clearly regretful and knows what he did was wrong, but he struggles to properly face Todd about it, convinced that Todd is going to sabotage him (since that's what BoJack would do!). But Todd is a bigger person, and there's a nice scene at the end where Todd tells him they are cool, but ultimately chooses to spend more time with Mr. Peanutbutter who, unlike BoJack, treats Todd with respect and affection. The other aspect of BoJack's story comes with the release of Diane's book about him. Of course BoJack doesn't like the book because he is always going to have a difficult time dealing with the negative aspects of his own life. Diane knows this and tries to encourage BoJack to give her a chance, but of course BoJack is too short-sighted to see this and the whole thing escalates into a major conflict. It's really sad to see because Diane clearly did not mean for this to be an attack on BoJack, and is simply painting him as a flawed and relatable figure in the way that BoJack could never do himself. But BoJack isn't ready yet to face the honest truth about himself and that causes him to lash out against Diane, possibly hurting their relationship in the process. It's another case of BoJack's negative attitude getting in the way of his personal happiness. The Bad: The movie falling apart in such a ridiculous way is completely unfeasible. I know that this is an animated cartoon, but since it tackles some serious subject matter, the show opens itself up to being susceptible to criticism when it goes too far away from reality. This is one of those times. There's no way that this movie project will conclude as a snack box which nets nowhere near enough money to make a profit. This episode is mostly set up with the BoJack/Diane and BoJack/Todd conflicts heating up. This is fine, but it means that the episode doesn't feel significant. The movie plot is fun, but with is resolving inside the episode, it ends up feeling like forgettable filler. The side characters Quentin, Naomi, and Lenny aren't particularly funny either so I don't get much out of them. The Unknown: How will BoJack and Diane's relationship change going forwards? This ending feels like BoJack attempting to burn it all down. Will Diane's book ultimately get released or will BoJack prevent it? So is the movie project over? No follow up or anything? Will we see more details on this storyline or not? Best Moment: The movie becoming a snack box as its final form is really funny. It was amusing watching this thing decline so much. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: Another solid episode with some good comedy in the movie storyline. Score: 62 Summary: BoJack plans to sabotage Diane's wedding with Todd. Princess Carolyn refuses to go along with it and starts dating "Vincent Adultman". BoJack sends Todd to break into Mr. Peanutbutter's house but he gets caught. Mr. Peanutbutter hires Todd as his driver. Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter move up their wedding to within a month. BoJack hires Margo Martindale to do a fake bank robbery on Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter, but it backfires and they move up their wedding to the end of the week. BoJack has jury duty and misses his chance to sabotage further. Todd realizes that BoJack sabotaged his rock opera and refuses to help him anymore. BoJack accepts the reality as Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane get married.
The Good: BoJack attempting to sabotage the wedding is a fun story, and it works as a parody of sitcom plots where characters try to crash weddings. There are so many fun details throughout the episode. BoJack and Todd's dramatic heist plan falling apart immediately really made me laugh, and Mr. Peanutbutter being jovial enough to not even notice and instead hire Todd as a driver was amusing. I quite liked the running joke of Mr. Peanutbutter hating the post office. This show has done well to make quality dog jokes with him. I like how this episode wrote BoJack. He seems to know that what he's doing is wrong, but he tries to sabotage the wedding anyways, making it all about himself. Having him finally accept reality at the end of the episode was a good moment, finally allowing the character to face himself. Todd got a decent conflict in this episode as he slowly loses the motivation to betray Mr. Peanutbutter's trust, appreciating how friendly he has been. This was a great way to make Todd understand how cruel BoJack has been to him, and having him learn the truth about the rock opera feels like the cherry on top. Todd is optimistic and friendly despite being inconsistently stupid, and it's nice to see him find his own sense of morality and pick his friendship with Mr. Peanutbutter over his rocky relationship with BoJack. Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter have a pretty good episode too. I like that the show doesn't shy away from showing us why they are getting married. Even though they are two very different people, you can really tell what they both see in each other and why they love each other. I think their relationship is surprisingly sweet, and I appreciate the show for showing this to us. Some more amusing little moments include the sheep eating cut grass out of the lawn mower, Mr. Peanutbutter's wedding banners having instructions written on them, the sloth lawyer being painfully slow at speaking, and Mr. Peanutbutter's comical excitement over small talk. The Bad: This episode goes too far into absurdity. Almost every joke in this episode relies on characters doing things that are incredibly stupid. Mr. Peanutbutter hiring Todd with his own resume, everything about the existence of Vincent Adultman, BoJack's over-the-top bank robbery stunt, Todd learning the truth about the rock opera in the most backwards way, and many many more are examples of this. This episode is funny, but all of the humour is pure absurdist humour which makes it tough to take the story seriously. This is entertaining enough, but it doesn't immerse me very well due to the excessive absurdity. The Unknown: How will BoJack and Todd's relationship change now? Will Todd turn on BoJack after what he did? Will Todd stay close with Mr. Peanutbutter? He has a new position at his new company. Vincent is just three kids in a trench coat right? It's so bizarre that nobody acknowledges this except for BoJack. It would be quite the twist if he was just a normal guy somehow. What's next for the show? It's hard to see where the story can go in these final three episodes. Best Moment: Todd's failed infiltration of Mr. Peanutbutter's house was quite funny. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: A solid and fun episode, though one that delves a bit too deeply into the absurd for my liking. Score: 60 Summary: Flashbacks show that BoJack was once very close with Herb and his girlfriend Charlotte. Charlotte moves away and Herb gets a TV show where he makes BoJack the lead. After, they drift apart until Herb is caught and exposed as gay and is on the verge of being kicked off the show. He goes to BoJack to threaten to leave to save his career, but BoJack isn't able to do it after speaking with Angela, the agent in charge of Horsin' Around. He hasn't talked to Herb since. In the present, BoJack picks up Diane and goes to Malibu to see Herb with her and Todd. BoJack and Herb end up hitting it off and when it's time to leave, BoJack tries to apologize to Herb. Herb doesn't forgive him and they end up fighting. Meanwhile, Todd tries to turn the car around but encounters some girls stealing from celebrities. They end up knocking him out. BoJack heads back with Diane feeling upset. Todd is left behind. They take a stop and BoJack kisses Diane.
The Good: The flashbacks told a good story that took a surprisingly intense turn with the end of BoJack and Herb's friendship. The story here was effective, showing the honest brutality of how Hollywood can ruin lives. It's surprising to see BoJack looking so cheerful and kind in the past, contrasting how terrible he is to everyone (especially himself) in the present. Charlotte explicitly points out how Hollywood is a tar pit that destroys people, and it certainly did that to BoJack. It's sad to see how BoJack and Herb seemed to be inseparable, with BoJack being so concerned that Herb would rise and leave him behind. Instead, both of them rose together and they grew apart anyways, a result of the toxicity that comes with becoming a "star". The flashbacks don't get lost in this story either. There are plenty of nice jokes to keep things feeling relatively light even with such serious subject matter. The references to the 80s and 90s as well as mockery of film that references the past was refreshing, and it got some laughs out of me. I also got a laugh out of the general public's horrified reaction to Herb being gay, a nice nod to how much times have changed, while also making me laugh with some of the absurd protest signs. In the present, we got some good content out of BoJack and Herb's meeting. Herb is obviously (and justifiably) resentful of BoJack, holding a grudge against him. The awkward initial meeting is quite funny with Herb being passive-aggressive, attacking BoJack at every turn in between random jokes about his cancer. The scenes are tense since we know from the last episode that something bad is going to happen. But surprisingly, things take a turn for the good as Diane finds some common ground for the two rich has-beens in Vitamix blenders, and from there on the night takes a more positive turn. It goes so well that BoJack is almost able to leave on good terms, the two of them having had a nice night together. But that nagging guilt stops BoJack from leaving without apologizing, and it's here that the episode gets surprisingly profound. Herb rejects BoJack's apology, highlighting a surprising theme for this show: the idea that sometimes it can be too late to make amends, no matter how badly you want to make them. The final scenes of the episode are quite powerful because we can see how much BoJack's regrets are weighing on him. He genuinely does want to be better and that makes us root for him, but in some cases, there is no fixing the mistakes that he has made. It's a sad idea that the episode explores, but very effective. The Bad: Todd's story was again pretty superfluous. It's mildly amusing, but it feels like another filler misadventure that delves a bit too far into absurdity. Todd turning the robbery into something philosophical is ridiculous in a way that it somehow fits perfectly with the Todd character, but the story feels like filler when it's aligned with BoJack meeting Herb. This idea could have made for a good story, but this never felt like anything more than an aimless B-story. BoJack and Herb's fight was a little bit too over-dramatic for my liking. The restrained verbal arguments between them were impactful because they felt real, but their brawl lacked that gritty sense of reality. It tried to parody itself with the Horsin' Around lines, which took me out of the moment, and it felt like it happened for no real reason. Herb's sudden urge to attack BoJack came out of nowhere and I did not buy into Herb deciding to do this. The dialogue between them alone would have been enough, and the physical fighting was a step too far. The Unknown: What happened with Charlotte since she left? Herb brings her up again in the present, so I imagine that BoJack will contact her soon. What will be the fallout of the kiss at the episode's end? Will Diane go through with marrying Mr. Peanutbutter, or will she end up staying with BoJack? Todd got left behind at Malibu. What's going to happen with him? Will he interact with Herb, or is this just another random Todd misadventure. Best Moment: Herb refusing to forgive BoJack was surprisingly intense. Herb made some very understandable points, and it is completely sensible that he does not want to help BoJack ease his guilt. Herb really pokes at the inherent selfishness of BoJack's apology which paints a sad new dimension to BoJack's desire to make peace with the mistakes he has made. The use of the f word in this scene was another unexpected surprise that made Herb's words hit a little harder. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: Another impressively profound episode. This episode has some laughs, but it is carried by its emotionally heavy subject matter that offers a realistic and sad take on what it means to make amends and if it is even possible. After failing at the comedy, "BoJack Horseman" is finding some quality through some honest-to-god storytelling, which I was not expecting to get from this show. Score: 67 Summary: The Great Council of 101 sees a vote happen where Viserys is selected to be the next king over Rhaenys. 11 years later, Viserys is king during a peaceful time, and his daughter Rhaenyra rides a dragon. He has a small council meeting where everyone discusses an upcoming tourney to celebrate the birth of what will hopefully be his first son. Viserys' brother Daemon returns to the Red Keep where he meets with Rhaenyra. That night, Daemon has his Gold Cloaks maim and murder criminals to send a message. At a small council meeting the next day, Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, is furious about this, but Viserys lets it slide. At the tourney, Daemon dominates but is eventually beaten by a newcomer Criston Cole. Viserys' wife Aemma goes into labour but she and the baby die in childbirth. Viserys is stricken by this. Otto tries to suggest naming Rhaenyra as heir ahead of Daemon the next day, but Viserys won't have it. That night, Otto sends his daughter Alicent to comfort the king. Daemon celebrates with his God Cloaks at a whorehouse and makes a toast to the King's late son. Otto spins the story out of proportion to make Daemon look bad, so Viserys exiles him from King's Landing. He names Rhaenyra as his new heir and tells her of a Targaryen secret: they need to unite the realm to prepare for the end of the world. Lords gather at King's Landing to recognize Rhaenyra as the new heir.
The Good: Before I start this review, I want to mention that I have read the source material for this show, George R.R. Martin's Targaryen history book "Fire and Blood". As such, I am vastly knowledgeable in the characters and plot, and while I will not mention any spoilers in my reviews, I won't be able to accurately convey how this show will feel for someone who is dipping their toes into this era of Westerosi history for the first time. I may also have a bit of bias as a fan of the series, but I will do my best to not let that factor into my opinion of this show. With that established, let's talk about this first episode. It feels good to be back in Westeros. Rather, it feels good to be back in a Westeros where the story feels like it matters again. It's still early days, but this episode was written refreshingly well. No armies regenerate at will, no characters teleport at will, no awful dialogue slashes at the immersion, and characters are no longer behaving in ways that are at odds with what is established. After struggling through seasons 5-8 of "Game of Thrones" where the writing got gradually worse over time, it's nice to see that there is care taken to present the events of this show through carefully written interactions instead of needless dramatic spectacle. I hope that this first episode is a sign of things to come because the quality of the writing is a very encouraging sign. The production value is equally impressive, and I was wowed by every aspect of this show. Visually, this was phenomenal. Not only is there excellent CGI, but everything else is simply magnificent. This episode has a consistent use of sweeping camera shots, which help realize this fantasy world on an epic scale, similar to how "Lord of the Rings" created the spectacle of Middle-Earth. The dynamic camera throughout the episode is fantastic. Aiding this is the magnificent set design. Locations like King's Landing, the tourney grounds, and the Red Keep are brought to life with excellent physical sets that look and feel like they are a real place in Westeros. Just compare the tourney in this episode to the one from the first season of "Game of Thrones". It is so much grander in scale and feels like a much larger event, which is how a King's tourney should be. Seeing the high budget of the show spent wisely was great. Plus, it's so good to see so much love put into the world-building, which is something that "Game of Thrones" got worse at as it went along, getting too fixated on the action and surprise twists. Another aspect of production that was spectacular was the costume design. These characters look great (the wigs aren't nearly as bad as some people are making them out to be), and their outfits and armour have that extra bit of detail-oriented care put into them. Of course everyone will be asking about the dragons, and they look quite good. We meet two dragons, Syrax and Caraxes, in this episode and they look and feel very distinct from each other. The show wisely doesn't shove dragons in our face for a whole hour and chooses to focus on the story instead, and the few scenes we have with them are quite good. The characters that we are introduced to are pretty interesting. They are all immediately portrayed as grey characters, which is an ambitious approach that has its ups and downs (see: The Bad). The positive aspect is that grey characters are much more realistic and interesting, so just about every character has piqued my interest throughout this episode. The stand-out character for me was King Viserys, who was a fresh and gripping take on a King, different from what we have seen in "Game of Thrones". Paddy Considine puts in a fantastic performance, and he makes it easy to connect with this man in spite of him having so much more power than anyone else watching this episode. Viserys is portrayed as a kind-hearted, peace-loving king and a lot of the situations he is thrust into are genuinely tough moral dilemmas (allowing his wife to be cut open, choosing between Daemon and Rhaenyra). It's so easy to feel bad for the character and sympathize with the responsibility on his shoulders. However, the character is clearly portrayed as grey because, despite all of his upside, he did ultimately lead his wife to her death by forcing pregnancy after pregnancy onto her in a desperate attempt to produce a male heir. Two other stand-out characters for me were Daemon and Otto. I'll start with Daemon, who is the more exciting character so far. He is portrayed as an uncontrollable, ambitious rogue that does terrible things. At least that is our first impression of him. His first scene sees him sitting on the iron throne, immediately introducing us to his ambition, and his second scene sees him enforcing an extreme level of brutality on criminals, rounding them up and hacking off their parts in a horrifyingly violent scene. Add on his cocksure arrogance in the tourney and Daemon immediately comes off as a power-hungry villain, one who will most certainly be a problem going forwards. To contrast him we have the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower. Otto seems like a reasonable and honourable man at the start of the episode, offering his counsel to the king and opposing the loose cannon Daemon at every turn. Otto comes off as initially likeable since Daemon is the one who provokes him often, and we get a few delightful scenes as Daemon slyly jousts against Otto's son and gets the favour of his daughter. Daemon's arrogance makes it easier to relate with Otto, who at this point has not done anything to make us dislike him. One thing that this episode does really well is that it turns our initial perception of these two characters on its head as it goes on. Daemon starts off utterly despicable, but as the episode goes on, we get more dimension to him. We see that he genuinely does care about his family, evidenced by his softness with Rhaenyra, and a surprisingly melancholy toast to the King's lost son at the whorehouse. Furthermore, Daemon gives a surprisingly reasonable justification for his brutality in this episode, bringing up that he needed to ensure the protection of the nobles in the city, and bringing up that the innocents have felt that laws aren't enforced enough within the city. And as we begin to see this softer and more reasonable side of Daemon, we see a more malicious side of Otto. Later in the episode, Daemon accuses Otto of being a power-hungry, manipulative threat, and some of Otto's actions justify this. Otto obviously hates Daemon, and we see him take action against him. Daemon gets banished by Viserys in an excellent scene (see: Best Moment), and this was all Otto's doing. To turn Viserys on his brother, Otto takes a report about Daemon and completely blows it out of proportion to get Viserys to exile Daemon. A melancholy toast was interpreted to the king as a roaring celebration by Daemon, showing us Otto scheming to get what he wants. More disgustingly, Otto also sends his own daughter Alicent to "comfort" the king in his time of need. It sounds innocent enough, but the underlying intent from Otto is blatantly clear: he wants Alicent to get intimate with the king, just one day after the death of his wife. I was surprised by how my opinions on these characters changed as the episode went on. Both characters are completely correct in their negative judgement of the other, and I'm intrigued to see where this conflict goes and which side I ultimately take. I was pleased to see some quality small council scenes once again. It's fun to see the characters discussing the happenings in the realm, and we get a good idea of who these people are. Outside of Viserys, Daemon, and Otto, there are a few other characters we meet here. Corlys Velaryon is intriguing from the start. Married to "The Queen Who Never Was" Rhaenys, it's curious to see who Corlys supports in an attempt to eke out what his motives are. So far, Corlys seems to side with Daemon, and is treated as something of an outsider at the small council. Few people take his concerns seriously, and he is mocked whenever possible. Though the show hasn't revealed much about Corlys, I really like this detail since Corlys is a wealthy self-made man in a world where such a thing should not be possible. It's sensible that people don't like him and what he stands for as a result. We also meet Grand Maester Mellos, who is consistently backing Otto's views. Lastly there is Lord Beesbury and Lyonel Strong, both of whom are given few chances to speak and as such we don't get much about them. I'm interested in the characters that we have seen so far, and I want to learn more about them. It seems inevitable that at least one or two of these people will be furthering their own agendas behind the scenes. Lastly, this episode does a great job at showing us action and dramatic scenes. Hosting a tourney was smart because it gives us some engaging action through the jousting, climaxing in an engaging fight between Daemon and Criston. I really like that this action scene was edits alongside Aemma's pregnancy, calling back on her comment that giving birth is a woman's battlefield. Speaking of, Aemma's death was deeply disturbing and harrowing. The episode does not shy away from the brutality of her death, making everything wrong with Westerosi society explicitly clear to us. This deeply sad and disturbing scene in this first episode serves as a hook to promise to the viewers that this show is capable of making us feel intense emotions. The Bad: The problem with having so many grey characters is that it's entirely feasible that we don't connect with any of the characters while watching this first episode. Layered characters are fascinating, but in order for us to find the greyness fascinating, we need to invest in the characters and story first. By having everyone be so morally murky right from the onset, it's tougher to get emotionally invested. Over time we might get to a good level of emotional investment, but it's always better to get the audience invested first and reveal the layers within the characters afterwards. This episode doesn't do this, and it suffers as a result. I liked Milly Alcock's performance as Rhaenyra and found her interesting. I think that she's the most easily likeable character in the show so far since she hasn't been presented with any major character flaws. But I was vastly disappointed with how little of this episode focused on her. This is especially true with Aemma's death. We spend a good amount of time with Viserys following her death, but Rhaenyra isn't given the same amount of personal emotional connection. We get a suggestion that she harnesses some bitterness towards Viserys for pushing her mother to her death, but it's never explored or brought up again, which I thought was a shame since it was an original idea to explore. Overall, I wish that Rhaenyra was given more focus in this first episode, so that her plight could be better fleshed out and more emotionally resonant. Similar to "Game of Thrones" season 1, we are never given any rules for the tourney, which makes it shocking when some brutal events happen and nobody does anything. Surely Daemon isn't allowed to attack Gwayne Hightower's horse like that during the joust? But nobody does anything, so I suppose it is legal? We aren't given any hint of if this is legal or not, and that makes the moment more frustrating than dramatic. Furthermore, I was horrified when the tourney suddenly turned towards the violent with knights and nobles actively murdering each other in a brutal melee. This is way too over the top! How is this allowed at a tourney? Is it seriously legal to kill whoever you want? I was left so confused on the rules, and I was frustrated by the show's lack of an explanation. I suppose you can say that Daemon gets extra rope since he's the King's brother and that the violence maybe only happened since Viserys was absent. But these explanations feel half-assed, and it doesn't change the fact that the show did not make any of this clear. Viserys' big reveal on Aegon's motivations was a good surprise, and as a book reader, this is a huge reveal that has tons of implications (see: The Unknown). But in the canon of this universe, this reveal falls flat because of how bad and anticlimactic the long night ultimately was in season 8 of "Game of Thrones". Instead of being a big reveal, calling back to such a disappointing moment from "Game of Thrones" encourages a reminder of disappointment and anger. It's a shame that this first episode chose to associate itself with those emotions from the final season of "Game of Thrones". I found the opening scene to be disappointing, especially with how "Game of Thrones" started. The nuances of the Great Council of 101 as well as its implications on Westerosi law were not explored at all. This is egregious considering how monumental this event was for setting a precedent for succession. Instead, the Great Council isn't even mentioned after that opening scene, making it feel somewhat pointless. The narration was cheesy and unsubtle, which is out of character for this show. The Unknown: The reveal of Aegon's dragon dream is quite substantial. We know that Daenerys does not have this information, so when in the Targeryen lineage did this information get lost? What is the significance of the information being lost? This reveal also goes a long way towards explaining Rhaegar's strange behaviour in the books. It is well known that Rhaegar was a bookish boy until one day he decided that he has to become a warrior. It seems increasingly likely that the reason behind this change, and for his perplexing actions that kicked off Robert's Rebellion, were due to his knowledge of this prophetic dream. I'm sure Daemon will be back in King's Landing eventually, but how long will it be until he returns? Will he actually go back to The Vale, or does he have another destination in mind? Also, what are Daemon's ambitions? Does he want to take the throne for himself? What is his plan to pull this off? How about Otto? What are his ambitions? What motivates him? Is he trying to get Alicent to connect with the King? Does he want her to become a Queen? Is he as duplicitous and self-motivated as Daemon suggests? Viserys has a pretty nasty looking wound from the throne. Will this be a problem going forwards? Considering that this is a succession story, I imagine Viserys will have to die at some point for the conflict to really take off. What will be the general reaction to Rhaenyra being named heir? Will this go down well with the lords? Or will they object to there being a female heir? Will Rhaenys support Rhaenyra, or will she be bitter over being passed over only to see a different woman given the throne? Best Moment: Viserys banishing Daemon was a magnificent moment, with great performances from both. Daemon could have defended his actions better, but you get the sense that he is disappointed that Viserys let himself be manipulated by Otto. Instead, Daemon takes the chance to let out ten years of frustration on a brother who already feels betrayed and heartbroken by Daemon's lavish, uncaring actions. Both actors do brilliantly, and the scene closes in a wonderfully ominous way with Viserys cutting himself on the throne, suggesting that he has just made a big mistake. Character of the Episode: Viserys. Conclusion: This was a good first episode. The return to Westeros was done really well and I'm intrigued by the story and its characters. As a hook for the rest of the series, this episode more than did its job, and provided some quality entertainment as well. There were a couple of issues, but thankfully nothing that ruined the episode. I can safely say now that I am excited for this show. Score: 65 Summary: Princess Carolyn stops BoJack from continuing a bender by giving him a bourbon commercial. However, Todd gets the commercial instead and BoJack spends the day trying to win back Princess Carolyn's love, and sabotages her projects, which end up going to her rival Vanessa Gekko. Princess Carolyn decides to give BoJack the night and gets into it, but BoJack pulls out after a call from Herb. Princess Carolyn gets serious and manages to get a new project for Cate Blanchett, gets Vanessa Gekko fired, and even lands a feature for BoJack, but still feels empty about life.
The Good: Princess Carolyn has been a poorly defined character for the first six episodes of the show, and I've been apathetic towards her. But this episode completely changed that, giving us a complete emotional experience with this character, giving me a chance to understand who she is, what motivates her, and what he struggles are in her life. By the end of the episode, I can confidently say that I like Princess Carolyn and I understand so much more about who she is. This series has needed an episode which endeared me to its characters, and this was exactly that. Princess Carolyn's constant hustle went by entirely unnoticed by me in the early episodes because it was always played as a joke. But this episode makes it clear just how hard she has to work to be on top of everything, and how much keeping in touch with BoJack is a negative thing for her, but she remains loyal to him anyways. I was caught off guard by how many bad things happened to Princess Carolyn throughout the first half of the episode - almost all of them caused directly or indirectly by her association with BoJack. It made me increasingly angry with BoJack as the episode went on, and I became especially frustrated as Princess Carolyn finally lets her guard down and tries to have a nice night with him only for him to bail out on her. It was a mellow rock bottom for Princess Carolyn that was treated with a seriousness that I wasn't expecting from the show. But Princess Carolyn bounces back impressively. I really liked this episode's repetitive use of the "you need to get your sh*t together" speech, with Princess Carolyn ultimately using it on herself so that she can bounce back. The episode's end was immensely satisfying as Princess Carolyn used her knowledge of Cate Blanchett to overcome Vanessa Gekko's attempts to supplant her, and also managed to land a big role for BoJack to help him rehabilitate. She managed to repair her own personal career, while also helping out a friend. This kind of grit, determination, and altruism immediately connected me with Princess Carolyn and turned her into a character that I cared about. I was happy for her when she succeeded by the episode's end. But then the episode took a shocking turn by ending on a somber note. Sure Princess Carolyn fixed up her career, but that doesn't change that she has nowhere else to go. At the end of the day, she has no family to turn to - something that Vanessa Gekko taunts her with relentlessly - and we see that weighing on her in the end. As she sits alone in her building reflecting that she just spent her entire 40th birthday revitalizing her career, she carries an emptiness with her, a longing for a personal life that she looks so far from ever having as time leaves her hopes and dreams behind. These last few seconds were a moving ending that captures a very realistic real-life emotion that we don't often see portrayed on television. Outside of this great storytelling, this episode is quite funny. BoJack's bender at the start of the episode getting worse and worse is pretty funny (RIP John Stamos), and I like how the bourbon commercial stint went completely out of control as the episode continued. I got a laugh out of the blackmailing birds plot ending in such a stupid moment, and I also found poor incapable Charlie to be a funny jab at nepotism in the workplace. And of course, I loved the brief jokes of animals behaving like animals. The bird jumping into the glass window, Lenny walking painfully slow, "Quentin Tarantulino", and the scared armadillo lady were really funny jokes. I also got a chuckle out of BoJack being such a prick that he honks at the armadillo lady who he nearly killed. The Bad: BoJack is a little bit too crude in this episode. He's the main character but he is thoroughly unlikeable in this episode, which is especially clear since Princess Carolyn is the main character for this specific episode. It's also easier to laugh at BoJack when the show isn't taking itself seriously at all. So, when the show features more serious themes like it did in this episode, it makes it harder to laugh at BoJack being such a prick, making us dislike him more. This episode did wonders for Princess Carolyn, but didn't do much for BoJack. I'm getting used to Todd being such a random and spontaneous character, so his storylines aren't bothering me quite as much as they did before. That being said, I'm still not too fond of what he brings to the table. For example, his assertion that cameras are robots was ridiculous, and I found it hard to buy into Todd letting the "power" get to his head. I have a couple other quibbles. The disastrous merger was so disorganized to the point that I didn't buy into it as a real problem anymore. This is troublesome since the episode tries so hard to sell us on Princess Carolyn's realistic struggles, and the chaotic merger destroys any semblance of reality in the story. The resolution of the blackmailing plot was funny, but the whole storyline feels like an enormous waste of time now. The Unknown: What happened at the BoJack and Herb meeting? It sounds like it did not go well at all. Will Princess Carolyn ever have a family? It seems like she is not happy with her current hectic job. Best Moment: The somber final moment. Even after going through all that she did in this episode, poor Princess Carolyn is no closer to finding happiness. Character of the Episode: Princess Carolyn. Conclusion: This was unexpectedly great. Putting the focus on Princess Carolyn allowed this to be a much more personal episode, and endeared me to a character who I was previously ambivalent about. This was funny, entertaining, and surprisingly profound at parts. The best episode of the show so far. Score: 68 Summary: Flashbacks show key moments in Jimmy's life with Mike, Walt, and Chuck where he contemplates changing things with a time machine. In the present, Jimmy escapes from Marion's and hides from the police but he's eventually caught in a dumpster. He calls Bill to represent him and frames himself as a victim, using the prosecution's pride (they never lost a case) to negotiate. He gets a deal of just seven years, but learns that Kim turned herself in for Howard's death. Jimmy gets an idea and makes a claim that directly attacks Kim. Kim comes to his hearing, where Jimmy takes back what he said about her and ultimately tells the truth, confessing to everything he has done. Jimmy gets 86 years ultimately and is sent to prison. Kim visits him, posing as his lawyer, and they share one final cigarette together.
The Good: In the final episode, we finally got to see the heart of who Jimmy McGill is. In the past few episodes I have alternated between calling him Jimmy, Gene, or Saul, but this series finale makes it explicitly clear that this character is, and always has been, Jimmy McGill, and now that Jimmy himself has finally accepted his identity, it would be demeaning for me to refer to him as anything but Jimmy. In the end, this entire series was a story of identity and making peace with oneself for Jimmy. This finale captures the sense of self-actualization that Jimmy goes through perfectly, and that makes this a wholly satisfying and emotionally effective conclusion to this six-season story. Jimmy's decision to stop running from his problems and to finally face them is a character choice that he has long since been avoiding, and I'm glad that this finale saw him finally make this tough decision, closing out his character arc without leaving any stones unturned. But it does take this finale a long time to get to Jimmy's eventual actualization, and there's plenty of other stuff to love about this episode. The episode begins in a completely different place tonally with Jimmy on the run from the police. These scenes are well done, capturing tension perfectly as Jimmy tries to sneak away with his riches. The desperation of a man hunted by the law draws parallels to "Felina" from "Breaking Bad". Impressively, this episode subverts our expectations of a thrilling action-packed episode by having Jimmy get caught almost immediately, changing the episode from a thrilling finale to an introspective character study, which is much more in tune with what we have seen from "Better Call Saul" so far. This decision is brilliant and allows "Saul Gone" to be an entirely unique experience that never feels like it is piggybacking off of the success of "Breaking Bad". This show has always done a magnificent job of forging its own identity, and it's fitting that the show ended as its own story, even after it grew closer in tone to "Breaking Bad" at times in the last few seasons. Part of that signature "Better Call Saul" pacing and tone comes from this episode's use of flashbacks. These flashbacks aren't strictly necessary for the story being told, but they enhance the episode's story and so much more emotion to the proceedings. I think they are an extremely positive addition for thematic reasons, and because they do such a good job of creating a sense of finality. The flashbacks explore Jimmy's fascination with the idea of using a time machine, highlighting that he has regrets with how his life has gone. The theme of regret is explored magnificently through two different scenes with Mike and Walt (This scene is never all about Walt so I won't discuss him too much, but I really appreciated that we got to see the most obnoxious traits of the character in his scene with Jimmy. It was great to see him one final time.). In both cases, Jimmy listens to Mike and Walt open up about their biggest regrets and the things that they would most like to change. But in hearing them bare their souls, Jimmy once again retreats into Saul to hide his own personal feelings, claiming that he would only go back in time to be rich or that he would alter a minor chronic injury. This is the fundamental problem with Jimmy, his inability to face his truths which connects with the episode's central idea of Jimmy finally facing his personal truth. There is one more flashback to discuss, that being one final scene between Jimmy and Chuck, who I was thrilled to see one last time. This scene surprisingly showed a moment where Chuck actually reached out to Jimmy, wanting to connect more with him. But Jimmy, being afraid of getting told off as always, rejects this and leaves Chuck's house for a meeting with a client. This is a solid scene, and its implications become clear with one final shot of HG Wells' book "The Time Machine". This last shot solidified that this is one moment that Jimmy deeply regrets. Perhaps if he had taken the time to speak with Chuck and connect more, maybe they could have been on better terms and Jimmy would have never had to become Saul Goodman to cover up the pain that he endured. These three flashbacks tell a lovely cohesive story of Jimmy's regrets, digging at the roots of the character. Back in the present, we get a signature legal story as Jimmy pulls out all the stops to get the minimum possible sentence for himself. These scenes are tons of fun to watch. We get a surprise appearance from Marie, who is used fittingly to spearhead the consequences of Saul's actions, and we also get the return of Bill, which was unexpected and great fun. Bill has always been similar to Jimmy, and it's fun to see these two play off of each other. Bill also offers the episode's best laugh when he immediately attempts to withdraw from the case when Jimmy starts confessing. Outside of these two fun appearances, Jimmy continued to be a phenomenal character in these scenes. Once he starts hysterically laughing in the prison cell, it's apparent that he has embraced Saul Goodman to get out of this situation. Jimmy carries himself with that signature smug, arrogant confidence throughout all of his negotiations, and it's disgusting to see him be so awful. His abrupt shift from playing the victim to all but admitting to the prosecution that he's taking advantage of his situation was an especially terrific and horrifying moment. Saul Goodman is morally bankrupt, and he continues to do terrible things in this episode for his own self-interest. I also love the callback to mint chocolate chip ice cream, which by now has become a definitive symbol of Saul's antics. But nothing could have prepared me for the episode's suggestion that Jimmy was going to screw Kim over for his own personal gain. We get to see that Kim is beginning to recover some agency in her life. Following her confession, she allows herself to get involved with the law again, and her focused volunteering work is a reminder of Kim's best traits which made us fall in love with her all the way back in season 2. But then that phone call comes in to blow everything up again, and it becomes clear that Jimmy has spoken against her for his own personal gain. Eventually we learn that this isn't the case, but in the moment it feels like Jimmy might actually throw Kim under the bus. The reason that this is so believable is another testament to the slow-paced storytelling of "Better Call Saul". By showing us Gene's moral descent slowly across the last three episodes, we are more than willing to accept the idea that Jimmy is about to descend even further by turning on Kim in his own pettiness. Once again, "Better Call Saul has justified its slow-paced storytelling, proving that all that we have seen has been essential to make these big climaxes all the more effective (seriously, good luck calling "Nippy" a filler episode after watching these final few episodes). Without the patience of the Gene storyline, we would never have bought into Jimmy turning on Kim. This finally takes us to Jimmy's big confession scene. There's no doubting that this scene was astonishing as it is the ultimate climax of Jimmy's character arc. Going into it, we're not sure what exactly we are going to see and the suspense has me on the edge of my seat. Jimmy goes up to the stand and starts reciting that lame story he told the prosecution about his experiences with Walter White. But, once Jimmy says "I was terrified... but not for long", immediately I was grabbed, captivated that we may just be seeing the re-emergence of Jimmy McGill after the last few episodes spent so much time showing us the degraded shells of this character. This confession called back heavily to Jimmy's testimony back in "Winner", but where that confession was a brutal lie, this confession is pure truth as Jimmy digs deep to unearth all that he's done. He confesses to raising up the empire of Heisenberg, he confesses to lying to the government about Kim (he just wanted her to be there), and finally he confesses to his role in Chuck's suicide. This scene is massively emotional, and I love the touch of Jimmy snapping at Bill because of how difficult it was for him to finally let out the truth about how he caused Chuck's death and that he is going to have to live with that. This scene was exemplary for Bob Odenkirk, but also for Rhea Seehorn who finally gets to hear Jimmy speak his honest truth about Chuck, which she has been waiting to hear since season 4. The cherry on top for this scene are the numerous looks between Jimmy and Kim. These glances carry such heavy meaning to them and they are an example of top-class acting from Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn who are able to convey so much while doing so little. Despite Kim's limited outward emotions, we can see a mixture of pride, sadness, acceptance, and understanding in her final glance with Jimmy in the courtroom, grateful that she was able to see Jimmy finally admit to his crimes and tell the truth. The final scenes of the episode do a tremendous job of saying farewell to this series and its characters. The prison bus scene by all means should be cheesy and stupid, but somehow it instead feels emotional and triumphant. Despite all the bad he has done, Saul has always been loved by the people he has helped, and there's something surprisingly heartwarming to see Jimmy get some credit for the good he has done as Saul, even when internally he has accepted that he is not Saul Goodman anymore. I really like that this episode painted a parallel between Jimmy's life in prison and his life as Cinnabon Gene. Both lives are equally empty for Jimmy, but while in prison he can at least be on good terms with Kim, the love of his life, so it is a small improvement for him. I bring this up because I have seen some people upset by Jimmy's decision to extend his sentence, but the subtleties of this episode make it clear that prison is more fulfilling for Jimmy. The final scenes between Jimmy and Kim are incredibly poignant and they provide a magnificent conclusion to this series. It's nice to see that Kim had to do one last scam (posing as a lawyer) to visit Jimmy, a nice callback to the fun that they once had together. The cigarette scene is a thing of beauty, masterfully calling back to "Uno" both visually and audibly with the same track. I also love that the directionality of the light has been inversed, with the downward light in "Uno" suggesting an inevitable downfall, and the rising light in "Saul Gone" suggesting a return to grace. I also smiled at the lighter's fire being in colour, symbolizing the rekindling of the love between Jimmy and Kim. Kim's final walk out of the prison is so sad, as the two of them are framed in their own respective cages, looking at each other for as long as they possibly can before the other is gone. The final shots in this episode are really a thing of beauty. Jimmy's finger guns brought a smile to my face, a fitting thematic callback to "Something Unforgivable". Where Kim did the gesture because she had surprised Jimmy with her inner corruption, Jimmy did the gesture because he had surprised Kim with his inner righteousness, which Kim had always advocated for since the start of the show. Lastly, I think that the final shot being Jimmy slowly disappearing behind the wall one final time captured the feelings of saying goodbye perfectly, bringing about a perfect emotional close to one of the greatest TV dramas I have ever seen. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. You could argue that Saul going to prison is a predictable conclusion, but I think the episode offered up plenty of surprises along the way to keep us on our toes, turning the predictable conclusion into something much more effective. The Unknown: Will Kim and Jimmy ever see each other again? Will Kim keep visiting him? I could see Kim continuing to visit, but it may be tricky for her to justify doing these visits. Will Jimmy ever get out of prison? It's possible Jimmy could get out when he's near death. Best Moment: Jimmy's confession, one of the show's best ever moments. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: And so "Better Call Saul" has finally ended, with a subtle quiet bang that stayed well in-tune with what this show was all about. This extended finale was an emotionally powerful, masterfully written and acted masterpiece which closed out the show in perfect fashion, and is one of the most satisfying series finale's I have ever seen. It will be hard to say farewell to this universe, but I can't think of a better way for this show to bow out. Season 6 was incredible television, one of the best TV season's I have ever seen. Every episode was gripping and there were so many memorable and emotional moments, stand-alone experiences, and dramatic twists and turns throughout these 13 episodes. It was an eventful stretch of television, evidenced by how long ago it feels like the Nacho story was, and I was left anticipating more after every episode, excited by what I had just watched and excited to see what happens next. Every aspect of this story was treated with care. The final acts of Nacho, Howard, and Lalo were done masterfully, with each death being different from the last but equally climactic and fitting. Mike and Gus got closure to their stories heading into "Breaking Bad" and I thought that Peter and Vince came up with a perfect thematic endpoint for their stories. Of course there's also Jimmy and Kim, the heart of this show, and both were given such a deeply layered arc this season that put us through a complete and emotional story that captured their relationship beautifully. Every aspect of this season worked, and I think that it can genuinely contend with the final season of "Breaking Bad" for the best television produced in this universe. Well done "Better Call Saul". Do I really need to write about how I feel about this show as a whole at this point? This show is essential television, and I am stunned by how good it was. For a spin-off prequel about a comic relief side character, this show had no business being good, never mind being one of the best TV shows I have ever seen. The team behind this show deserves all the credit they can get because they created a slam dunk out of nothing, and came up with a worthwhile story that took me on an unforgettable emotional journey with such depth and suspense on a level that most TV shows can never come close to accomplishing. I view "Better Call Saul" as one of the greatest shows of all time, and it may even be my personal favourite TV show after this magnificently satisfying final season. If you're reading this and you have not watched this show yet, what are you waiting for? Score: 84 Summary: In the past, Kim and Saul finalize their divorce. Kim has a brief talk with Jesse about Saul. In the present, Kim is living a mundane life in Florida until she gets called by Jimmy. She tells him to turn himself in and says she's happy he is alive before hanging up. After, Kim decides to return to Albuquerque where she tells the full truth to Cheryl and the police. Afterwards, she breaks down on a bus. Meanwhile, Gene breaks into the cancer victim's house and gets all his information, but he decides to steal some things and celebrate. In that time, the victim wakes up and Gene has to sneak out where some cops have parked behind Jeff. Jeff panics and tries to get away but crashes and is arrested. Gene returns home and Jeff calls him. Gene says he will get him out and calls Marion, who continues to be suspicious. When Gene goes to pick her up, she has found his identity on Ask Jeeves. Gene threatens her but ultimately relents and she uses her LifeAlert to notify someone. Gene runs away.
The Good: The final act of this season continues to intersect with "Breaking Bad" in interesting ways. It's compelling to see this story play out while we get flashes back to the past, fleshing out the key events that correspond to the story arcs of Gene and Kim in the present. This episode's past scenes center around a meeting between Kim and Saul, their last in-person interaction up until the present. Naturally this is a huge moment for the characters involved, and we start off the episode in Jimmy's head with him agonizing over how to handle this situation. In the end, he goes full Saul Goodman and decides to use his fun new personality to subsidize his own pain and show off to Kim in a most brazen and obnoxious way. We can see the shift in his very demeanour when he tells Francesca to bring her in, and his cold words and brash attitude clearly discomfort Kim, who is capable of seeing through the façade that Jimmy is putting on in his Saul Goodman persona. It's crude, it's annoying, and most damningly, it's sad. We can see the pity and pain in Kim's eyes as she leaves Saul's office, having witnessed him acting like a shell of the man he once was. This leads into a fun surprise as Kim encounters Jesse (who's there to help out Emilio who is in legal trouble), and the two have a brief conversation. Aaron Paul slips back into the role nicely as he rambles on about typical young Jesse Pinkman things. He's an obnoxious, dim-witted kid, but one who has a good heart, and clearly has better values than those that he hangs around. Kim knows this and so she doesn't engage in this conversation, but one thing strikes her: even Jesse is able to see through the Saul Goodman act and questions if he is actually any good. To which Kim answers with one of the episode's most powerful lines: "when I knew him, he was". And with that line filled with sad melancholy, Kim runs off into the rain and out of the life of Saul Goodman forever. The moment captures melancholy so vividly and perfectly, one of many such scenes involving Kim in this episode that do so. Outside of the "Breaking Bad" timeline scenes, the episode was divided into two halves. The first half belonged to Kim, and the show handled our reconnection with Kim perfectly. I was curious and excited to see what had become of her, and this episode did a fantastic job of reintroducing her. Despite not being an outright criminal like Saul Goodman, Kim is living an empty life in Florida just like Gene is in Nebraska. And she's been doing this for six damn years. It was jarring from minute one when we see that Kim has become a brunette, and as the episode goes on, it becomes more and more apparent how empty Kim's life is. From her basic job, to her inability to allow herself to even give an opinion, to the total bore of a man she is together with, everything feels so empty. It's sad and painful to watch (but not without it's own sense of humour), and it paints a vividly sad picture of what Kim's life has become. And so when we catch up to the point when Gene gives Kim a call, it feels completely different from what we expect. It's astonishing to me how this phone call ended up being significantly less brutal than I was expecting, yet it was somehow even more emotionally brutal with its subtlety. Kim doesn't say anything outright terrible to Gene, she simply tells him what he doesn't want to hear, and that sets him off. But even still, we can see on Kim's face that she understands the situation he is in and that she wants to reconnect with him more than anything else to escape from her own personal hell. But in the end she gives him brief words of affection before abruptly hanging up, shutting down any chance of her finding happiness. This was a brutal way to explore Kim's guilt and how she believes that she does not deserve happiness, and it was another scene that perfectly evoked deep melancholy. In spite of her hanging up with Gene, the call gives her a realization: she cannot keep living like this. And so in a perfectly 'Kim Wexler' way, she decides to take care of her guilt and move on. And the method she chooses is a brutally honest confession to law enforcement and to Cheryl. Her confession takes her back to Albuquerque where she gets to see echoes of her past. This is another scene packed with that sense of melancholy as we see Kim drive into that classic parking lot (where Mike's former job has now become automated), and enter that same courtroom where she was once a commodity. But now times have changed, and she is unrecognizable, watching another woman with a striking resemblance to her fighting the righteous war that Kim no longer believes that she has any right to fight. Her confession to Cheryl follows, and the scene is wonderful. It's good that Cheryl finally got some closure, but she does confirm our worst fears: all that everyone remembers of Howard is the lie that Jimmy and Kim told. Kim doesn't bother painting any pictures of defending herself at all. She tells Cheryl as it is and gives her the truth that she deserves, and then she leaves. Clearly this was an attempt by Kim to return to her self-righteous ways and help absolve her of her sins, perhaps helping pave the way for Kim to move on to being happy. But it doesn't work. Kim has confessed to all, and still the pain does not go away. What follows is a tough and harrowing scene as Kim breaks into tears, finally giving into years of emotional build-up (see: Best Moment). It's the final note of melancholy in a deeply saddening story that highlights Kim's struggles with guilt that prevent her from moving forwards with her life. This is the awful fate that we had all feared would befall Kim, and it is painful to see it. The other half of the episode centers on Gene continuing his antics and it is equally painful to watch. But while Kim's story was packed with deep melancholy, Gene's is instead horrifying for us, showing how much this character has fallen in his attempts to stop feeling the pain. Gene takes some dark turns in this episode for self preservation, which at times made me believe that he fully deserves what is coming for him. His ill-advised break-in at the end of the previous episode goes every bit as badly as you would expect. The tension throughout this long sequence is always felt, and every second had me at the edge of my seat with disaster looming. Gene continued to make things worse for himself as he did increasingly awful things, starting with simply stealing a watch to considering murdering the man with his dead dog's ashes. I never imagined Gene would go this far, and it highlights his inner darkness perfectly. The sequence continues to be brutally intense and I was horrified to see how it would end. But "Better Call Saul" subverts our expectations beautifully as the scene ends with one of the biggest laughs of the series serving as a release of all of the tension. Panicked by the presence of the cops, Jeff plans to make a run for it. But then we cut to the cops who are having a Hank and Gomie-esque conversation about fish tacos, and they prompty witness Jeff suddenly speed off, immediately crashing into a car. The suddenness of this moment is spectacularly funny, and it's perfect to end this scene with some of the signature "Breaking Bad" universe black comedy. There are consequences to this moment however, and it's far more than just a joke. Jeff is arrested and blamed for a robbery, and now Gene has to explain this to Marion. Gene puts onhis sweet-talking game as usual, but he has failed to notice that Marion has taken notice of his activities with Jeff. Some explanations that come naturally to Gene regarding different laws in Omaha and Albuquerque rouse her suspicions, and by the time Gene goes to meet her, she knows exactly who he is. The show handles this reveal magnificently. The show knows that we know Marion is piecing things together, so it extracts its drama from Gene realizing that he has been found out. Bob Odenkirk is tremendous in this scene, and the million dollar shot is Gene's crestfallen face looking upon that classic commercial (which reflects in colour on his glasses!) once again. But our sympathy for Gene quickly evaporates as he proceeds to threaten Marion intensely. At one point it even feels like Gene might strangle her to death to keep her quiet! This moment is deeply uncomfortable, and it is the darkest we have ever seen this character across both "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul". But Jimmy is still in there, and Marion's broken "I trusted you" draws Jimmy out from the frightening Gene. Finally taking stock of what he's doing, it seems that Jimmy forces Gene to let go of Marion and allows her to call for help. Finally Gene has been exposed, and now he has no choice but to run. And at that dramatic cliffhanger, this terrific episode finally concludes, leaving me very excited to see how this whole story wraps up. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. Kim and Jesse's scene isn't strictly necessary, and it is fanservice in a way. For me, the scene was so well written and effective that this didn't matter to me. The Unknown: What is Gene going to do next? Will he call Ed to look for another way out? Will he return to Albuquerque? Will he go to Florida to find Kim? It's tough to say what exactly comes next. Is this the last that we've seen of Kim? I hope not, and I would love to get more story from her. What role will she play in the finale? Will we see the consequences of her choice to turn herself in? Will she see Gene once again? What will Jeff's fate be? Will we see him again? Best Moment: Kim breaking down in the bus was a terrific moment. You don't always see TV shows portraying the raw, ugly emotions that people feel in such situations. As such, there was something special about seeing an extended scene of Kim finally giving in to the emotions that she had left pent up for so long. Rhea Seehorn was phenomenal and reached new acting highs in this scene. The scene was somber, depressing, and affecting. Television at its emotional best. Character of the Episode: Kim. Conclusion: A fantastic episode. "Better Call Saul" is nailing this final storyline, and this episode took the slow-paced character-driven story we have been getting over the past two episodes to a whole new level. This experience had it all: phenomenal acting, nail-biting suspense, deep-layered character work, hilarious moments of comedy, and a sense of dread and melancholy as we enter the series finale. What a journey it has been, and after this exhilarating hour I am very excited to see what's in store for us in next week's finale. Score: 80 Summary: BoJack and Diane return from their trip and BoJack is invited to have dinner with Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter. Mr. Peanutbutter and BoJack compete over Diane and keep trying to one-up each other until Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter goes home. BoJack gets drunk and steals the Hollywood 'D'. He tries to cover it up with Mr. Peanutbutter's help but Mr. Peanutbutter steals BoJack's idea and presents it as a gift to Diane. BoJack leaves a heartfelt voicemail for Diane but she doesn't hear it because she gets engaged with Mr. Peanutbutter. Todd gets invited to two gangs and starts playing both sides. When they find out, there is a prison riot. In the chaos, a helicopter crashes into the prison and everyone escapes.
The Good: This was the funniest episode of the show since the second. There is something special about how this show mocks news channels and society as a whole, so whenever it does that, it gets to a new level of comedy. The jokes about Beyonce were easily the highlights of the episode (see: Best Moment). The other jokes were of a decent quality too. I continue to enjoy the animal jokes, and BoJack's antics getting him in trouble is still quite amusing. His lame excuses to Diane were funny, as were his refusals about liking Diane. I'm thankful that the comedy is back because the past three episodes were not anywhere near fun enough for me. This episode almost told a really good story. There were significant problems in the set-up (see: The Bad), but there was a sense of melancholy towards the end of the episode which was captured brilliantly. This comes from Diane's relationship with Mr. Peanutbutter. The show clearly wants us to feel that they are not a good match, but we also still need to see what drew them together to begin with. That's what makes Mr. Peanutbutter's proposal such an effective scene. There is a wonderful dichotomy here as BoJack calls Diane and finally expresses his feelings for her, suggesting that he's a better match for her. But at the same time, we see that Mr. Peanutbutter is more than he lets on. Despite alienating her with the D, he gives her a sweet album of their memories, apologizes to her, and has a wonderfully intimate moment with her. We can see clear as day that Diane loves this, and this means a lot because it proves that we were all wrong about Mr. Peanutbutter not being right for her. But of course, it suddenly explodes into a huge party with cameras and celebrations. And just like that, the moment is ruined and Diane is left sitting outside at her own party, more uncertain than ever about her future. It's a really sad moment that beautifully captures the uncertainty of knowing if someone is right for you. Todd's story is okay and seeing him trying to choose between two gangs is a funny idea. I quite liked the transition from his wholesome speech about togetherness to MSNBSea covering a huge prison riot that just broke out. The Bad: It's really disappointing that so much of BoJack and Diane's bonding happened offscreen. The end of the last episode suggested that they would get closer, but it seems like they actually got closer in between episodes. This made it difficult to buy into their closeness, and it made it especially jarring when we hear that BoJack likes Diane. This caught me completely off guard, because just one episode ago he was requesting that Diane be fired! How did he suddenly become somehow who knows her so well and loves spending time with her when it seems like they have hardly even done anything. This is the biggest problem in this episode. We are told that we should care about this relationship, but we don't have nearly enough context to buy into BoJack romantically pursuing Diane. Add on the fact that we still haven't learned much about Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter's relationship, and it becomes tough to invest in this love triangle since we hardly know what each pairing has to offer. I also did not get much out of Mr. Peanutbutter and BoJack trying to outdo each other at the bar. The joke went too far, was never particularly funny, and felt unnecessary in how uncomfortable it felt. Subtlety goes a long way, and this sequence had none of it. Todd's story fell flat. I still struggle to comprehend what this character is. On one hand, he is an idiot that misses the point of a lot of things. But on the other hand, he says witty lines like "take me out to dinner first", and profound statements about how everyone should overcome their differences. He's also put into perilous situations like watching a man get shanked to death right in front of him, and we get no insight into how this affects him or makes him feel. I feel very disconnected with the character, as he has zero consistency and I get the sense that the writers change who he is based on whatever story they want to write him in. The Unknown: Will Diane get married to Mr. Peanutbutter? Or will she be tempted away by BoJack or someone else? Will BoJack continue to pursue her? Best Moment: The Beyonce joke was tremendous. The idea that her trivial fall was enough of a top news story to distract everyone was a hilarious critique of how people get so distressed over tiny things happening to celebrities in society. This was my hardest laugh on the show yet, and the episode somehow kept the fun going by throwing in some great Beyonce puns. Character of the Episode: Diane. Conclusion: Another episode that has its heart in the right place but can't quite put everything in place to make things work. Score: 59 Summary: BoJack goes with Diane to New York to meet with Pinky. BoJack gets a deadline on his book and Diane learns her father has died. BoJack goes with Diane to see her family and Diane gets aggravated by them after organizing a funeral which they don't go to. Diane rages and leaves, so BoJack goes to find her and they bond a little bit. BoJack decides to leave a voicemail for Herb. After BoJack leaves, Todd turns his house into "Boreanaz House", a new business venture. Princess Carolyn helps him out, but when they attract unwanted attention, Todd is arrested.
The Good: I appreciate that this episode focused on Diane and expanded on the character. She was bland and lacking in personality in the first four episodes, but now I have a far better idea of who she is and how she operates. I could sympathize with her family troubles, and it was surprising to see a more unhinged and angry side of her after being presented with her calm and composed side for so long. It was a surprise for me as it was for BoJack, and I grew more attached to her as a person. The final scene between her and BoJack was especially strong. BoJack had been his usual silly self throughout the episode, but it's evident that he saw a bit of himself in Diane's struggles, so he chose to put in some effort to help her break away from her clearly emotionally abusive family. It's a sweet thing for him to do, and it helps form a bond between these two characters. It's always important to have likeable characters and deep character relationships, so getting a scene that develops a connection between these two is an encouraging sign. I really like that the show was willing to tackle a thematically difficult idea like addressing when it may be better to leave behind your family. It's a much darker and more realistic idea to consider that family might not always be a good thing. There are some good moments of comedy throughout. BoJack being entitled at the airport is amusing, and I got a good laugh out of how fascinated he was by Diane's kaleidoscope. I also laughed at the sorry state of Pinky's publishing company, with little things like Diane sitting on a pile of books adding to the amusement (he can't even afford a third chair). I like how this show is handling the birds attempting to blackmail BoJack. This feels like it's an important detail, but they are struggling because they can't get in touch with him to do the blackmail. That's a creative idea. The Boreanaz House is decently funny when it starts up. The Bad: Otherwise, Todd's storyline is a total bust for me. Again, this is because I feel like I have such little clarity about who Todd is supposed to be. His morals, beliefs, and desires seem to shift with every passing scene to service the plot. I struggled to understand how he even got Boreanaz House to happen and why it became such an illegal operation. I'm not sure what to make of him going to jail. With the level of unrealistic stupidity in this storyline, I find it hard to buy into Todd going to jail as a serious event. I imagine it will just lead to more nonsensical comedy. A storyline like this also hurts the show's world and tone. This show likes to parody society and offer up some more serious themes. But this story is just cartoonish, nonsensical slapstick, and that clashes with everything that the show is trying to be. Diane's family is okay, but they aren't funny and are uninteresting to watch. I didn't find them to be realistic enough for me to fully understand Diane's pain, nor did I find them funny enough to enjoy their presence. Diane's big moment of snapping was awkwardly voice acted, which made it difficult to take seriously. For such a major moment in the episode, it fell flat. Despite a few decent jokes, this story still was not funny enough for me to enjoy it. Even the ending joke with the chum barrel did not get a laugh out of me. It was underwhelming and unfunny. The Unknown: BoJack definitely identified with Diane through their shared childhood traumas. This does bring up the question, where is BoJack's family? Are his parents still alive? Has he cut himself off from them like Diane has from her family? What happens to Todd now? It looks like he's going to end up in jail. Best Moment: BoJack and Diane's moment in the dump was surprisingly effective. Though this show is struggling for comedy, it offers up some genuinely meaningful messages, especially for an animated comedy. Character of the Episode: Diane. Conclusion: This was another episode that had its heart in the right place, but couldn't overcome this show's biggest problems. Score: 56 Summary: A flashback shows BoJack being helped to start his career by Herb. In the present, Diane questions BoJack always putting Todd down. BoJack tries to prove to her that he wants to help Todd and helps him make a great rock opera. But when Todd says he could move out with his success, BoJack sabotages his opportunity. Diane's ex-boyfriend Wayne writes a Buzzfeed article about Mr. Peanutbutter, but in reality he wants to get back with Diane since she doesn't belong with Mr. Peanutbutter.
The Good: The opening scene is pretty good. The episode starts up with a fun Seinfeld parody which got a chuckle out of me. Story-wise, this scene answers last episode's mystery of who Herb was as we learn that he helped BoJack start up his career. There's a nice line where Herb says "it's the job of big shots like me to help the little guys like you", which BoJack then reverses hilariously in the present. The main story of this episode had its heart in the right place. This episode served to deepen the BoJack/Todd relationship, making it clear what Todd means to BoJack. BoJack always puts him down and is mean to him, but it isn't because he doesn't like him. Rather, it's because BoJack wants Todd to remain a bum so that he won't leave him alone. But Diane is smart enough to see through this, so BoJack attempts to prove her wrong by helping Todd with his rock opera. It seems to actually further their friendship significantly too, and they look to be reaching a healthier place. But when faced with the realistic possibility of Todd leaving, BoJack finds that he can't be the bigger man, and sabotages Todd's shot at success to keep him close. It's a sad betrayal of trust that further encapsulates how BoJack is not a good person. He is easy to understand and deals with relatable problems, but he always makes poor decisions. Some jokes here were decent. I especially liked the subversion of Decapathon being a Tetris-based game. The animal jokes are still my favourites in the show. This episode had some good highlights, like the beaver being used as a saw, the jogging rooster shouting "wake up!", and the cow waitress being displeased bringing someone a steak. The Bad: The episode is again light on humour. This episode takes itself a bit too seriously and it doesn't include many good jokes. All of the rock opera-related jokes weren't funny at all. I didn't get much out of seeing BoJack and Todd working together on the rock opera. Their connection as characters also doesn't quite feel fleshed out yet. The only reason I liked their story was because the ideas behind it were good. Diane and Wayne's story was unremarkable, and honestly pretty bad. We hardly know Diane or her relationship with Mr. Peanutbutter, so to have this new character Wayne come in and make some profound speech about Diane's life falls woefully flat. Instead of being impactful, it feels pretentious and I had zero emotional connection with this story. Add on the fact that this side story was devoid of humour and I found it to be a massive disappointment. This episode is titled on the concept that everyone is separated into Zoes and Zeldas. The idea isn't very interesting (it's just introvert or extrovert, go figure) and it isn't funny either. Another uninspired joke in a show that hasn't figured out how to be funny just yet. The Unknown: Will Todd find out about what BoJack did? How will he react to this? Is Diane's relationship with Mr. Peanutbutter doomed? Best Moment: The reveal that BoJack sabotaged Todd was sad. Character of the Episode: Todd. Conclusion: This episode had some good ideas, but infancy problems continue to plague the show. Score: 55 Summary: BoJack runs into Sarah Lynn while going furniture shopping where Andrew Garfield breaks up with her. BoJack enables Sarah Lynn's bad habits by allowing her to stay with him and live her toxic lifestyle. Diane tells BoJack that he needs to be better for her sake. BoJack tries but Sarah Lynn continues her actions. They argue and end up having sex. Ultimately, BoJack gives her some final advice and she leaves.
The Good: The last episode had some fun satire of news channels, and this episode chooses to have satire of teen pop stars. The opening scene is pretty fun with how it pokes fun of modern pop stars through the introduction of Sarah Lynn and her sad fall from relevancy as she got older. BoJack's personal arc here is decent enough. It fits with what we know of him that he would use Sarah Lynn's presence to relive his glory days from Horsin' Around, playing the character that he was never able to move on from. There are some amusing moments here, like when BoJack "lets the credits roll" after a sweet moment with Sarah Lynn. It's also funny how BoJack totally misinterprets Diane's message about the flaws in Hollywood society as her saying that he is off the hook because it is all society's fault. The Bad: This episode was not good. Last episode showed how "BoJack Horseman" can be a really funny show, but this episode showed absolutely none of that same charm. Sarah Lynn's comedy style is abrasive, unfunny, and more annoying than anything else. It was frustrating to have so much of the episode focus on her crazy lifestyle, which created very few laughs. A comedy's job is to make me laugh. If I hardly even chuckle throughout an episode, then that episode is a definite failure. The characters remain a big issue because they feel so poorly defined. BoJack is usually a sarcastic voice of reason, but this episode changes that by making him completely ignorant of how he is treating Sarah Lynn. That's a poorly written character change, but worse than that is how this forces Todd to be the voice of reason. Last episode saw Todd being a complete moron, but now we are supposed to buy into him being the voice of reason? There's no sense of consistency with these characters and that makes it really tough for me to understand them and connect with them. Furthermore, it's hard to remain connected with BoJack when he does horrible things like having sex with Sarah Lynn for seemingly no reason. I was pretty disgusted by this, and it felt like that same edgy style of humour that I was hoping the show would grow out of. Diane and Princess Carolyn are still pretty boring. Diane doesn't do a whole lot in this episode other than not-so-subtly speaking the main ideas of the episode. There isn't much interesting about Diane so far. Princess Carolyn is still uninteresting here. There's a subplot of her trying to manipulate Sarah Lynn into picking her as an agent, which is revealed to be a trap for Princess Carolyn to get Andrew Garfield instead. This storyline was totally cold for me. No laughs, no smiles, and no reason for me to care at all. It felt tacked on and completely irrelevant. The Unknown: Who is Herb? It seems that BoJack had some sort of drama with him. Those birds have some pretty nasty pictures of BoJack and Sarah Lynn now. Where will this plot thread go? Best Moment: The hilariously named Sextina Aquafina saying Sarah Lynn should go to where celebrities go when they are done being relevant, and the following transition to BoJack's house. It's not a great joke, but it was the funniest of the episode. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: This was a bore. Uninteresting storytelling with minimal laughs. A huge step back after the last episode promised better things. Score: 45 Summary: BoJack has a rough morning and goes to the supermarket where he enrages Neal McBeal by taking muffins that he wanted. Neal goes on television and trashes BoJack. Meanwhile BoJack struggles to open up to Diane and is distracted by the commotion. He calls in and makes the situation worse until he becomes known for hating the troops. BoJack resolves everything by apologizing to Neal on Mr. Peanutbutter's new reality show. After, he meets with Diane on the roof and opens up about his childhood.
The Good: I did not expect the joke quality problem from the first episode to be improved so substantially after just one episode. Gone are the excessive cut-away gags, and in their place is a focus on animal-based jokes and puns, as well as a plethora of hidden background jokes which are clever and worth going back to the episode to laugh at. I was laughing a lot more at this episode compared to the first, and I had a much better time overall. The main plot of the episode was a blast and it accomplished so many things. BoJack and Neal's conflict is so ridiculous, but it fits with what we know about both characters. Neal was undoubtedly an asshole when he confronted BoJack about the muffins, but BoJack is stubborn, petty, and always in a bad mood, and he somehow manages to escalate things at every turn. It's a hysterical mess watching this small-scale conflict turn into news headlines (and also a brilliant satire of news channels and their inaccuracies). The episode does a terrific job of pointing out how meaningless this conflict really is, especially with the ending where BoJack is arguing points that Neal actually entirely agrees with. This underlines the real message of the episode, about how some of the biggest arguments only come about because of pettiness and stubbornness instead of any concrete disagreements. Hell, this whole conflict came about because of the concept of "dibs", a funny and fitting foundation for this mess. I really laughed at how this episode portrayed news channels. The episode highlights how news channels are more than willing to twist stories and frame them in ways to ensure more viewers, rather than an attempt to educate the public about the complete truth. This episode addresses this idea in a comical way, seamlessly blending the exploration of themes with good comedy, which deserves high praise. In fact, this episode managed to squeeze in a whole lot of serious ideas through its satire (the political idea of all troops being heroes, the toxicity of reality TV, media's tendency to obscure important stories with meaningless ones, etc.), and that is very impressive. Not all of them are successful, but a majority of these ideas are explored in funny, thought-provoking ways. BoJack's trouble opening up to Diane is a good story. In a way it seems like BoJack's exaggerated conflict with Neal was just another way for him to hide from having to open up about his childhood. It's fitting that once the conflict is over, BoJack realizes that he has to face the truth if he expects the rest of the world to do the same. I also really like the way that this story introduces BoJack's horrifying and potentially abusive parents. They are introduced being comically mean, which makes us laugh. This was a perfect way to plant the seeds of a more serious development, allowing us to fill in the blanks about BoJack's difficult childhood without compromising the tone of this comedy-heavy episode. I love detail-oriented stories, and so I am also a huge fan of detail-oriented comedy. I'm also partial to puns and similar jokes, so I really get a laugh out of the animal jokes in this show. Things like the chicken girl laying an egg when scared, and Mr. Peanutbutter, the dog, having tennis balls all over his house amused me a lot. I also have to draw attention to the hilarious news headlines during BoJack and Neal's debate. They are absolutely worth going back to read, with gems like "cute child does things on internet", "scientists discover water on ocean floor", "AIDS still a thing", and "I wanted to write novels, you know" among many others. These little jokes did not need to be here, but I really appreciate that they are. The Bad: The attempts to address Hollywood life are not all successful. There are some more serious ideas that get pushed to the side by the attempts to inject humour into them. The opening scene showcasing BoJack's depression and how his fame plays into that is a prime example of this. The scene may have had some impact if the episode had dwelled on this idea for a bit, but instead it just devolves into another BoJack bad decision as he has sex. There is also a sense that this episode is trying to explore too many serious ideas, and that prevents it from being as meaningful as it tries to be. There are numerous jokes on how Princess Carolyn is urgently calling BoJack, but he gets placed on hold anyways. Clearly this is trying to poke fun at the hypocrisy of agents, but the idea falls flat because it feels tacked on and is overshadowed by the amusing jellicles song. Todd is a perplexing character and I have no idea what to make of him. The first episode suggested that he was a freeloader that lived a more sinister life on the side. But now in this episode he's apparently a total idiot that gets joy from the finer things in life. The character feels so inconsistent and his role in the series is very awkward. The side plot of him being scammed and not knowing it feels at odds with the character we were introduced to, and it doesn't provide laughs either. At the moment, Todd is a negative addition to this show. It's a shame to see Aaron Paul be wasted like this. I feel similarly about Princess Carolyn who also maintains an awkward role in the show. Her relationship with BoJack is in dire need of being more fleshed out because I am struggling to understand who she is and why she is staying in touch with this total loser. The Unknown: No pressing questions. Best Moment: BoJack calling the news channel had me laughing the hardest, but I have to give a special nod to the very existence of the line "stealing a meal from Neal McBeal the Navy Seal". Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: Infancy problems are still hurting this show, but this episode was far funnier than the first and much more focused. I don't know what changed after the first episode, but this was a big step in the right direction. Score: 66 Summary: BoJack is a washed up celebrity struggling to find purpose in his life. He tries to write a book but procrastinates heavily. He is recommended to get a ghostwriter, Diane, but is nervous. Following a break-up with his girlfriend/agent Princess Carolyn, BoJack decides to throw a party where he will speak with Diane. They connect at the party and BoJack learns that she is dating Mr. Peanutbutter, a rival who he hates.
The Good: The concept of this show is fun. The world that this show is set in is the same as ours, with the twist that there are animals living as humans. It's such an odd concept, but it's creative and there are some fun uses of that idea in this episode with a few animal puns. The main character BoJack is decent enough. He's a funny and sarcastic guy, but also one who is in the midst of a midlife crisis and makes some poor decisions. The opening and ending scenes of the episode do an effective job of telling us who he is and endearing us to him a little bit. This show is primarily a comedy and thankfully it has a few funny bits. Pinky's struggles with money are amusing, and I liked a few of the cut-away gags with the baby and cereal ones being the highlights of the episode. I also got a laugh out of the show's portrayal of anxiety attacks. The final scene between Diane and BoJack is pretty good. Diane is likeable and endearing in her social awkwardness, which makes her a nice parallel to BoJack who is another person who has a habit of making a fool of himself in front of others. BoJack comes off as surprisingly honest in this first scene with Diane after being distant for the entire rest of the episode, so they will clearly have some sort of a connection. The twist that Diane is dating Mr. Peanutbutter came as a surprise, and BoJack's reaction to this was funny (that penis has been inside that vagina... but in a sexual way). I imagine that this is setting up a sort of love triangle story. The Bad: While some little things were done well, the broad strokes of this show were poor. The biggest problem I had was that this first episode was nowhere near funny enough to hook me. It had a few good jokes, but for a 25 minute comedy, I need to be laughing a lot more than just 3-4 times each episode. Most of the jokes just weren't funny, and if this show isn't funny, then it does not have much going for it. I was disappointed by how edgy a lot of the humour was. I've seen many animated adult comedies that dive into edgy humour, so this show doing the same is nothing special and it fails to distinguish itself from its competition. I did not like how reliant this show was on cut-away gags. They can be funny if used sparingly, but this episode has way too many of them, and some of them last for far too long. It's problematic when there's a cut-away gag and by the time the scene is done, I've forgotten that it was even a cut-away. This completely befuddled the pacing of the episode, and this first episode's flow felt really awkward as a result. It was jarring with all of the random cut-aways, and I hope that the show can abandon this trend. This is not "Family Guy", and considering the main idea of the show that has been presented, I do not think that this show needs cut-away gags. Lastly, I'm not feeling the characters just yet. BoJack is amusing and Diane is endearing, but I don't particularly like them yet. Todd and Princess Carolyn have also been uninspiring so far, and simplistic in their character. Though the episode's choppy structure and unfunny jokes could be partially to blame for my dislike of these too characters so far. The Unknown: Does Todd have a secret second life? What's this shady business that he has? Will BoJack and Diane's relationship turn into a romantic one? Best Moment: The best laugh of the episode comes from Princess Carolyn getting upset at BoJack for not respecting her enough to have a baby with her. BoJack denies it and the episode cuts to one of the most absurdly over-the-top moments as Princess Carolyn commenting on a baby is enough to send BoJack spiraling. His subsequent confession to a cop that he doesn't respect Princess Carolyn enough to have a baby with her is the cherry on top. Character of the Episode: BoJack. Conclusion: This show has a cool premise, and there were a few genuinely funny moments. But the poor joke quality, over-reliance on cut-away gags, and poorly introduced characters make this a very forgettable first episode. Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come. Score: 52 Summary: Monica and Chandler get a surprise when Erica gives birth to twins. Rachel and Ross have a passionate night together but Rachel still chooses to go to Paris. Ross decides to go after her with Phoebe's help. Joey gets a chick and a duck for Chandler and Monica but they get stuck in the foosball table.
The Good: This episode feels almost like a "best of" compilation and that's totally fine. That's a big improvement for "Friends" because it means that we get a lot of the quality storytelling and jokes that were a staple of the early seasons of the show. The many storylines in this episode are quite fun to watch. The twins twist is a good one, and Monica and Chandler's reactions to this were quite funny. It was fitting to do one last birth story in this finale. There was also one final Chandler/Joey story, and their chemistry is as fun as ever as they solve a pretty ridiculous problem. There is some emotion in destroying the foosball table and seeing them say goodbye, but the dialogue and jokes are good too. Ross and Rachel's story is also really good. It was obvious that they would get together in this finale, but I really like the way that it was done with that classic "guy chases down the girl" story. The jokes in this storyline were very high quality throughout. Phoebe was her usual teasing self and her presence in this episode was terrific. So many moments worked really well, like Ross calling a baby-obsessed Monica, Rachel's interactions with the airport staff, and Phoebe's insane driving. The emotional aspect worked quite well, and the conclusion was excellent with Ross hilariously shouting at an answering machine as Rachel returns to his apartment. This led into the final few scenes of the episode which were melancholy and did a great job of capturing all that we would miss about this show. Lastly, I love that Gunther's long-running crush on Rachel was finally paid off, and his confession to her was one of the episode's best laughs. The Bad: We have seen so many births by this point that the birth jokes mostly fell flat. They weren't creative or funny. The early parts of the episode did feel quite rough with a lack of good jokes or story momentum. Some of the characters were still far too silly, with Joey being unreasonably stupid, and Chandler being uncharacteristically awkward. The left phalange joke is totally ridiculous. There's no way that I can buy everyone storming out of the plane for this absurd reason. It's too big of a stretch. Best Moment: The final moments were very emotional, and Chandler's final joke was a fitting joke to end the show. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: The series finale of "Friends" managed to recapture some of the glory of the show. It was funny, emotional, exciting, and enjoyable to watch. There was still some of the roughness that has been present in the last five seasons, but thankfully it wasn't very distracting. Overall, this was a definite high note to close out the series. The final season of "Friends" went pretty much as I had expected. It was too late for this show to reclaim its consistency and there was a fair bit of stupidity throughout the season, with the end of Ross and Charlie's relationship being the pinnacle of the horrendous writing in this series. That being said, there was some extra love given to this season through some creative comedy ideas, references to the past, and a great series finale that captured something special. This extra effort prevented season 10 from being a trainwreck, and while I still don't think that this is a very good season, there is enough quality stuff that this still feels like the great show that I adored for the first five seasons. It has taken me five years to review every episode of this show, so needless to say I've had a long road with this show. "Friends" overall holds a very special place in my heart. I believe that the first five seasons of this show are some of the best comedy that you can find. The show was consistent and it found a perfect niche with its comedy style, targeting young adults by being a typical sitcom but with the added twist of featuring realistic relationship-oriented comedy situations that made for an organic blend of reality and fiction. This niche was not only unique, but the injection of reality and relatability made the comedy style easily accessible and uniquely funny in a way that few other shows could manage. But as the show went on, it became clear that the writers were running out of fresh ideas to keep these situations fresh, and what resulted was a dramatic decline as the show tried changing everything to be funny. The situation comedy became repetitive, and the characters started to become simplified versions of themselves to keep these situations funny. Along with that, the long-running storylines became blander with duller side characters, constant focus on the will they/won't they of Ross and Rachel, and an overall decline in joke writing also dragged down the show in its later seasons. Every now and then we would get greatness (especially in seasons 7 and 8), but the consistency of the show was gone and a lot of what made "Friends" special was lost in its final five seasons. Season 9 was a prime example of this, a genuinely awful season of television that exemplified the fall of "Friends" from a top-quality sitcom to a show that I struggled to motivate myself to watch. But regardless of all of the bad stuff that came about, the first five seasons are so terrific that I am glad that I watched this show, and I maintain a positive opinion about this show because of these early seasons alone. Score: 77 Summary: Flashbacks show Saul meeting Walt and Jesse. Later, he ponders helping them but Mike advises him to let it go. Saul doesn't listen and goes to visit Walt at his high school anyways. In the present, Gene calls Francesca and gets updates on what has happened. Gene learns that Kim checked in on her and after Francesca hangs up, Gene opts to call Kim. It doesn't go well. Hurt again, Gene opts to return to Jeff so they can get back to scamming people. Gene starts a new scam, getting snobby rich people drunk at bars and then having Jeff and Buddy sneakily break into their houses while they sleep to steal all of their important information and sell it. Gene continues doing this and even commits to doing it to a cancer patient. Buddy gets cold feet and decides not to go through with it so Gene fires him. He and Jeff go to the man's house and Gene forcibly breaks in, intent on completing the scam.
The Good: Again, we have a wonderful character study episode that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Last episode showed Gene channeling his inner Jimmy McGill to solve a problem, and we were treated to callbacks to early seasons of "Better Call Saul" as Gene resourcefully solved his problem in an undoubtedly Jimmy McGill way. This episode offers a direct parallel to the last by showing Gene channeling his inner Saul Goodman in an attempt to solve a much different problem. This time, the episode is filled with references to "Breaking Bad", and it sees Gene abandon Jimmy's sense of morality, embracing Saul Goodman to help himself deal with the pain of what I can only assume was another harsh rejection from Kim (see: The Unknown). These last two episodes have been methodically paced, but they work so well because they tell self-contained stories that parallel each other and expand on the multi-faceted character of Jimmy/Saul/Gene so much. Of course before I dive into the excellent character work, I have to address the elephant in the room, that being the scenes that took place in the "Breaking Bad" timeline. It was wonderful to see Walt and Jesse again, and though they look noticeably older (especially Aaron Paul), I still loved seeing them again, and I had a grin on my face whenever they were on-screen. Their dynamic is entertaining as ever, and it's enjoyable to see them from the perspective of Saul as he considers investing in Walt for his own personal gain. We also have a lovely scene between Saul and Mike (presumably their last in the show) where Saul decides to go against Mike's wise words and pursue Walt, sealing his own fate. While these scenes are fun to watch due to the time period, they offer so much more in terms of highlighting how Saul just can't help himself when it comes to personal gain. His inability to stop directly parallels what is going on in Gene's story and it makes these flashback scenes fit perfectly within the episode. Plus we get some outstanding transitions in this episode, my favourite easily being the transition from the empty grave to Gene lying in his bed. It's an effective visual story of how Saul meeting Walt and Jesse sealed his fate and metaphorically killed Saul Goodman. The present day storyline does a lot of great things. The first order of business is for Gene to go from being willing to hang up his boots at the end of "Nippy" to fully embracing his return to grifting. The way that this happens is extremely clever. We start in the Gene timeline in an unexpected place as we follow Francesca on her way to the phone call that we hear about in "Quite a Ride". On the other end is Gene, and we get a really well written conversation that catches us up on the fallout from "Breaking Bad". There are some nice little details like hearing about Skyler's deal being successful, finally getting resolution on Huell's fate, and a hilarious gay joke regarding Bill Oakley, who is revealed to have finally found success. But the main impact of this call comes from Francesca's offhand mention that Kim had called, and inquired about if Jimmy was still alive. This moment is great, and we can see hope return to Gene upon hearing this. Maybe there's still a chance for this relationship, and it's this slight chance which leads to Gene reaching out to Kim one more time. While we don't hear what exactly happens, what we do know is that it was a total disaster. Gene's rage-filled response is heartbreaking, and it seemingly burns down any possibility of there being a happy reunion between these two. This devastating moment causes a relapse for Gene. We saw back in "Fun and Games" how Jimmy fully embraced Saul Goodman to help cover up the pain of Kim leaving him. Now in this episode, we see the same thing happen once again. Hurt once again, Gene decides to embrace his inner Saul Goodman to make all of this pain go away, and this leads to him restoring his partnership with Jeff and Buddy. The middle of this episode is classic "Better Call Saul" as we are slowly introduced to another new con with every little detail being revealed to us in immensely satisfying fashion. We get several staples of the show in this period. We have the classic slow paced con reveal, devoid of dialogue and featuring characters deliberately going through their actions as we slowly learn what is going on. Then to contrast that, the scene is followed with a classic montage as we see Gene, Jeff, and Buddy become accustomed to their new scam. It's a joy to watch these scenes of course, but there is a bit of a dark feel to it. Eventually we learn that this isn't just a small-scale con; it's large-scale identity theft. It is the enormous effect on the people being conned that separates this from being harmless Slippin' Jimmy. This is Gene embracing his worst tendencies as Saul Goodman, and his hunger for scamming these people is disquieting to watch. This is especially prevalent towards the end of the episode when Gene ruthlessly continues his con on a cancer patient, being completely unwilling to see the possibility of not conning this guy. Even after there is any way that this con could possibly go off as planned, Gene still pushes ahead aggressively to ensure it happens, going as far as openly breaking into the cancer patient's house. This is important because Gene's con hinges on the fact that the victim is unaware that their information was compromised, but that can't be the case anymore. There's no doubting that Gene is making a boneheaded decision by continuing this, but that is cementing how desperate he is to experience the thrill of a swindle to help him contend with his inner pain. It's Gene's tragic flaw, and I suspect that this will directly lead to his downfall. The final few minutes are surprisingly intense. They capture tension superbly because we can see that Gene is making a mistake and that there will almost certainly be enormous consequences to this mistake. It's saddening to see that Gene might not be redeemable after all and that he always slips back into bad habits. On one hand, we know he deserves whatever is coming for him. But on the other hand, we want to see him overcome his weaknesses and find new happiness. These contrasting emotions create an uneasy sense of suspense as Gene approaches the cancer patient's house (paralleled beautifully with Saul approaching Walt's high school in the past). The episode ends on a fantastic cliffhanger, and the next episode promises to be extremely significant. The Bad: This is another slow episode which might annoy some people. It doesn't bother me though, "Better Call Saul" has always been methodically paced. The Unknown: What happened on Gene's call with Kim? What made him so mad? What did he say to her? Did she reject him once again? Or did they fight because of something different? Did Gene reach Kim at all? It's possible that his rage was because she left and that he now has no way of reaching her. The episode lingers on Marion noticing Gene, Jeff, and Buddy doing something suspicious. How will this pay off later? Will she learn about what is going on? How will this affect the story? Will Gene be able to successfully pull off the scam on the cancer patient? What will go wrong when he attempts it? What will be the consequences? Will he be caught and sent to jail? If he is caught, how will it happen? Best Moment: Gene's call with Kim was emotionally painful, even with the omitted details. Character of the Episode: Gene. Conclusion: "Better Call Saul" continues its consistent run with another excellent episode, this one being another fascinating character study that effectively creates a sense of doom and dread to set up the final two episodes. Everyone will be talking about the Walt/Jesse appearance, but don't let that distract from the fact that this was a great episode even without them. Score: 73 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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