Summary: Jimmy decides to pick up the $7 million for Lalo if he is paid $100,000. Jimmy tells Kim who is immediately against the idea of him going out, but Jimmy decides to go anyways. Jimmy collects the money from the Salamanca twins but on his way back he is ambushed by several cartel men who prepare to kill him. A mysterious sniper saves Jimmy, who is caught in a gunfight which destroys all the cars in the area. One man escapes the carnage in his car and the sniper is revealed to be Mike. With Jimmy's car trashed, they walk across the desert together, dragging the money behind them. Jimmy almost gives up several times but Mike keeps him going. They encounter the one survivor hunting for them and Jimmy goes out as a distraction while Mike snipes him. Near dead, the two of them continues heading back to civilization on the road. Meanwhile, a concerned Kim goes to Lalo to try to find Jimmy's whereabouts but he doesn't divulge any information to her.
The Good: I'm a firm believer that television is at its best when we get standalone episodes that are satisfying on their own, telling a complete story. This results in a rich emotional experience that other episodes of television cannot provide. With that being said, I think that this episode of "Better Call Saul" was a fantastic exploration of a standalone story that gave me my most memorable experience with the show yet. Everything about this was immaculate, from the storytelling, to the drama, to the acting, to the directing. It all clicked together beautifully to create what I think is the best episode of the show by far. I'll start at the beginning of the episode. The early scenes give us all the information we need to understand what is going on. Lalo needs the $7 million and Jimmy has to go get it. But there is a lot of time spent focusing on the choice Jimmy makes at the start of this episode. He doesn't have to get the money himself. Lalo even says that he can find somebody else to do it. But the greedy part of Jimmy, the part that wants him to be a friend of the cartel, can't let it go. In the end he chooses to do it at a steep price, a decision which sets everything in motion for this episode leading to some pretty dire consequences for Jimmy. But he has no reason to think about that. He says as much to Kim who is immediately afraid for him about what he is about to do. But Jimmy won't listen to it as he has already made up his mind and is ready to live on a high. And live on a high is what he does, albeit briefly. He goes out into the desert as calm as ever and he meets with the Salamanca twins to get the money. The scene is shot really well and we can see that Jimmy is trying his best to make a positive impression to become the friend of the cartel. It all goes over smoothly, and Jimmy is practically bursting with joy as he comically sings a variation of 99 bottles of beer on the wall on his drive back. But what this episode does magnificently is how it turns Jimmy's joy into such despair so suddenly. The whole episode had a building sense of unease as it went on, and it all built up to this horrifying moment where Jimmy nearly dies and finds himself in a violent shootout. The scene is outstanding, and it perfectly captures how horrifying it would be to find yourself caught in such a dangerous life-and-death situation with no control over anything. I really love the focus on Jimmy in this scene even though all he's doing is hiding on the ground, too terrified to move. Bob Odenkirk's acting really sell the fear in this moment and it takes what is already a pretty entertaining gunfight and elevates it to something much greater than that. The consequences for Jimmy's decision arrive in blistering fashion, and for the rest of the episode he is left facing the chaos that stems from his new status. The rest of this episode really drives home how much of a transformative experience this is for Jimmy. After this, he will never be the same again and that much is made clear with several effective uses of imagery and symbolism. The destruction of Jimmy's Esteem is a powerful moment to exemplify this, as is the reveal that Jimmy's iconic mug was shot and destroyed amongst the chaos. Some of the key things that we have come to know and love that represent Jimmy McGill have been destroyed beyond repair, and like with Jimmy himself, there's no way to restore them to the way they were before. Another fantastic piece of symbolism was the return of the space blanket. Initially Jimmy refuses to take it from Mike, still unwilling to revisit his grief for Chuck in even the tiniest of ways. Jimmy's story throughout the episode is simply stellar. He was broken by the shootout and the rest of the episode is a journey for Jimmy to try to put together the broken parts of himself in a way that will pave the road ahead for him as Saul Goodman. We see this idea explored throughout the episode. Jimmy is exhausted and in denial for much of the episode, and Mike, who must look like a vicious murderer in his eyes now, is the only voice of reason. Mike keeps Jimmy going and even surprisingly shows his more vulnerable side in a fantastically powerful speech made even more devastating by recalling Mike's fate in "Breaking Bad". Mike's words encourage Jimmy to not give up. He needs to find something to live for and he needs to find who he is more than anything else. After all, who cares if he dies as long as he has something to fight for. And it's here that Jimmy reassembles himself. He takes the little pieces he has left, the broken shell of himself, the space blanket representing Chuck, and the piss-filled Davis & Main water bottle representing his legitimate legal career and sets out to forge his new identity. And of course he starts by pulling a con to kill the man who is hunting him and Mike. Jimmy uses a piece of his past (the space blanket) to manipulate the driver, and after the driver is dead he takes a triumphant drink of lousy Davis & Main piss to keep himself alive. It's a wonderful transformative moment for Jimmy that will likely have a drastic impact on the character going forwards. And as a final touch, the last shot of the episode tells a terrific story as the space blanket representing the old Jimmy who cared about his brother is stepped on and shoved aside after being used one final time. Jimmy is on a new path now, a path where there is no place for Chuck or his past self. Finally, I get to Kim who had a very significant presence in this episode despite not actually being on screen much. After Jimmy innocuously told her about the Lalo situation in the last episode, it was a seemingly small moment where Jimmy finally decided to communicate with her. I had interpreted the moment as a key moment in their relationship. But Mike confirms that Jimmy telling Kim about Lalo may have been one of the biggest mistakes he has made, one that could have horrific consequences for Kim down the road. Now, Kim has been dragged along into the criminal underworld with Jimmy and it's not a place she wants to be. This much is established when Kim meets Lalo later in the episode. The realization of where Kim is was pretty horrifying when it happened, and the implications of her speaking with Lalo are immediately evident. This is legitimately dangerous ground for Kim to travel and we do not want to see her going down that path. The start of her scene with Lalo sees Kim in control. She treats the meeting with Lalo like she is still in the legal world of lawyers where the law is respected, and Lalo is initially timid and subdued when he thinks that he is out of his comfort zone. But once it becomes apparent that Kim is entering Lalo's world, control over the conversation shifts drastically to the now confident and charismatic Lalo. Lalo quickly beats Kim into submission and proves that she does not belong on this side of the show. But now, Jimmy's crucial decision to go pick up the $7 million has caused the wall between the two halves of the show to permanently crumble, and the effects that this will have on somebody like Kim who thrives on the legal half are scary to think about. The Bad: Nothing. The Unknown: Who was that at the auto shop that ratted on the twins? Who was informed about the money? Who was it that tried to steal it? Was the ambush tied to Gus? Don Eladio? Could there be another new player to worry about? Why was Mike following Jimmy? I like the subtle reveal that he used the gas cap tracker from "Mabel" to keep track of Jimmy. But why was he following him? Was he suspecting an attack of some kind? How did he know? What's next for Kim now that she has met Lalo? I'm concerned about her future because I don't imagine that this will be the last time they meet? How will Lalo deal with Jimmy knowing that he told Kim about their business? How will Kim react to Jimmy when he finally turns up? Best Moment: It's difficult to choose since there were 3 widely different stand-out scenes. The first is the initial shootout which was a fantastic achievement of directing. The second is Mike's speech, the most emotionally resonant moment of the episode for me. And the third is the ending sequence of the episode which featured a wonderfully complex character turn for Jimmy filled with symbolism. I'll let you guys have your pick from these three moments. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. This was certainly one of Bob Odenkirk's best performances yet. Conclusion: Simply outstanding. This episode is a huge turning point for the series and I couldn't be more excited to see what direction the show goes next. There is so much to love about this episode from the execution to the outstanding character arc that Jimmy was given. This season has been tremendous so far. It started patiently with quality character work and storytelling, but these last 3 episodes have been incredible. I can't wait to see what is in store for us in the next 2 episodes. Score: 88
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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