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
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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: 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 Summary: Gene forces a situation that allows him to bond with Jeff's mother Marion. When Jeff arrives, Gene offers to get him into the game and Jeff agrees. Gene spends the next while bonding with the security guards Nick and Frank at the mall, timing how long it takes Frank to eat a cinnamon roll. Gene plans to use this window for Jeff to rob the department stores in the mall, unnoticed on the cameras. Gene executes the plan with Jeff's friend bringing a fake delivery into the mall - Jeff in a wooden box. Gene fakes being a supervisor and convinces the lady working there to leave the box overnight. At night, Gene distracts Frank while Jeff robs the stores. The plan goes well until Jeff slips and falls unconscious. Gene fakes an emotional breakdown to give Jeff enough time to get back up and get out of there. The next morning, Jeff leaves successfully. He celebrates with Gene, but Gene ensures that they are done, threatening that if Jeff turns him in, he's going to get Jeff behind bars too. Jeff agrees and Gene returns to his normal life.
The Good: This was a sudden change in pace and I think that it works pretty well. Coming off of what was probably the most intense 3-episode stretch of the show, we needed to rebuild a little bit to set up the endgame of the show. This episode does a great job of slowing things down and transitioning the show to a new phase while also telling a compelling character story that allows the episode to stand up on its own and become more than just a transition into the post "Breaking Bad" era. This episode covers what Gene does to take care of Jeff, and it is beautiful to watch. One of the biggest questions coming out of the previous Gene scene in season 5 was which character would Gene return to. Would he become Saul again, or would he return to Jimmy? We finally get our answer here as Gene uses the reputation of Saul Goodman, but his actions are unequivocally a classic Slippin' Jimmy con. Gene has turned back to Jimmy to make this work, and the episode is packed full of references to Jimmy's past, which I'll dive into with more specifics later in the review. But first I will focus on the con itself, because it takes up the majority of the episode. This felt like classic "Better Call Saul" as the entire episode sees Gene making some questionable moves, with the purpose behind them only becoming clear as the episode goes on. It's puzzling when we see Gene befriending Marion, and it's puzzling that Gene continued to give Cinnabon gifts to the security guards. Like with all of the great schemes in this show, we never know what the plan is and slowly realizing what is going on is part of the fun. It helps that this episode was created with that typical "Better Call Saul" flair to add another level of enjoyment. Things like that gorgeous montage halfway through the episode, Gene faking his knowledge of sports, and the clever rhymes to ensure Jeff remembers what to steal are delightful little things which make the episode feel that much more immersive and real. It's something that this show has always done well. Furthermore, the cons are amplified by the high stakes. We know that any mistake will result in Gene going behind bars, so there is suspense in the possibility of failure. This adds a great deal of tension to the execution of the robbery. Jeff running around is so intense because we have a sense that something is going to go wrong, and so the suspense is enormous through every second of that painstakingly long sequence, which left me at the edge of my seat. I was really pleased with how Gene turned the tables on Jeff following the successful robbery. It's so easy to get lost in the small scale success of this robbery to the point where you almost forget that Gene is only doing this to get rid of Jeff as a threat. I think that this is one of the episode's big successes, since I think that Gene himself also almost forgot about the real purpose of this scam as well. Gene comes to life when he is returning to Slippin' Jimmy to pull this con, and it would not be a stretch to assume that he got so lost in the scam that he almost forgot that he was doing all of this only to return to the mundane, uneventful life he was living before. It's always a show of impressive talent when an TV episode can unconsciously place you in the exact mental state as the main character of that episode, creating a strong sense of empathy that elevates an episode from good to great. Now let me take a look into the character of Gene in particular. Bob Odenkirk brings him to life splendidly and we can see the light returning to his eyes throughout this episode as he does what he does best throughout the episode. We can see that Gene is back in his element when he's playing Jimmy McGill, and that he enjoys everything that he is doing. This makes it especially impactful when Gene is forced to dive into his buried emotions when he fakes a breakdown to allow Jeff the time he needs to regain consciousness after his fall. We have seen Jimmy draw out his buried emotions for his own benefit before ("Expenses" and "Winner" come to mind), but this one is a bit different. Here, Jimmy uses his disappointment at the state of his own life to get out of this situation, but this time he's actively shaken by doing that. Before it was always crocodile tears, but this time there's a much harsher truth to his breakdown, evidenced by Gene needing to take a moment before leaving the mall. We can see the harsh reality of Gene's unsatisfying life weighing on him in this moment and it is brutal to watch. What makes it so much easier to buy into this story of Gene finding joy in returning to being Jimmy is the countless references to Jimmy in this episode. I've already mentioned the crocodile tears moment evoking Jimmy's actions from before, but stopping there would be a great disservice to the sheer number of moments which evoke the past for Gene. Perhaps the most obvious is the return of the pinky ring, which was the moment that confirmed that Gene was going to return to Jimmy and not Saul. The pinky ring has always been symbolic of Slippin' Jimmy, and it was nice to see it return. I also loved the brief moment where Gene did Jimmy's iconic "it's showtime folks" hand gesture in the mirror before executing the robbery, evoking that Gene was embracing Jimmy in spirit. Gene's interactions with Marion and his effortless ability to charm her is another lovely callback to Jimmy's lauded ability to charm old folks and make them love him, which is something that we haven't seen him do in quite a long time. Lastly, I couldn't help but smile at the irony that it was a slip and fall which almost screwed up Gene's con. Live by the sword, die by the sword. I imagine there were even more references that I missed here, but the sheer number of callbacks added so much more depth and emotion to Gene's story in this episode. I haven't talked about them much, but the side characters in this episode have been wonderful. Pat Healy was a different Jeff to be sure (see: The Bad), but he does a good job with the role. Frank and Nick were lots of fun as the security guards too, and I was surprised to see Carol Burnett being given a role as Marion, which she also does a really good job with. The casting in this show is always spot-on, and that continued here. I really enjoyed the new intro. It was a surprising moment that was indicative of how the show is about to go through a change before these final episodes. The Bad: The Jeff recast is evident immediately and it's an unfortunate situation. Don Harvey was so splendid in the role in seasons 4 and 5, so it's a shame to lose him. Pat Healy does well, but it does feel jarring to have Jeff feel so different from the last time that we saw him. He feels like a different character because of how the two actors brought out such a different energy. It's an unavoidable situation, but it is still something that I have to mention because I found it to be distracting while watching the episode. This episode was slow, especially coming off of three of the most eventful episodes of the series. I'm not surprised that this episode is polarizing because of that. There's nothing wrong with the writing or storytelling, but the timing of the episode is really unfortunate and works against it. Coming after a transition to the "Breaking Bad" era is jarring, and it feels like it was intentionally done to frustrate audiences. Even if it's intentional, frustration is never a good thing to make your viewers feel, so I can sympathize with the people who weren't fond of this episode, and I understand why this episode will not go down as a beloved episode. The Unknown: Is this the end of Jeff's story? If it is, then what's next for Gene? What will he do next? I'm surprised that we didn't spend any time at all in the "Breaking Bad" timeline. When will we see that timeline? Next episode? Or even later? I'm curious about how these remaining three episodes will handle chronology. Curious ending scene as Gene chooses to leave behind the Saul Goodman-esque clothing. Does this symbolize that Gene is going to attempt to return to his uneventful life? Or could this be Gene embracing Jimmy McGill ahead of Saul Goodman? It's open to interpretation right now, and I'm sure that the final three episodes will make the significance of this moment much more clear. Best Moment: The robbery scene was tense and lots of fun. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the shoe to drop, and I was delighted by Gene faking an emotional breakdown for just long enough to allow Jeff the opportunity to get out of there. Character of the Episode: Gene. Conclusion: Placement and timing issues aside, this episode did a lot right. It was a pleasure to return to Gene's world and the story we got was masterfully executed. I'm left curious and excited to see what's next following a fascinating and fun episode that gave us further exploration of Jimmy/Gene. This character has become so layered and complex that anything exploring him is interesting to watch. Bring on the final three episodes. Score: 70 Summary: Jimmy and Kim return to business and usual but find it hard to keep living their lives. Gus meets with Eladio after Hector accuses him of killing Lalo. The evidence proves Gus to be innocent but Eladio is wary of the hate in Gus' eyes. Gus meets with a sommelier who he is clearly attracted to, but chooses to leave when given the chance to pursue his revenge. Gus gets Mike to resume construction on the lab. Mike meets with Manuel and tells him about Nacho's death. Jimmy and Kim attend Howard's memorial where they lie to his wife Cheryl to continue to sell the lie that he was on drugs. Afterwards, Kim resigns from being an attorney. Jimmy returns to their apartment and tries to convince her to go back on it but Kim has decided she can't be a lawyer and can't be with Jimmy. After a lengthy debate, they ultimately break up. The story moves forward several years where Saul wakes up and heads to his office.
The Good: "Better Call Saul" and "Breaking Bad" are shows that thrive on showing fallout from major events. This is one of the things that sets these shows apart from everything else. The reason we care so much about the big plot events in this show is because we know that these plot events will affect the characters and their development. As such, it can be just as riveting to watch how the characters react to a major plot development, compared to watching the event itself. That's why this episode, despite being slow and character-driven, was every bit as gripping and engaging for me as the two action-packed episodes that preceded it. This was all about how the characters reacted and changed following the entire Lalo situation, and it was fantastic because of it. Jimmy and Kim interested me the most going into this episode, and their story is the best in my opinion. The opening montage does a spectacular job of setting the stage for this episode and for their story. Sure, we see Mike as well, but the bulk of this opening montage is about Jimmy and Kim, who will never be the same following their run-in with Lalo. It was a bold choice to show Jimmy and Kim simply living out a normal day in their life, almost like nothing happened. But it's clear that despite their normal exteriors, there is a lot that is wrong inside of them right now. The music choice is phenomenal and give these scenes a haunting and melancholy feeling, despite being pretty normal overall. Cutting to Mike a few times also adds to this sense that something is wrong. There are some terrific cuts involving blood that were particularly unsettling, linking the daily lives of Jimmy and Kim to something far more sinister. That permanent link is what makes things so uncomfortable for Jimmy and Kim. By the end of the montage, both have moved to a nearby hotel where Jimmy reiterates Mike's words verbatim to Kim, telling her that one day they can move on and forget. Jimmy clearly believes it, and that's sensible for someone who finds it so easy to compartmentalize his emotions. But for Kim, this is something else. Kim is like Mike in this way: she will never be able to forget what happened and she knows that. So while Jimmy's words are an attempt to comfort Kim, she gets no solace from his words at all. Kim's personal crisis continues when Jimmy and Kim find themselves at a memorial for Howard. The scene here is absolutely brutal, with pictures of a happy Howard plastered everywhere, and a sad air as everyone who knows him now has to mention his drug addiction, an addiction that never existed. Rich's scene alone is tough to get through, but it's the scene with Cheryl that really drives home how awful this whole situation is. As Jimmy taps into his real emotion of jealousy for Howard to defend himself from Cheryl, it's Kim who viciously goes all the way to ensure that there will be no suspicion from Cheryl. Kim not only comes up with a lie on the spot, but she executes it perfectly to make it seem earnest, and follows up by gaslighting Howard's widow for the purpose of protecting her own story. Kim prioritizes her and Jimmy getting away with it, and the cost is doing one of the most immoral things we have ever seen her do. I was devastated for Cheryl in this moment, and horrified that Kim chose to encourage Cheryl's own self-hate for self-preservation. Kim has well and truly gone too far, and there's no denying that now. Kim herself can't deny it either, and the end of the episode is a magnificently executed, heartbreaking cathartic moment as we see the culmination of Jimmy and Kim's relationship after five seasons of them being together. Jimmy is trying to move on, but Kim can't escape the self-hatred and the inner turmoil she is feeling after what she has done. She can't look at herself and she can't live with herself, so the only way forwards for her is to be rid of it all. She has to quit being an attorney, she has to leave her apartment, and worst of all, she has to leave Jimmy. The slow reveal of all of this was incredible, and each step hit harder than the last. We have followed this character and wished for her success for so long, and this is the point when it all finally comes crumbling down. Perhaps the worst part, and also the most genius, is that it wasn't some outside force that took everything away from Kim. It was Kim herself, distraught and unable to live with what she had done. Somehow, this is even worse than our worst nightmares about Kim's fate. The final argument with Jimmy is spectacularly written and acted with so many little details done perfectly, like Kim tragically having to downplay the "I love you" moment, and also a subtle nod to how Jimmy and Kim drifted apart when they weren't scamming together, and Kim's fear that this would happen again if she didn't con with Jimmy anymore. I was pleased with how the show handled Kim telling Jimmy that she knew that Lalo was alive, and how it framed Kim's self-hatred with Kim's own disgust in herself for not telling him. Jimmy has always been one to lie to himself and others, but Kim has proven that she is unable to, and that is true again here. When giving her reasons to Jimmy about hiding Lalo's survival, she is able to go past the excuses she told herself, and face her true motives. Rhea Seehorn's delivery of "because I was having too much fun" is devastating, and encapsulates the dilemma in Kim's head perfectly. It's the perfect note to end this scene on, and it leaves devastation in its wake. I've focused a lot on Kim, but Jimmy is just as broken by the end of this episode. Jimmy is messed up by what happened to Howard, but as I mentioned before, he is able to compartmentalize and move on easily. Unlike Kim, Jimmy has this ability to seamlessly become someone else in his business life so that he can forget about all of his pain. But what Jimmy isn't able to escape from is the tragedy of losing Kim. The past few seasons have been explicit in showing how much these characters love each other, and while Kim is able to make the choice to leave Jimmy, we know for sure that Jimmy would never be able to make the same decision. So it wrecks him when Kim leaves, and we see the carnage in such an unexpectedly genius way: with a flashforward to the future. Jimmy has embraced Saul, and it becomes clear that he is no longer Jimmy McGill anymore. Saul is present in every moment, whether it's at work or not. In that final sequence, there isn't a single sniff of Jimmy left, and Saul dominates everything. In fact, I don't even think that it's correct to call him Jimmy anymore, so I will be calling him Saul when discussing this ending sequence. At the start of this show, all of us were excited and waiting to see Jimmy become Saul, excited at the possibilities. But this episode takes Jimmy turning into Saul and turns it into something devastating. The sudden cut from Jimmy and Kim's break-up to Saul Goodman emphasizes that this is how Jimmy coped with Kim leaving. He became somebody else in every single facet of his life to the point that he is now permanently playing a character. This final sequence is filled with Saul's energy, and yet it feels lifeless, like we're looking at a husk going through a daily routine. Saul has never felt so empty because we know that Jimmy McGill that is supposed to be there, and yet he isn't even remotely present. It's unbelievably depressing, and it sells the idea that Jimmy turning into Saul was always a tragedy. It's another example of tremendous storytelling ability in this episode. The cartel half of proceedings aren't quite as interesting, but they manage to tell a powerful story that centers on the theme of how lusting for revenge has stolen away the lives and inner peace of Gus and Mike, damning them to their fates in "Breaking Bad". Both characters have a sense of finality in this episode, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last that we see of them in the show. Mike's story sees him meeting with Nacho's father Manuel and the emotional journey here is superb. We start in a familiar image as Mike is once again unable to sit peacefully at home, calling back to episodes like "Inflatable", and "Smoke" where he is unable to find peace in a home life. The knowledge of Nacho's death eats away at him because he can empathize all too well with Manuel, another father who lost his son. Calling back to the situation with the good samaritan back in seasons 2 and 3, we also remember that Mike likes to give closure to families when their loved ones are killed, instead of leaving it up in the air. So Nacho meets with Manuel, tells him what happened to Nacho and assures him that justice will be done to the people that took his son away from him. Manuel is emotional upon hearing about Nacho's fate, but what is unexpected is how viciously Manuel turns on Mike, throwing his justice back in his face. I was surprised yet impressed by this because it's perfectly in character for Manuel to condemn all of the "gangsters", stating that revenge is not the same as justice. And it's a harsh lesson for Mike because Mike has to face the hard truth from Manuel that he is the same as everyone else. Mike may have tried to empathize Manuel, but he's hit with the cold reality that they are completely different. The cinematography emphasizes this spectacularly, framing Mike inside a cage while Manuel roams free. Manuel mourns Nacho without a care for vengeance, and because of that he is free. But Mike? Revenge is all that Mike knows. It's revenge for his son that put Mike on this path that led to him becoming a button man for Gus, and Mike has been condemned to die in the business of revenge because of the choices he has made. It's a very sobering reality for Mike to accept that he is no longer free because of the choices he has made. This is further accentuated by Mike's brief interaction with Gus in this episode. In "Breaking Bad", I had assumed that these two were on good terms and mutually respected each other, but "Better Call Saul" makes it explicitly clear that this is not the case. Mike is not fond of Gus at all, in fact it seems that there is some hatred in his eyes. Mike absolutely has many reasons to hate Gus (keeping him in the business, Werner, Nacho, etc.), but he's a slave of his past choices and has to continue living this life until the day he dies. This is the tragic reality of Mike that this episode paints so beautifully. Gus also gets a good story in this episode. We start by closing out the cartel story by exploring the fallout of Lalo's death and how Gus covers it up to Don Eladio. Eladio continues to be such a joyful character to watch. He's so aloof and fun that it's easy to forget that he has to be quite the cunning and imposing man to be a cartel leader. I really like that Eladio has clocked that Gus hates him, but that "a little bit's okay" as long as Gus doesn't actively go against Eladio. Eladio is likely smart enough to know that Gus killed Lalo, but so long as Gus isn't sabotaging Eladio directly, he doesn't mind. I really like how the show handles Eladio, making him a fun character with more than what he shows on the surface. I also got a real good laugh out of Eladio mocking Hector with the bell, a rare moment of levity in an otherwise relentless episode. Gus was very lucky to get out of this situation though. It's easy to forget, but Gus has two gunshot wounds going into this meeting, and it's great to see him wincing throughout the episode so that we remember that he has to keep these wounds a secret or he will be completely cooked. Somehow, Gus survives, and we get a rare moment where he gets to celebrate and live in peace for a moment. He gets some joy from the simple act of opening his windows again, and in his ecstasy, he goes to a bar where we learned a surprising and interesting tidbit about Gus: there is somebody, a sommelier, that he is attracted to. I was completely taken aback to see somebody like the methodical, eternally calculating Gustavo Fring sitting these enraptured by this sommelier's conversation, looking completely vulnerable and at peace. Giancarlo Esposito plays it brilliantly, giving a new dimension to this character. For a moment, you can't help but hope that Gus has found some peace in this newfound love. But it's not meant to be. We know that Gus rarely visits this place, and his interactions are limited to 3 or 4 minutes to celebrate surviving Lalo and then we see him put on that veil again. Gus leaves the establishment because, just like Mike, he's committed to revenge and he is not allowing himself a way out of it. Gus refuses his own personal happiness to get this petty revenge, and the sad reality is that Gus is going to follow revenge to his death without ever having the chance to share that wine with the sommelier. Just like with Mike, it's a sad reality check which likely concludes the story of Gus in "Better Call Saul". The Bad: Nothing bad. I suppose some might be turned off by the slow pacing of this character-centric episode. The Unknown: Is this the last time we see Gus and Mike? Their scenes had a sense of finality to them, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is how we conclude their arcs. But I do wonder if they have some sort of role to play in whatever happens in these final 4 episodes. On that note, what exactly is going to happen now? How is this show going to tell a compelling story during the "Breaking Bad" timeline? Are we at that point in time now? This episode doesn't offer us many clues on what time period this is. The license plate sticker suggests it is 2005, but that could also be long expired as a way to symbolize that Jimmy has expired and it's just Saul now. Further, the mention of a public masturbator echoes Saul's introduction in "Breaking Bad" where he mistakes Badger for a public masturbator. Could this ending scene be on the same day that Saul first meets Walt? Is Kim gone for good? I imagine that she must come back at some point. Where did she go after breaking up with Jimmy? What is she doing now? Did she ever get over her guilt? Best Moment: And again we are spoiled for choice, but it's hard to argue against Jimmy and Kim's break-up scene. Such a devastating moment that pays off of seasons worth of storytelling. Character of the Episode: Kim. Conclusion: Another magnificent episode as "Better Call Saul" continues to nail its final season. This episode was quieter and less action-packed than the last two, but the emotion, storytelling depth, and consistent feeling of despair made it every bit as good as those episodes, if not better at certain points. This is certainly one of the show's best ever episodes, and the fourth such episode of what is turning out to be a monumental sixth season. Score: 86 Summary: A flashforward shows a beach where Howard's suicide has been staged. In the present, Lalo orders Jimmy to go to Gus' house with a gun and shoot him. Jimmy manages to get Kim to go instead and remains with Lalo. Lalo ties up Jimmy and leaves. Kim gets to the door but is stopped by Mike. Mike and his men go to Jimmy's place but don't find Lalo there. Gus realizes this was all a diversion and takes his remaining men to the lab where Lalo has gone. Lalo kills them all and films Gus, forcing him to show him the meth lab. Gus has a big speech against Eladio and the Salamancas, then he makes a play for his hidden gun and kills Lalo after a brief shootout. Kim is returned to Jimmy and Mike tells them to act normal and that they will stage a cocaine-related suicide for Howard, but the body won't be found. Howard and Lalo are buried together underneath the lab.
The Good: This was such a suspense-filled episode. This went at a breakneck pace, and every scene offered some sort of twist, or moment of suspense which made this such an engrossing and engaging experience. I have to especially credit the directing in the episode. every scene was shot to perfection with tremendous shot choices, gorgeous lighting, and impressively dynamic cinematography. "Better Call Saul" has always been excellent in this department, but this episode was top-notch, and the fantastic production of the episode is a big reason for why it was so intense. Another big reason is the acting. Every actor in this episode did a tremendous job, from Jonathan Banks to Rhea Seehorn. I was impressed by everybody, and the terrifyingly realistic performances added so much to the experience of this episode. Jimmy and Kim's tense conversation with Lalo was a stellar way to kick off the episode's plot. We're kept in the dark about Lalo's plan so the question remained what exactly he wanted from Jimmy and Kim. Even with 6 weeks to ponder this, I could never have predicted that Lalo would send them on a mission to go kill Gus at his house. This was a lovely twist, aided by how casually Lalo gave them this order. Lalo's calm body language throughout this scene was terrifying, complimenting the raw fear in both Jimmy and Kim. This also made Jimmy's big moment where he opts to send Kim out instead even more of a surprise. When you consider how quickly Jimmy shut down the last time he saw Lalo, I never expected Jimmy to get his game back on so quickly this time around. But he does, and when you realize that Jimmy is sacrificing himself so Kim can get away, it's a real emotional kicker. Both Jimmy and Kim know what the plan is, Jimmy is resolved, and Kim is terrified and in denial. The emotional state of both characters is captured perfectly, and the scene is almost darkly funny in a way with Lalo getting frustrated with their squabbling. Jimmy's short scene with Lalo afterwards gives us a direct tie-in to "Breaking Bad", which I really enjoyed. Under immense pressure and learning about Nacho's betrayal, Jimmy desperately shouts "it wasn't me, it was Ignacio!" as Lalo ties him up. This is a direct connection to "Breaking Bad", suggesting that Jimmy was flashing back to this very moment when Walt and Jesse took him out into the desert. This episode also answers why Jimmy was terrified of Lalo in that episode of "Breaking Bad". Even though he knows Lalo is dead, Lalo has come back from the dead once before, and I'm certain that Jimmy will always be terrified that he might come back once again. Another nice little connection to "Breaking Bad" is when Jimmy falls over onto his side, facing Howard's dead body. In his position, Jimmy is bound and forced to face the consequences of his actions. This positioning will be familiar to "Breaking Bad" fans who will recall Walt in the same position facing Hank's dead body, as well as Gus facing Max's dead body. Then we get into Kim's mission to go kill Gus, and this was ruthlessly intense. Who would have imagined that Kim Wexler, attorney at law, would find herself in such a morally corrupt situation? But here she is, heading over to kill a random civilian to save her husband's life. Rhea Seehorn played this unexpected turn in Kim's life unbelievably well and incorporated impressive layers of frustration, fear, and inner turmoil. A fantastic scene is when a police car pulls up next to Kim and she's forced to decide whether she should involve them or not, and she ultimately decides against it. The scene is gripping, tense, and emotionally powerful, what more would you expect from a scene like that? Kim's trip takes her to Gus' house (where we get a shot that mirrors Walt going to Gus' house back in "Thirty-Eight Snub") and the build up to her making the choice to kill is spectacular. Luckily Mike saves her from having to make that decision, but we're still left with the fascinating question of "would she have done it", a great bit of moral contemplation surrounding the character of Kim Wexler. Following this, we finally start to figure out what's really happening. Mike goes after Lalo immediately, but not after a terrific moment where Kim rages at him for not being there to stop Lalo and save Howard. Mike's guilt is a palpable aspect of this episode as Lalo outsmarts him on every level. Mike immediately goes to find Lalo, but he once again plays right into Lalo's hands as Lalo sneaks inside of the now undefended Lavenderia Brilliante. Gus is the only one to figure out Lalo's plan. Consistent with Gus' sixth sense that he displayed in "Breaking Bad", Gus is able to smell something fishy in Lalo's plan to send Kim and realizes that this whole assassination attempt was a diversion. The reveal of Lalo's plan in these minutes was done really well, and it was a great dramatic reveal to set up the big showdown between Gus and Lalo. And boy was that showdown fantastic. Lalo outsmarts Gus one final time by sneaking into the lab, and even Gus' sixth sense couldn't save him this time. What results is a total dominant victory for Lalo. For a few minutes, Lalo has complete control on a passive and helpless Gus and it is glorious. Here Lalo is gathering all the proof he needs while utterly dominating the man that he despises so so much. It's a shocker to see Gus in such a vulnerable and helpless state, and that's telling of the threat that Lalo poses. Both Tony Dalton and Giancarlo Esposito nail these scenes and they are brilliantly executed. There may not be a huge amount of tension (see: The Bad), but the scenes are very well done. We know that Gus is buying time to get that gun hidden in the lab, and the episode builds its suspense by having us wait until the shoe drops. In the meantime, Lalo indulges in Gus' final monologue, and we get a magnificent hate-filled speech that directly parallels Nacho's speech from "Rock and Hard Place". Gus clearly took inspiration from Nacho, perhaps confirming that Nacho did earn Gus' respect in the end. Utilizing this distraction, Gus gets to his gun and after a few frenzied bullets fly, Gus manages to take out his despicable rival. This gunfight was outstanding in my opinion. It's not visually spectacular or a logn action sequence. Instead it's a brutally real flash of bullets and anxiety, a surprise explosion of action that delivers a few nail-biting moments as we are left wondering if Gus got Lalo or not. Those few moments in the dark with Gus breathing rapidly in total fear before revealing Lalo's motionless legs were outstanding. It was a perfect way to connect us emotionally with Gus' fear and uncertainty before giving us the reveal that he lucked out of this situation and managed to defeat Lalo. This sequence was fantastic television and it was a perfect end for Lalo. Gus toughing through his gunshot wounds to tower over Lalo, and Lalo's sly final laugh as he bled out were beautiful character moments to cap off this spectacle of a sequence. What a way to conclude the war between these two characters, with a thrilling sequence that handles both characters with utmost respect. Well done. Afterwards we get the aftermath as Gus calls in for a week and gets Lyle to cover for him (always good to see sweet, innocent Lyle again). Mike moves into clean-up mode as he reunites Jimmy and Kim and handles disposing of Howard's body. His scene explaining the story that Jimmy and Kim will have to go with was brutal. Howard's fate is absolutely depressing, and it weighs on both Jimmy and Kim what they did to this innocent man. Using the fridge to remove Howard's body from the scene is quite clever, and it also allows for that harrowing shot of Howard's body being shoved into the fridge, an image that Jimmy will not soon forget. Surrounding all of this chaos, we have two wonderful scenes that open and close the episode. These two scenes are slow-paced, melancholic, and atmospheric, creating a sorrowful atmosphere. The opening scene is completely different from anything we have seen setting-wise. This is the first time we've ever seen a beach in the "Breaking Bad" universe, and the change in visuals is striking immediately. It quickly becomes apparent that we are looking at a staged suicide for Howard, and the sequence extracts plenty of emotion out of that idea. Then we have the final scene, a sad burial for both Lalo and Howard underneath the lab. Not only does this change how we will rewatch "Breaking Bad", knowing that these two significant characters are buried in the superlab, but it also serves as a permanent way to marry the legal half and cartel half of the show with the two characters that best represent either side. The scene itself is atmospheric and sad, and Mike's clear sadness over the fate of Howard adds further depth to this scene. Where the first scene is sad because of the idea of Howard's fate, this final scene is sad because it shows us his real fate, and it's nowhere near as beautiful as being lost on a beautiful beach. Instead, Howard in manhandled by Mike's men and buried next to his killer underneath an illegal meth lab where he will never be found. It's a final depressing turn for Howard, concluding his story in a deeply upsetting way. The Bad: The only issue with this episode is that it is predictable at times, which means that it is unable to sustain an extreme level of tension throughout the episode like it is attempting to do. The directing, acting, and writing get the absolute most out of the episode, but that can't overcome the prequel problem of knowing where things end up. We know that Jimmy is not going to die, so there is only so much suspense we can get out of his scenes with Lalo. More significantly, we know that Gus can't die and that Lalo will never be able to tell anyone about the lab. This means that Lalo dying in this sequence is predetermined, and it's only a matter of time before it happens. Knowing that Lalo has to die here saps a lot of tension out from an otherwise superbly directed scene. It's a shame, but "Better Call Saul" had no way to overcome this problem, and the Gus/Lalo sequence was doomed to never be up there with some of the best suspense-based scenes in the show. The Unknown: Will Jimmy and Kim be able to adjust to their normal lives after what happened? How will this affect their relationship? Will they be able to stick to Mike's lie? Will anybody be investigating the circumstances of Howard's disappearance? Howard told Cliff about Jimmy, will Cliff look into things? What will be the fallout of Lalo's death? Will Gus go brag to Hector like we see him do in "Breaking Bad"? With Lalo dead with so many episodes left before the finale, will we be heading to the "Breaking Bad" timeline sooner rather than later? Best Moment: This episode is filled with terrific scenes, and I debated with half a dozen other moments. But in the end, I'll go with Kim reaching Gus' house with the gun and trying to convince herself to kill. A terrific scene, outstandingly acted by Rhea Seehorn. I would never have guessed in a million years that Kim would have ended up knocking on someone's door with the intent to kill, and yet here we are. The shocking nature and intensity of the scene was enough to leave me gripped to see what happens next. Character of the Episode: Lalo. Conclusion: This was a magnificent episode filled with tension, brilliant acting, and impressive directing. There was an issue of this being predictable, but the near-perfect execution of this episode manages to overcome that flaw and ensure that this is still fantastic television. What a way to return from a midseason break. Score: 82 Summary: Lalo sets up in the sewer across from Lavanderia Brillante and watches it. He places a call to Hector but realizes that the line was tapped. He tells Hector he will surprise Gus that night and watches as Gus's men leave the laundry Mike meets with Gus and tells him that he's pulling his guys to protect Gus from Lalo. Jimmy gets the crew back together and they do reshoots for D-Day. Jimmy gives the new photos to Howard's PI. Howard sees the photos right before an important meeting with Schweikart. The photos are coated in a substance that causes Howard's pupils to dilate. At the meeting, Howard recognizes Casimiro and accuses him of being compromised, but the photos are swapped for other photos and Howard ends up looking crazy. Cliff meets with Howard and Howard tells him that he was played. Cliff seems to believe him but they are forced to settle anyways. Jimmy and Kim are overjoyed by their success and have sex. Later, Howard visits Jimmy and Kim, confronting them about what they did and bashing their lifestyle. Suddenly, Lalo arrives and shoots Howard in the head before turning to Jimmy and Kim.
The Good: Wow, what an episode. Before I get into the specifics, I have to praise the structure of this episode and how it provides a complete emotional experience from start to finish. The start of this episode is traditional "Better Call Saul" at its methodical and experimental best. We open with an intriguing dialogue-free scene with Lalo, and then transition to a funny and entertaining con as Jimmy and Kim do their reshoots. The episode starts off so delightful and fun by doing several "Better Call Saul" staples, and that gives it a sense of comfort and familiarity. We've supported Jimmy and Kim through many cons, so it's easy to be engrossed in their work yet again. But this episode doesn't allow us to sit in comfort, and it shifts our emotions expertly as we watch the con executed from Howard's point of view. For the first time since "Fall", I found myself totally disgusted by what I was watching. I started the episode enjoying Jimmy and Kim's handiwork, but as the con got going and we saw poor innocent Howard suffer a terrible humiliation, I felt myself gradually shift towards discomfort. I'll get into more specifics later, but this part of the episode was ruled by feelings of disappointment and disgust towards Jimmy and Kim for what they have done to Howard. The sequence is so long and engrossing that I completely forgot that the episode opened with Lalo. After a brief reminder that he exists, we end with a satisfying scene as Howard fully illuminates the selfish, childish, and morally wrong nature of Jimmy and Kim's behaviour. And after what I had just seen, I found myself agreeing with Howard's analysis. This was a step too far for me and it alienated me from Jimmy and Kim in a way that made me want to see them have some sort of comeuppance for what they had done. But be careful what you wish for, because when that comeuppance came at the end of the episode, it was an anxiety-filled horror-show. From feeling so sad and angry for Howard, the episode suddenly turned towards pure terror as Lalo arrives and executes Howard coldly and callously in a scene that left me emotionally devastated and stunned. The emotional journey that this episode took me on from delight to sheer terror was tremendous and is one of the main reasons that this episode was so spectacular. The reshoots at the start of the episode are a blast, and I was grinning throughout pretty much every scene. Thomas Schnauz had a lot of fun with the direction, especially using 1 memorable long take followed by a dynamic spinning camera motion as Lenny was prepared for the reshoot. The comedy is top notch too. Jimmy convincing Lenny to come back is quite funny, and I laughed at Lenny's fascination with his character when he learned that his character's arm is broken ("the plot thickens!"). The film crew got another chance to shine for what might be the final time. I was amused by camera guy's character consistency as he is so condescending about his camera in the lecture hall, and he forces Jimmy to give him a significant pay raise for the shoots. The entire sequence uses many of the signature stylistic elements that "Better Call Saul" has become known for, and it utilizes them with terrific efficiency. The sequence concludes with a big reveal that Howard's PI has been compromised by Jimmy, which is a great twist that raises the stakes for the ensuing scenes with Howard. Watching D-Day go down was deeply uncomfortable. We spend almost all of this time in Howard's point of view and its so sad to see him gradually fall into the trap. "Axe and Grind" laid down so many hints about what's to come so we end up figuring out the scheme shortly before it happens. But I think that this aids the entire sequence, and it becomes all the more painful when we know what's coming because we are rooting on Howard to figure things out and save face, but he falls just short of seeing the bigger picture. Jimmy and Kim are just too good, and it is tragic as Howard uses his head and figures things out; the only issue is that him figuring it out is all part of Kim's plan. There's an air of tragedy here, and I found myself sympathizing more and more with Howard with each passing scene. But while I sympathize with Howard, there's Jimmy and Kim relishing in his humiliation, and that made me gradually feel more and more disgusted by their actions. The big pay-off comes at the end when they have sex while Howard's career goes up in flames, an act so despicable and malicious that it made me completely lose all sympathy for them. I no longer enjoyed seeing their cons at play, and now I feel like I finally see them in the way that Chuck did. Chuck has a lasting role in this episode, and I feel that this is one of those few times where he is vindicated. This is the exact nightmare that Chuck wanted to stop. Jimmy and Kim using their powers to tear down a hard-working lawyer is the "chimp with a machine gun" that Chuck described way back in "Pimento". This episode is careful to parallel Chuck at every turn. Howard starts the episode reminiscing about Chuck while telling a story to the young worker Carey, allowing us to remember Chuck and think about him before the episode starts making its parallels. And the parallels are glorious. So much of the con that happens here resembles what Jimmy did to Chuck back in "Fifi" and "Nailed". In those episodes, Jimmy forced Chuck to make a legal error which cost him Mesa Verde and Chuck knew exactly what had happened, but he sounded so crazy that nobody believed him. This was mirrored in this episode when Howard makes a legal error which costs him the Sandpiper case and he knew exactly what happened but nobody believed him. The key difference between these two separate incidents is how I felt about what was happening. With Chuck, what Jimmy did almost felt justifiable because he was doing it for Kim, and Kim needed Mesa Verde to succeed financially and be willing to branch out with Jimmy. But Jimmy and Kim only did this Howard scheme because they could. There's no reason and no justification for this, and that resulted in me empathizing with Howard and finally seeing what it is that Chuck saw back in "Nailed". Chuck may have gone about it the complete wrong way, but his disgust for these types of schemes was absolutely not misplaced. In the wrong hands, actions like these can end innocent careers, and in the case of this episode, end innocent lives. The parallels with Chuck don't end there. Much like Chuck, Howard is unwilling to back down and let Jimmy win by settling Sandpiper, and you get the sense that he understood the position that Chuck had found himself in back in seasons 2 and 3. In this moment he finally accepted that Chuck was right about Jimmy and that there was no other way to look at it. Poor Howard did nothing wrong to deserve all of this. Patrick Fabian does tremendous work throughout the episode and you can't help but feel for him and what he went through. Howard's craziness is portrayed perfectly because what he's saying and doing is perfectly reasonable, but the situation has been engineered beyond his control to ensure that he looks bad. It's frustrating to watch, and it's frustrating for him to understand and accept that he got played. Howard got absolutely nothing out of everything that happened. At the very least this makes his rant at Jimmy and Kim at the end of the episode thoroughly satisfying. All of his vitriol is right on the money, and there's nothing he says to the two of them that isn't true. They are soulless. Howard did not deserve what they did to him, and he illustrates that perfectly. Sure Howard sided with Chuck, sure he kicked Kim into doc review that one time, but he had reasons for doing so, and there is no world where this can justify them attacking him so personally. Howard is completely accurate with all that he says, and it really hits home when he comes to the conclusion that Jimmy and Kim did this purely for the fun of it. Because they did. They have been justifying their actions throughout the season, but it's crystal clear that they did not need to go through with this scheme. Howard lays this truth bare, and it's a harsh truth for us to accept that the characters we have been rooting for all along have stepped too far and become bad people. The episode handles this idea with care and utilizes it perfectly to impact us while we watch the episode. The final minute of the episode is where it came crashing down. The last minute of the episode felt like an eternity and ramped things up to an unbelievable level of suspense and terror, the likes of which this show has not reached before. When there was a knock at Jimmy and Kim's door, my heart immediately took me back to "Bad Choice Road" and I was scared that it would be Lalo. Thankfully it was just Howard, but I fully think that this brief moment of fear was intentional. We had cut right from a scene with Gus and Mike fretting about Lalo to this moment, which leads me to believe that I was supposed to think it was Lalo. What this accomplished was putting me into a false sense of security which was immediately shattered when Lalo arrived in the final minute of the episode. Signaling his arrival with the flicker of a candle is such an ominous, unsettling image, and I think that it was a superb decision. It didn't take long for me to fear for Howard's life, and seeing Lalo standing right next to him, casually screwing on that silencer was frightening. By this point I knew that Howard would be dying, and that slow build-up to an eventual inevitability is a hallmark of great tragedy. Howard's death is filmed in such a way that it still manages to be a sudden, anxiety-inducing surprise that made me flinch and gasp in shock. It's such a devastating moment especially because of how little Howard deserved his fate. He was simply in the wrong place at the worst possible time and he paid for it with his life. Even more devastating is Jimmy and Kim's shocked reactions as they are unable to articulate and immediately begin to panic, having witnessed Howard's murder right in front of them out of nowhere. Lalo's arrival came right out of left field, and it's a terrifying moment that puts a damp and depressing end to an episode that took me on an unbelievable emotional ride. Lalo had other scenes in this episode, and all of them were great. The opening scene is a marvelous piece of wordless filmmaking. It's a gradual revealing of information that sets the scene for the episode. We start wondering who we are looking at, and after a slow zoom-in we quickly realize it is Lalo. The next question is where he is, which we are told subtly through the use of a New Mexico license plate, which is a clever bit of scene-setting. Then finally our last question is what is he doing. Through this sequence we get to see Lalo's daily routine as he showers up, catches an hour of sleep (consistent with what he told Nacho back in "Something Unforgivable"), grabs some food, and returns to his spot. It's not until the final reveal, done with a lovely dynamic bit of filmmaking, that we realize what exactly Lalo is up to. This type of slow-paced mystery-solving is typical of "Better Call Saul" and it's a joy to watch. Lalo is really fun here as he records a video for Eladio and sums up for us how much he has learned about Gus's operation from Casper and what his current plan is. It's surprising that Lalo left Germany so quickly, but I do like this decision since it's much less exciting to watch Lalo when he's so far away geographically from the main plot. But Lalo gets found out while placing a call to Hector, which is a detail that I loved. Lalo does not know that Gus is onto him, and so he falls right into this trap. Gus has been so paranoid, so it's no wonder that he bugged Casa Tranquila. But unfortunately Lalo's smart enough to notice that the phone line has been bugged, and he is resourceful on his feet to lie and set up a distraction to create himself an opening. Lots of wonderful little details in this episode. I'll give bonus points for Lalo noticing the cockroach and thinking of Jimmy, who he described as "la cucaracha" last season. There is a distinct theme of rotation throughout this episode, which adds to the anxiety. The sweeping shot revealing Lalo to be watching the laundry, the rapidly rotating camera while Lenny is being prepared for the shoots, Howard turning the soda can to dispel the pressure build-up, the shot of Howard running up the spiral staircase, and Lalo putting on the silencer all added to this feeling. I smiled at Lalo's delight when recognizing Mike, almost like he had stumbled upon an old friend. Lenny practicing some lines while pushing shopping carts is one of those little things that make this show richer than most others. Showing us a quick second of Lenny's life makes the character feel so much more real. The camera guy telling Jimmy and Kim "you can't rush the process" surely has to be a meta joke about the slow pacing of this series. I chuckled at that. The double meaning of "Plan and Execution" has to be one of my favourite uses of an episode title. Of course the title means that execution of Jimmy and Kim's plan for Howard, but the "execution" aspect can also refer to Howard's death at the end of an episode that was filled with characters making plans. The Bad: Nothing. The Unknown: What does Lalo want from Jimmy and Kim? How will they help him move against Gus? How will Jimmy and Kim react in the wake of Howard's death? How will this tragedy change them and their beliefs? How will Jimmy and Kim cover up Howard's death? Will they stage it as suicide or a spat with his drug dealer? Will Lalo take care of Howard's body for them? Will they have to call Mike for help? Will Jimmy learn that Kim knew Lalo was still alive? How will this affect their relationship? Best Moment: It has to be that shocking ending. Everything after the candle flickered had my heart pounding with tension and fear, and I will not soon be able to shake the image of Howard being murdered from my head. Character of the Episode: Howard. He didn't deserve what happened to him, and I will greatly miss Patrick Fabian in this show. Conclusion: What a masterful episode. This was everything that I love about "Better Call Saul" packed into a single episode, and it resulted in an emotional, exhilarating, and shocking experience. I know this wasn't intended to be a midseason finale, but it functions perfectly as one. An all-around terrific episode. Score: 87 Summary: A flashback shows Kim getting caught for stealing. Her mother chews her out, but swipes the earrings that she stole and gives them to her. In the present, Howard continues to get intel on Jimmy from his PI. Jimmy and Kim continue to prepare for D-Day. Jimmy and Kim visit Caldera for a substance that dilates your pupils. Jimmy gets Francesca to make a call to Sandpiper to get information on a meeting. Jimmy also gets a friend Lenny to cosplay as Judge Casimiro and takes pictures with him. Kim is offered an interview for pro bono funding by Cliff but it will be taking place on D-Day. Jimmy tells her to do it and she agrees. On D-Day, Jimmy goes to buy Zafiro Anejo to celebrate but runs into Casimiro who has broken his arm. He calls Kim to cancel the plan, but Kim turns around, choosing to double down on making the plan happen. Mike has assigned protection for his family, and calls them at night, accepting that he is unable to see them in the current situation. Lalo tracks down Casper, who hides when Lalo finds him. Casper hits him in the chest, but Lalo turns things around and cuts his foot off with an axe, preparing to question him.
The Good: Kim is the star of the show here, and it all starts with her flashback. The opening flashback was a lovely scene that showcased how deeply ingrained Kim's desire for conning is. We know that Kim had a rough childhood, and this one decision to steal suggests that she did it for attention. But surprisingly we learn that her mother is happy to let her get away with stealing, and that she conned the guy at the office into letting Kim off the hook so that she could get out with the earrings. This was Kim's first ever con, and it's curious to explore how this shaped her. For one, we see that Kim is still wearing those same earrings that were stolen, so clearly this con held a place in her heart. Secondly, it's interesting how Kim's mother parallels Jimmy, and I can't help but wonder if Kim chose to marry someone that was just like her mother, which is an interesting bit of depth for her. This isn't the first time that Jimmy has paralleled Kim's mother, as there was another instance back in "Wexler v. Goodman" where a flashback to Kim's past with her mother helped to illuminate her relationship with Jimmy in the present. I always appreciate how this show includes such depth for its characters. Kim's character comes up to a delightful choice by the end of the episode. Throughout the episode we get to see Jimmy and Kim further preparing this con, and we plainly see how exciting it is to them. So it is somewhat painful for Kim when she realizes that she is going to miss the big "D-Day" because she has an important interview for her pro-bono work that will be huge for her work and her clients. Obviously Kim's career is more important and so she will prioritize that - the whole point of the con is for her career anyways! Or at least that's what Kim may have been telling herself, but the end of the episode reveals this to be untrue for Kim. After the slightest of details goes wrong, the entire plan is in jeopardy, and the tension escalates rapidly and suddenly. The rise in suspense makes it easy for us to connect with Kim and feel the anxiety that she feels as she makes her choice to turn around and give up on her interview. The choice is a nightmare for us because it signifies Kim prioritizing the thrill of a con over the wellbeing of her clients, doubling down on Kim's decayed morality. This moment is a disaster because it's an enormous risk. Kim is actively putting her life and career in danger by turning around, and I can't help but be terrified for her. The rest of the Jimmy/Kim story is all set-up for D-Day. It's not quite done as delightfully as I have come to expect from "Better Call Saul" (see: The Bad), but the scenes are all solid. We get a great return for Caldera as he passes the torch to Jimmy by revealing that he plans to leave town to pursue his vet career, which is totally in line with what we have seen from him in the past. We spend more time at Saul's office, seeing it continue to develop. It's going to be a slow and harsh change for Francesca from the look of things, and I'm enjoying it a lot. She is so hopeful as she decorates the office to look lovely and cozy, but it just doesn't fit. We already see her horror as Saul's clients are abusing the decor, putting out cigarettes and urinating in the office. Furthermore, Francesca now has to get used to being Jimmy's phone call lady, as she does her first scheming phone call to help Jimmy with his con. It's also nice to see the film crew return again to help Jimmy take some pictures. The set-up is solid, and it still leaves plenty of questions about what's going to happen next (see: The Unknown). I've enjoyed how this season is handling Howard. After getting a suggestion of home troubles back in "Hit and Run", we get to see what Howard's home life looks like and it is a sad picture. He's very endearing, and he certainly tries. That latte he made looked like it was made with a lot of effort, but his wife is so alienated by him that she seemingly doesn't care and immediately dumps it into a thermos. You can't help but feel for Howard since he's absolutely made mistakes in the past, but is working hard to get his life back together. He doesn't deserve what Jimmy and Kim are trying to do to him. Gus and Lalo's war continues to build up slowly but surely with some solid scenes. In this episode we learn that Mike is using his resources to watch him family, sacrificing his own personal protection. The phone call scene with Kaylee was a terrific showcase for Jonathan Banks. We can see how much it is eating at him that he can't spend time with his family, and that gives him plenty of personal reasons to take out Lalo. Speaking of Lalo, he has tracked down Casper and is going to quiz him for answers about what Gus was doing. The sequence of him going after Casper was tense, and you can't help but admire Lalo's resourcefulness and sheer brutality. Casper had the heart to hit Lalo with the blunt part of the axe, but Lalo is not so kind. It's brutal when he cuts off Casper's foot, another great showcase for Lalo's psychotic nature. The Bad: This is another slow episode that is dedicated to set-up. On its own, that's not a terrible thing, but the problem is that we've now had three slow episodes in a row and it is starting to feel like there is too much set-up happening here. Set-up is good, but we need more storytelling momentum to carry us through the season. The biggest issue is that there isn't a whole lot of dramatic and exciting sequences in the past couple of episodes. Lalo in Germany at the end of the last episode was good, but this episode doesn't have anything that approaches that same level. Lalo and Casper's scene is good, but Casper isn't a deep enough character to make this any more than a fun showcase of Lalo's brutality. Likewise, Mike's scene is well-acted but it can't help but feel a bit unnecessary in the grander scheme of things. I appreciate that this show is willing to give us these details, but I am becoming hungry to get some more emotional storytelling. I found myself a bit disappointed in how "Better Call Saul" gave us the set-up for D-Day. There were lots of different details being prepared, and typically we would get some inventive and exciting filmmaking from the show to convey these details. Perhaps also a unique reflection on the characters. But this episode didn't have any of that ambition or cinematic flair that I've come to expect. It was simply one scene after the other, and I honestly expected more when it came to the filmmaking. The Unknown: How did Kim feel after her successful bit of thievery in the first scene? Was this where she first developed her love for conning? What exactly is the plan for Howard? There are a lot of details that were set up in this episode. Jimmy has withdrawn a lot of money. Why? Was he counting on Howard's PI seeing this? We see that Jimmy has created some photos of him interacting with "Judge Casimiro". Is he going to give these to Howard's PI? Is Howard's PI somehow working for Jimmy and Kim? What is the use of these photos? Why did Jimmy need to learn the information about the Sandpiper meeting? What will he use that obvious cocaine alternative for? What is he planning for D-Day? I'm sure that Jimmy ends up getting the book from Caldera. Will he buy it from him? If so, then when? How will Jimmy and Kim attempt to correct the plan? Will they do reshoots with a broken arm? Or are they going to switch up the plan? Will this go wrong? What information will Lalo learn from Casper? Where is he going to go next? Best Moment: Kim's decision to turn back to finish the con is a massive moment to the character, and it's filled with dread. I'm very excited to see the next episode, and I'm concerned that Kim might pay the price for making this choice. Character of the Episode: Kim. Conclusion: This was another solid episode that further explored the characters and provided a lot of set-up for later episodes. It's done well, but I can't deny that the slow pacing of the show is starting to get a bit grating after three episodes where not much has happened. I'm patient and this show has certainly earned my trust, but this feels like a few too many slow episodes. Score: 64 Summary: Kim chooses not to tell Jimmy about Lalo being alive. Jimmy goes to work and hires Francesca at the new office. Kim meets with Viola and learns about the judge in the Sandpiper case. Cliff confronts Howard and Howard realizes that Jimmy is damaging his reputation. Howard tricks Jimmy into meeting him at a boxing ring where Howard convinces him to have a match which Howard wins. Howards gets a PI to follow Jimmy. Jimmy returns home to find Kim and they reflect on their next moves. Gus continues to panic in his daily life, unaware of where Lalo is. He visits the superlab and plants a gun inside. Lalo is in Germany and he meets with Werner's wife Margarethe. He quickly charms her and takes her to her house. When she leaves for work the next morning, Lalo sneaks inside hunting for a connection to Werner's workers. He finds a trophy. Margarethe returns home but Lalo is able to sneak out without having to kill her.
The Good: This episode continues those themes of paranoia that were present in the last, especially in this opening few minutes. It's great seeing the Jimmy/Kim storyline and the Gus/Mike storyline united by the characters all being terrified of Lalo's re-emergence in the early scenes. Even though he isn't on-screen, Lalo is the main focus here and it's fascinating to see how the different characters are dealing with his impending arrival. Gus continues to panic, and it's a great bit of continuity with the anxiety we saw him suffer from back in "Namaste" last season. Gus is unable to focus even at work (shown through another great long-take), and every second is spent worrying about when Lalo will show up. Gus makes sure to check the face of everyone in the kitchen to ensure that none of them are a disguised Lalo. By the end of the episode, Gus has overthought everything and that leads to him setting up an interesting trap for Lalo (see: The Unknown). Jimmy and Kim dealing with paranoia is even more interesting. Having learned about Lalo's return, Kim consciously chooses not to tell Jimmy about it, which is pretty surprising. Usually it's Jimmy who is hiding things from Kim, but now the opposite is true. Kim is in deeper than Jimmy is now, and so she has started to take things further than him. Another interesting bit of depth is that Kim barricades the door with a chair and then immediately removes it after speaking with Jimmy. Did she manipulate him into talking about Lalo by putting the chair on the door? If so, then that's a perfect indicator of how far Kim has gone, that she is now manipulating Jimmy with ease in the same way that he does. A sad reflection of Kim's fraying morality comes later when she meets with Viola, who is so sweet with how she looks up to Kim in ways that simply aren't true anymore. Rhea Seehorn conveys the discomfort that Kim feels to perfection, understanding that she is no longer the legally pure being that she used to be. Where Kim and Viola have a wholesome working relationship, we get it paralleled with Jimmy working with Francesca. It's great to have Francesca back and we begin to see the origin of the Saul/Francesca dynamic which was so entertaining back in "Breaking Bad". Jimmy's new operation is beneath what Francesca wants to do, but she initially goes along with it because Jimmy promises her lots of money and an escape from the DMV. And of course, we know that Francesca will continue to work for Jimmy for these same reasons. Howard has a stand-out episode, possibly Patrick Fabian's best work in the series, only contested by his excellent scenes with Michael McKean in the back half of season 3. We open with an excellent scene as Howard saves the Sandpiper case by selling the reasoning for continuing it to the senior citizens who are upset that the case is continuing. After a good laugh from Cliff's assuming Howard's anxious fidgeting is related to an addiction, we get to see Howard in his element. Funnily enough, the way he talks and sells so flamboyantly is very reminiscent of the Jimmy McGill that we saw back in the early seasons of the show. This connection between Howard and Jimmy caught me off guard and it is exactly why Howard liked Jimmy so much: he saw a bit of himself in Jimmy. There's an air of tragedy to that because in another world Jimmy and Howard would have been a perfect pairing at HHM. But Chuck had to get in the way, and then once Chuck was out of the picture, it was Jimmy himself getting in the way. These parallels between Howard and Jimmy are an effective reminder that Howard is a good person and that we should not be cheering on Jimmy and Kim for what they are doing to him. I ended up cheering on Howard in his next moves. Cliff confronting him about his problems was fun, and the scene had a terrific conclusion as Howard cancels everything to resolve his "Jimmy McGill problem". The boxing ring meet-up was exciting, and I got a good chuckle out of Howard's alias of Mr. Ward. There was something so satisfying from seeing Howard being relentlessly real with Jimmy, while Jimmy deflects and tries to act aloof. The boxing match was a total blast. The filming was inspiring, and it was immensely satisfying seeing these two sloppily throw punches at each other, with Howard ending up on top and delivering a scathing line to Jimmy ("don't mistake my kindness for weakness"). Howard is totally hell bent on stopping Jimmy, and he has gone as far as to hire a PI to follow Jimmy too, which may be something that Jimmy did not expect (see: The Unknown). Ordinarily I would be unhappy with straight-laced Howard having the connections and confidence to hire a PI, but we know that he has done it before for Chuck back in "Witness", so it is perfectly reasonable. But Howard is missing one thing: Jimmy is not the mastermind here. He assumes that Jimmy is responsible for everything, but in reality it is Kim who is behind it all. And Kim hasn't even crossed Howard's radar at this point, which is indicative of how shocking and disappointing Kim's fall from grace was. Even Jimmy isn't at the same level as she is and he feels immensely guilty about what he's doing. Jimmy didn't have to fight Howard, but he did, knowing he was going to lose, because he felt bad about what he was doing to Howard. It's painfully clear that Kim is the real one that Howard needs to go after, and so long as he doesn't see the bigger picture, he's never going to escape what they have planned for him. The episode ends with an exciting twist, finally showing us where Lalo has been. The Germany reveal caught me entirely by surprise, but it makes perfect sense because Werner was the only lead that Lalo found. It's a chilling moment when you realize that Lalo has Werner's wife in his sights. Margarethe was only just introduced in this episode, but because we cared about Werner, and because Margarethe embodies that same loveable friendliness in her (helping the Germans playing the quiz game), we immediately care for her. It's an impressive bit of character writing and acting that we are immediately terrified for the life of this woman who we only just met. Lalo is an exciting terror in this episode. He has dialed up the charm to 11 in his conversations with Margarethe, and he is so so impressive at it. It's no wonder that Margarethe is enchanted by him, and a number of horrible thoughts enter your mind: is Lalo going to sleep with Werner's wife? Is he going to kill her? Thankfully, Margarethe doesn't let him in, so Lalo simply waits until the next day when she leaves for work to get the proof that he needs to track down why Werner was working for Gus. But of course it isn't that easy, and the end of the episode teases one final bit of brutality as Margarethe returns and becomes suspicious of somebody being in her house. Unfortunately, she's too smart for her own good, and that intelligence had a very real chance of getting her killed. Kudos to the writers for making me afraid about the potential death of a character I had only just met. Thankfully, she was okay, and I wonder if Lalo choosing not to kill her was a sign that he genuinely did connect with her and feel bad for her. Or perhaps, Lalo simply learned from the TravelWire incident and has decided to limit the number of casualties in his wake. I always appreciate how "Better Call Saul" subtly illuminates more about its characters through small decisions like Lalo's decision to escape rather than kill. The Bad: There's nothing outright bad about this, but I did find this episode to run a bit too long. It's a slow episode, even by "Better Call Saul" standards, and I'm not sure that it needed to be quite as long as it was. Having multiple episodes of Gus being paranoid for example was a bit too much. The scenes were all good, but it took a long while to get to Lalo's return, and not a whole lot was done in that time. The slow pacing is especially felt because this episode is a transitional episode. I suspect the final two episodes of the half-season will be much more exciting and this episode's set-up will certainly have been necessary. However, future events being good does not make this episode more exciting. The Unknown: What did Lalo find on that trophy? Will it lead him to Werner's boys? He made note of the company that made the trophy. Is that where he will be heading next? What is Howard going to do about Jimmy? He has sent a PI after Jimmy. Is Jimmy expecting this? Or will it catch him off guard? Will Howard's PI get found out by Mike's men? That could put Howard into a lot of trouble. What is the next step in the Howard plan? How is it going to be so much worse for him? Why did Gus leave the gun in his lab? Has he figured out that Lalo will be going after the superlab? Does he expect that his next meeting with Lalo will take place inside the lab? What is Gus planning? Best Moment: It's tough to choose. There are lots of great moments but none that really stand out. I'll go with the cathartic conversation between Howard and Jimmy before their boxing match. There's something so satisfying about seeing Howard standing up to Jimmy, even if it was all part of the plan. Character of the Episode: Howard. Conclusion: This was more set-up and build-up, but as expected of "Better Call Saul", there are several storytelling flourishes that make this more engaging. A good episode. Score: 67 Summary: Kim meets with Cliff while Jimmy, dressed as Howard, steals Howard's car while he is at therapy. Jimmy picks up Wendy and makes a show of kicking her out of Howard's car right next to where Kim and Cliff are sitting. Jimmy returns the car, but someone else stole Howard's parking spot. He moves a sign and just about makes it work. Kim drops Wendy off and notices somebody is following her. Kim has lunch with a client and sees that car again. She confronts the people in the car and they drive away. Kim returns to the diner where she is met by Mike who explains that he has men following her and Jimmy in case Lalo emerges. Jimmy goes back to the courthouse where he gets a negative reception from everyone. However, his business booms at the nail salon. Mrs. Nguyen kicks him out and so he finds a new office which he shows to Kim. Gus has constant surveillance of his house. Upon returning home, he goes through an underground tunnel to a second house where he speaks with Mike about Lalo and security.
The Good: This episode was a blast, perhaps one of the most fun of the series. The episode quickly dives into the Howard scheme that was being set up in the previous episode and it is so much fun to watch. Kim might be the mastermind, but it's Jimmy that does the heavy-lifting here. Jimmy busts out the Howard outfit from back in "Hero", one of many callbacks in this episode, and his committed Howard costume is hilarious in all of its spray-tanned beauty. I have always appreciated that this show covers the details, and seeing Jimmy in such a brash, creative outfit was really funny. Jimmy's antics here are wonderful. His interactions with Wendy (great cameo) are fun, and he is clearly enjoying himself doing this con. He goes from hilariously disgusted at Howard's music choice to completely enjoying it while celebrating his success. But his success is short-lived as he finds that someone moved the cone that he so cleverly placed to reserve his parking spot. Bob Odenkirk's delivery of "what kind of asshole moves a cone!?" was outstanding comedy, made better by the irony of Jimmy stealing someone's car, yet it's moving a cone which is unforgivable to him. And in another subtle callback, naturally the perpetrator was driving a shiny white pearlescent BMW, not dissimilar to the one he described Chet driving back in "Marco". The ensuing sequence of Jimmy moving the sign, Howard incredulously not noticing anything amiss, and the sign promptly falling over was brilliant comedy. This whole sequence was a blast, filled with laughs and fun, and it was directed and edited as brilliantly as ever. This was all great fun. But on a more serious note, this sequence serves as an effective reminder of how ruthless Kim and Jimmy have become. They are not doing the right thing here and they have jumped to the nuclear option of tearing down Howard without considering any other options. What hits hard is that Kim conceives of a fake plan that she will tell Cliff to form a pro bono firm of sorts. Surprisingly, it actually seems to work! This means that Kim could potentially have done all of the good she wanted in the world without ruining Howard's career, but Kim and Jimmy never looked for any alternatives. And even after hearing this, they don't stop working on scamming Howard. This is completely indicative that no matter what these two tell themselves they are scamming Howard for, the truth is that they are ruining this man's life purely for the thrill of it all. And Howard doesn't deserve this. A glimpse into his therapy session reminds us of Howard's humanity, hinting at some strife he is dealing with at home. It's a sad reminder that Howard is a genuinely nice person who does not deserve what is happening to him. I've noticed a new side to Kim's moral decay. Her moral decay is shown through her realization of how much power she has and how often she can use it. We have seen Kim gradually confront people more and more, and as her confidence increases, she brings out her powerful side in increasingly dangerous situations. It happens in this episode too when she confronts her followers. But in a surprising twist, Kim's actions lead her into a conversation with Mike, a delightful scene which is the first that these two characters share. Mike clearly has respect for Kim's ability, and Kim fits right in with Mike, connecting with him in a way that Jimmy never did. She even recalls his time as a parking attendant, another of many connections to season 1 in this episode. As fun and well-written as this scene is, it feels ominous. Kim adjusts to this side of the world a little bit too well, and who knows how much deeper she might go and who else she might meet (see: The Unknown). Jimmy gets a good conflict in this episode. While it takes a while to realize what exactly is happening due to an unfortunate timeskip (see: The Bad), we clue in that Jimmy is facing the consequences of being known as Lalo's lawyer. All of his connections at the courthouse treat him like dirt and Jimmy feels the pain and loneliness that sacrificing all morality will bring you. There are more nice callbacks here with the lady that Jimmy bribes with stuffed animals refusing him, and with Bill once more struggling with the vending machine. But more than callbacks, the story pushes forwards and changes. Jimmy negotiating with Bill has been happening since way back in "Mijo". They have always felt like two equals, down on their luck and struggling in a difficult world. But now Bill has a moral high ground over Jimmy, beautifully realized by him leaving Jimmy behind at the bottom of the stairs. He also gets a fantastic line as he tells Jimmy that even though he can't prove it, knowing what Jimmy did is enough for everyone to turn on him. But when faced with the consequences, Jimmy also gets some unexpected positives as his business explodes within the realm of criminals. And as we know, Jimmy is going to double down on this business. The ruin of Jimmy's courtroom relationships feels like the final nail in the coffin for Jimmy McGill in his transformation to Saul Goodman. Now, by the end of the episode, he's opening up his office and now there's no turning back to Jimmy McGill. A final callback that further cements Jimmy's change to Saul is that he is finally kicked out from the nail salon where he has been set up since the first episode. Mrs. Nguyen has finally had enough, and after one final "cucumber water for customer only", she is done with Jimmy. It's sad how flippant Jimmy is about leaving this nail salon, and there is a sense of finality to Jimmy leaving the nail salon behind and opening up a new office. This episode has a theme of paranoia. Of course that applies to Kim, but more seriously, it applies to Gus. This episode sees Gus taking every precaution to prepare for Lalo and I appreciate how thoroughly "Better Call Saul" shows his preparations. He has men hired everywhere, watching his house, following Lalo's associates, and even working with him (though that man is not up to "Pollo Standards" which is a hilarious touch). Furthermore, Gus is wearing Kevlar constantly, keeping a gun on him, and hiding out in a separate house that is connected to his own house to further ensure his safety. I enjoyed the show's creative ways of showing all of this. The cold open sequence is a blast, a perfect use of the random disconnected scene that gradually becomes important trope. Further, I loved the long take as Gus goes through the tunnel from one house to another. The Bad: For once I actually found myself disappointed by the lack of detail-work in this show. It's surprising because this show is usually so good at addressing the little things, but I had problems here. For one, there was no follow-up on Nacho's death whatsoever. I was really shocked by that since it was such a huge moment which should have had some sort of effect in the story. But none of the characters even acknowledge that it happened. Furthermore, we never learned what Gus's explanation for capturing Nacho was, which is a significant oversight. Another skipped detail was Jimmy's decision not to rat on Lalo. Kim presented Jimmy with the option in the previous episode, but we skipped Jimmy making his choice. This is very unlike "Better Call Saul" which is often so good with showing us these key choices and extracting drama from it. Instead, Jimmy made his choice off-screen and we are left playing some confusing catch-up over why everyone at the courthouse is so upset with him over a simple rumour. The scheme to start the episode was a blast but it was a bit too much to suspend my disbelief by the end. I find it hard to believe that Howard never noticed that his car was in a different spot. That was a bit much. Furthermore, Howard would certainly have likely heard Jimmy's footsteps when he ran, which wouldn't have been a dead giveaway, but it would have heightened his awareness so that he would notice that his car was moved. Jimmy moving the sign would make little difference because if Howard didn't notice the stripes beneath his car, he certainly wouldn't have noticed the sign. These are very minor things, but they do bother me. The Unknown: Did the scheme go off properly? Does Howard suspect anything? How about Cliff? Mike treating Kim with such respect was a surprise. We know that Jimmy will never meet Gus, but can we say the same for Kim? Is she going to meet Gus and get involved in his business? It would be surprising if Kim ends up meeting Gus, but then again, she's already gone much deeper than we ever expected her to go. Where exactly is Lalo? Where has he gone to find proof? Why is it taking so long for him to return? Best Moment: Kim meeting Mike was delightful. They shared a great scene with quality dialogue. Character of the Episode: Kim. Conclusion: Outside of a few rare gripes, this was a fun episode with plenty to enjoy. This isn't one of the show's best episodes, but it's a good time. Score: 65 Summary: Nacho leaves his truck and hides from The Twins in an abandoned oil tanker. He hides out until night and makes his way to a friendly mechanic's shop where he cleans up and calls his father for a goodbye. He then cuts a deal with Gus that he is willing to die and say what is necessary under the condition that his father remains protected. Mike agrees to protect him. Nacho is smuggled across the border in a truck and is prepared for a meeting. Mike is sent to a sniper position and Gus presents a bound Nacho to Bolsa, Hector, and The Twins. Nacho tells them he was hired by Alvarez and that Gus wasn't involved before going into a rage-filled speech telling Hector he put him in the chair. Nacho breaks out of his restraints and pulls a gun on Bolsa before shooting himself in the head. Jimmy prepares for another con against Howard. He has Huell get Howard's keys through his valet and quickly make a copy key before leaving the original keys on the ground to be picked up. Kim is met by Suzanne who has connected that Jorge De Guzman is Lalo Salamanca and asks her to persuade Jimmy to give up some information if he was forced to work for Lalo. Kim tells Jimmy this and tells him he can either be a friend of the cartel or a rat.
The Good: This episode is all about providing Nacho with an emotional and memorable farewell, and it succeeds with flying colours. From start to finish, Michael Mando delivers an astonishing performance as Nacho faces the reality of his death and accepts it under his own terms. What makes it work so well is that we are still hoping against hope that Nacho finds a way out of this alive. While death has always been likely for Nacho, you can't help but hope that maybe he can somehow get out of this alive, perhaps disappearing at a certain vacuum repair store. There's the hope early in the episode that if Nacho gets away from The Twins, he could survive. And there's even hope when Nacho is restrained that maybe he and Mike hatched a plan to help him escape. But of course, it's inevitable that Nacho isn't going to get away from this, and what makes the character shine is that he understands this while the rest of us watching are still hopeful of a last-minute escape. If he did hatch a plan with Mike, it wasn't to escape; it was to have his own death rather than dying at someone else's hands. As a result, when the episode ends it is very tragic that Nacho has died after all he's been through, but there's also a distinct sense of triumph and respect that Nacho managed to give himself perhaps the best death he could have possibly had. He sacrificed his life to protect his father, and he got to go out on his own terms while lashing out some delicious revenge on all of the people that made his life such a living hell. He lashes out hard on Hector, the person who started this whole thing for Nacho (see: Best Moment), and he also had a couple of delightful moments where he put the fear of god into Gus' heart by making him think that he was about to turn on him. Last episode's cliffhanger gave us hope that Nacho would find a way out of his situation, but the early scenes of the episode make it blatantly clear that Nacho has no chance. The episode isn't short on thrills as Nacho chooses to hide in an abandoned oil tanker and even dunks himself completely in black oil to remain hidden. It's disgusting, it's brutal, and it's indicative of Nacho's resolve to get out of there. He even stays in there until nightfall, covered in oil, breathing in low-quality air all the while. It's a horrid situation for him, but he is finally able to get away and clean up at a mechanic's shop. This mechanic was a beautiful side character that the show didn't need to include, but it's all the better for including. He's kindhearted and generous towards Nacho, providing a clear parallel to the type of man Nacho's father is. A nice character detail is when Nacho decides to leave all of his money with the mechanic, showing some respect for how generous this man was. Nacho's phone call with his father is heartbreaking. Nacho knows it will be the last time he talks with him and can't help but be emotional. By this point it's clear that Nacho has made up his mind and decided to give up his life to protect his father. His call with Gus is as dramatic and effective as you would expect. Nacho has all the power in this scenario and he refuses to show an ounce of respect for Gus, only ever respecting and trusting Mike. Nacho's relationship with Mike is a key component of this episode. They were never very close. They certainly aren't best friends, and they don't talk much in this episode. But what they do have is mutual respect for each other, one older veteran who holds morality close to his heart, and the other a young man in over his head, yet still a reasonable and smart man who understands how the world works. The connection they have developed is beautiful, and they have a number of nice moments here. I appreciate Mike choosing to hurt Nacho himself, being disgusted that Victor even suggests doing it himself. Mike has long been angry at how Gus has treated Nacho, so he allows himself some final moments to share a drink with Nacho and give him all of the time that he needs to prepare. Another lovely touch here is that Mike does not do any toast, he simply drinks from the glass understanding that in such dire times there is nothing to toast about. Mike is capable of recognizing the good in people, and he certainly admires Nacho's courage to give up his own life for the father he idolizes, perhaps even reminded a bit of his own dead son. You get the sense that Mike never doubted that Nacho was going to go through with his plan, and that his decision to watch everything with a sniper was less to ensure Nacho goes through with it, but more because Mike wanted to witness Nacho's final moments and pay his respects. Jonathan Banks is terrific here, silently communicating the connection he had with Nacho. One standout moment is Mike and Nacho's final nod in the van. It's not often that you can say that Mike is the more emotional one when interacting with someone else but he certainly was here, giving a melancholy last look at Nacho who offers Mike a resolved expression of gratitude in his nod. Mike is also terrific in watching Nacho's death, offering up a little bit of emotion on his face as he watches Nacho take control of his final moments, and thankfully killing himself so that Mike doesn't have to be the one to pull the trigger. Nacho's death has some beautiful added touches to it. The opening sequence of the episode sets up a melancholy atmosphere for the whole episode, and it features the added beauty of showing us a bright blue lily growing at the place where Nacho died. It's a sad symbol of hope to symbolize a grave for a man who managed to find some hope before he died. I love the added touch of Hector getting The Twins to carry him to Nacho's body so that he could shoot him. It's a petty, pathetic move by Hector in an attempt to get some sort of satisfaction upon the realization that Nacho is responsible for his condition. But there is no satisfaction to get from shooting a dead body, and Nacho has already robbed Hector of any sort of vengeance. Kim and Jimmy take the backseat in this episode, but there is still good stuff happening in their story. Jimmy is continuing to work on the Howard con, and we get another entertaining, well-edited escapade as Huell works with a fellow criminal to copy Howard's key for Jimmy to access. The sequence is fun, and I'm interested to see what Jimmy plans to do with Howard's car. As is typical with "Better Call Saul", it's not all about the exciting sequences. We follow this up with a nice scene as Huell asks Jimmy why he's doing what he does, and as Jimmy echoes that he's doing it for the bigger picture, it can't help but feel hollow. This show always nails the smaller character moments. Kim has some great scenes in this episode. Once again we are reminded by how excited she gets while conning through a passionate kiss with Jimmy. Just like him, she has become addicted to the game. Which is what makes it completely unsurprising that Kim doesn't want Jimmy to turn on Lalo. She's even more committed to Jimmy's colourful side than he is by this point in the series, and she is already leading Jimmy away from doing the right thing and turning on Lalo. There are so many lovely little moments in her conversation with Suzanne, from her insistence that Suzanne call him "Saul" to all-but ignoring the fact that there is a "good side" to Jimmy because she doesn't want to face the reality that what they're doing may actually be problematic. Kim has developed really well over the last few seasons, and it's both gripping and terrifying to see her be so cold and ruthless. The Bad: The one flaw that this episode has is that everyone in that final scene outside of Nacho is completely protected since we know that they make it to "Breaking Bad" alive, and we know that Nacho is not going to betray Gus here. Even though the sequence already has lots of tension because of concern over Nacho's fate, it could have been way better if we didn't know about the fate of the other characters. This sequence is tense and exciting, but the prequel problem rears its head and prevents this from being the incredible next-level sequence that it could have been. It's still an outstanding sequence, but there was potential for it to be even better if we didn't know the fates of all these other characters. The Unknown: Did Nacho plan out his death with Mike in some way? Or was Mike as surprised as everyone else with Nacho's actions? Will the Salamancas reply to Nacho's death in any way? Will they go after his father? Will there be any action taken against Alvarez? What are Jimmy and Kim planning to do with Howard's car? What is their next move? Will Jimmy divulge information about Lalo? Kim is leaning towards him not doing that, but does Jimmy agree? Best Moment: Nacho's hate-filled speech to Hector was spectacular, one of the very best pieces of acting I've ever seen. Nacho has had to subdue his emotions for so long, and now he finally has a chance to let it all out and he really unleashes. Michael Mando puts such vitriol in Nacho's voice, and there was a perfect use of a swear in this scene to give Nacho's speech the impact it deserved. I got chills listening to him, and capping it off with a magnificent moment where Nacho got to take control one last time and go out on his own terms was a sad, yet beautiful conclusion for the character. Character of the Episode: Nacho. What a farewell that was. Conclusion: Losing Nacho so early in season 6 was unexpected, but it was done sublimely well. I can't think of a better conclusion for this character, and he was given a suspenseful, exciting, and powerful exit that allowed Michael Mando one final time to shine. This was one of the very best episodes of the show. Score: 83 Summary: Jimmy and Kim try to find someone to spread some word about Howard being a drug addict and Kim comes up with an idea. Jimmy goes to visit the Kettlemans and plants the idea that Craig can get exonerated because Howard is an addict. The Kettlemans refuse to work with Jimmy and go to 4 different places including Davis & Main about Howard's addiction. Cliff sends them away but is perturbed by their words. Jimmy returns to the Kettlemans with Kim and tries to give them money for their silence but they refuse. Kim then turns the tables, telling them that she will report them for tax preparer fraud if they don't cooperate. They agree and Kim gets them to not mention Howard ever again and to stop taking advantage of their clients. Mike replaces Nacho's safe, including a letter, also sending away the girls in Nacho's house. Bolsa's men invade his house and find the letter which connects them to the motel Nacho is staying in. At the motel, Nacho notices he's being spied on. He sneaks out of his room and pulls a gun on the man. He discerns that he's a spy for Gus and realizes Gus isn't going to help him. Nacho goes to a truck to escape, but suddenly The Twins pull up and start hunting down Nacho. Nacho hotwires the car and gets into a gunfight. He tries to drive off but The Twins shoot out his tires. Gus arranges a meeting with Hector for a peace offering, and he discerns that Lalo is alive from Hector's reactions. Gus prepares for Lalo but Mike tells him he's like going after Nacho. Gus asks Mike to bring Nacho's father, but Mike refuses. Nacho calls and asks to speak with Gus.
The Good: Jimmy and Kim's story was again an absolute blast. The return of the Kettlemans is such a fun idea to base this episode around, and it fits so naturally into the story that I can't imagine using any other characters for this specific con. Betsy and Craig are as fun as ever, and there were countless hilarious jokes as Jimmy and Kim set them up. From Betsy being horrified at the idea of her children in public school, to Craig claiming that Howard's addiction was the "talk of the yard", every joke involving these characters landed perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed Cliff and Erin's befuddled reaction to these fools spouting some obviously invalid claims in a hopeful attempt to better their own lives. Jimmy had set them up perfectly to look like buffoons, and their scene was even better than expected. Plus, the plan looks like it is working since Cliff noticeably stops playing his guitar after the meeting, clearly contemplating the possibility that Howard is an addict after two separate events suggested it. Jimmy and Kim's plan is a delightful slowburn and I'm loving it. But even better is how the plot of this episode reflects on both Jimmy and Kim through the simple use of a carrot and stick dynamic. Jimmy obviously does not like these people, and Betsy is sure to remind Jimmy that she doesn't consider him to be a real lawyer over and over throughout the episode, just in case Jimmy forgets how much he is frustrated by them and how much he hates them. But a part of Jimmy feels bad about what they are doing to the Kettlemans. Perhaps part of him somewhat respects their attempted tax preparer fraud, so he is willing to work with them and offer them some money to help keep them quiet. But Kim on the other hand extends no such sympathy. We see her glance at a poor old lady, one of many that the Kettlemans have been scamming, and she decides immediately that these selfish, entitled upper-class idiots do not deserve any of her sympathy. These early episodes have done a great job of establishing Kim's distaste for the rich taking advantage of the poor, which is backed up with what we learned about her upbringing in the last season. Thus it makes perfect sense that she would happily work against the Kettlemans. What came completely out of the left field was how ruthless she was in tearing them down. Kim meant business, and she was intimidating, scary, and authoritative in her handling of the Kettlemans. She was a stone-cold businesswoman in this scene and Rhea Seehorn did a spectacular job of conveying Kim's distaste for them. Another beautiful touch comes at the end of the episode as Kim is disappointed that Jimmy still gave them their payday because he felt bad for them. Thinking on how far they have come together, Jimmy can only say "wolves and sheep", a lovely callback to a flashback in "Inflatable" back in season 2, which highlights that Kim has transformed into being even more of a wolf than he is. Nacho's story is spectacularly tense. Mike and Gus have to work against him and Gus is setting him up to be killed in order to simply tie up another loose end. The opening scene is a brilliant piece of filming as we see Mike plant evidence that Nacho is working for a gang within his personal safe. It's a classic "Better Call Saul" scene where you are left wondering what Mike is doing until the end of the sequence reveals that he's sneaking a letter into Nacho's safe, the contents of which only becoming clear when Bolsa breaks into Nacho's house later in the episode. There are some brilliant moments here that highlighted Mike's humanity, like his handling of the girls in Nacho's house, and hiding Nacho's father's identity to keep him protected. Mike's desire to keep Manuel safe comes into play in a big way late into the episode. We see the pressure building on Gus throughout the episode as he eventually realizes that Lalo is alive. He does so by meeting with Hector in a facade to arrange a peace deal, and it's a wonderful idea by Gus. Gus trusts his ability to read people to determine from Hector if Lalo is alive or not. But in a surprising moment, Hector doesn't let Gus read him and he openly makes a face to Gus, ensuring that he knows that Lalo is alive and that Lalo is coming for him. The moment is fantastic, so perfectly in character for Hector to risk letting Gus know about Lalo for the simple satisfaction of scaring Gus. And it works. Gus is paranoid, he's increasing his protection, and he's using every resource possible to wait for Lalo's arrival. In a beautiful touch, Gus's own anxiety leads to him breaking a glass, which he is forced to methodically clean up on his own, an indicator of the mental pressure he's under, and perhaps also symbolizing that Gus is in a mess of his own making that he now needs to clean up. It takes Mike telling Gus that Lalo will still be in Mexico going after Nacho for him to calm down, and his immediate reaction is troubling. Gus instinctively looks for leverage by bringing in Manuel, and Mike has had enough. Mike went along with framing Nacho and leaving him to die, but he will not endanger Manuel; he respects Nacho enough to not let this happen. Seeing Mike stand up to Gus and remain sturdy in his position even with Tyrus throwing a gun in his face is spectacular, and tells us everything we need to know about Mike and the bond he has developed with Nacho. Mike believes that he owes it to Nacho to keep his father safe, and we can bet that he's not going to let Gus get away with being an inhumane animal on the same level as the Salamancas. Nacho is once again responsible for the most intense, stressful, and heart-pounding scenes in the episode. His time in the motel room is filled with fear and anxiety, which Michael Mando conveys so well. Nacho is careful, he's smart, and he's perceptive. With his only ally Mike not picking up the phone (a decision that likely seems to be Mike's indirect way of telling Nacho that he's been betrayed by Gus), Nacho begins to fear for the worst in his motel room. He paces around restlessly, and the slightest sound of someone walking outside leads to Nacho raising his gun and fearing for the worst. But it's a good thing that Nacho is perceptive and smart, because his suspicion leads him to notice the tiniest of details: a functioning air conditioning unit in a tiny abandoned shack that has a slight hole perfectly angled to watch his room. Nacho takes a risk to step outside and confirms his biggest fear: someone is watching him. The realization is horrifying, and Nacho understands that if somebody is watching him, then death will be coming to him at any time. Nacho's frustration is perfectly conveyed, and it becomes imperative for him to leave that room immediately. The music amps up the stress and Nacho finally manages to get out. But it's Nacho's next moves that really shine. Rather than running away, Nacho confronts the man with his gun. Through a clever trick with Tyrus, Nacho determines that this man is working for Gus and that Gus has no intention of helping him; if he did, then this man would be driving Nacho back home rather than watching him in the motel. Nacho knocks the man out rather than shooting him, another smart move, and now the pressure is on. This leads us to a spectacular action setpiece at the end of the episode. Nacho knows that time is of the essence and that he needs to leave. But when trying to hotwire a truck, the worst happens and the Salamanca Twins pull up to the motel. Again, Michael Mando is spectacular in portraying Nacho's fear, and this becomes a battle for survival as Nacho tries to get this car going so he can escape. But Nacho is spotted, and caught in the middle of a gunfight before the Salamanca Twins stop it; Nacho needs to be captured alive. This gives Nacho an opening, and after a tense confrontation with The Twins, he just about manages to get away with a damaged and shot truck. Who knows how far he's going to get under his current conditions, but watching this escape was tremendously intense, a gripping and exciting setpiece to serve as a climax to this episode. The Bad: The one issue I had was actually with the fact that we had two back to back episodes with Kim making a plan and Jimmy executing it. That means that the show twice had to rely on the trope of cutting away from characters right before they discussed the details of a plan. It was noticeably repetitive. The Unknown: Who is following Jimmy and Kim? That looked like Lalo's car, but surely he is still in Mexico. Has Howard caught scent of their plan? Did Nacho get away from the Salamanca Twins? It looked like they shot out his tires, how far did he get? Why is he calling for Gus? Does he have a plan? How will Gus react to this? Will Mike be able to keep Nacho's father out of harm's way? Will the Salamancas go after him too? Surely he needs someone to protect him. Best Moment: As much as I loved Nacho's escape from the motel, I have to give it to Kim ruthlessly shutting down the Kettlemans. What a moment for a character who continues to surprise and impress me at every turn. Character of the Episode: Nacho. Conclusion: This was excellent stuff, even better than the last episode. The return of the Kettlemans was a blast in the next step of the Howard scheme, while Nacho's moves at the motel are a masterclass in suspense-filled action. The story is heating up, and there is a wonderful mix of fun, tension, action, and character work throughout this episode. Score: 74 Summary: A flashforward shows Saul's house getting repossessed. In the present, Jimmy and Kim go to the courthouse to work. They meet up at a diner at the end of the day and Kim begins to discuss her plan for Howard, suggesting that they attack Howard's reputation in Cliff's eyes. Jimmy is reluctant but ultimately goes along with the plan. Their first step sees Jimmy going to Howard's country club, and after an encounter with Kevin and making a distraction in the bathroom, he sneaks into the locker room and plants a bag of baby powder in Howard's locker, making it look like cocaine. Howard opens his locker and it falls out, which startles Cliff. Gus learns that the hit was a success but he's skeptical. Mike wants Gus to help Nacho but Gus has other ideas. Nacho is on the run in Mexico and Tyrus directs him via phone to a motel where he is told to stay. Lalo goes to a house where he has invested in someone to use as a body double. He kills him to help fake his death. The Twins see the burned fake body and go after revenge. Lalo prepares to head back across the border, but quickly calls Hector to let him know he's alive. Hector tells Lalo to find proof, and Lalo decides to remain in Mexico.
The Good: Season 6 opens up with a surprise from the start. What we expected would be a black and white Gene sequence quickly gains colour and transforms into a beautifully directed sequence of Saul's mansion being repossessed following the events of "Breaking Bad". The sequence is gorgeously shot to a rendition of "Wine and Roses" and filled with lovely little details as we get a grasp of what the home life of Saul Goodman looked like. The sequence flows along like a delightful dream up until a brilliant final moment that can't help but feel sad and ominous. Out from all of the boxes falls the iconic Zafiro Anejo bottle stopper, and the music stops as the camera zooms in to focus on it in silence. It's a memento of Saul's past, and another suggestion that there is not likely to be a happy ending for Jimmy and Kim (see: The Unknown). In the present, the show is quick to illustrate the change in Kim's demeanour and how Jimmy feels about it. Kim has a ruthless side to her now, and this is shown in a brilliant scene where Kim decides to throw away Jimmy's iconic mug. She does it impulsively without asking Jimmy, and the moment can't help but feel like Kim's rejection of Jimmy McGill for the flowery Saul Goodman, a sad indicator that Kim might actually be the final push that gets Jimmy to become Saul like he is in "Breaking Bad". Jimmy's clearly unsure on what to feel about Kim. He is lying there awake as she sleeps next to him when we first check in with them, and there's a lovely shot later in the episode where Jimmy tells Kim that he's feeling great, only for the show to cut to a shot of Jimmy in the elevator where he looks anything but. Jimmy is still torn up by everything and he gets caught with his pants down, accidentally name-dropping Lalo's name to the DA with a classic Freudian slip. It's evident that all is not right with Jimmy at the start of the season. And that takes us to Jimmy and Kim's scene at the diner. We know that Jimmy is not feeling good about himself, and that he is a bit offput by Kim's change. But we are given a great reminder of what it is about Kim that we love so much as she talks about the "best day of her professional life" that she spent helping her unfortunate clients get out of unwinnable positions. Jimmy sees this, and upon seeing how disheartened Kim is that her plan with Howard won't be going through, Jimmy reluctantly dips his toes in the water. And as it always is with him, it doesn't take very long before Jimmy is swept up by his excitement and is soon helping Kim execute the first step of her plan. The country club scheme is a blast to watch. True to form, we don't know what the plan is so a lot of suspense comes from us being unsure if things are working out or not. The case in point is a hilarious cameo from Kevin as he spots Jimmy in the country club and immediately makes a scene to have him removed. But in a brilliant twist, Jimmy turns it around on Kevin and accuses him of antisemitism, giving him some slack from the tour guide and ensuring that he will be able to get into the bathroom no questions asked. Another brilliant example of the fun that "Better Call Saul" extracts from these schemes is Jimmy getting naked to avoid being made by Howard. It's a delight and it neatly sets up the reveal of the little bag of "cocaine" in Howard's locker, right when you think that maybe Jimmy wasn't able to do what he needed to do with the locker. The set up is great and I'm excited to see where Jimmy and Kim's plan goes from here. The cartel half of the show remains detached from Jimmy and Kim in this episode, but that's probably for the better as we have a whole lot going on here. Lalo is on a path to vengeance following what happened to his house, and it is brutally compelling to see him turn a corner and embrace that hidden fury instead of maintaining his charm. The sequence with poor Sylvia and Mateo was brilliant. It quickly becomes apparent that Lalo has been preparing Mateo to be used as a body double in case he ever needed it. But what's brilliant is that the show dwells on how much killing these two effects Lalo. He remembers their names and he sees that they respect him, and we can tell that Lalo enjoys being a good leader to these people. But Gus's actions have forced his hand, and we can see remorse clear as day on Lalo's face as he does what he needs to. The next step for Lalo is to head back to Albuquerque and go after Gus, but before he goes he makes a call with Hector, which ends up being a fantastic scene. Mark Margolis is as brilliant as ever, conveying Hector's despair as it turns to glee and delight upon hearing Lalo's voice. And Lalo is spitting fire to Hector, furious that he has been attacked and readying himself for vengeance. His anger is beautifully brought to the forefront by Tony Dalton, and there's a lovely little scene as Lalo immediately flicks a switch to being charming when the lady working at Casa Tranquila briefly takes over the call. The scene is unnervingly effective, and we conclude with another perfect example of Lalo's brutality as he ruthlessly murders the people responsible for the transportation because they did not play nice. Lalo is ruthless and he's unflinching in the face of opposition. Nacho's scenes on the other hand are a stressful viewing experience. Every scene is tense as he's deep in hostile territory with no friends, understanding full well that if anybody sees him, he is as good as dead. His scenes are fraught with danger and that makes them quite the thrilling experience. Be it hiding from some farmers or openly checking into a motel, everything he does has me on the edge of my seat. What makes it worse is that Gus seems to have no intention of helping Nacho, and may be willing to sacrifice him for the cause. The only person we know that cares for Nacho's best interests is Mike, and while Mike does attempt to convince Gus to help the poor guy, it doesn't seem to work. Concerningly, Mike does not pick up Nacho's phone call either, and it seems like Nacho's last ally may be unable to help him in whatever is coming next. I really like the new intro. The intro has slowly been getting more and more glitchy across the seasons, and it is beautiful to watch in this final season. The Bad: Nothing I would call outright bad. The one thing working against this episode is that it is very clearly a set-up episode and a lot of time is spent on laying foundations for the season. There is definitely still some of the excellent character work that this show is known for, but more time is dedicated towards the plot and set-up than what we usually get in season premieres. I suppose that's a consequence of this season having more plot to get through. It's not something that I dislike about the episode, but it is something that prevents the episode from being top quality. The Unknown: That was an interesting opening scene. Why does Jimmy have Kim's bottle stopper? Did something happen to her or happen between them? Is it possible that she was living in that house? It seems unlikely because we don't see any sign of any others living there. What is Gus planning for Nacho? Will Mike go along with it? Is there somebody coming to save Nacho or is Gus setting him up? What will be the consequences of Jimmy accidentally mentioning Lalo's name to the DA? What is Kim's next step in her plan? How much of the country club stunt was planned? Was Jimmy always supposed to make a scene with Kevin or did he have to improvise to get to Howard's locker? What proof is Lalo going after? Is he going to hunt down Nacho? Best Moment: Lalo's phone call with Hector. It was amazingly acted and portrayed the change in Lalo's composure to perfection. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: A welcome return for "Better Call Saul" in its final season. As ever, this is a methodical and well thought out episode that sets up the season's story and explores the characters in unique ways. Score: 68 Summary: Kim and Jimmy go spend the night at a hotel to be safe from Lalo and they contemplate their next moves. Kim goes to work the next day and gets 20 new PD cases. She meets with Howard who warns her about Jimmy but she laughs in his face. Jimmy visits Mike who tells him that it has been arranged for Lalo to die at night. Jimmy tells Kim it's safe and they spend one final night at the hotel, though Jimmy is visibly shaken and wants to go home. However, Kim convinces him to stay and pushes him towards coming up with a massive con on Howard so that they can collect the $2 million of Sandpiper money. Jimmy is surprised by Kim's sudden shift in character. Lalo takes Nacho to his home in Mexico and has him meet Don Eladio for a promotion. Nacho gets a call saying that he has to open a gate at 3AM. Nacho desperately manages to escape Lalo and his guards and opens the gate, letting a hit squad into Lalo's home. The squad kills everyone in Lalo's household, but Lalo manages to escape and kills them all, however he gets one of the squad to send a message that they managed to kill him. He sees that Nacho's body isn't there and angrily storms off.
The Good: Jimmy's dilemma throughout this episode is easy to understand. He screwed up massively by getting involved with Lalo, he feels immensely guilty for putting Kim's life in danger and he so desperately just wants to be safe again. So the Jimmy we see in this episode is a far cry from the bold and confident man that lashed out at Howard in "JMM". His recent experiences have changed him, and they've made him consider the possibility that he actually is bad for Kim. He tries talking about it, and he is clearly considering doing something drastic to correct this. Having Lalo come to Kim's house with a gun was the final straw for Jimmy. But what's most surprising about all this is how Kim reacts to what just happened. She seems so normal. She takes the news of Jimmy's shooting surprisingly well, she seems quite nonchalant about getting back to work, and when Jimmy tries to discuss serious matters, she tempts him away by daydreaming about conning Howard. It's alarming and quite shocking to see this change in character for Kim. I think just about everyone was expecting that Kim would have been on the verge of leaving Jimmy, if not already gone, but this season pulled quite a twist by having Kim stay. The show has transformed Kim's arc into a tragic story of a character who isn't able to control her impulses and continues to fall further and further into the morally questionable world. This is perfectly clear when we see her seriously suggest ruining Howard's career for her own personal gain, a remarkably unethical move that the old Kim would never have even considered. Just look at how she fell apart when she and Jimmy tore Chuck down in "Chicanery". This is so far removed from the Kim we knew and it completely took me off guard. What this episode succeeds most with is making us look back at Kim's character arc throughout the series and question what the purpose of everything was. Just looking back on season 5 makes it evident that this season was as much about transforming Kim as season 4 was about transforming Jimmy. The toughest part about this episode is that it had to make Kim's transformation feel organic. It had to make sense, and that's where Kim's horrific experiences in "Bagman" and "Bad Choice Road" come into play. She has committed her life exclusively to the things she loves most: PD work and conning people. We can see that Kim's mindset has been taken over by spending too much time flirting with the idea of conning with Jimmy. But the more she was exposed to it, the more she wanted to stay in that world. And now she has given into the temptation. And Jimmy is stunned by this. The final Jimmy/Kim scene was a masterful piece of work that directly paralleled Jimmy's "s'all good man" moment at the end of season 4. Only this time it's Kim who changed and Jimmy who's left feeling small and confused. Of course the horrible irony is that had Kim changed like this back in seasons 2 or 3, Jimmy may have been happy about it. But after all that just happened? Jimmy and Kim are on very different pages right now and it should be interesting to see how this new version of Kim will affect their relationship going forwards. Then we get to the excellent Nacho/Lalo story which provided most of the episode's suspense and action. Clearly Kim's words have gotten to Lalo and so his first move is to ensure that Nacho is trustworthy by giving him a much more solid position amongst the cartel. But this puts Nacho in a deeply uncomfortable position. He's entered the hornet's nest and is surrounded by enemies everywhere, and yet he is being told to act like a double agent to set up Lalo's death. It's all very tense stuff for Nacho. One of the standout scenes for me was his improvisation to Eladio. He forces himself to pretend to care about joining up with the cartel, but he injects a little bit of truth when talking about what he really wants. It's a lovely little scene for Nacho who doesn't typically get many opportunities to express himself. Then towards the end of the episode, there's a lovely sequence that's filled with tension as Nacho tries to escape Lalo's house only to run into him outside in the middle of the night. The acting here is outstanding, and the suspense really builds up as we start to wonder if Nacho can actually make it out and if Lalo is actually going to die by the end of the episode. Thankfully for Nacho This episode was a very big one for Lalo who we get to learn a lot about. He's such a charismatic guy and we see that on display while he chats with his housekeepers and when he sweet-talks Eladio. Tony Dalton portrays Lalo's cheeriness wonderfully well and makes him so much fun to watch. But that makes him all the more terrifying by the end of the episode when the laughs are all gone. After a fantastic action sequence where Lalo takes out the hit squad, we get the wonderfully foreboding moment where he realizes that Nacho has betrayed him. The final shot of the episode with a vengeful and angry Lalo storming off to make things right is stellar stuff, and I can't wait to see how he will try to exact revenge on Gus and what he may have planned for Nacho. There was one specific detail that I really loved. Jimmy doesn't want to have mint chocolate anymore. It's fair for him to reject it considering the last time he had it was right before he was introduced to Lalo. The Bad: The only complaint I have about this is that it doesn't really feel like a season finale. Sure, it's hard to follow up the sheer action of the last two episodes, but this one felt a bit too heavy on the set-up for my liking. I would have liked to see more resolution in this episode so that season 5 could feel a little more complete. The Unknown: How is Nacho going to get out of Mexico? Will Lalo catch him? What would Lalo do with him? What's Lalo's new plan? Will he continue to pretend that he's dead? Will Gus believe this? What does Kim's change in character mean for her future? What happens to her before the events of "Breaking Bad"? So much is up in the air after this episode. Best Moment: There's plenty of choices to pick from. I'll go with Nacho's escape and conversation with Lalo which was wonderfully tense television. Character of the Episode: It's a very tough choice since just about everyone is brilliant here. I think Lalo deserves it the most. Conclusion: This was a great finale with several welcome surprises. This season has been all about subverting what we thought we knew about the show, and this finale fits that trend perfectly. The season as a whole has been tremendous. I think this is easily the best season of the show yet. The combining of the show's two worlds made this feel like the most important season so far, and it gave the story such focus and suspense that the show hasn't really accomplished in previous seasons. The character growth was as spectacular as ever and every character's journey was engaging to watch. Jimmy's descent into Saul Goodman was tremendous fun in the first half of the season, and there were some genuine twists in the second half to keep us on our feet. Kim's journey also took a lot of surprising turns and I think this was the highlight of the season as Kim has consistently been one of the best parts of the show. And the Nacho/Lalo/Mike/Gus story was also much improved. I felt that the balance between these stories was much better than in previous seasons, and all 4 characters were given plenty to do and were very enjoyable whenever they were on screen. As a whole, this season worked tremendously well, with the final 5 episodes being absolutely excellent. I'm very excited for season 6 and I'm curious to see how else the writers can explore these characters. Score: 75 Summary: Jimmy eventually makes it back to Albuquerque, and Kim is relieved. Mike tells Jimmy to keep things quiet and lie about what happened. Jimmy pays the bail money and says he had car trouble. Nacho picks up Lalo who is ready to go back to Mexico. Jimmy returns to Kim and doesn't tell her about the shootings, but Kim find Jimmy's mug with a bullet hole in it. Eager to hide his PTSD from Kim, Jimmy goes back to work and finds it difficult to recover. Kim reflects on everything and decides to quit Schweikart & Cokely and pursue her pro bono work. Meanwhile, Mike informs Gus about what happened and Gus deduces that Bolsa sent out the attack to help protect Gus' business. Nacho drops Lalo off at the same border crossing but Lalo decides to stick around when he realizes that he didn't pass Jimmy's car and eventually finds it in a ditch with bullet holes in it. Lalo drops by Kim and Jimmy's place and interrogates Jimmy, asking him to tell the story of what happened over and over again. Mike watches over everything with a sniper. Jimmy is intimidated but Kim steps in and chastises Lalo for his sloppy operation. Lalo leaves and tells Nacho that he has a new plan and that they are going to Mexico.
The Good: What a terrific episode. The central theme of this one is obviously choices, more specifically bad choices. This episode is spent examining the consequences to Jimmy's choices, showing us how his involvement with the cartel has thrown his life into complete chaos. On the other hand, we get to see Kim making some bad decisions which will likely result in serious blowback, similar to what Jimmy is going through right now. The episode is gorgeously executed, exploring this theme in visually impressive ways with some outstanding pieces of editing. Jimmy's dilemma is easy to understand. We saw what he went through and we understand what the problem is for him. He needs somebody to talk to about what he experienced, but having been given a reality check from Mike about involving Kim, he can't afford to go to her. The bulk of the episode is spent exploring this conflict inside of Jimmy. We can see him dealing with PTSD in numerous scenes and he is desperately searching for an escape, even going as far as to go to Mike for help with it. But nothing is helping, and his lies to Kim feel half-baked at best as he tries to will himself to leave her out of it, horrified of the consequences of bringing her into the criminal underworld. Their argument towards the end of the episode is a wonderful exploration of this idea. We can see Jimmy desperately trying to keep Kim distant to protect her, which is why he is so insistent that Kim stays with Mesa Verde. In a way, he's talking to his past self in this scene, trying so desperately to prevent Kim from making the same horrible mistake he made, trying to keep her out of this life. Because he knows better than anyone right now that becoming a friend of the cartel was a significant mistake, one that he can never undo. But unfortunately for Jimmy, Kim has already made her choice. We've seen Kim's appreciation for Jimmy's cons since the beginning of the show, going all the way back to Jimmy's billboard stunt in "Hero". She started off completely opposed to going against the law, but as she spent more time with Jimmy, she grew more and more attached to the life of scheming and conning. If she was going to exit this world, she would have done so back in "Wexler v. Goodman", but instead she married Jimmy. She has made the same mistake that Jimmy did, walking into the morally questionable world with open arms, and it's already too late for her to go back. Her meeting Lalo and quitting Mesa Verde is just putting the nail in the coffin. And I pray that this won't end up being a literal metaphor for Kim. She has been the heart of the entire series, and one of the main hooks of the show is hoping against all logic that somehow there is a way out of the incoming tragedy for Kim. But as the show has progressed, the threat has become more and more real. At first it was just a fear of Kim being heartbroken, but now I am genuinely concerned for her life. This episode legitimately made me think that Kim may die, which is an amazing accomplishment. Despite this being a prequel, I did not have any idea what was going to happen in the final 15 minutes of this episode, and that gave me some of the absolute best tension-based drama I have ever seen, up there with some of the most brilliant moments of "Breaking Bad". With Kim quitting Mesa Verde and dedicating everything to Jimmy, this felt like it could be the end of her character arc. There was very real suspense in the final sequence, and that made the whole thing so much more visceral than I thought it would have been. The build up for the final 15 minutes is tremendously well done. Jimmy begins the episode cooking up lies for everyone, and yet nobody ends up believing it. There are always holes (literally), and both Kim and Lalo are able to see through them quite easily. The basis of these two lies is crucial for the final scene to work as well as it does, so these lies needed to be established and seen through in a logical fashion. And the writers absolutely nail that aspect. Kim stumbling upon the mug with the bullet holes makes perfect sense as the mug would be the least of Jimmy's concerns after what he went through. And Kim not telling Jimmy anything fits with what we know of her. She is genuinely scared about what he has to say, but she isn't able to forget about it and tries to gently prod him into telling her. Lalo on the other hand also gets some nice development. We see him prepare to go back to Mexico, but one last visit with the poor, helpless Hector neatly demonstrates why Lalo really does not want to leave. Does he really want to leave his uncle in the hands of Gus Fring? And so Lalo is hunting for any reason to stay in New Mexico, and he gets his reason when he starts thinking about Jimmy's story. After a little investigating, he quickly finds some concerning evidence, and now the stage is set for a nail-biting final confrontation, a life-or-death interrogation scene in which everybody has pieces of the puzzle, but nobody can see the clear picture. The question quickly becomes what pieces are going to be revealed, and who is going to be hurt/killed in the ensuing chaos. The sequence in the apartment executes this suspense masterfully. The scene starts out as an argument between Jimmy and Kim and it makes you think that the argument is going to play a significant part in the climax of the episode. But then Jimmy keeps getting phone calls and it's clear that something is about to happen. The there's a knock on the door and Jimmy picks up a call from a desperate Mike, who is desperately trying to get to Kim's apartment before things go too badly. It's Lalo at the door and the stakes of the scene are immediately apparent. Tony Dalton puts in a tremendous performance here and Lalo is terrifying to watch as he pokes around like he owns the place, even going as far as to terrorize Jimmy's fish. The scene is so frightening because of its implications. The last 2 episodes saw the wall go down between the legal world and the criminal underworld, the wall that had been established since season 2. And in this episode we get to see elements from both sides mix together and interact. Lalo feels like an invader in this scene, and the clear-cut boundaries between the two worlds of this show are no more. The entire time I've watched this series, I was looking forward to seeing how both worlds would eventually come together. I didn't think that it would be so well done that I would find myself yearning for both worlds to be separate once again so that Kim would no longer be in such danger. This fear added so much to the suspense in the interrogation. The fear, mixed with the sense that Kim's life is in danger, mixed with the lies that established the foundation of this interrogation, led to a scene that had nail-biting tension. What's more, this scene managed to maintain that tension for 15 minutes, which felt like an absolute eternity (in a good way). The resolution of the scene was also perfectly done. Jimmy is evidently shaken, and he isn't capable of making stories like he usually is. His fear is palpable and it's causing him to stop working. And so Kim steps in, and she tells Lalo off the way that she may deal with anyone else in her world. It's an outstanding character moment that both amps up the tension and shows us how largely out of her depth Kim would be if she were to get involved in the criminal underworld. Luckily for her, Lalo didn't do anything stupid, but who knows what Kim will get mixed up in next. There were a few smaller things that made this episode even better. The score throughout the episode was fantastic and built dread in a wonderfully subtle way. The opening montage was a terrific callback to "Something Stupid" and was also quite rich in symbolism, going as far as to show us a wall being broken down with Kim covering both sides of the screen by the end of the sequence, symbolic of how Kim is now part of both halves of the show. I do like the reveal that Bolsa sent the men to take Lalo's money. I wonder how this will play into the overall arc of the story, but it does complicate the cartel drama which is becoming more and more prevalent as the show goes on. Lastly, I liked seeing Mike stand up for Nacho, who is unfortunately finding himself more and more trapped in his current life. Here Nacho gets a moment of bliss when it seems like Lalo is finally out of his hair, but it's a literal moment as Lalo quickly returns and Nacho now finds himself taking a drive to Mexico. At least Mike is on his side, but Gus isn't relenting about keeping Nacho as his guy. Mike even tells Gus a version of the iconic "fear" line from "Breaking Bad", which raises a very interesting question (see: The Unknown). The Bad: Nothing. The Unknown: How does Gus come to believe that fear is not an effective motivator? Does his affiliation with Nacho backfire somehow? What does this mean for Nacho? What are Jimmy and Kim going to do next? How will they react to Lalo's interrogation? Will Jimmy end up telling Kim the truth? Will we be seeing Tuco again? It's mentioned that he will be out of prison in about a year. What is Lalo planning to do now? Why is he going to Mexico? Best Moment: Everything in the final 15 minutes. Simply spectacular television. Character of the Episode: Kim. Conclusion: Another outstanding episode. This season started patiently, but these last 4 episodes have been incredible with some of the best character writing and drama the show has put out. This episode was a masterclass in tension and it provided what I think is the most memorable sequence of the entire series. I wasn't sure how the show was possibly going to be able to follow "Bagman", but this was a near-perfect follow-up that has me extremely excited for whatever is going to happen in the season finale. So far, this season is looking like it could very well be an all-time classic. Score: 85 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 Summary: Jimmy and Kim get married and they vow to communicate better with each other. Kim patches things up with Mesa Verde after Kevin blames her for what went down by fighting back against him. Jimmy is immediately called by Nacho and goes to meet the imprisoned Lalo who wants out on bail. Jimmy and Kim have sex later and Jimmy tells her about the Lalo case. Meanwhile, Nacho reports to Mike that Lalo has ordered him to be in charge and to burn down a Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant. Mike decides to take a new approach to deal with Lalo and he meets with Jimmy. Gus has a Madrigal meeting and meets with Peter Schuler regarding their plans. He assures him that things will go smoothly. Gus and Nacho work together to burn down one of the restaurants. Jimmy follows Mike's instructions and manages to get Lalo out on bail by bringing up witness tampering by Dave Clark. Howard confronts Jimmy about how he has been getting attacked, Jimmy responds by lashing out at him.
The Good: This was the most united episode the show has had since season 1 outside of "Chicanery". The major storylines all intersected each other and events in one half of the episode ended up directly influencing the other, which was immensely satisfying to watch. Even though Jimmy did join up with the cartel storyline back in "The Guy for This", that episode didn't feel like it was the momentous combination of the Jimmy half and the cartel half of the show. On the other hand, this episode does feel like that combination, and because of that it somehow manages to feel even more significant than last week's fantastic episode. This episode was doing a whole lot of things. First up, it explored the fallout of two key moments in the previous episode: Kim's proposal of a marriage and Lalo's arrest. The episode wastes no time in jumping right to it. The cold open is a lengthy sequence of Jimmy and Kim's wedding. There's no fanfare, no guests, no honeymoon, not even any rings. It's as cold and rushed as a wedding could possibly be and it is plainly quite awkward. Jimmy and Kim are happy enough, but you can see Jimmy's worries that perhaps this should have been a bigger moment. The fact that Jimmy is only communicating to Kim about her desires on the day of their wedding is telling enough of the problems in their relationship. This wedding is an attempt to rectify that since they have both vowed to tell each other everything going on in their lives, but if they aren't even communicating the day of their wedding, who's to say that they ever will communicate properly? This wedding seems like a horrible idea and even though both Jimmy and Kim are hopeful, it's hard to imagine this ending well. The key tragedy of Kim is that every time we think she's getting closer to finally leaving Jimmy for good, she ends up sinking even deeper with him. It hasn't had any major consequences yet, but now with Jimmy being open to Kim about his newly made cartel connections, there has never been more danger for her. The other big fallout was from Lalo's arrest. This was such a pivotal moment in the last episode because it completely upended and opened up the Gus vs Lalo conflict in a new way, promising something fresh and unexpected in the continuation of this storyline. And that's exactly what we got here. Lalo's arrest has ramifications on everyone because it didn't end up being a solution. It just changed what the problem is, and now everyone is left scrambling trying to come up with an actual solution. Nacho hoped that he could get out, but Mike immediately shuts down any chance of that happening in the near future once it becomes apparent that Lalo is still a threat. Gus thought that he would soon be able to resume business on the meth lab, but at the end of the episode he finds himself angrily burning down one of his own establishments with Nacho to keep Lalo at bay, taking yet another hefty business loss. And Jimmy is getting it worst of all, as his job to represent Lalo leads him into a whole new conflict that is an absolute joy to explore. It's fair to say that Jimmy McGill hasn't emerged too much this season. Much of what we have seen is the vile nature of Saul Goodman at work, following nobody's rules but his own with one goal: profit, no matter what he has to do to ensure that he does. But now Jimmy is faced with a serious moral dilemma, one that he hasn't had to face before. He has a massive opportunity to earn more money than he has ever desired, but to do so he has to join up with the cartel, crossing a bridge into dangerous territory he never even imagined he would explore. Saul is more than willing to join forces with Lalo and do this, but Jimmy is very skeptical. We get to see his morality come back in the intimate scene with Kim. Instead of continuing to keep his secrets, he actually opens up to Kim about how Lalo offered him to become a friend of the cartel. Ironically, being pushed further into being Saul Goodman has brought back a little bit of Jimmy to the surface. And unfortunately the two opposing sides of Jimmy make him more unstable than ever. The final few scenes of the episode are outstanding television. We see Jimmy flicking between himself and Saul Goodman at a moment's notice, first in the courtroom, and then later with Howard. His guilt that he feels for Fred's family is contested with his desire to earn Lalo's respect and make a truckload of money for himself. There's a fantastic reflective shot, one of the best shots of the series, that perfectly shows how fragmented Jimmy is with his two personas pulling at him. And it's here, at the worst possible time, that Howard shows up and Jimmy launches an incredible speech on him, the episode's defining moment (see: Best Moment). Jimmy isn't the only character being explored in meaningful ways. Kim gets a fair amount of development as she deals with the failure of the Acker case. Kevin is understandably angry and shames Kim and Rich for their poor performance, and the meeting ends on uncertain terms. But then Kim does something really surprising. Taking a page out of Jimmy's book, she loses her professionalism and goes back to Kevin's office, telling him how things really are. Rich evidently feels quite awkward about Kim's unprofessional display and is left gaping as Kim rips on Kevin. And yet, the honesty works. Kevin decides to continue with Schweikart & Cokely and Kim gets a taste of the success that Jimmy's methods bring. It's a very interesting development that continues to send Kim further and further away from being a good, ethical lawyer, into something more questionable. Mike also gets some really good content here. I've been critical on how poorly his early season arc was handled, but this episode resolves some of my biggest issues with his character. In his scene with Stacey we finally get a good reason why Mike decided to join up with Gus, and it makes far more sense than anything else I had thought up. Mike simply decided to stop pitying himself and trying to be righteous. He simply has to do his best with the options he has, and his time spent reflecting at the village in Mexico allowed him to come to this conclusion, deciding that even though Gus' cause may not be the right one, it's the best option that he has. I still feel that this explanation did come too late and that this story could have been told in a much clearer way back in "Dedicado a Max", but this explanation did improve my views on Mike's overall story. Looking back, I can now understand the purpose of Mike's time in the village and it does have more emotional resonance now than it did during my first watch of the episode. Every time I question the writing team's decisions, they always manage to make up for it and I'm left trying to remind myself not to doubt them because there is always a satisfying story being told. There were plenty of other little things I really liked about this episode. The presentation of this was spectacular and it was the most visually striking episode of the season thus far. I was pleased to see Mike and Jimmy reconnecting again, and Jimmy's response to him on the phone was perfect comedy. The cameo of Peter Schuler was a wonderful addition to the episode that allowed some more insight into the business side of Gus' operation while also hinting even more at his mysterious past in Chile (see: The Unknown). I also loved the callback to Schuler's food tasting that he did in "Breaking Bad". Another really great callback was the mention of Jimmy's two former marriages. Lots of people were theorizing that Kim may become Saul's second ex-wife who was described in "Breaking Bad" as having been caught having sex with Saul's step-dad. Confirming that Kim would be Jimmy's third wife both served as a fun Easter Egg and also gets people to stop thinking about the possibility of such an absurd event happening in the show. Finally, I'm once again wowed by this show's continuity, using minor story beats previously used to play a major role. I would never have imagined Mike's role as Dave Clark to be used in such a big way to get Lalo out on bail, and the pieces slid into place so perfectly in this episode. Little details like this really raise the show to a whole new level. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. The Unknown: What is Gus' relationship with Schuler? What happened between them in Santiago? The show has been giving us more and more teases of Gus' past and I'm starting to think that we may actually learn about what happened in Chile. Why does Mike want Lalo out of jail? Does he have a plan to take care of him? If so, what is he going to do? Where is the money that Jimmy has to pick up? I imagine that transporting $7 million would be quite complicated. Why is Jimmy feeling so much guilt about Fred's family? Does it have something to do with the plan that Mike gave him? What is Jimmy going to do to clear Lalo's name? Best Moment: Jimmy's encounter with Howard was absolutely fantastic. I'm really glad that the show didn't portray Howard as a fool and that he was able to figure out that Jimmy was the one who was sabotaging his life. It made sense for Howard to confront him to inquire about answers, but you also get the feeling that Howard maybe wanted to help as well, talking about how Jimmy is in pain. But unfortunately, bringing up pain was the worst thing he could have done. Jimmy is frustrated by Howard's ability to have moved past Chuck's death, which already gives him plenty of reason to despise him. But also, Howard is the biggest reminder that Jimmy has of Chuck. So now when he is caught in this vicious moral struggle, the shadow of Chuck is the worst thing he could possibly see. So Jimmy completely lashes out. He is vicious and hateful towards Howard, spitting venomous words at him, even doubling down on blaming him for Chuck's death. This isn't entirely rage directed at Howard though, it's also rage directed at Chuck. He's trying to show superiority over Chuck, embracing his new persona as Saul Goodman and ragefully shouting down at Howard how he has ascended to a whole new level that doesn't need to be held back by any ghosts of his past. The scene is masterfully executed and is a definite highlight of the series for me. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: Another absolute cracker of an episode. While this one didn't quite have the emotional intensity of the previous episode, it delivered in other departments, providing us with an outstanding examination of Jimmy's internal conflict while advancing the story in clever new ways that leave you craving for more. This season is firing on all cylinders now. Score: 76 Summary: In flashbacks, a young Kim refuses to get a ride home from her tardy, drunk mother. In the present, Jimmy works on filming various commercials but Kim comes to him, telling him she changed her mind about their plan. Jimmy is hesitant but relents in the end. However, after humiliating Howard using some hookers he represented, Jimmy decides to go through with it anyways. Kim gets Kevin and Paige to meets with Jimmy to discuss terms, but Jimmy goes against Kim's wishes and shows Kevin commercials that will tarnish the reputation of Mesa Verde and also brings up that he will set up a copyright infringement case against them. Jimmy leaves and Kim and Rich get hard to work in an attempt to fix this. Kevin leaves and meets with Jimmy, Jimmy offers Kevin terms and he accepts. Later, Kim returns home and lashes out at Jimmy for conning her like that. She is prepared to break up, but then suddenly suggests that they get married. Meanwhile, Nacho gives Gus more intel and Gus assigns Nacho to report to Mike from now on. Mike goes back to Lalo's attack at TravelWire and gets Lalo's car to be identified as a prime suspect. He arranges it so Lalo is discovered by the police and is arrested.
The Good: This episode knew how to build intrigue the way "Better Call Saul" does best. We're often treated to scenes of characters working on a project, but we're often missing a few key details to fully understand what they are doing. This episode utilizes that to its fullest effect in the Jimmy/Kim storyline. We start the episode by seeing Jimmy filming various commercials, though we don't know what he plans to do with them or what his approach is to stick it to Mesa Verde. This intrigue is immediately established early in the episode, and it's very important that it is established. Since we know that there needs to be a pay-off down the line, we know not to buy into the idea of Jimmy shutting down the operation just because Kim says so. We know that these commercials have to be shown at some point, and so we can anticipate that Jimmy isn't going to back down. But in this case, it isn't bad to know where the story is going. Knowing that Jimmy isn't going to adhere to Kim's wishes allows the episode to overflow with tension as we wait for Jimmy's game to be revealed and for the inevitable impact that it's going to have on Kim. Everything boils over at the meeting, which ended up being one of the episode's two incredible scenes. Everything is fine early on, but we are just waiting for the ball to drop. And when it does, it is awesome. The look on Kim's face when Jimmy drops the 4 million on Mesa Verde tells the whole story. Jimmy absolutely dials it up in this episode, embracing Saul Goodman to his very core. He's charismatic, unyielding and a complete asshole throughout the entire sequence. And Kim looks shellshocked when she realizes the storm that she's caught in. She tries to usher Kevin out of the room, but Saul can't be stopped and he says all of the right things to ensure Kevin stays and that he can take complete control of the meetings. Then we get the reveal of what he was working on. The slanderous commercials and Jimmy's "smoking gun" of copyright infringement are tremendous, and the episode lays on how significant this is with expert performances and even better cinematography and editing. The slow zoom on Kevin's face as he festers in his own frustration was such a powerful shot that truly captured how much chaos Saul left in his wake. Kevin's decision to just cut a deal with Saul and end it all was completely understandable, and it was the perfect end to another perfect con. But while executing a perfect con is enough for Jimmy to be happy, it's nowhere near enough for the flabbergasted Kim, who looks like she has been through a trauma by the episode's end. She returns home to Jimmy, horrified and confused by what just happened. For the second time, Jimmy played her and unlike the last time, this one was intentional. Jimmy's moral flexibility has gradually gotten worse and worse as the show has gone on and now Kim gets to see firsthand that the man she loves is never going to fix this. He has been spiraling rapidly ever since Chuck's death and now he has taken it too far. So Kim lashes out hard at the end of the episode, having had enough of Jimmy's lies and deceptions, having had enough of this relationship that has done nothing food for her. She seems like she is ready to storm away from him no matter what he says to her, the same way she refused to get into the car with her mother at the start of the episode. But there's just something about this relationship. Something that makes it so Kim just can't walk away, no matter how many reasons she has to do so. And so when she tries to put her foot down, she says something completely unexpected that causes the story to make a complete u-turn. What if she and Jimmy get married? What makes this episode's story so damn effective is how the characters don't have to spell out their motives to us. There are so many ways to interpret the scenes in this episode (especially that stunning final line) and that's shown by how many unique takes there are on this episode. It's an episode that is open for interpretation which allows it to have extra depth that other episodes of the show don't have. all of thsi combined, the unpredictability, emotion, suspense and deep character development ensure that this is one of the show's finest episodes, one that will have a profound impact on the story as a whole. And I haven't even talked about the other subplots in the episode yet. First up is Jimmy's continued sabotage of Howard. These scenes manage to be both hilarious and hard to watch. It's funny because the ideas that Jimmy cooks up to attack Howard are excellent, and sending some hookers to meet him in order to embarrass him and hurt his reputation is a hilarious idea. Even funnier is when we see him relishing what he's done to Howard. But it's still hard to watch. It's painful because this petty asshole is not who Jimmy is supposed to be. Jimmy is a con man, but this outright unnecessary sabotage is pure Saul Goodman. Howard doesn't deserve to have this happen to him, but Jimmy does it anyways. It's certainly one of the worst things he has done in the whole series, up there with the stunt he pulled with poor Irene back in "Fall". And the episode clearly paints to us that the glee he got out of conning Howard here was one of the deciding factors to him choosing to go through with the Mesa Verde plan anyways. Jimmy can be a good man, but whenever he dips his toes into the sweet illegal territory, he just can't help himself. Lastly, we get to the Mike storyline where there are some very big happenings. For one, Mike is reunited with Nacho, finally giving Nacho a little glimmer of hope. With Mike's help, he does have a genuine chance to escape, and I'm excited to see what will come of their alliance. The rest of the episode focuses on Mike's plan to get Lalo arrested, which was another big twist that completely reshapes the direction of this season. I've been critical of Mike's storyline (see: The Bad), but he is always at his best whenever he has a job to work on. It's a blast seeing Mike pose as a private investigator, worker in the police office, and even as a police officer himself in order to secure Lalo's arrest. Furthermore, I absolutely love that the logistics that brought Lalo down were his irrational actions back in "Winner". I was harsh on Lalo's chaotic actions in my review of "Winner" (an episode I actually love even more now) because I thought that they were small instances of sloppy writing. But I'm extremely impressed that Lalo's actions ended up bouncing back on him, and it was these reckless maneuvers that have resulted in him being taken off the streets. This was such intelligent writing, and it made the story much more satisfying than it had any right to be. The cameos from detective Tim Roberts from "Breaking Bad" and Cliff Main were very welcome. The Bad: Mike's character arc in the first 5 episodes of this season ended up being quite the disappointment. This episode feels like it jumped ahead to a point where Mike is now loyal to Gus without actually giving us any good reason for him to actually be loyal to him. It makes Nacho's comments about why Mike is working for him feel like they hit the mark. We're supposed to believe that Mike has good reason to work for Gus, but we aren't given anything more than revenge. I'm disappointed that there wasn't more to Mike's journey towards working for Gus, and I honestly think that showing Mike spiraling downwards was a waste of time that could have been used to develop their relationship more. The Unknown: Why did Kim suggest getting married? Is it because she can't bring herself to end their relationship and has resigned to sticking by him? Or are there more reasons for this? What happens now that Lalo is busted? Will the Salamancas send more men into America? Will Lalo go to Jimmy in an attempt to free himself? Best Moment: It's a real toss-up between the meeting scene and Kim's outburst at the end of the episode. I think I'll go with Kim's outburst because that ending was so unexpected, but both scenes were equally fantastic in my eyes. Character of the Episode: Kim, though Jimmy is a very close second. Conclusion: What a wonderful episode. This was exciting and emotional, and completely changed the direction of the show multiple times with some spectacular twists. I'm genuinely unsure how the story will proceed from here, and the uncertainty really excited me. This is a game-changer of an episode to throw out halfway through a season, and I really appreciate the ambition for the writers to do something like this. Score: 80 Summary: Jimmy starts putting legal roadblocks on the eviction of Acker, frustrating Kevin who simply wants to get the place torn down. Kim lets him know that Jimmy is working for Acker but Kevin refuses to take her off the case. Kim tries to get him to consider relocation, but Kevin is too stubborn and the plan backfires. Kim decides to take things a step further and gets Jimmy to find someone to investigate Kevin's personal life. While working on the investigation, Rich visits Kim and reveals that he suspects that she is up to something. Caught off guard by this, Kim lashes out at Rich. Meanwhile, Mike stays at the small village and recovers, helping the old lady taking care of him. Gus eventually comes by to visit and they speak. Gus asks Mike to work with him, using Mike's understanding of revenge as a motive.
The Good: This is a very focused episode, only cutting between two storylines: Jimmy and Kim's attempt to get Mesa Verde to relocate and Mike's stay at the Mexican village. Both storylines are similar in how they get the central characters, Kim and Mike, to make some critical decisions that will have a huge impact on their futures. Kim's story is easily the highlight of the episode. Kim has been one of the biggest dramatic hooks in the series since we are completely unaware of what awaits her in the future, and we can only hope that it isn't anything too bad. But she always seems to be at risk for something going wrong, and it usually seems to be Jimmy's fault. But now things are quite different. This hole that Kim finds herself in is entirely of her making. She didn't need to work against Mesa Verde but she chose to do it anyways, and now when faced with every opportunity to stop, she continues to push it further and further. Kim is risking so much for such little reward and it's scary to watch her make what could be a series of fatal mistakes that may cost her the career she has worked so hard to build. This episode builds up that tension so well as Kim continues to make bad choice after bad choice, and it all culminates in horrifying fashion when Kim learns that her boss has not been fooled by Kim's plan. Bubbling with fear and anxiety, she explodes at him in front of everyone, leaving her poised in a very uncomfortable position heading into the next episode. Where the episode works so well is that is makes us understand why Kim is making these horrible decisions. We know that she empathizes with Acker and doesn't really care much for Kevin, so emotionally she wants Acker to have some sort of victory. But she is stuck representing the wrong side. Realizing how far she is from the job she wanted to do (representing the little guy) is soul-crushing for her, so even if she isn't aware of it herself, it's clear that a part of Kim is trying to tank her own career to punish herself for joining up with the rich and ignoring the poor. She has betrayed her own morals already, and that's why she now finds it so easy to bend the rules and break some laws in this episode. For once it isn't Jimmy that's making the choice to cross the line, it's Kim. And it's all because she regrets all the decisions she has made to come this far. It's tragic, it's relatable and it's scary to watch. We can only hope for the best for Kim, but with her current mindset she seems well on her way towards tragedy. The episode had a lot of humour as well which I appreciated. It's always a joy to see Jimmy and Kim at work on a con. We never really know what Jimmy is planning, but seeing the results of his schemes is always a blast. His escalating stunts to fight off the construction crew were hilarious with some really absurd jokes. The imitation scene was brilliant and it nicely displayed how much closer together Jimmy and Kim always are whenever they are working a con. Lastly, Mr. X's cameo was an excellent piece of comedy, and a welcome return of a character we last saw in "Pimento". Lastly we get to Mike's storyline, which is pretty solid. This isolation is exactly what Mike needs to get over his self-pity and start returning to the man he is supposed to be. Following a nice cameo from Dr. Goodman, Mike is forced to accept that he can't go anywhere and he is annoyed by this. Being as stubborn as he is, the fact that he is being taken care of by somebody else is frustrating for him and he makes every attempt to find a way out before settling in. When he settles in, we see him acting like himself again. He helps the lady taking care of him and keeps him self busy doing handyman jobs, and all seems fine. Then Gus arrives and we can see the rage on Mike's face when he hears his voice. Mike doesn't respect Gus at all. To Mike, Gus is simply a business associate, a man he doesn't even like. Their relationship is quite far from what we see in "Breaking Bad". The final scene of the episode gives us a hint of how they will end up making peace. Gus once again shows a deeper side to him by revealing that he funds this village as a memorial to Max. I can only imagine that Max had a desire to help the poor, having been poor himself and Gus is keeping Max's dream alive by donating to this village. Of course he doesn't explicitly say any of this to Mike (see: The Bad), but it's a nice touch to his character. The final moment of the episode shows us what I can presume is the reason why Mike joins up with Gus and it makes sense. Mike has been motivated by revenge for much of the series (revenge against Matty's killer and against Hector) so he will understand Gus' plight. The Bad: Unfortunately I feel like Mike's story didn't quite work. This episode was the perfect opportunity to stage a transformational arc for Mike to make us understand why he would join Gus and to make us emotionally invested in their relationship. But the episode just didn't commit enough to do that. What we got was a simplistic story that works well enough. But considering the standards that this show sets, that is nowhere near enough. The problem is that we don't have enough context for why either character would trust the other. Mike can understand revenge, but is that really enough for him to set everything aside and go back to working for Gus, the man whose work lead to Mike having to kill Werner. And why does Gus care so much about Mike anyways? We need to know more about these two characters to make this relationship work. If this scene is just the start of their relationship, I suppose it's fine. But the way the scene is presented, it feels like this is supposed to be the big moment where Mike chooses to work for Gus, and I just don't buy it. I think that it would have been better had Gus been more open to Mike about his past and who he really is. That could have helped build a bond between them, but the show is far too interested in keeping Gus mysterious which I feel isn't necessary at this point in the story. In the end, I'm left very disappointed by Mike's story in this episode since it should have been so much more powerful than what we got. The Unknown: Would Stacey really be okay with Mike suddenly vanishing like that? Presumably it has been a few days since she last saw him. What did Kim discover that gave her hope for framing Kevin? Is it something to do with copyright infringement involving the Mesa Verde logo? Now that Rich knows about Kim's schemes, what is he going to do about it? What is Kim going to do? Is she going to try to back out or will she keep on recklessly trying to save Acker? Best Moment: Kim lashing out at Rich in front of the whole firm for telling her his suspicions was a brutally tense scene to watch. I'm afraid for Kim and I can tell that she's afraid for herself in this scene, having to directly face how unethical and self-destructive her actions have been. Character of the Episode: Kim. Conclusion: The idea of running two parallel character stories was excellent and it should have resulted in one of the show's better episodes. But this ended up being another middle of the road episode due to the drastic difference of quality between both stories. Kim's story was fantastic, with some of the season's best content, but the Mike story was disappointing. Hopefully it's just a fluke and the rest of this season can deliver much stronger content. Score: 66 Summary: Kim resolves to fix Acker's situation and makes a proposition to Kevin and Paige but they decline. Unwilling to give up, Kim approaches Jimmy, who has been using increasingly unethical actions, with a proposition. Jimmy had a meeting with Howard who gives him an offer to work at HHM. Jimmy is pretty unwilling to join HHM and immediately accepts Kim's offer. Jimmy becomes Acker's representative to fight against Mesa Verde. Jimmy goes to Howard's house and throws bowling balls onto his car. The DEA watch over Gus' dead drops and capture 3 guys and $700,000. Gus falls victim to anxiety as he awaits a response from Victor signifying that the plan was a success and nobody too major was busted. Mike tries to reconcile with Stacey and is unsuccessful. He provokes the gang people again and is beaten up and stabbed. He later wakes up at an unknown location likely in Mexico, having been saved.
The Good: This was another strong episode of character exploration that gave the characters genuine conflicts to deal with and made this season's central storylines become a little more clear. A great example of this is the Jimmy/Howard storyline that is told throughout the episode. It's telling of this whole conflict that the first thing we see during the scene where Jimmy meets with Howard is Jimmy toying with the ring he got from Marco. As ever, Jimmy is trying to balance out his inner conflict of the good lawyer vs the con man. We haven't seen this uncertainty from Jimmy this season, but now it emerges as Jimmy likely has a good idea of what Howard has to say and remembers how all he ever wanted back in season 1 was to just work with HHM. But it only stays for a brief moment. Pretty quickly, Jimmy ends up distancing himself from Howard during their discussion. He's unnerved by Howard being the same egotistical businessman as before, especially considering how much he has changed as a person since Chuck's death. Not only does Howard's offer to work at HHM clash with Jimmy's desire to play Saul Goodman at court, but the essence of how Howard has returned to normal clashes with Jimmy's unorthodox method of moving on where he became an entirely new person. For Jimmy, Howard represents one final chance for him to stay Jimmy McGill, get over his problems, and to achieve everything he could have dreamed of back in season 1. But Jimmy rejects all of what Howard stands for by the end of the episode where he gleefully throws bowling balls at Howard's car (set up by a wonderful cold open that builds mystery in a classic "Better Call Saul" way). It has been an absolute joy to see Saul in action. It looks like Jimmy's dealings with Lalo and Nacho in the last episode actually had a very positive effect on his mind. He dipped his toes into the criminal underworld, had a heavy payday, and he wants to succeed like that again. The way he manipulates the two junkies early in the episode is superb, proving that he isn't above sacrificing his own clients to get more money. His ethical values are all but gone, as we see once more in the courtroom where he uses underhanded tactics to get a mistrial. Jimmy enjoys doing this more than anything, and he's becoming more and more destructive than ever, especially with how he commits wholeheartedly to his new life as Saul. And as always, Kim can't seem to escape Jimmy's destructive nature. Once again, we see Kim turning back to Jimmy's sly methods in an attempt to help one of her clients. It's a horrible thing to see because Kim is risking her career in a big way by conning Mesa Verde, one of her own clients, in an attempt to help Acker, something that she feels she has to do. Now there isn't anything wrong with Kim wanting to help Acker, knowing how much she relates with "the little guy". But going to Jimmy seems like a huge mistake. She's expecting to face up against Jimmy in this case, but she's going to get Saul Goodman which won't be good. This episode emphasizes a fundamental difference between Jimmy and Kim. Jimmy is happy to make a mess without any regard to whoever is left to face the heat or clean it up. But Kim does care about the consequences of her actions, and I get the sense that this fundamental difference between both of them will lead to a lot of conflict. It's only a matter of time before Jimmy takes things too far in this case, and I'm very afraid about the blow-back that this will have on Kim. The stuff with Gus was also very impressive. Gus has gotten some development throughout the show, but it hasn't been anything that we couldn't have already guessed about him. But here we get a new insight on his behaviour, as he sits at his desk, brimming with anxiety and taking it out on poor Lyle, who is left scrubbing the fryers for a man who will never be satisfied. Gus has almost always been in control when we have seen him. But here is one of the very few times where Gus' fate rests on the actions of others, and the idea of not being in control eats him alive. It's a wonderful bit of development that is subtly included, and wonderfully edited into the episode as we intercut between the DEA's operation and Lyle scrubbing. The inclusion of Hank and Gomez was pretty fun as well. They played a specific role in the story, so their inclusion certainly wasn't just fanservice. But we also got a nice tie-in to "Breaking Bad" as we see the over-the-top Hank providing a rousing speech after being disappointed that he hasn't yet busted the guy that we know he ultimately will. It felt like a conclusion for Hank and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't appear again in the series. Mike's story was very curious in this episode. His story continued naturally as he fell further into grief and self-loathing. In this episode we see him get rejected by his family, and having no motivation to do anything else, he purposefully looks for a fight so he can get beaten up and punished for what he has done. Mike has hit a new low and looks like he is ready to die for all he has done. But the ending of the episode provides a very interesting twist with Mike waking up in an undisclosed location, having been saved by somebody unknown. This is a good cliffhanger that provides an intriguing mystery. I'm intrigued to find out who has Mike and how they will help Mike get back to working for Gus. The Bad: There's nothing bad about this. But one thing I have to note is that despite this season being very enjoyable so far, it hasn't succeeded in engaging my emotions to the next level in ways that the show has done before. Usually the show has turned some pretty ordinary episodes into something terrific by providing some outstanding scenes ("Slip" and "Breathe" are good examples) or by emotionally engaging me into a character's plight ("Rebecca" and "Quite a Ride"). This season hasn't quite hit that level yet. I'm sure it will in future episodes, but it's worth noting that these early episodes have been missing that spark. The Unknown: How will Gus' anxiety be explored in future episodes? Will he somehow overcome this flaw before "Breaking Bad"? Where is Mike? The way the scene is shot suggests Mexico to me. What happened to him at the end of the episode? Who saved him from the beating he was taking? Was Gus watching him? Was it Lalo who was absent this week? Or was it somebody else entirely? Best Moment: Jimmy and Howard's meeting was wonderfully well done. The acting was top-tier and the scene brilliantly conveyed both Jimmy's conflict and Howard's transformation. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: There's no better show on television right now at exploring inner conflict. Not a whole lot happens in this episode, but there is some stunning character exploration as the season makes some very important moves towards setting up its climax. The first 4 episodes haven't been the show at its absolute best, but they have laid very important groundwork in a wildly entertaining way. This season has started very well. Score: 68 Summary: Nacho takes Jimmy to meet Lalo. Lalo recruits him to help with Domingo's arrest. Jimmy meets with Domingo who is questioned by Hank and Gomez. Jimmy forms a plan with Domingo who ends up giving Hank and Gomez the location of Gus' dead drops, moving Lalo's plan forwards. Jimmy tells Lalo and Nacho that he doesn't want to do more work with them but he finds himself trapped in their business. Nacho tries to buy out his dad's shop to get him to leave town. However, his father sees through this and refuses to run away. Nacho reports Lalo's moves to Gus who decides to do nothing, unwilling to risk Lalo determining that somebody leaked information to Gus. Mike continues drinking and breaks the arm of a guy who attacks him. Kim is called in by Paige on her day off to deal with Acker, an old man refusing to leave his house so that the land can be used by Mesa Verde. Kim snaps at him after he pushes her to the limit and storms off. However, she comes back with kindness and tries to help him, only to be rebuffed once more. Upset, Kim returns to Jimmy and they throw beer bottles off the balcony together.
The Good: While the first two episodes set up the story for the season, this delved more into what I've come to expect from this show: interesting exploration of the various characters and the relationships they have with each other. This episode spent time with several key characters, showing us what their lives are like and detailing the conflicts they are dealing with using some clever metaphors and top-tier directing. Jimmy's story was really well done. Bob Odenkirk had a great episode all around as he conveyed Jimmy's fear and discomfort as he gets pulled back into business with Nacho, now being introduced to the dangerous Lalo. Jimmy goes back to the awkward discussion he uses with Tuco as he deals with Lalo and it's very engaging to watch. Better yet is how Jimmy's demeanor completely changes once he hears that he had only been brought to Lalo for legal services. Despite that, working with Lalo and Nacho still isn't something that Jimmy wants to do. Sure he gets a good payday out of it (one that he hilariously undershoots), but is it worth getting into such a dangerous world for this? Unfortunately Jimmy is left with no choice but to step into this world, and he's left in the same predicament as Nacho. He doesn't want to be involved, but just like that ice cream cone, there's absolutely nothing that he can do to keep the ants away. The origin of Domingo as a snitch is enjoyable to watch. Hank and Gomez make very welcome returns, and it is a pleasure to see them back on the screen. Unlike most shows, this one does fanservice extraordinarily well. These little Easter Eggs aren't here for no reason, in fact they play a crucial part in the story. Regardless of if you have seen "Breaking Bad" or not, the scenes where Hank and Gomez grill Domingo are engaging, and it's consistently interesting to see how Jimmy is going to get Domingo out of his situation. The solution with Gus being thrown under the bus makes perfect sense, and it continues the cold war between Lalo and Gus in an interesting way. Nacho has a very good episode as well. For the first time since "Coushatta", we get a good look at what his house life is like. Nacho has everything that he could possibly have wanted. He has money, drugs, girls, cars and a big house to top it all off. But we can see on his face that none of this brings any joy to his life. The house is shot in such a dull lighting, and the camera almost never gets close to the characters, making the house appear empty and lifeless. It's obvious that Nacho has no desire for any of this. He's met by his father and we learn that Nacho had tried to get his father to leave, likely in an attempt to get him away from the threat of Gus murdering him. But Manuel is smart enough to see through Nacho's plan and he refuses to leave. It's heartbreaking to see the state of their relationship. Nacho clearly wishes to reconnect with his father, while Manuel clearly wants to see his son escape from the cartel business he's involved in. But this episode makes it clear that there is no escape for Nacho. If he runs, Gus will kill his father. If he goes to the cops, he will never be safe, a point that's also hammered home by Jimmy trying to ensure that Domingo doesn't get killed for being a rat. All that's left for Nacho to do is to keep on surviving and hope that he can keep both Gus and Lalo satisfied. It's a horrible place for Nacho to be trapped in, and it's easy to sympathize with him. Kim also gets a chance to really shine in this episode. We return to her never-ending inner conflict and we even get some fascinating details about her past. Learning that Kim used to be poor neatly explains why she enjoys PD work so much since she is able to help less fortunate people, just like herself. But it also explains why being the main attorney helping Mesa Verde is so difficult for her. Being the lawyer working for a rich law firm isn't at all what she wanted to do, and it reflects poorly on her character. Kim wants to be there for the people, the last thing she wants is to be viewed as a smug corporate lawyer. It's telling of who she is that Kim isn't able to put Acker off her mind after she snaps at him. She comes back, looking to help sort out his situation. But he's already decided that she's a horrible person and he rejects her help. It's a heartbreaking moment for Kim that shows us exactly why doing independent work is so appealing to her. She doesn't want to be part of the big law firm, in fact she gets much more joy out of simply helping others. This takes us to the ending scene with Jimmy. The two of them are in a precarious place in their relationship. They don't talk about their lives and their struggles and instead just have fun testing the law together, the makings of a pretty toxic relationship. But that's what makes it so fascinating to follow them. The show makes it so tough to see where their relationship is going. One episode I'm left thinking that Kim is bound to leave Jimmy soon, but the next I'm wondering if Kim is actually able to tolerate Jimmy's complete disdain for ethics. This show is keeping me on my toes, and I'm left fearing for Kim's fate. The entirety of Kim's story this week took full advantage of my attachment to her and made me fear for whatever is about to happen to her. Despite very little happening, the show gets the most emotion out of every moment, making me just as hurt as Kim when things go badly with Acker. Mike's story is progressing well enough. There isn't a whole lot to bite into in this episode, but it's some solid progression of his guilt over Werner's death. He goes through life without a care in the world and engages in conflict when it isn't even necessary. It's evident that he thinks very little of himself now, and he's now reached a new low. The Bad: This episode isn't quite as suspenseful as it tries to be. The opening scenes with Jimmy aren't frighteningly tense because we already have a good idea of what Lalo wants with Jimmy. Jimmy is scared out of his mind, but we aren't scared at all. That creates a bit of a disconnect between Jimmy and the viewers, and that prevents the scene from being as good as it could have been had there been more mystery as to why Nacho had picked up Jimmy. The Unknown: Does Kim want out from Mesa Verde? It seems like she hit a breaking point with Acker, so I wonder what her next move is. Will she leave Schweikart and Cokely? Also, is Kim jealous of Saul? She seems dismissive of Saul in her brief talks with Jimmy, but I have to wonder if she is jealous that Saul is doing the exact job that she wants to do more than anything. Has Manuel been set up for death? If he isn't going to leave, then I don't see any other fate for him unfortunately. How much of this whole thing did Lalo plan to frame Gus? Could he have somehow staged Domingo's arrest as well? How is Gus going to handle the DEA finding his dead drops? How will this change his relationship with the cartel? What is he going to do to stop Lalo? Best Moment: The final moments of the episode were wonderful. Jimmy and Kim have both had a crazy day that pushed them to their limits. But they both come home and don't say a word to each other about it. Instead, they silently blow off some steam by flirting with the law together, as always. No matter how far their lives sink, they always go back to each other to break some rules together. It's a pretty destructive relationship, and I'm left feeling very nervous about what awaits Kim. Character of the Episode: Kim. Conclusion: This was a quieter episode than the first two but I actually enjoyed it a bit more. This show excels at character work, so this episode played to the show's strengths. It has been a quiet start to the season, but the storytelling remains terrific. Score: 69 Summary: Jimmy takes Kim on a surprise trip to an open house where they smooth things over between them for the moment. Jimmy begins working as Saul Goodman and tackles countless cases quickly, going as far as to break down an elevator to stage a meeting with Suzanne to discuss clients. Nacho's threatened by Gus who orders him to gain Lalo's trust to learn his intentions. After an unfortunate drug bust which ends with Domingo arrested, Nacho sneaks into the stash house to get rid of the cocaine before the DEA can find it, earning Lalo's respect. Mike has started drinking again and lashes out at Kaylee after being reminded of his guilt. After Jimmy leaves court, he's picked up by Nacho.
The Good: This was probably one of the funniest episodes of the show. The opening sequence was hilarious, and it was edited to perfection. It's goofy fun that we don't normally see from "Better Call Saul", but it fit right in with the changing dynamics of the show. The rest of this episode had plenty of moments that continued the comedic tone, whether it was the comical way that Domingo was busted by the cops or Jimmy's overly dramatic acting as he stages an elevator breakdown to finish up some cases with Suzanne. It was a refreshing change of pace, and made this episode pretty memorable. The infusion of comedy and drama has become less frequent with this show as it has gone on due to the show's darker tone in the past few seasons. However, it's telling of how good these writers are that they are able to squeeze in these laughs without taking away from the serious tone that permeates much of this episode. But that's not to say that this episode can't be serious. Instead, it seems to take pleasure in mixing the serious with the comedic. Take the ending cliffhanger as an example. This is a huge moment for the show as Jimmy and Nacho have reunited for the first time in almost 40 episodes, finally beginning Jimmy's journey into the criminal underworld. The show understands the significance of this moment - the entire 50% off opening sequence provides a direct link from Jimmy to the Nacho storyline as a wonderful piece of foreshadowing - and the scene is shot in a dramatic way. Yet we still have the joke with Nacho refusing to allow Jimmy to enter his car with an ice cream cone. It's a brilliant case of humour mixed with a serious tone, and somehow it doesn't feel jarring since my emotional reaction flowed naturally throughout the scene. Jimmy's storyline was terrific in this episode. There is a wonderful open house sequence that may seem like a complete waste of time on paper. But in execution, it turns into a wonderful exploration of the Jimmy/Kim relationship, giving the characters some time to get past the troubles that came from Jimmy's change into Saul Goodman. I thought that it was telling how Kim refused to work with Jimmy when he was trying to sell her an apology, only coming around on their trip to the open house when they start messing around and ignoring their day-to-day life. It's clear that these two love each other and that there are still plenty of reasons for Kim to stick with Jimmy. But there's still conflict bubbling under the surface that needs to be explored. The remainder of Jimmy's story focuses on him enjoying his new life as Saul Goodman. He's a force in the courtroom, going from person to person and concluding cases as casually and flippantly as he possibly can. And how wonderful was that single shot of him in the courtroom? This show never stops with its innovative cinematography to add a little bit of extra flavour to the scenes. What's evident from the two Saul Goodman sequences is that Jimmy loves this new life. He's free to be himself like never before, scheming and conning his way to success while still serving his clients. This is the lifestyle he's dreamed of and it tastes just as sweet as he imagined. But it's going to be short-lived. Saul Goodman is destined to be drawn into life as a criminal, despite what Jimmy may want. The dropped ice cream cone at the end of the episode is symbolic of this. Before Jimmy is able to fully enjoy the wonders of his new lifestyle, he's going to be thrown out of his depth, and once that happens there is no going back. And it looks like that time is now. This episode spent a lot of time on Nacho's storyline, which was done very well. Gus' chilling threat early in the episode set the tone very well for Nacho. He wants nothing more than to go on living quietly, but with Gus' veiled threat on his father, he has no choice but to do some of the riskiest and most reckless stuff in order to gain Lalo's trust. Nacho isn't given very many lines of dialogue, yet it's always clear what his intentions are and what the inner conflict is that he's dealing with. The emphasis on visual storytelling is "Better Call Saul" playing to its strengths. Furthermore, what makes Nacho so engaging to watch is that we don't have to be told to sympathize with him. He's such a morally grey character and it would be easy for the show to try to force us to like him. But the show never does that. Instead we choose to care about his internal struggles without there being any telegraphed attempts to get us to like him, and that makes this story all the more satisfying. On top of that, we get an outstanding sequence where Nacho tries to sneak the cocaine out of the stash house. We understand why he's doing it (to gain Lalo's trust) but it still seems like a stupid and scary idea. This scene mixes the nail biting tension of Nacho getting caught with some wonderful levity as Lalo commentates the whole escapade, resulting in a unique and immensely enjoyable sequence that sticks to this episode's theme of blending in humour with drama. The last storyline to dive into is Mike's. Mike had a quiet episode, but still a very effective one. We get to see Mike fall back into his drinking habits, and the guilt over what he did to Werner is evidently eating him alive. Jonathan Banks communicates this all so perfectly, and the tragic scene where he lashes out at Kaylee is hard to watch. The poor girl is only wanting to learn more about her father, but her attempts to do so bring Mike's guilt over what happened to both Werner and Matty to the surface, and that has dire consequences. I'm not sure where Mike goes after this, but it should be interesting to see what he has to do to resolve his inner dilemma. The Bad: I don't think there was any problem with the content we got in this episode. It was all very good stuff. But when put together, something about this episode felt off. There are so many storylines going on, and everything didn't quite flow in this episode. Things felt disjointed, without a focused story pushing things forwards. It's here where the episode's biggest strength (its humour) becomes its weakness, as the humour ends up only adding to what already feels like a pretty cluttered episode. Every individual scene worked, though the overall package felt like it was missing the focus it needed to really deliver. The Unknown: What is Lalo planning to do about Gus? Hector told him to go after Gus' money. How does he plan to do this? I liked that we got to learn how Domingo got his nickname. It was a harmless bit of fanservice that did actually fit in the episode. I wonder if this arrest is what leads to Domingo becoming a DEA informant. I really appreciate that the show has been quietly developing Domingo in the background. Will we actually see him become the Krazy 8 that we know from "Breaking Bad"? What does Nacho want with Jimmy? Does this have to do with Lalo's plans for Domingo? I suspect that Nacho will want to recruit Jimmy to get him out of custody. Best Moment: Nacho getting the cocaine out of the stash house. A wonderfully original sequence that was shot perfectly and blended humour and drama in a tremendously fun way. Character of the Episode: Nacho. Conclusion: This ended up being a great episode that finally merged Jimmy's story to the cartel story. The use of humour was a highlight of the episode, and there was plenty of interesting character exploration to set up the remainder of the season. Score: 67 Summary: Gene escapes from Omaha for a few days, unsure if his cover is blown. After a while, he returns safely but is discovered by Jeff, the taxi driver who recognizes him. Jeff plans to stay in touch with Gene who panics and calls Ed looking to vanish again. But at the last moment, Gene changes his mind. In the present, Kim is shaken by Jimmy's change to Saul but she accepts it. Jimmy runs a promotional stunt with his final cell phones and gets in touch with a lot of new potential clients. Kim runs into Jimmy while working a PD case and Jimmy gets Kim to run a con to get her client to make the right choice, unnerving her. Meanwhile, Lalo enlists Nacho's help and discovers that the cocaine being sold is stepped on. Lalo meets with Bolsa and Gus, and Gus explains that Werner stole his cocaine and he had him quietly killed, diluting the cocaine with meth in an attempt to keep things unnoticed. Gus also explains that Werner was working on an innocuous construction project but Lalo doesn't buy it. Mike dismisses the Germans back to Germany and quits working for Gus.
The Good: Like most season premieres of this show, this was a slow episode that patiently explored a change in character dynamics while wrapping up loose ends from last season and setting up the plot for this season. It certainly won't be the best episode of the season, but it's still an enjoyable watch. I'll start with the opening Gene sequence, a staple of the season premieres. As usual, the sequence was a terrific self-contained watch, furthering Gene's story and highlighting his paranoia. We see Gene on-the-run after his tense encounter last season, and he's ready to leave at a moment's notice. This is the first Gene scene we have seen that doesn't open with a musical score. The music represents Gene's monotonous Cinnabon lifestyle, and with Gene starting off in such a place of bother, the music isn't there. At least not until Jimmy returns to his normal lifestyle, but even then the music only lasts a short while, symbolic of the increasing pressure on Gene and how the Jimmy/Saul hiding beneath him is eager to emerge. Gene is living under constant threat now, and the confrontation with Jeff was exemplary of that. The scene was frighteningly tense giving Gene a good reason to want to disappear once again. He calls Ed (R.I.P. Robert Forster) looking to leave. But he changes his mind and decides to solve the problem himself. This is such a great way to end the Gene sequence, suggesting to us that the Gene lifestyle is no longer viable for Saul/Jimmy. He's going to try to come back, and it should be a blast to see what he does next. But unfortunately, we'll have to wait until next season to find out. Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman went forward in full force. This episode sees Saul in his element, dressed in colourful suits, making sleazy business deals and spitting out charismatic lines of dialogue. There isn't a hint of Jimmy in this episode, as Saul rapidly spirals out of control with his questionable marketing schemes and complete disregard for ethics. It's as much of a shock for Kim as it is for us to see Jimmy instantly become this colourful new character and break through every one of the restraints that held him back in his last stint as a lawyer. Perhaps the best example of this is Jimmy's new 50% off deal. It's evident to everyone watching that this deal sounds like a horrible idea since it sounds like Jimmy is encouraging felonies, and Kim points this out, concerned about Jimmy's reputation. But Jimmy completely misinterprets her meaning, thinking that Kim is referring to his financial situation rather than his reputation. As Saul Goodman, he's unable to comprehend the idea of ethical behaviour and that creates a divide between Jimmy and Kim throughout the episode. The relationship between Kim and Jimmy has always been codependent. Kim would keep Jimmy in check whenever he toed the line between legal and illegal, while Jimmy would provide Kim with an escape from her lawful lifestyle by teaching her how to toe the line by pulling small-scale cons. Jimmy would lean too far towards the illegal side of things, while Kim goes too heavily on the legal side. But together, they struck a perfect balance in between both. What this episode establishes is the destruction of that balance. Kim could handle Jimmy, but Saul Goodman is something else entirely. We see the scales tip in this episode as Kim fails to reign in Saul like she ordinarily would. Kim can no longer reign in Jimmy, as shown when he goes through with the 50% off deal anyways after being faced with the loss of a few potential clients. And Jimmy is able to pull Kim to morally gray territory with ease, getting her to actually con her own client (see: Best Moment). In the other half of the episode, we see Lalo continue his investigation on Gus. This story remains a lot of fun, mostly due to Tony Dalton's charismatic performance as Lalo, portraying him as this suave and consistently unpredictable maniac that isn't afraid of anything. Lalo's presence puts immediate pressure on Nacho. Nacho, similar to Kim, is feeling the pressure of his position. With his split loyalties, Nacho finds it increasingly difficult to prevent a war and escape from his current life. Even though we don't see him very much in the episode, his dilemma is clear as day as he tries to cooperate with Lalo without betraying Gus. Offending either of these two could be a fatal mistake for Nacho. We get to see the consequences of Werner's escape in full detail in this episode, and I'm pleased by that. Instead of rushing past to the next big scene, "Better Call Saul" takes its time to explore consequences, as it always does. To contend with Lalo, Gus comes up with an elaborate lie, one that is well thought-out and consistent with the carefulness we have come to expect from Gus. Though a small oversight (the lack of a south wall) is enough to keep Lalo on Gus' scent, and it should be interesting to see where Lalo's investigation will take him, and how Gus plans to deal with him. Mike on the other hand is really feeling the guilt from killing Werner. Kai tries to sympathize with what Mike does, and for his troubles he gets a hard punch. But when Casper angrily insults Mike, he doesn't get punched. Mike knows full well that Werner did not deserve to die, and he's not at all comfortable with what he had to do. Jonathan Banks does a superb job in this episode portraying Mike's unease, and that makes Mike's decision to leave Gus at the end of the episode feel like a realistic choice. The montage of Jimmy giving phones away was terrific. This show always impresses with its editing, and this was another prime example of clever film-making. I particularly enjoyed the details of Jimmy exaggerating Huell's sentence, and also of Jimmy ringing a bell, signifying that he'll be getting involved with the cartel very soon. As a final point, the return of Bill and the film crew were two very welcome cameos, and Jimmy's publicity stunt was a joy to watch. The Bad: The cartel half of the story is bogged down by the prequel problem. Lalo's investigation would be much more engaging and exciting if Mike and Gus' futures were uncertain. There would be more drama and excitement if there was a possibility that Gus' plans could get out to the cartel. But since that possibility doesn't exist, the story isn't as dramatic as it could be. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the story and find it skillfully put together. But I can't help but feel that this should be better than it is. Being a season premiere, this episode is very slow and not a whole lot happens in terms of character, and there aren't even as many chances as usual for the show to wow us with its directing, cinematography and editing. Granted, there's nothing wrong with the content we were given, but there isn't anything particularly special about it either. The Unknown: What is Gene planning to do to deal with Jeff? Will he be channeling his inner Saul Goodman or his inner Jimmy McGill? What's with the stepped on drugs? Did Gus somehow plant these to help make his alibi of Werner's escape make more sense? Lalo mentions that Hector killed Gus' boyfriend. Has it just been confirmed that Gus is gay? Also, what happened in Santiago? I wonder if we will actually learn about Gus' backstory. The 50% off deal sounds like a horrible idea, and I imagine we'll be seeing repercussions from this very soon. The question is, what's going to go wrong? Best Moment: The end of the episode sees Kim trying to convince Bobby to take a deal for 5 months in jail time, which is the obvious best choice. But Bobby refuses to accept this, convinced that going to trial and risking 2-4 years in jail is the smarter idea. When Kim vents to Jimmy about this, Jimmy's immediate instinct is to con Bobby into making the right decision. Kim is horrified, unwilling to let Jimmy's cons interfere with the job that she loves doing. She finally sends him away and returns to Bobby... and ends up conning him anyways. Kim loves it too much, and finds herself unable to resist giving in. Afterwards we see Kim escape into a quiet, monotonous staircase, away from the colourful hallway and takes a moment to catch her breath, horrified by what she has done. Dealing with Saul isn't the same as dealing with Jimmy, and Kim is most certainly feeling the pressure. Character of the Episode: Saul. It's a blast to see this crooked lawyer back on the screen. Conclusion: Another season of "Better Call Saul" starts with a strong yet unspectacular premiere. This was everything it needed to be and I enjoyed watching it. The foundations have been laid for season 5 and I can't wait to see what comes next. Score: 67 Summary: Flashbacks show Jimmy partying after becoming a lawyer. Jimmy and Chuck's relationship is healthy and loving at this point. In the present, Jimmy tries to be seen in public caring for Chuck. He slowly loses himself in the process. Eventually he is asked for his testimony and unleashes an emotional speech about Chuck to con the judges into making him a lawyer again. He is successful but unintentionally and unknowingly makes Kim believe his words as well. Jimmy chooses to practice under the name Saul Goodman. Mike tries to locate Werner to bring him back before anything happens. Lalo, who was watching Gus' operation, follows Mike and is able to track down Werner and come in contact with him on the phone before Mike. Mike reports this to Gus, who tells Mike to kill Werner. Mike does so.
The Good: This was an excellent season finale. The story was powerful and it managed to bring season 4 to a close in an effective way, tying together all of the stories that were told in the last 10 episodes. The flashback was extremely powerful and emotional, and it wasn't because of Ernie's singing (what a singing voice!). After we have seen Chuck and Jimmy at each other's throats for so long, it feels strange to see them so friendly in this opening scene. Strange, yet powerful as it highlights what could have been between those two. A brotherhood between two brothers who help each other and help bring out the best in each other, keeping each other in line. Instead, we have to face the reality of what really happened, adding to the tragedy of Jimmy's character, a tragedy which was explored thoroughly in this episode. The early stages of the episode see Jimmy pulling another scam, this time he is strategically placing himself in positions to make him seem remorseful about Chuck to important people in the law community. I enjoyed seeing Jimmy's complete disinterest in doing this, proving to us that he truly doesn't care about Chuck now that he's dead, which paid off by the end of the episode (see: Best Moment). The pressure that pulling this con has on Jimmy is immense, as he is annoyed that he has to go to such tedious lengths to prove himself to the bar association. Jimmy has no interest in re-opening his feeling about Chuck, which have been sealed away since "Smoke". The tragedy of this episode is how the pressure gets to Jimmy and causes him to completely lose himself. After seeing himself in a hopeful scholar, Christy Esposito, Jimmy realizes the world is against him and always will be. After everything that happened to him, he has finally lost hope about finding his place in this world without cutting corners and scamming. He delivers an awkward and imposing speech to Christy, letting her know of the horrors that he experienced in his attempt to be a lawyer, and it's this speech which he delivered to an innocent kid that makes Jimmy realize how far gone he is. He goes back to his car, and for one of the first times in this show, he cries and it's not a con. It's real tears, tears to mourn for himself. Jimmy McGill is almost gone, burned away by the nightmare of a life he has been trying to live. After four seasons with this character, seeing him slowly die on the inside is painful and immensely powerful. And it prepares him for the ultimate con, as he lies through his teeth to everyone in his testimony with such a convincing nature that even Kim starts to believe what is coming out of his mouth. But it's all a lie. Jimmy has no sincerity, just a motivation to win, to hell with any sense of morals and honour. And he doesn't care anymore. He doesn't spare a thought about how Kim may feel and quickly heads forward to pursue his future under his new name. While some people may say that season 4 was boring and nothing happened, I disagree. This season is about transitioning Jimmy to Saul, an important story which I'm beyond glad the writers chose to tell. The other half of the episode saw Mike chasing down Werner in a tense and exciting sequence made better by the presence of the ruthless, reckless and unpredictable Lalo. Tensions were really high throughout and I was extremely happy to see "Better Call Saul" make an episode hinged on a storyline with a sense of urgency and excitement to it. There were many sequences in this storyline which were tense and exciting. Mike getting away from Lalo was exciting to watch, and I love the touch of Mike refusing to go for the gun, instead using some chewing gum to remove Lalo. The scenes at TravelWire were great too as both Lalo and Mike work on Fred to get him to reveal information. It's also a great contrast between Mike and Lalo, who both manage to get what they want but through very different means. In the end both manage to come in contact with Werner, but it's Lalo who makes contact first, condemning Werner to his fate in heartbreaking fashion. This leads to the scene where Mike is forced to execute Werner in cold blood after failing to convince Gus to save his life. The sad thing is that it looked like Gus may give in, but it's Lalo's involvement which prevents Gus from being willing to take the risk. In the end Gus is left in his half-finished lab, angry and unimpressed, demonstrating his disappointment with what happened. To make up for this disappointment, Mike knows he has to fix his mistake and kill Werner. The scene is heartbreaking and beautifully shot as Mike has to slowly let Werner realize what is happening. Werner is so good-hearted, so seeing him meet this fate is devastating, and his final phone call with his wife makes it even more painful and sad. Better yet is the focus on Mike who is pained when he realizes that he has to murder a friend who doesn't deserve to die for what he has done. It's a big change for Mike's character which pushes him even further into his work with Gus. The scene was masterful and it certainly makes up for some slow moments in the episodes prior. I was glad to see Gale again and his interactions with Gus and Mike were pretty funny and entertaining. The Bad: But Gale's interactions with Gus were sadly inconsistent with Gus' character which we see in "Breaking Bad". I understand that he's angry about the halt in superlab construction, but Gus has always treated Gale with kindness and it feels awkward to give him the cold shoulder here. I feel like this season hasn't shown enough of the charming and friendly Gus, and it may have even somewhat forgotten what the true essence of the character is. Lalo's stunt at TravelWire was a little hard to believe. I understand what they were going for and it was somewhat funny, but it was far too cartoonish for this show. I can't buy that Lalo would manage to sneak into the ceiling so quickly and silently, plus how would he get up there anyways? Is he Spider-man? I was disappointed that Nacho wasn't in this episode. He has hardly had anything to do in the back half of this season which is poor considering how important he was early in the season. Furthermore, I thought that Howard could have had a more important role as well. I was interested to see what Howard and Jimmy's relationship was like, especially after their last conversation but we never got to see any of that which feels disappointing. The Unknown: Did Lalo cover up his murder of Fred appropriately or could that come back to haunt him? Did he also appropriately deal with the man in the parking lot who may have gotten his license plate? How will the superlab be completed now? Who finishes it? Will that be Gale's job now? How will Kim and Jimmy's relationship change after that last scene? Best Moment: Jimmy's testimony is poignant and it's meant to be. For a little while we even think that he may be honest here since everything he says could very well be true. But of course it's not. The scene even parallels Jimmy meeting with the bar association in the last episode to show that he is still conning the judges. But Kim doesn't realize and thinks that Jimmy finally got his sadness surrounding Chuck's death off his chest. But Jimmy quickly and ruthlessly reveals it was all fake and even laughs at the "asshole who was actually crying". Rhea Seehorn is terrific as she shows Kim's shock at learning this, and it finally begins to clue in to her that Jimmy isn't hiding anything. He isn't the same man anymore, he's Saul Goodman now. It's another powerful scene in an episode full of them. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: This was a great season finale, capping off the season with a bang, concluding several stories and all but completing Jimmy's transformation into Saul. This show rarely disappoints and this was no exception. As for the season as a whole, it was outstanding. Unsurprisingly, the acting, cinematography, editing, storytelling, writing, pacing, etc. were all near-perfect and combined to make this slow-burn show deliver some of the best television this year. Jimmy's story and transformation was tremendously strong and I think it brought out the very best acting from Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn to date. The big question going into this season was if it could still be great without Chuck. Thankfully the answer was a resounding yes as the story moved in a new and fulfilling direction without Chuck, organically continuing the story. The Nacho and Mike stories were very strong too with engaging moments and a good overall story which combined together nicely in the finale. I would put this season between season 3 and season 2 in terms of ranking and I think it was very strong but not as good as season 3. I think as a whole this was the most consistent season of the show, but it didn't ever reach the highs that seasons 1-3 reached. But that shouldn't take away from just how good this season was. Score: 79 Summary: Jimmy and Kim get used to a life of scamming people together. The time comes for Jimmy to get his law license back but when he goes in front of the bar association, he is denied his law license because of insincerity. Jimmy is enraged and lashes out at Kim. The two of them have a fight. Ultimately Kim decides that she will help Jimmy get his law license back. Mike notices that Werner is troubled and permits him a phone call to his wife. Mike continues to support him to finish his work, but Werner doesn't listen and escapes. Lalo visits Hector and gives him his bell. He goes to Los Pollos Hermanos and offers Gus a deal to work together peacefully.
The Good: This was a great episode, playing off of tension extremely well and including some terrific scenes with consistent and impressive acting throughout. Jimmy and Kim had a great storyline in this episode which culminated in a standout final scene. But before I talk about that, I want to talk about the opening scene. Last episode raised the question of how far Kim would go with her new-found appreciation for conning, and we were answered right away with a terrific scene which showed us how committed Kim is to this as she uses a cheap scam to save her from doing some work on Mesa Verde. It was a great way to establish her morals, set up some threads for the climactic scene later, and also provides us an entertaining opening sequence by showing up Slippin' Jimmy at work with his new partner in crime. Then we get to Jimmy going to get his license back, which I think was a very clever use of audience expectations. Jimmy was so confident about getting his license back, and we know that he continues being a lawyer in the future, so it seemed like a given that Jimmy would be reinstated as a lawyer. That the scene took place in the middle of the episode also supported the idea that nothing too huge would happen here. But then the scene happened and we got to see Slippin' Jimmy at work once more, only this time he is fighting for his law license. It's entertaining as always, but this one has a little more emotional weight to it as the words coming out of Jimmy's mouth are more truthful than usual; he does genuinely enjoy being a lawyer. I thought that his decision to neglect speaking about Chuck would just exist to show us how he doesn't care at all about Chuck's death, but I was wrong, and when the curtain came down and it was revealed that Jimmy wouldn't be getting his license, it felt like a gut-punch. This was an out-of-nowhere tragedy for Jimmy's character, and it was downright heartbreaking to witness. I must hand it to Bob Odenkirk as well, who does a terrific job of showing the many, many layers behind Jimmy as he acted out this scene. The storytelling is outstanding as it provides a genuinely surprising twist in Jimmy's story, and the wonderful irony in the fact that Jimmy was actually being sincere and had he mentioned Chuck, that would have been insincere. Jimmy, a regular scammer, was just punished for his own honesty and that is bound to make honesty a trait that Jimmy may never want to express again, furthering his descent to Saul Goodman in a heart-breaking way. That scene could have been the climax of any other episode and I would have been satisfied, but then it was immediately followed up by a massive fight between Jimmy and Kim. Jimmy is enraged due to being let down for doing seemingly nothing wrong and Kim is the one who has to calm him down. She tries, but it's one slip up, where she says "we will find a way to make you look sincere" that completely sets Jimmy off. In one moment, all of Jimmy's past enemies flash before him as he makes reference to several setbacks he has had to deal with (including a nod to the Kettleman story in season 1 which I especially appreciated) by lashing out all of his frustrations towards Kim, treating her like just another one of the people who always look down on him. Naturally this sets Kim off too and she explodes at his lack of gratitude for her, and it ends up becoming a powerful and sad fight. The best part about this is how realistic and organic the set-up to them coming to blows actually is. It's so relatable which makes it all the more tragic to see them explode like this at each other. The scene is brilliantly constructed and it is a wonderful catharsis for what is now seasons worth of frustration. This moment was a series highlight for sure, and it was carried by some tremendous acting from Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn. I though the following scene at Kim's apartment was another outstanding one. They had clearly never had anything like this before, so both are unsure of what to do. Kim is nervous to approach Jimmy, who is reluctantly packing his stuff into his bag, unsure if Kim would even want him anymore. It's sad to see Jimmy believing that he just ruined the one final good thing in his life, but thankfully Kim's inability to get away from Jimmy pushed her back to him to try things again and to push forwards. I feel like Kim being unable to get away from Jimmy while she had the chance may come back to haunt her. As if that wasn't exhausting enough, there are still two more storylines in this episode, with both of them having important and engaging developments to set everything in place for the season finale. I'll tackle the superlab story first. I thought last episode did a great job of making Werner a character that I care about and I had hoped that this was set-up for something big in Mike's personal story. It seems like that will be the case as Werner shows serious signs of being a potential threat, yet Mike takes the half-measure to deal with him, only letting him call his wife. It's sensible as we can see that Mike and Werner have become friends over the past few months, but it ends up being a mistake as we get the big reveal that Werner escaped the compound and nobody noticed. It's a great surprise to end the episode, and it could very well be setting up for Mike to make a full measure to correct his half measure. I imagine that Mike may very well make his first kill working for Gus, and it won't be pretty, seeing how much I've become invested in Werner. Furthermore, the scenes int he superlab did a great job with tension. Werner having a breakdown alone while doing the blasting was poignant and scary, while the ending scene was shocking and foreboding as you just get the sense that Werner won't be able to make it very far. Lastly, we get to Lalo, who continues to be a wildly entertaining character. His polite and charming nature is a breath of fresh air compared to all of the violent Salamancas, and his mysterious motives (see: The Unknown) make all of his scenes so much more engaging to watch. I enjoyed the first sequence where he gave the bell to Hector. Technically this scene was unnecessary, but I think that Hector getting the iconic bell was important enough that we needed to see it happen, and I think Lalo's interactions with Hector were also significant as they taught us a little more about his character and how he normally behaves. This led to him having a meeting with Gus in a scene which I really loved. Both actors have so much presence, and they played off of each other in an excellent, and different, way. As an aside, I also liked seeing Lyle again, plus it was a smart way to make Gus notice and approach Lalo right away. The Bad: Mike's story doesn't feel like it's significant to the overall plot. Sure it is a very good story, but it just feels too much like filler. Who knows, maybe it will tie into something more important, and if that is the case, I will retract this complaint, but if not, I just don't think it's a necessary story, especially considering how many other important stories are going on. The Unknown: Will Werner get away and go home safely? Will Mike catch him and kill him for his betrayal? How will Gus react to Mike's misplaced trust in Werner? This situation is set up very well for an exciting finale. Speaking of a nicely set-up situation, how will Jimmy and Kim try to get Jimmy reinstated when they appeal? What is their plan? Is there a plan? Also, what is the state of their relationship now? How do they plan to address their futures? Is it possible that Jimmy doesn't get his law license back and would be forced to redo his schooling as Saul Goodman? That could be one explanation of how he ended up as Saul Goodman. Best Moment: The parking garage fight was breathtaking, devastating television which was written and acted to perfection. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: This episode was tremendous with some outstanding moments of storytelling, gripping moments of tension and exciting build-up for what should be a great season finale. This episode delivered. Score: 77 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
February 2024
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