Summary: In a flashback, Chuck stays by his mom as she dies while Jimmy leaves to get food. In the present, Jimmy runs in to help Chuck. Chuck is taken to the hospital and recovers but accuses Jimmy for mysteriously being at the copy shop. Ernie saves him by saying he called Jimmy. Chuck is taken out of the hospital and returned home after some time. Chuck calls Howard and tells him he is retiring from law. Jimmy goes to convince Chuck to keep at the law and does so by confessing that he sabotaged the Mesa Verde files. However this was a trap set up by Chuck who taped the confession. Mike gets a sniper rifle and attempts to shoot Hector but a mystery person leaves a note on Mike's car telling him not to.
The Good: This was a very strong season finale which did a lot of unconventional things, but also ended the season on a brilliant note. The opening scene was another brilliant flashback between the 2 brothers which once again added some more depth to their relationship. We can see that Chuck has always been the "good" son, staying by his mother's bed while Jimmy goes out to get a sandwich. But he is still not valued as much as Jimmy because Jimmy can make others laugh and smile. It was sad to hear Chuck's mother call for Jimmy before dying, and it really gives Chuck a good reason to hold a jealous hatred towards Jimmy. In the end it was small things like Chuck refusing to tell Jimmy his mother's final words that led to Chuck being so damn antagonistic to Jimmy all the time. The scene was probably my favourite cold open scene from the whole show as it developed so much in such short time with some brilliant subtlety. In the main plot, I really enjoyed the follow up to the cliffhanger from last episode. Jimmy was kind-hearted as he saved Chuck and it led to some good conflict down the line between the brothers. I think putting Ernie on Jimmy's side was brilliantly done. We can understand why he would pick friendly Jimmy over the angry and egotistic Chuck, and it made sense for him to want to help Jimmy. It's the detail given to these supporting characters that makes them so likeable and organic. Chuck in the hospital was handled fantastically. That one scene where Chuck was taken by doctors who performed tests on him was amazing. The cinematography, sense of unease and Chuck's desperate wails were awesome and rely allowed us to sympathize with him for the situation he is in. This episode did a fantastic job of painting Jimmy as more of a good guy here too. Though I have said this conflict between the brothers is in a very gray area, it is still necessary for Jimmy to be liked by us more than Chuck because he is the main character. This episode accomplished that by showing us that Jimmy is the better "brother" so to speak. he is caring towards Chuck and ensures that he is never a casualty to what Jimmy wants. Jimmy is shown to be kind-hearted as he cares for Chuck despite the conflict, sticking by his bed and also refusing to have him committed. This makes it so easy to hate Chuck by the end of the episode when he exploits this brotherly love for his own cause. He has the ability to do dirty con jobs like did at the end, but acts like he is on the next level. This is very effective at making us despise Chuck despite the fact that what he is doing is technically just. Now to get more in depth with that huge final scene. First of all, I have to say that this is one of the most genuinely powerful scenes in the show. It was extremely tense and Jimmy letting everything out to Chuck at the end was fantastic. It was easy to understand why Jimmy would tell Chuck the truth because of his aforementioned brotherly love, but it made sense for Jimmy to show some frustration because everything went so much worse than he had expected and wanted. Of course the tape reveal was a huge bombshell too. It was a huge shock to end the season and is a perfect cliff-hanger as it leaves us wanting to see the repercussions of this tape in the next season. Now onto the Mike storyline. This was very entertaining too but not quite as good as the rest of the episode. I enjoyed the sniper scene the most but I did have a small problem with it (see: The Bad). I think the sniper scene was better than it should have been though. While we know that Hector survives, we still don't know how he got in the wheelchair and I believed for a second that perhaps sniper-fire from Mike is what caused it. Now that wouldn't make any sense when you think about it, but the scene was tense enough to make me not get a chance to think much about it which made me believe in it for a little bit. I am very interested by the mysterious note but I have a good idea of who sent it (see: The Unknown). There were a lot of nice little scenes here too. Jimmy's commercial was very fun to watch. It was a good way to bring closure to the few commercial scenes throughout the season. I enjoyed Kim's few scenes with Jimmy as always. I do wish she had a larger role here but I understand why she didn't since this episode was heavily focused on Jimmy and Chuck's relationship and conflict. Lastly, I was happy to see this show still continuing to provide laughs even in darker episodes. The old people comedy is still fairly funny and brought a smile to my face. The Bad: The Mike sniper scene felt a bit too long for a scene without dialogue. Sure it was fantastically constructed, but I don't feel it was quite tense enough to justify 7 whole minutes of it. The Unknown: Who left the note for Mike? I'm 99% sure it was Gus. Who else would make sense at this point of the story? And who's return would be dramatic enough for it to be a season finale cliffhanger? All the signs point to Gus. The question for me now is how does he know about Mike? Has he been following Hector too perhaps? Or was it something else? What will Chuck do with the tape? I am not too sure on how much it can do to Jimmy, because Jimmy will surely deny any accusations he makes. However we have learned now that Chuck can be a great con artist himself, so perhaps he has a dirtier plan in mind. Best Moment: The last scene between Jimmy and Chuck was stellar television. Probably the best scene from the entire season. Character of the Episode: Chuck. Conclusion: This was a splendid season finale that delivered a lot of powerful and climactic moments which set up next season very well. As for the season overall, I thought it was excellent. There wasn't a bad episode in the bunch and my interest in the season gradually increased with every episode which is very impressive. The only other shows that can accomplish this kind of season long build up and deliver a satisfying pay off are Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. It goes to show how good Better Call Saul has been if it can do that too. A lot of episodes this season were set up, which may turn off some people, but I feel like the amount of attention given to writing and story really let those episodes be much more fascinating than they should have been. The writing here was what made this season so damn good in the end. I think it has surpassed season 1, despite being weaker on paper, because the amount of effort and care put into it was tremendous. If season 3 can continue this same quality, even if it doesn't improve, I would be very satisfied. Score: 75
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Summary: Mike sabotages one of Hector's trucks, leaving the driver alive and takes his money with intent of having the cops discover the scene. Mike learns from an angry Nacho that Hector escaped the cops by killing a good citizen who freed the driver. Chuck overreacts after the error in his paperwork and loses Mesa Verde to Kim. Chuck immediately suspects Jimmy but is unable to prove t anybody that he is responsible. Chuck goes to the copy shop where Jimmy copied the papers to get Lance to ID Jimmy, but Jimmy pays him off. Chuck gets frustrated and with all the electricity in the area, he passes out and hits his head off the counter.
The Good: This was an amazing climactic episode. There has been a lot of build up, and this was all pay-of as we went from one terrific scene to the other in an episode which was absolutely filled with tension. I'll start where the episode opened up: Mike extracting sweet vengeance upon Hector. We got a lovely Breaking Bad-esque scene where Mike sabotages a Regalo Helado truck and takes the money. It was a very cool scene, but the highlight for the Mike storyline was absolutely what came afterwards. We get to see more consequences come Mike's way as a result of his half measures as this time his sparing of the driver caused an innocent civilian to lose his life. It's a rather tragic twist and is a very real way to keep the storyline going. Surely Mike isn't done with Hector since he didn't get the intended result of turning the cops onto his business. Perhaps there will be a continuation in the finale and I'm excited to see it. Now onto the Jimmy storyline, which took up most of the episode and was the best part easily. I'll tackle each scene chronologically, starting with Chuck heading to court and realizing the errors in his work. The scenes before the court scene were great as they built up Chuck's hubris nicely, which made him insulting Kevin and Paige seem more realistic without it losing its power as a major mistake from Chuck. When you realize that had Chuck not been so proud and had simply stayed home, he would have caught Jimmy in his tracks and this wouldn't have gone so badly for him. This was a good way to work in Chuck's pride as his downfall here, and it makes it more believable that Howard doesn't believe his accusations against Jimmy since he knows Chuck is a proud man who wouldn't easily own up to the fact that he made a mistake. The actual court scene was well done too and there was a nice air of tension involving the changed address and Michael McKean played Chuck very well. I was also pleasantly impressed with Howard attempting to keep things happy and calm in the courtroom. We have always seen Howard attempting to be overly friendly to his clients and it was lovely to see him continuing this even when there is conflict arising. I really enjoyed the court scenes, but they were almost instantly one-upped by what came next. Jimmy and Kim are instantly sent over to Chuck's house to collect the papers where we get a tremendously powerful scene between Jimmy, Chuck and Kim which I believe is the first time that just the three of them have talked together. The scene was truly excellent and did a fantastic job at exploring how each of the characters will be feeling after the situation. This was shown with Chuck's anger and betrayal, Jimmy's frantic attempts to keep his relationship with Kim under control, and Kim in a stunned silence trying to process what exactly Chuck is saying. It was a big conversation and the acting involved was tremendous. But I think it peaked at the perfect time when Kim sided with Jimmy over Chuck and completely called him out for being a terrible brother. It was a powerful scene and while Kim technically lied to keep Jimmy safe, she was completely right about the entire brotherly relationship. It's really sad to see these 2 brothers in such a hateful relationship and Kim was able to highlight its problems in a quick and emotional speech, while also continuing to show her loyalty to those she is close too. I really enjoyed the brief car scene where Kim lets out her frustrations letting us know that Kim is aware of Jimmy's ways by now and is just accepting that she has to live with them. I think what this scene nails (see what I did there), is that each of these 3 characters have been completely put through the wringer as a result of this conflict. Following up this scene was the commercial scene. This scene did feel a touch awkward (see: The Bad), but I loved it overall. It gave us a great moment of levity in a very tense and serious episode and had me laughing at numerous points. I would honestly love it if there are just clips released over youtube or something of Jimmy just filming commercials with these guys. This material is hysterical. Lastly, I finally get to the copy shop scenes and man were they fantastic. First we got Jimmy bribing Lance to tell Chuck he isn't recognized which I loved (more on Lance later). It was a very fun scene and got some laughs as we got the necessary build up to the episode's big climax. Chuck's arrival was humourous at first but it quickly became tense when Jimmy was shown watching and with the fantastic cuts showing the electricity affecting Chuck. In quick time I was on the edge of my seat wondering if Lance would cave in udner pressure or if Ernie would say something that pisses Chuck off. The scene quickly gripped me and when Chuck hit his head, it was a legitimate shock to the system and ended the episode on a brutal cliff-hanger. Everything here was executed beautifully and built up an incredible sense of tension for that shocking ending. For those who say nothing ever happens in Better Call Saul, I will say that this season has developed the characters an absolute ton in just 10 episodes, whereas other shows would take seasons to accomplish this much with its characters. And every little detail that happened in previous episodes always progresses the plot and adds on to some major character developments. It's not that nothing happens in this show; rather it's that this show is able to make small occurrences very important to the plot, allowing them to honestly effect a ton, without anybody ever realizing it. Season 2 has been masterful at progressing the story and deepening the characters and because of that, I would say it has improved on season 1 in an excellent way and has really fleshed out the story to make me even more excited to learn the fates of all these characters. Speaking of characters, I love the way this show handles its side characters. They are given basic motivations and likeable traits which makes them memorable and enjoyable whenever they appear. Daniel, Steven Ogg's character and Omar were excellent in previous episodes, and this episode really does a great job with Lance and Ernie. Their roles are minimal but they still feel like real people with a purpose in their lives, rather than plot devices used to progress the story. The Bad: The commercial filming scene's timing was a little weird because we had just seen Jimmy get out of a tense conversation with Chuck. To show him completely unaffected literally a minute later felt rather cheap and it really felt like the scene should have taken place in the last episode but was shifted for some reason. This was a rare moment of poor organization in a show which I would say is the best put together show on television. The Unknown: What is Chuck's fate? Will he survive the hit? That seemed like a really bad head injury, and it could have possibly been fatal. It would be a real shock to lose Chuck tragically as a result of Jimmy's actions and would give him some real drive to become Saul. Whatever happens to him, I'm sure he, and everyone else, won't be unaffected by it. There will certainly be consequences, as there always is on this show. Will Jimmy go in and save Chuck? Or will he keep his position seek and only watch? Either way it will make sense for him and he is left with a terrible decision here. It should be exciting to pick up with his decision in the finale. What will Mike do to get back at Hector? I'm willing to bet he's not just going to forget about Hector now. Will Nacho be involved with this at all? Or will he be affected by whatever Mike has in store? Best Moment: We are truly spoilt for choice but I'll pick the final copy shop scene as it was a masterpiece of tension and had a truly stunning ending. I can't imagine not wanting to watch the next episode after this scene. Character of the Episode: A VERY difficult choice. Everyone has a claim to this, even Lance. I will narrowly pick Chuck for this one I think. Michael McKean is just too good. Conclusion: What a fantastic episode, one of the very best from this show. This was powerful and climactic, delivering a huge exclamation point to this season after tons of excellent set up. This exceeded my expectations and is my favourite episode thus far. Score: 83 Summary: Kim informs Howard that she is leaving HHM and he lets her go. Kim is able to convince Mesa Verde to stay with her but with the help of Chuck, HHM is able to get them back. Jimmy realizes Chuck took Kim's clients and sabotages Chuck's Mesa Verde files when he is sick, changing the address of Mesa Verde from 1261 Rosella Drive to 1216. Hector is using his business for nefarious means and is transporting contraband across the border. Mike learns of this and begins to form a plan.
The Good: This was another very solid and very enjoyable episode of Better Call Saul. This was all set up and things seem primed for a big climax in the next 2 episodes and I can't wait for it. I'll start on this episode with the beginning though. That opening shot at the border was a true cinematic masterpiece. I stand by the idea that Better Call Saul is the best put together show on television and it's scenes like this that help reinforce that. I was completely blown away by the single take that opened up this episode showing a Regalo Helado truck going through border inspection on the way to Albuquerque. It was visually stunning and also introduced a new concept into the story seamlessly, allowing for us to understand exactly what is going on when the Regalo Helado truck arrives at Hector's business, The Winking Greek. The truck tie in was handled very well with the Mike story. I was glad to see him getting information about Hector's business and it definitely seems that he may have discovered something crucial involving the ruck. It remains to be seen what Mike is planning but I'm definitely intrigued and I want to see him extract some vengeance on Hector. The Kim storyline continues to be a very enthralling part of the back half of this season. It was engaging and satisfying to watch her finally free herself from HHM and it's a testament to how well the show has handled her story that it was impactful. The scene was well done and it transitioned with a great sense of urgency into a battle to see which side gets Mesa Verde. It was gripping drama and very tense to watch as we all hope that Kim can keep the clients that she is so passionate about. The show did an excellent job of painting HHM as the bad guys by making us grow to love Kim over the last couple episodes, so we can't possibly root against her at this point. Our love for the good and kind Kim also accomplishes something else in this episode: it allows us to support Jimmy as he does something completely illegal because he is doing it to help Kim. Jimmy should be the bad guy here as he sabotages Chuck's files and sets him up for failure, but since Kim's happiness will happen at Chuck's expense we root for it to happen. The sabotaging montage was very enjoyable though and was the second most artsy moment of the episode after the opening scene. I love how getting to know Jimmy in season 1 has paid off, as we are completely able to buy Jimmy doing something difficult and tedious like this since we have seen him do it before. I really enjoyed Jimmy and Kim buying an office together. They have had excellent chemistry and I've completely bought into their relationship now. Their relationship has helped define both characters and also provides some great drama and tension on a consistent basis and I really love that. In a way, Jimmy and Kim's relationship has been the central focus of this season as it has been effected by or has caused several of this season's conflicts. Lastly, I enjoyed Jimmy shooting what seems to be his personal commercial. It provided some excellent humour to give us a brief break from the tense battle over Mesa Verde. The Bad: Chuck's confidence didn't seem quite good enough to get Kevin to switch to HHM in my opinion. It was very professional and impressive, but I still feel that something was missing that would really turn Kevin's head. The Unknown: What is Mike setting up the hose for? How will it come into play in whatever he has in store for Hector? What will be the consequences of Jimmy sabotaging Chuck's files? How will Chuck react and will it be enough to get Mesa Verde to switch back to Kim's side? Best Moment: Not a whole lot stood out so I'm inclined to pick the visually stunning opening scene. Character of the Episode: Again it's tough to choose as everyone got shining moments in this episode, but nobody stood out from the pack. I think I'll go with Kim for this one though Jimmy is a close second. Conclusion: A very good episode that builds strongly to the final act of the season. Score: 68 Summary: A flashback shows Jimmy working with his father at is convenience store. Jimmy's father gets conned. In the present, Jimmy gets himself fired without cause at Davis and Main so he can keep his bonus money. He goes to Kim with a deal to be partners in a new firm he wants to create with her. Kim declines and chooses to go to her interview with Schweikart. However, she realizes that she needs to be a solo practitioner and offers Jimmy a new deal: 2 different practices working together. Mike frees Tuco of the gun charge but keeps his gaze set on Hector.
The Good: This was another very good episode of Better Call Saul which continued to move things along nicely. The opening sequence in this episode was terrific. It ties back to Chuck's story from "Rebecca" but this time we see Jimmy's story and it's easy to understand why he did what he did. His dad was a sucker and was already destined for failure; after all if Jimmy wasn't taking money from the till, his father would be giving it out to random strangers who are conning him. I love this because it features a very realistic element of life: the fact that when there is a conflict, there are always 2 sides to each story. We can understand why Chuck blames Jimmy for what happened to their father, but we can also understand why Jimmy did what he did and why it seemed to be the right thing for him to do. This is excellent exploration of morally grey territory and it helps us realize that in this brotherly conflict, neither Jimmy nor Chuck are completely in the right. This brotherly relationship has silently been the best thing about this season despite Jimmy and Chuck only having interacted a total of 2 times in this season. That's a sign of some expert writing. I also enjoyed that we got to see Jimmy and Mike together again, albeit briefly. their storylines have diverged a lot, so it is good to see them coming together even if it is for just a single scene. Their interactions remain hilarious and I loved seeing Jimmy trying to talk to Mike about Tuco but getting rebuffed by an irritated Mike. It was a funny scene but it also served to tell us that Mike till feels some anger towards Hector and isn't ready to let this situation go just yet. I think the Jimmy storyline was the absolute highlight in this episode though. After taking a bit of a backseat in the past few episodes, Jimmy becomes the focus again and I is fantastic. His firing from Davis and Main was superbly executed from start to finish. The initial letter he tried to make Omar write was great and it allowed for a hilarious moment of realization when Jimmy realized he would lose his money if he quit. Of course that comedy was nothing compared to the amazing sequence that followed (see: Best Moment) which had me laughing hard every 10 seconds with a new joke. More on that stellar sequence later though. Back to Jimmy though, I enjoyed him trying to at least be decent to those that were good to him when he quits. He is kind to Omar and tells Cliff he's a good guy (and Cliff has a hilarious response). It showed Jimmy's humanity after all the colourful antics he performs to get himself fired. The follow up on the Jimmy storyline may not be as awesome to watch but the storytelling remains impressive. I was happy to see him try to make a deal with Kim; he had tried once before and it makes sense that he would want to continue working with her. Their relationship has been well developed throughout the season and I can buy that they would both really want to work together. But more than that, I can also buy that Kim is aware of Jimmy's "colourful" nature and would want to stay away from that. Their conversation as nice and I loved that they both accepted that Jimmy would be Jimmy no matter what. A lesser show would take these conflicting ideals and use it to create drama later on, but Better Call Saul is smarter than that. This show acknowledges that these 2 are long time friends and no each other and would be honest to each other. It's a brilliant touch which I respect a lot. Kim's story was also very good in this episode. Her ultimately making the decision to listen to Jimmy was given the appropriate time, which I was happy about. her decision could have come out of nowhere, but just a few scenes of her contemplating her next move and the small "Howard" she said to Schweikart helped make the decision feel real. And buy the time Kim came to Jimmy with her new idea, I believed that she would have come up with it and that she would be excited t follow through with something like that. Lastly, I loved Jimmy's return into the nail salon. The Cocobolo desk getting a conversation was some nice downtime and it fit in with what e know of Jimmy. I like that Omar got a little more development too. he was a genuinely likeable person and I wouldn't complain if he makes a quick appearance later in the show. Jimmy changing his voicemail was a fantastic little character moment too, showing how he has changed from the man he was in season 1. And of course, it's great to have that crappy yellow car back. I missed it more than I ever imagined. The Bad: The only flaw I have with this is the inconsistency of time. Jimmy's sequence looks like it should have taken about a month or so considering how many things he does and how many different suit combinations we see him wearing but then we see that Kim hasn't even been interviewed yet by the time he is fired. It's a small issue but it still exists. The Unknown: Will Jimmy agree to Kim's offer? I am sure that he will since I can't imagine him saying no. What does Mike want from Hector? What good will stalking him do? What plan does he have in mind? Will he communicate with Nacho about it? Why did Jimmy have the film crew in his office? What is he planning to use them for? Is he making another commercial? Best Moment: The sequence was really incredible. There was some really special editing and effects throughout which made it a very visually pleasing sequence; probably the most beautifully constructed montage on the show thus far. I appreciated the short scenes intertwined in the sequence too as they always had some really hilarious lines and moments. Whether it was Jimmy not flushing or "dude, I'm from Michigan", I was laughing non-stop throughout. And to top it off, I love the idea that Jimmy was inspired by one of the big inflatable men; that was a hilarious touch. Character of the Episode: Jimmy of course. This was all Jimmy throughout. Conclusion: This was another solid episode, but its score was improved by the stellar firing montage which is one of the show's best scenes to date. This season hasn't had a weak episode yet and I'm getting more and more excited as it nears its conclusion. Score: 69 Summary: Jimmy can't find comfort at his company apartment anymore and returns to the nail salon. Kim is given a job opportunity by Rich Schweikart after she appears in court. Kim thinks about the opportunity and is leaning towards taking it because Howard isn't giving her any other opportunities. Kim performs another con job with Jimmy and they discuss their future plans. Mike has to fight off several scare tactics from Hector, who wants him to take the deal but ultimately caves and meets with him after Kaylee is threatened by the cousins. Mike accepts the deal and threatens Hector to ensure he makes 50 thousand dollars. He splits the money with Nacho.
The Good: This was another very strong episode. On the surface there isn't a whole lot, but storywise this was another exciting chapter to give the show some steam as it enters the season's second half. First of all I will tackle the Jimmy storyline. Jimmy has taken a bit of a back seat in the last 2-3 episodes but I think it is fine because he makes the most of his time and still progresses his story, while the other time spent on Kim ad Mike is definitely worth it. This episode we get to see Jimmy beginning to feel some annoyance at his job with Davis and Main. It was always there a little bit before but now we can really see his displeasure in every scene he is in. The opening sequence was a genius bit of writing to demonstrate this and I loved the use of the company car to continue to show Jimmy's annoyance in his position. It ends the episode on a high note as it seems that the Saul Goodman part of Jimmy may be emerging soon. It also ended the episode on a hilarious note with the destruction of the cup holder. Kim's story was the show-stealer in this episode once more. It was great to get an entire episode dedicated to the big decision of Kim choosing to leave HHM. Like Jimmy's storyline, this is made so much more enjoyable and rewarding with a number of small touches and details that make everything so much better. The walk through the office with Howard was something really special and goes to show Howard's distaste for Kim which helps drive her away. Contrast this to how much Schweikart values her and it's easy to see why Kim would leave HHM despite her owing loyalty to them. Additionally, I loved the touch of Kim not unpacking her stuff; after all who knows how long she will stay anyways? In 16 episodes she has been booted from her office twice. The final scenes with Jimmy were also good fun and were easy to enjoy. Mike's story was excellent in this episode too. After some cool down in the previous episode, this time his story is filled with tension and excitement and even brings back some of the Breaking Bad feeling into the show. Early on the Breaking Bad feel made me nervous that this show would just be a carbon copy of it, but now that I am completely engrossed into the storyline, the Breaking Bad feel is a treat to experience along with the Jimmy storyline. Mike was as cool as ever as he beat out each of Hector's attempts to threaten him. I really liked the use of the welcome mat, which made Mike realizing his house was compromised that much more satisfying. Mike's last scene with Hector was awesome too and had an air of tension even though we knew both men would live another day. This was accomplished because we still don't know on what level these 2 will part ways. Mike wasn't much of a factor in Breaking Bad so it should be interesting to see how this storyline is resolved. Lastly from the Mike story, the return of the cousins was an excellent cameo and there was a really good ominous mood to the scene when they just appeared on the rooftop. That scene was crafted flawlessly. A constant trend in all of these storylines is great writing. On paper this episode feels very average and unspectacular, but in execution it is something else entirely. This show has been extremely consistent with things like this and that is what has allowed this show to feel like something special. There haven't been many powerful moments in this season in terms of emotion and spectacle, but the thing that makes this so good is how well it is put together. Watching this show feels so satisfying and pleasing to the eye in the way most other shows can't accomplish and that is what makes episodes like these so compelling despite not much actually happening. The Bad: There is one notable flaw in the Jimmy storyline though. Jimmy is annoyed at his job which we understand but we don't have a good idea on his standing with the Sandpiper case. Sandpiper was a primary storyline but it has faded into the background and I didn't even realize it was until I saw the commercial on the TV (another great scene may I add. It did a great job of illustrating how Jimmy didn't realize what was wrong with what he did since he ended up just doing what Davis & Main chose to do, only better). We have been stripped of anything Sandpiper related now. On the surface this isn't a major problem, but it ends p being pretty bad as we don't know what Jimmy is doing involving the case. Has he been taken off of it? Is he still a part of it, just a minimal part? Does he still work on it? We don't know and we really should have been told earlier so this inconsistency won't exist. The Unknown: What is Jimmy going to do next? Will we see him leaving Davis and Main in the near future? How will Howard react to Kim leaving? Will he try to keep her? What will happen to the Mesa Verde case? Does it stay at HHM or go with Kim to Davis and Main? Best Moment: Not much stood out in this episode; everything was consistently good. I'll go with the cousins appearing on the rooftop. Like I said earlier, that scene was crafted so well. Character of the Episode: Kim again steals the show. Conclusion: This was another very strong episode of storytelling. Bring on the rest of the season. Score: 68 Summary: A flashback shows Jimmy having dinner with Chuck and his wife Rebecca. Jimmy is now being monitored by Erin. Jimmy continues trying to help Kim but she wants to save herself without any help. Kim works very hard and gets Howard a good deal but still isn't taken out of doc review. Chuck talks with her regarding Jimmy's past and says he will try to get Kim back to her former position. Mike is met by Hector who wants him to take Tuco's gun charge to reduce his jail time.
The Good: Better Call Saul kills it with another great episode. This was cool down from the big climax in the last episode, but this was just as good as that episode in a lot of ways, and in some ways it was even better. There was fantastic character work all the way through and I was totally engaged by the depth, detail and exploration of all of these characters. Every scene provided some characterization or development which just added on to make this episode excellent. Even the minor characters like Howard and Erin were given motives and personality. I'll tackle every storyline individually. First of all, the flashback sequence that opened up the episode. It was an interesting twist to show us that Chuck has an ex-wife and it raises a few questions (see: The Unknown). But I thought this scene was awesome. It helped show us the difference between Jimmy and Chuck and also helped us understand why Chuck has such a big distaste of Jimmy. Here we get to see some jealousy in Chuck. Chuck does all the hard work and yet Jimmy still gets along better with people despite his flaws. Chuck's jealousy and incapability to be charming in the way Jimmy is, is shown excellently through the use of lawyer jokes. This scene was so brilliantly written and expertly introduced a new element in the ever-growing complexity of Jimmy and Chuck's relationship. Next up are the Jimmy/Erin scenes. These scenes were probably the weakest of the episode but there was still a lot to love about them. Obviously, there was a hilarious humour to everything as Jimmy kept being exposed by Erin over his illegal shenanigans that he always tries to pull. I really do like that the show still makes Jimmy relatable even though he is doing so many illegal things. This is where season pays off as we know the hardships Jimmy had to endure to get to where he is, so we instinctively want to defend his actions. The writers have done an excellent job of creating a morally grey world. And of course any scene where Jimmy cross paths with Mike will be hilariously awesome. This was no exception. Jimmy was also very enjoyable as he tried to work things out with Kim. Suing HHM seems like just the kind of illogical decision Jimmy would make that would make perfect sense to him but nobody else. The scene with Kim was terrific and really brought out Kim's angry side that is disappointed in what Jimmy did. We got to see a lot of likeable fire in Kim which makes us support her and root for her. Her declaration of "I save me" was also a great way to buck the trend of males saving females. The show followed through very well with Kim wanting to save herself. She absolutely stole the show this episode and her plot line carried the story in such a magnificent way. The montages were lengthy, but beautifully crafted and they were also extremely necessary. We really got to see Kim's determination and by having the montages go on maybe a minute longer than they needed to actually paid off in making the moment Kim finally gets a good deal feel very special. We were cheering right alongside her when she did a quick high-energy dance in the parking lot. And then our hearts were broken alongside hers when Howard broke the news to her that she will remain in doc review. To a casual viewer the scene means nothing, but for people who regularly follow the show and are engaged by it, it is a heartbreaking scene and Rhea Seehorn did a tremendous job of portraying Kim throughout the scene. Her change in mannerisms when she learns that she is still in doc review was so expertly done and helped deliver on the emotion of the scene. And then of course there was the scene between Chuck and Kim. Wow was that one good. Their awkward interactions were excellent throughout, and I really loved seeing Chuck actually helping Kim. Again it shows that both Chuck and Jimmy have positive elements and neither one is completely in the right in their conflict. Chuck relating to Kim for being manipulated by Jimmy feels like a logical character move and their subsequent conversation as a real wonder. Chuck's story about Jimmy stealing the money from their father was a real highlight of the episode for me. It goes to highlight how far back Chuck's dislike for Jimmy goes as he clearly blames him for the death of their father. It's sad to hear about and yet it makes perfect sense and fits right in with the show by adding more details to the Chuck/Jimmy relationship. Lastly, there was the Mike stuff. His conversations with Stacey were the usual expected stuff, but the real highlight here was the ending. Namely the return of Hector Salamanca, prior to his time in a wheelchair (see: The Unknown). I was pleasantly surprised by his return and I absolutely loved the touch that the scene opened with the ringing of a bell. His deal with Mike makes sense and it provides a very organic way to introduce him into the plot. The excitement slowed down this episode after last episode was filled with it, but the ending cliff-hanger absolutely builds up some excitement for later episodes this season. The Bad: Nothing as such. The Unknown: Why did Chuck and Rebecca split up? Will that story be explored later on? I sure hope so. What puts Hector in the wheelchair then? Was it really or stroke or something more deadly? We never got it confirmed in breaking Bad about what it is that puts Hector in the chair. so could it have been something more dramatic than we all expected? And of course if Hector has returned, may we be seeing a certain fried chicken businessman soon? Best Moment: Chuck's story about Jimmy and their father takes it for me. There are many scenes to choose from though which is one of the reasons this episode was so good. Character of the Episode: Kim. Her character is coming far this season. Conclusion: This was just as good as the last episode by just providing consistently amazing characterization, character developments and storyline progression. If the rest of the season is filled with episodes like this with an exciting finale, I will be more than satisfied. Score: 74 Summary: Jimmy is in serious heat from Cliff but is luckily able to keep his job. Kim has been demoted to doc review by Howard which frustrates Jimmy. Jimmy goes to Chuck to convince him to get Kim her job back, offering to quit the law to get it to happen. Chuck rebuffs him. Nacho needs dead because he is becoming dangerous. Mike doesn't want to kill and offers Nacho a solution that will put Tuco in prison. Mike calls cops in advance and stages a situation to get himself in a fight with Tuco. The cops arrive and arrest Tuco.
The Good: This was a really good episode. It feels refreshing to get an episode this early in the season that isn't dedicated purely to set-up. There were a ton of brilliant scenes and the story felt like it was being told now, not being held back for a later episode. And on top of that, there were a ton of exciting developments which should set up for a very exciting second half of the season. It was great to get some blow off on Jimmy's poor decision to air the commercial without consulting anyone. There was genuine tension when he was facing Cliff and the others as we didn't know if he would be fired. In the end he gets to keep his job, but it's Kim who suffers the most. Jimmy's scene with Kim was also very tense as we didn't know how Kim would react or how she planned to move forward. I like that through every scene Jimmy is in, he is always saying that the commercial was a success, acting as if the results would cover up anything else. And it was set up that he would believe this to be completely logical, making his repetitiveness not annoying, but rather enjoyable as we get to see Jimmy's very different morals get him in some serious trouble every time he brings them up. And then of course there was the big confrontation between Jimmy and Chuck we have all been waiting for. And boy did it deliver. First off, I really enjoyed Jimmy's conflicted feelings for Chuck. He is still angry, but yet he still loves his brother and cares about what happens to him. This is shown nicely in the short scene with Jimmy and the mailbox. That excellently conveyed Jimmy's emotions towards Chuck in a simple manner, setting the stage for when they meet again. Seeing Jimmy help Chuck recover was nice to show the brotherly bond that these 2 used to have. And then it was followed up by a really tense, beautifully written, verbal sparring match between the McGills as Jimmy tries to get Chuck to free Kim, while Chuck tries to tell Jimmy it has nothing to do with him. There was a lot of emotion blown out here by both men and it was such a great scene. There were so many different beats to analyze, but I'll get into those later (see: Best Moment). Kim was excellent in this episode. Seeing her choose to push forward herself and not have Jimmy do anything is very admirable and helps make her likeable. Kim was rather underdeveloped last season, but so far after 4 episodes, we have learned about her determined nature to get things done the right way (which is totally in contrast with Jimmy's ideals) and we have also learned about her extreme loyalty to Jimmy. This time she takes a bullet for Jimmy by not telling Howard that she didn't know Jimmy hadn't consulted Cliff. It's a dumb decision for herself, but its honourable, and that makes us root for Kim to find her way out of this mess that Jimmy got her in. And now we get into the Mike storyline. It's pretty shocking that the Jimmy story had so much to it, despite only being half of the episode. It goes to show how big this episode really was. Anyways, I really liked Mike's story too. His planning scenes with Nacho were fun and had a little bit of that "Breaking Bad" aspect to it as both men plan about how to take care of Tuco. The scene was good at showing us Mike's expertise over Nacho as Mike comes up with several different ways the plan could easily go wrong. The scene did great stuff for Nacho though. We learn the difference between Nacho and Tuco in this episode, ad we get to see that Nacho is a decent person for a drug dealer, compared to the insane rage that Tuco possesses. This helps make Nacho more likeable, which is good since he will likely be appearing a lot more in the show. His story about Dog was very well done, and it even has a connection to Breaking Bad, as Dog was mentioned when Hank was looking for Tuco. I really enjoyed seeing Mike executing his plan against Tuco. We weren't told the plan, which made it very exciting to watch everything play out. Tuco was hilariously, well, Tuco throughout the episode and his interactions with Mike were great. Everything played out very nicely and it was a cool bonus to see Tuco squaring off with Mike by the end of the episode. I think the strongest element of this story though was Mike's actions. He took a half measure to take care of Tuco, which completely contradicts what he told Walt in Breaking Bad. Clearly whatever happened that made Mike realize that half measures are bad hasn't happened yet, and I'm very curious to see what I is that makes Mike realize this. Could this Tuco plan completely backfire on him in the near future? I'm very interested to see where things go from here. It was nice to see some Breaking Bad cameos. Krazy 8 and Lawson appeared in brief roles this episode which was great. These cameos have been handled well as they are used in logical ways and never distract he viewer from the important scenes that are playing out. The Bad: The only flaw with this is that Mike's story lacks tension. We know that nothing too terrible is happening to him since he is around for Breaking Bad. The opening scene does help a little as it gives the sense that something may have gone slightly wrong, but other than that there is little tension to be felt throughout the Tuco scenes. The Unknown: Will there be any unexpected side effects for Mike jailing Tuco? Will Mike and Nacho work together again? Will Tuco get out of jail before Breaking Bad? Or is he stuck there? Will Jimmy end up going to Howard? Is this where his relationship with Kim ends? Best Moment: Jimmy and Chuck battling each other was tremendous. There was a lot of character exploration with that scene too. It was wonderful seeing Jimmy accuse Chuck of being just like him, and sticking to his belief that extralegal shenanigans will get him exactly what he needs whenever he needs it. It fit his character, and it also fits what we have seen from Chuck that he would refuse Jimmy and continue to put himself on a superior level over Jimmy. There was even more great interactions to look at. I enjoyed seeing Jimmy attempting to provoke Chuck to get some kind of reaction, and I loved that Jimmy refused to believe pretty much anything that Chuck said. Chuck constantly rebuffing Jimmy was fantastic and I loved seeing Chuck continuously criticize Jimmy at ever possible chance. There was so much included in a short amount of time with the scene. But better than all that, I think it's fascinating that neither brother is portrayed as the good guy and neither is the bad guy. These exchanges explored some really morally grey areas and highlighted how most arguments are spurred on by both parties being wrong about things. So far the relationship between Jimmy and Chuck has been fascinating, and I look forward to learning more about them. Character of the Episode: Tough to pick in this episode, but I'll go with Mike. Conclusion: This was very enjoyable all the way through. Both Jimmy and Mike's storylines were at a climactic point in this episode and they provided some very gripping and thought-provoking television. This is definitely one of the stronger episode we have seen from this show. Score: 74 Summary: Jimmy gets information to Sandpiper residents through nefarious means. Chuck suspects them but Jimmy covers his tracks. Kim knows that Jimmy did solicit and confronts him about it, letting him know that if he doesn't do well, she will be in the tank as well. Jimmy shoots a commercial but airs it without Clifford's permission, putting him in heat. He doesn't tell Kim about this. Stacey tries to manipulate Mike into getting money to buy her a new house. Mike sees through it but plays along anyways. He is given a job offer from Nacho.
The Good: Another solid episode with more enjoyable storytelling. I really enjoyed the opening scene. Bob Odenkirk brings such life to Jimmy McGill and his little solicitation to the elderly folks was marvellous to watch. It's like watching an artist at work and Jimmy's method of ensnaring the old people to his cause is almost admirable if it wasn't so damn reckless. I enjoyed seeing Chuck call him out for it during the meeting and it was nice to see Jimmy cover up his tracks very well. I am enjoying this subtle way of continuing the Jimmy/Chuck storyline without either o them directly speaking to each other alone. It has been well done so far and I look forward to seeing them eventually cross paths one on one. I really like this conflict brewing up between Jimmy and Kim and it seems that we may have a falling out sooner than we expect. Kim lets Jimmy know that she vouched for him and that everything he does will reflect on her. Jimmy should know better than to get himself in trouble, and yet what happens by the end of the episode? He's in real heat with Clifford after recklessly airing a commercial without getting permission. I think the most impressive part about this was that it felt in character for Jimmy to screw up. We have spent so much time learning who he is, so we understand that Jimmy is the kind of guy who would go with a more risky approach to things. High risk, high reward is how he seems to work. I love that his mind seems to be wired to believe that as long as he gets results, any method is fine. After all, wouldn't all con men pretty much behave following this moral compass? What they do is illegal, but hey it gets the job done. And now that Jimmy is working for a just cause, it makes perfect sense for that idea to really stick out in his character. It's good writing that made Jimmy's decision to not show the commercial to Cliff logical and in-character. This season has been mostly set-up and this episode continued that trend. But what this episode accomplished was that it promised some real consequences coming soon. With Jimmy in heat, his relationship with Kim in danger and Chuck's shadow looming, it seems like next episode is going to be a big one. Add on the excellent cliffhanger with Nacho coming to Mike with a mysterious job and there is a real hype to something bigger coming up this season. The commercial plot line was very fun to watch too. I was glad to see the ever so funny film crew from "Hero" make a return this episode to shoot Jimmy's commercial. It was fun to see Jimmy plan out the commercial, execute it (the makeshift Dolly was great), and then show us the final result. It was very enjoyable and had a "Saul Goodman" feel to it. I also enjoyed the old Davis and Main commercial and the "nebulous" swirl, though it was a little bit on the nose with how awful it was. It was nice to get more information on Mike's character. It seems like the reason he got involved in so much crime work is because of his daughter-in-law, attempting to manipulate him into getting her money. It makes her really dislikeable, while helping us sympathize with Mike as he has to get used to his new life involved in crime since he will be stuck with it until his final days. I like that Mike is undergoing some change to make him into the man from Breaking Bad, just like Jimmy is going through some change. It gives him a good arc and makes his story more interesting. The Bad: Mike's story is more interesting than it was, but it is nowhere near the Jimmy storyline level currently. While I didn't dislike his scenes, they were a little slow paced and dull at times. Mike's family doesn't have the same spark that the Jimmy story has and it really shows when Mike is given a large chunk of time where he pretty much exclusively talks to his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. If Mike is going to be used in a more featured role, there needs to be something more worthwhile and enjoyable to show us. Hopefully the Nacho storyline will take us somewhere enjoyable. The Unknown: What consequences will be heading Jimmy's way next episode. Could he be fired? And what of Kim? Will she be demoted again like she was last season? Or worse? And what will happen to Jimmy and Kim's relationship when she learns that he lied to her? Who does Nacho need gone? Why? And why does he want Mike specifically? Is it because Mike impressed him, or is it something more? Best Moment: I really liked the opening sequence. Not much stood out beyond that in this episode. It was just a lot of solid storytelling. Character of the Episode: Jimmy again. Conclusion: This was another solid episode. There won't be anything memorable from this, but it was easy to enjoy throughout. It also seems that this episode will kick things up a notch for this season. Score: 66 Summary: Jimmy officially settles into Davis and Main and continues to do his job. Chuck still doesn't approve of Jimmy and there is some tension when he joins in on a Sandpiper meeting. Mike runs into Daniel and realizes the situation he got himself into. Mike makes a deal with Nacho to return the baseball cards in exchange for Daniel's Hummer and he agrees to the terms. Mike hires Jimmy to help exonerate Daniel from the police's eyes. Jimmy does this by making a fake video of Daniel performing "squat cobbler", but Kim doesn't approve of this as it's falsifying evidence.
The Good: This was another great episode of Better Call Saul which closes out one storyline and does a lot of set up for future episodes. There are a lot of conflicts and storylines to address in this episode, so I'll start with the big one that reached its conclusion in this episode: the Daniel story. In just 3 episodes of screentime, Daniel's character was clearly identified and he got a complete storyline that fit in with other major characters, offered tons of humour and set up for more storytelling down the road. It's very impressive and I'm beyond impressed that the writers pulled it off without the story ever feeling rushed or cramped for time. Every step was organic and the final scenes of this storyline closed it out very nicely and satisfyingly. I think Daniel's love for his baseball cards was hilarious and his idiocy brought loads of laughs, especially when he's dealing with somebody like Mike, who makes hilarious faces when dealing with Daniel's amateur nature. I also do like that Daniel's love for baseball cards got a little bit of backstory when he says some cards were his fathers; it's a brilliant little touch that makes the storyline feel a little more realistic. The actual conclusion as played out excellently throughout the episode. There was some tension when Mike was talking to Daniel since we don't know if Daniel will screw this up, but there was also tons of humour to ensure scenes stay lighthearted. This show isn't Breaking Bad and so far it has carefully avoided using tension so frequently to keep itself from being compared with Breaking Bad, the show which I believe has the greatest tension-based scenes of all time. Mike's plan came together nicely in his scene with Nacho too, a scene which I think was beautifully written and executed. The dialogue, situations and character behaviour felt so organic and the scene was pure joy to behold from a writing perspective. And then of course there was the amazing "squat cobbler" scene, but more on that later (see: Best Moment). I thought Daniel's final scene of giving up the Hummer was brilliant and Nacho calling it "a school bus for 60 year old pimps" had me laughing almost as much as the squat cobbler. So first I have examined a storyline that concluded, but it also brilliantly set up some other conflicts. The obvious one is a storyline of some kind between Mike and Nacho. I'm not sure when or how it will happen, but I'm positive that we can chalk in these two crossing paths again as Nacho is a series regular along with Mike. The other more interesting storyline that benefitted from this is Kim and Jimmy. We have seen how these 2 are officially a couple now, and we have a good understanding of these characters' morals. Jimmy's final conversation with Kim could potentially be hinting at how these 2 may ultimately end up tragically splitting: Jimmy will likely do something questionable and will pay the price for it, but Kim will get roped into it too, causing her to leave Jimmy. The seed has been planted in that last scene as we see the first of what will likely be many arguments between Jimmy and Kim about Jimmy's real nature. Another conflict that ties into that one is Jimmy at Davis and Main. To put it simply, Jimmy is evidently not as happy as he would like at Davis and Main. We can see him trying, because he wants Kim to be happy, but Bob Odenkirk has done a terrific job emoting Jimmy's displeasure at working there in several scenes with Kim and one great scene with Clifford Main. And we were brilliantly told that Kim vouched for Jimmy to get the job, so if he blows it like we all know he will, Kim would be in the heat too. By connecting the dots, it's possible that this will be the event that causes the break between Kim and Jimmy. And as a side note, I really enjoyed the metaphor of Jimmy not quite fitting in at Davis and Main when he can't get his lawyer mug to fit in the new office car, yet it fits in his junk yellow car (which will be sorely missed, I got quite attached to that piece of junk, much like with the RV in Breaking Bad). The final conflict that was examined was Chuck and Jimmy's. This was a bit of a surprise for me as Chuck hadn't appeared at all in the last episode, so I had assumed that he would be a background player. But after seeing that tense and brilliant meeting scene when Chuck walked in, it seems clear to me that there will be much more story to tell with the feelings shared between these 2 brothers. The opening scene was nice too as it reintroduced Chuck in a good way, showing us more of how Jimmy bothers him. The Bad: Nothing much really. Like last season, these episodes suffer from being slow and mostly set up. Though I really enjoy episodes like this, it's practically impossible to give episodes like these scores of 70 or higher since they are essentially just moving story arcs along for more memorable scenes later on. The Unknown: Could Jimmy assisting Mike by doing the squat cobbler story come back to haunt him later on? With this show, anything could return later on. Maybe we will see Daniel again too at a later point. Have we seen the starting hints of the Kim/Jimmy split in this episode. How long will it be until it happens? It seems possible that the end of this season could see the destruction of that relationship. Will Mike and Nacho cross paths again in the future? Best Moment: The squat cobbler scene. This is humour at its absolute finest as it gives us such an absurdly hilarious, yet still plausibly realistic story to explain Daniel's secret cubby. The cops reactions to Jimmy's claims was brilliant and felt realistic, which is the best part of the whole scene. Also, I loved how every detail just slowly added to the intense laughter I was giving off. A brilliantly executed comedy scene. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: This is another set up episode, but the comedy was on a whole other level which made his better than it should have been. This episode is proof that brilliant writing an storytelling can make any storyline in a TV show easily enjoyable. Season 2 is off to a strong start. Score: 69 Summary: A flashforward shows "Gene" working as a manager at Cinnabon. Jimmy initially considers working at Davis & Main but ultimately refuses and quits the law. Kim questions his decision and Jimmy introduces her to his life by having her help him with a con job. They enjoy it, but Kim has to go to work, leaving Jimmy feeling lonely. After some soul-searching, Jimmy accepts the job offer at Davis & Main. Pryce grows bold and buys a hummer prompting Mike to stop helping him. Without Mike's help, Pryce is easily ripped off by Nacho who robs his house. Pryce calls the cops for help and they immediately suspect him.
The Good: This was a very good, easy-to-enjoy premiere even if a whole lot didn't happen. I liked the decision to show a quick flashforward to Gene. It's an interesting decision that adds some intrigue (see: The Unknown), but it was fun to watch. The music and cinematography is great, like the last one, and I liked what the scene explored about Gene. Though it didn't accomplish much, we are learning more about Gene from these cold opens in the premieres. This simple conflict of Gene getting trapped lets us understand how much he has changed, as he is too afraid to take an emergency exit for fear of alerting the cops. The main Jimmy storyline was very good in this episode. Though I am a little disappointed to not have Saul right away this season (see: The Bad), I thought it was the right decision to keep Jimmy as Jimmy. Jimmy as a character has become really likeable and there is definitely a lot of story that can be taken out of him before he turns into Saul Goodman. It makes sense that Jimmy would have second thoughts and I like that his relationship with Kim is keeping him from being his eccentric self. Last season explored how Jimmy's relationship with Chuck kept him on the "right path" and it appears this season the same thing will be explored with Kim. But I'm sure there will be plenty of storyline twists to keep it interesting and not repetitive. It was nice to see hints of Saul though. The con scene for one was splendid and it was just as fun as any of the Jimmy/Marco cons we saw last season. Kim's involvement was also a welcome little tough, but more on her a little later. As for Kim in the con scene, her presence was good as it added some tension before relief when she decides to go along with it instead of giving Jimmy away. The scene was hilarious fun and I loved the decision to bring back the ever so potty-mouthed "Ken" from Breaking Bad. It was a good showcase scene for Jimmy slowly becoming Saul, along with the other club scenes and the hilarious cucumber water scene. That little bit had me laughing hard. Speaking of laughing hard, the Mike/Pryce/Nacho storyline was great in this episode. I was glad to see it get a fair amount of time and some very interesting headway was made into the plot. But first of all, it was very funny! Seeing Pryce (well Daniel actually since we learn that's his real name) pulling up in that cringey hummer was comedy gold and Mike's reaction was perfect. Daniel really stole the show with his hilarious lines and his blissful ignorance of the way the crime world works. His decision o call the cops about his precious baseball cards was hilariously stupid, but it fit with what we have seen of the character so far, so it didn't bother me in the slightest. It was nice to see Nacho ripping of Daniel, because we already know that he likes ripping off criminals due to having no recourse. It was a nice bit of continuity. Kim was splendid in the story too. It's great to see her get a more significant role after her being in the background for much of season 1. I presume we may get to learn more about her character soon, as we get to learn some more about her and her relationship with Jimmy here. From what I've seen, she seems very likeable and I definitely care about her relationship with Jimmy. It definitely adds an element of tragedy since we know that this relationship will be doomed in the end. Now I'll just hope that Kim can make her way out of this show without anything "final" happening to her. The ending scene was nice too. In just a couple minutes, the change is Jimmy's life was demonstrated and we got a good look at how Davis & Main works. The use of Jimmy's assistant Omar to help show how much better Jimmy's law career has gotten was brilliant as everything felt like an organic welcoming from him, while also serving as a way to show us the luxury that Jimmy is experiencing now. I also like the callback to the Cocobolo desk in "Bingo". The very last scene with the titular switch was very good too. Nice to see Jimmy exhibiting just a little bit of his inner Saul Goodman to let us know that he is still a different person from the Jimmy McGill we knew last season. The Bad: Not too much other than some nitpicks. It felt a little cheap to repeat the finale's last scene in a different light. It does improve the storytelling a little bit though, so I'm fine with it. It does hurt that we aren't getting Saul after it was seemingly promised with the last scene in "Marco". It feels like a cheap cop out for the writers to revert on that. The door in the Gene flashforward felt a little unrealistic and inconvenient, but I'm willing to overlook that for the storytelling we got in that scene. The Unknown: Will Better Call Saul also cover events post-Breaking Bad? The Gene scenes seem to hint at that which is very interesting. We know that Jimmy won't last at Davis & Main. What happens that causes him to branch off on his own again? How is Jimmy's relationship with Kim going to self-destruct? Best Moment: Nothing really stood out, but I thoroughly enjoyed Kim and Jimmy coning Ken. Character of the Episode: Jimmy as usual, though Daniel put up a good fight for being just so damn funny. Conclusion: This was a perfectly solid premiere that makes me want to see more. Score: 66 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
February 2024
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