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 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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