The Bigamist (1953)

Despite being categorized as a film noir, Ida Lupino’s 1953 film The Bigamist isn’t as much of a noir as it is a straightforward drama, detailing a man’s double life and how it came to be. The film’s protagonist, Harry Graham, attempts to adopt a child with his wife Eve only for an adoption agent to grow suspicious and look for information about Harry, eventually discovering that he has another wife and a child. The bulk of the film is told via flashback as Harry attempts to explain himself to the disgusted agent by detailing how he met Phyllis while on the rocks with his wife and made the decision to marry her upon discovering she was pregnant. The narrative doesn’t defend Harry’s crimes as much as it explains them in a way that makes him both sympathetic and reprehensible. Even the agent is conflicted as to what to feel regarding Harry as he makes the decision not to call the police. The film ultimately ends with Harry tried for bigamy only for the matter of his sentencing and whether or not Eve or Phyllis will take him back to be up to the audience.

Better Call Saul: "Saul Gone"

“What would you do if you had a time machine”?

That’s the question Jimmy/Saul asks Mike and Walt in the flashbacks that occur throughout "Saul Gone". For both characters asked, the answer is true to their characters. Mike would go back to the day he took his first bribe that indirectly led to his son Matt’s death. Walt would go back to the day he decided to leave Grey Matter and lost out on billions of dollars, rather than the day he decided to become a criminal which ultimately led to his family being destroyed.

For Jimmy, he’d go back to when Warren Buffet first became famous and invest money in becoming a billionaire. In Saul’s conversation with Walt, he’d go back to the day he broke his leg performing a Slippin’ Jimmy scam. Neither Mike nor Walt is impressed with these answers, with Mike prodding Jimmy to think of any regrets he may have had and Walt dismissing Saul as having “always been like this”.

The third and final flashback with Chuck doesn’t have Jimmy asking him this question, but it’s clear that it’s the answer to what Jimmy would do if he did indeed have a time machine. It’s back when Jimmy first started out as a lawyer and bringing Chuck supplies. Chuck invites Jimmy to stay, only for Jimmy to dismiss him, not believing that Chuck would be interested in hearing about his day\. It’s a moment of genuine connection from Chuck that may or may not have ultimately salvaged their relationship if Jimmy had taken him upon his invite.

The finale itself functions as somewhat of a time machine, going from Gene Takovic to Saul Goodman and then ultimately back to Jimmy McGill. After getting captured by the police, Gene calls up the Cinnabon to let them know they’ll need a new manager and then has a breakdown in his holding cell. The scene is similar to Walt’s breakdown in the crawl space in Breaking Bad, where it is believed by many that Walter White died, and Heisenberg was born. Similar to that scene, Gene Takovic dies, and Saul Goodman is reborn.

Saul manages to convince the prosecutors to reduce his life sentence to seven and a half years at a golf-course prison, lying that his reasons for aiding Walt were in fear for his own life after he kidnapped him and held him at gunpoint in the desert. Both the prosecutors and Marie(!) know this is bullshit but Saul has them by the vice and they're forced to acquiesce. It isn't until Saul smugly makes a request for ice cream in exchange for information on Howard Hamlin's death does he find out that Kim already confessed and is facing a civil suit.

This leads to Saul's final transformation back into Jimmy McGill. With Kim in attendance at his hearing, Jimmy confesses that while he was indeed afraid of Walt, he made the choice to help him out of his own volition and reaped the rewards for his crimes. He also finally comes to terms with his role in Chuck's suicide, admitting that he got his malpractice insurance canceled. 

Jimmy's confession may have saved his soul, but it doesn't save him from eighty-six years in the federal prison he described as "the Alcatraz of the Rockies". Yet on the bus ride there, several inmates recognize him as the infamous lawyer and chant "Better Call Saul!". It's the one moment in the finale that comes close to being cartoonish, yet instead it feels earned, affirming Jimmy's legacy while also assuring the viewer that his time at ADX Montrose won't be the total "hell-hole" he described it as.

In the final scene, Kim visits Jimmy in prison, claiming to be his attorney. They both share a cigarette (in a brilliant callback to their first scene in the pilot) and reflect on Jimmy's decision. As Kim leaves, she steals one last glance at Jimmy, who gives her the pointed guns gesture he gave her back in Season 4. Whether this is the last time they ever see each other, or simply the last time we the audience will ever see them together, it's a perfect coda on which to end their relationship and the series.

I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read my Better Call Saul reviews. It's been a joy watching and reviewing this excellent show, which has proven to be equivalent to Breaking Bad in terms of quality and legacy, if not more so in certain areas. What a marvelous experience this show turned out to be.

Notes and observations:

* Bill Oakley once again becomes the butt of the joke, as Saul hires him on as his lawyer, only to hijack the hearing and completely torpedo his plea deal.

* Kim goes back to her lawyer roots, volunteering at Florida's Legal Aid and sorting files. It's a far cry from where she was years ago, but it's a somewhat hopeful note to end her character on.

* Aside from Marie, Breaking Bad cameos included SAC Ramey as well as the appearance of Gomez's wife Blanca, who was mentioned but never seen on the parent show.

*Walt's final scene in the flashback goes a long way to establish him as the rotten prick he's always been, for those who felt like "Felina" was a little too kind to his character.

* An excellent script and directing from co-creator Peter Gould, who ultimately deserves the lion's share of credit for this show rather than Vince Gilligan (who stepped away after Season 3).

Better Call Saul: "Waterworks"

With there being two episodes left, it's only natural that we check back on Kim, who is just as central to the show as Jimmy is. "Waterworks" is an incredible penultimate episode of Better Call Saul, providing closure to Kim and Jimmy's relationship while also leaving room for it in the series finale, which promises to be nothing short of apocalyptic.

Having dyed her hair brown and now living in Florida, Kim lives the life of an ordinary housewife, making potato salad (sans mayonnaise) and doing jigsaw puzzles. At her job, she continues to live in mundaneness and self-flagellate herself for her sins, even refusing to choose the flavor of her co-worker's birthday cake. We get to see the other side of her phone call with Jimmy, where she advises Jimmy to turn himself in. Jimmy, somewhat righteously, furiously points out that she has yet to do so herself for her role in Howard's murder. Kim ends the phone call with an "I'm glad you're alive", seemingly closing the book on their relationship for good.

True to Kim, she takes Jimmy's accusations to heart and travels to Albuquerque, where she gives Howard's wife and the district attorney an affidavit confessing her involvement in Howard's death. As Cheryl points out however, Howard's reputation and legacy is still destroyed, and Kim is unlikely to be prosecuted as there is no proof or knowledge of where his body is. On the way back to Florida, Kim finally allows herself to feel the full weight of her guilt and breaks down sobbing on the bus (just give Rhea Seehorn next year's Emmy). Similar to when she was caught stealing as a child, the universe won't punish her for her sins.

Meanwhile, in Omaha, Gene follows through in breaking into the cancer patient's house, proceeding to compound his crime by stealing the man's watches and preparing to knock out the now-awake man with an urn full of his dog's ashes. A police car shows up and startles Jeff, frightening him enough to crash his car in an escape attempt. Gene uses the distraction to flee the scene and later receives a call from Jeff, who has been accused of robbing the mark's house.

We get a flashback to Alburquerque, where Kim arrives at Jimmy's office to sign the divorce papers. Jimmy is cruelly flippant about the whole thing, clearly using his Saul persona as a coping mechanism to deal with the end of their relationship. Kim leaves the office and encounters Jesse Pinkman, who is there with his partner Emilio to get legal counsel for the latter. After recognizing Kim from when she helped out his friend Combo, Jesse asks her if Saul is a good choice for legal representation. "When I knew him, he was", Kim finally replies before running back to her car in the rain, not knowing that she has indirectly helped bring her ex-husband into Walt and Jesse's orbit

Gene calls Marion and promises to bail her son out. Growing suspicious of why Jeff would call Gene instead of her, as well as his knowledge of the law in Omaha, Marion uses her new laptop to look up his old Saul Goodman commercials, thus confirming his identity. Gene arrives and attempts to stop her from calling the police, ripping the cord out of the wall and fashioning it as a garret. "I trusted you", Marion almost tearfully replies, distracting Gene enough for her to use her Life Alert to report him to the police. His cover now blown, Gene immediately flees the house.

Where do we go from here? The series finale of Breaking Bad at least ended on a decisive victory for Walter White. I don't see one for Jimmy McGill at this point.

Notes and observations:

* It's only natural that the man who started this all, Vince Gilligan, writes and directs this episode (ironically this is his first and only solo writing credit on the show). Lots of great camerawork but my favorite shot, other than the final scene with Kim, has to be the reflection of the colorful Saul commercial in Gene's glasses.

* I haven't commented on the teasers for the final six episodes as they have been deliberately vague, but the one for next week's series finale deserves special mention. The camera pans on an abandoned car and the monochrome slowly transitions to color as Gene attempts to remember the phrase for the vacuum cleaner repair man (played by the late Robert Forster). Does this mean that the finale will be in color?

* I really want to try tuna salad with Miracle Whip.

* I will unfortunately be out of town when the finale airs so the review for it will sadly be delayed.

Better Call Saul: "Breaking Bad"

It's only fitting that the long-awaited Walt and Jesse appearances happen in an episode titled "Breaking Bad". Not only is it a reference to the parent show, but it also brings Saul's first appearance from the Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul" full circle. But the episode's title isn't just a nod towards the show that started it all. It represents the final turning point for Jimmy McGill, who proves he still has some way to fall even after all that has happened to him.

Fresh off of the department store heist, Gene calls Francesca for information on what has happened since leaving Albuquerque. Upon learning that Kim called Francesca and is currently working in Florida, Gene calls her place and asks to speak to her. What follows is a wordless sequence that ends with Gene destroying the phone booth and falling back on old habits, recruiting Jeff and his friend Buddy for a new scheme that involves drugging rich men and stealing their identities. It's here that a fourth persona of Jimmy McGill emerges named "Viktor", the same name he came up with when and Kim were running scams. When their latest mark turns out to have cancer, Buddy refuses to go through with the crime, leading to Gene to break into the man's house to finish the job.

We get an extended look at the scene where Walt and Jesse took Saul out into the desert, with him connecting the dots and realizing that Walt is Heisenberg after taking a look inside the RV. Jesse asks about Lalo and it's clear how the man still haunts Jimmy years after their last confrontation. Later, Mike brings information on Walt to Saul, including the fact that he has lung cancer, and cautions against getting involved with him. The final scene intercuts Saul walking into the high school where Walt worked at to Gene breaking into the mark's house. Similar to how getting involved with Walter White ruined Saul Goodman, Viktor's determination to pull off schemes is destined to ruin Gene Takovic.

Notes and observations:

* There's a nice reference to the Breaking Bad episode "Four Days Out" when the RV overheats, forcing the trio to wait for the engine to cool down.

* Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston look noticeably older than they were back in Breaking Bad Season 2, but it's still electrifying to watch the duo slip back into the characters.

* Through Francesca, we get some closure on Skylar (who got a plea deal with the DEA after all) and Huell (who went home to New Orleans after leaving the safehouse). We also find out that Bill Oakley, the slovenly lawyer who butted heads with Jimmy, is now a defense attorney.

* An interview with Thomas Schnauz confirms that the Breaking Bad scenes weren't shot on film like the one back in Season 4's "Quite a Ride", but were shot digitally with grain added to them.

* Gene's first mark Alfred is played by none other than Devin Ratray from Home Alone.

* Marion's joy at discovering funny cat videos on the Internet is infectious.

Better Call Saul: "Nippy"

The final season of Better Call Saul has been a delightful subversion of expectations. Nacho, Howard and Lalo were all killed in the span of eight episodes and Kim ended up leaving Jimmy just the episode prior. With "Fun and Games" seemingly leaving the Jimmy timeline for good and picking up the Breaking Bad timeline, it was easy to assume that this episode would finally give us our long-awaited Walt and Jesse appearances. Instead, "Nippy" brings us back to the Gene timeline for a fantastic episode that once again subverts expectations.

Where the Gene timeline previously left off, Gene was harassed by a cab driver named Jeff who knew who he was. This led to Gene nearly relocating himself before he decided he'd deal with the problem himself. He quickly turns the tables on Jeff by befriending his elderly mother Marion (played by a delightful Carol Burnett) and offering to teach Jeff "the game" in exchange for his silence.

What follows is a relatively low-stakes (in the overall tapestry of the show) but no less exciting heist sequence, with Gene going through steps including casing the department store, timing how long it takes for the slovenly security guard to consume a cinnamon bun away from the security cameras and creating an obstacle course for Jeff to practice his sweeping of the place. It's the first time we've seen Gene truly alive and reminiscent of the Jimmy McGill we know and love from the previous episodes.

The plan hits a last-minute snag when Jeff slips on the store's floor and knocks himself out, forcing Gene to improvise with a teary-eyed story about how alone he is to the security guard. The scene is very similar to Walt's phone call to Skylar in "Ozymandias", as we are unaware of which parts of the performance is a fabrication and which parts are genuine. In particular, Gene mentions his brother's passing and having no wife, both of which we know are true and seems like Jimmy is grieving for the first time in his life.

The heist is ultimately a success, with Gene blackmailing Jeff into staying away from him by threatening to turn him into the police for the theft. Upon returning to the scene of the crime, he comes across a suit and tie that look like something he would wear back in his Saul days. Gene stares wistfully at the reminder of his former life before leaving it on the rack. He might have gotten a rush reliving his glory days, but those days are over.

Notes and observations:

* Despite being one of Breaking Bad's most prolific directors, Michelle Maclaren has only directed two episodes of Better Call Saul prior to this one. She adds series-best work to what was already an impressive resume of episodes, particularly the montage of Gene delivering cinnamon buns to Jim O'Heir's security guard to the tune of Mission Impossible's "Jim on the Move".

* Much has been made over the recasting of Jeff, due to Don Harvey's scheduling conflicts with Season 6. For what it's worth, Pat Healy gives a stellar performance.

* The intro for the episode, which has steadily been turning black and white throughout the course of the seasons, goes completely blue.

* We didn't get the Walt and Jesse sighting we thought we would, but Gene brings up Walt obliquely while coaching Jeff on running through the store.

* A lot of great details throughout this episode, from Gene putting on Marco's ring, to the reappearance of the security guard that busted the shoplifter from Season 3.

* The previews for the final episodes have been interesting, showing shots of desolated places (Saul's office, the desert, etc.) while 

Better Call Saul: "Fun and Games"

These reviews assume you watched all of Breaking Bad. If you don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t read this article.

It's impossible to discuss Breaking Bad's legacy without mentioning "Ozymandias". The antepenultimate episode of Breaking Bad is widely considered to be the show's best and most devastating episode for its punishing series of events, bringing home the consequences of Walt's actions and the worst possible outcome for each character. When the final season of Better Call Saul began, I wondered whether or not the show would be able to produce an episode of that devastating quality and emotion.

Suffice it to say, "Fun and Games" is that episode.

Unlike "Ozymandias", "Fun and Games" moves at a leisurely pace, which is typical of the show it is rooted in. The first half of the episode is concerned with the Mike/Gus plot. Gus ultimately wins his war with the Salamancas, earning Eladio's favor and control of the northern drug productions, while Mike contacts Nacho's father Manuel to give him closure on his son's death. These scenes are superbly written and acted by Giancarlo Esposito* and Jonathan Banks, closing off their story arcs in ways that are fitting for where both characters end up in Breaking Bad. The scene with Manuel is particularly devastating, driving home how deeply pointless and corrupting Mike's dealings with the cartel have made him.

*The scene with Gus and the bartender may very well be the best Gus scene since Breaking Bad, notably for its interiority and subtext. The show has often struggled with saying anything new about Gus that viewers didn't already know from the parent show, yet this scene perfectly highlights his latent humanity as well as his feelings towards his late partner Max.

Elsewhere, Jimmy and Kim try to move on from the events of the last episode. Per Mike's instructions, they go about their day as if nothing happened, yet it's clear they're still struggling with their feelings of guilt over Howard's murder. When they go to Howard's memorial, they learn that HHM is downsizing and they encounter his widow Cheryl, who refuses to believe that Howard was a drug addict and presses Jimmy on his role in Howard's death. This leads to Kim concocting a story on how she witnessed Howard snorting cocaine back when she worked at HHM. It's yet another moral line that the character crosses and the worst part is that she knows it.

This all leads to one of Better Call Saul's most devastating scenes. Fresh off of quitting the bar, Kim is confronted by Jimmy, who also discovers that she is leaving him. It's the equivalent of the Walt and Skylar knife fight in "Ozymandias", yet here the knife is metaphorical rather than literal. Kim tells Jimmy that they're bad for each other and reveals that she withheld the truth about Lalo's survival from him, admitting that she was afraid they'd break up and dissolve the scam because she was "having too much fun". Jimmy can do nothing as Kim resumes packing.

This leads to a time skip, as we finally catch up with the Breaking Bad timeline. Saul wakes up next to a prostitute and starts his day in typical Saul Goodman fashion. He speaks through his Bluetooth while taking a shower and driving to work while listening to his commercial over the radio. Yet, there's now a sense of tragedy and loss as he enters his office and contacts a new client. It's the moment we've waited six seasons for, the birth of Saul Goodman, and now that it's here, it's nothing short of devastating.

Notes and observations:

* It's ironic that the week after Rhea Seehorn finally(!) gets her well-deserved Emmy nomination that she seemingly exits the show with one of her best performances. 

* It's redundant at this point to praise the show's openings, but this week's cold open, set to Harry Nilsson's "Perfect Day", was truly a masterwork of filmmaking and editing, emphasizing the now broken barrier between the legal side and the cartel side.

* I assume that next week's episode will introduce the long-awaited Walt and Jesse appearances now that we are fully caught up with the Breaking Bad timeline. It's entirely possible however we may get flashbacks to the Better Call Saul timeline as we see Jimmy pick up the pieces following Kim's departure.

* Presuming this is the last time we see Hector Salamanca, Mark Margolis delivers one hell of a farewell, from his smugness to his righteous indignation to Don Eladio dismissing his claims of Gus's attempting to assassinate Lalo.

Better Call Saul: "Point and Shoot"

Part of what made the fifth season of Better Call Saul the show's best season was how it tied together the two major but separate storylines of the show in a way that paid off in spades. After "Plan and Execution's" shocking cliffhanger, I largely assumed that the final six episodes would once again be mainly focused on the intertwining of both the legal world and the cartel world. However, Vince Gilligan and Gordon Smith (the team behind last season's "Bagman") subvert expectations with an episode that gives viewers what they were waiting for while also cleaning the slate for the show's home stretch.

After a typically beautiful teaser that hints at things to come, the episode picks up right where it left off with Lalo menacing Jimmy and Kim after killing Howard. Lalo's plan, as it turns out, is to send Jimmy to Gus's house to shoot him. Jimmy convinces Lalo to instead send Kim in order to get her out of the apartment and leave him at the mercy of Lalo. Kim is ultimately thwarted by Mike, who goes to Jimmy's apartment to kill Lalo once and for all, not knowing that Lalo was using Kim as a distraction to sneak into the laundromat and get his proof once and for all. Upon realizing this, Gus heads to the laundromat where he is intercepted by Lalo.

The way the episode unfurls plot is extremely reminiscent of Breaking Bad, with the caveat that we know that half of the main cast are safe from harm. As a result, the tension is derived not from if Gus will survive but how. Watching how Gordon Smith's script gets from point A to point B is electrifying to watch and it makes the moment where Gus gains the upper hand and kills Lalo feel gratifying and earned. The revelation that Lalo and Howard are both buried underneath the superlab where Walt and Jesse will cook is a morbid way to end the episode and it adds an extra layer of pathos and horror to Breaking Bad.

"Point and Shoot" is a fantastic episode of television, expertly carrying over the tension from the previous episode while also subverting expectations and clearing the chessboard so the rest of the season can go anywhere. Presumably, the final five episodes will focus on Jimmy and Kim and how they deal with the whirlwind of events that led to Lalo at their doorstep and Howard's death. Whatever happens going forward, I have faith that Better Call Saul will deliver it in a way that leaves us emotionally devastated yet satisfied.

Notes and observations:

* From what I gather, this was the episode Bob Odenkirk was filming when he had his heart attack.

* I'd like to give one final shout out to Tony Dalton, who turned what could've easily been an afterthought character into one of the show's most iconic. His final laugh as he bleeds out perfectly encapsulates the force of chaos Lalo was. 

* Jonathan Banks has turned in beautifully understated work as Mike, but this episode is where he gets to show his range, from the professional hitman who expresses contempt for what Jimmy and Kim did to the somber way he treats Howard's corpse as respectfully as he can given the circumstances.

* Giancarlo Esposito also gets to show his range as Gus, from the tense demeanor once he realizes Lalo is on to him, to the hate-filled rant he gives to Eladio and Lalo to the calm professional who lets Lyle know he won't be coming into work while recovering from a gunshot wound. At times, Gus felt superfluous to the narrative, but this episode brings it all home, showing his transformation into the cold, calculating kingpin in Breaking Bad.

* The moment where Kim considers flagging a police car on her way to kill Gus is another fantastic showcase in silent acting from Rhea Seehorn.

* The structure of this season has definitely been unusual, with the first three episodes feeling like an extended conclusion to Season 5 and the fourth feeling more like the season's true beginning. With the Lalo/Gus/Mike storyline basically done with, there'll probably be a time jump similar to Season 4's "Something Stupid" as we catch up to Saul's first appearance on Breaking Bad and the post-Gene timeline.

* Excellent direction from Vince Gilligan on all accounts, particularly the final showdown in the lab where we get to see from Lalo's video camera (a reminder that this show is set in the mid-2000s) as well as the almost angelic shot of Gus standing over a dying Lalo.

* Dave Porter has always been one of the most underrated composers in television with his score for both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, but his work in this episode is truly some of his best, underlining the chaotic feel of this episode.

* I apologize to those who missed my Barry reviews. I came down with COVID around the time of the second half and I had just started my summer classes, so I decided to postpone the reviews.

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Let me know your predictions for the final five episodes in the comments below!