These reviews assume you watched all of Breaking Bad. If you don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t read this article
Last season's sixth episode opened with a flashback with a young Kim and her mother that was juxtaposed with Kim's decision to marry Jimmy, so it's only natural that this episode also juxtaposes Kim's childhood with another major decision she makes. Young Kim is caught shoplifting a pair of earrings and necklace and is scolded by her mother. Upon exiting the store however, Kim's mom is impressed with Kim's crime and reveals that she stole back the items for her. The scene speaks volumes for how warped Kim's childhood was and helps explain her struggles with following the law and her love for Jimmy.
"Axe and Grind" has Kim and Jimmy preparing for "D-Day", the final step of their plan to get Cliff to settle the Sandpiper case and damage Howard's reputation. Once again, the show chooses not to let us in on what the final steps of their plan are, offering us breadcrumbs such as a visit to Dr. Caldera to get a drug that makes the user appear to be high, and Jimmy reuniting with his film crew to film what is presumably an incriminating video. Meanwhile, Cliff, impressed with Kim's pro bono work, offers her a meeting with a legal group that promotes pro-bono work and is looking to expand in New Mexico. Kim's only reservation is that the meeting will take place on "D-Day", though Jimmy assures her that she won't have to be there to pull off the final steps.
On "D-Day" however, Jimmy runs into the real judge they're using as part as of their plan and realizes that they didn't know about one major detail; his arm is in a sling. This is enough for Jimmy to postpone the con and he calls Kim, who is on her way to the meeting, to let her know. After a brief look of indecision, Kim states, "It happens today" and makes a U-turn back to Albuquerque. Whatever happens next week, Kim's made her decision and there's no going back.
Notes and observations:
* Lalo continues his adventures in Germany where he tracks down Casper, one of the men who worked with Ziegler on the superlab and after a lengthy chase, cuts off his leg with an axe and prepares to interrogate him. While the Howard storyline looks like it'll reach it's conclusion next week, I genuinely hope that Lalo's will continue into the back half, if only because Tony Dalton's been criminally underused this first half.
* This is the second episode this season to be directed by a cast member, this time Giancarlo Esposito, who was chosen ironically for a episode where Gus doesn't appear at all. He pulls off some truly excellent shots, such as the scene where Howard prepares a latte for his wife and the hard cut from Jimmy and Kim kissing to Casper chopping wood with an axe.
* Speaking of Howard, the scene following the cold open opens on him getting ready for his day and sharing a conversation with his estranged wife, who unceremoniously dumps the coffee he prepared for her into a thermos. This scene works wonders to make Howard a sympathetic character and has me genuinely worried for him going into the midseason finale.
* I love how subtly this episode (and really the entire season) implies that Kim's reason for continuing the con isn't so much out of concern for the Sandpiper residents and more so out of revenge for the man who treated her poorly at HHM. The look on Rhea Seehorn's face as Kim forces herself to lie about her true feelings regarding Howard to Cliff is a fantastic bit of acting.
* The scene where Mike watches his granddaughter from across the street in his safehouse as he instructs her in stargazing is one of Jonathan Bank's best performances in either show.
* Dr. Caldera shows Jimmy and Kim his black book of clients, which eagle-eyed viewers will remember was in Saul's house in the flashforward in the Season 6 premiere. Kim also happens upon a card for the vacuum cleaner repairman, who was played by the late Robert Forster. Whether this is a hint at her ultimate fate or a misdirect remains to be seen.
* We see the beginnings of the Francesca we know from Breaking Bad, with Jimmy forcing her to make a phone call to HHM and her sarcastic reponse to him ordering her to clean up the toliet after an unruly customer urinates in it.
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