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!