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.
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