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!