*Spoilers Ahead*
Better Call Saul delivers possibly it’s best episode of the season while giving Jimmy and Kim exactly what they think they want.
For Jimmy, that means getting out of Davis & Main while managing to keep his bonus. This leads to the show’s best montage yet as we see Jimmy return to the realm of obnoxiously colorful suits as he tries everything in his power to be fired without cause from the firm. The montage makes great use of Bob Odenkirk’s comedic skills as he does everything from messily attempting to use a juicer to not flushing the toilet in an attempt to conserve water. His scam pays off but what he did isn’t lost on Clifford Main. The scene between them finds Jimmy actually being sorry that he had to go out like this but it also makes a nice point about Jimmy as a person, he doesn’t think about the people his schemes affect until they’ve already happened.
Elsewhere, Kim is all but prepared to take the offer given to her by Schweikart & Cokely and prove to herself and, by extension, Howard that she has been misused at HHM. Jimmy, however, has a better offer. Instead of waiting to be a partner at Schweikart & Cokely she can be a partner right now at Wexler & McGill. It’s an idea that immediately sounds bad and Kim, rightfully, turns it down. After all, Jimmy tends to be more “colorful” in how he approaches law and the last thing Kim needs is to be in a firm where he is one of the partners.
Still, Jimmy’s speech manages to stick with her, so much so that she makes the Freudian slip of calling Schweikart “Howard” in reference to Jimmy claiming Schweikart was simply, “Howard Hamlin under another name.” It gets Kim thinking and leads her to the nail salon, where Jimmy is setting up the next chapter in his career, eerily similar to the chapter before just with a nicer desk.
Kim’s offer, they work out of the same office but keep their practices separate. Jimmy isn’t sold on the idea entirely and while we don’t get a clear answer from him it’s hard to see him turning her down. The plan is doomed to fail but part of what makes this show so interesting is seeing how we get to where we first met Saul and Mike.
Speaking of Mike, he and Jimmy’s plots converge briefly this week as Jimmy is there to tell the DA that the gun found on Tuco was not his. The DA suspects Mike has been paid off but it doesn’t lead anywhere for the time being. Still, Mike doesn’t seem too happy with being forced into this situation and the $50,000 he received may not be enough if the ominous shot of him watching the diner the Salamanca’s work out of is any indication.
Whatever the plan, there is no doubt that we’re currently watching a show at it’s creative peak and with Jimmy and Mike looking to make drastic moves we’re not coming down from that peak anytime soon.
Bits ‘n Pieces
- Loved the flashback this week to Jimmy witnessing his father getting conned. I especially enjoyed getting to hear “Dancing in the Moonlight” on in the background.
- Jimmy’s assistant seemed like a pretty great guy I hope we get to see him again sometime.
- No Chuck again this week, I imagine he’ll be back next week to express his thoughts on the latest developments.
- “Dude, I’m from Michigan.”
Jesse Swanson is a would-be writer, podcaster and funny guy who covers TV shows of all shapes and sizes. You can find him on Twitter @JesseSwanson