*Spoilers Ahead*
Last week, Better Call Saul ended with an explosive confrontation between Jimmy and Chuck, one whose immediate fallout takes up much of this episode. In it’s wake, the show is preparing for an even bigger battle between the two brothers and each of them are readying themselves for an all-out war.
For Jimmy, it’s reluctantly letting Kim help him face Chuck in court. At his initial hearing, he sends Kim away because he wishes to fix his own mess but she doesn’t want that and, truthfully, neither does Jimmy, like much of what he does in his life, Jimmy is attempting to do the noble thing in dealing with this himself but deep down he has to know, on some level, that Kim isn’t going to just let him hang on his own. This leads to the final scene, where the pair find themselves outside sharing a cigarette once again just like their days together at HHM (the same pack actually) and Jimmy reveals exactly what his brother wants.
Chuck isn’t interested in putting Jimmy in jail, not really, he simply wants to keep him from being a lawyer and forcing him to admit to the crime and be disbarred or go to trial, where he could face actual jail time, is Chuck’s way of creating a win-win scenario for himself.
We get a meeting with Chuck and the lawyer who will be representing him where it seems Chuck is being sincere about his belief that his brother is trying to be good and wanting another solution to this mess but it’s quickly revealed to be a ploy. Chuck has proven himself to be just as adept at conning as his brother but in his mindset the ends justify the means because they protect others from Jimmy’s reckless behavior. Chuck isn’t a good guy but he certainly has sound motivation.
Elsewhere, Mike and Gus finally meet face-to-face and it’s just as thrilling as that sounds. Gus Fring is in full calculating drug kingpin mode and he makes a deal with Mike. It’s bad for him if Hector Salamanca were to die but he won’t stop the man’s business from being disrupted. They are competitors and Mike correctly identifies that but he is still feeling guilty about the civilian who died due to the heist he pulled last time. Instead, Mike comes up with another ingenious plan, one that will take some of Hector’s men off the board for a while.
For the third straight week, we get a look into just how methodical and carefully Mike plans out everything he does. There’s a reason Gus doesn’t settle for killing him and, eventually, will come to trust the man with his life. Mike’s plan works out perfectly and the drivers are arrested at the border.
The question going forward is how Hector will respond and what this means for both Mike and Gus going forward. The show may be heading to a clear battle between Chuck and Jimmy but something tells me their might be another war, a much more violent one, waiting just around the corner.
Bits ‘n Pieces
- That cold open is a thing of beauty. It’s unclear exactly what it means at first but by the end of the episode we see that it’s a perfect representation of what Mike’s actions do to the landscape of the drug scene in New Mexico.
- Kim gets a really amazing montage this week as we see her waking up at the office and getting ready for the day at the gym across the street.
- It was nice to see Oakley, Jimmy’s old rival at the courthouse, back. He’s just as smarmy as ever and more than a little obsessed with Davis & Main.
- Also, shoutout to the doctor Mike goes to visit who is the one who saves both his and Gus’ lives during Breaking Bad.
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