*Spoilers Ahead*
Jimmy McGill has been placed in a desperate situation, unable to practice law for a year but in need of cash due to his own stubbornness he resorts to one of his worst schemes yet.
As we approach the season finale it’s becoming clear that this is the season where the last visages of Jimmy McGill begin to fade away and Saul Goodman emerges and it’s never been more clear than here, watching Jimmy con his elderly clients, the one’s he spent countless hours trying to help. These are not actions that Jimmy would have been capable of in the last two seasons, he was still trying to appeal to his better nature then, now he is free to be as despicable as he wants having torched his relationship with his brother.
There’s few hints in this episode that Jimmy feels guilty about alienating poor Irene from her friends at the retirement home, he has a seemingly genuine look of concern when she runs off crying but his chat alone with her is just another chance to gather his share of the settlement.
One of the most consistently astounding parts of Better Call Saul and it’s predecessor is their ability to callback to moments and places from previous seasons and give them new meaning. Jimmy’s return to bingo is a perfect example as he uses the scenario as part of his scheme, adding in a set of doctored bingo balls that will give Irene a bingo and further drive a rift between her and the others in the Sandpiper case. Irene wins but runs out of the room when she realizes that all her friends have abandoned her. Once again someone has a breakdown during a bingo game but this time it’s Jimmy who gets to watch and stare.
Elsewhere, Chuck continues to try and master his EMS symptoms but it’s too late, the case against Jimmy has revealed his condition to the firm’s insurance and Howard suggests a retirement. Chuck being Chuck, he refuses to believe that is even an option, let alone the only course left. So, he decides to sue Howard and HHM. This latest turn in Chuck’s story is interesting and sad in equal measure as we know it won’t end well for either group in this battle. Chuck is still pushing himself beyond his limits in the hopes of returning to law and it might be what finally does him in.
Elsewhere, Mike reluctantly decides to funnel his money into Madrigal, the company Lydia Rodarte-Quayle works for. I’ll admit to not being thrilled with Lydia’s appearance a few episodes ago but seeing what it led to makes it mostly worth it, it was set up not for her to be part of Gus’ story but to further Mike’s and I’m sort of interested to see if she’ll show up again down the line.
Nacho, meanwhile, seems to fail in his plan to off Hector, as we all assumed he would and he’s forced to confront his father to warn him that Hector will be coming for their shop sooner rather than later. It’s a scene filled with genuine emotion and Michael Mando plays it beautifully. I never expected Nacho to be the character I rooted for the most but the back half of this season sure has changed my thoughts on him, here’s hoping he makes it out of this.
Then, there’s Kim, poor Kim. She stretches herself too thin, falls asleep at the wheel in one of the most expertly done jump cuts I’ve ever seen, she awakens to find her car crashed into a rock on the side of the highway and all the papers she spent hours writing and copying strewn across the area. Kim found herself in a collision but she’s not the only one who’s looking towards a crash in their immediate future.
Bits ‘n Pieces
- The scene between Jimmy and Howard was a lot of fun, I’m glad to see Howard getting more screen time this season.
- As cruel as Jimmy’s scheme was it was pretty great that he bought one of every size in that shoe.
- Shoutout to Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown” which was playing during Jimmy’s scene in the mall.
- “B9! Let’s hope that biopsy comes back be-nign!” – Jimmy calling out bingo numbers never gets old.
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