This week’s Better Call Saul begins with a recap of that striking kiss between Jimmy and Kim in the stairwell before it jumps right into the legal troubles that continually doom their relationship.
Photo credit: Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures. Photo source: press.amcnetworks.com
Kim cons the city of Lubbock, Texas, in order to make Mesa Verde happy. And herself. Kim loves every minute of her performance as a single mom on crutches, with Jimmy playing her clueless brother. She successfully switches floor plans with the city of Lubbock so that Mesa Verde can have a bigger building. One wonders how she’ll cover if she ever has to do business with that clerk again, but not before Jimmy and Kim discuss the morality of their cons at a diner. Kim suggests they only con people for good reasons. Jimmy points out Kim doesn’t have any misgivings about cons for her own personal benefit.
Lalo comforts Hector – Salamanca style. They reminisce over murder, which creeps Nacho out. Lalo brings Hector the hotel bell he had tied to his wheelchair in Breaking Bad. We also get a poignant shot of an elderly woman becoming protective of her purse around Nacho. Nacho and Lalo get lunch at Los Pollos Hermanos. Lalo comes to Gus’s back office in order to talk drug business. Lalo is all smiles and veiled plans to take out Don Hilario. Lalo makes it clear that he has come to take charge of the drug dealing scene. He pokes his nose into every little corner of the business – much to Nacho and Gus’s chagrin.
Jimmy shows up at his hearing. His suit is neutral-toned. He skates by his interview. Jimmy is asked, “What does the law mean to you?” Jimmy delivers the sob speech of his career. He humble brags about his own limited intelligence. In fact, he even strays into some honest territory about the opportunity to better himself. He blows it when he credits the University of American Samoa. He does not mention Chuck. They deny him on grounds of insincerity.
Kim wraps presents for Jimmy while on a conference call. She talks to Jimmy on the roof of a parking garage. Jimmy raves, drops the F word, and lashes out at Kim. Kim does not stand for it and calls Jimmy out on the fact that she always cleans up his messes. Jimmy accuses her of using him as a departure from glamorous life as a lawyer and says that she’s “kicking him when he’s down.” Kim has him cold with the line: “Jimmy, you’re always down.” Later, at the Wexler/McGill home, Jimmy does admit that he is to blame for all of his own problems.
Photo credit: Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures. Photo source: press.amcnetworks.com
Mike and the Germans blast. Werner loses his nerve and almost botches the demolition. When Mike confronts him, Werner claims to miss his wife. He asks Mike for time to fly back to Germany, which Mike shuts down, and assures him that Kai can supervise the crew in his absence. When Mike turns him down, Werner disables a security camera and ditches. The German word “Wiedersehen” roughly means “see you again” so I have a feeling Werner will be back and it won’t be pretty.
In this penultimate episode season, we have the Kim and Jimmy drama combusting as Mike faces a moral dilemma about his buddy, Werner. While this season started with a lot of emphasis on Nacho, he has begun fading into the background with the recent appearance of Lalo. Will Lalo live to see season five? Or will Gus and Nacho remove yet another Salamanca from their turf?
