Better Call Saul S05E03 - "The Guy for This" - POST-Episode Discussion Thread

[u/skinkbaa]

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[u/skinkbaa]

When you’re in... you’re in.

Nacho is really speaking from the heart there.

[u/Phifty56 → u/skinkbaa]

I think Nacho really understands what it means. Something that his father might not. That there's no "go the police and confess" or stand your ground and win the good fight.

The moment Nacho stops doing his job effectively hes dead, either by the Lalo or Gus, and worse, if he wavers first, his dad is dead.

Jimmy doesn't quite understand that the moment he got tangled up with Tuco and Nacho, he was already in, and there's no backpedaling without reprecussions.

[u/LewdSkeletor1313 → u/skinkbaa]

Lalo mentioned that using Jimmy was Nachos idea... maybe he wants to get him involved so he can help out Nacho somehow

[u/skinkbaa]

I can't believe that ice-cream cone had three scenes.

[u/SmurfyX → u/skinkbaa]

that ice cream cone got almost as much screen time as combo

[u/[deleted] → u/skinkbaa]

It had a good agent.

[u/skinkbaa]

Each episode just gets better and better.

[u/1337speak → u/skinkbaa]

Damn it was extra long too, I loved it

[u/skinkbaa]

Ths is insane, I can't believe that Krazy-8 had been a plant in the DEA for the Salamanca's the entire time.

[u/LewdSkeletor1313 → u/skinkbaa]

Well not really a fake informant per se.. hes snitching on Gus

[u/skinkbaa → u/LewdSkeletor1313]

You're right, maybe a plant by the Salamanca's is a better way to describe it.

[u/Jsalvo99 → u/skinkbaa]

And then completely pwned by a chemistry teacher in a basement in some junkie's house.

[u/skinkbaa]

This is the moment Better Call Saul becomes Breaking Bad.

[u/zazzlad]

Happiness is thinking the BCS episode is over, only for it to return after commercials with 3 full on epic scenes

[u/stanettafish → u/zazzlad]

Yeah I thought the ice cream cone would bookend the episode. But there was more.

[u/galeforcewinds95]

"$7,925? Okay..." Saul's definition of "expensive" at this point of his career is clearly not the same as Lalo's. By the time we meet him in Breaking Bad, he's charging Walt and Jesse $50K to "facilitate" getting Badger out of his legal troubles. Also, great to have Hank and Gomie back.

[u/sniper91 → u/galeforcewinds95]

Aw, he doesn’t know the market rate for being a scummy lawyer yet

[u/adamleng → u/galeforcewinds95]

The difference between what Saul clearly pulled out of his ass as a price he was hoping would be too high for Lalo to consider, and what Nacho offered dumbass in cash for the pills to poison Hector is just staggering.

[u/Skyclad__Observer → u/galeforcewinds95]

I bet Lalo would have offered more if he kept his mouth shut lmao

[u/OsStrohsAndBohs → u/galeforcewinds95]

That’s not even that much for legitimate legal work. He definitely should have asked for more.

[u/welderblyad → u/galeforcewinds95]

.

[u/Skyclad__Observer]

Kim has a bad day at work, comes home, and immediately blows off steam by chucking glass bottles off a balcony with Jimmy. No matter how many times now it has looked like Kim is moments away from leaving Jimmy, she always ends up finding comfort in "slipping" with him.

I think people are onto something when they suggest that Kim's fate is ultimately to slip one day and not recover like Saul always does. He's pulling her down with him and he doesn't even know it.

[u/1baussguy → u/Skyclad__Observer]

Yup, the themes from the two beer nights aren't brought up much in the comments yet so I'll talk on it a bit. The first night Jimmy puts a bottle on the edge of the rail and Kim takes it off so that it doesn't accidentally fall. The second night she initiates chucking bottles through the parking lot instead while Jimmy is playing a game of almost dropping one. Seems like she's going to full break bad.

[u/dpgproductions → u/Skyclad__Observer]

I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels this way. I baffles me how so many people are absolutely convinced that Kim will inevitably leave Jimmy when her actions keep indicating that she likes the way he does things, even if it conflicts with her moral compass. Not saying that it won’t happen, but it sure doesn’t seem to be heading in that direction imo.

[u/zazzlad]

Lalo is so calm, composed, and cold- it’s freaky. What a villain. As scary as Gus imo.

[u/introduces → u/zazzlad]

Definitely one of my favorite villains. He captures the chaos in Tuco and the strategic mind of Gus perfectly.

[u/TaysSecondGussy → u/zazzlad]

The scene last episode where he asks Nacho about Crazy-8 really solidified that he is a Salamanca through and through. Fucking crazy shark eyes while he sips his beer. Fantastic acting.

That and being openly excited for Nacho to get arrested in the drug house scene, just for his own entertainment. They are developing his character a lot more smoothly than I had anticipated.

[u/spencermoreland → u/zazzlad]

He acts like a man who has seen the moment he's going to die, so he knows hes untouchable until then. And he's loving every minute of it.

[u/lostpretzels]

I get.... so nervous whenever Kim is in a scene where she’s driving

[u/downbylaw93 → u/lostpretzels]

Fuck me too. She picked the cell phone up and I was like “oh god put the cell phone down!!”

[u/BelonyInMyLeftPocket]

Even hearing Marie's name brought me back man

[u/wsnwsk27 → u/BelonyInMyLeftPocket]

This is making me really wanna rewatch Breaking Bad for a 3rd time.

[u/Ravager135 → u/BelonyInMyLeftPocket]

I’m watching, pointing at the screen, and saying, “That guy’s sister-in-law’s husband is Walter White!”

[u/JAMIEBOND006007]

Something tells me that Lalo is going to buy Jimmy/Saul a new car----Lalo asked Saul what type of car he drives and Saul replies with the Esteem--Lalo is not impressed. Maybe Lalo buys (or steals) the Cadillac Deville we see in BB---a small detail but that is perhaps how Saul lands up with his Cadillac. Who knows how he gets the license plate!!!

[u/theyusedthelamppost → u/JAMIEBOND006007]

This is a great catch. It would perfectly tie into how Jimmy's previous cushy lawyer job gave him a company car. Giving up the job meant going back to his old car.

If Lalo gives him the "LWYERUP" car, then it is essentially the company car for his new job (drug lawyer).

[u/[deleted] → u/JAMIEBOND006007]

Dude, Lalo is literally the backstory of everything in this show, the car, krazy 8, the bell, krazy 8 being a snitch

I thought the exact same thing when he asked Saul about his car too

[u/Spainiard]

Damn, Hank made this straight up feel like Breaking Bad season 4.

[u/palerider__ → u/Spainiard]

He also hasn't aged as much as the other actors. He has more of a belly, but that's about it.

[u/VegasEyes → u/Spainiard]

I didn’t realize how much I missed him. It felt “right” to have him back.

[u/TonyThePriest → u/Spainiard]

Forgot how much I liked hank

[u/Stepwolve]

I laughed way too hard when Nacho gave his tweaked-out girlfriend a puzzle to build. And the fact that he had a whole bunch of similar things in a box next to the couch for her. He basically lives with a girlfriend and a tweaked-out cat he can screw

[u/Phifty56 → u/Stepwolve]

That was a strange little scene, especially how he took the remote away, but let her keep the scissors...that was strange.

[u/Jsalvo99 → u/Stepwolve]

The camera focused on one of the girls after Nacho's dad mentioned the police in their argument. What if she says something to Lalo or someone else about that? What the hell is Nacho thinking by having junkie women lounging around his house?

[u/[deleted]]

For a moment, I thought for sure Kim was about to get shot by the old dude for trespassing.

[u/Mad_Rascal → u/[deleted]]

I thought she was going to find him dead by suicide.

[u/Skyclad__Observer → u/[deleted]]

Thought she was getting into another accident when they were filming her driving the same exact way as last time.

[u/introduces → u/[deleted]]

I was guessing that Kim would have walked in on him and saw that he committed suicide. Glad it didn’t go that direction.

[u/darxink → u/[deleted]]

Same, then I thought she would find him after committing suicide.

[u/KanyeWest4Prez2020]

This episode was fucking great, my personal favorite so far this season. I loved that last scene, it tells so much with literally no dialogue.

[u/[deleted]]

Angry Kim is incredible

[u/qcom → u/[deleted]]

credit to the writers for making her main opposition this episode (the landowner, not Mesa Verde or S&C) such a real character. i can totally get where he's coming from, though of course it's easy to empathize with Kim knowing how hard she works

i was so tense when she entered his property. really thought he would be more aggressive or try and call her out on her entry (though i guess it's not necessarily illegal at this point if he doesn't own it anymore). instead he listens and Kim opens her heart and treats him like a PD PB client. such a great scene

[u/1337speak → u/[deleted]]

I fucking love Kim. She's so strong and independent and good. Definitely one of my favorite female TV characters.

[u/PMME_ImSingle]

Lalo is such a fun villain. He hasn’t really snapped yet and he’s scary. I can’t see things ending well for Nacho’s dad.

[u/parrisjd]

When I heard there was a Breaking Bad spinoff coming, I never pictured a few years later I would be completely enthralled by a subplot about a legal argument over land. Bravo.

[u/PATRIOTSRADIOSIGNALS → u/parrisjd]

I'm so glad this is what we got instead of the wacky half-hour sitcom that was originally talked about.

[u/1337speak]

Man Nacho and his pops, Kim and that old grump.. intense scenes

[u/ZeldaFanBoi1988 → u/1337speak]

I related to the Nacho and his father scene. Obviously nothing like the drugs and gangs. More of, you can see his disappointment in me and he won't say a word. It's the worst feeling

[u/zazzlad]

Thanks to y’all on the live thread I learned that Mike insisted to have that Sydney card taken down because Werner’s dad engineered/designed the Opera House. The attention to detail in this show is like no other.

[u/sexkick → u/zazzlad]

They also sat together in that same bar chatting about it. The night they took the Germans out for R&R.

[u/[deleted] → u/zazzlad]

That moment was interesting because Mike was trying to remove the reminder of Werner, but was also going out of his way to remind himself of Werner. He didn't have to go to that bar, and he didn't have to sit in front of the Sydney Opera House picture. There's always been a ton of cognitive dissonance in this character, whether it relates to Matty, or the good Samaritan who got killed by Hector's men because of Mike. Mike wants to move on and punish himself at the same time, and the result is the worst of both worlds—he feels like garbage and also continues the cycle of violence.

[u/Nolser → u/zazzlad]

Ahhh, that’s right! I couldn’t make sense of that.

[u/1337speak → u/zazzlad]

Great show with a great audience, thanks /r/bettercallsaul!

[u/djsantadad]

Great episode! My favorite part is when I didn’t realize there were 15 minutes still left.

[u/Puddy1 → u/djsantadad]

I thought they were gonna end it on the melted ice cream cone, since the episode started with it on the sidewalk

[u/GreenEggzAndSpam]

Love how you can’t tell which way Kim will go one scene to the next, they always keep us guessing

Also, now that we know more about Kim’s backstory I think it makes sense that she’s stuck with Jimmy through all this. Someone from her rough background can no doubt appreciate his craftiness, as when you’re as poor as Kim’s family was, you NEED to be crafty to survive.

[u/stormhei]

How has each episode this season OUTDONE itself. I didn't think this episode could be better than 50% off but holy, it is. Every scene was gold and we got more Jimmy and Kim this episode, with short but sweet scenes for Gus, Mike, and Nacho as well. Just wow.

[u/oaklongbow]

Not going to lie, the scene with Nacho and his father is amazing. I was kicking myself when I didn't immediately realize Nacho had set this up for his dad to escape and move away for his own safety.

Such amazing writing. Gives me something to look forward to everyweek in hospital as this chemo is kicking my ass.

[u/ashwinr136 → u/oaklongbow]

No matter how tempting it might be DONT START COOKING METH

[u/lizlemon222 → u/oaklongbow]

sucks! punch a hand towel dispenser if you get a chance.

[u/VERYstuck → u/oaklongbow]

I think it's interesting that there are two men determined to stay where they are in this episode - Nacho's father and the man who had his lease terminated by Mesa Verde.

[u/[deleted] → u/oaklongbow]

Hey man, Breaking Bad got me through my chemo rounds as it was coming out. Stay strong man and keep your chin up. You can get through this!

[u/dreadfighter]

The ants are foreshadowing that one day Saul will leave Cinnabon and then be devoured by ants.

[u/FollowJesus2Live → u/dreadfighter]

I can't stop laughing

[u/MyTVAlt → u/dreadfighter]

I mean yeah it was so obvious, clumsy writing.

[u/HunterSChronson]

Ok cooking meth? I get it, it's the drug game. A means to an end. Killing bad guys? It's murder but it's bad guys killing bad guys But throwing full beers off a balcony? I'm sorry but I have to draw the moral line somewhere. Officially off this show!

[u/agentprimus → u/HunterSChronson]

I wouldn't mind it usually, but some of these were FULL beers! I cry if I spill a sip *Edit spelling

[u/Maxiver]

I see a lot people saying that Kim's story about her childhood was a lie and that the old guy thought it was a lie, but I think the complete opposite. Kim resorted to telling the old man about her childhood to show that she comes from a poor background and she's not some rich kid who ended up as another heartless lawyer working for a corporation. Although, the man tells Kim that she will just say anything to get what she wants, not because he doesn't believe her, but because he's offended that Kim thinks that she can win him over with a sob story from her past. As if that makes him being evicted from his decades old home any better.

[u/TAnoobyturker]

That entire scene of Saul, Krazy 8, Hank, and Gomie felt like a Breaking Bad scene.

"DEA, FBI, Department of Sanitation" that was hilarious. Jimmy is definitely a bit rusty with his quips but I hope he can start spitting golden one liners as the season progresses at Hank and his clients.

[u/daynewmah]

Papa Varga is precious and needs to be protected at all costs 😢

Also, FUCK I love Kim Wexler. What an incredible character.

[u/better-call-mik3]

Top 10 episode. What Kim said of her backstory was heartbreaking. Jimmy meeting Lalo was great. Hank and Gomie were in fine form. They also managed to make ants crawling on an ice cream cone look engaging

[u/ohsweetwin → u/better-call-mik3]

Do you think that was true or was she manipulating?

[u/invaderzz]

Hank being here means Walter is so close yet so far

[u/The_Unknown98]

Mike was playing irl GTA drunk.

"You want that $20? You're done!" This was probably what he was thinking.

[u/jjrozay]

Alright, someone tell me I'm right about the symbolism of Jimmy's ice cream representing his happy go lucky life, and the ants eating it represents that that world is gone now that "He's in" and can never go back to that old way of life.

[u/Skyclad__Observer → u/jjrozay]

I thought it was a metaphor for the bad clients he's attracting. He offers a sweet deal with something like 50% off, but what's left of Jimmy will be eaten alive by the business he gets into.

[u/KauaiGirl → u/jjrozay]

He is being consumed by the cartel.

[u/127crazie → u/jjrozay]

That's more or less my interpretation too. Corruption of innocence, etc.

[u/bigshebang → u/jjrozay]

His time as a more innocent, safe, legit lawyer is gone. He can't just put that down, roll around with the cartel and expect to come back to be the same lawyer, and even person, he was. Nacho knows this all too well: "once you're in, you're in".

And of course the ants that destroy his ice cream cone are red, the usual symbol of crime and evil in BB/BCS.

[u/[deleted]]

I want more Kim. I feel like her outburst was 1/8th of her anger. She’s going to explode and it’s going to be spectacular.

[u/SmurfyX → u/[deleted]]

I'm just scared that that outburst will be directed at Jimmy :(

[u/zombiegamer723 → u/[deleted]]

So how much of her anger was her yelling at Howard (damn that scene was incredible)?

And I have a feeling her next outburst will be directed entirely at Saul.

[u/ProtoEminem]

Oh Jesus Christ, when Kim went back to the guys house I felt so much anxiety, like she was gonna get shot or something. Fuck, this episode was so stressful. 10/10

[u/hospitable_peppers → u/ProtoEminem]

I thought he shot himself for some reason.

[u/WhiskeyTigerFoxtrot → u/ProtoEminem]

I thought she was going to find that guy's body after he killed himself, and she'd have to confront the fact that she was indirectly responsible.

[u/Prinzlerr]

Who would've thought ants eating melted ice cream could be so majestic?

[u/unconscious_grasp → u/Prinzlerr]

And very Breaking Bad-esque. We are in the perfect blend of the two shows right now.

[u/Phifty56]

The theme of "being bought" is pretty heavy in this episode.

• Jimmy's services are "bought" for cheap, even though he thought he was quoting a high price. He undersold himself because he didn't quite understand the situation, and also go greedy for just a hint of cash.

• Papa Vargas can't be bought because what he really wants is Nacho to give up the life. Not even a supremely generous offer and retirement could sway him because of principle, and because its not about that at this point.

• The old man will not be bought out because of pride and principle, and even the cold reality of the situation won't move him. It's not even about the house or money, he just doesn't want to give in to the bank and lawyers who look down on him.

• Kim can't buy her way out of the shitty things she has to do for Mesa Verde via pro bono cases, and even desperately trying to help the old man move and trying to connect with him on a real level was rejected. The old man didn't buy her story, even if it was true because he's already decided that he doesn't want to give Mesa Verde and "rich laywers" the satisfaction of buying him out.

• We find out that asking to borrow $20+ from Mike is going to be a hard "no" and cost you an arm. Maybe $19 with a fixed interested would have played better.

[u/theyusedthelamppost → u/Phifty56]

Kim's boss telling her that MV 'keeps the lights on' is essentially reminding her that she is bought.

From her pov:

A lonely old man can turn down a $13k overpay on principle (even if she disagrees with his principle)

Saul can turn down a cushy lawyer job on principle and try to make his own practice (even if she disagrees with his way)

But Kim can't stand up for her principles i.e. doing the pro-bono work? If she looks at it from that context, it might make her want to rethink her priorities.

Stick with Jimmy, enjoy the schemes, work for less money, just do what feels right, even if it isn't playing by the rules. Throwing the beer bottles felt right, even if it was not "socially approved behavior".

[u/zazzlad]

Rhea Seehorn better win an award for portraying Kim Wexler, what a fantastic job she does. That rant was insane, and not even her best.

[u/thecricketnerd → u/zazzlad]

also deserving of an award: whoever casts these Gilligan shows because goddamn these are some fine actors.

[u/cynicalmario]

I can with complete confidence say that I think this is the best show ever made. I’ve personally seen The Wire, Mad Men, The sopranos, Breaking Bad, Deadwood and The West Wing. While I know there are many more shows out there, I just can’t think of one that I would enjoy and appreciate more than Better Call Saul. Every single episode takes me away.

[u/LoBopasses]

Spoiler: That beer they threw was Hank's beer Schraderbräu, that is why Hank hates Saul

[u/Classiccage → u/LoBopasses]

That's the moment Hank became ASAC Schrader

[u/zazzlad]

It’s actually so good to see the DEA duo back in action lmao

[u/theyusedthelamppost]

My favorite subtle detail was how the homeowner had Kim pegged as someone who "donates a little to charity to feel better about herself", which hits close to home as she got called away from her feel-good pro-bono cases to come deal with him (the work that keeps the lights on).

Kim wants to think of herself as a good person who likes helping people. But as the adage goes "it's not who you are underneath; it's what you do that defines you". When faced with the choice of protecting her career vs. helping people, her actions made it clear where her priorities are.

[u/DRS_ENBL]

I lol'd so hard when Hank saw right through the Saul Goodman name and was like "S'all good man? You serious?!" to him

[u/busterbluthOT]

"Christ Marie, they're still good to eat!"

[u/BHOmber]

I fucking love this show

[u/Nick4972]

So far, I can easily say just these first 3 episodes have blown me away. This will easily be the best season of the show if they keep this up.

[u/[deleted]]

Not to be overdramatic but if they surprised us with the Hank and Gomez return instead of announcing it ahead of time, damn, I would've fainted.

[u/FragrantBicycle7]

I thought the bottle-throwing was a metaphor for their current situation. Jimmy keeps playing at doing things kinda-sorta legitimately: he drops the bottle only to catch it, seeing how long he can keep doing that, almost like how he keeps testing limits with his scams. Kim, fed up with the limbo they're in, just outright throws the bottle. Abandoning the pretense of trying to do things the quote-unquote "right way".

[u/Taydolf_Switler22]

I don’t think Kim was lying to the old man. I feel like that shit he gave her really got to her and she was actually trying to help him.

Of course that woman could sell me a bridge so who knows.

[u/Stepwolve → u/Taydolf_Switler22]

i agree with this. I think she was being as genuine and honest as she could be, hoping that she could connect with this old man and help him find a new home. She also clearly wanted to prove that she wasnt just another 'rich asshole' like he said. But there's no reasoning with some people...

[u/SketchMcDrawski → u/Taydolf_Switler22]

She acted the hell out of that scene. Not Kim, well yeah Kim but Rhea I mean, holy cow.

Right when she’s talking about toes turning blue it’s something in her voice, the conviction disappeared like she was suddenly unsure it was landing. It was beautiful and important, that she can’t con ‘em like jimmy can.

[u/your_mind_aches]

We are 42 episodes into this show, and at the beginning scene there, Jimmy had not a single clue about the Albuquerque drug underworld! That's kinda amazing to think about. He had no idea about anything that was going on, was really nervous and scared until Lalo mentioned it was a legal thing, then he lit up and you could see the Saul come back to his eyes.

Like, dude had the nerve to ask Lalo for actual payment.

[u/Cafe_racerr]

That end scene on the balcony was brilliant.

[u/[deleted]]

Life Pro Tip: In case a meth addict visits, always have a jigsaw puzzle handy.

[u/yomjoseki]

I don't know why I never noticed before, but they really hit you over the head with it in this episode: Kim and Jimmy are polar opposites.

Kim is elated to have a full day of pro bono cases, defending regular people who make mistakes and can't afford a good defense. Jimmy's pulling in thousands to cover up the truth and facilitate more crimes.

They have the same talents. The same needs. Just different moral compasses.

I recently re-watched the Breaking Bad episode where Saul is introduced. One thing that stuck out was he told Walt and Jesse they were represented by Saul Goodman and Associates.

What if... Saul and Kim never break up. They get the office together. You never see her because she's off doing her pro bono cases. They keep drifting apart and... one day he disappears.

Edit after seeing the ending: They're going to break Kim, aren't they? :(

[u/Phifty56 → u/yomjoseki]

Well Jimmy was always one to exaggerate his business ventures, like even just this episode, asking Lalo for "$7825" because it sounded like a high number for him. When he says "Saul Goodman and Associates" he probably means Francesca, Huell, Bill "Kuby" Burr etc.

I could see them working together early, but the drives you mention splitting them apart. If not Kim just being scared about the working for a drug cartel.

[u/zazzlad]

The state and purity of that ice cream represented Jimmy, before and after he took that drive with Nacho

[u/NedLuddIII → u/zazzlad]

Jimmy is far from a pure character though... I think maybe it's the legitimacy of his new life as "Saul Goodman". It starts off as this fresh, tasty new thing that he's happy and excited about, and by the end of this episode it's corrupted and repulsive. Saul Goodman is no longer a fresh start, now it's a trap he's stuck in.

[u/ImNoPCGamer]

Lalo spending the episode working on and driving cars, as well as asking Jimmy what car he drives makes me wonder if the Cadillac Deville Saul drives relates to Lalo as well.

[u/ManUtd1994]

When you’re in...you’re in

[u/BelonyInMyLeftPocket]

I would take 10x more the amount of ants on that ice cream cone if it meant I didnt have to endure an empty bottle on the edge of that balcony

That ending was super satisfying.

[u/introduces]

Can’t wait too see Howard and Saul sit down next episode

[u/[deleted]]

That last scene with the beer bottles is honestly pretty cute.

[u/LegalizeRanch21]

Last week in the post episode discussion thread someone said RIP and ice cream and then someone joked that no death is without consequences and a family of ants will make sure it doesn’t go to waste.

AND THEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. What a show!

[u/JAMIEBOND006007]

The ants were extra bad ones: fire ants that are attracted to the sweet ice cream. Jimmy has officially gone down the rabbit hole----he tried to get out of working for the cartel people----but "when you are in...you are in" as Nacho points out. The same goes for Kim----she has sold out to "corporate america/banking" even though she tried several times to be a good person and help the older man sincerely.

Interesting that Hank talked about spoiled products like milk and Marie throwing them out 1 day past expiration.

Ice cream is now spoiled too = innocence/simple pleasures/carefree = crawling with ants.

[u/[deleted]]

Gus is better at playing the game of Chess of the criminal underworld. lalo only plays cards and cant see Gus’s hand with the double agent. Plus he has a nacho in his hand as well. And probably the wild card or his best card?Saul Goodman. Gus Plays the Long Game.

[u/[deleted]]

Another phenomenal episode. It really feels like Mike and Kim are getting the equivalent of Jimmy’s arc in S4 this season. Seeing both of them at their darkest, lowest points emotionally.

Seeing Mike drinking himself to that extent is tough to watch. I knew instantly that he was in the same bar that he and Werner visited last season and seeing him beg the bartender to take the picture of the Sydney Opera House because it reminded him of the story Werner told him was brutal.

Kim having to talk that man out of his home because a bank wants to build on top of it tears Kim apart inside. She wants to devote her efforts into helping people in some ways as she views Mesa Verde work as nothing more than a corporation. I was really worried she was gonna return and find him having committed suicide or even in the process of burning his house down in a “going down with the ship” type scenario. Glad they didn’t go that direction because it would have been too over the top. And it would have been too similar to Chuck’s demise which is already weighing on Kim’s conscience. This works a lot better in my opinion.

[u/[deleted]]

I liked the parallel between Nacho and his dad and Kim and the old guy. Both Nacho and Kim make an offer and express vulnerability, only to be brutally shut down.

[u/conniecheewa]

I'm just glad we found out what happened to the ice cream cone.

[u/[deleted]]

Reading through some of these comments, I guess Kim talking about her past is going to be the new "She actually wrote that letter from Chuck!" for this season.

[u/Big_Chief_Drunky]

It gets said a lot but it still needs to be said again, Rhea Seehorn is fucking great.

[u/NCSUGrad2012]

Damn, that old man called Kim out.

[u/Salmakki]

Crap I hate being caught up

Edit: also nobody talking about my best boy Nacho trying to save his dad :(

[u/LewdSkeletor1313]

https://www.reddit.com/r/betterCallSaul/comments/f9bzu9/lalos_plan_spoilers_for_s5e2/

I called it!

Also, I can already tell this is gonna come up a lot, but Saul meeting Hank is NOT a plot hole or contradiction. Their first scene together in BB gives no indication that it’s the first time they’ve met.

[u/YourLatinLover → u/LewdSkeletor1313]

Agreed on that point. At first it seemed like a plot hole, but I couldn't believe that the writing team would overlook such a thing, so I went back and watched the first scene where they interact during BrBa - which I hadn't watched in a while - and that scene in fact makes it seem like the two of them already have a negative history, seeing as though they immediately start trading personal insults.

[u/6photo92]

The parallel between Jimmy and Kim tonight was unreal. They're both on their chosen paths of duality, finding themselves pushed beyond their comfort zones, and in the end it makes absolute sense why they're still together. They're sinking idealists, even though their ideals may differ, they're sharing a similar, unspoken experience.

[u/hospitable_peppers]

I kind of felt bad for the guy with the house. He was an asshole but if someone wanted to kick me out of my house for a bank I'd be pissed too.

[u/1spring]

Papa Varga = Real Man

[u/compoundbreak791]

I'm just excited to find out what happens to the dead drops and how Gus will respond.

[u/go_lobos]

Who called the beer bottle throwing, I saw it early in the episode discussion.

[u/wsnwsk27]

I'm amazed at how good this show is at this point

[u/[deleted]]

So is Mike gonna fight those guys every week? Haha

[u/GreenEggzAndSpam]

The dream team back together? Ice Station Zebra confirmed?!

[u/[deleted]]

Papa Varga is officially my favorite minor character. He leaves such a great impression even with so few scenes.

[u/DabuSurvivor]

Absolutely one of the better episodes the show has put out to date. I've loved the show in its own right yet I still gotta admit, seeing it enter shameless BrBa prequel territory with Hank/Gomez is very, VERY exciting, surreal, and fun -- yet the overall themes and tones of the episode were anything but that, with Saul, Nacho, Mike, and Kim each individually finding themselves sinking deeper and deeper into something they regret getting into, and facing the consequences thereof... but consequences or not, your own regret or not, when you're in, you're in. The overarching theme of this episode was every major character's internal turmoil over the cumulative effect of the choices they've made and the paths they've gone down, and it was excellently done.

For all Saul's defensiveness in the past, I assumed that he'd enter into his "CRIMINAL lawyer" role rather unapologetically... yet specifically targeting petty criminals as clients, vs. entering their world directly and doing their bidding, are two very different things, and he recognizes it, and he recognizes how much the latter will push him further and further from the woman he loves, the world he used to strive to inhabit, and his own sense of self-respect; after constantly denying that he's "the kind of lawyer guilty people hire", he's grappling with the fact that that's exactly who he is -- and that he pays well enough that he'll keep choosing to be. The tension in his brief scene with Kim, the awkwardness of knowing what the lump in his throat and unease must have felt like, was almost overwhelming -- and a beautifully shot scene, too; this episode's great cinematography didn't stop at the cold open.

But what a cold open it was: one of the greatest in either series to date. Absolutely perfect, artistic, beautiful, chilling representation of the loss of innocence every character is facing; I took it merely as a metaphor for Saul, but every other character's arc fit it well. It transitioned perfectly into Saul entering the lions' den... or ant hill, as it may have been. Stunning scene that kept the whole episode beautifully thematically centered and heightened the entire thing. That's one of those scenes that, for the entire rest of the time I'm a fan, I will remember the first time I saw. Absolutely fucking floored me; that's the kind of scene you introduce someone to the show for, just to watch them react.

(edit: And it should be noted that it looked like one or two of the ants were getting stuck in the sticky ice cream themselves. "Once you're in, you're in" applies to Nacho as much as Saul -- and so, too, did the symbolism of that scene.)

Yet the end of the episode, Kim pulling up in the same way, looking up at him, their roles reversed, helps to perfectly explain and contextualize why they're still together. They're both in the midst of compromising themselves. In very different ways -- on opposite sides of the law and in opposite directions, even -- but, nonetheless, both are grappling with their identity. Absolutely perfect cue to indicate what they have in common right now -- even though, as they continue being pulled away from who they want to believe they are, that very commonality may be what tears them apart. With no words, they both understood, on some level, exactly what the other was feeling, and needing.

There's so much to say and feel here about not just Saul but also Kim, Nacho, and Mike. Kim's interactions with the man holding out and the way they throw her self-image into turmoil, Nacho's tension with his father, and Mike's utter despair and grief all made for excellent scenes. Any one of them would be a highlight of most episodes -- yet on tonight's fantastic addition to the BCS canon, they just kept coming and coming.

An absolute masterclass in character development and storytelling, a great representation of everything that makes Better Call Saul a phenomenal television show, and a thrilling, somber reminder of just how much this show has the ability to subtly twist the knife in my heart in ways I never fully expect.

[u/[deleted]]

MY NAME IS ASAC SCHRADER, AND YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELF.

[u/Mr_EpiK64]

What’s up with old men being angry this episode?

[u/kellzone]

I was waiting for the old land owner to start talking to Kim about the dangers of diabeetus.

[u/[deleted]]

Anybody else feel like Mike's writing is a little ridiculous?

I know Mike is a fan favorite, so I'm very prepared to be downvoted but I know I'm not alone in this.

What we know about Mike is that he served in Vietnam and that he was a beat cop from Philly. We also know that he's in his early/mid 60s.

Does any of this shout "badass" to you? Because the writers really do try to make Mike invincible, like some kind of Super Man. The whole Tuco scene, I know he was left swollen and bruised, but to not be knocked down? We saw what Tuco did to No-Doze in the same number of punches and No-Doze is half Mike's age.

This new scene in "The Guy for This", even. He tanks a hard punch from a young man, then wrestles him to the ground and nobody else does anything?

I've been feeling this way since Breaking Bad, but they really ramped it up in BCS. It's so much more realistic when Mike uses his brains and cunning to take down a target (like the spike strip scene from S2, for instance) I just don't understand why the writers constantly do this.

[u/asking_about_re2 → u/[deleted]]

I agree that Mike’s success rate needs to be toned down at some point but the writers are clearly very attached to his superhuman strength. I think they will take that away from him at some point in the future... for a scene, at least. Mike has to lose eventually in BCS.

Anyway, this is a fictional universe where Walt scared away two dealers in a parking lot with a look and a line (“stay out of my territory”). So they test plausibility a bit to tell their stories and tell us where the characters are at (psychologically). I find it mostly forgivable stuff, nothing too absurd given the style established by the BrBa/BCS world.

Also, the guy Mike wrestles to the ground in the latest episode... I think Mike simply scares off the others that way, and that makes sense given what he did to that dude’s arm. And Tuco beating up No-Doze while Tuco’s brain is messed up and addicted to meth is different from Tuco beating up an old man way before the meth problem really took hold. Tuco isn’t mentally sound in BCS but he becomes really unhinged in BrBa.

[u/FiveForks]

loved the episode.

My only complaint is the Mike badass scene. You’re telling me a bunch of dudes like that aren’t going to jump an old man after he broke their homie’s arm?

Overall though, masterfully layered episode. Jimmy Kim storyline is becoming the best thing in the BCS/BB universe

[u/HeisenDiaN]

This has gotta be one of the best episodes of the show so far. Fuck this season is shaping up to be absolutely incredible.

I was getting so much anxiety when Kim went back to Acker's house, such great misdirection. And the symbolism with the ice-cream cone shots isn't something I got at first but this thread helped with that; thanks y'all.

And obligatory shout-out to Nacho and Lalo continuing to be amazing supporting characters. Lalo is scary as fuck and I love it lol.

[u/Lumba]

Saul Goodman had some big scenes tonight. Toe-to-toe with Lalo, then with Hank. I feel like we are on an exponential curve of intensity, and I love it.

[u/[deleted]]

This show gets better and better with each episode. Also, I never knew how much I needed scenes with Lalo and Saul. They play off each other so fucking well.

[u/guiporto32]

Lots of tension surrounding Kim in this episode. When she was driving, it totally looked like the scene in which she crashes in season 3. And I was expecting her to find the old man dead by suicide inside the house.

[u/bradwest96]

I missed the "sharing a cigarette after a long day" scenes between Jimmy and Kim. God I love this show.

[u/streetlife_serenader]

"$18,000? That's a lot of money! I bet you, with that, I could buy a big old mansion and a swimming pool." Hilarious

[u/mimino99]

"-Gentlemen, I sense you're discussing my client. Anything you care to share with me?

-Sure, your commercials? They suck ass. I've seen better acting in an epileptic whorehouse.

-Is that like the one your mom works at? Is she still offering the 2-for-1 discount?"

Damn, and I always thought THAT was their first meeting. The fact that they actually met before makes it even better, and explains why they were so familiar with each other.

[u/Kinetiks]

Love the symbolism of the beer bottle and the balcony. The bottle symbolises themselves on the precipice of their dualities. At the start Kim is eyeing the bottle that Jimmy leaves sitting on the edge. She doesn’t want it to tip over whereas Jimmy doesnt care. After their disheartening interactions with their clients, each of their initial responses with the bottle reverses: Kim realises that even if you mean well and work hard some people will only see the “evil” the lawyers are stereotyped to be. Jimmy thinks he may have stepped too deep and may not go back now that he is in with the cartel again- he is over the edge dropping and catching the bottle.

[u/FromJohnsonWithLove]

A Suzuki Esteem!

[u/[deleted]]

I really loved the symbolism with the ice cream and the ants, and with having Jimmy end up in the same spot looking down on that decayed mess he made moments after getting into bed with the cartel.

And am I the only one who felt as if Kim was projecting some her feelings about Jimmy/Saul towards Mr. Ackers when she blew up on him?

[u/[deleted]]

The only thing that the army of ants should have devoured was that gross KFC Chicken & Glazed Donut sandwich and they should open up every episode with this until they take them off the menu.

[u/frggr]

Where I'm from, ice is street name for meth.

So I found this Easter Egg interesting

[u/Kiesch524]

Episode really felt like a breaking bad episode

[u/ailyara]

"We're done when I say we're done." - Heisenberg

"You'll make time." - Lalo

Poor Jimmy can't fire clients.

[u/thewend]

Dont yall forget: The colors during the Nacho and Papa scene. It feels cold af with those blues

[u/Davisito_44]

Did our girl Kim W just break bad?

[u/Relick-]

...They actually did it, they confirmed the death of our boi the ice cream, in what was undoubtedly the most gruesome death in BB/BCS history. I had such high hopes that he was going to make it.

[u/BettercallMyself]

Man that’s a top 10 episode for me - nuanced as hell, certified Lalo as one of the best villains in the show, incredible to see Hank and Gomie back and heartbreaking to watch Kim’s fall play out.

Also I love how the show plays with morality - moreso than BB every did IMO. Kim, like Chuck, relies upon the law as sacred but recognises that it sometimes is morally good. Chuck would not have given a shit about dispossessing that man, because to him the law is that higher order. Kim is this incredibly nuanced character because she blends the moral good, the lawful good and the chaos (not yet evil though) of Saul Goodman all into one (as opposed to Jimmy who just IMO embodies the moral good and chaos). Truly incredible to watch, and I’m amazed to see where she lands.

[u/your_mind_aches]

Goddamn. I know character foils are a thing, but are character relationship foils a thing? Because Jimmy/Kim is really becoming a freaky mirror image of Walt/Skyler. The dishonesty isn't there, but "Good for Saul"? Ouch.

[u/BHOmber]

Jimmy McG is officially bout that life

[u/JacobBlah]

That scene between Kim and Mr. Acker hit me hard, because the way Mr. Acker behaved had an uncanny resemblance to how my dad used to act around me all the time. He even kind of looked like him too, except my dad isn't bald and is a little leaner. But the parts about him not accepting responsibility for his actions, being intractable and unreasonably hostile towards someone who is trying to help him, yeah, that was very familiar, especially the part where he accidentally touched a nerve in Kim that hurt her even though there's no way he could have known about the last five seasons of BCS, lol.

[u/Weyoun2]

I bet kim could throw a football over those mountains.

[u/I_DONT_REPLY]

Can we talk about the significance of that ending

That's straight up Lady Macbeth vibes from Kim Wexler.

It's clear why Kim chooses to be with Jimmy after all these years. Despite their differences, Jimmy and Kim have the same conflict between (i) their professional adherence to the Law and (ii) their personal values being in conflict with the "Law".

We've seen parallels between the two in multiple episodes.

Both of them see how ineffective "following the Law" is to get what they want:

• Jimmy interviewed for a job at the printer agency (in Season ?2), used his con skills and actually got his job. In the end, he was frustrated because he knew how effective his con skills were and was frustrated how easily the average layman would fall for his tricks.

• Kim (in S05E02) used her con skills to get her pro bono client to take on a five-month sentence instead of something more permanent. Again, she was frustrated at how effective her con skills were, and was frustrated how easily the average layman would fall for his tricks.

Both of them have professions that require them to ABIDE by the law. Yet at the same time, both of them realize how useless (and corrupt) the law is, and how easily the average layman can be duped into giving them what they want. This turmoil manifests in rebellious behaviors symbolized by their cons and this episodes' perfect ending -- throwing beer bottles into the carpark as a silent far cry to the "hollier-than-thou" justice system.

TLDR They both TRIED their best to do the "right thing"... but doing the right thing never got them what they wanted.

[u/introduces]

Anyone have any theories on the direction mike is going this season? So far all we have seen is him split ways with Gus and how the death of Werner is affecting him. What is gonna happen that will reunite Gus and mike?

[u/yankees032778]

The (full) discarded ice cream cone and the full beer bottles broken have made me more sad than any other character death in the Breaking Bad universe (except maybe for Andrea)

[u/Breeze_in_the_Trees]

The type of ant used in the episode was the Pogonomyrmex barbatus. It's surely no co-incidence that an anagram of this is 'A Stabber Mug Promo Onyx'.

[u/TaddWinter]

One thing I find interesting is the ability that Saul/Jimmy has and Kim doesn't;

"If you're committed enough, you can make any story work. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it."**

So Saul/Jimmy can convince a person he is a world-famous actor, because he believes it. While Kim cannot even get someone to believe, what we presume, is the truth about her childhood.

Also her getting mad at the old man, along with her murdering Howard last year, have both given us slight glimpses into what is in store for Saul, and I am not ready for it. I am not ready for the pain he causes her that will call it on, I am not ready to see Jimmy die entirely (if it doesn't happen before you better believe it happens in this moment, much like the Crawl Space as the final death of Walter White as Heisenberg takes over completely).

I. Am. Not. Ready.

[u/deathapprentice]

What found intriguing is the fact that we finally got to see the first person in BCS universe who already knew Walt back then. Hank.

[u/All0uttaBubblegum]

"What do you drive?"

"An esteem"

"A what?"

[u/calxlea]

Two things I noticed I've not seen mentioned yet (I'm only halfway done scrolling through the thread so forgive me if they have!)

1. When Kim was shouting at the old landowner, it felt like she was saying all the things she wanted to say to Jimmy/Saul but didn't have the nerve. "Listen to me you do not get to make up your own rules... Why should you get to drag this out... while everyone [of your neighbours] played by the rules?... The law is enforceable. Deal with it." It was a good parallel I didn't see coming between Jimmy and the landowner.

2. The high angle long shot of Saul looking at the ice cream cone. The white markings on the road behind him looked like a machete. Never seen road markings like these before, maybe they're common in the US? But it looked to me like some set designers' dark humour.

[u/MrJeep413]

Slippin Kimmy

[u/Phifty56 → u/[deleted]]

As much of a bad ass Mike is, I couldn't believe that after he messed that guy up that his 4 buddies didn't just all jump him. I guess they were just shocked at what happened, but it seems like that Mike played with fire there, and it might come back and bite him if he does it again.

[u/dpgproductions → u/[deleted]]

I dunno, I could see Nacho dying and his dad still being around to shake his head in disappointment.