The following is a review of the seventh episode of AMC’s Better Call Saul, which premiered in Europe on Netflix this morning. Expect spoilers from the episode.
Last week, we finally got to see Mike Ehrmantraut’s backstory – this week we see just how complicated Mike Ehrmantraut and Jimmy McGill’s partnership was when they just started working together. This includes another tightrope walk for Jimmy McGill, and Mike embracing the darkness we know him for.
The opening 5 minutes could’ve easily been a part of last week’s episode. Beautifully shot, and with the same tone as in Five-0. It was definitely interesting to see Barry Shabaka Henley’s character speak candidly with Mike – even if he’s still doing his job for the Police Department.
Back at Chuck’s house we actually saw some progress from Chuck, though if his condition is indeed tied into Jimmy’s wrongdoings, then he should be experiencing a lot of problems sooner rather than later.
“There is no money!”
Yikes, the Kettlemans are in trouble, and yet they don’t listen to reason. I have a love/hate relationship with the Kettlemans – on the one hand I dislike them as people, but I also really love the simplicity of these characters. I, honestly, feel kind of bad for Craig Kettleman, seeing as his wife is calling the shots and – while with Wexler – is getting him in more trouble than he’s already in. Indeed, Jimmy is the ‘lawyer that guilty people hire’ – so, of course, tweedledum and tweedledee, Ned and Maude Flanders, came crawling back once they realized how much trouble they were in.
In the end, there was only one way to free Jimmy from the Kettlemans – and Jimmy/Mike’s plan was ingenious. It would always be about the money, so take it out of the equation. And while some may dislike seeing Jimmy ‘do the right thing’, it is exactly what the character would do at this point in time.
He’s walking a tightrope, and he’s yet to become the Goodman that we know and love. Having said that, though, how exciting was it to see Jimmy handle the Kettlemans once and for all? Calm, cool, collected, but complicated.
Jimmy McGill is much more complicated than Saul Goodman ever was, and seeing Jimmy wave goodbye to the office he had planned to lease, while doing Wexler a favor, was difficult – especially considering his anger at the very end of the episode. I loved the shot with Jimmy looking at the door to the office – looking ever-so-small in the process. Jimmy is still a good person, but his dream is undone.
B+
I’m Jeffrey Rex
I'm Jeffrey Rex 