Better Call Saul (AMC) TV Show • Page 91

Alright, I'm ready for the rest of the season now as I have no idea what's coming next. I say that, as I thought this episode, while spectacularly filmed and acted, was pretty by the numbers of what was expected on how to wrap up the mid season finale event and that most everything had been hinted at or predicted prior. The instant that Lalo asked Jimmy to go to Gus's house it was obvious it was a distraction as he's not that stupid, and with Gus being all panicky until the moment he hid the gun, you knew he was going to have his moment where he gains his cool that he never loses in BB by taking Lalo down.

I liked it a lot, don't get me wrong, but now I feel like I'm more in the dark of where we're going to go to wrap this up, and that's where I want to be. The only thing I know for sure is that there will be a lot of fallout regarding Howards death and that will lead to questions for Kim and Jimmy and that's going to be what drives the remaining episodes (and Kim/Jimmys respective trauma over how their game with Howard went wrong). Technically in BB, Saul never knows about Gus, or at least not directly with the whole 'I know a guy who knows a guy... who knows another guy' statement, so I'm curious how the 2 worlds remain intertwined. Jimmy is as in the game as you can be in BB, but still a distance from Gus which is odd, as they are so close now.

 

Yup, we obviously know Jimmy is capable of seeing and doing horrible shit and sweeping it under the rug. Kim is broken, I really do think Kim goes the vacuum guy route. I hope so.

 

One of the all-time Saul episodes IMO. Lalo death didn't 100% work for me -- they really leaned into the "bad guy has a reason to delay killing the guy you know he won't kill" cliche -- but the stuff with Kim and especially Mike at the end were truly bone-chilling.

When we know where so much of the story's going, they really have to nail these moments, and Howard getting his body stripped of valuables and then dumped into the same grave as Lalo was the most effective "THIS is what you're watching; this is what these characters' actions result in" moment of either BB or Saul for me.

 

Kim definitely seems like she’s going to break, it’s just a matter of what direction. Does she just leave town to get away? Is she forced to leave town? I know Saul/Gus and Co. are already linked, but at what point does Saul get onto Gus’s payroll? I think it’s definitely coming to either Kim leaving and Saul working to pay off her protection, or Kim being forced to leave and Saul working as a means to keep her alive and them letting her live. Convinced she doesn’t die though and plays a part in the Gene story.

 

This is the way I'm leaning as well. I feel like they have just enough episodes to tie up some of these things for a nice and neat ending....but at the same time, this show never goes exactly the way you think it will so I'm sure a bunch of crazy shit will still happen that we don't expect.

 

better fucking win!

 

goddamn what an episode

 

Yeah, this was kind of laughable. Lalo walks in and blows the four bodyguards away in 3 seconds then delays killing Gus. I mean, I know it was needed for dramatics and because he couldn't kill Gus, story-wise, but still funny to think about.

 

I'm wondering if the cause for the split season was so that the second half can be nominated for next year's Emmys (same with Stranger Things).

 

Yes that’s exactly why

 

I could just about accept the hubris behind Lalo's spur of the moment decision to force Gus to give the tour of the lab but it's exacerbated by the fact that at the end he gives Gus a minute to finish his monologue to Don Eladio, tells him "You're done", with the gun pointing at him, then...doesn't pull the trigger for five seconds because plot point gotta happen. Gus's calm "No...not yet" is straight out of a contrived Bond escape scene.

 

this is why, correct.

 

Lalo asked Gus if he was done. He was waiting for a reply.

 

I figured. I thought publicly they said it was due to delays caused by COVID (like when they came out and said they didn't write this season to have a split, so don't expect a major cliffhanger after episode 7 - which was bullshit).

 

I mean we knew Gus wasn’t gonna die why not have fun with that scene? I’d rather that then just a shoot out and he dies. Plus someone in this thread pointed out before when Gus hid the gun there that it most likely would all end in the lab.

 

No directing nod for the show but Rhea got a nomination finally. Another (probably losing_ nomination for Bob and nothing for any of other cast members. Pretty light on the noms in general so I don't think this will be the year it gets best drama (plus the category is stacked). Maybe the final 6, or maybe it's just not in the cards for this look into the bb verse.

 

Maybe I heard it wrong. But that's almost as contrived. Like they forgot what his character is like for the last ten minutes.

 

Either Succession or Severance is going to clean up Emmy night.

 

You kind of answered your own question. It was foreshadowed all along that this was the way it was going to end for Lalo. I think the 'fun' in it was that Gus has been kind of tip toeing around the Salamanca's and having his panic attacks, and generally not being as commanding a presence as we know he is in BB. This was his moment to be like 'you know what? fuck you all, you're the first and I will get you all before it's over'. It wasn't the most satisfying or creative way, but it wasn't out of the blue so I got used to the idea that that's how Lalo was going to go weeks ago. It was a bit of a surprise to do it this episode and not extend the tension a little further, but as I said in another post, now we get to explore some new avenues.

 

I mean Bob had his heart attack during the filming of this episode and they shut down for months. Not that splitting seasons isn't a pretty normal thing in this day and age.

Idk how awards shows work but if they had waited til they were caught up with finishing the season, and put it out at once, doesn't it still span two awards seasons? Or do you have to officially say it's two parts? Lol idk even.

 

If it’s one long season I don’t think it can be eligible for both years Emmy’s.

 

And I'm good with how Lalo went out. It made for great TV and it's fine with me that it went exactly as the possibility that Gus had planned for, especially since Gus had kind of lost control for a bit there. Are we really complaining about letting Giancarlo chew the scenery a little bit lol

 

If Rhea doesn’t win let’s burn everything to the ground

 

I know Severance is acclaimed. Succession I don't know much about. Either way, two shows accounting for 5 of the 8 supporting actor noms seems ridiculous. Lol idk why I continue to care about the Emmys really