Better Call Saul Recap: Dead Ends and Fresh Starts

Photo: Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

Werner was never able to run into when the real danger was coming. He nearly soiled himself a couple episodes back while rewiring smash explosives, but couldn't have been more composed waiting for Margarethe to arrive at Dulce Vega. The reality of his situation didn't entirely sink in until he and Mike were heart to heart at the raceway, stuck at an impasse that would merely come unjammed once Werner accustomed his fate and took a bullet to the caput.

The cruelty of life in Gus Fring'south employ was underscored less past Werner'due south no-way-out conundrum than having had to belittle Margarethe in their final conversation in order to steer her dorsum on a plane to Germany and clear from him. And then, like the narrator in Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Acquire'd Astronomer" — the very text so admired by Gus's protégé Gale Boetticher — Werner stared at those New Mexico stars in a silence and then perfect it could only exist shattered by a bullet cutting through air.

Several years later in Breaking Bad, Gale'southward fate would mirror Werner's, his face up an unsparing foot or and then from the barrel of Jesse Pinkman's gun. Gale'southward was a far more inelegant death, occurring in the doorway of his dim apartment rather than in some pastoral Whitman-worthy scene, and at the hands of a far more inexperienced and jittery assailant than Mike. In retrospect, information technology was only apt that Mike would wind up taking Jesse under his wing. Each man had, at some point, been compelled to join a back up group only to lash out earlier leaving, and each had done terrible things for terrible bosses. Their unlikely mentor/mentee bond in BB's back end was a kind of mutual redemption and recovery for them both, though as nosotros know, Mike ultimately had too many wounds to heal.

The shift from Werner's terminal stand to Gale's first steps inside Gus'south meth lab was simply as pointed, Gale's enthusiasm overshadowed only by our melancholy over the insight into his violent stop. It was never Gus's intent to rid the world of his prized chemist student, but that script was written the moment Gale married his fantasies to Mr. Fring's fortune, no different than Werner (or Walter White). The most stunning new information imparted was that Lavandería Brillante'due south transformation into an criminal-architectural marvel was, schematically, Gale's design, entwining his and Werner's stories like polar ends of a constellation.

Far more indistinguishable were the finalists in HHM'south search for scholarship candidates in Chuck's name, part of the façade orchestrated and paid for past Jimmy to anecdotally butter up the bar console for his reinstatement-entreatment hearing. Duncan Springer, Raymond Mentum, Marcie Ramirez — all fine young students worthy of ensuring a steady line of heirs to the privileged circumvolve of corporate-law elite (ring whatsoever timely bells?). Just there was one bidder of distinction: Christy Esposito (Abby Quinn, who'south most to be a matter), a shoplifter (and nosotros know Jimmy's center bleeds for pickpockets) made skillful whose essay spoke to her ambition toward using her legal ado equally a catalyst for pursuing a amend way. Jimmy tin relate. He accosts her — hard. He pleads with her to forget about jumping through their hoops and cut corners until she carves out a lane that works for her, advice that was more or less terrifying for a teenager hopping the bus only instructive about what Jimmy would take wished for his younger self; the aforementioned mailroom kid who walked into the HHM library (indeed, the one that now bears Chuck'southward name thanks to Jimmy's $23,000 donation) and set well-nigh a journey to footstep out of his blood brother'due south shadow inevitably doomed past roadblocks, sabotage, and cocky-defeat. He'd never win equally Jimmy McGill. It'southward non too late, however, for Saul Goodman to start scoring victories.

Kim is stunned speechless past Jimmy'southward declaration that he was done practicing under his given name. More accurately, she was blown dorsum by the fact that his seemingly impromptu waterworks and sentiment virtually Chuck earlier the board was the calculated performance of a stranger. There will never be a Wexler/McGill again, nor the compartmentalized escapism of Viktor and Giselle. Saul'south non simply a persona Jimmy'southward trying on for size and fitting for 3-piece pastel suits, but i he's taking abode from the office as his inner muse. He'due south quieted the memories of karaoke with Chuck (though even in that otherwise poignant flashback, Chuck was still one-upping) and triumphantly harmonizing to ABBA while sleeping side by side. He's rationalized abroad the practiced deeds Chuck may have washed advocating for him in his professional person aspirations and being tender with him in a fashion that modeled Jimmy's own generosity as Chuck became ill. He was a sucker and so, he reasons, but not now. He's lost everything, only finally tasted a win. But as the legends of Gus Fring, Hector Salamanca, Walter White, and, yes, Cistron Takovic attest, there's cipher left simply a glace slope once the winner takes information technology all.

• Ernie!

• Chuck!

• Was it supposed to be predictable that Jimmy was conning the bar?

• You might say Lalo is equally agile as a … coati.

• Would Gus have ordered Werner killed had Lalo not gotten in the mix?

• The anarchy Lalo can cause should be crucial next flavour.

• The option of hot springs and resorts was a bitter repeat of Jimmy's Aspen v. Telluride et al spiel at S&C.

• Allow's hope Mr. Travel Wire man was just knocked unconscious.

• In that garage, Jimmy is literally stuck in Chuck'due south shadow.

• The saddest office about Werner is he didn't want it all — simply a few days with his wife.

• This prove might be more of a moral tale than fifty-fifty Breaking Bad.

• Thanks for reading and for all your comments and furious corrections all flavor. I read them and weep. (Mostly grinning, but some weeping.)

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