Amph Better Call Saul (Spoilers within)

For not being planned around a mid season hiatus, that was a damn good cliffhanger. RIP Howard. It’s hard to say whether or not he deserved all the **** that Jimmy and Kim flung his way. But that ending rubbed me in all the wrong ways. Which I guess is the point.

 

What I was trying to say is that this show isn't just a prequel and it won't stay in the "past." We have Gene's story to resolve too. It won't be Gus vs. Lalo in the end because they and several other key players will be years dead.

 

Pretty sure Jimmy left that bottle in the store after he saw the judge had a broken arm.

Also,

Spoiler

 

@Reynar_Tedros Yeah he did as they even zoomed in on the bottle to show Jimmy had left it.

I am still trying to sort last night's episode out in my head particularly since it nearly gave me an heart attack when Laco just showed up as I was watching it alone with all the lights off in the family room (even the betta fish tank was turn off) and late due to working the graduation. As I continue digest all of that (just an outstanding episode btw) the more I think Kim is not going to get regrettably killed before the series ends. I had been thinking perhaps she uses Ed and disappears but the more I watch this season particularly last night's episode the less that seems plausible. Perhaps they will try to get her away thru Ed but again is killed before then. Just call it a gut hunch including the fact I really do think Jimmy loves Kim and if she was somehow alive even in hiding with a new identity, I think he be trying anyway possible to get back with her if she was in hiding even if it took years. But the character we find in Breaking Bad is not like that. Matter of fact it's quite the opposite, Saul/Jimmy comes off as a guy who just doesn't give two bleeps which again points to losing Kim and again I don't think it's due to her being in hiding. Perhaps she does leave and tells Jimmy it's over but again I do think he would be trying to get back with her and his practice/life would be a reflection of that. But obviously that is not what happens and has gut wrenching as some deaths have been in this universe including Mike and even Howard as while he definitely had some character flaws he wasn't an awful being and honestly had it not been for Chuck, everything would had worked out as Howard was on Jimmy's side who said he was fine with giving him a job as an associate after he passed the bar. But watching Kim perhaps die and could be in a very violent way? Absolutely gut wrenching.

And kudos btw to Patrick Fabian (who will partly always be Professor Lasky to me) has we just fantastic in last night's episode. He showed the entire gamma of emotions as Howard just went thru the ringer and then was obviously murdered by Lalo who also major props to Tony Dalton who is fabulous as Lalo.

 

I'm still stunned at how brutally Howard went out. I think what's particularly gutting about it is that he didn't get a single break go his way this season before his death. On a lesser show, they would've wrote something where Howard came out with some kind of win, like foiling Jimmy and Kim's plan or reconciling with his wife, before having him killed off. Here? No, the pile on was relentless. Even Chuck had a respite where things went back to normal before he succumbed to his illness.

Howard was a good character who's biggest mistake post-Chuck was trying to reach out to Jimmy to offer him a role at the company and show concern for Kim. He tried to do right with both of them but only enabled them to set their sights on him for their cheap thrill takedown.

What a show.

 

(Above) nice.

and I believe they have the bottle topper from when they swindled Ken Wins. At least I thought they had it as a memento of that night, and it would be interesting if this token they had which represents their romantic relationship eventually becomes a weapon to defend themselves with. The bottle topper is also seen in the opening scene of the season as it fell out of the moving truck as they were cleaning out Saul’s place.

 

@Blame_It_On_Lucas I never thought Howard was going to get the best of Jimmy and Kim not so much as he isn't smart enough but simply in a battle of slime he had no chance against Slippin Jimmy. I also felt like there was no chance of reconciling with his wife as she came off (all be it in one scene) as someone who was just done. I did feel like you he was going to get some sort of win. Perhaps the war between him and Jimmy would get to the point he realized it was ridiculous and somehow would talk Jimmy and Kim to leave it alone or Jimmy/Kim would get so caught up in their other dark world they would not even have time to one up Howard therefore he would take it as a win when they stop their prank war. Never did I see him having the day from hell but also it ending in a cold almost matter of fact death by Lalo. He wasn't my favorite character but he definitely got a raw deal especially since he really wasn't the problem at all.

To me it really goes back to Chuck and him just refusing to believe his younger brother could be a lawyer and a good one at that. And not only did Chuck refuse to let his brother join the firm as an associate, he also made Howard be the bad guy about it (which lead to IMHO Jimmy never fully trusting Howard even after it got out he wasn't the reason why he got denied a job) but also by all appearances help his brother on at another firm initially. I am sure Howard would been okay with that as heck, he was fine with Jimmy joining the firm has he admitted he was rooting for him. To me it's odd but Jimmy and Howard were really an lost opportunity as while I don't think they ever would been friends, I certainly think they could have co-existed at HHM just fine especially if Jimmy came on right away as I think he would been less incline to get off the straight and narrow. I don't think Jimmy was ever interested initially in being a partner or anything like that HHM just a successful attorney who his brother would been proud of. But again because of Chuck that didn't happen and it just spiraled from there.

 

Just watched it. The way they set up making us feel bad for Howard the past few weeks made it fairly obvious that he was not gering out of the apartment alive. And hhe was right, K&J have no soul. Despite his assertions that he would resurrect his career, his reputation was ruined, just as Chuck‘s was.

Interesting that the shot of the apartment was black and white, just line the Gene scenes. I definitely think the last few episodes will be focussed on that. I‘m with [mention]Darth Guy [/mention] on that 100%

Two things from the mortgage in Ep 601:

- as someone else already mentioned, they obvously still have the bottle stopper from the Ken Wins bottle.

- we also see women‘s underwear lying around. Tells me that Kim is long gone by that point.


Edit, it would also make sense for Mike to clean up Howard‘s corpse given how we’re introduced to him in Breaking Bad. Kalo, on the other hand, dies without Jimmy knowing, given the scene in Breaking Bad.

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I wonder if it will be explained why Mike is Saul's "fixer" while he's working full time for Gus. The real world explanation was that Mike was originally a replacement for Saul when Odenkirk had a scheduling conflict and they needed something for the character to do after they decided to keep him around. But it doesn't make much sense at face value "in universe." Maybe it will be like someone said and Mike does Saul favors in return for letting Lalo get to him.

 

that was high level stuff. I've been waiting weeeeeeks for Lalo to walk into their apartment, so when Howard showed up I knew exactly what was going to happen next. It was predictable not in a mundane way but in the sense that there was a carefully orchestrated tragic inevitability built over many episodes. Vince Gilligan operates at such a different level than most tv drama that even when you know what's coming you can't help but be impressed by how he brought us there.

 

Lalo isn't the one who knocks.

 

He doesn’t knock. He just walks in. Even fire fears him.


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After all this, I have to wonder why Saul sticks around in Albuquerque for the next few years, especially after Kim is (apparently) no longer in the picture. Maybe Gus (via Mike) gives him a financial incentive to stay?

 

I think his response to Howard's death may be just to check out, abandon any pretense of morality. Remember, this is the guy who casually suggests to Walt that murdering Badger in jail is the best way to get out of trouble. He also helped poison a child, though he seemed at least a bit bothered by that. Jimmy still wasn't quite there yet. He clearly wanted to believe that Howard was going to be ok, that ****ing with him was ultimately harmless and gave the Sandpiper residents some cash before they're dead of old age. The Saul who uses murder as legal advice doesn't tell himself those things.

 

Not going to say "I called it" but somewhat ballparking it here:

Mostly because you need the two, seemingly very disparate plotlines to collide and Lalo offing Howard smashes them together.

I felt really bad for Howard almost all the way through the episode (even the whole twisting the pop can just seemed helpful!), he's actually 100% right when he's talking about how Jimmy did everything but comes off as a nut. And I did like his little rant at the needing to know why Jimmy and Kim are doing this and landing on "You get off on it" which, considering we see them going at it after Howard was embarrassed, actually seems to be the point.

but, yah, Lalo shows up and just takes Howard out mostly to demonstrate dominance / spite / didn't want this yahoo hanging around.

I don't think Kim would die, Saul wouldn't be Saul in Breaking Bad if there was a dead Kim, but this may break their marriage apart (the panties at Saul's house in the flash forward, Saul referencing an ex-wife in Breaking Bad). I mean, Howard just got his brains blown out all over their apartment, kinda Kim's fault but also Jimmy's fault for letting Lao go in the first place. That's gonna strain a loving marriage based upon conning people. Or, yah, Kim goes to the vacuum repair shop of destiny.

 

There are a lot more Easter Eggs to be found in the opening. For example, the Vet's coded black book can be seen in 601. We do know Saul ends up with the vacuum cleaner's info so that tracks.
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I loved the mid season finale. What a great "unintentional" cliffhanger. When the candle first flickered I thought Lalo, but then it was Howard and I was okay, but the dread continued, and well you know.

The podcast made a good point. Jimmy messed with Chuck and look where he ended up. He didn't learn the first time and now he's responsible yet again. Super sad, but excellent writing.

 

I think Jimmy as a personality dies / is replaced by Saul Goodman. It’s looking more and more like trauma and danger will be the final catalyst for the transformation.

 

One thing that came up in the Insider Podacat is that Fabian, who shares a house with Odenkirk and Seehorn when they’re filming, found out about his fate before filming started. Bob and Rhea didn‘t find out until months later and were dumbfounded at how well Patrick kept the secret.


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I think their actually being friends / co-habitating in real life shows through in the acting in a way that makes it more believable. Howard was so isolated his scenes this season with Jimmy felt like the only times he was able to make an honest emotional connection. Everything else was filtered through his professional persona. Or with his wife - Howard was desperately trying for a connection but his wife was over it. To the point where his peace sign latte was just annoying to his wife, when Howard hoped it would be a romantic gesture. Maybe gestures like that by Howard were seen as part of his act by his wife. Thou I think he was really trying at that point, just not finding a connection.

How long was Lalo at Jimmy and Kim’s? Did he hear what Howard said to them? Howard’s death is ultimately on Lalo. Jimmy and Kim set up Howard in a way that makes a believable story for his downfall fall and death. But Jimmy and Kim are no more responsible than if Howard was in car accident on the way over. And for Jimmy, Lalo is a dead man. He’s a ghost that shows up. That’s not even possible. And Kim was so happy about taking down Howard she let her guard down in the moment. Howard opened the door for Lalo.

 

The writing on this franchise is all about unforeseen consequences and ripple effects. Walt didn't directly cause the plane crash, for example, but he did decide to let Jane die from an overdose. I view this similarly. Jimmy and Kim didn't sic Lalo on Howard, but they did hatch a scheme to nearly ruin his career just for money and because they didn't like him. Kim also chose not to tell Jimmy that Lalo was alive-- he probably would have insisted on precautions like maybe moving apartments.