Better Call Saul: Off Brand

 "It's a name..."

This episode is a crossroads in several ways. It moves away from the Jimmy/Chuck sparriung of the first half of the season into other plot threads, and also makes a conscious choice to look ahead to Breaking Bad. Hence Gus deciding on the meth lab. The surprising cameo from Lydia. The first inkling we see of Don Hector's health problems.

There's also a nice wholesome scene between Mike and Stacey highlighting how sweet and wholesome their relationship is, utterly unlike all the other things in Mike's life. But there's nothing else at all wholesome in this packed episode.

We begin with Kim being magnificent in defending Jimmy, succeeding in limiting him to being barred for twelve months only. She does so much for the man with whom, sadly for her poor, doomed self, she is besotted. Besotted in spite of glimpses of his bullshitting self which she is nowhere near sufficiently stupid not to notice. There's one momernt in particular here, where Jimmy seems to disown Chuck in front of Rebecca, that his coldness really shows. And Kim doesn't fail to see it.

There is also much fascinating political skulduggery between Don Hector and Gus, with Nacho in the middle. It is he, as lieutenant, who exerts violent authority on behalf of Hector. And yet, when Hector threatens to use Nacho's father's business as a front for smuggling, suddenly Nacho has a motive to turn right against his boss. I've no doubt this will be a step in Hector's downfall.

Jimmy, of course, is not a lawyer for a year, and needs to do something else to keep Kim and himself afloat. He's desperate, creative... and then it happens: a TV commercial for TV commefcials. But he can't do it as Jimmy the lawyer. after some "Karloff" stuff... the character of Saul Goodman is born. Viewers had, literally, better call Saul.

This is, needless to say, exquisite.