Better Call Saul 503 – The Guy For This
One of the many pleasures of watching Better Call Saul over the years is the beauty of the writing in each episode. The Guy For This continues the tradition in it’s opening moments when a series of ants, one by one, crawl out of the depths to slowly engulf the overturned ice cream cone that Jimmy dropped on the sidewalk last episode. The inverted ice cream, much like Jimmy possesses something of value and now that it is accessible, everyone is coming out of the woodwork to get a piece of him.
Jimmy’s gift of gab and mastery of the law has garnered him a growing number of clients as has his uncanny ability to employ various methods to help elevate his hustle. His talents bring him to Lalo’s attention, and he’s hired to skirt the law and help out one of their associates. When he tries to negotiate for a larger payday to take the case, Jimmy is quite proud of himself, even though his asking price is far below what Lalo is willing to pay.
Mike continues to beat himself up over Werner’s demise. His self loathing almost causes a stir at the bar he’s trying to drown his sorrows at. Although the dust up is averted the emotions bubbling inside of him find their release at the expense of an unfortunate gang banger’s arm. Even loaded and probably seeing triple, Mike is not to be trifled with.
Another great use of imagery is the bottle Jimmy places on the railing of the balcony while talking to Kim. When Jimmy cavalierly places the empty bottle on the railing, it immediately catches Kim’s attention and you can see the uneasiness ripple through her entire body. Revealing that she’s happy because she’s going to be doing pro bono work all day instead of working for Mesa Verde highlights her desire to help those in need. Jimmy’s inability to see that his actions can cause people harm, particularly with his growing success as Saul Goodman doesn’t sit well with her.
The pull between what is ideal and what others want of you runs deep in The Guy For This. Whether its Nacho’s allegiance to the Salamancas up against his devotion to his father or the tug of war over Kim between Mesa Verde and her pro bono clients the internal conflict that arises due to external forces can be great. Jimmy has already walked this tightrope and deciding to ignore any external noise and give into his inner desires. That decision, as viewers already know however, comes with its own special brand of consequences.
The real highlight of The Guy For This is the appearance of Hank and Steve, two Breaking Bad mainstays. Meeting them again for the first time is fun and watching the interplay between Bob Odenkirk and Dean Norris is not only good television but pure Breaking Bad nostalgia.
