Season 4, Episode 1: ‘Smoke’ Welcome back, “Saul”-aholics. After more than a year off, we rejoin the sun-baked world of our favorite unemployed attorney and the colorful assortment of miscreants, senior citizens and white collar lawyers in his orbit. Season 3 ended in June 2017, but perhaps you noticed: The clock in the world of the show has hardly ticked a beat. “Smoke,” as this week’s episode is called, opens on the same event-filled evening when we left these characters almost 14 months ago. Chuck (Michael McKean) has just committed suicide by lantern, burning up himself, his house and presumably any trace of those pesky electrical currents that drove him insane. Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) has just had an stroke, provoked by orders from his Mexican overlords that his drugs must be shipped by his hated rival, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). So in many ways, this is an aftermath episode. Instead of unspooling lots of new strands, old ones are tied up. [Need a refresher? Here’s what to remember from Season 3.] Chuck’s death is the emotional core here, with family, friends and partners coping with shock, grief and maybe just a bit of relief. In the closing episodes of Season 3, Chuck came to an uneasy peace with the electrical currents in his home and in the world, then had a sudden setback, culminating with his taking a hatchet to the walls of his house in search of whatever wattage was still coursing through those wires. My hunch is that the loss of his identity as a lawyer — he had been nudged out of his job and humiliated at a hearing over whether to disbar his brother — plunged Chuck into a depression. Without work, family or the ex-wife he still loved, he had nothing.<doc-sep>Season 4, Episode 4: ‘Talk’ We need to talk about Jimmy. He has a new job — shift supervisor at a customer-free outlet of a cellphone retailer — that is so dull that in one scene he does nothing but throw a ball against a wall. He tries to drum up traffic by inking “Privacy sold here” on the storefront window, which I kind of hope is a direct appeal to underworld types. Regardless, the man’s sublime chops as a salesman are currently being wasted. More worryingly, Kim is concerned enough about his psyche that she urges him to see a shrink. I don’t believe that she’s souring on Mr. McGill, as some commentators have suggested. Yes, her career is thriving and his is a fiasco. But I think she sees immense potential in Jimmy and if she had wanted a standard-issue, upwardly mobile suit there were many to choose from at her old law firm. She just thinks the guy has failed to deal with the trauma of his brother’s death, as embodied by his stoic response to Chuck’s final-words letter and his instant transition from griever to breakfast-making dynamo. That said, it’s hard to know precisely what is running through the mind of Ms. Wexler these days. Delightfully, she has emerged as one of the most intriguing characters in the show. Why she visits the courtroom of Judge Munsinger (an amusingly sardonic Ethan Phillips), is a mystery, unless hizzoner has guessed correctly that she is trolling the place to rediscover her love of the law. I thought for sure that when she heard a rundown of the day’s courtroom action from a bailiff she would head straight for the venue where two corporate bankruptcies were unfolding — for insights, perhaps, into what is next for Mesa Verde. Nope. She hunkers into the gallery, where a janitor will be tried for tossing urine at his boss. Judge Munsinger, I’m baffled too. Over on the more violent, drug-peddling side of our story, Nacho endures more tortures of the damned in the name of his cover story. Ever vigilant for loose ends of any alibi, Gus Fring has masterminded an answer to a question that might cast suspicion onto Nacho: So, whatever happened to the drugs that were stolen from you during the drive-by shooting?<doc-sep>Season 4 Episode 2 reminds us that safety and security in this world are a luxury. [Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for “Better Call Saul” Season 4 Episode 2, “Breathe.”] Case Summary We begin with a reminder that when a cartel man goes down, he is not forgotten — watching Don Hector get examined by some of the Salamanca men, it’s clear there’s real interest in ensuring that whatever led to his current medical condition was not the result of outside influences (and the fact that they’re suspicious makes it very clear that Nacho’s paranoia was more than justified). Meanwhile, we get a deeper understanding of Mike’s motivations for invading a Madrigal facility in last week’s episode, as he and Lydia have a face-to-face encounter that ends on a slightly chilling note: “At the moment, you have Gus Fring’s respect. I’d want to keep that if I were you.” Plus, Jimmy’s doing his best to move on following Chuck’s funeral, hitting the job hunt on an intense level, but as much as he might put on a positive attitude for Kim, the emotions boiling under the surface can’t be underestimated. This becomes alarmingly clear when his successful hard sale for a copier company job ends in him deliberately torpedoing the opportunity. And after that, we see Jimmy in the early stages of scheming — his worst instincts coming out in force. Who Jimmy is in this post-Chuck era may be a truly worrisome thing — if only there was a new name we could assign to him… Finally, there’s Nacho. Poor, poor Nacho. The Least Legal Move A reminder, kids, that murder is bad. Drug dealing? Also bad. But as we see this week, Nacho’s efforts to escape the quicksand that is cartel life have only served to bury him deeper — and not only that, but cost him a friend. The only thing worse than watching Arturo die in front of his eyes is likely whatever happens next for him. The hardest thing about this ending is this simple equation: Everything Nacho has done up until now has been in the pursuit of freedom. And now, Gus “owns” him. It’s true that Nacho didn’t enter into this life without at least some awareness of what it would mean. But now, what’s in store for him is a terrifying thing to contemplate. Michele K. Short/AMC/Sony Pictur Achievements in Cinematography One of the best parts of watching “Better Call Saul” is the way in which this show can surprise us with the way it uses the camera, from the most complicated tracking shots to a simple over-the-head look down. The way in which director Michelle MacLaren (always brilliant) captured Gus’s men sneaking up on Nacho and Arturo is just staggering in its clean brutal impact; an important reminder that in this world, you can’t trust any moment to be safe. Oh, That’s Right, It’s a Period Piece Hardly a big deal, but the screen time devoted to the technology that used to be used for replicating paper copies in this episode is beautiful for how it represents the show’s nostalgia for an era not so long ago. In the year 2018, Neff Copiers has either pivoted gracefully to new technology or found itself out of business;we want to hope for the former, but the latter feels, tragically, far more likely. Brotherly Love Lest we worry that Chuck wouldn’t find ways to be cruel to his brother from beyond the grave, here comes the terms of his will, which not only offer up some interesting trivia (the exact amount that one needs to leave someone in your will, in order to legally say “fuck you”) but a reminder of just what a thorough jerk Chuck could be. Points to Kim for acknowledging it out loud, and not shying away from standing up to her former boss — and very well deserved. Lady Sings the Blues First off, as established chroniclers of the ways in which Jimmy and Kim express physical affection between each other, IndieWire is required to report on the fact that HOLY CRAP, did you see the way Kim jumped Jimmy??? ? But beyond that, Kim is so lovely in her deep devotion and dedication to Jimmy’s best interests — the way in which she chews out Howard for the way he treated Jimmy is a beautiful thing, as is the ways in which she chooses to defend him. On The Journey From Jimmy to Saul Jimmy is still paying lip service to the premise of finding real stable work, and the fact that he does such a good job of selling himself to the fine folks at Neff Copiers is proof that his skills as a salesman are legit. But it’s hard to say what facet of his personality that rant about how his one-time potential bosses are “suckers” comes from. The anger he has at these two men, for being so easily duped, either comes from a place of pity or a place of pride. Either way, it’s a bad look and a dark glimpse of the future. Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television Best Quote “I decide. What he deserves. No one else.” — Gus The fact that Gus is actively pulling strings behind the scenes to control Hector’s fate is key to understanding all the complicated forces in play in the cartel politics unfolding before us — especially since it speaks to how, while Gus may be on the surface deeply pragmatic, he still carries within him no shortage of vengeful rage. “It’s From a Movie!” Like a true cinephile, Kim has no issues with correcting Jimmy on the official title of the third film in history’s most famous shark movie saga: “It’s ‘Jaws 3-D,’ but Cagney wins this one.” The film she does agree to, “White Heat,” is one of the great classic gangster movies. Like many such films, it doesn’t have the happiest ending. In Conclusion, Your Honor In some respects, this is a quieter episode than most — until the final sequence, which adds to the show’s relatively small body count (to date) and reminds us that yeah, if the character isn’t an established presence on “Breaking Bad,” his or her safety is not a given. Much of “Breathe” is all about characters just trying to move forward, make a path for themselves that might lead them to safety and security. Unfortunately, for so many of them, that may be an impossible dream, especially as “Saul” encroaches on the era of Walter White. Grade: A- Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.<doc-sep>
Season 4 Episode 4 is as smart and savvy as usual, but when it comes to the characters it doesn't make a huge impact. [Editor’s note: The following review contains spoilers for “Better Call Saul” Season 4 Episode 4, “Talk.”] Case Summary It feels like it’s all about moving on, to some degree, in this episode — as if talking really can make any kind of difference. But everyone seems like they’re just trying to reach a better level, whether it be Jimmy taking a job that’s clearly beneath him (though definitely honest work), or Mike continuing to go to group therapy despite knowing at least one liar lies within their mix. Nacho just wants safe haven, which isn’t easy when you’re at the center of a maelstrom surrounding multiple deaths in a drug war. But while Kim looks for inspiration in her chosen profession, Jimmy starts off the episode with a new job and ends it by quitting spectacularly, telling his Bavarian Boy partner in crime, “We’re going to do this again.” Because here’s the thing: These characters might be trying to make better lives for themselves, but they can’t escape their fates in the end. (For the record, the way that Nacho’s father says “mio” is forever heartbreaking.) And whatever’s to come next week, with Mike asking for Gus to explain the job in wait, is likely to be proof of that. The Least Legal Move A lot of this episode focuses on the illegal activities surrounding the Albuquerque drug trade — especially as the Salamancas figure out what should be the correct response to Nacho’s supposed attack (which was, of course, a fiction created by Gus Fring’s men) and clear out rival dealers the Espinonsas. This leads to yet another instance, in Season 4, of serious gunshots being fired. And this time, it’s not for show, as the Salamanca cousins tear through a compound that Nacho blames for the faked attack on him and Arturo. (Nacho is still visibly struggling from his wounds from that faked attack, but is otherwise surviving.) Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television Oh, That’s Right, It’s a Period Piece Technically, cell phone shopping shouldn’t be all that period-specific, since many people still get their smartphones from similar retail outlets. But it does speak to an older way of looking at the world, not to mention far older models. On The Journey From Jimmy to Saul The fact that Jimmy initially turns down the straight job at a cell phone store, then accepts it after Kim confronts him with the idea that maybe he needs therapy, is notable as a sign of him legitimately wanting to go straight following last week’s events. “Ten months from now — poof! I’m a lawyer again,” he says, as if it’s as simple as that. But his frustration and boredom, coupled with Kim’s own uncertainty, make it clear this simply won’t last — and that’s before he graffitis the storefront he’s been trusted with. Guest Star Shoutouts “Saul” never lacks for great actors, but there are two notable appearances here worth celebrating: Ethan Phillips is probably most memorable to “Star Trek” fans as Neelix from “Voyager,” though said fans might only recognize him after closing their eyes (because Phillips wore a lot of make-up when playing that role). Meanwhile, Marc Evan Jackson plays who he usually does — an entitled white guy — but one who finally gets called on his shit, thanks to Mike’s ever-watchful eye. What’s Up With Mike? Mike has a lovely little arc in this episode, tied to his lady friend Anita — one of the most terrifying things about this character is how he tends to be, as a rule, the smartest dude in the room, and he shows it off here when it comes to taking down Henry, played by Jackson. Best Quote “You wanted me to talk — I talked.” – Mike This sort of statement always feels like a trap, and in this case definitely was, though given the way it was teased out as a flashforward at the beginning of the episode, you’d have expected it to have more of an impact. The lesson remains important, though: If you get Mike’s attention, you might not like the results. In Conclusion, Your Honor It’s rare an episode of “Saul” feels like it’s treading water, and while there are some fascinating moments in this installment, it’s definitely laying groundwork for the future, rather than offering its own momentum.