Better Call Saul - the sixth (and final) season

[Blue Jam]

Kim passing the now automated ticket booth where Mike used to work was an unexpected gut punch.

Ditto for the mirror shot of Kim brushing her teeth solo :'(

[up_the_hampipe]

The true villain of the Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul universe finally reveals himself. Jeeves is here to fuck everything up.

The 'Jeeves' part of the name was dropped in 2006. Immersion ruined. Vince and Peter fell at the final hurdle.

[AnOrdinaryBoy]

Spoiler alert

Did anyone else notice that Gene knocking on Marion's door and then looking through her window when she didn't answer mirrored the way Jimmy knocked on Abuelita/Tuco's door and then looked through the mirror in the pilot? The knocking in the pilot was the beginning of Jimmy's descent into the underworld - I'm guessing the mirroring in this episode marks the beginning of his exit from it.

Also, Saul drumming the desk and then putting his shoes on the desk during the divorce papers scene felt quite Brentish.

[close]

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

That was almost unbearably sad and tense from start to finish. Hoo boy.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Spoiler alert

I thought he was going to kill her there. He definitely thought about it, at that point and after the scenes as Saul with Kim earlier in the episode I thought that Jimmy was truly dead but I think there was a blink and you'll miss it moment where he came back when old lady said she trusted him.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Definitely. A great piece of subtle acting from Odenkirk there, his threatening demeanour vanished in the blink of an eye. When Marion said she'd trusted him, he suddenly looked ashamed. A brief glimmer of the old Jimmy, a man who was capable of feeling remorse. He's still in there somewhere.

And yeah, Kim's breakdown on the bus was stunningly performed by Seehorn. She's such a great actor.

What a show. I mean, really. It's a masterpiece.

[close]

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Spoiler alert

Also, Saul drumming the desk and then putting his shoes on the desk during the divorce papers scene felt quite Brentish.

[close]

Spoiler alert

It was very Brentish. Odenkirk, as we know, is a big fan of British comedy, so he'll almost certainly have done that on purpose.

[close]

[up_the_hampipe]

That was almost unbearably sad and tense from start to finish. Hoo boy.

Apart from when Jeff crashed. That was a good laugh.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Oh, and when...

Spoiler alert

Gene turned his phone towards the window, so that Marion couldn't hear the ice clinking in his booze drink. That made me laugh.

Also, more comically awful singing from Odenkirk as he listened to Blondie in his car.

[close]

[Blue Jam]

Spoiler alert

Also, more comically awful singing from Odenkirk as he listened to Blondie in his car.

[close]

I've just remembered Jimmy's rendition of the Rocky theme. Just six notes and yet he still doesn't manage to hit a single one. Amazing:

https://youtu.be/l6R-t8n3Erg?t=16

Spoiler alert

It was very Brentish. Odenkirk, as we know, is a big fan of British comedy, so he'll almost certainly have done that on purpose.

[close]

If I remember correctly he said one of his favourite comedy performances is Ricky Gervais as Brent (with Ricky Tomlinson as Jim Royle as another), so I'm sure it was deliberate.

Spoiler alert

That scene mostly reminded me of Chuck telling Jimmy "You never mattered all that much to me" and suppressing his true emotions until Jimmy couldn't see him. Saul putting his feet up the desk and telling Kim "Have a nice life" seemed to be him desperately putting on a show of not caring, when we'd seen how he was in actual tears reading the petition for divorce. Also possibly doing it to spare Kim's feelings, to make their breakup easier for her and not put her through the upset of seeing how he really felt- again, an echo of Chuck's last words to Jimmy and their intention.

[close]

[Blue Jam]

For me it was heartbreakingly sad to see

Spoiler alert

bright, talented, beautiful Kim leading that boring life with that boring schlub of a man. She's not a wanted fugitive, she knew she wasn't going to get into trouble even if she confessed to pulling a scam on Howard, so why can't she find a slightly more challenging job and a more interesting man to settle down with? Is she punishing herself by refusing to let herself be happy? Is she doing the same thing as Jimmy, shutting her old self down, but by becoming smaller and more mousey rather than bigger and more brash?

I also wondered if that was a bit of a nod to the "mundanity montage" at the start of Nobody. Kim is Hutch Mansell!

Also: "Yep... yep... yep... YEP..." *shudder*

[close]

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

iirc correctly he said his two favourite comedy performances are Ricky Gervais as Brent  and Ricky Tomlinson as Jim Royle, so I'm sure it was deliberate.

Ah right, then it's confirmed! On the subject of British influences, I recently rewatched Saul's first BB episode, and Odenkirk is very reminiscent of Partridge when he's talking to Francesca via his bluetooth. "Idea for a series, Lynn..." He's got that vibe.

Btw...

Spoiler alert

I'm listening to the latest Insider podcast, in which Gould and Gilligan elaborate on where Kim's head is at during this episode. Very interesting.

[close]

[Blue Jam]

Not got a source for that but I'm sure I remember seeing him quoted on that somewhere.

I guess he's a fan of Partridge too- I remember learning about the air date of This Time series 2 via him and Michael McKean discussing it on Twitter and being mildly annoyed, wondering how the fuck two Americans could have known this information before I did ;)

Saul is definitely reminding me more of Partridge in S6 of BCS:



I can hear the From The Oasthouse theme just looking at this.

[up_the_hampipe]

For me it was heartbreakingly sad to see

Spoiler alert

smart, bright, talented, beautiful Kim leading that boring life with that boring schlub of a man. She's not a wanted fugitive, she knew she wasn't going to get into trouble even if she confessed to pulling a scam on Howard, so why can't she find a slightly more challenging job and a more interesting man to settle down with? Is she punishing herself by refusing to let herself be happy?

I also wondered if that was a bit of a nod to the "mundanity montage" at the start of Nobody. Kim is Hutch Mansell!

Also: "Yep... yep... yep... YEP..." *shudder*

[close]

I enjoy Kim's character, but she doesn't really deserve a happy life, given what she did. She's lucky to just have a fairly peaceful one. She was the driving force behind the maliciousness that unfolded, topped off with lying to Cheryl's face. And it's not Jimmy who manipulated her into doing that, almost the opposite. She's only now starting to redeem herself.

[Blue Jam]

I enjoy Kim's character, but she doesn't really deserve a happy life, given what she did. She's lucky to just have a fairly peaceful one. She was the driving force behind the maliciousness that unfolded, topped off with lying to Cheryl's face. And it's not Jimmy who manipulated her into doing that, almost the opposite. She's only now starting to redeem herself.

I agree with all of that, I just think there's something sad in a bright and talented person ending up like... that, no matter how they got there. Same as with Jimmy working at Cinnabon. It's the waste of a talent, considered separately from whether that fate was deserved or not.

To me, the scene with her trying to atone for ruining Howard's reputation seemed to be more about assuaging her guilt than anything else- it achieved nothing and she didn't really seem justified in doing it. She almost certainly knew there would be no real consequences for her too, there was nothing brave or admirable about it.

I read this review earlier:

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-12-review-waterworks/

When she finally gets it all off her chest, she emotionally unloads on a public bus, sobbing as if she had been waiting years to finally let it out. It's like the guilt and self-hatred are leaving her body.

...and that's not how I read it at all. I saw that as her realising that there is nothing she can do to make up for all the hurt she has caused, that she can never go home again, that she's made her bed and must lie in it. She and Jimmy have both tried to escape their purgatory in different ways, and they have both failed.

I may be wrong though. Will give this week's In Cider Podcast a listen soon, sounds like a good one.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

An interesting interview with Gilligan here...

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/better-call-saul-vince-gilligan-final-episode-interview-1393644/

Don't be put off by the words 'final episode' in that link, old Vincey boy is talking about episode 12, which is his final episode as writer/director. There are obviously no spoilers for the finale.

[up_the_hampipe]

I agree with all of that, I just think there's something sad in a bright and talented person ending up like... that, no matter how they got there. Same as with Jimmy working at Cinnabon. It's the waste of a talent, considered separately from whether that fate was deserved or not.

Yeah for sure, it's quite bleak to see. I just know there's lots of viewers who think she's genuinely a good person, or the victim of a situation Jimmy dragged her into. She may not be wholly bad, but I'll never forget how she looked at Howard when he spoke to them in his final moments. Cold and cruel. I don't find her worth rooting for, but dammit we probably will in the end.

[Pseudopath]

There are obviously no spoilers for the finale.

Spoiler alert

If what he says about Kim's fate is true. I just hope he's not setting us up for a fall.

[close]

[JamesTC]

I'm still rooting for Saul to get away with it all, the lovable scamp.

[up_the_hampipe]

I'm still rooting for Saul to get away with it all, the lovable scamp.

Of course, they can't send him down. Not our Jimmy!

[kalowski]

So interesting how it was

Spoiler alert

Gene just seeming to know too much about Albuquerque state law that got Marion wondering and subsequently Asking Jeeves.
And the colour reflected in Gene's glasses was a cool touch too.

[close]

[Pseudopath]

I'm still rooting for Saul to get away with it all, the lovable scamp.

Maybe they'll emulate the BrBa finale and have everything turn out impossibly well for the protagonist.

Cut to ARC NOOSE...it was all Jimmy's dying dream.

[phantom_power]

there was nothing brave or admirable about it.

I don't know. I thought it was brave of her to stand in front of Cheryl and tell the truth, giving her a chance to answer any questions. She didn't need to do that to get the truth out, and there are some elements of guilt assuaging there but I don't think it wasn't still brave.

...and that's not how I read it at all. I saw that as her realising that there is nothing she can do to make up for all the hurt she has caused, that she can never go home again, that she's made her bed and must lie in it. She and Jimmy have both tried to escape their purgatory in different ways, and they have both failed.

I think I agree with the interpretation in review. You can see it all just flood out of her

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

So interesting how it was

Spoiler alert

Gene just seeming to know too much about Albuquerque state law that got Marion wondering and subsequently Asking Jeeves.
And the colour reflected in Gene's glasses was a cool touch too.

[close]

Spoiler alert

It wasn't just that, though. In last week's episode we saw her starting to wonder why Gene was spending so much time with her Jeffy. What were they up to in the garage? Why has this seemingly genial man, who we don't know anything about, inveigled his way into our lives?

Unlike most of the elderly women Jimmy charmed/scammed in the past, Marion wasn't naive. And that's where Jimmy went wrong when dealing with her, he underestimated her intelligence. Just another sweet old lady he could easily con? Nope, she was sharper than that.

Marion asking Jeeves about him was the culmination of her growing doubt about this mysterious stranger. "There was no Nippy." She's been thinking about all of this for a while. Gene's suspiciously familiar knowledge of Albuquerque law was the final straw. 

[close]

[Dex Sawash]

For me it was heartbreakingly sad to see

Spoiler alert

bright, talented, beautiful Kim leading that boring life with that boring schlub of a man. She's not a wanted fugitive, she knew she wasn't going to get into trouble even if she confessed to pulling a scam on Howard, so why can't she find a slightly more challenging job and a more interesting man to settle down with? Is she punishing herself by refusing to let herself be happy? Is she doing the same thing as Jimmy, shutting her old self down, but by becoming smaller and more mousey rather than bigger and more brash?

I also wondered if that was a bit of a nod to the "mundanity montage" at the start of Nobody. Kim is Hutch Mansell!

Also: "Yep... yep... yep... YEP..." *shudder*

[close]

I was initially certain that

Spoiler alert

Kim was running a scam on the workplace, the guy or both

[close]

[Blue Jam]

Spoiler alert

It wasn't just that, though. In last week's episode we saw her starting to wonder why Gene was spending so much time with her Jeffy. What were they up to in the garage? Why has this seemingly genial man, who we don't know anything about, inveigled his way into our lives?

Unlike most of the elderly women Jimmy charmed/scammed in the past, Marion wasn't naive. And that's where Jimmy went wrong when dealing with her, he underestimated her intelligence. Just another sweet old lady he could easily con? Nope, she was sharper than that.

Marion asking Jeeves about him was the culmination of her growing doubt about this mysterious stranger. "There was no Nippy." She's been thinking about all of this for a while. Gene's suspiciously familiar knowledge of Albuquerque law was the final straw. 

[close]

There was also Gene getting angry at Buddy's dog, and not behaving as a genuine dog lover would have done. That's when she first suspected there was no Nippy.

[Dex Sawash]

Nice job Jeff  going for the

Spoiler alert

drunk driving distraction. Pretty sure that crash was no accident. The call to "dad" was good too

[close]

[dontpaintyourteeth]

I'm going to be bereft when this finishes.

[Blue Jam]

I was initially certain that

Spoiler alert

Kim was running a scam on the workplace, the guy or both

[close]

Can't be doing with spoiler quotes now... I was wondering if Glenn knows Kim used to be Mrs Saul Goodman, or even just that she used to be a lawyer. She seemed too frightened to give away even the slightest hint of personality, not unlike Gene, but afraid to even express an affirmative opinion on Miracle Whip and preferring to defer to her man instead.

I found it interesting that, while Kim was always the "man" and Jimmy the "woman" in their relationship, and that they both seemed to like it that way, Kim now seems very much like a suburban housewife with Glenn as the head of the household, and I can't imagine Glenn would want it any other way. Jimmy would be the one making the potato salad, not the one expecting someone to make it for him (with the wrong ingredients).

[kalowski]

Spoiler alert

It wasn't just that, though. In last week's episode we saw her starting to wonder why Gene was spending so much time with her Jeffy. What were they up to in the garage? Why has this seemingly genial man, who we don't know anything about, inveigled his way into our lives?

Unlike most of the elderly women Jimmy charmed/scammed in the past, Marion wasn't naive. And that's where Jimmy went wrong when dealing with her, he underestimated her intelligence. Just another sweet old lady he could easily con? Nope, she was sharper than that.

Marion asking Jeeves about him was the culmination of her growing doubt about this mysterious stranger. "There was no Nippy." She's been thinking about all of this for a while. Gene's suspiciously familiar knowledge of Albuquerque law was the final straw. 

[close]

Yes, that's kinda what I mean. It was the final piece of the puzzle.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Soz, I can be rather prolix at times.