I think we have all entertained the idea of becoming our own boss and setting out in the world to conquer our respective career field at some point or another in our lives. After all, we've worked in jobs that are lackluster where we know if we were in charge we could do better and simply because...the idea of relying on yourself to get everything done has a wonderful allure to it all.  

It is a decision that has been a long time coming on Better Call Saul, and one that we really haven't revisited since last season, but that all changed on last night's episode of the show and it's a huge deal that Jimmy has circled around back to it. I say that because I think when all is said and done, "Inflatable" will be the episode that is remembered as the turning point. The moment if you will when James McGill became Saul Goodman. Granted the moment never arrived when he called himself that, but the foundation for his troubled future was laid down last night. 

Yet what's ironic, the first real step down his darkened path didn't come from Chuck breaking his spirit or anything family related, it came from Kim and one now has to wonder if she was and always will be the reason that Jimmy turned because his love for her and his need to be around her, while beautiful and sweet in its own right...is clearly dangerous. He bases so many decisions around his love and this episode was no exception. I thought it was the sweetest thing ever that he wanted her at his side in a law firm once again and it was equally as sweet that we essentially learned that the only reason he was working at Davis and Main all this time was to keep Kim happy and show her that he is worthy of her love by walking the straight and narrow. 

But all of that changed in an instant when he discovered she was ready to leave HH&M and that's when Saul started to show his true colors at last in one of the funniest sequences the show has ever put together as Jimmy did his damndest and succeeded in getting fired from Davis and Main all to keep his bonus. Plus, the wild and colorful suits we've been waiting for him to don finally arrived in his closet and that's my point about how this was the moment that Saul came to life because while his sleaziest moments in this episode came from the whole plan to get fired, those suits represent something more. They represent the man he wants to be. In many ways those suits are his own superhero costume, waiting to bring that other persona to life and the clock is now ticking on Saul's creation.

Let's get back to talking about Kim however and how she relates to Saul's creation as well. Because after flat out admitting to Kim that he needed to do things his way, and being rebuffed by her at first to join up...she still wants a shot at being her own boss and is ready to join forces with Jimmy after all and that simply cannot end well. Regardless of her bad streaks here and there this season we all know Kim believes firmly in the law and what it stands for while Jimmy believes in something far different...winning what he thinks is a just cause. There's no way this union will work, and while he didn't quite accept her request in those final moments, I don't see why or how Jimmy will say no. This is what he has been waiting for, and when it falls to pieces, and it will because of their different views of the law, the only thing left standing...will be a new man, forged from a broken heart and with nothing to lose, known only as Saul Goodman. Until next time.

After last week's episode of Limitless, I think we all knew that life was going to be incredibly different for Brian Finch when he came home from Russia, and that turned out to be absolutely true, since he had to face Naz's fury and a long list of restrictive changes when it comes to his career with the FBI. But what I wasn't prepared for at all when I tuned in this week, was the giant and powerful twist that the show threw our way...and the fact that the series suddenly has a completely different feel to it. 

I say that, because it really felt as though Brian's safe return was going to fix a lot of problems at the end of last week. That the worry and fury exhibited by his co workers and family was going to subside once he was able to give them a hug and an apology and it turns out I was totally wrong. People are still pissed at Brian and now...no one seems to trust him, or one another for that matter as side investigations and suspicions were everywhere this week, and it made "A Dog's Breakfast" one uncomfortable episode, despite the fact it tried not to be.

I actually appreciated that the show tried to make everything seem like business as usual for Brian and the Bruntouchables at the CJC, because it helped smooth over some of the show's more uncomfortable moments. I mean, was anyone really comfortable with watching Mike and Ike tail Brian around town? Because I sure wasn't. Not to mention it was incredibly strange to watch Rebecca meet with them and plan their next move since Rebecca found the video footage of Brian and Sands talking in the elevator in suspicious fashion. Hell even Boyle got in on the weird vibe of this episode by flat out calling Rebecca to the carpet and getting her to spill the beans about her side investigation into Senator Morra. All of this overshadowed the case revolving around a dead billionaire and by the time we reached the last ten minutes of the show, I had completely forgotten about it because of that incredible twist that I made mention of. 

All this time, we have been led to believe that NZT will eventually warp you mentally. That the drug alters your perspective on the world and your understanding of right versus wrong because for the longest time it appeared that Eddie Morra, the lovable loser from the movie that brought this show to fruition was our super villain. A man hell bent on using NZT to rule the world and mold it to his own image. So imagine my surprise when we all discovered that there is a good chance, that the drugs don't warp your mind and that Eddie isn't a villain after all and it looks like Sands is the monster when it comes to this series since we learned that Sands never told Morra that Piper was alive and the fact that Eddie revealed that Sands has access to his own brand of NZT and takes it regularly. That brief revelation, not only changed the course for the entire Morra plot line, but it also brings forth a host of questions about Sands.

Because now it looks like all the dastardly deeds we thought Sands was doing to help Morra retain power may have been nothing more than a power play of his own all along. All the murders, the crackdown on NZT across the city, one has to wonder if this was all part of Sands' plan to corner the market for his own purposes. This also makes me wonder now if Eddie wanted Brian in the FBI for the sole reason of watching Morra's back. Having a man on the inside with a strong moral center can't hurt when the chips are down and it looks more and more like Rebecca is about to finally get all the answers she needs and one can hope that she and Brian are going to go after Sands and his strange Council of Eight. Either way, what an incredible twist. It still has my mind reeling and in all honesty, I'm actually relieved that Sands is our villain and not Eddie. I really wanted to see Eddie Morra succeed after all he went through in the movie, and if Brian can get Rebecca on his side as well...maybe the man can truly change the world for the better as President. Guess we will find out. Until next time.

What continues to amaze me about Better Call Saul is the fact that the show breaks so many rules when it comes to conventional television in this day and age. We have come to expect our television shows to not only be loaded with colorful characters, but they also need to keep the plot continuously moving at a brisk pace and teach us something along the way as often as possible. 

But this show, well outside of the colorful characters, it does whatever the heck it wants and the end result is always fantastic. We've seen plenty of episodes that meet the criteria of our expectations, but last night's episode of the show managed to do quite a few unconventional things storytelling wise. For starters "Bali Ha'i" actually managed to give us a taste of the mundane day to day things we rarely see on TV and manage to make it fascinating in the process and for the first time in a long time, the show went to some pretty dark places and all of it mattered to our characters and their development. 

Our focus on the routine came courtesy of Jimmy and Kim as they pushed themselves to deal with their co workers and do their best to make it through the day because they are struggling and with good reason. After all, It's clear the damage has been done at HH&M for Kim at this point and what used to be thrilling or exciting for her at work because she loved her job has now become banal as Howard continues to find ways to punish her regardless and as for Jimmy...well it's funny how Chuck's revelations are starting to make sense. Jimmy is a good lawyer, but a man easily bored unless he is in the trenches, in the middle of the action, making things happen rather than sitting in an office going over deposition items. I don't think I've ever seen Jimmy as bored as he was last night, or Kim for that matter which made the chance for the two of them to scam again all the more entertaining and tragic at once. 

But while the show managed to make the day to day life of a pair of lawyers incredibly interesting, the darker aspects of last night's episode all came courtesy of Mike and the fallout of his failed plan to get Tuco behind bars for a long time and it made for incredibly tense moments. In fact I'm fairly certain I was holding my breath the entire time Mike discovered a couple of Salamanca henchmen were hiding in his house and the badassery that only Mike can pull off made the scene all the more breathtaking. But it didn't end there, because Mike continues to cement the fact that there is no moral boundary he won't cross and no risk that he won't take if it involves keeping his daughter-in-law and granddaughter safe because only a man with nothing to lose can pull off extorting fifty grand from a crime boss.  

After all is said and done however, it's clear to me this was quite the setup episode. When daily life is put on display like this on a show this smart, there's a purpose to be served and I'm starting to wonder if this job offer Kim has on the table is going to be the first real big step in getting Saul Goodman to come to life. She is his anchor at this point and he has in many ways reformed his life to keep his love happy and this is a pair of people that are truly in love and it's sweet to see. I mean come on, she sat there waiting for his daily phone call, to hear his voice regardless of any anger she's harbored toward him. But, if she takes this job, there is a chance her talents will pull her out of Albuquerque and away from Jimmy completely and if that happens, without her being there to keep Jimmy in check, and give him a purpose...perhaps the iconic transformation we have been waiting for will come sooner rather than later. Until next time.

There's been some point or another in our lives where we have found ourselves simply picking up the pieces. We all know what kind of situation I'm speaking of, where something went completely awry and we couldn't rely on our family or friends, it was up to us to put the pieces back together and make everything right.  

It was that kind of scenario that Brian Finch was left facing at the end of last week's episode of Limitless, and quite frankly I wasn't sure where the show as going to go from there. Outside of the grand secret that is Eddie Morra, everything Brian had worked to keep together was disintegrating before our eyes and it really seemed as though nothing was ever going to quite be the same. Which made this week's episode, "Bezgranichnyy", quite the pleasant surprise because as is often the case on this series, nothing is quite what it seems.

While Brian was off in Russia, trying his best to find Piper and an alternate enzyme to negate the long term effects of NZT, we discovered that the only real damage done to Brian's personal relationships were some severely hurt feelings and clearly...that was something that could be repaired. Sure his family was furious about being lied to, but the passion and panic from his father over his son's whereabouts was genuinely touching. Plus, despite the fact that Rebecca requested another handler for Brian, she was clearly torn to pieces over the fact he left, and the fact she was ready to fly to Moscow and find him herself spoke volumes about what Brian means to her. Hell even Naz was worried and perhaps one of the most subtle and touching moments about how much people truly care about Brian was demonstrated with Mike and Ike flipping on the Christmas lights so the file room felt right. 

If anything, this episode was really an in depth analysis about what a good man Brian truly is. Yes, we've seen enough on the show from him to know he's a good guy but in a series where deception is around every single corner and Eddie Morra has some grand plan in motion to potentially rule the world, you need that reminder that there is still a force for good out there once in a while. The best part of Brian's mission this week, of the sacrifice he made in running was that he did it to be free of evil. He made mention of it time and time again, he wanted out from Morra's thumb and he even managed to remind Piper that there are bigger things to the world then the quest for NZT, that people mattered most and no doubt being free of Morra would aid Brian in continuing his work with the FBI because let's be honest, he loves helping people and he loves solving crimes.

But while this episode turned out to be incredibly uplifting in its message and design, there will be consequences for Brian's actions...big ones no doubt. Despite the fact that Naz wants him home, we know she's not afraid to send a message when she needs to and I'm sure Brian will be sent a strong one for this stunt. Not to mention, the Eddie Morra conspiracy is heating up since Rebecca finally got the information she needed out of Brian's sister and now she knows that Sands was the mystery agent that showed up injured at Brian's place before all hell broke loose, and to top it all off...Sands now knows that Piper is still alive and working with Brian. Despite its subtlety I think this is the episode I was waiting for, because this looks like the one that is setting up the grand showdown between Eddie and Brian and I'm dying to see what happens next. Until next time.

In the short year and a half that Better Call Saul has been on the air, I've been thoroughly impressed with how many emotionally thematic concepts the show has brought forth for all of us. We've seen Jimmy McGill battle his conscience, quest to be a better man and essentially do anything to prove to his elder brother that he can indeed be a quality lawyer. 

But there is one concept that the show has stayed away from, redemption, and it's an idea that I honestly thought we would never see addressed on the show because let's be honest, there isn't any coming for Jimmy. Next up is the change into Saul Goodman, complete with dirty deals for Walter White before he ends up managing that lovely Cinnabon in Nebraska. But, that doesn't mean some of the supporting cast can't have their day in the sun and last night's episode, "Rebecca" was all about Kim Wexler and her push to redeem herself at Hamlin, Hamlin and McGill.

After all, she's been in the doghouse ever since she failed to tell Howard about the video that Jimmy made and I'm honestly glad we got a Kim-centric episode because it's been long overdue and I'll say it now, it did not disappoint. For starters it was exhausting to watch Kim in action as she worked tirelessly in document review for hours on end, using only her breaks to make calls to try and land a large account to return to Howard's good graces and let's be honest...when's the last time we saw someone that dedicated to the company they work for in such a manner on television? Everything she did was to make HH&M look good and well, it was impressive to see her keep at it despite all the setbacks she encountered and it made the phone call she received from Mesa Verde all the more thrilling.

That was to be her shining moment, where she showed Howard how much this job mattered to her and well...I know I was stunned when he told her to get back downstairs into document review and the shot of her standing outside the firm, letting the horror of that sink in was absolutely devastating. But while her redemption may not have been complete or clear by the end of the episode, that final scene with Chuck in his office at dawn may have provided us with an important nugget about Jimmy McGill, and one has to wonder if the death of his father and Jimmy's attempt to push the envelope money wise is what formed the flawed man that we know today. My guess is that it does, since the death of Marco also managed to push him a little closer toward the dark side as well.

Either way, this was an absolutely beautiful episode through and through. Every single week the cast puts us through an acting clinic and I really enjoyed the fact we got so much screen time for characters we don't normally spend much time with, including Howard who had a nice little scene with Chuck after landing Mesa Verde. The only thing I'm left curious about at this point is the opening scene, the flashback to when Jimmy came over to enjoy dinner with Chuck and his wife Rebecca. All of those little flashbacks served a purpose in season one and I have no doubt they will tell an important story this season as well. We'll just have to wait and see where it's going, and quite frankly, to discover what happened to Chuck's wife Rebecca in addition to seeing where Mike's new little problem with Tuco's uncle is going to go. Until next time. 

Our parents taught us a great many things in our youth, and one of them was the principle that if we lie and deceive, eventually all of it will catch up with us and the truth shall be revealed...with plenty of consequences. It's a lesson that holds plenty of weight to it and when it comes to Limitless, I think we all knew that it only was a matter of time before Brian Finch's web of deception would eventually be revealed to everyone he loves and cares about. 

Would the grand reveal of everything come forth in the season finale? Season two? We never quite knew because everything has been going so well for Brian for so long, but as it turns out...last night's episode was when Brian's world came crashing down around him and while "Close Encounters" didn't reveal every single detail of Brian Finch's wild ride in life, enough came to light that relationships were severely damaged and hearts were broken, especially when it came to Brian's family. 

Now, I have to admit I was a little concerned with Brian leaving his sister alone in his apartment in the last episode where he went off with Sands to save Sands' son's life but at the time is seemed like nothing would come of it...and I'm glad the show decided to push any repercussions from that under the rug until this week because man, Rachel's discovery of the two NZT pills turned out to be some powerful stuff. That moment when Brian was confronted by his mother was excruciatingly painful to watch and you easily see Brian's heart shattering over this impromptu betrayal from his sister and edict from his mother and man, I never expected to see his world unravel this quickly.  

After all, things only went from bad to worse with Rebecca as well. She has always been the only person in his corner day in and day out, so to see her turn her back on Brian because he lied to her about his stash of NZT pills and even have his place ransacked was equally as devastating for Finch and well...for me as well. Nothing about this episode felt comfortable. It was one sucker punch after another and I know I'm not alone in saying that I was left stunned when Rebecca asked Naz to get Brian another handler after everything they have been through together.  

But all heartbreak aside, this episode's ending left me wondering exactly what Brian is planning to do. He has his NZT back from Mike, which was classy by the way, and it's clear he's planning on heading to Canada to track down Piper...but why? Is this some kind of grand scheme to bring down Eddie Morra once and for all? Because that would serve Brian's personality of trying to do as much good as possible, and I'm equally curious what will come of Mike and Ike's independent questioning of Rachel regarding Sands. Either way, it's obvious nothing will ever quite be the same for Brian on this show ever again and this stunning episode completely threw me for a loop and I cannot wait to find out what Brian is up to. Until next time.

I had a feeling when I settled in for this week's episode of Better Call Saul, that the thematic concepts for this chapter of Jimmy McGill's life was going to revolve completely around consequences, especially considering how last week ended, with Jimmy facing down big time trouble from his boss Cliff at Davis and Main.  But as it turns out, my gut feeling was completely wrong.

Granted, there were consequences for Jimmy's actions from the prior episode, and that's to be expected, but what took me by surprise last night...was the fact that "Gloves Off" just so happened to be a special kind of morality tale. It didn't revolve around a grand discussion about what was right and what was wrong in the world, this episode actually ended up focusing on doing the right thing at any cost and the end result of this little storytelling twist ended up being absolutely brilliant. 

Oddly enough, our favorite parking attendant/mercenary Mike gave us perhaps the grandest showing of going the extra mile for the right kind of cause when we found out exactly what Nacho wanted to hire him for last week...to help him take out Tuco. It was a bold plan that I'm glad Mike didn't go through with at all but man, the fact that he took a savage beating to get Tuco put into jail was excruciating to watch. All of it was in the name of Kaylee and Stacy and making sure they have a better and safer life and as an added bonus, to teach a criminal that there's always a better way than resorting to murder, despite the horrible bumps and bruises he collected along the way. 

But the best part of the night was that we finally learned how important Kim is to Jimmy and how much he really loves her and yes, I'll go that far to say it. He was deeply disturbed by the fact she took a little heat from Howard over her knowledge of the video he aired and it was amazing to watch him march into his brother's home, take care of him because hey...they're family, before unloading on him over the Kim decision. Granted Chuck had nothing to do with it, but the fact that Jimmy was willing to go there with the noblest of intentions for Kim was absolutely incredible. Granted some might argue that since it degenerated into a pissing match/attempt to corrupt Chuck it was all about Jimmy in the end, but I disagree. He went there for one reason...Kim and making sure she was taken care of and treated properly and it was sweet to see him face down the man that hurt him to take care of her above all costs since HH&M did her wrong. Anything else that went down was unresolved fury from last season.

In the end though, while this episode didn't advance the mythos of Saul Goodman that much further...who cares? This was an episode filled to the brim with powerhouse writing and quite frankly some heartbreaking moments, especially when it came to Chuck and Jimmy. Watching Jimmy take on his elder brother and try to turn him to the dark side was spectacular television. I honestly don't know still if he actually wanted it to happen, or if it was simply to make a point and show Chuck how much he hurt him, but either way, it made for an episode so compelling and engaging that I was stunned when we faded to black because it seemed like this episode just flew by. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This show is getting better every single week. Until next time.

There is a quote from last week's episode of Better Call Saul that Jimmy said mere moments before explaining the Hoboken Squat Cobbler that continues to resonate with me; "who among us is without sin." It sticks with me for one particular reason...Jimmy is right. We've all made our share of mistakes over the years, but thankfully the vast majority of folks have a moral center and support network that allows for us to right our wrongs and get on with our lives.

Of course there is a flip side to that as well, there are folks without such benefits in life and we know that their stories often end in tragic fashion and then there are people like Jimmy McGill...caught in the middle of it all. I say that because, James is a man always on the edge, now with a good job and a seemingly good support network in his girlfriend Kim...but Slippin' Jimmy is always there with him, ready to take over on a moment's notice, to blur that line between what's wrong and what's right and the conflict between the two sides of his personality took center stage during last night's episode "Amarillo". 

All of this incredible conflict came from a grand attempt from Jimmy to walk the line between right and wrong. Somewhere he truly thought he could find the balance in getting exactly what he needed by any means necessary, all while proving to his brother and others that he is the excellent lawyer we know he can be and well...the results were interesting to say the least and heartbreaking to watch. After all that stunning opening with Jimmy doing his thing and convincing 24 Sandpiper residents was just incredible, until we saw it all come crashing back down to earth with Chuck cutting through the B.S. and pointing out the fact that it was basically solicitation. Which of course led to another Saul Goodman moment with Jimmy making that powerhouse commercial and making the ballsy decision to air the sucker without approval in Colorado Springs.

Those two key points are absolutely killing me when it comes to this show, in a good way of course because holy hell...Jimmy McGill is actually a brilliant man. He knows exactly what to say and how to say it to get under your skin and make you a believer in just about anything and what's just so tragic about this season...is that he is actually trying to do the right thing. He legitimately knows Sandpiper is in the wrong and that these seniors are getting the short end of the stick, he's just going about everything the wrong way and that moral dilemma is what keeps me coming back for more. Fact of the matter is, Chuck is right about Sandpiper's legal team spotting solicitation and in a way he's trying to guide Jimmy and the younger McGill just isn't getting the damn hint.

That makes the ending of last night's episode all the more powerful. Jimmy's quest for justice at any cost may now blow up in his face at Davis and Main since he didn't show or consult Cliff in any form or fashion about his wildly successful video and that's what hurts the most. Jimmy had his chance to show Cliff, to sell the boss on why this is such a great idea and since he made the call on his own...there's likely no hope in backtracking now and the fallout from this may only push Jimmy further toward the dark side.  Either way, this was simply another magnificent episode of the show and to be honest, it really seems that every week the show just keeps getting better and I'm aching to know how this meeting with Cliff is going to go, but sadly we have to wait a week to find out. Oh, and on a side note, kudos to the show for doing its research and getting the call signs and channel number of the TV station in Colorado Springs right, it really is KKTV Channel 11, and being a Colorado native, that's pretty freaking awesome. Until next time.