‘Better Call Saul’ Recap: ‘Breaking Bad’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 611 of ‘Better Call Saul’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

It really is quite fascinating how humanity, tends to still believe after all this time that it is singular moments that change the course of our lives for better or for worse. Because we are finally coming to learn from a psychological standpoint, that no one moment does just that. Instead, it takes a collection of moments, often brought forth by conscious choices, to either feed our better angels and grant us the dreams we have sought after… or plunge us into strife and lamentation when we reinforce negative behaviors and thoughts by not handling our trauma and our pain. Granted, there are exceptions to this since big moments can and will happen at random that force some changes, but for the most part… stepping into the light or surrounding ourselves with suffering is a long and progressive progress.
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Which is why the AMC series, Better Call Saul is of note. Because this is a show that has taken the time to explore every step regarding how trauma and insecurity and poor choices can take a good man and plunge him into darkness. Since we’ve watched James McGill over the past six years, use the pain his brother inflicted upon him and Chuck’s subsequent death, to fuel angry acts of vengeance against those who also wronged him, or the system that he believes failed him by not recognizing his talents as a lawyer. And it is that desire to offer up a big middle finger to a system that rewards men like his brother, that in turn helped to motivate the creation of Saul Goodman and his mantra of helping ‘the little guy’ out, and that of course… eventually brought forth all kinds of strife for Jimmy. Since his criminal relationships cost him the love of his life and eventually, his practice and his freedom courtesy of his partnership with a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White.

If anything, the impact of moments and the choices we make are top of mind today, simply because they served as the focus of last night’s episode of the show. For ‘Breaking Bad’ is a story that forced Jimmy McGill to ponder hard on the past couple of years and the choices that led him to this point, and that… allowed for the grand tragedy this tale has promised us from day one, to come back into focus. For when we catch up with Jimmy here, he’s energized after running that tasty little scam with Jeffy in last week’s episode, to the point where he felt the need to venture down memory lane and check in on his many investments left behind. Which motivated a phone call to an old friend back in the ABQ… Francesca.

Who quickly informed him that well… things were still not good back home. Because despite Walter being gone forever, and his wife getting her plea bargain courtesy of Walter’s final actions… the Feds were still keen on finding everyone involved in the case, including Saul. But since he was missing… the next best thing to Saul was restitution and that prompted a seizing of his other assets. Putting an end to most of his fortune. But while this was a brilliant way to explain what came after El Camino, there was one critical moment of note that once again put Jimmy at a particular crossroads. Since Francesca revealed that Kim Wexler called her after everything went to hell, and even asked about Jimmy. A revelation that prompted him… to do something quite bold.

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In that, he called the place of business that Kim was likely working at, and while we weren’t privy to what was potentially said or heard during that conversation, Jimmy’s ugly response to the call… spoke volumes to the fact that he either got the business from Kim or got some bad news regarding her. But whichever outcome that might have been, what matters more here… is that Jimmy had a decision to make. In that, he could either make a clean break here, and move on as Gene… in the clear and live a quiet and normal life… or stick it to the man again and teach others a grand lesson in humility. And with pain welling up from all those memories reignited from his talk with Francesca, and of course, whatever came out from that phone call… Jimmy chose the latter option.
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Which is why he and Jeffy and Buddy… went on a tear locally. One where Gene would select rich businessmen around town that he could easily ingratiate himself with, so he could get them drunk, and have Jeffy drug them up before Buddy would sneak into their homes to commit identity theft. A plan that allowed for Jimmy to enjoy a taste of the old life again, complete with creature comforts and women, while no one was the wiser. A move that really did speak to how years of trauma and pain drove the darker side of Jimmy, and how he was likely never going to let that side go. Because it gave him catharsis and a sense of power and belonging, and after this many years and having it work… why stop now? Especially since he had the perfect cover surrounding him. 

But alas, this being a grand tragedy of a story, and this being Jimmy’s darkest hour when you think about it… since he is in exile and hiding at this point in time… his worst imaginable choice was present here. Because as stated before… eventually the moments we take part in and the choices we make, culminate in our lives. In either our dreams coming true or the nightmare taking hold and well… when presented with the chance to back off of this plan, when a financial guru with cancer became the mark, prompting Jeffy and Buddy to second guess the plan on moral grounds… Jimmy doubled down. Likely as part of a chance to get back at a now dead Walter White for screwing up a good thing and well, where that will take us next week, cannot be good since Jimmy broke every rule, he preaches in going after said mark.

Instead, his decision here, is indeed the culmination of his long and winding journey into darkness. Because all the lies, all the tricks and all the close scrapes have given him a confidence that is unhealthy and pushing boundaries in all the wrong ways and it truly hammers home… the power of choice and how easily choice slips us into moments that shape that kind of reality. Which is also why the Walter White and Jesse Pinkman flashback/cameo is so critical here. Since it also served to remind us how these choices snowball since he had a chance to walk away from the Heisenberg Empire, and instead enabled it and sealed his fate. If anything, this was just… another brilliant episode from this already brilliant series. Since it brought the tragedy back into focus and featured a powerhouse and subtle performance from Bob Odenkirk, one complimented by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul since they were seamless in their cameo. And now that Jimmy has made perhaps a critical error at last, we are left counting down the minutes until next week’s tale… to see what will come of another ugly moment brought forth by another poor decision. Until next time.  

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Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) Return to the ‘Breaking Bad’ Universe.

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