"Better Call Saul" Recap: "Five-O"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Last night's episode of Better Call Saul took us on a decidedly different journey, keeping Jimmy McGill in the background as we focused on the mysterious and always cheerful Mike Ehrmantraut, and we learned much about this parking attendant/badass in one somber and compelling episode, "Five-O".

So what is Mike's story? Well much of it last night was revealed in flashback fashion, but every single moment was powerful and important. We were witness to Mike's arrival in Albuquerque a few months after his son, Matt, died so that he could spend time with his daughter-in-law and granddaughter and we also learned that he arrived in this town nursing an ugly gunshot wound. Where that happened to come from...we would learn later. 

In the meantime, we picked up where last week left off with Mike at the police station, asking for a lawyer while his former coworkers from the Philadelphia Police hoped to get a little more information regarding the death of Matt and any information Mike may have regarding the mysterious death of his son's former partner and sergeant. His wish is granted and there is only one man to call, Jimmy McGill. Once his counsel arrives, Mike initiates a plan. He'll talk with Jimmy present, but only if Jimmy spills a cup of joe on one of the detectives so he can get his hands on the notepad one detective will have handy. Jimmy takes the high ground this go round at first, until the wasted interrogation ends and he spills that coffee after all.  

It gives Mike valuable information, especially the fact that he finds out his daughter-in-law called the Philly cops. It leads to a confrontation at her house and the truth. It turns out that Mike was a dirty cop, who took money when he felt like it and told his Matt, a straight arrow, to do the same to save his skin. But the cops in question didn't trust Matt regardless and killed him. Of course, Matt's widow wanted to know who took out the cops who betrayed her husband. Turns out it was Mike all along. He lured those dirty cops into a trap and dealt with them accordingly, taking a bullet in the process.  

It was a heavy episode to say the least and I'll be damned if I wasn't fascinated the whole way. Mike legitimately wanted justice for his son, justice he knew he would never be able to get without causing more harm for more people. Doesn't mean what he did was right, after all, the same question he asked Matt's widow applies to him, "can you live with it?" But wow, what a fantastic episode through and through. One that was a stark contrast to how the series has presented itself so far, and one that leaves you in silence when it fades to black. Bravo. Until next time. 

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