‘Better Call Saul’ Recap: ‘JMM’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

It is a prevailing belief, that good deeds and kindness and care, can outright change a person that is teetering on the brink of darkness and there is genuinely some merit to that particular line of thinking. After all, we have come to learn throughout the years that kindness does indeed do wonders for people and it often motivates others to pay it forward when they experience it. So, why wouldn’t it heal a person’s soul and embolden them to alter the course of their life for the better? And well, the answer to that question, is a harsh and unfortunate one to say the least. Because the fact of the matter is, when someone is genuinely broken inside and dealing with all kinds of pain, kindness and love only places them within a holding pattern emotionally.
 
For the darkness is still there and it will find its way to the forefront of their mind and their emotions because it is a powerful draw when all is said and done. Because it has served this person well by getting them this far in life and reverting to it is always an easy and comfortable process. Which means that the only way for a person to shed this ugliness, is to make an active choice to do so and that’s why we learn the hard way, that kindness and love don’t always save people. Because some folks, don’t want to let the darkness go, for they thrive within its framework and it would seem that this is a tough lesson that Kim Wexler is going to learn down the line, and it just so happens that last night’s episode of Better Call Saul took the time to chronicle how this unfortunate discovery plays out.
 
Because ‘JMM’ showed us the highs that come with offering up kindness and love to a broken man. For Kim and Jimmy’s marriage was designed to make an honest man out of Mr. McGill, since their union would force him to be truthful with Kim in all things and offer protections to their careers if by chance another Mesa Verde complication came into play, and for a while it seemed as though this union was going to produce positive results. Because they were both happy with the fact that they were married at last and the pressure that came about from the Mesa Verde incident disappeared and Jimmy even had the opportunity to be honest with Kim in regard to what his new client wanted. For Lalo offered Saul Goodman a lot of money to get him out on bail. But his confession to Kim over the matter made it seem as though he was going to do this by the book for a change.

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But it doesn’t take long for temptation to move the broken in a vastly different direction. And while Jimmy worked to figure out the best deal for Lalo, behind the scenes surprises were preparing to tempt him. For Lalo was still able to bark orders from jail because he’s a Salamanca and that’s just how they do, and he ordered Nacho to burn down one of Fring’s restaurants in retaliation and well, Lalo’s reach and Nacho’s worry for his father prompted Mike and Gus to realize that they needed a new strategy to deal with the Salamanca family. Which meant it was best for Lalo to be back on the streets, feeling as though he was in control and that brought Mike back to Jimmy, so that Saul Goodman could work his magic and get Lalo back out into the world on bail.
 
Which means that Jimmy really did have quite the choice to make. Because the plan was to poke holes in the testimony of the librarian that Mike motivated to reach out to the police, and in doing so, the family of the man who died at Lalo’s hands would have to watch in horror as the system failed them and set a killer free. Something that clearly didn’t sit well with Jimmy McGill. But the chance to shine and to game the system was more than he could resist and that put Saul Goodman in the driver’s seat, and he pulled off the impossible and got the judge to agree to a hefty but payable bond for Lalo. And while there was some guilt present in Jimmy’s heart for pulling off this harrowing and unjust upset, a fiery encounter with Howard reminded us of the fact that bitterness still resides within Jimmy’s heart, the kind that he will undoubtedly feed upon for years to come. 
 
If anything, this was quite the sobering character study, one that was subtle in its exploration of how one poor decision after another is what helped to create the scuzzy legend that is Saul Goodman. But what was more heartbreaking about his ugly decision in this tale, is how quickly he settled into it. Because he was able to shed his humanity in a split second in order to free Lalo and his decisions here will no doubt help in destroying his relationship with Kim in the future, and while we’ve always known their love affair will never work out, how it falls to pieces is important for certain. For this is a grand tragedy chronicling Jimmy’s descent into a boring and hollow existence as Gene and he’s taken a big step toward that here, by rebuffing kindness and love and a chance to heal, all for a paycheck and a chance to be revered. Until next time.

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