‘Better Call Saul’ Recap: ‘Plan and Execution’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 607 of ‘Better Call Saul’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Over the course of the past six years, fans of the AMC series, Better Call Saul, have been eagerly waiting for one… singular… incredibly important moment. Wherein we watch James Morgan McGill, abandon everything that makes him good and moral and kind so that he will embrace the dark persona he created, Saul Goodman. And we’ve waited for that moment with such enthusiasm because it will signal the beginning of a powerful journey. One that will take Saul on an incredible and dangerous, and heartbreaking ride, once he allies with the iconic Walter White. But what’s incredible, is that this series has yet to deliver that moment… in the slightest.
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Sure, it’s given us the moment Jimmy chose the name, and when he even picked out his future place of business. But we’ve never seen… the moment. And there is good reason for that, and that reason is what makes this show so special and powerful. For this is a series that has taken the time to educate and inform us that a fall from grace, like Jimmy is about to experience, doesn’t have a singular moment of transformation. Where he will magically become Saul Goodman and just decide that skirting the law is the way to go. No instead, this show has proven time and time again, that a journey into darkness comes to fruition by way of a series of poor choices, the kind that dig the hole deeper and deeper, and are bookended by dark moments that transform us fundamentally and well, it just so happens that the final mid-season finale of this powerful series, hammered that point home again in the most unique manner possible.

Because ‘Plan and Execution’ is a story, that appeared as though it was going to go in a vastly different direction, tonally. Because despite coming to learn that the mediating judge had a broken arm and time was running out to pull their plan together, Jimmy and Kim pooled their resources and gave it their all and accomplished wonders. By reassembling their creative team and their actor to snap photographs of ‘the judge’ as he appeared to take one hell of a bribe from Jimmy McGill. Photographs that revealed that Howard’s prized private investigator, was in fact, working with Jimmy and Kim and of course… he was able to sell the conspiracy and even help our dynamic duo to drug Howard briefly with the agent Jimmy and Kim were checking out at the vet’s office. 

Which meant, all the pieces were in play and once everyone was assembled for the mediation, this incredible long con came together in a stunning and powerful manner. For once the judge sat down, and the drug took hold… Howard Hamlin basically lost control. For he accused the judge of taking a bribe from Jimmy, and of course went off about who was taking the time to sabotage this and why, and when he tried to produce evidence of his accusations… well… he was instead presented with photographs that showed that Jimmy was involved in acts of kindness in the park. Making Howard look quite the fool, with everyone that was important to this case in the room no less, and well… that led to the biggest win that Jimmy and Kim have ever experienced in their lives. 

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Because shortly after that debacle… Richard Schweikart made on behalf of Sandpiper, a quick and final offer. One born out of the embarrassment of Howard’s blow-up, and if Cliff and HH & M didn’t agree to take it, the offer would drop precipitously overnight. Which meant… that Cliff not only had to have a little chat with Howard about his behavior, but he had to take control of the case and the settlement, which the group was forced to take. And just like that, Howard Hamlin, the revered and cocky lawyer that made life hell for Kim Wexler and Jimmy McGill… suffered the biggest loss of his professional career and made Jimmy and Kim… rich beyond their wildest dreams.
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Which is what made this story so unique. Because this was in essence, a happy ending. For Jimmy and Kim won and could finally enjoy life with a little financial security behind them and they could of course… feel good in the knowledge that the greatest villain they had ever known, was defeated at last. A move that made it appear that the true origin of Jimmy and the reveal of where Kim is at in Breaking Bad would relate to other matters down the line, possibly a rematch. Since Howard did show up to their doorstep, drunk, to express to them he knew of their plans and was going to spend years if necessary, bringing them to justice for the scam they pulled on him today. But alas, that’s really when this show took the time to remind us of the theme at hand and that it will be several dark mitigating factors that brings Jimmy and Kim’s fate to light.

Such as say… wanton murder from a man with nothing to lose. For Lalo Salamanca returned to Albuquerque in this tale and found himself in a tough place when he accidentally alerted Gus to his presence. And that brought him to the McGill/Wexler homestead to have a little chat and to end Howard’s life. Simply because he wanted the complete attention of the room and to establish that he was playing for keeps this time around and any nonsense that kept him from his goal of revenge would end in a similar manner. A silent statement that leaves us worried for the fate of Kim and of course, the mental state of Jimmy McGill. Worries that won’t be resolved until the show returns for the second half of season six.

But what matters more, is that this was a masterful way to show us how… baby steps are what leads us to Saul’s arrival. Because every mistake he’s made, every bad choice he’s ever put forth… are beginning to pile up and sour his soul and darken him. As are the losses that are beginning to line up in front of him, since Howard is now added to the litany of the dead that have impacted Jimmy’s mental state, and this too, just brings him one step closer to the formation of Saul Goodman. Since this horrible moment hammers home the reality that the choice to be a friend of the cartel, regardless of how lucrative… came with a price. One that will help Saul to exist and exude the ruthless and icy nature he has when working with Walter White and it will be fascinating to see if his development toward his new persona accelerates after this horrible incident, when Better Call Saul returns to the airwaves for six final episodes on July 11. Until next time.   

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Moments before disaster.

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