Margaux and I team up to talk Better Call Saul as season four enters endgame.
Trevor: I knew “Coushatta” was unlikely to start with the gut punch that began last week’s “Something Stupid,” but I prepared for the worst when I noticed how awkward Kim and Jimmy’s interactions are now. So imagine my surprise when this episode turned out to be…kind of fun? It was nearly farcical, and there were a couple moments I actually belly laughed. (Mike and Werner stuff notwithstanding; we’ll get to that, I’m sure.) Granted, I’m sure this is the calm before the storm, and Better Call Saul will inevitably ruin us in the season finale, but overall I really enjoyed “Coushatta.” What’s your take on it?
Margaux: I think I’m still trying to work out how I feel about “Coushatta”. A lot of developments, and it wasn’t not entertaining, but I’m not necessarily sure that SO MUCH time needed to spent in some of the ways it did, like the Babineaux grift felt like it went it on a little too long and built up tensions in ways I don’t know were intentional. I have whiplash from Jimmy and Kim’s relationship, that’s the thing I’m completely sure of. One minute, they’re on the brink of no return and the next they’re having scammers high sex.
Trevor: Yeah, let’s get into the grift, since it takes up so much of the episode. I get such a rush when characters on BCS are just flat-out clever. I love how much the show withholds from the audience, because the reveal is always satisfying. Did it go on too long? Probably, but I have a theory about that.
We know Kim isn’t in Breaking Bad. I know there are some theories floating around that she’s somehow with Jimmy in the BB timeline, but I don’t buy that, because if this creative team is known for one thing, it’s not sloppy storytelling. So I think somehow this grifting she gets such a high from (to use your apt phrase) is going to lead to her death, disbarment, maybe a visit to a vacuum cleaner repairman, who knows. This isn’t a mind-blowing theory, but I appreciate that the show laid the groundwork for it several season ago, because that’s the kind of slow burn that is this show’s hallmark. So even though “Coushatta” was a lighter episode, and even though it put Jimmy and Kim back on good terms (for now), it still kind of left me with a sense of dread. In my notes, I wrote “Jimmy is looking into an abyss,” when he casts that forlorn glance at her as he leaves their apartment. But I think Kim is the one at the precipice. We know Jimmy is a survivor.
Margaux: We don’t really know much about Kim, she’s mostly defined by her ambition to be the best and win, even at a scam. And since it turns out bank law is fucking boring as hell – surprise, and as heartwarming as it is to see her do her D.A. work, it’s still not enough for her. They’ve done a lot of work this season to show Kim at a sort of cross roads in both her career and romantic life, and I hope they give us a little bit of a glimpse into what makes Kim tick. But I agree with you, I don’t think she’s in the BB timeline, and that if she continues with her courtroom grifts, it’ll most likely get her disbarred or worse. And if Chuck isn’t the full on push Jimmy needed to transform into Saul, Kim will most certainly do it.
Trevor: I think it would be lazy of the show to kill off the two most important people in Jimmy’s life, which is why I think Kim’s fate will hit that much harder. I can’t even guess at what it will be, but this time next season I don’t think we’ll be using the name “Jimmy” anymore.
Margaux: That tracks. What about Nacho, what do you think he’ll be doing this time next year?
Was I the only one who was mildly taken aback by how Nacho is currently living? When did this change happen??
Trevor: I felt the same way. I saw that house with his two (2) girlfriends, and I thought, what kind of show reveals this in season four?? Pretty much any time Michael Mando has scenes to himself – which is almost always, because he hasn’t shared the screen with Mike or Jimmy in quite a while – I find myself wishing the show were about him, which I think is high praise for a show with an ensemble this stacked. (To be fair, I think the same thing during Kim scenes. Or Mike scenes.) The fact that he has Canadian IDs for his dad and himself was a nice, sad touch. Mando plays so many emotions so well. He’s not afraid to show us when Nacho is afraid, but he’s never going to go down without a fight. A fight, I think, that is forthcoming, now that Eduardo Salamanca (aka Lalo, first mentioned, but never seen, in season two of Breaking Bad) is literally moving in on his turf.
Margaux: Another question for the room: was I the only one who thought it was Tuco in the kitchen at first and immediately thought, “oh fuck! He’s out of jail!” My reaction still applies to Lalo though. The timing seems sketch, and his proclamation of proficiency for counting money was some shade. Nacho smashed bobo Ali G’s face into the table to get paid on time, what more do you want from him? And what will Lalo think of Hector’s, let’s call it…stalled progress in his recovery? Gus already seems stressed that his super meth lab isn’t coming together as quickly as he hoped, now some Uncle Buck situation with the Salamancas pops up? Gus Fring will not take it kindly I suspect.
Trevor: This whole season has been building to a few things: the turf war; the end of Jimmy; the end of Kim. I think we’ll see all three play out in the next few episodes. I think Gus is angry – in his typical taciturn fashion – at the delays, and I don’t think that bodes well for any of the Salamancas who want to cross him. How did you like all the stuff with the Germans? For as much time as “Coushatta” spent with the Huell grift, it also spent a lot of time down in that hole.
Margaux: Mike probably regrets the company offsite he was reluctant about in the first place, he naturally spent the whole time babysitting grown men at a strip club and dive bar – respectively, trying to keep two drunk idiots from walking off the edge. But I thought as soon as Werner talked about his wife, he dead. Sure, Kai will also die (#KaiSucks), but you don’t go around being the only German in town and talking about pouring concrete in secret and live to tell the tale twice. Sucks cause Mike clearly respects him, and you could draw the parallel between the characters, but I’d rather not instead I’ll repeat myself, that dude is gonna die in that cave. Probably while attempting excavate that massive rock that’s holding everyone up.
Trevor: Oh, I always assumed the Germans were all going to die. I don’t pay much attention to fan theories, because they’re always wrong and stupid (looking at you, Game of Thrones viewers), but one theory I kinda like is that Kai will be the father of Lydia Rodarte-Quayle’s baby. Don’t know how or why it would happen, but hell, why not? I really like the relationship between Mike and Werner (him referring to Mike as “Michael” is an excellent touch), but this show always tells us, nothing good can last. Is there anything else you’d like to touch on, or do you want to slap a star count on this?
Margaux: It was fun to see the film school kids again, “I’ve been taking improv classes” was hilarious, as was Jimmy’s Crawdad Man voice.
“Coushatta” was a bit start-stop for me, but it mostly worked, if only as primer for the inevitable shit storm to come. Huell’s case was unfortunately not as riveting or nearly as thrilling and then instantly depressing as Kim and Jimmy going toe-to-toe with Chuck last season, but what can be? Guess we’ll see.
4/5
PS – the Free Will Baptist Church is a real website and so is the phone number!
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