Margaux and I reunite to talk about last night’s predictably great installment of Better Call Saul.
Trevor: One thing (of many) that I liked about “Breathe” was that it allowed Giancarlo Esposito to show just how scary Gus Fring can be when he needs to be. Don’t get me wrong, there are no viewers of Better Call Saul who are unafraid of Gus – we’ve all seen Breaking Bad, presumably – but he’s such a multifaceted character that for most of his run on BCS we’ve gotten responsible Gus, who toes the line. Gus is a formidable adversary because he’s fearless and cautious in equal measure. Esposito commands the screen whenever he’s on it, and can breathe life into lines that other actors would turn into laughable overacting: “I decide what he deserves.” Anyway, before I steamroll this whole review talking about Gus, I’ll step back and ask how you liked “Breathe.”
Margaux: Honestly, I almost forgot how terrifying Gus Fring can be, how calculating and ice cold he is at his core. Making Nacho watch Ponytail (don’t know his name, but his hair style clearly left an impression) suffocate to death was morbid jolt that re-established the stakes after a kind of sleepy front half of an episode. Gus practically spitting out “You’re mine now” sent a chill down my spine. Whether Nacho will be the vacuum repair guy’s first customer or worse, dead, he is nowhere near as out as he sadly lies about to his Dad at the top “Breathe.”
Trevor: That scene was heartbreaking, full of the loaded dialogue that is this show’s hallmark. Nacho’s dad won’t even speak to his son, even after being assured that “it’s over.” The relationship has changed irrevocably; he’s seen a side of his son that no father should see. BCS brings such humanity to its smaller characters – I can’t recall the name of Nacho’s dad, but that little scene played like a scene out of David Simon or Anton Chekhov.
Margaux: Exactly, and that’s why I hate the lazy criticism of Better Call Saul, that you already “know” what happens so what’s the point. The point is that the two best plotlines and character moments didn’t come the titular character, but two side players who you never even meet in Breaking Bad.
Trevor: And what a revelation is Michael Mando as Nacho. I always assumed he’d die before BB, but I like your idea that he could go to New Hampshire or Nebraska…part of the heartbreak of this show is that we grow so attached to characters we’ve never met before, and start coming up with reasons that Nacho, or Kim, might make it out okay. Nacho in a lot of ways is the fourth lead of this show (now that Chuck is dead; I don’t count Howard or Gus as lead roles).
Margaux: The complete and utter darkness Nacho is framed in while speaking to his father – beautifully directed by the badass Michelle MacLaren! – really made me think he was going to die at the end of this episode; in a lot of ways, his fate is so much worse. Forcibly employed by Gus Fring, a man whose prefered murder method is a PLASTIC BAG AND THE PASSAGE OF TIME.
Speaking of questionable employment, what the fuck is Jimmy doing? He’d be a perfect printer salesman (he definitely used that model of color printer to make fake $5 bills, right?), but I thought his turn on Charlie’s Uncle from It’s Always Sunny was almost hilarious. “I could be a serial killer, or a guy who pees in your coffee. I could be both!” Except I think he’s starting to unravel.
Trevor: “You guys are like a couple of cats!” God, how good was Bob Odenkirk in that scene? I find myself lately just really admiring the sheer amount of character work going on in actors’ faces and voices. Jimmy needs the job, so he goes to talk Mr. Neff into hiring him, but in doing so realizes that he doesn’t want the job. Odenkirk wrings black comedy out of Jimmy’s confidence, which barely hides his desperation – or is it the other way around? I think that scene, more than a lot of others, was the beginning of his transformation into Saul Goodman. He just pulled off a small, no-stakes con (getting a job offer in five minutes), which isn’t surprising, considering he once convinced a woman he was Kevin Costner. I think if Jimmy can’t be a lawyer – and he saw how trying to do good blew up in his face, like in the Sandpiper case – he might as well be a really good crook. Which is why he’s planning a Hummel figurine heist, and is there anything more Jimmy McGill than stealing a porcelain tchotchke?
Margaux: If you think about it, Jimmy’s interview, pre and post, was basically one long monologue. Odenkirk talks for, like, five minutes straight. His linguistic Olympics during that interview was a glimpse into the window of what’s to come. Can’t say I’m too thrilled at the idea of a subplot around stealing an Alpine Shepherd Boy porcelain, but it is one hundred percent on brand for Jimmy. I think what rubbed me the wrong way is that it’s not even worth that much money. Eight grand? That’s it? And you’ve gotta cut Mike in on it? That’s loss chasing after loss. I know, for Jimmy, it’s more of the thrill of the heist than anything, but it feels so risky for not enough of payoff. Other than watching Jimmy get pie in face. Again.
Trevor: It’s definitely short-sighted. Some parts of “Breathe” felt almost like wheel-spinning, but – and hear me out here – that’s not necessarily a bad thing with this show. Better Call Saul isn’t afraid to be episodic, because it’s earned its audience’s trust. This shit always pays off in the end, and for three straight seasons now, we’ve gotten to the finale, looked at the totality of the season, and had the same “Holy shit” reaction. So even in place-setting episodes like this, I’m willing to give Gilligan and Gould the benefit of the doubt. Or maybe I’m just too much of a fan and I need to couch my criticism in cautious optimism. Both are equally likely.
Margaux: I think “Breathe” is also indicative of what this episode represents, a bit of a breather before everything goes haywire. It seemed to set up all the conflicts we’ll be dealing with this season. I have to say though, Kim was breathing straight fire when she went into Howard’s office on Jimmy’s behalf. First of all, I feel like a real idiot for buying into Howard’s crocodile tears last week; Kim is right, he came over to dump feelings all over Jimmy and restore the rightful order of things, not find empathy And got to love the double middle fingers from Chuck from beyond the grave; between the incontestable five thousand dollars and surely emotionally upsetting letter, Chuck is forever an asshole. Seat on a board, dig through your dead brothers partly burned garage, no wonder Jimmy opted out of that miserable meeting and chose to dupe a bunch of turds into hiring him.
Trevor: Man, when I saw that scene I was once again marvelling at the characterization of Howard Hamlin – who I genuinely believe is a character worthy of study in screenwriting courses – but you’ve kind of swayed me. Maybe Jimmy saw the writing on the wall – I’m sure Kim did, too. It was great to see Rhea Seehorn fully unleashed. She does anger better than most actors on TV, because it’s more than just yelling. Kim’s anger comes from a place of deep hurt, and this is the most protective she’s ever been of Jimmy. Are they TV’s weirdest power couple? Hard to say, but yes.
Margaux: They make no sense, and total sense together. Poor Jimmy, I wonder how he ruins that relationship, I’m genuinely steeling myself for the inevitable implosion of Kimmy (Jimmy and Kim).
And if we can give awards for best scenes in a TV episode, I’d have to give it to the nearly Coen-esque exchange between the twins and Nacho/RIP Ponytail in the hospital over Tio Hector. It was the only other time I laughed (the other time was Jimmy berating those printer execs during his interview).
Trevor: Coen-esque is a great way to describe that scene. I’ve never liked the twins; they’re far too comic book-y for this milieu, and when they’re supposed to be intimidating, their matching suits just make them kind of funny to me. But they were well-used here, spurring Ponytail to keep talking, cause Lord knows they weren’t going to. And through it all, you saw just how screwed Nacho is, because this show is incredibly adept at balancing tones. If someone asked, “Was the scene funny or tense?” you would have to answer “Yes.”
Margaux: With that perfect summation, I think we’ve sucked all the air outta this episode, unless there’s something else you wanna talk about?
Trevor: I could definitely spend 2,000 more words talking about Gus, but let’s save that for the Slack chat. And also start a Slack chat. Right after we talk stars.
Margaux: Please don’t say Slack chat around me, it’s very triggering. “Breathe” is a solid four star episode, two stars for Nacho playing himself, and two stars for Kim going off on Howard.
4/5
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