AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff/prequel series is back, and Better Call Saul has reached a turning point for its title character. The last time we saw Jimmy McGill, he had one last falling out with his older brother, Chuck, before finding some semblance of peace with his girlfriend, Kim Wexler. Shortly thereafter, Chuck committed suicide by breaking a lantern in his home and letting himself be engulfed by the flames.
It’s Not All Good, Man
Before we get back to the past, it’s time for our yearly check-in with Cinnabon Gene, Jimmy/Saul’s post-Breaking Bad alter ego. Way back at the beginning of season 3, it looked like Gene had either suffered a nervous breakdown or a heart attack. The good news is that Gene was physically fine, even though his every waking moment was still filled with fear that his identity would be uncovered. He’s so terrified that it was difficult to tell if the cab driver from Albuquerque recognized him as Saul Goodman or if Gene was just being paranoid. Guess we’ll have to wait until season 5 to find out!
Madrigal Mike
Once again, Mike was practically off in his own world for his part of the show. Believe it or not, this was the lighthearted part of the episode, as Mike refused to simply take the laundered money from Madrigal. Instead, he pulled off a Breaking Bad-style heist that involved swiping a security badge, some light car sabotage, and a thorough investigation of Madrigal’s lackluster security. Mike even got to weigh in on a hypothetical battle between Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali, with the ever important question: “Does Bruce Lee have a gun?”
Nervioso Nacho
For someone who badly wanted Hector out of the way, you’d think that Nacho would be a much happier man. Instead, he’s so obviously nervous about ditching Hector’s placebo pills that he’s now squarely on Gus Fring’s radar.
Not. Smart.
It’s probably the reason that Gus has Victor following Nacho around. And if Nacho was hoping for an escape from the drug cartel’s grasp then he received a rather rude awakening. If anything, Nacho’s in deeper than ever.
“That’s Your Cross To Bear”
As for Jimmy, he spent most of the episode in shock and deeply depressed about his brother’s demise. Not even Kim could cheer him up. Howard was nursing his own grief for Chuck before he confessed his sins to Jimmy and Kim. Howard explained that Chuck got over his humiliation fairly quickly before telling the couple about their falling out over the law firm’s insurance. What Howard didn’t know is that Jimmy was directly responsible for that conflict, since he tipped off the insurance company about Chuck’s condition.
Howard clearly felt guilty about his role in Chuck’s death, but what he really wanted to hear was that it was alright or that it wasn’t his fault. But Jimmy didn’t even give him a kind word. He just let Howard keep on believing it was his fault while suddenly regaining his chipper attitude. Kim was so shocked at Jimmy’s callousness that she couldn’t even say anything. It was another milestone moment for Jimmy’s transformation into Saul.
What did you think about the season premiere of Better Call Saul? Let us know in the comment section below!
