Better Call Saul - S5E2: 50%`Off
BETTER CALL SAUL - AMC + SONY50% Off sees multiple character arcs cohesively brought together in a tightly packed episode. It never feels muddled, but rather more digestible and captivating than many lesser hours of television where they try to juggle too many elements as competently as they can.
Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) finally makes the first move: Nacho (Michael Mando) moves to gain the trust of Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) after his father’s fate is threatened by Fring. A series of unfortunate and comedic events give him way, leading to a small action set-piece that is made ever more entertaining by Lalo’s laid-back commentary of the situation. However, that’s not the only exciting thing that bares fruit in his circumstances as It becomes more evident that Nacho is the thread that connects Jimmy’s and Fring’s storylines together. The contrast between the crime world and the lawyer world often feels jarring in Better Call Saul. They’re two separate entities with their own personality, and they have never truly melded with each other even though they take place in the same universe. Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to see how the writers blend these conflicting tones together in the subsequent episodes.
Fring’s other pawn, Mike (Jonathan Banks), has been set aside, after shutting down the Superlab construction and sending the German engineers’ home. But that doesn’t mean he can catch a break. He is asked to babysit his granddaughter and it doesn’t go well. Jonathan Banks usually plays the character with stoic emotion, but he’s able to communicate a lot when he’s given material to express. So, when the weight of Mike’s past actions come crashing down on his mental state so much so that he takes his rage out on his granddaughter, he damn well delivers in this terribly harsh moment.
However, it’s not just Nacho and Mike whose lives are visibly hectic. Jimmy “Saul Goodman” McGill (Bob Odenkirk) has now initiated his legal services with his forty-five clients. While that might sound like a hassle, writer Alison Hatlock makes it clear that our protagonist is just glad to be back in the courthouse after a year-long hiatus. 50% Off doesn’t waste any time as he himself navigates through his cases. The series can be quite playful and breezy when it needs to be, and this episode shows it. Director Norberto Barba coordinates a series of walk-and-talk tracking shots that makes this life of being a lawyer look fascinatingly cool and vibrant. Bob Odenkirk’s charming persona always elevates whenever he’s onscreen — even in the slower — but evenly hysterical sequence that showcase how much of a con man he still is. Saul Goodman has officially emerged.
Meanwhile, a ghost from the past has suddenly appeared. A reminder of Saul’s former self, Howard (Patrick Fabian) shows up in the courthouse and invites him up for lunch. Through Odenkirk’s subtle facial expressions, it seems like Jimmy is still somewhere in the thick, cunning skull of his.
