‘Nacho’ Plot Summary:
Fearing that he may have helped a criminal find his next target, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) warns the Kettleman’s that someone is after there money. When they go missing the following day Tuco’s associate, Nacho Varga (Michael Mando), becomes the prime suspect of the Kettleman’s apparent kidnapping. To avoid certain death, Jimmy has to find the Kettleman’s to clear Varga’s name and before the police start digging into Tuco’s (Raymond Cruz) business.
The entire concept of Better Call Saul is to explore the origin of Saul Goodman, or better yet; how he went from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman. Learning that Saul wasn’t always a hotshot “criminal” lawyer and that he started out as a public defender was an enticing way to start the first few episodes of the series. The one aspect that really stuck out was not Goodman’s past as a lawyer, but McGill’s mysterious past as ‘Slippin Jimmy,’ the con artist.
The opening flashback showed Jimmy’s brother Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) before he became sick. He is visiting a client in prison, which turns out to be a long-haired, younger version of James McGill back when he was ‘Slippin Jimmy.’ Back then Jimmy was the screw-up, Chuck was successful, and they hadn’t spoke in five years. Jimmy pleaded with Chuck to get him out of his current jam, and he promised he would turn his life around. This is the moment ‘Slippin Jimmy’ begins he journey to become a lawyer just like his older brother.
While last week’s episode focused on Tuco and the fall out from the pilot episode, the third episode focused on Jimmy continuing to inadvertently create his own problems. He first tried to be the Craig Kettleman’s (Jeremy Shamos) lawyer when they became a high profile case. Then he tried to scam Betsy Kettleman (Julie Ann Emery) into having him become her lawyer. Tuco’s associate, Nacho then wants Jimmy to find the Kettleman’s stolen money. When Jimmy tries to warn the Kettlemans, but the next day they appear to have been kidnapped and Nacho has been arrested as the police’s only suspect in their disappearance.
“Nacho” was another high intensity episode filled with some of the best moments from the show so far. Tired of Jimmy constantly making excuses and berating him, Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) finally shows off how much of a badass he is and defends himself from Jimmy’s pathetic attempt at being tough. The last scene where Jimmy walks through the Albuquerque desert shows off Gilligan’s love of the New Mexico color palate and while Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are known for their lack of score, he continues to find the most obscure songs that perfectly fit the mood of the scene. For the diehard fan’s that were hesitant to watch Better Call Saul because they thought it wouldn’t come close to the greatness of Breaking Bad; I suggest you start watching because you are missing the best show on television.
Rating: 9/10
==================================================================================================
Al Mannarino is the managing editor for Pop-Break. He is also host of the News Over Brews Podcast, Loot Care Unboxed, Backstage Break, and the producer of Behind the Brews. He graduated Rowan University with a degree in Radio/TV/Film & History and is currently a Promotions Assistant for Clear Channel Media + Entertainment. When he isn’t writing he is either trying to build his own TARDIS or taking a nap. Follow him on Twitter: @almannarino
==================================================================================================
