Plan and Execution

Following Kim's U-Turn, a regroup and a reshoot, the plan to bring Howard down is finally launched. Meanwhile Lalo continues his slow progress towards bringing Gus down and gaining retribution from those who have done him wrong.

Both schemes collide with shocking, dramatic and tragic consequences.

Another fabulous top-drawer episode for mid-season.

I can't put into words how amazing this episode was. Even take out the scene everyone will be talking about, this episode is still perfect. Patrick Fabian gives one hell of a performance that matches Michael McKean's in "Chicanery." The pacing is also nonstop with barley anytime to catch your breath, until the commercials come on. This has easily become one of the best episodes of all television.

The best episode of the show yet. An intense, complex and quite wonderful scam plays out for the most part, and then on top of that there's a twist ending involving the secondary plot which absolutely blows you away. An incredible pay-off to what's come before.

I have no words. Speechless. This episode was brilliantly executed from start to finish, as always, with great pacing.

And then the ending hit and left me with my jaw dropped for about 30 minutes. Scratch that, my jaw is still on the floor as I'm typing this. I'm in shock. WTF.

Thomas Schnauz (Producer, Director and writer) directed this fine achievement in television history, for me it's among the top 10 episodes in Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, "Plan and Execution" has everything an episode of these shows need to have and it's done brilliantly, crafting an episode you could gladly call cinema and art. There's the black comedy, top notch drama, sequences full of suspension and tension but most importantly unpredictability. No spoilers, but to describe the episode in one word, wow is the word I would use.

"Plan and Execution" is a direct continuation to the previous episode and the tension remains after Kim Wexler making that U-Turn to help Jimmy deal with a last-minute snag in their plan. But there's another story arc in the episode, in the show, it's of course the Cartel one. Lalo Salamanca and Gustavo Fring, how will it turn out? There's truly tension and suspension in every scene, and I loved every minute of it. Seeing D-Day happen and the plan Jimmy and Kim made come to fruition, well, I absolutely loved it. It's some of the best writing I've seen in television and really shows how a slow paced serialized show is the best kind of show, because of the satisfaction of watching 10+ episodes of planning and doing. I'm speechless. This was 50 minutes of superb television.

But the acting, what can I say about that? It focused mainly on Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Tony Dalton and Patrick Fabian. Everyone gives a brilliant and memorable performance. But the episode's best performance goes to Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, I think he deserves it, it's award worthy. But there are so many performances worth talking about from Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca to Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman, and of course I have to say that Rhea Seehorn has been killing it this season, bringing performances that deserve all praise and acclaim, for this episode, if Seehorn doesn't get nominated for her work this season, it'll be weird. Tony Dalton and Bob Odenkirk is two others who deserves an award for this season, but especially Tony Dalton. He plays Lalo so calm but yet so ice-cold, Lalo Salamanca have grown to be one of my favorite villains in the show.

The cinematography, editing and direction is three things this show and Breaking Bad have never failed as it's always been consistent in quality, extraordinary quality. You notice it in the wide shots, camera placement and everything else the cinematographer does, brilliantly done. The set design, prop placement and well the overall production design, it's perfect and when they set up the camera in their usual remarkable way, everything just looks amazing. It's a team effort, making each scene work from the director to the actors and everywhere in-between.

"Plan and Execution" is an episode that'll leave you on the edge of your seat, with scenes that'll leave you speechless. Vince Gilligan along with the writing team, truly, phenomenal work. Having a guy like Thomas Schnauz directing the episode, a man with such knowledge of the characters and world, but also a veteran so he knows the actors. You see how this is his finest work, in every scene, every frame. He loves the world of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and we love him for it. He's one of many who have made this show, Better Call Saul, into the best spin-off show. For a Mid-season finale, this was the perfect way to end it, having us eagerly awaiting the second part of the final season, if it's going to be anything close to what we got in S6A, we're going to be in for one hell of a ride.