Carrot and Stick

Co-Creator, Vince Gilligan returns in the director chair with an episode that's possibility among one of the best episodes in Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, "Carrot and Stick" has everything an episode of these shows need to have and it's done brilliantly. There's comedy, drama, sequences full of suspension and tension but most importantly unpredictability.

"Carrot and Stick" is a direct continuation to the previous episode and the tension remains. The next part of Saul Goodman and Kim Wexler's plan puts into motion, that story arc brings characters from the first season back into the show, thus resolving that plot point. But the story arc that left me speechless was Nacho's and the cartel arc, the suspense was held throughout the entire movie with its music, direction and cinematography, but also the editing. The cinematography, editing and direction is three things the show like Breaking Bad have never failed as it's always been consistent in quality, extraordinary quality. "Carrot and Stick" 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.

But the acting, what can I say about that? Every single actor from Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito and Rhea Seehorn. Everyone gives a brilliant and memorable performance. But the episode's best performance goes to Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, a role he was born to do, and he have shown award worthy performances in each season, "Carrot and Stick" is one of the actor's best.

I'm rewatching the whole series and I'm nothing but impressed about the connection of all the universe Vince & Peter gave to us. Even the tittle and what it's about gets kinda foreshadowed in S2 E2 when Mike is talking to Nacho in his father's business.

The acting of the whole crew its perfect, the photography, the ocasional music, it's just a step forward in every direction that they toke while making BB. This season might be my favorite out of the six but the other five are top tier as well

Simply amazing, nothing like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul has been created and I'm sure it won't be created for a long time.

Someone complained in both the trivia and a review that people were rating this and the previous episode a 10/10 before the episodes had aired. Indeed that is correct, people with AMC+ membership got early access, it doesn't mean they didn't see it.

Anyway, 10/10, amazing as always.

I'm not going to gloss over details, as other reviewers have probably already have done that and better. But what I will say, is that the impending doom of Kim's fate is edging closer and closer.

People were moaning mid series that this did become the Kim Wexler show and in a way, they are correct. Just as much as the show is about Jimmy McGill transforming into Saul Goodman, it is a show about how Kim keeps on getting seduced by Saul's schemes. She keeps saying her professional life and career is getting better and and in the previous episode described to Jimmy it was "The best professional day in her life", but it is Saul's diabolical plans that she can't say no to.

5 seasons of build up and we are going to see not just the decline of ol' Slipping' Jimmy, but the decline of brutal legal lawyer Kim Wexler. The carrot is in fact dangling in front of her.

This season will hold up as the best we've ever seen from Vince Gilligan, let me tell you. The cinematography is always on point, the writing always so well done for each character and tensions rising throughout. The camera looms around softly sometimes just as the storytelling unravels. It's beautiful. All I can say for the rest of the season is- Hold on to yer Butts!

Wonderful to see the Kettlemans return, again to be manipulated by Kim and Jimmy and we see Kim's Mr Hyde re-emerge as the stick to Jimmy's carrot. The fragrant Julie Ann Emery is delightful as Betsy, nailing a range of emotions from rage to submission.

The gunfight scene is fabulous, both as a spectacle and for its impact on the story.

A superb second episode with both Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn hitting their stride.