Vlayer

An extremely tense final scene that elevates an otherwise fine episode. It's a bit disappointing because Kim is my favorite character on this show, and I definitely wanted to see her back, but so much time was spent on establishing her current life situation and little was spent on actually furthering her story. One has to also wonder how her actions will play into the finale, since the final scene involves a much more immediate threat.

The cameo in this episode, while fun, also lacks the substance like in the previous episode, where the flashbacks served as a parallel to the Gene timeline. As for the Gene timeline, it was clear that Jimmy was on a self-destructive path, but the numerous fake-outs and cheap tension can feel like wasted time. I'm excited for the finale, but that's more so because I love the show as a whole, while this episode I merely liked.

Two different stories told in parallel that ultimately tell a singular tale, that of Jimmy McGill. This is a fun companion piece to the "Better Call Saul" episode of Breaking Bad, but it's primarily an exploration into who Jimmy is, and what he wants to do in his life.

To him, the normal life of Gene Takovic is his grave and so he does everything he can to get out of it, even though he fully knows where it might lead him. What's especially curious is that this episode doesn't really show him enjoy what he does, instead the montage shows him just going through the motions. In "Nippy" the tone around his scamming was more lighhearted and nostalgic with throwbacks to simpler days, but here it feels like an addiction, something he just has to do.

The episode is clearly setting up the potential downfall of Gene Takovic, while showing us what ignited the downfall of Saul Goodman. Jimmy knows this as well, and yet he forcefully goes through with his plans anyway. Could it be that he wants to get caught? I'm really looking forward to what comes next.

Having this follow Fun and Games, an episode where we see Jimmy's world fall apart and then tragically reintroduce Saul Goodman, makes this episode feel lackluster in comparison.

The plot of the episode is enjoyable in its own self-contained way, but the way it furthers Gene's character is a bit redundant because we've established how he longs to go back to his old life in previous Gene scenes, watching his old tapes and yelling at the kid to get a lawyer.

The core of this episode also doesn't resonate quite as well as it could have, because the somewhat comedic and nostalgic vibes of seeing a scam be executed is contrasted with how awful and tragic the events of Plan and Execution - Fun and Games are.

As its own episode, it's decent and enjoyable. However within the context that it is placed, in the final homestretch of the series, it does feel disappointing.