Better Call Saul 405 – Quite a Ride
Quite a Ride opens with a welcome blast from the past – or future – depending on where in the Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad timeline you’re coming from. The flashback is a reminder that the trajectories of both shows are coming closer in line with one another.
Jimmy has the uncanny ability to con anyone and sell anything once his mind and mouth are in sync. His gambit to move cell phones by selling privacy instead of the phones themselves pays off massively but not without some risk involved. He takes the hustle to a whole new level in an amusing montage to The Crusaders’ Streetlife walking the streets decked out in a tracksuit. Success soon turns to failure when he gets into a situation that even his mouth can’t get him out of.
Mike’s meeting with Gus leads to a new opportunity. He goes through an elaborate scheme to vet a new potential ally. Reaching outside of the U.S. for help in building an underground structure, Mike listens to what the man has to offer before sending him on his way without completing the deal. A second engineer is brought in later on much to Gus’ satisfaction. While the details surrounding the exact nature of the project remains shrouded in mystery, one can speculate that it will become the meth lab that Walter and Jesse will eventually make meth out of once they join forces with Gus.
Kim returns to being a public defender to fill in the down time between working with Mesa Verde. Sharp as ever, Kim strikes a deal to cut her client’s sentence and even doles out some serious advice to the kid before heading off to another meeting. Working for the bank has its benefits but Kim’s heart is in helping people and moonlighting as a public defender fills that void within her. Kim’s return to the courtroom elicits concerns surrounding her commitment to Mesa Verde and creates some cracks in the foundation of her relationship with Paige and Kevin.
Howard’s downward spiral is tough to witness but what makes it even more difficult to bear is that he’s taking Chuck’s passing worse than Jimmy is. Maybe it’s because Howard has a conscience and Jimmy doesn’t – or at least is capable of burying it whenever he needs to. Jimmy’s back on track to regaining his ability to practice law but with the opening scene still fresh in our minds a sense of irony can’t be escaped. It’s almost as though Jimmy’s destiny is to be in turmoil, no matter what path he chooses.
