Better Call Saul 408 – Coushatta
For Nacho crime does pay, at least from outward appearances. In reality behind the power, girls, cars and money lies a man carrying a heavy burden. Being the heavy to make sure money is coming into the business as it should be is the least of Nacho’s worries. What really has him under pressure is the exit strategy he has planned to extricate him from Gus’ grip. A pair of Manitoba I.D. cards featuring Nacho and his father suggests Canadian winters may be in their future but only if everything goes according to plan.
All work and no play makes engineers dull boys forcing Mike to supervise a night out on the town with the crew charged with building the superlab. Strippers and table dances aren’t for everyone though leaving Werner to ponder other things. Mike notices Werner’s lack of interest and they soon find themselves at a bar bonding over a beer and family legacies. Trouble’s brewing on a couple of fronts however and Mike realizes he’s more of a babysitter than a manager.
The fissures in Jimmy and Kim’s relationship subtly grow wider as their trajectories continue to veer away from each other. Jimmy’s bus trek across state lines to correct some past misdeeds is noble but also highlights how he and Kim are operating on different levels. Preoccupied with Mesa Verde’s business and Huell’s case has Kim operating at the top of her game and Jimmy’s dishonesty and schemes sours him in her eyes even further. This isn’t lost on Jimmy and when he’s offered some sage advice on how to win her back the emptiness in his voice underscores the reality that their relationship may never be the same.
Coushatta, named after a town in Louisiana is one of the funnier episodes in Better Call Saul’s stellar run. Jimmy’s ruse features several call backs and payoffs for setups that have been sprinkled throughout recent episodes. Jimmy’s penchant for burning bridges is perhaps only slightly less impressive than his ability to rebuild them. Jimmy being Jimmy however means that he’s inevitably going to go to the well once too often and it will ultimately contribute to his downfall. He may have company in his continued journey over the line though as he’s not the only one in his orbit turned on by unsavoury dealings.
Another player, present in the final frames of Coushatta arrives to pose some potential complications for Nacho and at some point down the line, Gus. This new wrinkle along with the narrative twists in the episode creates some uncertainty as the season winds down.
