In last week’s episode, we saw the return of Lalo Salamanca in Germany. He was at his charming best when attempting to woo Margarethe to gain vital proof that Gus is plotting against the Salamancas. Tony Dalton was outstanding during the scenes with Werner‘s widow, Margarethe. We saw Gus’s paranoia increase as he hid a gun at the Superlab as reassurance against the specter of Lalo, which continuously stalks him. What will happen next in Jimmy and Kim’s continued attack on Howard Hamlin? Will Jimmy find out Kim has been keeping secrets from him? Better Call Saul: Axe and Grind, lights, camera, action!
Jimmy and Kim vs Howard
Jimmy and Kim’s planned take down moves into its final phase (D-Day). The smear campaign against Howard appears only to be a small part of their overall plan. The scheming against Howard takes another elaborate turn this week with the reintroduction of Dr Caldera, the veterinarian who side hustles by offering medical assistance for those who don’t want to go down the legal route. Caldera seemingly administers a drug to Jimmy. What drug is it? Is this all part of their D-Day plan?
Jimmy and Kim also seem particularly interested in the contents of Dr Caldera’s little black book. Better Call Saul: Axe and Grind began showing a flashback of a young Kim breaking the law. Her Mum appears immensely proud of Kim despite her breaking the law. Could this early insight into her life show the reason for Kim’s veering from the righteous path?
We see Kim and Jimmy enjoying a romantic picnic outside the HHM offices as the episode draws to a close. Earlier in Axe and Grind, we saw a peek at Kim and Jimmy’s planned timeline of their Howard take down. As they crossed off the last day before D-Day, we see a post-it note, which presents what seems to be an explosion. What do they have in store for Howard?
Lalo Salamanca
After wowing the audience with his best Casanova impression in last week’s episode, Lalo is back again and still in Germany, but we see a different side to him here. Lalo shows he gets what he wants no matter who stands in his way. He tracks down Casper, an old colleague of Werner‘s. Casper instantly takes a disliking to Lalo and retreats into his cabin – and a game of cat and mouse begins! Casper proves to be a match for Lalo in the beginning. But Lalo quickly gains the upper hand with the help of an axe, which proves to be a painful grind for poor Casper. Lalo makes it clear he wants information on Gus and the Meth Superlab. Before the scene cuts away, it’s clear whatever information Casper has, Lalo will be doing everything in his power to extract that information.
Trouble in Paradise
Some of the show’s regulars are going through difficult times. Howard Hamlin seemingly has it all with the big law firm and fancy car. We finally get a glimpse of Howard’s home life. The material side of his house shows us that he’s loaded! But it’s a cold house devoid of affection. Howard and his wife Cheryl are seemingly going through a break-up/trial separation. Whatever the situation is, we see a more vulnerable side to Howard as he looks hurt by the distance between himself and his wife.
There’s a moment where we see the true extent of how much Mike loves his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. He tells them he’s out of town on work but Mike is sneaking back to his own house after removing most of the security detail supplied by Gus. He’s seemingly doing this to keep his family safe from Lalo. As the camera pulls away, we see Mike looking solemn, staring out the window. Is this the moment Mike realizes he wants out?
Saul and Francesca are struggling to find common ground as the new law office looks more like a fancy hotel than a waiting room. Away from the decor, Jimmy convinces Francesca to pose as the daughter of a sand-piper client and call the HHM office, which makes her uncomfortable. The Francesca we see in Breaking Bad is a broken-down, bitter receptionist, and it’s sad to see her spirit broken by working for Saul. She is openly proud of her involvement in the decoration of Saul’s office. Her uneasiness after the sand-piper call is followed by sheer disgust as they walk in on one client, relieving himself in a water feature in Saul’s office.
What’s to come?
Next week is the mid-season finale of the final season of Better Call Saul. This season has thoroughly explored every story arc brilliantly and in great detail. Next week’s episode seems like it will centre around D-Day! [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”c77m0pw8oj” question=”What do you think Kim and Jimmy’s plan for Howard is?” opened=”0″]Will Kim and Jimmy pull off their master plan?[/wpdiscuz-feedback] We see Kim give up a brilliant opportunity during Better Call Saul: Axe and Grind, so everything is seemingly riding on D-Day for Kim. Will Lalo get closer to Gus? Whatever happens next week, it promises to be an episode to remember!
Check out our review of Under the Banner of Heaven.
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