The first part of the Better Call Saul Season 6 has come to an end with the midseason finale
The Transition into Breaking Bad
So of the many routes that they could have taken with the midseason finale of Better Call Saul. Many people predicted how Howard would meet his end, and that him and Lalo would be two character arcs that the show joined. We got two complete opposite sides of Better Call Saul meeting in the middle with that of the cartel and the law.
Both of these structures have been getting ever so closer to each other as the seasons have gone by, and it's something that has symbolised the gradual transformation of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman. It all built up to the explosive moment at the end of episode 7 and now it's quite clear that the show has put two firm feet in the world of Breaking Bad. The first 7 episodes successfully developed the central story, taking the two primary narrative structures and slamming them together in a fitting, yet brutal way, and it signals that the final 6 episodes will have the most extreme consequences yet. They've built on the immense tension that surrounds the world of Breaking Bad being ever so close to completely taking over the lives of the characters that have entertained us for many years.
The greater humour of this show has been a more relaxing element for us in watching the cons of Jimmy and also Kim escalate further and further. But there was always going to be a point in this show where the seriousness of the overall situation would finally be obvious to the audience. If the tragic death of Nacho Varga earlier in the season wasn't a clear sign of that happening, then the shocking death of Howard Hamlin is the final headshot to make that clear.
Who would of thought at the start of this show that the writing would make us truly sympathise for Nacho or Howard the way we do now after their recent deaths. Deeper into their inner- turmoil, like with Howard who was barely able to hide behind his confident lawyer status once we see into his personal issues at home. Add in that Jimmy and Kim commited to completely burning his reputation and we learn that this season is one that will make us truly see that what Chuck was saying about Jimmy is totally true. He will hurt everyone around him.
And I think this is the central idea that the end of this show is eventually going to answer. Will Jimmy Mcgill finally break that loop, and in turn the one of Slipping Jimmy and Saul Goodman? Will he find the inner- Mcgill that he can be and eventually do the right thing? The fact that the answer is so unpredictable, especially when we know that he takes up Saul Goodman full time in Breaking Bad, makes the writing of this show so masterful. It sets up the perfect ending with part 2 in that we'll finally know how Jimmy will resolve his lifetime choices on bad choice road.
Jimmy and Kim are now fully in, they can't escape it, and we know that more bad is going to happen then good. But yet we still have no idea of what that entails for a few of these characters and whether Jimmy will overcome the problems he's always faced. The ending could be a message of him never being able to do that just like his brother claimed or it could end in a way which shows that he does change but still faces the consequences for it.
Episode 7 Had A Genius Twist Ending
Season 6 Part 1 is one of the final nails in the coffin when it comes to demonstrating how well the have executed this story. When it started we didn't think that a prequel show to a character that we already knew what happened too would be all that interesting. It's a huge feat that Peter Gould, Vince Gillian and all the writers involved have pulled off with Better Call Saul, what they have set up can be quite extraordinary. The show's amazing villain in Tony Dalton's Lalo, is someone we of course know is not around in Breaking Bad, yet Plan and Execution gives him a lifeline.
In the moment that he spots a cockroach in the sewer, it recalls back to last season's 'Bagman' episode, where Lalo told Kim that nothing was going to happen to Jimmy because he’s a survivor like a cockroach. And with Lalo already knowing exactly where to find him and realising that Gus has tapped the call to his uncle Hector, there's only one option to turn too. In addition, there's many other examples of symbolic occurance that the writers have shown, only for us to forget. Whether it be the flashback of how Kim's mother was scarily like her and that life had been embedded within her from an early age or the symbolic reference of the bottle top lying in the corner of the road and being left behind as Jimmy brought it to celebrate in episode 6.
Or the added symbolic colours in the characters clothing, like how Kim has major shirt changes to symbolise her greater affiliation with Saul. It's stuff that has been so geniously designed and increasingly placed, making us think over and over about how this show and it's individual characters will come to an end. Like do the shadows in scenes with Kim, whether it be the blinds at the window or so on, suggest that she will eventually go to jail. We don't know if that's the case, but it's the smaller details and the extent that the creators have gone to when putting together Better Call Saul, that makes it the best show on TV. It's calls for re watching it after it's finished to see all the connections, what they mean and then also revisit Breaking Bad. Season 6 may be the best season yet when it comes to hinting this stuff and it's only fitting in a season full of tension and complete transition when it comes to going from the world of Better Call Saul into the world of it's predecessor.
Better Call Saul Could Have The Perfect Ending
Howard’s death means that Better Call Saul has reached a point of no return and with Kim and Jimmy now being deeply involved in Albuquerque’s criminal underworld, the legal sides of this show are fading by the minute. The slow build over the seasons and particularly this one have been foreshadowing that the entire time. We've seen the origin of characters like Mike, Jimmy and Kim, go from flawed individuals into those increasingly embarking down bad choice road. And we've seen greater complexities and fears with characters like Gus, Hector and Nacho. And aside from the mental effects that I'm sure Howard’s death will have on our main characters who are still alive, the impact of cartel- related conflicts will create even more desperation for Jimmy and Kim. While we know that Jimmy is the cockroach that survives into the events of Breaking Bad, we still have many questions.
What happens to Kim? How does Lalo die and what does it mean for the future?And how does Saul become the way he is future timelines?
With Howard now lying dead on Jimmy and Kim's apartment floor and us having all of these other questions, the writers have made us desperate for answers. So now, they have 6 episodes to deliver on pretty much all of this, and while on the surface it seems like a monumental task, I think they've proven with every twist, major death or incident, that sometimes the truth full answer is the right choice. The outcomes always have a purpose and there's never a doing this simply to create a twist. The twist comes and works because it's something you'd never imagine, yet it feels so right for what the show has been tackling and trying to say. The death of Howard is what the entirety of Episode 7 and this show has been giving context for, and that is that us and the characters have fully entered the criminal landscape. I have confidence that they will stay true to the characters left and give us an ending that is right for the journeys they've been on. With all that went down in part 1, we can only imagine what's waiting for us in part 2.
Better Call Saul Season 6 Part 1 Review
The start of this season has been quite the masterclass in how to write television. Any show can turn out disappointing, but I think along with Breaking Bad, this is one of the rare examples. They know how to hit the landing, but it's very rare that we get the same writers hit gold twice in a row. I think that just speaks to how great of a job they've done so far with Better Call Saul, and I'm very confident that the ending of season 6 will be worth it.
Overall, Better Call Saul Season 6 Part 1 is the beginning of the end that indicates an even stronger part 2 with many unexpected events on the way. With top tier performances, gorgeous cinematography and perfect storytelling, Better Call Saul is on the path to being one of the best TV shows.
what are your thoughts on all the events that went down and what do you think will happen come the end of this fantastic show?
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