Paying The Price

Last night was the 9th episode of the final season of Better Call Saul.  Four more shows left.

Unlike the violence of the past two episodes, the show was quieter, but the consequences for those left standing after 7 and 8 were made clear.  For all the clever plotting, distinctive cinematography, and violence, both Better Call Saul and its predecessor are fundamentally about the choices one makes and the ultimate moral accountability and responsibility for the results.

Mike Ehrmantraut paid a visit to Nacho's father.  Nacho sacrificed himself to save his dad from the cartel and, in the process, gained the respect of the often cynical and detached Mike.  Ehrmantraut felt an obligation to Nacho's dad, in part, because Mike thought he had something in common with the father.  When they met, symbolically separated by a chain link fence, and Mike told of his son's death and that it would be avenged and justice served, Nacho's dad scoffed at him, rejecting the notion of "gangster" judgment and his attempt at consolation, a blow to what little was left of Mike's own sense of honor and self-respect.

 

Having killed the lethal and incredibly charismatic Lalo Salamanca, Gustavo Fring is at his favorite restaurant, enjoying a superb wine at the bar, when a younger man from the restaurant (it's never made clear if he is the sommelier, maitre'd, or some other staff) who knows Gus, engages with him in a relaxed and spirited conversation about wine.  It's the first fully human moment we've ever seen from Gus, after so many years on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.  Gus is on the verge of inviting the young man to his home when he's called away momentarily.  We see Gus composing himself, retreating into his armor, determined not to be tempted into anything that will deter him from the terrible vengeance he seeks against those who did he and his partner wrong years before.  He leaves before the restaurant guy returns.  Gus is back to being utterly alone with his utterly disciplined life, a path leading to his literal destruction in Breaking Bad.

And then we come to Kim Wexler and Jimmy McGill.  The consequences of the "fun" they were having with Howard (who became a much more sympathetic character this year), resulted in Howard's murder, the destruction of his reputation, a terrifying encounter with Lalo, and Kim's willingness to kill someone she did not know in order to save Jimmy.  It's all too much to bear for Kim, who leaves Jimmy.  As the final scene makes clear, Jimmy now finally disappears and Saul Goodman is there permanently.

Where do we go from here?  I suspect we will see more of Gene Takavic, the identity Saul adopted after fleeing Albuquerque at the end of Breaking Bad, to become an Assistant Manager at a Cinnabon in an Omaha mall.  What role will the mysterious taxi driver play?  Is Kim Wexler gone forever or will we see her again?  Will the Better Call Saul team stick the landing at the end?  I wouldn't bet against them.  It is remarkable how, starting from a flimsy premise centered on the most clownish character in the Breaking Bad universe, Better Call Saul created a world with complex characters we care about, even as we are often horrified at the same time.