Better Call Saul

Ha, every time Howard has shown up in this series I have the Ben Folds Five song "Boxing" in my head for days - "Boxing's been good to me, Howard..." - and now it's literally been played out on screen!

What was Gus doing in the labcave? Just absorbing the atmosphere?

Can't imagine this show with ads - my sympathies.

I'm going back to tape delay watching

What was Gus doing in the labcave? Just absorbing the atmosphere?

He stashed the handgun from his ankle holster down there, though I'm not sure if he had the idea to do that while he was cleaning bathroom grout or after he went down there and scoped it out as a place for defense.

Pretty sure this was an anomaly: Gus referring to their curls as "signature." That phrase is overused to death now, but isn't is something that became common in the last 5-10 years?

(And we're still in 2007 or so.)

oh right thanks, WmC

I've forgotten the business relationship between Gus and the Cartel---the labcave is in prep for his secret side hustle/possible tunnel to financial independence, right? Prospects for that take a leap when he's approached by meth wizard Walt, right? ( remember some of BB's backstory for Gus, how he and hiw partner came from Chile and approached the Druglord with---an idea for chicken places as cover for drug network, right? The other guy was shot to death in front of Gus, big joek, and he got his chicken places, named Hermanos Pollos in honor of the lost partnership---later he got revenge, possibly some satisfaction)

Nice symmetry in this episode with the very first and final shots (sliding panel/window) although I had to watch a recap video to notice.

maybe he had time to notice a return address

The bottom of the memorial thing we saw being made at the beginning of the episode had a sticker from the shop that made it

Presumably step two is rifling through the records at the shop to see who ordered it

So how did Lalo know about Werner and his wife? And what's he up to with that anyway? Trying to prove to the cartel that Gus has gone rogue so they'll take him out?

He wants to know what Werner was hired for. He followed Mike, overheard 'Werner Ziegler' and killed that guy at the Travel Wire, phones Werner at the hotel and tries to get info out of him on what he's doing before Mike stops him. He's just as sneaky as Saul/Kim, a fellow master of scams.

Oh yeah, so he did

I guess he found out about the wife from obituaries etc. They kind of handwaved how he got into Germany, I guess it's easy if you're sneaky

I rewatched all of the previous season (5) and all that was in the one before that! It's a really long time period to keep track of what's happened, especially when you're half-remembering Breaking Bad stuff too

Fring quite clearly rehearsed holding the power connection to the lights, dropping it to his feet, then counting his steps to the hiding spot, so I’d say something’s gonna happen in the dark.

Something sexy

Lalo actually did get a little bit of info out of Werner, about the south wall nearly being complete, & has had a bit of an idea of what gus is up to ever since - he’s finally chasing this down now & I guess might be hitting up madrigal soon

What a great sequence that was with the widow, tense and sad are the moods this ep’s long scenes want you to marinate in, this is why I think the pacing is good

Also think it was v smart to vanish lalo for a few eps as it made him an increasingly oppressive absent presence for us & many of the characters (gus in particular getting frayed), & then the reveal that he’s in a different continent is p funny

I dont recall Lalo being in BB. Whats the end goal/result of him spying on the Germans operation? It seems that for the entire BB run his mob didnt know about the superlab under the dry cleaners so whats all this for? I'm sure Ive forgot something.

Kim & Jimmy’s caper even at its most comedic is so infused with bad vibes, neither of them seem to be much enjoying it & they must know at some level that it ends badly even tho it’s likely they “win”. Howard clearly has his own shit going on, from the therapy session last week & his slightly unhinged reaction to being scammed (that scene ruled btw)

xp lalo isn’t in bb (because he’s dead imo) and he’s trying to expose the secret superlab operation to the cartel to get fring killed (and fails obv)

Lalo definitely wasn't in BB, so he's clearly going to be whacked eventually. but they will definitely learn about the superlab and its function because Eladio starts hijacking Gus's Pollos trucks in an attempt to force him to share the recipe for his blue meth. so Lalo probably drops some secrets before he peaces out for good.

and I'm guessing none of them will realize Gus tried to off him, as the only one who knows about what Gus is up to is the one Salamanca who can't talk.

He might also just be after the location of the lab to try and attack it (but again obviously fails)

There are now two parties tailing the McGill-Wexler-Goodman household, wonder if they’ll come into conflict

"it's OUR shift tonight"

"no, look at the schedule dipshit"

*gunfire*

lol I back Mike’s guys against whatever mook Howard hired

Howard's guy looks like he was born 41 years old

and I'm guessing none of them will realize Gus tried to off him, as the only one who knows about what Gus is up to is the one Salamanca who can't talk.

He can when the writers need him to, using the alphabet and the bell.

As I indicated above, I've literally given up on trying to sort out the BB/BCS (including Cinnabon prologues)/El Camino timeline. I keep rewatching one to get ready for the other, and by the time I get to the other I've forgotten what I watched to get ready.

Yeah I spent half this episode thinking "wait, how is Lalo across what the Germans did when Wenrer isnt dead yet?" because I was thinking that all happened in BB! Its because I watched all of BB only a couple of years ago, mid-BCS seasons. Its all mixed up in my head.

Something sexy

I LOLed at this btw Neand
Stupid sexy Salamancas

Btw every time I see Tyrus I've been thinking it's him who (in BB) gets got with a boxcutter courtesy of Gus but I've completely misremembered! It's Victor!

Lalo finding out about the underground lab is the Rogue One of the Breaking Bad universe.

Lol

Did I miss something during that five minute scene where Gus is arranging the pen on his desk in his office at LPH, then arranges his shirt in the mirror on the wall, then goes out into the restaurant and adjusts the caps on the wall, takes an order from a customer, recommends the spicy fries, spaces out in a moonage daydream, is woken by fallen trays of chicken, then goes outside and stares into the distance?

Yeah he also inspects the deep fryer

Gus seems sure that a confrontation is going to take place at some point and he's setting up little traps

You know, assuming that Lalo is on to the fact there's a secret underground lab, maybe plotting a way to let Lalo see him going down there without making it obvious he knows he's been followed, shooting Lalo with his stashed gun

I think after his little fugue state moment he decided it's no longer a matter of if, but when, and he's a guy who likes to plan (and absolutely hates ambiguity)

Yeah he also inspects the deep fryer

he's gonna put Lalo in the deep fryer. from now on, Pollos Hermanos is made of people. sales takeeeeee off

It's very heads-up poker. What range of hands does he have me on? What's his range? Gus has read Lalo's delay correctly, narrowed Lalo's range, is confident in his top pair (Mike/crew + basement gun) and will either value bet or check down to the river.

Lalo in Margarethe's house was tense, but on reflection, how long would the news take to reach Gus that Werner's widow has been merked? It would totally tip his hand.

My new Mad Theory is that Lalo ends the series settling down with Margarethe and going straight.

resulting in spinoff show, "'Lalo, 'Lalo!"

Their brief encounter was v touching

Lalo's abrupt switch from gentlemanly charm to sociopathic murder hound is one of my fav elements of this show.

resulting in spinoff show, "'Lalo, 'Lalo!"

I Love Lalo

Listen very carefully - I shall say this only Franch

Only two more episodes of this half season and I’m not expecting to be impressed tbh. It’s pretty, and I have nothing against slow moving Television, but this has felt more like filler than slow TV. Hoping to be proved wrong. Maybe the Nacho episode being so great set my expectations too high

One question about the prologue: was Kim's mom just perversely proud, or was she actually involved in what happened?

Missed that Giancarlo Esposito directed last night's episode. Long interview:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-giancarlo-esposito-directing-interview-1235148010/

I get the impression she carried on like she did so that the store owner would be sympathetic and let her off the hook, and that she found it amusing. didn't think she was actually in on it.

I could be wrong, but I read it that her mom wasn't in on it from the start, but did find it funny and took the opportunity to actually swipe the earrings and necklace when she had the chance

that's how i took it, too

I hope Lalo meets a nasty end
Watching it week to week means I've forgotten what Casimiro is the judge of.