Welcome to the TV Recap series Better Recall Saul that chronicles the adventures of Better Call Saul and a young criminal lawyer as he cuts his teeth down in ABQ (and his Breaking Bad buddies might stop by to wish him luck). Feel free to join every Tuesday as the adventures unravel and the story behind one of the funniest and sleaziest lawyers in TV history begins to take form and remind us why he is such a great character in the first place. Is this spin-off meant for greatness, or is it the worst idea that AMC has ever done? You'll have to read on to find out the truth.
Season 2, Episode 8: "Fifi"
“Either you fit the jacket
or the jacket fits you."
- Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn)
Plot:
Things are looking up for Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). The two spend most of the episode trying to attract their old clients to follow them to their new offices: a dual dentist office. Meanwhile, Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) becomes worried about losing everyone and decides to go in for a "normal" meeting. This backfires and he becomes immediately sick. Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) continues to make good with Tio Salamanca (Mark Margolis), but he is unable to fully convince him to get off his back. As Jimmy confronts Chuck about his fear of losing Kim, it is discovered that their relationship isn't doing too well - much like Chuck's actual health. Jimmy begins to forge documents at a printer building to prepare for his new business ahead. Meanwhile, there's drugs being smuggled into the city, causing future problems to arise.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
MVP:
Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk)
After last week's startling decision to break free from law firm culture, Jimmy is spending this week looking forward to the great unknown. The unknown happens to throw him a wrench as he discovers that maybe Kim might not be able to come along. However, he's still dedicated to his old tricks and doing some great conning in this episode. From the great sequence involving a fake military veteran to the montage of him scanning documents, Jimmy is using his smarts to cheat the system better than ever before, and one can only imagine what is in store for the final two episodes.
Best Scene
While this episode is chock full of impressive small moments, including a great cold opening done predominantly in a long take, the real standout is Jimmy at his best. In a move to make his business looks better, he decides to take an old client and dress him up in military garb and take him to an airstrip. The mind slowly evolves to show how Jimmy manipulates a situation. It's especially great because his client, arrested for public masturbation, is very disagreeable and gives Jimmy problems at every turn. Even if the moment is more comedic than essential, it reflects what this show could be if Jimmy ever turns into Saul Goodman. For now, we get a good tease of what's to come.
Overall Thoughts
It may sound redundant to say, but Better Call Saul's best features are more in the visual department than actual story. I know that it is wrong to judge the show for not being a thriller like Breaking Bad, but some episodes feel inconsequential as a whole despite being great to look at. The artistry in the show over the last two episodes has been superb and reflect one of the general appeals of this series. However, there isn't much beyond that that grabs me. If anything, it makes me excited for when Jimmy finally becomes Saul Goodman and we get to see the great comedic talents of Bob Odenkirk better explored. For now, we get it in small doses - and that's essentially what's keeping this show interesting.
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