Better Call Saul Review: Breathe (Season 4 Episode 2)
Jimmy McGill is slowly breaking bad, and the closer we get to that happening, the more compelling Better Call Saul becomes.
In Better Call Saul Season 4 Episode 2, “Breathe,” we get a better sense of Jimmy’s place on the break-bad-o-meter. What seems like erratic behavior turns into Jimmy’s latest con in order to make a quick score.
“Breathe” pushes Jimmy up several rungs on the aforementioned meter, but also delves further into the stories of Mike Ehrmantraut, Nacho Varga, and Gus Fring, and makes the overall show feel richer.
Michael Mando’s Nacho often gets overlooked in a crowded field of talent on Better Call Saul. Nacho begins to feel relieved after Don Salamanca goes down for the count, but that quickly goes south when Gus Fring figures out exactly what was done.
Mando’s portrayal of Nacho is nuanced. He easily illustrates the conflict and fear within Nacho without saying a word.
Fring’s role in the Salamanca illness is even more compelling. To the untrained eye, Fring appears to be a doting friend of Hector in his time of need, but he’s clearly making sure that Hector survives so he can take him down alone.
There’s more than one show within Better Call Saul, but for the second week in a row, the saga of James McGill and the people in his proximity is the most compelling story the show has to offer.
Jimmy’s job interview for copier salesman is extremely confusing at first. I couldn’t figure out why he got them all excited to hire him and then shut them down.
Instead of actually looking for a job, Jimmy is vetting the office because of the valuable collectibles it holds. Gilligan and Gould keep the audience in the dark until the end of the episode, if for no other reason than to tell the viewers just exactly how close to Saul Goodman Jimmy really is.
Here’s a hint: he’s super close.
The best scene takes place between Patrick Fabian’s Howard and Rhea Seehorn’s Kim. Both have sometimes been overlooked or underutilized by the show in the past.
Howard is trying to do right by Chuck and be cordial to Jimmy, whom Howard knows was wronged by his brother. Fabian’s portrayal captures all of the nuances to go with these emotions. Howard’s guilt and sadness shine through beautifully.
On the flip side, Fabian’s scene partner perfectly complements him. Rhea Seehorn (rarely given enough to do on this show) easily revs up Kim to challenge Howard’s indelicate approach to dealing with tragedy.
Howard: What can I do to make it better?
Kim: Nothing.
Seehorn’s performance tells us a couple of things we didn’t already know, but primarily that Kim does indeed love Jimmy and would do anything for him. Considering where he ends up, that is definitely not a good thing.
Better Call Saul has lost no steps, is keeping the energy high, and won’t settle for less than excellent.
A few stray thoughts:
- I don’t know if Gilligan and Gould were bet by an old college buddy that they could get those weird collectible figures into every season, but by george, they’re excellent at it.
- It was wonderful to see the Salamanca twins again.
- Mike Ehrmantraut is one of the best characters on television and he barely says anything. Just throwing that out there.
What did you think of this episode of Better Call Saul? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Better Call Saul airs Monday at 9/8c on AMC.
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Nick Hogan
Nick Hogan is an experienced podcaster and writer (particularly on media topics), who loves discussion and analysis of TV and is always looking for new shows to watch. He is also a parent who loves buffalo wings, blowing raspberries, and his beloved Cincinnati Reds.
One thought on “Better Call Saul Review: Breathe (Season 4 Episode 2)”
Sorry Nick, but you’re totally off base on Jimmy’s motivation for turning down the job offer at the copy place. Jimmy was not casing the joint for valuables. As Bob Odenkirk explained in an interview, Jimmy was simply disgusted at the owners because they reminded him of his own father, who he always thought was a gullible sucker.
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