[SPOILERS] An episode of significant development for Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse's (Aaron Paul) fledgling crime empire, as Badger is arrested by a weedy-looking undercover DEA agent for selling drugs from a street bench, necessitating his extraction from custody before the cops make him tell them who "Heisenberg" is...The title "Better Call Saul" is also the slogan of one Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), a shady attorney who represents nefarious ne'er-do-wells, from his tacky office with a kitsch Statue of Liberty stuck on the roof. Jesse make it clear to Walt that, from time to time, their drug dealers are going to get caught, so they need to pay the $4000 legal fee Saul demands to help. Posing as Badger's father, Mr Mayhew, Walt meets with wiseass Saul, but isn't happy when it becomes clear that their best course of action is for Badger to avoid jail by snitching on "Heisenberg".
To dissuade Saul into allowing Badger to talk to the DEA and expose their operation, Walt and Jesse kidnap the attorney and threaten his life in the desert, kneeling him in front of a freshly-dug grave, but Walt's hacking cough alerts Saul to the fact it's "Mr Mayhew" and they're forced to admit their role in this sorry mess. So, now Walt's secret is shared by an opportunistic lawyer, who equates his role as "Tom Hagen to your Vito Corleone" when he arrives at Walt's high school classroom, having traced him with a P.I. While Saul will definitely be of some value in avoiding the pitfalls associated with organized crime, is Walt being taken for a ride?In the short-term, Saul proves his worth by arranging for a man loosely matching the description of Heisenberg (mid-50s, bald) to take the fall for them -- as he's a career criminal "fall guy" who prefers prison life, and takes a hefty chunk of the $80,000 Walt gives Saul to get Badger released and their fake-Heisenberg arrested during a drugs bust.
Elsewhere, the only subplots of note concerned Hank (Dean Norris) and, to a much lesser extent, Jesse's neighbour Jane (Krysten Ritter; a grungier Anne Hathaway type). The former has been sent home from El Paso after the incident with the exploding tortoise, and Marie (Betsy Brandt) asks Walt to talk to her husband, who has become withdrawn after the shocking event. This leads to a really excellent scene between Cranston and Norris, with Hank finding someone to hesitantly confide in over his fears, and even Walt comes close to revealing more about his recent activity. The two men have more in common than it seems, for all Hank's bravado and Walt's taciturn personality.
Jane and Jesse are sleeping together (well, on the floor, prompting Jesse to spend some cash on a king-size bed), and she reveals the reason for her uneasiness over Jesse's dodgy air -- she's 18-months into a drugs recovery plan, so doesn't want to be dragged back into that lifestyle by a new boyfriend.
Seriously, this episode just motored along and the plot really unfolded into fresh, exciting new territory. Above all, I was very impressed with Bob Odenkirk as Saul, who injects some much-needed humour and fun to counteract what is sometimes quite a tough viewing experience (with cancer, mortality, murder, drugs and bombs par for the course.) Saul is a great character; a motormouth to rival The Simpsons' Lionel Hutz with awful TV adverts and a hideous comb-over haircut. Every scene he's in was a little comic gem, and I hope we'll see more of him. It will be interesting to see just how much he helps Walt and Jesse get to grips with their ambition to be the city's Tuco replacement. But, I don't think we can trust him. He's only in this for the money...Speaking of which, Saul Goodman's going to be taking another sizeable chunk of any profit they make, so Walt's attempt to pay for his medical bills will undoubtedly take longer. What's the betting Walt's going to become successful, feared and notorious in the near-future, but still struggle to keep his house of cards balanced because he's accumulated too many overheads to keep the business afloat AND pay for his treatments? There's probably a reason Tuco wasn't living in a luxurious mansion, after all.
A few more, random thoughts:
- So, is this the end of Heisenberg as Walt's nom-de-plume? Won't the DEA realize the fake Heisenberg doesn't have a clue how to cook meth? I assume "blue meth" will still be Walt and Jesse's product, so won't the DEA wonder who's still cooking it to Heisenberg standard? Actually, there was already a shot of Hank reacting to Heisenberg's arrest, and he clearly didn't think they got the right guy...
- I was impressed by Badger in the cold open with the undercover agent, but should have guessed they'd trick us how they did. And all because Badger believed an urban myth that cops have to tell you they're cops if you ask them officially as a citizen.
- Is that the end of Hank's time at El Paso, or has he just been sent back temporarily? I half-expected he'd become a hero for providing first aid after the tortoise IED. So why do his old colleagues treat him like a war hero, if he's been sent home as a failure? Has he lied about what really happened to them? Will he make a decision to return to El Paso after what Walt told him?
26 April 2009
AMC, 10pm
Writer: Terry McDonough
Director: Peter Gould
Cast: Bryan Cranston (Walt), Aaron Paul (Jesse), Anna Gunn (Skyler), RJ Mitte (Walt Jr), Dean Norris (Hank), Betsy Brandt (Marie), Krysten Ritter (Jane) & Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman)
