Warning: This review contains full spoilers for Better Call Saul’s Season 5 finale, titled “Something Unforgivable.”
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At the end of its penultimate season, Better Call Saul has elevated itself far beyond the meager status of “just” a Breaking Bad spinoff, to one of the best shows on television, period. Showrunner Peter Gould has successfully expanded the franchise with standout characters like Nacho Varga (Michael Mando), Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), and Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton), while not leaning too heavily on Breaking Bad callbacks (no Walter or Jesse cameos here) to make the series feel more substantial. In this week’s finale, titled “Something Unforgivable,” Gould also reminds us that he’s a helluva director, giving each of those aforementioned characters meaningful storylines that should carry over into the sixth, and final season.
Lalo Salamanca vs. Nacho Varga
The build-up around Nacho’s eventual betrayal of the Salamanca clan has been really suspenseful stuff, and Dalton’s portrayal of Lalo has been one of the surprising highlights in Season 5. He’s a fantastic villain, like Gus, but with a bit more charm. As soon as Varga lets those heavily-armed assassins into Lalo’s compound, it’s clear Gould is setting us up for a “let’s see how he gets out of this one” moment, and it doesn’t disappoint.
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Breaking Bad, as a franchise, has already established itself as a visually striking show. So whether it’s Jesse’s shovel-cam scene from Season 4 in the original series, or Lalo’s claustrophobia-inducing POV sequence as he crawls his way through a secret underground tunnel, we’re frequently treated to something unexpected and unique. The question now is (assuming Lalo doesn’t survive past the final season), who will take him down? While we don’t get an inner monologue from Lalo, he’s probably aware that Nacho betrayed him, and if that pissed off look is any indication, he’s gunning for Nacho first.
Although Nacho isn’t as verbose as Lalo due to the stoic nature of his character, his storyline has been gripping (if not also tragic) to watch this season. Gould and his team keep discovering ways for us to empathize with these “bad guys.” Nacho is a great example of this because even though he’s made his bed, so to speak, his desire to leave his life of crime behind in order to save his dad is an admirable trait that you can’t help but root for. As much as I love watching Lalo’s crazy antics week after week, I’m also rooting for Nacho to make it out of this alive.
Has Kim Gone to the Dark Side Because of Jimmy?
While Season 5 saw Jimmy McGill begin his transformation into sleazy attorney Saul Goodman, it’s Seehorn’s compelling portrayal of Kim who’s undergone the biggest metamorphosis. The last time we see Kim and Jimmy, the two are trying to figure out the best way to discredit Patrick Fabian’s Howard Hamlin. In a shocking twist, Kim actually tops Jimmy with a devious plan that even he thinks is taking it too far. It seems that just a short time ago, Kim was the moral foundation for Jimmy. But after last week’s toe-to-toe standoff with a psychopathic Lalo, Kim appears confident and poised to get her way at all costs.
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Kim might be the most fascinating character on the show, even surpassing Jimmy with her complexity. On one hand, Kim quit her prestigious law firm job to help people without the means to hire lawyers at her level, but on the other hand, she’s fine with Jimmy’s involvement with the cartels and is beginning to think of ways to defame someone who really doesn’t deserve it. Forget Jimmy going dark, will Kim break bad before this is all over?
And of course, we can’t forget about Jimmy, who still hasn’t quite gone full Saul Goodman yet. Watching him plead to Mike for Kim’s safety is a powerful indicator that he hasn’t quite turned into the crooked strip mall lawyer we know from Breaking Bad. This episode also effectively showcases Jimmy’s overall concern for Kim becoming like him, or even worse, a flat-out criminal. Since we already know the fates of Gus and Mike, some of the most significant questions surrounding Better Call Saul’s sixth and final season will be what happens to Kim, Nacho, and Lalo before this is all over? Thankfully, Gould ends Season 5 with some exciting possibilities instead of an infuriating cliffhanger.
Source: IGN.com Better Call Saul: Season 5 Finale Review