'Better Call Saul' Season 5 Episode 4 Review: Jimmy's revenge draws the attention from Mike's slow spiral
Spoiler alert for 'Better call Saul' Season 5 Episode 4 'Namaste'
As Jimmy McGill navigates life with his newly adopted legal persona of Saul Goodman, we see his path meander from trying to sell his avatar as the 'real deal' to taking revenge from his long term frenemy, Howard Hamlin, and his fancy car with the episode title spelled as 'Namast3' serving as its number plate. On his journey, we see Kim Wexler finally learn to see eye-to-eye with Jimmy-turned-Saul's elaborate plans towards success and glory in the field. But at the same time, Mike Ehrmantraut's spiral makes us concerned for the older man, especially now that his ties with his family - his daughter and his granddaughter, are slowly straining owing to his recent outbursts and ever so twisted profession.
The episode kicks off with daybreak at the Wexler-McGill household, the impending doom of an upcoming break up is lightened by Kim and Jimmy waking up in the same bed, naked, before going off about their day's work, and boy does Jimmy excel. Now that he's working with seedy crooks and mostly stupid people who are thrilled about Jimmy's 50 percent off offer, one would think not much convincing would be required on Saul Goodman's part into getting under his clients' skin. Unfortunately, for the most part, Jimmy struggle lies in establishing Saul Goodman as the guy who gets shit done when there's no way out.
The crooks Jimmy goes to discuss their bail with aren't quite happy with the sum that Jimmy quotes as his charges after the 50 percent off and this is where frustration mingled with desperation sets in. Jimmy's whole turnover into Saul was to dissociate himself from a past too painful and tumultuous, but years into the profession later, starting off fresh can be a daunting thing and now with his clientele expanding beyond the top tiers of the society, it's understandable why Jimmy would go all ballistic on these imprisoned crooks who don't know the sheer capability of the man who is about to represent them.
After lashing out at his clients in prison and subtly asserting his significance in the field, Jimmy's exemplary grasp over the profession and his quirky line of defense for the most impossible clients he begins representing is finally showcased in the courtroom. When a man claims an armed robber terrorized him at his store, Jimmy pretty much ambushes him by seating a random stranger next to himself, who looks exactly like the defendant. The witness identifies the fake defendant as the real one, and Jimmy is able to bust the case which was an open and shut one had it not been for him. Leaving the entire courtroom in an uproar when Jimmy finally reveals his tricks, he is also able to win over Kim's trust in the legitimacy of the journey he has embarked upon - to the point where she feels confident enough to propose a partnership of sorts on a new case she is working.
In all of this, the most satisfying moment of this entire season arrives in the form of Jimmy and Howard's little tete-a-tete, where Howard inquires about Jimmy's sudden name change, as to why a separate persona when Jimmy could do the same things as a last resort guy himself. The suave idealistic attorney turned amoral lawyer for the crooked shuts his long time frenemy up, saying: "He could, but Saul Goodman already is." Jimmy's conviction in making a brand name out of Saul - be it for better or for worse - doesn't go unnoticed by Howard, who also comes with a job proposition for Jimmy. But of course, Jimmy has his own way of turning down offers and for this one, he chose to pellet a bunch of bowling balls over Howard's gate to smash his car's hood first, and the windshield next. Talk about tasteful cinematic bliss!
But speaking of bliss, Mike's path couldn't be farther from any remotest idea of it. With his recent outburst at his granddaughter, his daughter feels its best he doesn't babysit the kid for a while, and to Mike's utter dismay, he just can't convince his daughter that he is capable for the task. Later in the night as he goes wandering about the same streets where a bunch of young thugs had attacked him, the pattern follows but unlike last time, Mike makes sure to beat every single guy in the group. Or so we think until it's the next day and he wakes up in a muddy hut with livestock tied to the yard and a bunch of bruises, and a giant bandaged gash on his stomach. And that makes us very, very worried for the mercenary grandpa - more worried than we are for Gus Fring's fast food restaurant manager who just can't seem to please his impossibly stiff boss. Something tells us the days are numbered for this manager too, and it's just a matter of time now.
'Better Call Saul' season 5 airs on Mondays, at 9 pm only on AMC.