Axe and Grind

My favorite moment of this episode was Kim recognizing a bit of herself in the vet. Last season, it crystallized for her that her position at Schweikart & Cokely wouldn’t fulfill her in the same way as her pro bono work. So the vet earns her respect when she sees that he’s only running his unsavory side-business in hopes of someday being able to dedicate all of his time to helping animals: “Well… he knows what he wants.” Jimmy, only aware that he wants more, can’t comprehend why the vet might want to be done with it allWe know the vet’s contacts end up in Jimmy’s possession from the shot of the coded book in the opening of “Wine and Roses”..

I went back to rewatch the scene where Jimmy coerces Francesca into making the call to HHM. The first time I mostly just noticed Francesca’s discomfort. It was so much more fun to focus on Bob Odenkirk’s gesticulations as Jimmy shamelessly coaches her through each sentence.

Kim’s U-turn across the highway strip evokes Walt’s furious drive into the desert while on the phone with Jesse. Just as Jimmy did his duty to attempt to dissuade her when she first floated the plan by him, now he gives her one final outA more levelheaded, less selfish Jimmy might have silently pulled the plug and let Kim have her day, but that’s not the show we’re watching.. It’s Kim who decides, all on her own, that their con is even more important to her than the luncheon with Cliff, the kind of opportunity she’s been working towards this whole time. Kim is Better Call Saul’s Walter White. “It happens today.”

Before things come to a head next week, I want to take a moment to appreciate how engaging the writers have made following Jimmy and Kim’s prep work for six whole episodes without explicitly revealing the con in advance.

The plan, pre-broken-arm, as far as I can tell: Howard, after being slipped the vet’s drug, will have a breakdown during the Sandpiper mediation in view of the elders and their families who have called in. The hope is that this leads Cliff, who already believes that Howard has a cocaine addiction, to feel pressured to settle. Jimmy makes an appearance to push things into place“You don’t have to be there on the day.”. Howard is meant to catch a glimpse of photos that appear to show Jimmy bribing the judge presiding over the Sandpiper case. He doesn’t question it because he’s seen the photo his PI took of Jimmy withdrawing a load of cash from the bank. He goes on to accuse the judge, who is affronted, then Jimmy, which makes him look delusional.

Yet, because of last episode, I’m not ready to believe I have the full picture. Howard seems well prepared. Cliff’s suspicions may already be arousedJimmy exited from Davis & Main on poor terms. Cliff probes Kim, “How did you leave things with Howard Hamlin?”. I still wouldn’t be surprised if Kim and Jimmy are working this on another level entirely.