3.3 Sunk Costs That much is immediately evident from the cold open. We see the kind of weathered vista so familiar to anyone who’s ever watched an episode of Breaking Bad; the bullet ridden signs, the cracked road, the unforgiving landscape, the faded shoes hanging from the power line. Then into view rumbles a Los Pollos Hermanos truck, shaking the ground as it continues on its way. Once it is gone, the frayed laces of the shoes snap and they fall. The familiar is changing, it seems to suggest, both in the meta context of the television show and the world of these characters. Or at least, that’s what I thought was going on. Better Call Saul delights in the minutiae of a well-constructed plan, whether it be Chuck’s Machiavellian schemes or Mike’s meticulous gambits. His latest strike against the Salamancas is particularly brilliant; every part of it keeping you guessing as to what he was doing until it all clicked into place and you realise how logical previously strange behaviour actually was. Allowing the border guards to find drugs on Salamanca’s truck is an enormous blow against the kingpin, far more so than the previous robbery, and yet so cleverly enacted it will be nearly impossible for Hector to learn who was responsible. Gus’ war has begun, but the shoes are still a long way from dropping. Jimmy’s plot wasn’t quite as explosive this week, although we did get more of an idea of what Chuck wants; nothing as extensive as prison time, rather the smaller and yet somehow more spiteful objective of having Jimmy disbarred. After all, the crux of Chuck’s hatred has always been jealousy and the desire to be seen as better than Jimmy. His brother practicing as a lawyer brings them into the realm of being comparable and Chuck cannot have that. Kim’s incredible work ethic makes me think they are in with a chance; that and, y’know, the existence of Breaking Bad. Ultimately, Jimmy will of course remain a lawyer and still be reasonably successful by the time the one who knocks comes knocking. But the title here is a warning, and while Kim’s line about the fallacy of sunk costs may have been intended as a joke, it’s very true. Kim is too invested in Jimmy now to realise that, whether he wants to be or not, he is a threat to her. Jimmy tried to keep her out, but ultimately he needs her too much to deny her and so once again, despite his best intentions, Jimmy is going to hurt someone. And I feel very strongly that losing Kim will be the moment he truly loses his capacity to change. Or maybe I’m wrong. Better Call Saul has an incredible ability to make the unpredictable seem inevitable and as such I am well past the point of trying to work out where this series is heading. I’m just happy to be along for the ride. Read Gabriel’s review of the previous episode, Witness, here.
