4.2 Breathe Jimmy needs a job. He can’t be a burden on Kim; he values the relationship too much to take her for granted or let her see just how far he’s sliding back into his old ways. But faced with a year away from the only legitimate job that ever interested him? Working as a copy machine salesman seems like a grim consolation prize. But he has a responsibility, so he makes a red hot go of it. He shows off his best salesmanship tactics. He demonstrates that not only does he suit the job, he understands it. He walks back in after the initial interview to put an even harder sell on. And then the moment the job is offered to him, he throws it right back at them, calling them suckers for hiring him so easily. Look at how the scene plays out. Jimmy goes in, has his initial meeting. So far, so lukewarm job interview. He leaves. Stops. Turns back, although he doesn’t really look like he wants to. Then he puts the work in. Shows the passion, drive and commitment they want to see. They say yes, he’s taken aback, he turns them down. After walking out, he calls up his next interviewer. And while we don’t see any further interviews, would you want to bet that they played out especially differently? Jimmy puts the effort in, then he finds an excuse to say no. That way, his conscience is clear. Like letting Howard take the blame for Chuck’s death despite knowing it was partly his own fault, Jimmy can both rest easy in the knowledge that he is working for these jobs while giving himself what he believes to be good reasons not to take them. It’s hardly a betrayal of Kim if he simply has no choice but to turn to crime. And by the end of the episode, rather than take any of those jobs, he’s calling Mike to arrange either a con, a theft, or most likely a bit of both. What is Vince Gilligan’s Albuquerque but a place where giving in to our worst impulses only ever ends in punishment when we finally arrive at the place where we realise we’ve gone too far? Mike has long since resigned himself to living in that place, and tries to make do with what goodness he can find, whether it’s pride in his work or his loving bond with a granddaughter who somehow seems to be the same age in both 2002 and 2008. Nacho, meanwhile, has arrived at the point where he finally knows just how tight the noose around his neck is. He might have gotten rid of Hector Salamanca, but that act has only succeeded in putting him in an even more precarious position. Robbing Gustavo Fring of his vengeance has also robbed the chicken man of any mercy he might otherwise have had, and now Nacho has no choice but to, presumably, be a kind of double agent for both Fring and the Salamancas. Nacho tells his father early in this episode that he’s working on getting himself out of this predicament. That job just became a lot harder. ‘Be careful what you wish for’ might as well be the motto of both this show and its predecessor, and nowhere was that more obvious than in Nacho’s plight. Thank god then, for Kim, whose decency remains intact as she confronts Howard for behaviour I didn’t even recognise as cruel until she pointed it out. The bitter irony, of course, is that Howard’s attempt to use his confession to absolve himself actually ended up giving Jimmy a free pass to do just that. Kim, however, seems unaware of the fact and to be fair the latter crime doesn’t eliminate the former. In a blistering showcase of how very good Rhea Seehorn is in this role, Kim cuts Howard down to size, calling him out in a tirade that is only slightly robbed of its power by the fact that he might not be the man on this show who most deserves it. Although just about every man on this show has a place in that queue. Since at least season two, I’ve been as guilty as anyone of joining in on the ‘is Better Call Saul better than Breaking Bad’ debate. From now on I’m putting that in the bin; it’s not better, it’s simply as good in different ways. Quieter, slower, subtler and more deliberate. It’s less explosive but more mature. Maybe not as gripping, but arguably richer. I don’t think I adequately stressed last week how great it is to have this show back. It’s hard to think of any other current series that is consistently delivering on the same level as this one. Read Gabriel’s review of the previous episode, Smoke, here.
title: “Better Call Saul Season 4 Episode 2 Review Breathe” ShowToc: true date: “2025-07-08” author: “Carla Zhang”
Better Call Saul Season 4 Episode 2
Dramatic irony is a powerful tool for storytellers. William Shakespeare essentially made his name employing the trick, getting generation after generation involved in his plays by blessing them with essential knowledge that his characters themselves didn’t know. Hell, the horror genre wouldn’t be half as fun without it. Shouting “No, don’t go in there!” as a feeling of helplessness washes over you is a staple of the horror moviegoing experience. However, Better Call Saul mostly uses dramatic irony for good. For example, in tonight’s excellent “Breathe,” Gus goes out of his way to provide the best medical care to his adversary and business affiliate Hector Salamanca. “I decide what happens to him,” Gus growls to his underling Tyrus. Gus wants to make sure Hector is cared for not only because his death could cause ripples in the cartel that could lead to his exposure, but mostly because if Hector is going to die, Gus wants to decide when and how. Fans could look at this one small moment as Gus’ whole undoing, his thirst for a rightful revenge ultimately leading to his death by way of a bomb strapped to a frail-but-alive Hector’s wheelchair. Gus’ grudge against Hector is the Achilles heel of an otherwise dominant, unflappable drug pushing kingpin. It’s a rare example of hubris from a man whose dedication to his cover has him happy to sweep up trash in the parking lot of his own restaurant. His decision to make sure Hector gets the best possible treatment is foolish only because we know what it leads to, and it serves to humanize the cold, methodical supervillain who has Arturo killed and now has Nacho firmly in his clutches. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Kim spend their screen time this week misdirecting their feelings. After last week’s heartless reaction to Hamlin’s guilt over Chuck’s apparent suicide, Jimmy takes his unaffected, spritely routine to the job hunt, deciding not to mourn and instead pound the pavement. His first interview for a sales position at copier equipment supplier Neff goes swimmingly; Jimmy impresses with his knowledge about copiers from his time in the HHM mailroom and uses his regular talent for schmoozing to win the room over. Instead of leaving on a good note, Jimmy decides to push things and re-enters the office with a show-stopping monologue about opportunity costs and why he’s the right man for the job. When the Neff brass decides to hire Jimmy on the spot, he immediately bristles and self-sabotages. “Suckers,” he calls the men, “I feel sorry for you.” In his twisted logic, Jimmy thinks that if these men are willing to hire a man that they don’t know, right off the street, then he shouldn’t possibly want to work for them. In reality, Jimmy is taking out his self-loathing on these men, taking his brother’s viewpoint of himself and wondering aloud who would ever be so low to hire him? He leaves Neff without a job, but with a mark; Jimmy appears to be planning a heist of Neff’s Hummel figurines, a distorted extension of the guilt Jimmy feels about tricking Irene last season. After remaining quiet and supportive, Kim’s eruption is more an extension of her feelings toward Chuck and her frustration over Jimmy’s inability to express the complicated feelings he harbors over his brother’s death. Kim’s finger-pointing at Hamlin isn’t entirely unwarranted, but he’s not who she’s really mad at, she just needed to blow off some steam. She’s not going to let Chuck control Jimmy’s emotions, and consequently her own, for a minute longer. “Breathe” keeps the slow-burn place of last week’s premiere but adds more menace; we can practically hear the blood of all of our principle player’s boiling right underneath their skin. It may not make for the most climactic television, but we have a feeling it will be rewarding in the long run. Showrunner Peter Gould and co. know something that the audience doesn’t, and they’re going to enjoy taking their time before they reveal their hand. Read the latest Den of Geek Special Edition Magazine Here!
