Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 5 "Black and Blue" Review: The Long Game

Greg Ehrhardt, OnScreen Blog Columnist

The following review contains spoilers for Better Call Saul Season 6, Episode 5 “Black and Blue”.

“I should have left Howard standing there like a yutz. Instead I let him suck me into his game. Why’d I do that?

“For what’s coming next.”

This episode reminded me of the season 5 mid-season finale of Breaking Bad, “Gliding All Over”, where Hank realizes Walter White is Heisenberg by finding the “Leaves of Grass” book with Gale’s note. While the reveals in this particular episode, “Black and Blue” are not as stark, they accelerate the plot in exciting ways that should drive a compelling momentum to the final season of Better Call Saul.

The reveals, from Howard figuring out with ease Jimmy’s plots against him, to Lalo showing up in Germany to question Marquerita, is not the big takeaway for me, exciting as it is. I keep thinking about the scene in the boxing ring between Jimmy and Howard, specifically: “Why on earth did Jimmy change his mind and fight Howard”.

I was struck by this because it was the first time ever in Better Call Saul (and maybe even Breaking Bad) where the character’s decision didn’t make any sense.in real time. Slippin’ Jimmy’s schemes never involved fisticuffs or any type of physical intimidation; that’s not his bag and never was. Jimmy would use his wits, charm, and creativity to trick people into doing what he wanted.

Moreso to this specific episode, Jimmy had the winning hand, like he held pocked Queens and Howard had an inside straight draw. Howard couldn’t prove anything; Jimmy was the one with the expensive suit on, and he could have left Howard standing like an idiot in boxing clothes that he looked ridiculous in. Not only that, but he was seconds away from leaving the ring; his back was already turned to Howard and he was already chuckling about being inside Howard’s head.

Instead, something came over him, and I can’t figure out what. Jimmy knew even if Howard was a lousy fighter, he was still engaging Howard on his terms, and would thus be at a disadvantage. Jimmy is not a fighter whatsoever anyways, and there was a referee there so he couldn’t pull any shenanigans.

So what was Jimmy thinking?

Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman

Turns out Jimmy couldn’t figure it out either, which, could be fair since people do irrational things all the time. His quandary stood out in this episode with ever other character playing the long game. Lalo could have acted like a typical Salamanca and went for Gus immediately, and he might have succeeded. Instead, we’re seeing a slow reveal of an epic chess match between Lalo and Gus Fring. Lalo combines long range thinking with his ability to strike quickly, while Gus is the most meticulous planner this side of the Mississippi.

They both act today not for any immediate gratification, but for what comes next.

Both Lalo and Gus are expertly playing the waiting game, knowing that the time to strike is not when the opponent expects they are coming. Sometimes, the dread of waiting for your opponent is worst than the attack of itself, which is something both Gus and Kim are experiencing.

The usually unflappable Fring is getting jitters when ‘Pollos Hermanos’ trays clang to the ground, while Kim cannot get to sleep knowing that Lalo is out there and might be coming for her.

It was another interesting choice for Kim to keep the Lalo news secret from Jimmy, though this one was more understandable. Sure, she and Jimmy made promises to never keep secrets once they were married, but, when would you expect two grifters to ever keep their word?

And that’s just it. Kim, Lalo, and Gus are thinking about what comes next. Jimmy has always thought about what could come now: that’s how he got to where he is today, for better, or for worse. It’s why he stormed into Chuck’s house and destroyed the tape, and its why he had a fit after his disbarment hearing to one of the panelists.

Jimmy gets bruised for thinking about short term satisfaction vs long term security, but we know he always talks and plots his way out of boxed in corners. We also know where he will end up in Breaking Bad. Kim’s fate is much less certain, and we suspect, ill-fated.

Maybe that’s why Jimmy decided to fight Howard in the ring: get your punches in now, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Miscellaneous Notes

The boxing match between Howard and Jimmy was expectedly delightful. Neither Howard or Jimmy had any idea what they were doing, and Jimmy’s kidney punch was a nice little nod to his character. We also would have love to have heard the referee’s inner monologue during this scuffle.

Jimmy’s reference to Francesca as the “Colonel Sanders of Chicken” was interesting in that, wouldn’t the more apt reference be “The Gus Fring of Chicken”? Gus is after all a known public figure for his charity efforts.

We will always laugh at any scene where Lalo jumps over an object of any height. It wouldn’t have surprised us if he was an Olympic pole vaulter in his youth.