Title: Better Call Saul: “Sabrosito”
Air Date: May 1st, 2017
Network: AMC
Genre: Drama, Crime-Thriller
Generally, Better Call Saul carries far less menacing themes and plot lines in comparison to its predecessor, revolving around The Law or Jimmy’s hijinks – and a lot of times both simultaneously – but “Sabrosito” has a different tone.
Considering that the vast majority of the fourth episode of the season centers around three of the most intimidating – ok Hector might have been in a wheelchair for BB but he’s still a Salamanca – characters from Breaking Bad, it makes complete sense.
It’s been well established that Gus Fring hates Hector Salamanca, his family and his associates for the role they played in his partner’s death. It’s also known that Mike hates Salamanca for threatening his family. What wasn’t entirely know is why Salamanca hates Fring enough to kill him via martyrdom.
“Sabrosito” reveals that at the very least, he hates Fring for very similar reasons as to why he hates Mike, pride, and business. With the situation with Mike, not only would his business suffer if Tuco went away to prison, theirs also the Salamanca name and reputation and name at stake. because the owner of Los Pollos Hermanos is simply better at his job. Even though they both work for Don Eladio – who Fring also hates – Gus begins to show Salamanca up, earning more money and packing it more efficiently.
So when the owner of Los Pollos Hermanos shows him up in front of Don Eladio, Hector’s pride and business are affected, again. Even though they both work for Don Eladio – who Fring also hates – Gus begins to show Salamanca up, earning more money and packing it more efficiently.
Pride is certainly enough for a man like Salamanca to make him hate a man, and it’s what makes the scene at Los Pollos Hermanos even more satisfying. Salamanca’s intimidation of Fring’s employee’s and Fring himself – to the point where he picks feces off his shoes onto Gus’ desk – simply reinforced why Gus eventually beats him.
Despite all of the tactics Salamanca used, more in spite of it, his competition is still two steps ahead it seems. Alongside his public relations front at the firehouse, Fring’s speech to his employees is also very clever, as he puts a bit of truth in the lie to make it sound more believable.
It did seem that the show has been severely lacking in Jimmy oriented scenes, especially considering the show is named after him, but it’s understandable considering how well the other plot lines are going too.
But Charlie Hustle wasn’t to be outdone this episode, as the king of schemes is planning and plotting just as much as his show counterparts, as called in his favor from Mike to take some pictures he plans to use in the trial. The combination of Kim’s research into Chuck’s appointment, Mike’s electric power tool to keep Chuck upstairs and Jimmy’s poker face throughout the hearing, especially the apology, was easily one of my favorite sequences in the show’s history (feels like I say that every week).
Mike’s principals continue to be reinforced in his situations with Gus and Jimmy, as all he wants is to be square, no more, no less. His demeanor in regards to the situations he is in while he’s in them is interesting, but it’s even more interesting to see how it wears on him when he’s in the presence of his family.
Though it’s been well established to anyone who’s seen Breaking Bad, Mike and Gus’ dynamic so far this season in Better Call Saul is spectacular. A mutual respect between two professions, always calm, collected and cordial, but both dangerous in their own ways.
“I stopped you from shooting Hector because a bullet to the head would have been far too humane for him.”
It’s written in stone that we will get more interactions between the two, and as much as it’s enjoyable to see the synergy between the two, it’s sucks knowing that his relationship with Fring leads him down the path we see in Breaking Bad.
Chucks meticulous nature in Better Call Saul continues to be brilliantly annoying, from picking up on the wording Kim and Jimmy changed in the documents earlier in the show to the $2 discrepancy in the payout for his tape recorder.
I try to play devil’s advocate for Chuck as much as I can, but moments like the ending scene where he tries to belittle Kim makes it pretty damn hard to. It makes it even more satisfying – similarly to the Hector and Gus situation – to know that he’s falling right into Jimmy and Kim’s plan in regards to admissible evidence.
Overall it was another solid episode of building each of the branching narratives, as Better Call Saul continues to keep me hooked.
Did you catch last night’s episode of Better Call Saul? If so, what did you think? What scene or scenes did you like the most? What are your predictions for season 3? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to check back each week for the lead-up and coverage of the shows next episode immediately after it airs on AMC at 10 PM EST.
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