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After 14 years, the world of Breaking Bad has come to a close with the finale of Better Call Saul. The series served as a prequel and, in some cases, a continuation of the crime drama created by Vince Gilligan. The transformation of Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman was one filled with various ups and downs and plenty of tense moments. Like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul is nearly flawless from beginning to end, and today, we are looking at ten of the best episodes.
Spoilers Ahead
10. Nailed- S2, E9
The relationship between Jimmy and his brother Chuck has been rocky, to say the least. When it comes to light that Chuck has been blocking Jimmy’s success from the beginning, Jimmy loses all sympathy for his older brother. This comes to a head when Jimmy alters documents to ensure Chuck loses a huge client and looks incompetent in the process. Things come to a head when chuck catches on to Jimmy’s scheme and suffers an episode that hospitalizes him. What makes Nailed one of the top episodes is that it shows Jimmy still cares for Chuck. Chuck is sure to be known as one of the most despicable characters in the Breaking Bad universe, but that doesn’t mean Jimmy won’t try to always be there. At least for now.
9. Something Unforgivable- S5, E10
Lalo Salamanca has been a massive problem since he was introduced in season 4. For nearly all of the main characters, Lalo has made life very difficult. This is especially true for Gus, who wants to see to it that Lalo is taken out for good. This leads to Nacho betraying Lalo and letting a group of mercenaries into his home to kill him. things don’t go as planned, and Lalo survives the attack. With Nacho on the run and Lalo out for blood, viewers are left on the edge of their seats to see what happens next. What makes this one of the best Better Call Saul episodes is it is jam-packed with suspense. Unlike Breaking Bad, this series is a slow burner, and when it goes all out, it really goes all out.
8. Five-O- S1, E6
One of the best aspects of Better Call Saul is the deeper inclusion of Mike Ehrmantraut. This show includes the Breaking Bad veteran much more than the earlier series, and his backstory is explored more thoroughly. This episode lays it all out on the table and is key in cementing Mike as a fan-favorite character. When fans first saw him in this show, he was a parking lot attendant who wanted nothing more than provide for his son’s family. Five-O explores the events that led to the death of Mike’s son and the immense guilt he carries with him. The episode takes an already likable character and gives him more depth. This isn’t an easy task, and it is a testament to how great the show truly is.
7. Winner- S4, E10
Jimmy has spent the last season not practicing law. In the meantime, he has been honing the skills that would later prove useful during Breaking Bad. The fifth season finale shows him finally receiving his license back, and he uses his brother to do so. Jimmy has made it clear he isn’t all that upset about Chuck’s death, and he has no remorse in using his passing to gain sympathy points. Once he begins practicing again, he does so under the name Saul Goodman. This moment shows that not only does he not intend to build upon his brother’s legacy, but he will practice law on his own terms. This is when Jimmy officially becomes Saul, which doesn’t just mean a change in name.
6. Bad Choice Road- S5, E9
After Jimmy and Mike make it out of the desert, Jimmy mistakenly believes the worst is behind him. Lalo doesn’t believe Jimmy’s story of car trouble, so he travels to the desert to piece together what really happened. There he discovers Jimmy’s car riddled with bullets. He then pays a visit to Jimmy and Kim, where he menacingly presses Jimmy for the truth. All of this goes down while Mike has a sniper trained on Salamanca. Better Call Saul is a masterclass of suspense, and this episode is proof of that. Lalo is unhinged, and fans are glued to their TVs, waiting to see what happens. Everything from the acting to the writing is top-notch here, and it isn’t even the best of the series.
5. Chicanery- S3, E5
After discovering what Chuck has done to ensure Jimmy isn’t successful, the younger McGill brother sets out to take him down. Jimmy caused Chuck to humiliate himself, and Chuck has Jimmy’s recorded confession. Even with the odds stacked against him, Jimmy manages to embarrass Chuck further and bring into question his sanity. This episode may not be filled with gunfights and cartel action, but it does have stellar acting and a spectacular climax to the McGill sibling rivalry. Chuck’s speech alone is enough to make this one of the best Better Call Saul episodes, but it is just the tip of the iceberg.
4. Rock & Hard Place- S6, E3
After the failed assassination attempt against Lalo, Nacho has been on the run. He finally manages to get word to Mike, but he realizes the end is closer than he would like. Throughout Better Call Saul, Nacho has been one of the most unwilling participants in the cartel. He wants nothing more than to get out of the game and ensure his father’s safety. As is typical in the world of Breaking Bad, things don’t go the way anyone plans.
To ensure his father’s safety, Nacho agrees to turn himself into the Salamancas. As has become typical with the character, he decides to go out in his own way and gives a chilling speech to Hector on the way out. This episode is bittersweet and intense. The acting from Michael Mando as Nacho is some of the best in the series, and his swan song is one of the highlights.
3. Point & Shoot- S6, E8
Fans knew this show would add insight into Breaking Bad, but they never thought it would completely change the perspective. Point & Shoot does just that, as it introduces an element that changes the original show. After Lalo makes his survival known and takes out Howard, he sets his sights on Gus. This leads to the two men in Gus’ lab under construction. The two men outsmart each other, and Gus finally ends Lalo once and for all. What happens next is what changes everything. The bodies of Lalo and Howard are buried deep in the ground in the lab. The real kicker is that this is the same lab Gus provides to Walter and Jesse in Breaking Bad. This means that every time the lab is shown in the original show, fans now know there are two bodies buried beneath.
2. Bagman- S5, E8
One constant in the show is that Jimmy simply can’t catch a break. When Lalo is arrested, he hires an unwilling Jimmy as his attorney. Jimmy gets Lalo a bail of 7 million dollars. This is no problem for the kingpin, so he sends Jimmy to retrieve the money. Things, of course, go south, and Jimmy is ambushed. Mike comes to his rescue, and the shootout ends with the two of them stranded in the desert with little water and 7 million dollars. The episode follows the two as they traverse the New Mexico desert trying to find civilization.
This episode, above all else, serves as a character study. Both of them are faced with what they want most and are desperate to obtain. Jimmy realizes he is now, as Lalo puts it, a friend of the cartel. This is where Jimmy truly begins his relationship with the cartel and is what helps make this one of the best Better Call Saul episodes.
1. Plan & Execution- S6, E7
For the better part of the sixth season, Jimmy and Kim were coming up with a plan to knock Howard off his high horse. This episode of the culmination of that and worked. The managed to convince his associates that he has crazy and drug addicted. He comes to their apartment to confront them, where he is unceremoniously killed by Lalo. This will surely go down in history as one of the most shocking moments on television. The moment is unexpected and changes the course of the rest of the series. From here on out, the lives of Jimmy and Kim were never the same. All of their planning, all of the time dedicated to their plan, was for nothing. Moments in episodes like this are what will cement Better Call Saul as one of the best shows that ever existed.
