Better Call Saul - Ax and Grind - recap

Axe and Grind were written by Ariel Levine, her first solo episode, and directed by Giancarlo Esposito. The teaser was once again was spread from the rest of the episode. We are back in the 80s with young Kim and her mother. Kim got caught shoplifting a necklace and earrings. The store manager called Kim's mother. When her mother arrived, she played the concerned mother. Kim's mom was upset and even agreed to call the police because Kim stole merchandise was over $20. But the store manager said that as long as you can assure me that it would not happen again, Kim can go home. Kim's mom agreed to pay some of the cost of the mechanics. When the two of them leave the store, Kim hold's her mother's hand; they turn the corner, and her mother's mood changes. She told Kim that she didn't know she had it in her, making you think of the kind of person who raised our Kim Wexler. Kim sat in the car in shock; her mother handed her something; it was the spear earrings and necklace that Kim still wears.

Poor Howard, during Hit and Run, we saw that Howard and his wife were having problems in their marriage, but we did not know the extent of their problems. Howard has been living in their guest house; it's not clear how long. But Howard has completely moved in there, without his wife. However, Howard has not given up on his wife, he even made her a special latte, but it seemed not to affect his wife's feelings.

Jimmy and Kim continue their plan to settle the Sandpiper case. They consult one of Jimmy's contacts, the vet. The vet gives Jimmy a chemical that would make his eyes to dilate. Kim's biggest concern was that the chemical would not appear on a drug test; the vet assured her that it wouldn't. He casually mentions his little black book after some small talk with the vet. The vet agreed to let Kim and Jimmy look at the book; the whole book was coded, but one this stood out, Best Quality Vaccum, also known as The Disappearer. We know that Jimmy ends up calling that number but will Kim call The Disappearer? 

Speaking of Kim, after she pulls off an amazing defense tactic that impressed Clifford Main. That led to a conversation about a special foundation that was right up Kim's alley and invited her to present her proposal. When she told Jimmy about it, he was more than happy for his wife. The only problem is that it's on "D-Day," but Jimmy told Kim that she didn't need to be there. So Kim agreed to let Jimmy handle things. On "D-Day," Jimmy went to the liquor store to buy their special drink. But when Jimmy was in line to pay for it, he spotted the Judge that would be handing the Sandpiper case. The Judge's arm was broken, which put a bump in their plan. 

Lalo is still on his mission to find out what Gus is building. Last week Lalo pulled out the charm for Verner's widow but got nothing. When Lalo broke into her home, he found a gift given to her by one of Verner's men. Lalo tracked down where the gift came from and approached the man. At first, things seemed like the two men were going to talk until Verner's man ran to the barn, trapped Lalo, and hit him in the stomach with the back of the ax. When Lalo was curled up, barely breathing, he pulled a fast one, grabbed the ax, and cut off the man's foot. 

 Ax and Grind was the perfect setup for the midseason finale. Jimmy and Kim are making their dreams come true; it seems at this point that nothing can stop them from getting what they want.