Better Call Saul - Plan and Execution - Review / Recap

    Plan and Execution was brilliantly written and directed by Thomas Schnauz; yes, the same man who brought us the groundbreaking episode from Breaking Bad, Say My Name. Plan Execution was just as powerful, not just because of the shocking ending, but because it made Kim and Jimmy face their consequences. When Kim and Jimmy started to formulate their con to bring down Howard, they were only thinking about the end. To them, "the ends justify the mean," a very Machiavellian way to go after Howard. But it backfired in a way that nobody would have foreseen. 

    

    The mid-season finale brought Lalo back to Albuquerque from Germany and saw him in the sewer system, keeping a close eye on the laundry mate. Lalo is determined to get evidence to prove that Gus is building the "mother of all meth labs." In doing so, Lalo is willing to do whatever it takes. 

    

    Just in time, Jimmy and Kim find out that the judge had a broken arm, so they would have to reshoot some photographs. They managed to get the photos reshot and handed off to Howard's private investigator just before the Sandpiper mediation started. The private investigator showed Howard the reshot photo, which showed Jimmy handing the judge a large envelope full of money. Howard thought he nailed Jimmy, but he didn't know that Jimmy and Kim had put a liquid on the photos to dilate Howard's pupils that would also make him feel jaggery. The con worked; Howard fell right into Jimmy and Kim's trap, making the other lawyers run for the hills. 

     Jimmy and Kim thought they had gotten away with it. They are getting their money, Howard got pulled down, but he will survive. Life is good, but it backfired. What came next, nobody would have seen. Howard went to Jimmy and Kim's apartment to confront them about their actions. He was upset; Jimmy and Kim played along, making Howard even more upset. Suddenly the two worlds collide; Lalo walks through the door; Jimmy thinks he sees a ghost because, as far as he knows, Lalo is dead. Kim was scared, she knew Lalo was still alive because Mike told her, but she never told Jimmy. Kim thought she was doing the right thing because Jimmy was still dealing with the trauma he went through in the desert. 

     Howard had no idea who Lalo was or Jimmy's involvement with the cartel. As an audience member, we all knew how dangerous Lalo could be whenever Lalo walks into a room, someone ends up dead. When Lalo pulled out his gun, Howard suddenly realized the situation's seriousness. Then Lalo put his gun to Howard's head and pulled the trigger. Lalo killing Howard was one of the most shocking cliffhangers in television history. How are Jimmy and Kim going to get past this? Their scam resulted in Howard's death. Something like that changes a person for life.