From “Chicanery” to “Plan and Execution,”Better Call Sauldelivered some episodes that hold up as bona fide masterpieces. The show’s predecessor,Breaking Bad, had set an extremely high bar, butBetter Call Saulmanaged to live up to it. By the timeBetter Call Saulended, it was arguably an even greater show thanBreaking Bad.
Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould rounded out their buffoonish lawyer character into every bit the complex, three-dimensional antihero thatBreaking Bad’s Walter White was. Over the course ofBetter Call Saul’s six seasons, the show aired some of the finest episodes of television ever produced.
10Wexler V. Goodman
Season 5, Episode 6
Just whenJimmy and Kimare getting ready to pull a scam on Mesa Verde in season 5’s “Wexler v. Goodman,” Kim gets cold feet and calls it off. But Jimmy decides to pull the ol’ switcheroo and runs the scam anyway, much to Kim’s horror.
Bob Odenkirk plays it perfectly, with a smarmy grin on his face throughout the whole presentation.
The scene where Jimmy presents his litigious ads to Mesa Verde isa masterclass in cringe comedy. Bob Odenkirk plays it perfectly, with a smarmy grin on his face throughout the whole presentation. That scene alone would make this episode a masterpiece, but it leads to a raw, honest heart-to-heart between Jimmy and Kim.
Season 5, Episode 9
Better Call Saul’s most exciting episodes were the ones with deadly action sequences, butsome of the most dramatically interesting episodes dealt with the fallout of those action sequences. In season 5’s “Bad Choice Road,” Jimmy is suffering from post-traumatic stress after his ordeal with Lalo’s bail money in the desert.
The scene that elevates “Bad Choice Road” above a great episode to masterpiece status is when Jimmy confides in Mike that he’s got PTSD. Mike gives a really poignant monologue about how it’ll pass with time, calling back to what his daughter-in-law said in a group therapy session. One day, he’ll wake up and realize he hasn’t thought about it.
8Fun And Games
Season 6, Episode 9
All throughoutBetter Call Saul’s run, we were really worried about what would happen to Kim. Since she wasn’t a part ofSaul’s life inBreaking Bad, she was expected to meet a grim fate. But it ended up being much more tragic than that. In season 6’s “Fun and Games,” in the aftermath of Howard’s murder, Kim leaves Jimmy.
Their final scene together is heartbreaking. Jimmy begs Kim to stay, but she’s made up her mind.This is what finally pushes Jimmy to embrace the Saul persona full-time, and the transformation is complete. The episode also has a really sad final moment for Gus as he realizes he can never find love again out of fear they’ll end up like Max.
7Waterworks
Season 6, Episode 12
Rhea Seehorn gave the performance of a lifetime asKim inBetter Call Saul, and that performance came to a head in the show’s penultimate episode, “Waterworks.” We see that this brilliant lawyer has exiled herself to a miserable existence across the country. She’s in an unhappy relationship and has a painfully mundane job.
When she can’t take the guilt anymore, she returns to Albuquerque to come clean to Howard’s widow in the hope of providing her with some semblance of peace. As Kim takes a bus back to the airport, she breaks down in tears.This is the culmination of Kim’s entire emotional arc, and Seehorn makes it feel so real.
6Five-O
Season 1, Episode 6
The first masterpiece ofBetter Call Saul’s run arrived halfway through season 1. “Five-O” breaks away from the established formula to fill inMike’s backstory. It shows us that his son Matt was murdered by a pair of crooked cops in Philadelphia, and that Mike orchestrated an elaborate scheme to exact revenge.
“Five-O” isa fascinating insight into a usually stoic, closed-off character’s emotional side. Jonathan Banks gives an incredible performance in the episode, both when Mike pretends to be drunk to lure his prey to a good murder spot and when he tearfully opens up about his guilt surrounding Matt’s death.
5Winner
Season 4, Episode 10
In the season 4 finale, “Winner,” as Jimmy’s reinstatement hearing looms, he does everything he can to convince the panel he’s sincerelymourning the loss of Chuck. Kim is initially moved by Jimmy’s sincerity, but she’s disturbed to learn that it was all fake. This episode also has the heartbreaking moment when Mike is forced to kill his friend Werner.
The cold open of “Winner” is one of the best inBetter Call Saul’s history. It’s a flashback toJimmy and Chucksinging an ABBA duet at a karaoke bar, showing that their relationship wasn’t all bad.It ends with Jimmy asking for a DBA form so he can practise under the name “Saul Goodman,”beginning his descent.
4Bagman
Season 5, Episode 8
Season 5’s “Bagman” isa great standalone episode that plays like aBetter Call Saulversion ofNo Country for Old Men. It starts with a simple enough setup: Jimmy drives out into the desert, picks up Lalo’s bail money at a discreet location, and heads back to Albuquerque. But then, on his way back, he’s ambushed.
“Bagman” is one of Better Call Saul’s most action-packed episodes, but it also puts a spotlight on Jimmy’s relationship with Mike.
“Bagman” is one ofBetter Call Saul’s most action-packed episodes, but it also puts a spotlight on Jimmy’s relationship with Mike. Mike rescues Jimmy from his ambush and they have to trek across the sun-beaten desert together, all while being stalked by a surviving cartel hitman. It’sa riveting hour of television.
3Saul Gone
Season 6, Episode 13
It’s almost impossible to come up with a satisfying series finale, especially when the series has been as great asBetter Call Sauland the final episode has to function as the ending to an entire franchise, not just its own show. But “Saul Gone” is one of the finest finales in TV history.
This finale isa bittersweet conclusion to Jimmy’s story, as he gets caught, talks himself down to a slap on the wrist, then does the right thing and allows the judge to give him a much harsher, more fitting sentence. Upon his arrival in prison, this criminal lawyer is greeted as a hero — and he even reconciles with Kim.
2Plan And Execution
Season 6, Episode 7
The first half ofBetter Call Saul’s final season is a hilarious caper likeThe Sting, as Jimmy and Kim set out to destroy Howard’s reputation. But in the midseason finale, that storyline reaches a much darker and more violent end thanThe Sting. The plan goes off without a hitch, despite some setbacks, so they celebrate back at home.
Then, as expected, Howard shows up to have it out with them. But then, Lalo — who Jimmy was assured had been killed — shows up, too. As Howard tries to recuse himself, Lalo shoots him in the head. The episode’s powerful acting and intense direction come together to makeHoward’s murderone of TV’s all-time most shocking twists.
1Chicanery
Season 3, Episode 5
Season 3’s “Chicanery” isthe episode that turnedBetter Call Saulfrom a really great TV show into one of the greatest TV shows ever made. It brings Jimmy and Chuck’s feud to a head as they face each other in court. Chuck secretly recorded Jimmy confessing to the intentional sabotage of his Mesa Verde documents, and had him arrested.
All six seasons ofBetter Call Saulare streaming on Netflix.
In “Chicanery,” Jimmy gets his own back as he orchestrates a scenario that exposes Chuck’s condition as psychosomatic. Chuck’s ensuing meltdown is a masterclass in acting by the great Michael McKean.Better Call Saul’s greatest episode masterfully builds to that climactic monologue, and McKean knocks it out of the park.
Better Call Saul
Cast
Better Call Saul follows small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill as he navigates the legal world to make ends meet. The series, set six years before his encounter with Walter White, chronicles Jimmy’s evolution into Saul Goodman, with notable interactions alongside fixer Mike Ehrmantraut.
