When Better Call Saul began its run, what seemed to drive interest was witnessing how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman, the slick criminal lawyer we all know and love from Breaking Bad. To the credit of creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, however, the AMC prequel series has proved over time this is not just about Jimmy’s transformation into Saul, but rather how Slippin’ Jimmy tried to do right but never could go past his convictions and bad fortunes. It's not a tale of breaking bad, but rather how one's character is not as unchanged as we may like to believe.
In turn, this week’s season finale “Marco” lets audience finally understand a man once pure comedic relief who, as we see, became a character as complicated and inter-cut as Breaking Bad’s Walter White. He’s not a good guy, but he’s far from an indecent human, and Gould and Gilligan love to explore the differences between bad people and good criminals. Lines— just like in life—are completely clear cut, and the decisions we make ultimate are what decide and later haunt our realities. It’s very thoughtful stuff. To their credit, though, Better Call Saul always is ready to pack the flair and keep moving, visually and narratively.
After last week's After last week’s furious confrontation between lawyer brothers Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Chuck (Michael McKean), our protagonist is an uncharacteristically defeated man in “Marco.” His pride is guarded, his self of worth is at an all-time low and he most feels alienated and stripped of justification in his field. He tries to keep his emotions in check, but during as the elder law lawyer hosts an unusually tense game of bingo at the nursing home, he spills his thoughts and past in uncomfortable fashion, much to the confusion of his surrounding elders and girl scouts.
Turns out, the reason Jimmy was in prison some episodes back was because the soon-to-be lawyer gave a nearby enemy a “Chicago Sunroof.” This is not the first time this term was used in the series, but it is the first time it’s explained and, let’s just say it involves an open-roofed car and some colon cleansing. As we learn from this ferocious confession, Jimmy didn’t realize young children were still in the car as the so-to-be low-life criminal left his stinky revenge, and that’s why he was labeled a near sex offender during that flashback.
He unveils this information in heartbreaking fashion, then storms out of the nursing home with plans to leave them for good as he returns to his old Illinois stopping grounds to visit a local friend. That local pal is the episode’s titular character Marco (Mel Rodriguez), who you may remember from "Hero". He unveils this information in heartbreaking fashion, then storms out of the nursing home with plans to leave them for good as he returns to his old Illinois stopping grounds to visit a local friend. That local pal is the episode’s titular character Marco (Mel Rodriguez), who you may remember from an episode prior, “Hero.” That episode already established the criminals were once thick as thieves—no pun intended—as they took whatever meager funds they could con from nearby suckers. Now, after a few beers together, they return to their petty crime ways, from ripping people off with fake presidential coins to Jimmy telling local ladies he’s Kevin Costner to get laid. It’s some of the most fun the low-down lawyer has had in years, but of course good things can’t last for long in the Breaking Bad universe.
Even though I review both shows, I had no idea until this week that Rodriguez played prominent supporting roles in both shows I review—this and The Last Man on Earth. How this slipped comes without a clue to me, but it happened. Perhaps this speaks to the versatility of the actor at hand, who does great work on both programs and proves himself a character to watch for. Hopefully his notoriety shines as these series bring him good fortunes. His charming charisma gives his performances the affable joy they need to stand out, while Rodriguez establishes himself as a competently controlled actor with engaging mannerisms and astute emotional cues.
Plus his chemistry with Odenkirk makes their scenes together in “Marco” the best in his finale’s running time. They need to sell a history of companionship together and these two actors deliver. Their bar antics are immensely fun, and a montage of them in action is one of the best in the history of both Gilligan shows. It’s a marvel and a joy to see, and gives a levity to Better Call Saul somewhat missing of late in favor of heavy character drama.
“Marco,” written and directed by Gould, does a tremendous job studying Jimmy’s character in satisfying ways, while also providing a sense of closure for this year’s program. Many unanswered questions are addressed, and they wrap it up in a way that works as a series finale but lends itself well into the future of the spin-off series. Slowly but surely, Saul Goodman comes to the scene, and the hints seen in this episode’s final scene make that prospect all the more juicy once it finally arrives.
The biggest downfall of this finale—and the only major flaw in my book—is how it treats the end of a certain character. Tiptoeing around spoilers, it should be said how Gould makes the upcoming actions too forced narratively, and the cues he gives are meant to be endearing but come across as too obvious and frankly cheesy. The actors make the moment work, but conceptually there has to be a more original way for what happened to happen.
Beyond his, however, “Marco” leaves with it both a promising future and satisfying conclusions to those questions opened up this season. If anything, Better Call Saul proved just how fascinating a character Saul/Jimmy can be, and makes great dramatic use of a character once known solely for the laughs he brought. It’s hard to predict where Gilligan and Gould’s show goes with its supporting characters and Saul’s development, and the writers often are known for their unpredictability. With that, this writer waits eager for those new episodes to come. For now, however, we sit through call waiting.
Thanks for reading this season everyone. For more reviews, check out my The Last Man on Earth coverage on Sundays nights and then look out for my Louie reviews starting this Thursday.
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