I've been watching Better Call Saul since it first began airing. It's been a bit of an odd dichotomy at times with it's decision to also follow Mike's beginnings in New Mexico as they have been rather separate paths aside from some brief meet-ups here and there. It took a while to start building up its world in Season 1 but it's been so well put together that I've still enjoyed it while others were getting restless and wondering if there was a point to it during that time.
As well, knowing the future outcome for some of these characters can sometimes affect the viewing of this show. For instance, it was revealed that the writers were getting ready to introduce Gus Fring at the end of season 2 and they even had the anagram of the reveal hidden in the episode titles for Season 2 but decided to cut that meet thinking it might overshadow the latest development in the Chuck/Jimmy feud. That was fine. Even without the reveal, BB viewers knew the Don't probably came from Gus. When Season 3 started, it was well known that Gus was now going to be appearing again. In the first episode, though, they didn't just have Gus meet Mike. They showed the process of Mike trying to figure out how he was tracked. It was a logical story development and how Mike worked out how to turn the tables was an enjoyable process. But then in episode 2, we watch Mike follow someone else around and finally he come to the Los Pollos restaurant. Then he stakes out, uses Jimmy which results in his investigation being exposed and is confronted about it. In episode 3, he finally comes face to face with Gus and they begin their partnership, in a way. The difference is that unlike in episode 1, there was still the problem of how does Mike meet Gus which was solved in the tracking device solution. While episode 2's action makes sense perhaps in a logical progression of events, it wasn't as intriguing as episode 2. At that point, I just kind of wanted the show to get on with it. Mike has gotten this close just have him meet Gus already and let's get on to better action. The show seems really intent on showing the whole detailed process sometimes which can have this appeal/repeal reaction in me when watching. Sometimes it works and the process is engaging and sometimes it feels unnecessary and maybe the creative team is overdoing it.
Likewise, with Nacho, once it became clear early on this season that he didn't want Hector involving his father, a lot of viewers guessed that maybe he might be the reason Hector would end up in a wheelchair and that view was solidified even further when he started looking into capsules to replace Hector's medication. We know the end result for Hector but we don't know the end result for Nacho. Yet, even though we know the endpoint for Hector and can suspect where the story is going because there are unknowns in that we don't know what happens to Nacho nor do we know for sure that swapping the pills would be what brings down Hector, the moment when Nacho makes the swap is still a bit thrilling for the viewer. However, there's a bit of a letdown when the swap doesn't have an immediate effect. It probably makes sense and leads to Nacho's dad still getting involved with Hector a bit but, at this point, we are just waiting for Hector to have his stroke. It's getting dragged out almost too long.
Still, it is incredible to see more and more the interconnectivity of how all these various people are impacting one another more and more and how the reverberations of those actions pull us closer to the Breaking Bad versions and end result. In the end, though, this season's primary plotline was Jimmy vs Chuck and it was episode 5 that was the most powerful in that plotline. It felt like the climax almost of what the show had been building on and towards since episode 1 of season 1. After that, it was just a lot of characters dealing with the fallout of that clash and almost a new beginning as changes were made to the status quo of a lot of characters in Jimmy's orbit. The final episode of season 3 felt like the end of the process of stripping down Jimmy's old life (no more shared office, no more elder law, being told to embrace what he's good at, no more brother...) yet surprisingly there was an uptick in how things were going with him and Kim and they seemed to be in a better place than they had been almost all season. I was not expecting that.
That said, the real surprise was the ending of Chuck. Having been a real heel since about episode 9 of Season 1 and kind of taking the role of villain in the Jimmy portion of the show, it is surprising how well the writers were still able to generate sympathy for Chuck in the end. Kim being unhappy with what happened to him, his realization of his condition and trying to get better helped ease up the viewers dislike towards him. Yet, he then lashed out at the insurance agents and Howard and his further rejection of Jimmy or being able to recognize any fault on his part in their relationship lead to vilifying himself again. But then you saw the consequences and how that seemed to affect him. Unable or unwilling to seek forgiveness for what he said to Jimmy or even acknowledge any guilt for his behaviour, it seems to have manifested itself as the true reason for his disorder and causes his descent back into madness which doesn't bring about any sense of joy in the viewer. It would have been far preferable to see Chuck try to make amends rather than go out the broken man he is at the end. (Although some might disagree and feel he got what he deserved.)
Going back to my earlier point of this show sometimes foreshadowing or announcing its intent ahead of time and then we just watch and wait for it to happen, the final episode title this season was Lantern and it had been known for some 3 - 4 weeks before the episode aired. Thus, there was a lot of speculation that Chuck might meet his demise this episode in a fire by the gas lantern that was constantly referenced through this season and the previous ones. However, there was a lot of speculation and theories as to how or why. To my knowledge, no one predicted the path the show ended up making. Even when watching the episode, the cold open homes in on a gas lantern and then it's pretty much forgotten. When Jimmy visits Chuck, there seems to be no danger of him dying by a fire caused from the gas lantern he used to use. Even as we witness his mental breakdown, such an outcome still doesn't seem forthcoming. In fact, near the end, as Jimmy is making Kim breakfast, I suddenly realized the episode was almost over and the only lantern shown so far was in the cold open. Was this a trick by the writers after people figured out the Fring's Back anagram of last year? And then that ending scene happened and the realization of the fire trap that Chuck created for himself is instantly apparent and despite expecting this outcome for awhile, it still comes as a shock and tragedy.
I was thinking about commenting on Better Call Saul earlier but I was still processing that ending. In some ways, the show has almost been about Jimmy, Mike and Chuck. Chuck has had a huge impact on Jimmy's world and a major factor in a lot of his choices and now he's gone. I wonder how the writers are going to fill that void. It is sad to see Chuck go. I was actually secretly hoping that maybe Chuck might re-appear in the future and find Jimmy at Cinnebon and maybe even help him get out of the trouble he faces post-Breaking Bad as a way to make-up and re-do the assistance he could have offered Jimmy the first time he did that and Jimmy moved to New Mexico to show his thanks and turn his life around. But that potential happy ending is not to be.
It is a curious thing about this show. Where is it headed? Breaking Bad had a clear goal. The transformation of Walter White from law-abiding to criminal and his rise and fall. What is the story of Jimmy? Is there redemption at the end? Can there be redemption? A facing of his consequences? Each season gives us the glimpse of life after Breaking Bad and yet to what end?
Well, you got me posting all manner of thoughts I've had on this show and this season since I really haven't been talking about it much so I've got a lot to say. However, I'll just wrap up by saying that I hope the writers don't delay the transformation of Jimmy into Saul much longer. I've honestly enjoyed the Jimmy portion more than the Mike but the decision to have Jimmy on probation from practicing law for a year is a bit frustrating. I like to see Jimmy/Saul defending guilty clients. Episode 2 of season 2 where Jimmy helps the nerdy drug dealer ward off suspicion from the police with his Peach Cobbler story are what I was hoping to see more of when the BCS spin-off was first announced and I'd love to see various episodes with him coming up with such creative solutions to get out of legal entanglements. As Chuck said, Jimmy should do what he is best at and hopefully the writers will allow that to happen.