Better Call Saul: S5, Episode 9 (Bad Choice Road) - Patreon Version
Added 2026-02-25 17:00:10 +0000 UTC
Comments
Repeating what's already been said ad nauseam, but how did this show never win an Emmy? What a crime. The whole cast of this show is incredible, but Rhea Seehorn in particular, whew!
Jeffrey Fisher
2026-03-06 08:59:21 +0000 UTCOh right! I didn't even consider the whole Mesa Verde/Chuck scam thing they did to get Kim that job. I can definitely understand Jimmy's reaction more now.
Chandra
2026-03-04 15:30:17 +0000 UTCAbsolutely loved the reactions to the craziness of the show has become, and how unpredictable it is for everyone first watching. One thing about Jimmy flipping out and not supporting Kim.... She decided to go back to work that Jimmy himself despised back in Season 1, pro bono cases for peanuts, and he is thinking about how much struggle that was for him, trying to care for Chuck, doing so much of the heavy lifting for everyday living, the basic necessities just to keep going, only to be betrayed in the end by his brother. Then Kim gives the reasons she gives up Mesa Verde, despite the good money, and furthermore she quits Schweikart & Cokely. To Jimmy it is incomprehensible for Kim to give up her prestigious position that she achieved, despite all the struggle and hardships up to now, just to be happy, just to help everyday people and give them the best, even though Jimmy himself quit Davis & Main just to be himself and help criminals and go his own way. Why can't Jimmy understand all that here in this episode? Because he is thinking of how he suffered with pro-bono money, and he is thinking of how he sabotaged Chuck and HMM, doctored documents to get Mesa Verde back to Kim who rightfully earned it and deserved it. And all that scheming is what started the domino effect that led to Chuck's final mental breakdown and suicide, which led to Jimmy finally having that psychological moment of wanting to break free of the past and his own name, and finally turning to the kind of work Saul Goodman knows best. If Kim gives it all up, if she gives up Mesa Verde, it is sort of invalidating what Jimmy himself gave up, or rather, illuminating finally that Jimmy never had to go to such lengths of duplicity against so many people, the mire of amorality that Jimmy embraced just for Kim to be happy.
David Caine
2026-02-28 19:00:18 +0000 UTCOoo you're so right, Gene absolutely thinks about that
Chandra
2026-02-26 04:02:39 +0000 UTCRight!? I really didn't think her being so honest was a good idea, but I'm glad I was wrong!
Chandra
2026-02-26 04:01:53 +0000 UTCThank you for this! You clear a lot of things up haha. It definitely gets pretty complicated
Chandra
2026-02-26 04:01:18 +0000 UTCY'all talking about the reaction (I admit I haven't watched yet) but I can't believe Chandra approved that screen cap for the pic on the post. She looks like she's having a stroke.
Sean, aka Turd Ferguson
2026-02-26 02:36:43 +0000 UTCGreat episode! And they brought back the "Something Stupid" song for it too. The end scene has such impeccable tension. Entirely because you simply do not know what Lalo will do. Nacho is really a bit of a biting dog to be fair to Gus. He's worked under Tuco & Hector and has tried to take both of them out. But yes, it is telling that Gus views him like an animal. What is most curious is that Mike tells Gus that he doesn't think fear is a good motivator. In Breaking Bad, Gus then tells Mike that he doesn't believe fear to be an effective motivator (when discussing Walt). So something between now & then changes Gus' mind. Nice to see that Mike had a strategic impact on Gus, not just Gus having a toughening impact on Mike. To go over the plan, as it can be a bit complicated: Don Bolsa is the cartel head of Gus' operation & he prefers Gus' methods to the Salamanca way. He recognises that there is a feud between them and that Lalo is causing trouble. But he doesn't know quite how bad it is. He thinks if he can keep Lalo in jail by intercepting his bail money then he's out of the way. As Gus said: "he knows nothing of what we're trying to accomplish" Bolsa doesn't know about the plan with the lab where Gus can eventually (as we see in BB) take over the cartel in his vengeance. Gus has played him into thinking that Gus is all about business, not personal vendettas. Bolsa also doesn't know that Lalo is still a problem for their operation from within jail (sneaking cell phones in prison wasn't common until mid-2000s - where we are now - and most of them will be in there because of Saul!) So Gus wants Lalo out on bail meaning he has to flee & therefore can't cause as much trouble, hence him ensuring that the money gets there with Mike tracking Saul. The court scene demonstrated that events had meant that Saul had lost his colourful spark that makes him so good at swindling & lawyering. Thus, when forced to deviate from Mike's script to Lalo he fumbles and has to rely on Kim stepping in to lawyer for him! Tell. Me. Again. *pokes fish tank*
Max Hassam
2026-02-26 02:15:00 +0000 UTCWhat a great reaction to a great episode! Who knew speaking such hard truths would stop Lalo in his tracks! It's still so surreal to see Kim and Lalo in the same room.
Andrew Ramos
2026-02-26 00:51:12 +0000 UTCKim is a boss.
Helly R
2026-02-25 20:25:47 +0000 UTCWhat a masterclass in tension. You were both like π¬ I also love Bill Oakley saying Jimmy was such a bad lawyer that "you'll probably have to change your name again." I bet Gene Takovic thinks about that moment a lot.
N.T. Stars
2026-02-25 18:18:33 +0000 UTC
