‘Better Call Saul’ Season 5 Premiere: 5 Key Moments From ‘Magic Man’
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 5, Episode 1 of Better Call Saul, “Magic Man”]
After more than a year off the air, Better Call Saul returned with a bang as Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) went full Saul, setting the tone for Season 5 and the foreseeable future of the series.
From startling revelations to moral quandaries, we’re breaking down all of the major moments.
Gene’s Made
Saul’s fears were realized in the opening moments of the episode when the cab driver who had given him a ride at the beginning of Season 4 approached him in the mall while on duty at Cinnabon. “heyyyy,” the man greets him. “It is you! I thought it was you. I wasn’t all the way sure, but now that I’ve seen you up close, I’m sure… it’s you!” At first Saul plays it off, telling the man his name’s Gene Takovic, but the cabbie won’t let it go. Eventually he surrenders, uttering “Better Call Saul” under his breath at the request of the insistent man.
Fearful of this development, he calls the vacuum man Ed (a posthumous Robert Forster) for some help before deciding “I’ve changed my mind.” What does this mean? Will Saul threaten the man who recognized him or worse? Only time will tell, but sadly fans will likely have to wait until the sixth and final season.
Kim’s Torn
(Credit: Warrick Page/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)
When the action picks up in the past, Kim (Rhea Seehorn) questions Jimmy’s choice to practice as Saul Goodman. She’s not sold on the idea but doesn’t stop him from proceeding, even when he comes up with a plan to entice clients who know him from cell phone sale with legal advice. When it comes to her pro-bono cases though there’s some reluctance when he discusses pulling a con on her clients. She doesn’t feel it’s right, but in the end she pulls the con herself to keep the defendant from serious time. Her words manipulate the decisions made and it leads her to a pensive moment in the stairs when the episode ends.
Phone-y Deals
(Credit: Warrick Page/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)
In order to build up some buzz about his activities, Saul opens a tent in a shady lot with the promise of cell phones for interested individuals. Along with the phones, he’s offering legal advice — a taster of what will be available to them when they’re in trouble. It works like a charm and after running out of stock, he offers business cards with the reassurance that he’ll provide services at a discounted rate. Needless to say, Jimmy hasn’t lost his touch.
Lalo’s Focus
(Credit: Warrick Page/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)
Lalo (Tony Dalton) continued to take charge of Salamanca operations and his suspicions over shady behavior on Gus’ (Giancarlo Esposito) part was confirmed when he checks in on the supplies at one of their drop points — a vacant and gutted house where the gutter is used as a transaction pipe. The goods aren’t pure though and it leads to a tense conversation between Lalo and Gus. The Los Pollos Hermanos boss claims that the poor quality product was a replacement for stolen goods taken by Werner (Rainer Bock) who fans know was the head builder until Mike (Jonathan Banks) offed him for ditching his duties in Season 4. The claim saves face for Gus who is currently building his lab that will later be used by Walter White (Bryan Cranston).
Mike’s Sendoff
(Credit: Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)
Following the Werner problem, the German builders are released to return home and it’s clear Mike’s still having a hard time after delivering the head builder’s fate. When he assigns the men their return trip itineraries, the group’s problem child Kai (Ben Bela Böhm) who Mike clashed with many times tells Mike that Werner’s death had to be done, calling the man soft. This leads Mike to clock the pompous man in the face with a satisfying wack. Not all men react as such, one of which tells Mike Werner was worth 50 of him. In the meantime, Gus wants to retain Mike’s services while things settle down but the old man opts out in anger.
What will happen next? Tune in Mondays on AMC to find out and keep an eye out for a major Breaking Bad return as Dean Norris reprises his role as Hank this season.
Better Call Saul, Mondays, 9/8c, AMC
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