Talk (Better Call Saul)

Last updated
"Talk"
Better Call Saul episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 4
Directed by John Shiban
Written by Heather Marion
Featured music"Grazing in the Grass" by The Ventures
Original air dateAugust 27, 2018 (2018-08-27)
Running time47 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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Better Call Saul season 4
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"Talk" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Better Call Saul , the spinoff series of Breaking Bad . Written by Heather Marion and directed by John Shiban, "Talk" aired on AMC in the United States on August 27, 2018. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

Contents

Plot

Opening

In a flashback, Mike Ehrmantraut pours concrete for a carport and allows his young son Matty to write his name in it. Mike is revealed to be discussing Matty at a group therapy session with Stacey Ehrmantraut and ends by saying "You wanted me to talk. I talked."

Main story

Jimmy McGill is offered a manager's position at a cellular phone store. He initially declines, but when Kim Wexler suggests he see a therapist, he accepts. The store sees little traffic and Jimmy becomes bored. Ira pays Jimmy his share from the sale of the stolen Hummel figurine [lower-alpha 1] and offers to steal again. Ira says he uses a new phone for every job, so the best way to reach him is through Dr. Caldera. Jimmy is inspired to re-sell pay-as-you-go phones on the street. Kim spends the day in Judge Munsinger's courtroom. During a recess, he chastises her for what he sees as a naïve hope of regaining her love of the law through his court, and advises her to go back to working on Mesa Verde. When Munsinger returns to the bench, Kim is still there.

As part of covering up the fake attack on Nacho Varga and Arturo Colon, [lower-alpha 2] Victor sells the Salamancas' portion of the drugs to the Espinosa gang. After Nacho tips them off, the Cousins kill most of the Espinosas and recover the "stolen" drugs, then return to Mexico to avoid the police. Nacho recognizes that Gus Fring can now expand his drug territory but does not yet see the full scope of Gus's plan. Nacho stays with his disappointed and concerned father while he recovers from his wounds.

Mike tells Anita that Henry, another member of their support group, is falsely claiming to have a wife who died. At the next meeting, Stacey says she was able to get through most of the day without thinking of Matt, which prompts Henry to talk about his dead wife. Mike scoffs at the story, then confronts Henry. Having been exposed, Henry wordlessly leaves. Mike then condemns the group for being so self-absorbed they were unable to see through Henry's falsehoods.

After performing another Madrigal site inspection, [lower-alpha 3] Mike meets with Gus, who feigns anger that Mike did not tell him Nacho intended to kill Hector Salamanca. [lower-alpha 4] Mike points out that he previously promised only not to kill Hector himself. [lower-alpha 5] Mike surmises Gus has another motive for the meeting and asks for details about "the job" Gus wants done.

Production

The episode was directed by John Shiban, his third directing credit for the series. Shiban was a writer and producer during the second and third seasons of Breaking Bad. [1]

Reception

"Talk" received critical acclaim, with many critics praising Jonathan Banks's performance in the episode. On Rotten Tomatoes, it garnered a perfect 100% rating with an average score of 7.93/10 based on 13 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Ugly feelings loom large in 'Talk', an installment that manages to lay foundations for future episodes without losing its dramatic own hold." [2]

Ratings

"Talk" was watched by 1.53 million viewers on its first broadcast, earning a 0.4 ratings for viewers between 18 and 49. [3]

Accolades

This episode was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, Larry Benjamin, Kevin Valentine, and Phillip W. Palmer were nominated for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series, while Kurt Nicholas Forshager, Kathryn Madsen, Mark Cookson, Matt Temple, Jane Boegel-Koch, Jason Newman, Jeff Cranford, and Gregg Barbanell were nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series.

Notes

  1. ↑ As seen in "Something Beautiful".
  2. ↑ As seen in "Something Beautiful".
  3. ↑ As seen in "Smoke".
  4. ↑ As seen in "Expenses".
  5. ↑ As seen in "Sunk Costs".

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References

  1. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (August 27, 2018). "'Better Call Saul' Recap: Talking Points". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Talk". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ Welch, Alex (August 28, 2018). "Monday cable ratings: 'Better Call Saul' holds steady, 'Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood' ticks down". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
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