Wexler v. Goodman

Last updated
"Wexler v. Goodman"
Better Call Saul episode
Wexler v. Goodman promotional poster.jpeg
Promotional poster
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 6
Directed by Michael Morris
Written by Thomas Schnauz
Cinematography byMarshall Adams
Editing by Skip Macdonald
Original air dateMarch 23, 2020 (2020-03-23)
Running time51 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Dedicado a Max"
Next 
"JMM"
Better Call Saul season 5
List of episodes

"Wexler v. Goodman" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul , a spin-off series of Breaking Bad . The episode aired on March 23, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

Contents

Plot

Opening

In a flashback to Kim Wexler's teenage years in Red Cloud, Nebraska, her mother is late picking her up from school because she has been drinking. Kim refuses to ride home with her and walks away. Kim's mother angrily yells that Kim never listens to her.

Main story

Jimmy McGill's camera crew and local actors film at the nail salon. Kim arrives and tells Jimmy she does not want to blackmail Kevin Wachtell [lower-alpha 1] and offers a settlement to Everett Acker, with Kim personally making up the difference between what Kevin agrees to and a $75,000 payment. Jimmy reluctantly agrees. After representing two prostitutes in court, Jimmy pays them to embarrass Howard Hamlin at his business lunch with Clifford Main.

Nacho Varga meets with Gus Fring, Victor, and Mike Ehrmantraut. He reports on Lalo Salamanca's plans to reveal the locations of Gus's street dealers to the police. Gus tells Victor to ensure that only low-level employees are arrested and if necessary, to hire new ones to sacrifice. Gus tells Nacho that from now on, he will report to Mike. After Gus leaves, Nacho warns Mike about Gus's ruthlessness, including threatening Nacho's father, but Mike reminds Nacho that he told Nacho of the risk he took by trying to kill Hector Salamanca. [lower-alpha 2] Mike discreetly feeds police information about Lalo's car and its connection to Fred Whalen's murder [lower-alpha 3] before using a tip from Nacho to have police converge on Lalo's location and detain him.

Jimmy meets with Kim, Rich Schweikart, Kevin Wachtell, and Paige Novick to complete Acker's settlement and stuns everyone by demanding $4 million. When Kevin ridicules him, Jimmy shows his video: rough cuts of commercials seeking plaintiffs for class-action lawsuits against Mesa Verde, which unfavorably depict Kevin's father, Don Wachtell. Kim's insight from Sobchak's photos of Kevin's house [lower-alpha 1] is that Mesa Verde's logo is based on a photograph the bank did not obtain permission to use. Jimmy uses the threat of lawsuits and an injunction against displaying the logo to persuade Kevin to accept a settlement that includes cash for Acker and the photographer.

When Kim comes home, Jimmy is apprehensive but says Kim and he should celebrate. Kim vents her anger at Jimmy for making her the "sucker" in his con. She says they either need to end their relationship or get married.

Production

The name of the Native American photographer referenced in the episode, Olivia Bitsui, is a reference to the daughter of actor Jeremiah Bitsui, who plays Victor. [1] When Kim arrives home, Jimmy is playing the guitar riff from the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water." [1] This is the same song Jimmy's con artist partner Marco was humming when he died, and the same one Jimmy was humming when he left the courthouse parking lot after initially turning down the job offer with Davis & Main. [lower-alpha 4] The guitar he plays is the white Fender Stratocaster he acquired from the music store owners when he staged a slip and fall accident after they refused to pay for the commercial he produced for them, another occasion when he played "Smoke on the Water." [lower-alpha 5] [2]

Reception

"Wexler v. Goodman" was acclaimed by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a perfect 100% approval from 13 reviews with an average 9/10 review rating, with a summary "Like a cookie full of arsenic, 'Wexler V. Goodman' delivers the fun and the toxic, enthralling viewers with Jimmy's plan before delivering a series of gut punches they aren't soon to forget." [3]

Ratings

"Wexler v. Goodman" was watched by 1.40 million viewers on its first broadcast, [4] which was a slight decrease from the previous week of 1.45 million. [5]

Notes

  1. 1 2 As depicted in "Dedicado a Max"
  2. As depicted in "Expenses"
  3. As depicted in "Winner"
  4. from "Marco"
  5. from "Slip"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saul Goodman</span> Fictional character in Breaking Bad series

James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a fictional character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise Breaking Bad. He appears as a major character in Breaking Bad (2009–2013) and as the titular protagonist of its spin-off Better Call Saul (2015–2022).

<i>Better Call Saul</i> American legal crime drama television series (2015–2022)

Better Call Saul is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the Breaking Bad franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, Breaking Bad (2008–2013), to which it serves primarily as a prequel, with some scenes taking place during and after the events of Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul premiered on AMC on February 8, 2015, and ended on August 15, 2022, after six seasons consisting of 63 episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gus Fring</span> Fictional character in the Breaking Bad franchise

Gustavo Fring is a fictional character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito in the Breaking Bad franchise, serving as the main antagonist in the crime drama series Breaking Bad and a major character in its prequel Better Call Saul. He is a Chilean-American businessman and major narcotics distributor in the Southwestern United States who uses several legitimate businesses, including a chain of successful fast food restaurants called Los Pollos Hermanos and an industrial laundry facility called Lavandería Brillante, as fronts used to launder money for a vast drug operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Wexler</span> Fictional character from Better Call Saul

Kimberly "Kim" Wexler is a fictional character in the television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off of Breaking Bad. Kim is primarily portrayed by Rhea Seehorn, and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. An intelligent and proficient lawyer, she is the confidant and love interest of Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman, whom she later marries. Kim's characterization and Seehorn's performance have received critical acclaim, earning her two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nacho Varga</span> Fictional character in the television series Better Call Saul

Ignacio "Nacho" Varga is a fictional character who appears in the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a prequel spin-off of Breaking Bad. He is portrayed by Michael Mando and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Ehrmantraut</span> Fictional character from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul

Michael Ehrmantraut is a fictional character in the television series Breaking Bad and its spinoff prequel Better Call Saul, portrayed by Jonathan Banks. Mike is a former Philadelphia police officer and United States Marine Corps veteran who works for Gus Fring—and, on occasion, Saul Goodman—as a private investigator, head of security, cleaner, and hitman. While an officer in Philadelphia, he engaged in corrupt activities that indirectly led to the death of his son Matt, leading Mike to move to Albuquerque to watch over and financially support his daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Kaylee through jobs in the criminal underworld.

"Coushatta" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on September 24, 2018, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalo Salamanca</span> Character from the TV series "Better Call Saul"

Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off prequel and sequel to Breaking Bad. He is portrayed by Tony Dalton, with the character being created by Peter Gould and screenwriter Gordon Smith respectively. Lalo is introduced in the show's fourth season but was originally mentioned in dialogue from the Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul" that introduces Saul Goodman, though Lalo does not appear in the series.

<i>Better Call Saul</i> season 5 Fifth season of the AMC crime drama television series

The fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul premiered on February 23, 2020, in the United States, and concluded on April 20, 2020. The ten-episode season was broadcast on Mondays at 9:00 pm (Eastern) in the United States, except for the premiere which aired on a Sunday. Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, and Giancarlo Esposito reprise their roles from previous seasons and are joined by Tony Dalton, promoted to the main cast from his recurring role in the previous season. Better Call Saul is a spin-off prequel to Breaking Bad and was also created by Vince Gilligan; co-creator Peter Gould also worked on the series.

Magic Man (<i>Better Call Saul</i>) 1st episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"Magic Man" is the first episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on February 23, 2020, on AMC, in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50% Off</span> 2nd episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"50% Off" is the second episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on February 24, 2020, on AMC, in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

JMM (<i>Better Call Saul</i>) 7th episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"JMM" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on March 30, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Guy for This</span> 3rd episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"The Guy for This" is the third episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on March 2, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

"Namaste" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on March 9, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dedicado a Max</span> 5th episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"Dedicado a Max" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on March 16, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Choice Road</span> 9th episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"Bad Choice Road" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the fifth season of the AMC crime drama television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on April 13, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something Unforgivable</span> 10th episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"Something Unforgivable" is the tenth and final episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on April 20, 2020, on AMC in the United States and Canada. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrot and Stick</span> 2nd episode of the 6th season of Better Call Saul

"Carrot and Stick" is the second episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul, the spin-off television series of Breaking Bad. Vince Gilligan directed the episode written by Thomas Schnauz and Ariel Levine. The episode aired back-to-back with "Wine and Roses" on April 18, 2022, on AMC and AMC+. In several countries outside the United States and Canada, the episode premiered on Netflix the following day.

Fun and Games (<i>Better Call Saul</i>) 9th episode of the 6th season of Better Call Saul

"Fun and Games" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul, the spin-off television series of Breaking Bad. It was directed by Michael Morris and written by Ann Cherkis. The episode aired on AMC and AMC+ on July 18, 2022, before debuting online in certain territories on Netflix the following day. In the episode, Gus Fring discusses the death of Lalo Salamanca with the cartel, Mike Ehrmantraut ties up a loose end, and Jimmy McGill and Kim Wexler deal with the aftermath of Howard Hamlin's murder.

References

  1. 1 2 Sepinwall, Alan (March 23, 2020). "'Better Call Saul' Recap: Girl, Interrupted". Rolling Stone . New York, NY.
  2. Mangione, Nick (June 6, 2017). "Slippin' Jimmy Returns on Better Call Saul". Geek.com . Ziff Davis, LLC. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  3. "Wexler v. Goodman". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. Metcalf, Mitch (March 24, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.23.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  5. Metcalf, Mitch (March 17, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.16.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020.