Higher Name Saul Season 6 Episode 8 Recap/Overview: Prequel Perfection
After tonight, the variety of remaining Higher Name Saul episodes will be counted on one hand, and “Level and Shoot” does an beautiful job of creating clear why that’s so concurrently thrilling and unhappy. Whereas it’s but to be seen if considered one of TV’s nice inventive achievements will absolutely stick the touchdown, the start of the present’s remaining run of recent episodes packs a whole season’s price of stress into its barely prolonged runtime, whereas additionally persevering with to ship the sort of nuanced, character-driven moments which make the present so unforgettable.
It’s a fairly outstanding achievement given the character of the collection, which jumps forwards and backwards sometimes in its timeline however for the majority of this season has remained fairly firmly a prequel for Breaking Unhealthy. Lately, prequels have been an more and more common method for main franchises like Harry Potter and Star Wars to proceed increasing the scope of their storytelling universes. However what’s been revealed by these initiatives, most just lately with Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, is that it may be extremely tough to construct rigidity inside these collection, as a result of the fates of so many characters are already pre-determined — laborious to get scared about what is going to occur to 10-year-old Luke Skywalker once we know he’s obtained much more life to reside in a galaxy far far-off.
Higher Name Saul may have fallen into comparable traps over the course of its run. The truth is, there was skepticism early on as as to if the present may maintain curiosity within the story of how a small-time lawyer named Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) may develop into Albuquerque’s pre-eminent prison lawyer. However it’s episodes like “Level and Shoot” which reveal how one can do a prequel good.
“Level and Shoot” is such an evocative title, nearly as chilling because the episode title which got here earlier than it. Episode 7, “Plan and Execution,” ended with Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and Jimmy’s plan to tear down Howard Hamlin’s (Patrick Fabian) popularity succeeding… in addition to Lalo’s (Tony Dalton) informal execution of Howard in entrance of Kim and Jimmy — the true starting of the tip for the collection.
Naturally, Episode 8 picks up proper afterwards, although not earlier than a usually mysterious chilly open that additionally serves because the embodiment of Don Draper’s failed Sheraton Hawaii pitch — although, by the tip of that gradual pan away from the attractive blue ocean, it’s clear that we’re wanting on the proof of Howard Hamlin’s staged suicide. However to get there, it’s an intense cat-and-mouse recreation — or cat versus cat? No matter you name it when two extremely intelligent and ruthless males face off eventually.
Higher Name Saul (AMC)