Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 8 review: Lalo finally gets his big show-down with Gus, but who'll have the last laugh?

Show returns after its mid-season break for its final few episodes that will then lead into the story of Breaking Bad.

Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca

Better Call Saul

Story: After shooting Howard (Patrick Fabian) at point blank range at Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim’s (Rhea Seehorn) home, Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) has an assignment for his attorney, who he believes is responsible for unleashing the whole Ignacio Varga (Michael Mando) fiasco in Mexico. Lalo wants Jimmy to drive to Gus Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) home, ring the bell and, as soon as he answers the door, shoot him dead, take a picture of it and return – all in the span of one hour. Jimmy, though, thinks that Kim should do it. Will she go through with it?

Review: When we last saw Jimmy and Kim, they’d just witnessed Howard’s murder at the hands of Lalo Salamanca in their home. They are both visibly shaken, but Lalo won’t even give them time to process what just happened; he is a man on a mission and he needs something done. He wants Jimmy to drive up to Gus’ home and shoot him dead. Jimmy is desperate to get Kim out of their home and away from Lalo, so he suggests that she should go instead, as Gus would be more likely to open the door to his home to a woman.

What fun would it be to have Jimmy or Kim go through with this ‘hit’ on Gus, after the painstaking investigation into what was built under the laundromat. Lalo needed to show his uncle that Gus was up to no good and needed proof to substantiate his suspicions. So, off he goes, tailing Kim to Gus’ house and waits patiently for Mike and some of the other security personnel to head off to Jimmy’s place. Once the coast is almost clear, Lalo makes his move and finally gets his big moment with Gus, confronting him about his plan to cut the Salamanca’s out of the drug business. But just when it looks like it is the end of the road for Gus, he springs a surprise on Lalo. Of course, that was to be expected, given that it is Gus and not Lalo who gets to be on Breaking Bad.

Although the big show-down didn’t last too long, this was one of the most intense episodes yet on the show, one that gave Kim a clear picture of the horrors that come with being associated with the cartel. More importantly, it now remains to be seen if Jimmy and Kim can live with the reality of what they did to Howard and how they are now forced to go about life as if nothing untoward ever happened. Can they hold it together or will it prove too much for them as individuals and, as a couple. There are still five episodes in this final season of Better Call Saul, which should explain why Kim is not around during Jimmy’s days with Walter White. Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca was, without a doubt, one of the best villains on the show; it’s a pity his story has come to an end now.

Verdict: As we inch closer to the end of the show, everything’s being neatly lined up for its seamless integration with the Breaking Bad storyline. Most of the important characters of Better Call Saul who do not make it to Breaking Bad, like Chuck McGill, Howard Hamlin, Ignacio Varga, and Lalo Salamanca have been written out already. The only remaining loose end is Kim Wexler – is she going to die or will recent events just be too much for her to deal with? Let’s wait and watch.

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