7. JMM BETTER
"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.
7. JMM
Lalo Salamanca is charged under an alias with Fred Whalen's murder.[a] Nacho Varga calls Jimmy to represent Lalo at arraignment. Lalo is remanded and directs Jimmy to obtain his release on bail, promising that if successful, Jimmy will become a "friend of the cartel." Jimmy tests his new relationship with Kim by telling her about Lalo.
Rich Schweikart and Kim apologize to Kevin Wachtell for the outcome of Everett Acker's case,[b] and Kevin indicates he will let them know whether he decides to retain them. After leaving, Kim leads Rich back to Kevin's office and tells Kevin he consistently ignored their advice and that whether he retains them or obtains new lawyers, he should be more willing to listen. Kevin indicates his approval by telling them he will see them at their regular Thursday meeting.
At night, Mike Ehrmantraut reads The Little Prince to Kaylee Ehrmantraut and later tells Stacey Ehrmantraut he is past the problem that caused his recent anger.[c] Nacho tells Mike that Lalo wants Nacho to burn down one of Gus Fring's restaurants. In Houston, Gus and other Madrigal subsidiary owners report to CEO Peter Schuler. Gus later meets with Peter and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle to update them on the meth lab's construction and warns them that Lalo remains a threat. Peter panics over the possibility of being caught and Gus calms him by reminding him of an experience they shared in Santiago. Gus and Nacho later protect Nacho's role as the mole inside the Salamanca organization by destroying the Los Pollos Hermanos in Los Lunas.
Gus wants Lalo released, so Mike provides Jimmy details about the investigation he did under an assumed name.[b] Jimmy uses the information at the bail hearing to accuse police of witness tampering. The judge grants bail of US$7 million cash. Howard Hamlin approaches Jimmy at the courthouse about working at HHM[c] and Jimmy says he is still considering it. Howard realizes Jimmy is toying with him, including damaging his car[c] and disrupting his recent business lunch with Clifford Main,[b] and rescinds the offer. Jimmy continues to blame Howard for Chuck McGill's death[d] and loudly and theatrically proclaims that he is far beyond a job at HHM and that Howard means nothing to him.
Several Easter eggs referencing Breaking Bad were included in this episode. Bernstein created a bookend scene for the character Peter Schuler, the CEO of Madrigal, to contrast with his death scene in the Breaking Bad episode "Madrigal", with both scenes starting with Peter tasting sauces from Madrigal's restaurant subsidiaries.[2] They also brought in the use of the phrase "friend of the cartel" which Saul utters in desperation to Walt and Jesse when they abduct him in his introductory Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul," believing that Lalo provided a good way to introduce that phrase to Jimmy/Saul.[2] Other such references include the allusion to Jimmy's previous two marriages prior to Kim, and Lydia's trademark red-soled high heel shoes.[2]
Alan Sepinwall for Rolling Stone and Melanie McFarland for Salon both observed that the episode's title, "JMM," could be taken three ways: as Jimmy's own initials (James Morgan McGill), as an initialism for "Justice Matters Most" (which Jimmy coins because Kim gave him the monogrammed briefcase after he decided to use the Saul Goodman name), and as an initialism for the phrase "Just Make Money" (the phrase Lalo uses to persuade Jimmy to obtain his release on bail).[1][3]
"JMM" received acclaim from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% Certified Fresh rating, with an average 9.08 out of 10 review score from 14 reviews. Its summary of the critical consensus is "Jimmy ties the knot, but Saul Goodman is hanging a noose over everyone's future in this diabolically satisfying installment."[4]
JMMSynopsis: Jimmy and Kim build a legal firewall with help from Huell. Kim sets things straight with her clients as Jimmy is compromised by his. Gus, at war on all fronts, calms troubled waters in service of his plot to build an empire. Mike does damage control.SeasonEpisode5
Jimmy and Kim discuss their impending nuptials outside of the courthouse while waiting to get their marriage certificate. Kim makes Jimmy promise to not hide anything from her ever again. After Huell arrives as their witness, Jimmy explains to him that this marriage is purely a formality. The couple exchange their vows in front of a judge, with Kim appearing very happy while the judge says the vows.
After the wedding, Kim leaves for her office at Schweikart & Cokely, promising to return home early. Jimmy gets a call from Nacho, who tells him that he has a new client named Jorge de Guzman. "De Guzman" is actually an alias being used by Lalo, who has been charged with the murder of Fred Whalen and is being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center. Jimmy pleads not guilty on Lalo's behalf; however, the judge denies bail. Later, as he and Jimmy privately discuss the case, Lalo says that he wants neither a deal with the prosecution nor a trial, intending to be released on bail. Jimmy replies that that will be very difficult since the charges against him are serious. Lalo assures him that he will be considered a "friend of the Cartel" if he succeeds in the task.
At Stacey's house, Mike is reading the copy of The Little Prince he obtained from the library to Kaylee as a bedtime story. She eventually falls asleep. Mike joins Stacey in the kitchen and helps her wash dishes. She is surprised when Mike casually brings up Matty, a subject he'd been reluctant to discuss in the past. Mike tells her that his emotional state is much better now, deciding to accept the "cards that were dealt" to him.
Kim, Rich, Paige, and Kevin convene at Mesa Verde's offices to discuss their disastrous meeting with Jimmy. Kim apologizes profusely for the incident, but Kevin is disappointed with how poorly S&C dealt with the situation. Before Kim and Rich leave, Kevin tells Kim she can "do better than" Jimmy. She starts to leave with Rich, but then impulsively returns to the meeting room. Kim tells Kevin that for all S&C's slip-ups, Kevin also bears some responsibility for the fiasco by ignoring her legal advice: Kevin decided to listen to Jimmy, even when Kim explicitly told him not to. Kevin is apparently impressed upon hearing Kim's counter-argument, and sets their next meeting for Thursday.
Kim and Jimmy return to their apartment while Kim talks about her meeting. When she asks about his day, Jimmy says, "I got married"; he carries her to the bedroom. They begin to make love but Jimmy stops suddenly, making Kim ask what is wrong. Jimmy tells her about his new client, mentioning the offer of being a "friend to the Cartel." Kim says that she is glad that Jimmy shared this news with her.
Lalo arranges for a cell phone to be smuggled to him inside the MDC. Cooped up in his bunk, he calls Nacho via the phone and orders him to burn down a Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant. Nacho meets with Mike the next day, having decided since Lalo is incarcerated, Mike should help him and his father find a way out of the drug business. When he learns about Lalo's order to burn down a restaurant, Mike points out that this means that Lalo is not really out of the picture yet; Nacho can't get out from under either his or Gus's employ.
In Houston, Gus attends a board meeting of the CEOs of Madrigal Electromotive's restaurant chains, chaired by Peter Schuler. Later that evening, after checking into a local hotel, Gus visits an adjacent room where Peter and Lydia are waiting for him. Peter complains about the delays in building the excavation and warns that it will be difficult to allocate further funds, considering how close he has come to getting caught. Gus assures him that things will be smoothed out, reminding him of a dangerous situation in Santiago that the two men escaped from, which resulted in Gus being indebted to Peter. Lydia suggests that they arrange for Lalo to be assassinated in jail, an idea Gus dismisses because such circumstances would cast suspicion on him for the killing. However, Gus realizes that he has to do something to prevent Nacho, his insider in Lalo's crew, from being exposed.
At their apartment, Jimmy looks over real estate listings while Kim readies herself for work. After she leaves, he receives a phone call from Mike, calling to offer a job. Jimmy tries to make up an excuse for ending the call as he goes to answer a knock at the door, only to find Mike standing there. Speaking as Gus's emissary, Mike asks for Jimmy to get Lalo bailed out of jail. He refuses to say who he is delivering this request on behalf of, as Gus does not want Lalo to know what he's up to, and hands Jimmy a dossier with the pertinent information from his visit to Lillian Simmons.
Under the cover of darkness, Gus and Nacho break into a Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant in Los Lunas. While Nacho vandalizes the seating area, Gus turns up the burners in the kitchen, filling the room with gas, and heats up a fryer full of oil. He then grabs a frozen chicken from the freezer and sets it on the backside of the cooker's cover as an improvised ramp, so it will slowly slide down into the fryer. He then leaves the restaurant, returning to his car. The frozen chicken falls into the fryer and ignites the hot oil, causing a massive explosion that destroys the restaurant.
Lalo appears in court for his bail hearing. Jimmy tells the judge that the star witness in the case was coached by a private detective; the prosecutor admits to this fact. Jimmy has also hired actors to perform as Lalo's fake family to prove that he has community ties to Albuquerque. Based upon these factors, the judge sets Lalo's bail at $7 million in hard cash. Lalo says he can arrange for the money, but Jimmy will have to personally drive across the border to pick it up. 041b061a72