This week's BETTER CALL SAUL, "Hit and Run," written by Ann Cherkis, has lots of great stuff in it--starting with more or less the very first meeting between Kim and Mike. The fact that they're only just meeting now after five years is a complete mind blower. So satisfying to see how they interact. First meetings--such an exciting moment in writing.
So too is the reveal on the meaning of the opening--another classic "Start close up on something important and only reveal what it is much later."
But in terms of technique, I want to point out what's in some ways a small thing, but a tremendous asset of the show: The writers are so damn patient in the storytelling. We've known for four weeks now that Jimmy and Kim are trying to bring down Howard. And the first two episodes saw Jimmy and Kim going at this in a couple different ways, planting drugs and fake stories.
But then last week they spent the episode just putting together a way to get access to Howard's car. That was it. No explanation as to why. Only this week do we get that reveal, as we watch Jimmy steal Howard's car to create an insane scene for the benefit of Cliff Main.
Pretty much any other show, they're going to end 603 with Kim and Jimmy pulling the scam. What's the point of the theft of the keys without showing what they're for? But it turns out, by going slower they're able to make more of both the theft and the scam. Like the last beats in the caper, Jimmy bringing the car back to find someone has taken Howard's place, and now he he has to move the car AND the sign--they can do that precisely because they let the caper sit in its own episode. The fun button, the sign falling over, is the same.
(That moment is itself a genius choice on Cherkis' part; the whole caper has seemed very risky, and at the end, the danger has been clear. Having the sign fall just after Howard leaves is a great signal as to just how close they came to getting caught. It plays as comedy, but it also highlights the danger Jimmy and Kim are putting themselves in.)
On SAUL they travel in baby steps. What's the very next thing that should happen, the next tiny step? And then what after that? And after that? When you follow that process, you can end up discovering so much more to play with.
