Better Call Saul (TV Series) Rock and Hard Place (2022) User Reviews

YOU TWISTED F

[tristan_19 · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

OH WOW !

What an intense and visceral episode. Gordon Smith is a genius. From the beginning scene with Nacho on the run, right up until the end, the audience witnesses a cinematic feat. From the little details, and even when watching the Jimmy and Huell storyline, the tension is tangible.

Of course, the ending scene is an absolute wonder. Nacho goes off in all his glory and offers a monologue as gripping as Chuck's Chicanery moment. Varga is the one who knocks. He puts the whole blame on himself and channels his inner Tyrion (see GOT S4E6). Kim got to shine in Bad Choice Road. This moment is Nacho's trial.

Gus is phenomenal, as all the actors. You know Bolsa is going to survive, due to his Breaking Bad time, but you genuinely feel he could die at that moment. Like... how is this even possible ?

Gordon Smith, Dave Porter, Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, and co... Hats Off !

You can't forget Michael Mando's astonishing performance. The scene he had in this episode, in which he calls his father for the last time is one of the saddest scenes of the show... Thank You Michael !

Plus, Jimmy is left with a dilemma and yet another choice in his life. Being a rat and giving up information on Lalo or being a friend of the cartel. Fantastic storytelling.

Paper beats rock👍👍👍

[bosporan · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

A tale of consequential choices.

Nacho must decide how he is going to use his knowledge of Gus, Hector and Lalo to leverage best advantage. Mr McGill begins to question his identity facing the incompatible dichotomy of the cautious, amiable Jimmy and the audacious, selfish Saul.

A fabulous performance from Michael Mando (Varga) emotionally portraying his difficulty on the run and the intractable dilemma he faces. An excellent episode, the best of the season to-date.

Speechless....

[hotrobinproductions · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

It's amazing in every way you would imagine but in every way you wouldn't expect it. The writers have always delivered. This season is shaping out to be one of the greatest seasons in tv show history. This episode was very emotional and intense. The set pieces built up before it are welcomed but this one delivers on those set pieces. Very surprising, emotional and compelling. Characters are sticking more to their own strengths... which is this Rock of a foundation this show has created, you start to see it all crumble down into a "hard place" and this "rock" can symbolize a lot of things... it's Kim is turning herself into this figure Saul isn't used to and it causes him to end up in a "hard place" emotionally if you will... same can be said with the "hard place" nacho is in. And maybe the fact that Gus is the rock. He's always been the man pulling the strings, setting the puzzles up for his magnum opus and it feels so amazing and poetic to watch the puzzle pieces fit in this world. Truly Amazing on every level.

Pros: Performances, acting, script, cinematography (that opening SHOT was beautiful with the camerawork and a perfect intro to an amazing episode) emotionally gripping, screenplay, plot, dialogue

*Highlights* NACHO!!!!! & Kim, cinematography (blue rose.... Not a spoiler) & last but not least the closure.

Cons: we have to wait next week for the next episode :(

P. S: For what The Godfather Part 2 was for The Godfather Part 1 is exactly what Better Call Saul is for Breaking Bad.... That's if this is the rate that they will deliver up until the final episode... And then of course The Godfather Part 3 was enjoyable but not as razor sharp perfect like I & II..... & that my friend, is your El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie lol.

Emmy Prediction Here...

[pkhall1 · 10/10 · 27 April 2022]

...annnndddd the Emmy.......... for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Series.....goes to... Michael Mando for his portrayal of Nacho Varga in Better Call Saul!!!!!!

If you think that it doesn't get anymore brutal than breaking bad, you're absolutely wrong.

[yhoha_2001 · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

The last bit of this episode was one of the best acted bits of the whole breaking bad/ better call saul universe. The writers have outdone themselves and did manage to make more brutal than ever.

Top notch writing, cinematography & acting. Absolutely can't get enough of this show.

Great Episode on Character.

[Adam-09265 · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

So far the strongest of the first three episodes. Silent yet intriguing, i really like what this series has built up to in terms of character. I'm feeling excited for this season so far but at the same time i'm feeling sadness. This episode had Nacho written all over it, a sudden character we can all feel a connection to. I felt like i was on the run with him, with hardly any background music the tone made each of his choices seem that much more nerving.

9.7/10.

Michael Mando Kills It In This Episode!

[MamadNobari97 · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

And unfortunately, kills himself too at the end, and puts an end to the debate and anticipation of all of us about the fate of Ignacio "Nacho" Varga. What a great sendoff to a great character with one of the best character developments in TV history.

So most of my reviews that I do about shows or movies are spoiler-free and I try really hard not to spoil anything and only barely hint at the spoiler that happened. But how can you even review this episode without not talking aka spoiling about the best part of it? I was gonna title this "Prepare Tissues", but that's a really obvious spoiler and people will know exactly what I'm talking about.

I gotta say, I haven't seen Michael Mando in many other media other than Far Cry 3 and Spider-Man Homecoming, but I can easily say that this episode's performance of him is the best performance he's ever done, even in the whole of BCS! He's so good in this episode that he made me get emotional and on the verge of crying for him in the scene he calls his dad. The scene was just gut-wrenching.

He's the star of this episode and made me forget what even happened with Kim and Saul... Oh, that lawyer lady found out that Jorge De Guzman is actually a Salamanca and Saul is probably a cartel lawyer. And then we have Kim telling Saul not to be a snitch, which is a really important moment in Saul Goodman AND Kim's arc, but I really can't think about anything else but Nacho. Oh, and we also have Huell back! Yay! I wish we get Bill Burr for the last time in this universe too?

They actually took a character that we thought is gonna appear just a couple of times and disappear, a standard thug that Mike will reprimand a little and he'll go away, just a cliché one-off character, and turned him into a relatable character that you care about as much as you did with Jesse and you want him to succeed, even though you know everybody around him will survive for Breaking Bad to happen, and he probably won't make it. Which unfortunately happens and I don't think there was another way, he was going down no matter what. But he did die fighting and on his own terms, and he died as a loving son trying to protect his father.

His death is probably one of the saddest scenes in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and I don't remember crying this much in Better Call Saul, other than those sad scenes where Chuck was being a C word to Jimmy, which is the whole first 3 seasons.

Every scene of Nacho, from the beginning to the end is so tense that my heart was racing at the end. These showrunners are so good at making scenes so intense.

The scene of him going into the oil tank trailer and actually having to submerge himself under raw oil was so intense and so disgusting at the same time. I don't know how he even survived being down there for so long, let alone not getting poisoned or going blind. Those scenes are masterfully done and the oil looked so realistic, I applaud the team that worked on this.

The scenes leading to the final scene of this episode are also so tense because we as the audience don't really know what's gonna happen or what they're planning. We do know that he's gonna rat another guy, but we don't know how it's gonna go and also what he planned with Mike. Was he supposed to kill Bolsa and Mike covering him? It doesn't really matter because he would've gone down anyway and there was no way he was gonna survive, so it's the best end for him.

His monologue to Hector and basically shting on him was one of the best dialogue scenes in both shows, and it was even better in my opinion than the "say my name" scene. It was so powerful, satisfying, and sad at the same time and was acted phenomenally.

He terrified Gus in his last moments, he drew blood on Bolsa, he crippled a Salamanca, and in the end, he protected his papa with his sacrifice, RIP to one of the most badass characters of the Breaking Bad universe.

All in all, this is one of the best and the most emotional episodes from this universe and Michael Mando shines in this episode and gives his best performance yet. Everything in this episode was top-notch and perfect.

And if they're killing Nacho as early as in the 3rd episode, I'm wondering what mind-blowing things they have up their sleeves that we're gonna witness in the next 10 episodes.

Whoa.....hold on a minute! What!? WTF? seriously, what?

[marveller-66 · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

Easily, one of the top 10 best episode of Breaking Bad Universe and the best episode of BCS. I mean......honestly, what? The writers of this franchise, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, could anyone top these people in amazing writing? Fav scenes' Critical Breakdown, the first act, 10/10, Nacho's talk with Gus and Mike. Then, Suzanne figuring out Jimmy's connections to the Salamancas gave me chills, i don't know why maybe it's because we're getting so close to the convergence point of Breaking Bad. Second act - 9/10, the Key replication! And then there was....the final act - 11/10. What an ending for one of my favorite character. In one of the most ANTICIPATED moment of fate for a TV character, he goes out at his own terms, like a KING!!! What a performance, man! Just enough with this. Best show streaming right now and one of the best TV show ever made. 9.9/10.

Ozymandias of BCS

[matiasbockerman · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

That was some emmyworth acting there. Am i dissapointed that they killed him? Yes I am, but that was like Omg-they-killed-Hank level of dissapoint: BSC is once again proved it can stand for it's own, not in the Shadows of Breaking Bad Ozark final season is coming in a few Days: it is gonna Be tough Competition between of these two series... Omg what a death! Top five deaths in history of television.

Pivotal point in Television

[cuddlesatusc · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

This series is without a doubt going down as the most under appreciated show of all time. This hour is a full on character renovation, eventually reaching a catharsis for the character (I won't mention who). I'm still in shock and I will be for the next coming week. To think this is only the third episode of thirteen total and it's one of the best written of the entire series so far. Major props to Gordon Smith's writing and directing. The opening scene all makes sense at the end as a beautiful portrait of Nacho's character: In a world saturated of evil, he's the only one trying to do good.

You think of me

[cagridahisi · 10/10 · 18 August 2022]

The episode is overall phenomenal but that last scene is the best scene in this show so far. The way Nacho's monologue at the end is delivered gave me chills everytime I rewatched it. (Yes I watched the scene again and again after finishing the episode)

ambiguous

[otos-muhold · 7/10 · 12 June 2022]

Of all the things, only the scenes and threads of the criminals are interesting. Saul and his wife are not only boring, but also distinctly disgusting characters. The whole series is a mistake. The lawyer should not have been the title character. The scenes of the criminals are in vain, while the film is constantly undermined by the appearances of Saul and his wife. Especially the wife is the very disgusting figure (her character), but Saul isn't far behind either. They fit together: two scammers, a villain. For them, even the criminals are more sympathetic characters in this film.

WTH happened to the writing?!

[nickiporter · 3/10 · 26 April 2022]

Breaking Bad was one of the greatest shows of all time. Better Call Saul was right up there with it, then season 5 happened. It picked up by the end of season 5 with the exception of the last underwhelming season finale. The writing in this season is all over the place. Kim's character has changed completely, it makes zero sense for her to be so on board with all of Saul's antics out of nowhere. They need to kill the Howard storyline, it's completely unnecessary, unrealistic and to me seems to have no other purpose other than to keep Patrick Fabian in the show. The death of Nacho seemed to be nothing more than a shock value kill. It doesn't make any cohesive sense, especially considering Saul mentions Ignacio in BB. Why would Ignacio even be relevant? All of the writing feels forced. I couldn't be more disappointed.

Never seen anything like it

[zain_ahmed · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

Not gonna spoil it for anyone but this could be one of the best if not the greatest episodes of the whole breaking bad franchise. I am seriously speechless. And this is only episode 3.

"there are good deaths, and there are bad deaths".

[shroomanp · 10/10 · 27 April 2022]

For me, one of the stand-out actors of this show has been Michael Mando, and his performance as Nacho has been riveting- you literally cannot take your eyes off him whenever he's on screen.

His quietly intense portrayal of what- we all knew- would be a doomed character, has been nothing short of brilliant.

If he doesn't win the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor, then there really is no justice in the world, and I for one hope he goes on to bigger and better things- I shall certainly be watching anything else he appears in, regardless of the genre or role.

An almost perfect episode, from the writing and acting, to the cinematography and editing, it had tension and drama in spades, and if the rest of this season is only half as good, then Better Call Saul will be one of the few spinoff shows in history that surpasses its originator.

Adios Nacho, a via con dios.... A gut-punching 10/10 🍄

Spectacular Episode

[qbrtmgy · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

This season is so well written and filmed. A lost art in this day and age. We will miss BCS after the season ends. The characters are as complex as the storyline. The tie ins to Breaking Bad are so well done and not condescending to the viewer as so many shows tend to do.

On Per With Bagman And Bad Choice Road

[iamsankho · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

This episode has to be in the top 3 episodes of BCS ever. Visually stunning and One man stole the show-Michael Mando. His dialogue delivery was too good. With each episode, it has started matching the last season of Breaking bad. I hope they maintain the level- most probably they will. We are in for a treat here.

Better Call Saul's Ozymandias... so far

[nick-43276 · 26 April 2022]

An episode filled with events I expected to not expect much later in the season. That's why this is the best show on television, you never know what's going to happen next.

This episode made me & my mother speechless !!!

[elhamfirmino · 10/10 · 27 April 2022]

Michael Mando you're the man. This was an excellent performance by him. I knew it somehow, but never expected that way. Nacho's decision was such an honorable act to his character and what it stands for. I'm just blown. Wow !!! What an episode !!!

Spoiler free review

[thomasibach · 10/10 · 25 April 2022]

Not only a great episode, but a great tribute. Even after the first two episodes, which were good but could be seen as lacking for those expecting a heart stopping pace, I was sure this would deliver. Of course it's not without its faults.

Despite what many would consider to be a copout, I felt the way they handled a character in this episode was fitting to their arc, although I'm very sad to see the bittersweet payoff.

Stunning

[DjDarkrai10 · 10/10 · 26 April 2022]

Nonstop tension for the entire episode, with one of the best endings in the breaking bad universe.

This was an amazing episode and I cannot wait to see how they top it in the coming weeks. Stellar writing, directing, cinematography across the board and easily the best of the show up to this point.

That ending man I'm not ok.

Wow! Just wow!

[awesomness-94748 · 9/10 · 26 April 2022]

Without spoiling anything, I can say that I haven't loved and episode of Saul this much since Chicanery. The acting is top-tier. I honestly am at a loss for words still. Vince Gilligan is an artist and this is his masterpiece.

Why kill one of the best parts about this show? Varga.

[Luvbarbaro · 7/10 · 20 March 2024]

I loved "Breaking Bad," so I gave this show a chance. I definitely like Drama/Action/Thriller stuff better. I got so bored with Saul's (or whatever his name is) back & forth and on & on with his girlfriend, then wife. She was a great actress, but I don't know how she put up with him. I continued watching since Mike was wonderful as always and it was awesome to see a lot of the guys from "Breaking Bad." I did really like Varga's character & he fit right in with the best from Breaking Bad. I loved Fring from BB, but he was meaner this time around. Fring didn't have much air time until season 6, which also was very shocking. With great talent like him, why not use him more? Hopefully there will be a Breaking Bad 2 in the near future.

The Emperor's New Clothes

[lostcinematheq · 4/10 · 5 May 2022]

Spoilers for Ozymandias S5E14 of Breaking Bad ahead.

Better Call Saul is an OK show. Nothing amazing, but also not bad. I'm glad this episode is getting praise, but let's best honest, this is nowhere near Ozymandias.

The episode starts with panning around the desert ground on a bunch of different objects, if that was in any other show, every one would say its filler but just because its in this one, everyone gives it praise. Saul's scenes were inconsequential.

Was the ending cool? Sure, but it's something we've seen in plenty of crime shows before. Ozymandias not only had much better pacing but breathtaking shots like Walter driving across the desert, his chilling last words to Jesse and Hank's death. You had the family drama, the disappearer scene, the writing, the cinematography, everything was just on another level. Multiple analysis videos on YouTube have been dedicated to breaking down how great that single episode of Breaking Bad is.

This is basic crime drama. I mean guys, we were getting stuff like this all the time in the 2000s. Is television in such a drought that people think this is seriously better than Ozymandias, the greatest episode of the greatest show of all time, Breaking Bad?

I don't understand what's so great about this show. I sincerely don't. Is it supposed to be the characters? All of these characters were better acted and written in Breaking Bad. Is it supposed to be the cinematography? It's basic HBO/AMC cinematography at this point. It may have been revolutionary in the 2000s, but now this is supposed to be the standard. What's so special about it? The writing is okay, but again nothing special. I just don't get it.

Contact me (info is on my profile) if you want to have a dialogue with me about this. I love TV and I love great TV shows but outside of a few good episodes at the end of Season 5, Better Call Saul is the Emperor's New Clothes to me. Highly acclaimed with almost nothing behind it.

Thanks for the spoilers

[mjb301086 · 25 April 2022]

You should not be allowed to put R. I. P in your review headline it's a blatant spoiler and now I know Nacho is going to die so thanks. I have reported the one's that put it in their headlines.