Better Call Saul is back with a seismic bang

Better Call Saul is back this week after a mid-season hiatus. And the show returned with a bang; the events of Season 6, Episode 8 changing everything for Jimmy, Kim, Gus, and most notably, Lalo Salamanca. Better Call Saul SPOILERS AHEAD…

We’re nearing the end of Better Call Saul, with Season 6 the final series of the Breaking Bad prequel. So with just a handful of episodes remaining, pieces are being moved around the board as the show nears its endgame.

We know that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman will appear at some point during this run, but there was no sign of the dynamic duo in this episode, which is entitled “Point and Click.”

Jimmy and Kim are also supporting characters in this specific story. But one character suffers a surprizing fate, which has us questioning where Better Call Saul goes now.

What does “Point and Click” mean?

The end of Episode 7 was one of the most dramatic in all of Better Call Saul, with Lalo Salamanca interrupting Howard’s argument with Jimmy and Kim, then shooting Howard dead. A tragic end for a tragic character, and one that’s lent irony when we eventually see Howard’s final resting place.

Episode 8 opens with a flash-forward – to Howard’s faked suicide – then we are back in the room, with Lalo telling Jimmy exactly what he wants him to do. Which is drive to Gus Fring’s right-hand man, knock on his door, then “point and click,” shooting him dead.

A battle of brains between Jimmy and Gus ensues. Jimmy talks his way out of the assassination, and Kim into it. Which initially seems like an act of cowardice. Though it quickly becomes clear that Jimmy is trying to save Kim.

Kim isn’t one for running however, so she accepts the mission, and hits the road, ready to point and click. A fantastic set-up for a devastating pay-off that plays out in very nearly real time.

Lalo is finally one step behind

Jimmy McGill, Gus Fring, and Lalo Salamanca are usually the smartest guys in any room, and normally always one step ahead of their opponents. So pitting them against each other these past few seasons has made for engrossing television.

In this episode, Lalo is finally one step behind. Though for a while it doesn’t seem that way. Kim does what he expects in trying to kill her mark. Mike does what he expects in stopping her. And Gus does what he expects by going rogue, and heading to the laundry, alone.

Lalo and Gus then have a tense exchange, with actors Tony Dalton and Giancarlo Esposito at the top of their game. Lalo films a tour of the meth lab while mocking Fring, calling the underground empire he has built a tomb. Gus responds by calling Don Eladio names through the tape, then promising to kill Hector Salamanca last.

While Lalo is focussing on his words however, Gus is doing something with his feet.

What happens to Lalo Salamanca?

Quick as a flash, Gus stamps on a light-switch, plunging the den into darkness. He grabs a hidden gun, and the drug lords shoot at each other. Gus is hit in the side, but Lalo takes bullets to the chest and neck, and soon bleeds out.

Meaning that’s the last we’ll see of Lalo Salamanca, and therefore also actor Tony Dalton. Which is heartbreaking, as although Lalo has been terrifying over these last couple of seasons, Dalton also been spellbinding in the role.

Lalo is a character we should hate, but Dalton brought such charisma and charm to the role that you had to respect him, and at times even like him. Better Call Saul will miss this particular Salamanca.

Where does Better Call Saul go from here?

It’s also a shocking turn of events. Not because Gus makes it, as we know he plays his part in future Breaking Bad episodes. Rather because Lalo’s death occurs well before Better Call Saul’s finale. Meaning the show will end several episodes after its villain has breathed his last breath.

The writers of Better Call Saul know what they are doing however, so while it’s a surprise to see the biggest of bads gone, Lalo’s absence makes this final handful of episodes even more intriguing.

Better Call Saul’s last season airs on AMC in the States, and on Netflix in the UK.