Summary
Better Call Saul Season 5, Episode 3, “The Guy For This” is a slow burner, showing the consequences of Saul’s legal dealings with criminals.
This recap of Better Call Saul Season 5, Episode 3, “The Guy For This” contains spoilers and information of how it ended.
Better Call Saul has a way of making slow-burning stories feel worthwhile and Episode 3, “The Guy For This”, is an example of that. The chapter opens up with a strange montage of ants eating Saul’s ice that he had to drop before entering Nacho’s car.
Saul is driven into a garage where Lalo is working on a car casually while singing in Spanish. After an awkward minute, Saul starts speaking, panicking that he is in trouble; Lalo references his cousin Tuco — Saul has worked with him before. Lalo has a job for Saul; he wants Saul to represent Domingo, and get him to say specific statements to the DEA, but only certain information. Saul nervously charges Lalo over seven thousand dollars but Lalo is not phased by that number.
When Kim gets home, she is celebrating the fact that she has only pro bono clients the next day, no Mesa Verde business. Saul responds by telling her that he has some interesting people requiring his services so it has been an “up and down” day, but financially, it has been the best day yet for Saul. Kim replies, “good for Saul”.
That one line meant so much, you could feel it.
But Kim’s “pro bono only day’ does not last long in “The Guy For This” as the legal firm in charge of Mesa Verde call and say she needs to urgently deal with a homeowner. They tell her that Mesa Verde is more important than her pro bonos. This is an emotional blow for Kim, who has always wanted to help people in law. Meanwhile, Saul meets Domingo in prison and announces himself as his new lawyer and asks if he is any good at memorization.
But here we go… a big surprise in Better Call Saul Season 5, Episode 3, “The Guy For This”… Hank is back! And he is interviewing Domingo. Domingo tells Hank he knows where there is half a million of drug money lying around. Hank says he wants all the details. As Domingo starts going through the details, Saul enters the room and says Hank is in violation of his client’s constitutional rights while Domingo insists he wants to talk — it is obvious that both of them planned this and it is all role-playing. Hank feels he is getting played and starts leaving the room until Saul offers a contingency — if the information leads to arrests, then the charges go away but also Domingo would need to be a confidential Informant with protection. Hank agrees to those terms.
Kim visits Mr Acker as part of the Mesa Verde emergency in “The Guy For This”. She tells him that he does not own the land and that his property can be bought at any time in his lease agreement — as a peace offering, Kim offers Mr Acker $18,000 rather than $5000. Mr Acker is fuming, claiming Kim is like the rest of them with their “fancy suits”. Mr Acker rips into her personally, saying she probably donates to charity on a monthly basis to make herself feel better and partake in soup kitchens once a year.
Kim turns on Mr Acker, which is a superb performance by both cast members and tells him to put on his big boy pants and abide by the contract — she also tells him that $18,000 is now off the table.
From one lawyer to another — Saul updates Lalo saying their plan is in motion and Domingo is now a confidential Informant; essentially, Lalo has a direct line with the DEA but insists Domingo is not really a rat. Saul also tries to divorce himself from the situation, telling Lalo that he needs to find a new attorney as he’s too busy — Lalo tells Saul he will find him. Nacho explains to Saul that “once you are in, you are in”. When Saul returns to the city, he sees his ice cream from the day before with ants all over it.
I think he realised at this moment, his life will not be the same again; it will always be about dropping ice creams.
Kim who obviously feels a little guilt returns to Mr Acker’s house at night. She shows him houses that might be within his budget and offers to help. She admits she cannot understand what it is like owning a house and talks about her fractured childhood of always moving home. Mr Acker does not buy it — “You’ll say anything to get what you want, won’t ya?”.
A panicked Nacho meets Gus and updates him on the Lalo and DEA situation — Gus wants the agent’s name that Domingo spoke to. Nacho says the money Domingo described needs to remain in the dead drops or Lalo will know that someone talked. Gus agrees.
Better Call Saul Season 5, Episode 3, “The Guy For This” closes with Kim and Saul sharing a cigarette and a beer after a difficult day. Kim throws a beer bottle off the balcony, causing it to smash — Saul joins her in throwing bottles and then they both giggle like children and head inside.
Brief notes
- A drunken Mike at a bar asks the barman to take down a picture from the bar wall and gets angry. Photo of Sydney, Australia. On the way home, a few men threaten Mike. He breaks one of the men’s arms.
- Manuel, Nacho’s father, visits Nacho — Nacho introduces him to Amber, his partner. His father scopes his house and then mentions the shop he was going to leave for Nacho that someone wants to suddenly buy. Nacho says it will be good for him to retire, but Manuel reckons it’s Nacho’s money buying the store. Manuel tells Nacho to give the criminal life up and tell the police. Before walking out of the house, Manuel says he will not be bought and will not leave the town.
