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I have to admit I did not see that coming, at least not right now. Though when he did turn up at the house I did start to think 'maybe', the flickering candle thing was too obvious

You knew he was a goner as soon as Lalo walked in, but was still shocking to me.

Funny how Howard basically gave a speech summarizing the last page of this thread discussing why Jimmy/Kim are messing with him. Like the writers just directly explained 5 seasons of buildup in 2 minutes haha.

The payoff to the scheme wasn’t mind blowing, but it worked at creating a real uncomfortable tension. Hopefully the Gus/Lalo showdown is more than just “Lalo corners Gus in the pit who shoots him with a hidden gun”.

Howard was handling himself like a boss too. That sucks.

It’s the only choice he had. His dad would never leave, and would insist on going to the police.

If he keeps hiding, they take his dad to force him to come back. If he runs the dad is dead. Trying to get Mike to protect him is the best option left. He was really doomed from the start in hindsight.

Dammit!

I liked Howard. This is obviously going to be the inciting incident that makes Kim leave Jimmy and go off on her own. Or, she dies. Not sure which.

Wait, it's on break until July 11? scam.

I really thought for a second that Howard was going to throw himself at Lalo when he saw the gun, somehow saving Jimmy and Kim. But obviously, Lao can't die quite yet.

Kim wears the earrings and necklace her mom stole all throughout "Better Call Saul."

fyp

how did the fake payoff pictures get changed from when howard first saw them? did I miss a sleight of hand from the PI or was it something with the chemicals they put on the pics?

Holy ****!

i mean, is the show saying they're doing all this bc they're crazy *******s? was hoping for something more there


it was ernie ... or huell

chems were the drug that made his eyes go, i imagine they just had the pi do the switcheroo via sleight of hand

all in all, i would have liked the plan a lot more if it had less moving parts, i think they felt the need to have all the moving parts so kim would throw away her lunch in order to help be part of it, but in the end setting up the pi line hoping it got changed in time to a relevant place for howard (requiring him to use that specific database or asking assistant to call rather than using the number stored in his phone etc etc) howard would hire through his office seemed a bit optimistic and put the entire thing down to howard making the call at all and specifically to the planted number

like the whole thing would have collapsed if a bunch of things didn't happen exactly as forseen - no way an experienced con man would do it like that with so many moving parts



what i want to know is if lalo was sure they were tapping that line then why would he ever risk calling them in the first place and why would it only dawn upon him suddenly

Thought this was interesting from the "Talking Saul" aftershow.

Howard finally likeable, showing vulnerability and then boom, headshot

Kim's downfall will be Lalo but I would guess she lives long enough to meet Eugene.

They have been consistent with this theme throughout the entire show. I mean how complicated was Jimmy's plan to get his picture by a flag?

Kim ain’t dying. I’d bet on it. A dead Kim doesn’t turn Jimmy into Saul. No clue what is in store for her, but I’m guessing she buys a vacuum shortly lol

Or maybe Lalo pops her three seconds into next episode:

Or they troll the audience and the betting lines by showing them in their old age and she dies at 85.

so its pretty much perfect for them to frame it up like a suicide. damn, poor Howard. even gets humiliated in death.

and he didnt even get the satisfaction of them admitting it. as someone who has gotten played enough times, thats generally what you want.

I’m not clear on why Jimmy would be bribing the mediator, because, as Cliff Main points out, they are essentially all on the same side in terms of wanting the largest settlement possible. Howard says Jimmy just wants the money now, which I suppose is plausible, but it still seems a bit far-fetched. Perhaps that is the point. It makes Howard seem crazy to suggest it.

I thought the first flicker of the candle was going be Lalo, so I let my guard down. Brilliant.

Howard blaming everything on Jimmy reminds of when people thought George Costanza was nuts because he was obsessed with Lloyd Braun.

Jimmy would have been bribing the mediator to the benefit of all of them - Howard’s ethics led him to blow the whistle on themselves. Basically jimmy using Howard’s goodness against him.

I’m thinking now that when Walt and Jessie make an appearance in the final 6 episodes it’s gonna show that Kim was around and still with Saul during Breaking Bad. Who knows but that’s my best guess. Why she didn’t go to Omaha with him could be interesting.

Ehhh I think it was mostly he wanted to finally catch Jimmy red handed then anything else.

Their interests aren’t exactly aligned. Howard wants the biggest number possible no matter how long it takes. Just before they go in, he’s telling the old lady it might still take 2 years.

Jimmy wants it done ASAP. So the bribe could be to try and get handlebar mustache dude to push them to settle it fast.

Was thinking the same thing.

Prediction - Jimmy gets forced into setting up some kind of memorial for Howard or doing his eulogy. He initially feels torn up about it, but something sets him off and he gives a speech that is facially nice, but convinces everyone Howard was a drugged out maniac at the end.

The guy who plays Howard is amazing at capturing this smarmy annoying fake confidence speech pattern. Gonna miss him. Great character.

Cliff should know that Kim was involved bc she missed that lunch.

and I kinda dont get why Lalo even shot him. Howard doesnt know who he is...just to **** with Jimmy and Kim?

Intimidation is surely a big part of it, especially after Kim stood up to him last time they talked. He's obviously there for information he didnt get then. He's also a well-known fugitive who went to great lengths to fake his own death, so I doubt he's in the mood to leave any loose ends with a guy he doesn't know.