The Brilliance of Better Call Saul: Rock and Hard Place

[Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] but for now he's caught between a rock and a hard place sorry caught between a mineral and a hard place that you've raged incredibly well or incredibly poorly depending on how you look at it but anyway hello there I'm that over George and at this point I think you know the drill Better Call Saul is by far my favorite TV show and I've previously made free videos analyzing my favorite episodes of season five and just when I thought the show had reached its peak season 6 knocks it out the park with its third episode Rock and Hard Place so today I shall be analyzing their episode whilst using it as a vehicle to explore many different topics within the show such as its characters presentation continuity and much more so if that's being said and without further Ado let's jump right back into this [Music] thank you after the events of something unforgivable season six kicks off with natural On The Run he makes it to a motel but his position is given up by Mike reluctantly of course but he follows orders and Gus views nacho as a loose end someone that he wants the cartel to take out and therefore unable to expose who orchestrated the assassination attempt on Lalo who at this point is presumed dead by everyone except Hector as he has communicated with Lalo sort of with Bolsa and these salamancas now aware that nacho is a rat the Twins turn up at his motel in which we witness an epic shootout but these salamancers make it very clear they don't watch Nacho dead but luckily nacho manages to narrowly escape for now wine and roses and carrot and stick were both fantastic episodes to start this season and continue this incredibly suspenseful Saga but it was all about to get even better rock and hard place opens up with a shot panning across the ground in the New Mexico desert accompanied with the sound of thunder in the background the camera then tilts up from the desert terrain to show a beautiful blue flower shortly followed by rainfall it would seem the viewers of this episode have different interpretations of what this flower represents symbolically and I'm sure the writing team likely made it this way with multiple meanings in mind my personal interpretation of this was not only the obvious thing of it being a tribute for Nitro but it also reflecting the situation that he's in there's a clear contrast between the baron desert accompanied with Thunder and the lovely blue flower I feel this is symbolic of Nacho's situation where Everything feels Bleak and hopeless but no matter how bad things get there will always be a positive part somewhere we then move away from the flower until we see a glass Shard being hit by raindrops and foreshadowing what's to come in this episode after a rather ominous opening we then cut to the iconic intro which I of course loved recreating for this video and after that we are presented with various close-up shots of Nacho's getaway truck highlighting the flat tire bullet shells and glass shards before the truck inevitably comes to a halt nacho gets his Browning high power pistol at the ready but then looks to his left season abandoned oil tanker and takes his chances by going to hide in there the twins pull up in front of the truck and one of them is about to search the oil tanker so Volga has to quickly move into the oil puddle at the end and submerge himself within it the Salamanca twin does not spot him in there and they move along after he gets out the oil tanker he is yet again forced to keep moving until the following morning where we see him hosing off at a service station the mechanic working there slowly walks behind him and considering how on edge nacho is he spots him and very quickly reaches for his pistol but no notices the guy is friendly and is just offering him something to clean with nacho Varga is a good person deep down and this scene is an example of that ultimately he joined the game with some bad players and is at a point now where he will do what he must but it's obvious that he would like to leave this world behind and he deserves that with his good-hearted nature morality exists on a spectrum in these shows a character like Lalo is playing the exact same game as him but would have gunged down this gentleman without any hesitation or long-term regrets nacho Varga is not wired in the same way and his first appearance in this show is a perfect example of that even when Saul was going exclusively by Jimmy McGill trying to build his practice as a good honest lawyer he still had some dodgy methods and in this case he's trying to scam Betsy Kettleman he pairs up with these twin skateboarders and the plan is for them to jump in front of Betsy's car but this plan does not have good execution as they end up targeting the Raw wrong person and said person happens to be the grandmother of Tuco Salamanca and with the hindsight of Breaking Bad we know how Furious this man can get so when this plan went wrong he takes Jimmy and the skateboarders out into the desert and even though these skateboarders end up with broken legs Jimmy manages to get out of it unharmed and that is all thanks to nacho he speaks to Jimmy and understands that he has no knowledge of tuko's drug business and the escalation in events is simply due to a misjudgment on Jimmy's part Varga knows he's telling the truth and says to tuko croaking a lawyer for no reason is bad business he goes away someone's going to come look for him they walked into my house they disrespected my Abuelita they called her bismatch and they just walk ah what about the lawyer he's giving respect obviously nachos is an opportunity for Jimmy to help him and his fellow criminals out in the future yes nacho could read this guy very well but I do believe this comes from a place of respect as well despite his line of work he does not believe in unnecessary Bloodshed and it was after this scene that I just knew he would go on to become one of my favorite characters in the show anyway let's get back on track nacho freshens up and offers the mechanic some money in exchange to make a couple of telephone calls the mechanic declines the money and says that he can go ahead so firstly he calls his father and they proceed to have a very upsetting conversation that's true solo um foreign just wants to hear his dad's voice and his dad just wants him to do the right thing and hand himself in but as the title of this episode implies nacho is caught between a rock and a hard place and the majority of his decision making here is for the sake of his father's safety if nacho were to go to the authorities and confess everything then fringe's men would execute his dad very shortly after and with his dad refusing to leave town it's essential for him to follow Frank's orders otherwise nacho would have requested a new duster filter for his Hoover Max Extract pressure Pro Model 60 a long time ago but after that heartbreaking phone call he phones up Mike ehrmintrout and accuses him of knowing fringe's plan all along you knew that I was going to Mexico to die that I was never supposed to make it out of that Motel and you let it happen not my call what happens now that's up to you obviously we know that Mike pushed against Gus on this at every turn and would state that Varga deserved consideration loyalty goes both ways larg has done everything you asked him he wasn't given a choice maybe so but he played a tough game and he played it on the Square and all is said and done the kid deserves your respect nacho then wants to talk with Gus and proceeds to speak to him in a rather threatening tone but is still happy to go along with friends plan as long as his father is kept out of it is that bastard with you put him on he wants to talk to you yes you are screwed you want the cartel to blame me for Lalo but if they catch me make me talk not good for you is it the only way that this works for you is with me dead whatever [ __ ] way you want the story to go I will make it go but I need one thing my dad I need to know that he'll be safe if you are true to your word there will be no reason for anyone to harm your father you are not the one that I need to hear it from your dad's gonna be okay how do you know because anyone who goes after him is going to have to come through me [Music] after getting Mike's word nacho leaves the mechanic a handful of notes and is on his way once again the episode then Cuts over to good old Saul Goodman writing additional notes and discussing with Kim about their next move on Howard Hamlin and more specifically how they're going to gain access to his car for the next phase in their plan a very key moment in the following scene Kim is down at the courts bumps into fellow lawyer Suzanne Erickson and the two discuss a certain client of Saul Goodman one Jorge De Guzman this is is Eduardo Salamanca same person same Salamanca jumped the 7 million he posted in bail and fled to Mexico let me explain how this looks from where I stand a couple years back Jimmy McGill represented Ignacio Varga now Varga is a known associate of tuko Salamanca Jimmy was involved in getting tuko a reduced sentence on an assault and battery charge shortly after he represented Vargo and now here he is representing Eduardo Salamanca under the assumed name De Guzman Gina Khalil thanks Jimmy knew who De Guzman was that Jimmy helped Salamanca even after he knew I don't think Jimmy ever intended to become a cartel lawyer it's not a suit that fits him I think maybe he got in over his head and couldn't get out and if that's true if Salamanca duped him then the lawyer client privilege was obtained in bad faith you want Jimmy to rat on a client even if Salamanca is dead his privilege survives you know that if the privilege was clean in Salamanca was in deep and I want to know what his people are doing here in Albuquerque and Jimmy could help I'm talking to you because I think you'll be more willing to hear what I have to say you know it's wrong and I think Jimmy does too so I'm sorry he practices now under the name Saul Goodman although I distinctly remember you referring to him as a scumbag I admit I have had my problems with soul but I also believe Underneath It All he's a lawyer and a human being and I think he knows what's right this scene is incredibly important not only for everything in Better Call Saul but also for the events of Breaking Bad it cannot be understated how many villains in these shows get to commit the most heinous of crimes and get away with it all because of the defense supports up for his clients and the lengths he goes for some of them not only is he able to get said villains back into the world to commit further crimes but he is sometimes involved in the process it's bizarre to think about now but so only has 2 hours and 44 minutes of screen time throughout the entirety of Breaking Bad and yet he plays such a huge role in causing all the horrific things that take place in that show in Soul's own words fact is Walter White couldn't have done it without me and this is a huge character flaw with Kim she will always turn a blind eye to Soul's unethical methods and will often encourage her if it benefits her or she just sees the opportunity to have some fun and that's why scenes like this are often difficult to watch there are many opportunities to hit the undo button but they choose to ignore it all until it's too late and as we see later in this episode Kim and saw a quite indecisive about how they should handle this but ultimately don't worry about it too much due to there being no evidence against Saul whereas what they should be concerned about is the lack of morality surrounding their actions the DA's office put it together that Lala was calling himself De Guzman they are pretty upset they let him go Erickson seems to think that if Lalo lied to you and you didn't know about the pseudonym that you could break confidentiality she wants you to talk she says it's right what do you think we should do we should do whatever you want Jimmy they don't have anything on you it's just a fishing expedition to see if you bite you think I should do it depends do you want to be a friend of the cartel or do you want to be a rat to think if Kim had taken Suzanne's advice and passed that advice along to Saul well what do you think we should do then so much future conflicts could have been avoided the warning signs were all there and there will only continue to be more of them and guys like you you think you're so damn smart and you think you don't have to play straight with anybody the wheel is going to turn it always does and he gets to be a lawyer what a sick joke I should have stopped him when I had the chance and you you have to stop him you but yes I will land on my feet I will be okay but you far from it you too you two are soulless Jimmy you can't help yourself Chuck knew it you were born that way but you one of the smartest and most promising human beings I've ever known and this is the life you choose but anyway directly after that scene Mike is removing the floorboard of this truck and is reunited with nacho he receives a meal and shortly after Victor comes downstairs and states that Gus needs vulgar to look a little beaten up as they are claiming to be the ones to have captured him therefore it's essential for them to come across as convincing to Bolsa and the salamancas but Mike says that he will take care of it and nacho is already aware of what's about to happen gotta make it look real right foreign this unfortunately is not a first occurrence for nacho and he clearly has the events of the episode Something Beautiful in mind nacho has been in this game for so long now these beats are becoming all too familiar as he is forced to do the same thing over and over again the definition of insanity Mike then gets out some liquor and two glasses this will of course be to numb the pain but a more wholesome way to look at this is that he's taking the opportunity to have a drink with him foreign scene Howard pulls up at Fork Kitchen and Bar a recurring location in the show Howard hands his keys to the valet driver who takes it into the multi-story car park parks up and rushes back to work but bumps into huel the expert pickpockets with the keys now in huel's possession he Chucks them to klitch who is going to duplicate the frequency of the car key however the valley driver is quick to notice the missing keys and rushes back better get a move on a kid looks quick and what follows is a beautifully shot and edited sequence with the visuals alternating and transitioning between the driver rushing down the stairs and the keys being duplicated I feel there is often a fundamental misunderstanding about what good editing is good editing is not just about chucking in style for the sake of it and this is something I try to apply when creating these analysis videos I put the visuals together in such a way where they match the very thing I'm talking about these visuals often reflect my reaction to a scene and are sometimes used as a visual joke whilst including some more creative edits where appropriate now I could mix these clips together by going like this but why why would I want to do that that is not good editing good Ed's Ting takes both style and substance into account and that's exactly why this sequence is so phenomenal the whole point of the scene at its core is to show how time sensitive this situation is with the valet driver any rush to get the keys and get back to work whilst Fuel and glitch are trying to pull this job off without getting caught the scene achieves showing both perspectives with clear Direction in movement with each clip being keyframed from the bottom of the screen to the top of the screen and when in motion the sequence will not only look cool but with the very fast pace and the visuals alternating it also gives off the feeling of a ticking time bomb especially when accompanied with the Beethoven music which began when playing from Howard's car anyway the mission was a success the driver picks up the original keys that have been left on the ground and on the top floor of this multi-story car park Seoul has now acquired the duplicated car key he he gives you his money and even though Hugh has been very well compensated for this job he's got a question for Saul can I ask you something okay what you're a lawyer you made good money right why do you do all this I know from the outside this looks like just another scam but you're not seeing the bigger picture a couple months from now there are people whose lives are going to be way better we're making a real difference trust me if you say so the justification saw gives is how it will go on to benefit the elderly folks with the Sandpiper case assuming the complex elaborate scheme against Howard all goes according to plan but ultimately as we'll see this was all just fun and games for Kim and soul the episode then jumps back over to Mica nacho now joined by Gus they rehearse the fake story that natural is going to tell Bosa and these salamancas when confronted by them Mike shortly after tells Gus outside that he wants to be there when it all goes down as there's a lot of ways this plan can go itself he won't be able to get in close for the meat because these salamancers know who he is but if there's anything us the audience knows at this point it's that Mike is an expert long-range Marksman and with that it's decided that he can be there from a distance whilst nacho is inside he looks down at his glass and this is subtle imagery for what lies ahead we cut to the next day in the New Mexico desert where these characters are about to meet bolster and these salamancas Mike is dropped off first at a fair distance from the location point he gives a nudge to nacho before getting into position with his m40a1 bolt action sniper rifle nacho is tied up whilst in the van and once they are parked up he is aggressively pulled out shoved to his knees and instantly threatened today you are going to die but there are good deaths and there are bad deaths tell me what I need to know I'll see that your death is a good one nachos States the made-up story it was Alvarez they paid me to set up your nephew but Hector already knows the truth and Rings his Bell whilst pointing at Gus you think the chicken man what a joke nature then proceeds to give an absolutely brutal speech you know what I would have done it for free because I hate every last one of you cycle sacks of [ __ ] I opened Lalo's gate and I would do it again and I'm glad what they did to him he's a soulless Pig and I wish I killed him with my own hands and you know what else Hector I put you in that chair oh yeah your heart meds I switched them for sugar pills you were dead and buried and I had to watch this [ __ ] bring you back so when you are sitting in your shitty nursing home and you're sucking down on your Jello night after night for the rest of your life you've made me Volga then uses the glass shards to cut himself free stabs both his leg grabs his gun and points it to his head but suddenly the music comes to a grinding quote natural turns the gun to his own head and pulls the trigger [Music] the twins pick hack drop as Gus slowly walks away Hector proceeds to shoot natural's body multiple times out of pure frustration Mike packs up his sniper rifle and that concludes Rock and Hard Place wow what a fantastic yet tragic episode of television with one of the most intense final scenes in the whole show so the original plan Gus had for Nacho's death here was to have Victor take him out which would guarantee him a quick and painless death without any torture involved but based on Mike insisting to be at the meat his nod to nacho and the way he wants him to pull the trigger on Bolsa do it it was obvious the two had some sort of plan going on despite the episode being vague about what exactly that plan was Mike is there for insurance in case things do go south but his plan could have been for nacho to take out Bolsa whilst he provides cover fire with the sniper rifle and help him Escape Mike's loyalty to Gus would have gone out the window but judging by how much he likes nacho that could have very well been a sacrifice he was willing to make or a much more simple alternative is that he just wanted nature to take out as many of them as he possibly could and go out in a blaze of glory I guess we will never know for sure either way way natural rejects both Gus and Mike's plans and instead goes for his own deciding to take his own life in the process but no matter how tragic this scene is this is a superb way to send off such a beloved character giving no one present the satisfaction of taking him out Varga knows he's cornered he knows that his time is up no matter what but he also knows that Mike will watch out for his father so why push this any further he was between a rock and a hard place there was never going to be a positive end to this story but he played his cards right and this death Works incredibly well as a result natural Vargas send off is the most important part of this episode however this episode plays an extremely important part for breaking badge even though the audience has very little empathy towards Hector in a lot of ways he is also between a rock and a hard place because through Lalo he knows the Gus is behind all of this but after Nacho's speech with the parts that he confesses to and the parts that he makes up all witnessed by bolster and the twins Hector can do absolutely nothing to convince anyone that Gus is behind it and moving forward into the events of Breaking Bad as Gus quietly continues his revenge against these salamancas and keeping Hector alive in his vulnerable states to witness all of it we the audience now have even more knowledge and understanding of these scenes Better Call Saul is the perfect spin-off show not only for showing us such iconic characters like natural but also for how much it adds to the overall World building this episode encompasses all of that reminding us of the Brilliance in this show thank you for watching he fell in with bad people but he was never like them not really he had a good heart

Channel: That0therGeorge

Views: 8,028

Keywords: video essay, that0thergeorge, thatothergeorge, that other george, review, Better Call Saul, Saul Goodman, Breaking Bad, analysis, breakdown, recap, Nacho, Season 6, Rock and Hard Place

Id: lzED0QezB1c

Length: 25min 51sec (1551 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 17 2022