Warning: This article contains spoilers for the final season of Better Call Saul.
Better Call Saul has reached the midpoint of its sixth and final season with “Plan and Execution,” an astounding episode that started off as a comical caper before taking a sudden turn into abject terror in its final moments. The midseason finale killed off one of the show’s most significant supporting characters – Chuck’s old partner-in-law, Howard Hamlin – in truly shocking fashion.
Viewers won’t be forgetting the brutality of Howard’s murder any time soon, but on top of that, it marked the perfect conclusion to his character arc. It brought Saul’s two ongoing story threads crashing into each other with a phenomenal performance by Patrick Fabian.
“Plan And Execution” Reminded Viewers That Howard Is A Sympathetic Figure
Throughout season 6, fans got swept up in Jimmy and Kim’s bid to destroy Howard’s career. He’s so smarmy that it seemed fun to take him down a peg. But the midseason finale took the time to remind viewers that Howard is more sympathetic than he seems.
Chuck was a real monster, but Howard was just caught between his business partner and his business partner’s plucky younger brother. Howard always tried to be a friend to Jimmy, and as he points out in his final monologue, his life is far from perfect, dealing with debt, depression, and a crumbling marriage.
Thomas Schnauz Handled The Build-Up Perfectly
Initially, “Plan and Execution” is set up as the farcical tale of Jimmy and Kim scrambling to get their D-Day prank back on track. But by the time the end credits roll, it’s clear that everything in the episode was building to that terrifying final scene.
Writer-director Thomas Schnauz handled the Hitchcockian tension of the build-up perfectly, from the look of horror on Jimmy and Kim’s faces to the chilling sense of inevitability as Lalo silenced his pistol while staring at a frightened Howard. The rapid-fire series of cuts as Lalo shoots Howard in the head and his body collapses to the floor is flawlessly crafted.
Howard’s Death Has Eerie Parallels With Nacho’s Death
Howard isn’t the first major character to be killed off in this season of Better Call Saul. In the third episode, Nacho took his own life to deprive the Salamancas of the pleasure of executing him.
The season’s second jaw-dropping character death has eerie parallels with the first one. They were both killed by gunshots to the head. The circumstances were very different, but the motivation was exactly the same: Lalo gave them no other option.
The Episode’s Final Scene Marks A Massive Tonal Shift
As great as the entire episode was, most fan discussion of Better Call Saul’s midseason finale has revolved around the stunning final scene in which Lalo arrives at Kim’s apartment and kills Howard.
“Plan and Execution” is mostly a comedic episode revolving around the D-Day prank, but it takes an abrupt turn into tragedy when the dire consequence of the prank reveals itself in the final scene.
The Flickering Candle Is A Poignant Symbol
The Better Call Saul team never misses an opportunity for some poignant symbolism. When Howard arrives at Kim’s apartment, she watches the flame of a candle ominously flicker. It flickers yet again – and even more ominously – when Lalo shows up.
This flickering candle could be seen to represent the light of life that’s about to be extinguished, or the descent into Hell that surely awaits Jimmy and Kim after their prank got Howard killed.
Howard’s Death Exemplifies What Makes Lalo Such A Great Villain
Howard’s murder exemplifies the most terrifying thing about Lalo: he has no regard for human life. It’s one thing to see him casually murder an unnamed character who already seems expendable to the audience.
But in “Plan and Execution,” Lalo brings the same casual attitude to the murder of a flawed yet beloved supporting character that fans have seen develop and grow over the course of five-and-a-half seasons.
Jimmy And Kim Will Finally Have To Face Consequences For Their Actions
Throughout Better Call Saul’s run, Jimmy and Kim have had a lot of fun conning people and they’ve never faced any serious consequences for their actions – until now. They finally took the con too far with Howard and it ended with a bullet in his head.
As Howard vowed to destroy their careers, that seemed to be the big consequence that awaited them. But, after Lalo’s blood-soaked visit, the consequence will be living with the guilt.
Patrick Fabian Gave A Phenomenal Performance In The Episode
Patrick Fabian has always given a fantastic performance as Howard, whether he’s putting on a phony facade in a business meeting or feebly extending an olive branch to Jimmy, but he got more of a chance to shine than ever before in the recent midseason finale.
From his board room meltdown to his confrontation at Kim’s apartment to his heartbreaking final moments, Fabian gave a phenomenal performance in this episode.
It Brought Better Call Saul’s Story Threads Together
The first half of Better Call Saul’s final season has focused on two concurrent storylines: the aftermath of Gus’ failed attempt on Lalo’s life and Jimmy and Kim’s attempts to ruin Howard’s career.
In the midseason finale, Jimmy and Kim are confronted by Lalo and Howard simultaneously, and the former puts a swift end to the storyline involving the latter. Lalo showing up with a gun is both the most unexpected way the prank war storyline could’ve ended and the perfect way to highlight the pettiness of Jimmy’s feud with Howard.
Howard’s Final Monologue Was The Perfect Send-Off
Howard’s life ends with a haunting abruptness in Saul’s midseason finale. But right before Lalo arrives at the apartment, Howard unintentionally gives himself an unforgettable send-off with a perfectly articulated monologue.
He compares Jimmy and Kim to Leopold and Loeb, the infamous duo who concocted the “perfect crime” for fun. He wonders how they justified their prank against him and, even more poignantly (given what happened next), what the point of it was.