The movie Jimmy and Kim watch in the latest episode of Better Call Saul is tightly wrapped in several layers of clever meaning. Previously in the Breaking Bad spinoff, Jimmy and Mike were lost in the desert while transporting Lalo's $7 million bail money, but "Bad Choice Road" sees a burnt, exhausted, broken Jimmy finally make his way home to an extremely anxious Kim. Relieved that her new husband hadn't died, Kim diligently tends to Jimmy's wounds and fixes him back up, even calling in sick to work so she could stay home and make Jimmy some orange juice. Kim's care becomes even more vital when she learns that Jimmy was involved in a shootout and is now showing signs of trauma.
With Jimmy still in recovery, the couple curl up on the sofa to watch a movie, and this particular scene is nothing more than an extended shot of Jimmy and Kim's contrasting expressions, with only the audio from their TV to cover the silence. As is typical of Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul world, subtle details usually contain hidden meaning, and the prominence of the film in this scene is no accident. The movie Jimmy and Kim watch is His Girl Friday (1940), and this classic was used in Better Call Saul previously, with Mike Ehrmantraut in season 2.
One purpose of His Girl Friday in "Bad Choice Road" is to convey Jimmy and Kim's feelings without actual dialogue. The most audible line is "even 10 minutes is a long time to be away from you," which feels perfectly timed considering Jimmy narrowly avoided death to make his way back home to Kim after nearly 2 days lost in the desert. Rather than an emotional declaration of love (which would be a little out of character for both), seeing Kim and Jimmy on the sofa together while this line comes out of their TV says plenty about how relieved they are to be reunited. His Girl Friday also foreshadows events towards the end of "Bad Choice Road," where Kim manages to talk down an angry Lalo in their front room, as the 1940 film features a very similar scene.
Looking deeper still, however, the choice of His Girl Friday in this episode of Better Call Saul provides a strong parallel for the relationship Jimmy and Kim now share. The old film stars Cary Grant as Walter and Rosalind Russell as Hildy. The two leads are connected by their shared profession of journalism and are also ex-lovers, but Walter goes to great lengths to win Hildy back when he learns she plans to marry another man - the less thrilling Bruce Baldwin. His Girl Friday ends with Hildy admitting she only ever had eyes for Walter, and the pair put off their honeymoon because they smell a juicy story elsewhere.
This is very similar to the relationship between Jimmy and Kim in Better Call Saul who, like Walter and Hildy, are intertwined by their shared careers, albeit as lawyers, rather than journalists. Walter's actions throughout His Girl Friday are highly questionable, but Hildy ultimately accepts that he won't change, and leaves behind a safer, more sensible, conventional life for something far riskier. Kim appears to make exactly the same decision in "Bad Choice Road." A few episodes ago, Kim was frustrated by Jimmy's shenanigans and issued an ultimatum about being completely honest, but she openly puts all that aside in this week's episode, knowing that Jimmy isn't being completely honest about his time in the desert. Despite Lalo, the cartel, the bullet-ridden mug and every other warning sign, Kim appears closer and more loyal to Jimmy than ever, making her the Hildy to Jimmy's conniving Walter.
Better Call Saul season 5 concludes with "Something Unforgivable" April 21st on Netflix.