The Better Call Saul season 5 finale features some huge twists that set the stage for season 6. This season, the two sides of Better Call Saul really came together, as Jimmy McGill became more involved with cartel operations. Using the now-famous throwaway line of Breaking Bad dialogue as a jumping off point, Better Call Saul season 5 finally started to detail Jimmy's history with Lalo Salamanca, fleshing out one of the franchise's greatest mysteries. Now a series regular (after his guest appearances in season 4), Lalo factored heavily into season 5, looking to undermine Gus Fring in the cartel hierarchy. He was the show's main antagonist, arguably becoming the best villain in Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul.
The cartel was a primary focus of Better Call Saul season 5, but the spinoff also continued to develop the Jimmy/Kim Wexler relationship that's served as its emotional core from the beginning. Season 5 saw the two go through some ups and downs as a couple, threatening to split up before getting married. Since Kim isn't even mentioned on Breaking Bad, fans have been curious to see what becomes of her as Better Call Saul approaches its conclusion. And the season 5 finale provides a clue where things go wrong for the two.
Knowing AMC had renewed Better Call Saul for a sixth and final season gave Vince Gilligan and company the freedom to use the season 5 finale as one big set up for what comes next. Here, we take a look at the episode's biggest twists and what they mean moving forward.
Gus Attempts To Assassinate Lalo (But Fails)
The Tiger King-esque conflict between Gus and the Salamancas reached new heights in the Better Call Saul season 5 finale, as Gus hired a team to kill Lalo in Mexico. But the mission failing (in one of the most tense sequences of the show) obviously has huge implications for Better Call Saul season 6. Lalo knows Gus was behind the attack on him, sending him on a path of revenge. What's interesting about that dynamic is viewers know Gus is alive and actively involved in the cartel during Breaking Bad, so Lalo's (presumed) attempt to murder Gus is unsuccessful. However, that doesn't mean Lalo is going to meet his end on Better Call Saul. Jimmy being petrified Lalo was after him in Breaking Bad season 2 could imply Lalo survives all of Better Call Saul and is just out there during Breaking Bad. That's one storyline the spinoff will need to definitively wrap up in season 6.
Lalo surviving Gus' assault also has huge ramifications for Nacho Vargo, who found himself acting as Gus' inside man during the plot. Based on the shot of Lalo noticing the liquor bottle he and Nacho were sharing, Lalo knows (or at the very least, suspects) Nacho was involved in the plan to kill him. That definitely won't sit well with Lalo (who grew to trust Nacho during season 5) and puts Nacho in a tough spot moving forward. Better Call Saul has made it clear Nacho wants to leave the cartel life behind and find peace with his father, but that dream will be impossible to achieve as long as Lalo is on the hunt. Nacho is another Better Call Saul character who isn't seen in Breaking Bad, so his fate is another loose end to tie up. Similar to Lalo, that aforementioned Breaking Bad line could be a hint Nacho survives, so it'll be fascinating to see what the Better Call Saul team comes up with. Gilligan doesn't pull punches, but fans did get to see Jesse Pinkman find salvation, so maybe Nacho can get a similar ending.
Another thing to keep in mind is Mike Ehrmantraut and Gus were confident the assassination was going to happen without a hitch (see: Mike telling Jimmy, "Lalo Salamanca is going to die tonight."). The Better Call Saul season 5 finale ends without Gus, Mike, or Nacho learning that Lalo is still alive. There's no word on what kind of time jump will happen between seasons 5 and 6, but it's likely there won't be a huge gap. Fans could see Gus, Mike, and Nacho's immediate reactions to knowing the plan failed as they scramble to deal with the situation ahead. It's not often Gus comes up short, so he'll have to think of something else.
Kim's Plan To Destroy Howard (That JIMMY Doesn't Like)
Jimmy kept some key details from Kim when he recapped his misadventure in "Bagman," but learning the full truth of what happened to her husband (perhaps surprisingly) does not push Kim off the deep end. Instead, she shows compassion for Jimmy and moves into a hotel room with him so they can stay safe together. Still, the Better Call Saul season 5 finale teases the pair's inevitable breakup and it involves... Howard Hamlin. Over dinner, Kim recalls her conversation with Howard that took place earlier in the episode, where Howard told Kim about Jimmy destroying his car with bowling balls and sending prostitutes to crash his lunch meeting. Irked by Howard's condescending claim he was doing this for her own good, Kim and Jimmy jokingly brainstorm other ideas to get back at Howard. These include messing with his hair and tanning routine.
What starts as a fun exercise to get their mind off things becomes something serious when Kim suggests a con that would destroy Howard's law career and force an expedited settlement in the Sandpiper Crossing case. Standing to make 20% from the common fund, Kim is tempted by the financial gain for her and Jimmy, as well as the idea of making Howard's life a living hell. However, Jimmy - of all people - is hesitant to go through with it. As much as he doesn't like Howard, Jimmy doesn't feel it's right to make it seem like Howard did "something unforgivable" and potentially disbar him. It's an interesting role reversal (one that echoes the iconic "It's all good, man!" moment from season 4) where Jimmy is the one taking the moral high road and Kim's doing the shady scheming. Her promise to use the Sandpiper money to open a pro bono practice and give underprivileged clients top notch legal service reads as the latest instance of Kim trying to balance out the unsavory aspects of her life with something more altruistic. That said, Jimmy is correct in saying ruining Howard with misconduct allegations is a step above the usual "bar tricks" Kim and Jimmy have done in the past.
With this, the seeds of an irreparable Jimmy/Kim schism are planted. As Kim becomes more convinced this is the thing to do, Jimmy tries to talk her out of it by saying, "It's not you. You would not be OK with it." It shows Jimmy still has a ways to go before he's completed his full transformation into Saul Goodman (who helped Walter White poison a child) and has grown a conscious due to his experiences this season. Jimmy's disgusted by his involvement in the cartel (helping Lalo get off on bail) and still traumatized by the "Bagman" events. Doing more horrible things, this time to wreck an innocent Howard, doesn't sound very appealing to him. However, Kim is seemingly insulted by Jimmy's "It's not you" statement; she sees it as being reminiscent of Howard looking out for her own good. Kim abruptly ends the conversation at that point, leaving things hanging in the balance for when season 6 picks up. Jimmy and Kim obviously don't see eye-to-eye in this situation, so unless Jimmy has a change of heart, this Howard plot could be the catalyst for their breakup.
Better Call Saul will return for season 6 on AMC.