Smoke (Better Call Saul)

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"Smoke"
Better Call Saul episode
Smoke Better Call Saul.jpg
Jimmy looks down wistfully as he struggles to process Chuck's sudden death.
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 1
Directed byMinkie Spiro
Written byPeter Gould
Featured music"We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" by The Ink Spots
Editing bySkip Macdonald
Original air dateAugust 6, 2018 (2018-08-06)
Running time46 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Lantern" 		Next →
"Breathe"
Better Call Saul (season 4)
List of episodes

"Smoke" is the fourth season premiere of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on August 6, 2018 on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.[1][2]

Plot[]

Opening[]

In a flashforward, "Gene" collapses at the Omaha Cinnabon and is raced to the hospital, but is discharged after doctors confirm he did not suffer a heart attack. As Gene leaves, the receptionist stops him to obtain billing information. She has difficulty processing Gene’s identification, making him apprehensive, but she quickly realizes her mistake and corrects her error. Gene takes a taxi to the mall, where his car is parked, but becomes uneasy when he sees the driver is making eye contact and he recognizes an Albuquerque Isotopes air freshener on the rearview mirror. He asks to be let out before reaching the mall, then walks quickly around the corner and out of the driver's sight.

Main story[]

Howard calls Jimmy and Kim about the fire at Chuck's,[a] and they arrive as Chuck's body is taken away. Jimmy sees the appliances outside Chuck's home and realizes his electromagnetic hypersensitivity symptoms returned. He falls into a deep depression which Kim tries to help him out of. Howard takes on the responsibility of arranging Chuck's funeral.

Mike receives his first payment from Madrigal Electromotive as a contracted security consultant, which Gus arranged to launder the money Mike stole from the Salamancas.[b] Though it was meant to be a paper transaction, Mike enters a Madrigal facility, performs a detailed audit, and turns the results over to the manager with instructions to let Lydia know he was there.

Following Mike's advice,[c] after Hector's stroke[d] Nacho takes the fake capsules containing ibuprofen from Hector and replaces them with Hector's real nitroglycerin. He tries to dispose of the fakes but is interrupted by Gus, who says they need to meet with Juan Bolsa. Juan puts Nacho and Arturo in charge of the Salamanca operation for the time being. Afterwards, Nacho drives to a bridge and throws the fakes away, unaware Victor has followed him.

Several of Chuck's friends and associates attend his funeral and give Jimmy their condolences. After the service, Howard tells Jimmy and Kim he believes he is responsible for Chuck’s death, because he forced Chuck out of HHM after their malpractice insurance premium increased.[e] Jimmy conceals his role in causing the increase[f] and immediately regains his happy-go-lucky demeanor.

Production[]

In the opening scene, Saul is at his workplace, a Cinnabon mall store. Though set in Omaha, Nebraska, the flash-forward was filmed at the Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque.[3]

Reception[]

"Smoke" received critical acclaim from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it garnered a perfect 100% rating with an average score of 8.76/10 based on 17 reviews. The site consensus reads, "'Smoke' kicks off Better Call Saul's fourth season by finally shifting Jimmy's disturbing transition to Saul into full gear."[4] Matt Fowler of IGN gave "Smoke" a positive review, with an 8.3/10.0 rating writing, "It's a heavy, reflective chapter that readily relies on silence to create both suspense and sorrow."[5]

Ratings[]

"Smoke" was watched by 1.77 million viewers in the United States on its original air date,[6] fewer than the third-season finale which brought in 1.85 million American viewers.[7]

Notes[]

  1. ^ As seen in "Lantern".
  2. ^ As seen in "Fall".
  3. ^ As seen in "Expenses".
  4. ^ As seen in "Lantern".
  5. ^ As seen in "Fall".
  6. ^ As seen in "Expenses."

References[]

  1. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (August 6, 2018). "'Better Call Saul' Season Premiere Recap: Funeral for a Friend". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  2. ^ Herzog, Kenny (August 6, 2018). "Better Call Saul Recap: Waiting to Exhale". Vulture. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  3. ^ "The 11 Most Iconic ABQ Locations From 'Better Call Saul' Season 1". NewsCastic. April 7, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "Smoke". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  5. ^ Fowler, Matt (July 23, 2018). "Better Call Saul Season 4 Premiere Review: "Smoke"". IGN. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  6. ^ Welch, Alex (August 7, 2018). "Monday cable ratings: 'Better Call Saul' returns down, 'WWE Raw' slips". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  7. ^ Welch, Alex. "Monday cable ratings: 'Better Call Saul' season finale ticks up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.

External links[]

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