SQUAWKING DEAD: [Better SQUAWK Saul: E5] Season 6, Episode 6 of Better Call Saul, "Axe and Grind"

↑↑↑Click the above graphic↑↑↑
to listen to this episode
in your favorite Podcasts App

Originally Recorded: 2022/05/20

This episode includes both the reaction to and full episode breakdown of Better Call Saul's 6th episode of its 6th and final season titled, "Axe and Grind"

Don't want to wait for these episodes to release via the audio podcast? They're already up on our YouTube Channel, here:

As always, you can get the inside baseball on our podcast by creating a free account on Ko-fi.com and following us on Ko-fi.com/SQUAWKINGDEAD. It's the only place we post our upcoming recording sessions, so that you can lend us your thoughts in the real-time chat during our episode breakdowns; the unedited episode recordings to stream for your enjoyment (in the event you can't make our recording sessions); and it's the platform we use to develop and experiment new ideas, schedule our Jackbox Games live streams and watch parties, and a whole host of other fun things we reserve for the select few who send us a signal that their invested in our journey (none of which we post on social media). When you're ready to take your support to the next level, you can always buy us a coffee for 30-days of supporter backed access or take the plunge and join a membership tier for as little as $1 /month!

Sherrandy Swift:
Rachael Burt:

🎖SURVIVORS TIER MEMBERS:

Bridget:

INITIAL REACTIONS

Sherrandy: It's definitely a set-up episode to prepare for the upcoming mid-season finale, Plan and Execution.
Was Werner Ziegler really the only one aware of Gustavo Fring's plans for the meth Super Lab?
Is there anything Kim Wexler won't do to make Howard Hamlin's life a living hell?
What fate awaits Kim at series wrap?
And what about Gene Takovic's?
The second half of Better Call Saul's 6th and final season returns July 11th!

FULL BREAKDOWN: AXE AND GRIND

This episode was directed by Giancarlo Esposito who plays Gustavo Fring!
Do you think Jimmy McGill's demeanor is a lot like Kim's mother's?
Bridget wonders whether Beth Hoyt, who plays Kim's mother, studied Rhea Seehorn's speech patterns?
Sherrandy: In the Breaking Bad universe, something bad always happens in the presence of oranges or the color orange. Bridget adds that Jimmy McGill drinks a lot of orange juice.
Are the writers trying to make us sympathize with Howard in the wake of Chuck McGill's death?
Will we see Cheryl Hamlin again? If so, what will her role be in what little remains of the series?
What's next for Howard Hamlin, especially if Jimmy & Kim's plan succeeds?
Could Howard end up running across the cartel or Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca due to his dealings with Jimmy and Kim?
What plans do Kim & Jimmy have for the coded notebook given to them by the vet/Cartel doctor, Dr. Caldera?
Actor John Ennis plays Lenny (who dramatically reenacts the role of Rand Casimiro in Kim & Jimmy's staged photos): real-life father of Jessie Ennis, who plays Erin Brill on the show.
Any time someone tries to talk Kim out of what she's doing, she doubles down: Viola Goto, in the episode prior, admitted to Kim how her passion changed the way she thinks about the law; also in the last episode, Clifford Main makes her an offer her rational side would never have refused; even Jimmy tries to give her an out at the end of this episode. Could this be due to the way Kim's mother and Jimmy have both shown approval/rewarded her for manipulating others in the past?
According to the Better Call Saul Insider Podcast, Stefan Kapicic, who plays Casper, came to set early to learn how to properly chop wood.
Will Casper succumb from his injuries due to his encounter with Lalo?
What exactly is Lalo searching for? If it's evidence of Fring's secret plans, how much of it will he need to convince The Cartel?
What do you think is going through Kim's mind after Jimmy breaks the news about Rand Casimiro's broken arm (effectively ruining their photoshoot)?
Does Kim still have a relationship with her mother? Is she even alive?
During the flash-foward scene in episode 4x05, Quite a Ride, Saul Goodman tells Francesca Liddy to stay near the phone on November 13th. Some fans believe that Kim will be calling Jimmy from prison since that's his birthday. Is Kim still behind bars in the present day, during Jimmy's attempt to lead a mundane life as Gene Takovic?