Axe and Grind
"Axe and Grind" | |
---|---|
Better Call Saul episode | |
Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 6 |
Directed by | Giancarlo Esposito |
Written by | Ariel Levine |
Produced by |
|
Featured music | |
Cinematography by | Paul Donachie |
Editing by | Chris McCaleb |
Original air date | May 16, 2022 |
Running time | 46 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Axe and Grind" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul, the spin-off television series of Breaking Bad. Actor Giancarlo Esposito directed the episode written by Ariel Levine. The episode aired on May 16, 2022, on AMC and AMC+. In several countries outside the United States and Canada, the episode premiered on Netflix the following day.
In the episode,
"Axe and Grind" was met with positive reviews for its writing, direction, pacing, cinematography, and on-screen performances, most notably that of Rhea Seehorn as Kim. An estimated 1.13 million viewers saw the episode during its first broadcast on AMC.
Plot
Opening
In a flashback to the 1980s, Kim Wexler's mother feigns outrage after Kim is caught shoplifting jewelry. After the store manager allows them to leave, Kim's mother shows her pride and reveals that she stole the necklace and earrings Kim tried to take.[a]
Main story
In a strained conversation,
Jimmy and Kim visit
In Germany, the label from the Lucite sculpture he observed at
Production
The episode was directed by
As an actor, Esposito had not watched every episode of Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul, nor binged any show on television, because he believed it would affect his performances on screen. To direct the episode, however, he broke his "golden rule" by watching Werner Ziegler's death in the Better Call Saul episode "Winner". His approach as director was to minimize the dialogue and instead convey the same information visually, especially through facial expressions.[11] Esposito explained that Better Call Saul rarely used flashbacks unless they were meaningful, and for this episode, the flashback to Kim's childhood in the opening scene established several elements of her character. The triangular earrings her mother stole were worn by Kim throughout the series, which Esposito said Kim used to remind herself of the scam her mother had pulled and that she should not do the same.[7] While preparing to shoot the scene, Esposito learned how important the cinematography was to the storytelling on Better Call Saul. He originally wanted to film the parking lot sequence as a crane shot that would lift away from and lower back toward the characters as they talked. He communicated his idea to cameraman Matt Credle, who told him they would not execute it as it did not fit within the show's established visual language. Esposito explained, "I started to learn the visual language that is the show outside of being a viewer, from actually being in action. They didn't give me the crane, and I didn't mind. I shot it a different way."[6][12]
There was a shortened amount of preparation for Lalo's scenes because the crew had to work around the schedule of German actor
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of six reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.3/10.[14] Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone compared the episode's cold open to the opening scene of the fifth season episode "Wexler v. Goodman", which also included a flashback to Kim's past, calling them "hugely informative to who Kim is now". He was positive of Seehorn's performance, the cinematography, and the final scene where Kim decided to return to Albuquerque. Sepinwall also noted the episode's slow pace but stated his belief that viewers would be rewarded for their patience with future episodes.[15] IndieWire's Steve Greene said he liked Esposito's direction, Levine's screenplay, and the production design of Howard's kitchen. He awarded the episode a "B+".[16] The A.V. Club's Kimberly Potts gave it an "A−" and compared Kim's development in the episode to that of Walter White's development throughout Breaking Bad, asking if they were always destined to be immoral characters even before breaking bad: "Perhaps that question, considering the nuance Saul has spun for her, can be applied to Kim, who just wants to do good but is willing to do some not-so-good things to achieve that end."[17]
Writing for Vulture, Scott Tobias complimented the use of Duran Duran's song "The Reflex" during the opening scene. He called the episode "another carefully plotted hour ahead of next week's half-season finale".[18] Kaleena Rivera from Pajiba gave praise to Patrick Fabian's performance as Howard and the final scene. She said seeing Kim "choose the con over her pro bono dream is a watershed moment in the series". Rivera also made note of the pacing and said, "If this was any other show, I would guess the audience would start to become weary, but as it stands, this is more about impatience for what's to come rather than any perceived slowness."[19] In his recap of the episode, Michael Hogan of Vanity Fair said "this episode may not have provided any kind of closure, but it at least brought us closer to understanding the contours of Kim and Jimmy's plan".[20]
Ratings
An estimated 1.13 million viewers watched "Axe and Grind" during its first broadcast on AMC on May 16, 2022.[21]
Notes
References
- ^ TV Insider. Archivedfrom the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ Sciarabba, Ali (May 20, 2022). "Better Call Saul S6E6: Kim Takes the Bad Choice Road in 'Axe and Grind'". 25YearsLater. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- Decider. Archivedfrom the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (April 9, 2022). "Better Call Saul: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul Will Guest Star in Final Season". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ Flook, Ray (May 14, 2022). "Better Call Saul S06E06 Teaser; Our Howard & Lalo Foolproof Prediction". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Fienberg, Daniel (May 16, 2022). "Better Call Saul: Giancarlo Esposito on Directing the Gory, Sweet 'Axe and Grind'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Moreau, Jordan (May 16, 2022). "Giancarlo Esposito Directs Pivotal Better Call Saul Episode With Kim's Moment of Doom". Variety. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Davids, Brian (May 17, 2022). "Better Call Saul Writer Ariel Levine Breaks Down 'Calm Before the Storm' Ahead of Mid-Season Finale". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ Evangelista, Chris (May 17, 2021). "Better Call Saul Season 6 Gets One Step Closer To The End With 'Axe And Grind'". /Film. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- Segal, David (May 23, 2022). "'Better Call Saul' Season 6, Episode 7 Recap: Plan A". The New York Times. Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ TV Insider. Archivedfrom the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ Picurro, Allison (May 16, 2022). "Better Call Saul's Giancarlo Esposito on Directing Kim's Point of No Return: 'She Drove Right Into a Dark Cloud'". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ McCaleb, Chris; Dixon, Kelley; Gould, Peter; Gilligan, Vince; Esposito, Giancarlo; Levine, Ariel; Reinisch, Joey (May 17, 2022). "606 Better Call Saul Insider" (Podcast). AMC. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "Axe and Grind". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (May 16, 2022). "Better Call Saul Recap: Kim Reverts to a Life of Crime". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Greene, Steve (May 16, 2022). "Better Call Saul Review: 'Axe and Grind' Is a Solid Deep Breath Before a Dangerous Reckoning". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Potts, Kimberly (May 16, 2022). "On Better Call Saul, Kim's motives come into focus". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Tobias, Scott (May 16, 2022). "Better Call Saul Recap: Been Caught Stealing". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Rivera, Kaleena (May 20, 2022). "Better Call Saul Episode 6 Recap: Omaha Beach". Pajiba. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Hogan, Michael (May 16, 2022). "Better Call Saul Season 6, Episode 6 Recap: Kim's Angels and Devils Go at It". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 18, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 5.16.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
External links
- "Axe and Grind" at AMC
- "Axe and Grind" at IMDb