Season 4 Season Finale
4 1/2 Stars out of 5
I waited till most of the episodes had already aired before I started watching
Season 4. I wanted to have them all ready to go by the time the Season Finale aired so that I could binge-watch them over the course of a weeks time. As for the season, I thought it was another standout season....BUT, as good as the season was, I did feel that losing
Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) did have a profound effect on
Season 4. Losing
Chuck altered the dynamic of everything. It's a huge loss to just sweep aside as if nothing happened. But then again, that's the whole point of removing him from the equation, it's suppose to change things for Jimmy/Saul. He may constantly tell everyone that his passing means nothing to him, but we know better than that. But as a fan of
McKean, there's just an empty space that can't and will not be filled moving forward. I loved the scenes he and
Bob shared together over the first 3 seasons. All is not lost though. We do get a brief cameo from
McKean early in the season and then a much longer scene with him later in the season (both flashbacks).
As for the rest of the season, more emphasis is put on the growing relationship between
Mike and
Gus and the construction of the Super Underground Meth Lab that will play a major character in
Breaking Bad. This was a fascinating thing to see unfold. And the character of
Werner Ziegler, who is the architect of the Lab was tragic. You feel for the guy. You know what he is going through and you know how it's going to end for him. But it was unclear as who would be the one to end it. Of course it had to be Mike. Up till now, he really only had one foot in and one foot out in his association with
Gus. But having to pull the trigger himself meant that there was no turning back, which of course sets up who he is by the time we see him in
Breaking Bad. Also new is the introduction of
Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca, who will play a pivotal role in the Saul/Bad universe. I'll just say, if his name doesn't "ring a bell", then you need to go back and do your homework on the series.
The other noteworthy thing about Season 4 is the fracturing of Jimmy and Kim's relationship. They are at the point of where they are just cohabiting rather than actually being a couple. They look and act like a married couple that have fallen out of love, even though Kim is the one fighting to save their relationship, even if she knows it can't be saved and as for Jimmy, his jealousy of what Kim has achieved professionally is just a constant reminder of his own failures, which drives the wedge between them even more. Really looking forward to Season 5 for a lot of reasons, but their relationship is at the top of the list. I honestly don't see how they are still living together at the start of Season 5 given how it ended during the Season Finale, given that she realizes that she got played by him during his hearing to get his lawyer licence back.