Better Call Saul Season 5 Episode 5: Dedicado a Max
Bob Odenkirk
Saul Goodman
Jonathan R. Banks
Mike Ehrmantraut
Rhea Seehorn
Kim Wexler
Patrick Fabian
Hamlin Howard
Giancarlo Esposito
Gus Fring
Plot Summary:The construction foreman was furious. Originally, the sheriff had brought a court eviction order today, forcibly taking away old man Acker, and the project, delayed for several days, could finally start. But a lawyer named Saul Goodman suddenly appeared, insisting that the address on the eviction order was not old man Acker's home. The email address in old man Acker's mailbox was indeed 1240 Scenic Dry Valley, not 1130 as on the eviction order. The construction site was empty, the road signs were long gone, and other neighbors had moved away, so no one could testify. Both sides held their ground, and the police were helpless. The foreman had no choice but to return to the company to get survey drawings to prove someone was messing with them. This back and forth delayed another day. A one-day extension of the construction period was no big deal for Kevin; it wasn't as important as his friends waiting for him to tee off at the golf course. However, Kim proactively suggested that the opposing lawyer was her boyfriend and, due to a conflict of interest, wanted to recuse herself from the case. Kevin didn't trust other lawyers and believed that the cunning old man Acker deliberately hired Jimmy to make Kim back down. The more this was the case, the less Kevin would give in, continuing to assign Kim to handle the matter. Subsequently, Jimmy and Kim worked in concert, coming up with one trick after another. First, ancient pottery fragments appeared on the construction site. Although experts immediately recognized them as modern pottery, out of caution, the site was closed for a week for detailed surveying. As soon as that was over, Jimmy, representing the water district, sued the construction project. Then he claimed there was a loophole in a government land grant contract from over a hundred years ago, and then someone reported that the construction contractor was an escaped felon... After several inexplicable lawsuits, more than a month was delayed, and considerable legal fees were incurred. At a high-level bank meeting, even partner Rich suggested that Kevin relocate the site. Kim timely produced an assessment table, proving that the loss from relocating at this point was negligible compared to the current situation. But Kevin, with the pride of an old soldier, would rather die than lose his position. Jimmy calculated everything, but he didn't anticipate that Kevin, disregarding a banker's profit-driven nature, would fight to the bitter end. That evening, a somewhat disheartened Jimmy suggested to Kim that they might as well sign the compensation agreement. Since it was a losing battle, there was no need to keep struggling. Moreover, if things escalated, it would become a personal vendetta, which would be bad for both Jimmy and Kim. Kim thought about it and decided to abandon the current petty tactics and fight a hard battle. Since his girlfriend said so, Jimmy naturally felt obligated. To dig up dirt on Kevin, Jimmy immediately thought of the best candidate: old Mike, who had extensive connections and a tight lip. When the call connected, the call quality was poor, with a lot of static. Jimmy spoke loudly for a while, but old Mike on the other end calmly refused and then hung up. Jimmy was puzzled; what was wrong with old Mike, who used to be eager for money? Through classified ads, Jimmy hired a private detective, "Mr.X." A few days later, in the small office behind the nail salon, Mr. X reported that Kevin had no blemishes. The only reason for his imprisonment was a DUI 34 years ago after his college graduation ceremony. Jimmy absolutely refused to believe that a banker could be as clean as a baby, accusing Mr. X of incompetence. Mr. X was defiant; he had disguised himself as a security company employee and entered Kevin's mansion, taking photos everywhere. He even pried open a safe hidden behind a painting, photographed the contents, and didn't even miss the documents inside the safe. Despite such meticulous work, he couldn't find a single flaw. Facing the stacks of photos Mr. X presented, Jimmy was speechless and had to ask Mr. X to leave the office. When he returned, Jimmy was surprised to see Kim holding a photo, with a successful smile on her face. However, Kim's trick might have fooled Kevin, but it couldn't fool Rich. Rich first had to repeatedly urge Kim before she would go to the site to clear people out. Then, when Kim's strong recommendation to relocate the site failed, Jimmy suddenly became old man Acker's lawyer. All these signs made Rich suspicious. Of course, Rich only asked Kim to temporarily withdraw from the case, and her corresponding salary and bonus would not be reduced. Kim was anxious and questioned Rich loudly in front of her colleagues. Rich genuinely couldn't answer why Kim would sacrifice her career for an unknown holdout, so he had to give up. Jimmy didn't know that old Mike was currently in a small Mexican village. Since rejecting Gus Fring's invitation, he had been despondent, idle all day, and drinking heavily. One night, he was stabbed in a fight with some thugs and woke up to find himself lying in a simple house, cared for by an old Mexican woman. Old Mike knew well that Gus Fring must have saved him, and only Gus Fring could have sent him to Mexico without anyone knowing. Old Mike wanted to leave, but after struggling for a few kilometers, his wounds reopened. A doctor, who was clearly sent by Gus Fring, picked him up from the side of the road, stitched his wounds, and told him to rest assured. He learned from the doctor that the old woman was Mrs. Cortazar, and although they had a language barrier, they could generally understand each other's thoughts after a few days of interaction. When Jimmy called, old Mike was beyond his reach, even if he wanted to help. Feeling somewhat recovered, old Mike helped Mrs. Cortazar repair her damaged house. Only by keeping himself busy could he avoid thinking about drinking. Finally, one day, he heard Gus Fring's voice from outside. He stood before Gus Fring, wanting to understand the purpose of all this. Gus Fring didn't hide it; he was about to get involved in a war and needed a warrior. He chose old Mike precisely because old Mike understood the motivation that revenge brings.