‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6 Episode 7 Recap: All Paths Converge in the Mid-Season Finale

Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7 serves as the mid-season finale for the show’s final chapter, and it delivers a shocking twist that brings all storylines crashing together. Fans finally get a glimpse of Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim’s (Rhea Seehorn) big plan this week. Sadly, the pair doesn’t have much time to celebrate. “Plan and Execution” marks a turning point in their story arcs, bringing tragedy to their doorstep when they least expect it.

[Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7, “Plan and Execution.”]

Jimmy and Kim’s plan succeeds in ‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6 Episode 7

Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7 kicks off on a high note, with Jimmy and Kim rapidly reworking their scheme against Howard (Patrick Fabian). The whole thing comes together in “Plan and Execution,” which reveals why the pair panicked at the end of the previous installment. Their plan is contingent on a fabricated photo of Judge Rand Casimiro (John Posey). With the help of Jimmy’s camera crew, they’re able to regroup and work his broken arm into their photos.

Howard’s private investigator — who, surprise, has actually been employed by Jimmy the whole — brings the false photos to Howard. They suggest Casimiro is taking bribes from Jimmy, which creates a major problem when the judge shows up to mediate the Sandpiper case.

Poor Howard falls directly into Jimmy and Kim’s trap, calling the judge out about the photos. Unfortunately, the P.I. switches them, making Howard look completely unhinged in front of all his colleagues. On top of that, Jimmy and Kim line the images with whatever substance they got from the vet. From there, it’s easy to see why Clifford Main (Ed Begley Jr.) would buy into Howard’s supposed drug addiction.

The mid-season finale delivers Howard a massive blow, ruining his reputation and forcing him to take a loss on the Sandpiper case. His tragic meeting is hilarious as it unfolds. However, the laughter comes to a grinding halt as Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7 continues.

Episode 7 brings Lalo Salamanca back into everyone’s lives

Running parallel to Jimmy and Kim’s scheme in Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7 is Lalo Salamanca’s (Tony Dalton) return to Albuquerque. After learning the truth about Werner Ziegler’s (Rainer Bock) death — and Gus Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) laundromat — Lalo devises a plan to get back at the Chicken Man. He stakes out in a sewer near the secret meth lab, but he quickly realizes Mike (Jonathan Banks) and Gus are expecting him.

When he calls Hector (Mike Margolis), he reveals he’s returning to “Plan A.” It’s unclear what exactly this means, but his uncle doesn’t seem thrilled about it. Whatever Lalo has planned, it brings him to Jimmy and Kim’s doorstep. And from there, Better Call Saul‘s mid-season finale delivers one of the biggest surprises of the season.

‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6 delivers a death knell in its mid-season finale

The final moments of Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 7 bring all of the prequel’s storylines together at last. However, it does so in an unexpectedly tragic way. Following the embarrassing Sandpiper meeting, Howard brings Jimmy and Kim a bottle of wine to congratulate them on their “victory.”

Patrick Fabian delivers a compelling performance, during which he makes viewers feel for Howard. It’s clear that all the scheming is beyond his character’s comprehension. And to be fair, Jimmy and Kim didn’t have much reason to go to such lengths.

Unfortunately, Howard’s luck only gets worse as his rant continues. As Jimmy and Kim push him out of their apartment, someone appears in the doorway behind him. Lalo Salamanca finally comes calling for his lawyer. And Howard spends too much time asking questions after he shows up. As some fans expected, Howard becomes collateral damage in Better Call Saul‘s cartel storyline.

Howard’s death is a tragic end for a character who deserves better. And it’s certain to weigh on Jimmy and Kim’s consciences heading into the latter half of season 6. Perhaps this will serve as the breaking point of their relationship. They weren’t expecting their scheme to have such severe consequences, and that backfires on them dramatically.

We’ll have to wait to learn how they handle Howard’s death, as well as what Lalo wants from them. The final six episodes can’t get here soon enough.

Better Call Saul Season 6 Part 2 premieres on AMC on Monday, July 11.