“I’ve been paying for it ever since!” he snipes at the crowd, his sunny demeanor melting away to show his burned side. With the floor and mic to himself, he entertains (and horrifies) the senior citizens with tales of a “Chicago sunroof.” He mentions Chet, the man who ruined his marriage, and the juvenile act of revenge that sent Jimmy to prison on counts of indecent exposure. Jimmy’s frustration boils until he is bitching about the “soulless, radioactive” New Mexico melting outside the room’s windows. (Among the other words he mentions in an alphabetical tirade is Belize, a sly wink to Breaking Bad fans.) When a series of balls with the letter B come up, he is only reminded of his brother’s betrayal.

Slowly, Jimmy begins to lose his flair for quick improvisation. As the protagonist calls out the numbers whirling around in a windy vortex-like machine, the sound of the contraption’s crack and rattling starts to mess with his head. The episode highlight is a mesmerizing monologue of self-destruction, done without any kind of self-effacing comfort, set – in all places – at the Bingo hall where Jimmy MCs. Series co-creator Peter Gould, who both pens and directs the finale, gives Odenkirk no shortage of terrific moments here. Fittingly, the actor’s tour de force comes in the finale of one of the sharpest premiere seasons in recent small-screen memory. Giving Jimmy McGill the droll hilarity of a huckster and the deep-set vulnerability of a damaged soul trying to start again only works with an actor with the ability to bring out both of those elements.

The not-so-hidden secret to the episode, and much of the series thus far, has been Bob Odenkirk. “Marco” is one of the best hours of television that has ever aired on AMC – and given the quality drama the network is often synonymous with, that’s a sterling compliment.

Better call saul season 1 review