TOMATOMETER
Critic Consensus: "Gloves Off" finds Better Call Saul coming further into its own with an enthralling episode that highlights Jonathan Banks' contributions.
Episode Info
Cast
as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman
as Chuck McGill
as Mike Ehrmantraut
as Kim
as Hamlin
as Nacho
as Marco
Gloves Off Photos
Critic reviews for Gloves Off
Mike is a tough guy weighed down by a big sad heart and his bottomless melancholy has provided an important counterpoint to Jimmy's frenetic glibness. Now he is increasingly driving the plot too.
It's time to start coming to the realization that Better Call Saul is no longer a spinoff... The show is clearing standing on its own, not even two complete seasons in.
Michael Mando imbues Nacho with a fluid presence that enables the character to transcend any minor-gangster cliches; there's more going on in the way he folds his arms as Mike pulls away than many such characters can muster in an entire episode.
Tonight's installment showcased everything Saul does best.
"Gloves Off" is a nearly perfect example of what you can accomplish by balancing two storylines with a deftness found rarely on television.
Better Call Saul is a show with high stakes, even if they are personal ones.
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