Nacho's still in the eye of the storm, his escape from Lalo's shadow incomplete. The situation stands at a precarious balance; Lalo's incarceration supposed to be the turning point, but it's a trickle of relief amidst a deluge of concerns. As he and Mike meet in another unmarked lot, a labyrinth of weeds and concrete, Nacho's resolve is clear: a fresh start for him and his father. He believes Lalo's behind bars, thus fulfilling his end of the bargain. However, his hesitations are palpable, and Mike doesn't miss a beat in clarifying the air: Lalo's still operating from within his cell and has ordered Nacho to set alight one of the Los Pollos Hermanos' locations. In essence, Lalo remains a thorn in Gus's side, and until that changes, Nacho remains in limbo, dancing between two worlds and praying for the preservation of his family.
Jimmy finds himself in a similarly perilous predicament. He's tasked with securing Lalo, a.k.a. Jorge de Guzman, on bail. The stakes are high; success would brand him as a "cartel ally," failure an unthinkable option. Nevertheless, Jimmy strives to balance his ambitions with a semblance of morality, dreaming of owning a ranch or lavender farm in Montana while assuring himself that Kim is unscathed.
Their plan to marry, practice radical honesty, and find solace in spousal immunity meets a monumental hurdle. Jimmy's rant at Howard about traversing worlds he can't fathom reveals a chasm between them. But by the time Jimmy unleashes his fury on the man he blames for Chuck's death, he and Kim have already forged irrevocable, intertwined alliances – Jimmy with a man capable of securing a $7 million bond, and Kim with a husband she adores and yearns not to judge or hold back from.
The tragedy lies in Fred Whalen's family having to hope and pray that Lalo doesn't make a run for it or them before his reckoning before a jury. It's easier to grasp Saul Goodman's seemingly unabashed audacity after witnessing this episode's courtroom drama. Could he possibly sink lower than hiring impersonators to represent the inherited family of a murderous gang member while the victim's loved ones weep on? As the hearing halts in slow motion, Jimmy answers that question for himself. If he can set this man free, collect his fee – not to mention the cash to spring him loose, as ordered by Lalo – and continue taking marching orders from the cartel, then any future deeds with Walter White are but a walk in the park for Saul.
Certainly, Mike has been unequivocal with Jimmy, making it clear that he will ultimately do as Gus dictates if he has any intention of staying on the right side. (And if Mike can pay a surprise visit to door 3307, don't think for a moment that Gus, Lalo, or Ocho Loco can't or won't intervene.) The only reason Jimmy was able to advance his case to the point of setting bond was because Mike provided him with incriminating evidence of his coercive chat with Lillian the librarian, an unethical manipulation that taints the entire prosecution. So, yes, Gus has dispatched Mike to free the very enemy he just put behind bars. Just as the cops won't help Nacho and his dad, the penal system isn't going to prevent Lalo and the Salamancas from sabotaging Gus's dreams.
Gus happens to be in Houston when he hears about Lalo's plans to incinerate his restaurant. He and the other faces of Madrigal's fast-food empire are at the company's headquarters to provide progress reports and roll out new offerings. Gus's Spice Curls fries, infused with a "southwestern kick," receive a big thumbs-up from division chief Peter Schuler (welcome back, Norbert Weisser!). In reality, however, he couldn't care less. He's there to discuss business with Gus and Lydia about the aborted Superlab plans, the problems with the Salamancas, and the toll all this stress is taking on his deteriorating health.
Gus implores him to remember their ordeal in Santiago (we would love to know more), and then sits in a contemplative silence that mirrors Jimmy's in court, while Lydia passes Champagne flutes and toasts to prosperity.
In fact, Gus decides to plunder his own operation once again. Upon returning to Albuquerque, he and Nacho stage an act of explosive vandalism at Los Pollos Hermanos that would have sent poor assistant manager Lyle into a panic attack (and, we assume, will at least allow Gus to collect the insurance money). Alas, Lyle and his colleagues may have to look elsewhere for work for a bit. To borrow a phrase from Jimmy, they are mere cogs in the grand scheme of what Gus has cooking. And he won't rest until Lalo goes down in flames.
