"Nacho" is the third episode of the first season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on February 16, 2015, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming serviceNetflix in several countries.
Plot
Opening
In a flashback, Chuck meets Jimmy in the Cook County Jail, where Jimmy has been imprisoned for unspecified offenses which risk having him labelled as a sex offender. Chuck warns Jimmy that his life will be ruined if he's convicted, and Jimmy pleads with Chuck to help get the charges dismissed. Chuck agrees to represent Jimmy on the condition that he stop running cons and find legitimate employment.
Main story
Jimmy is anxious about Nacho's plot to extort the Kettlemans. He calls Kim Wexler, an acquaintance at HHM, which represents the Kettlemans. Jimmy indirectly warns Kim about the potential danger to the Kettlemans, but then breaks off the call, insisting that he is "no hero." Later that night, Jimmy calls the Kettlemans anonymously and warns them. The Kettlemans look outside and see somebody in a parked van watching them. The next morning, Kim tells Jimmy that something has happened to the Kettlemans. He rushes to their house to find it surrounded by police, and finds out the Kettlemans, including their two children, are missing. Believing that Nacho has kidnapped them, Jimmy tries to call Nacho, but receives only his voicemail greeting. While waiting for Nacho to call back, Jimmy is picked up by the police, who tell him they have arrested Nacho on suspicion of kidnapping the Kettlemans, and he has requested Jimmy as his legal counsel. At the police station, Nacho admits to Jimmy that he performed surveillance on the Kettlemans but denies kidnapping them. Nacho warns Jimmy that if he does not get the charges dropped, Nacho will have him killed. Jimmy is unsuccessful at persuading the police to release Nacho, but convinces Kim to take him to the Kettleman house so he can investigate. Jimmy notices some inconsistencies, such as a missing child's doll, and theorizes that the Kettlemans staged their kidnapping. Jimmy admits to Kim that he warned the Kettlemans about Nacho and probably drove them into hiding. At the courthouse, Jimmy starts a fight with Mike, who subdues him. The police ask Mike to press assault charges against Jimmy so that they can leverage him to testify against Nacho. Mike takes Jimmy's side and refuses to press charges. He suggests that Jimmy's theory about the Kettlemans' disappearance is correct. He recounts a similar case he investigated as a Philadelphiapolice officer, and tells Jimmy that the Kettlemans are probably hiding somewhere close to home. With the new lead, Jimmy explores the desert near the Kettleman house and finds their campsite. He confronts the Kettlemans, gets into a struggle with them, and inadvertently discovers the stolen money.
Upon airing, the episode received 3.23 million American viewers, and an 18-49 rating of 1.6. The episode received positive reviews from critics. Erik Kain of Forbes said that "Overall, this was yet another strong entry in the show. Great shots of New Mexico, plenty of humor, and a little bit of mystery all kept this one humming from start to finish." Michael Hogan of The Telegraph gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, concluding: Roth Cornet of IGN gave the episode 8.5 out of 10, saying "Better Call Saul continues to settle into itself, as Jimmy McGill's will to do the right thing is tested."" Richard Vine of The Guardian also gave a positive review, and was pleased that the episode began to examine Jimmy's relationships with Chuck and Kim, who "you really get the sense that she’s fond of him, against her better judgement". The episode earned a 100% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, out of 13 reviews.
