Bali Ha'i
Mike carefully considers his position.
"I keep thinking of you floating in that pool. You knew what you wanted, but I got in the way."
— Kim Wexler
Tropes
- All for Nothing: The end result of Mike getting Tuco arrested. Not only have worse Salamancas replaced Tuco, he's now on their radar, had his family threatened, and has to face whatever punishment is served for the gun charge while Tuco's sentence is reduced.
- Be Careful What You Wish For:
- Kim's career is back on track but she finds it less satisfying than before. She also realizes that convincing Jimmy to take the Davis & Main job might not have been the best thing for him.
- After effortlessly repelling Arturo, Mike sends a message that the cartel should "try harder" next time. Hector promptly sends the Cousins to threaten Kaylee directly.
- Call-Forward:
- The check Kim chooses not to cash is from Craddock Marine Bank, which in Breaking Bad is the bank where Dan Wachsberger deposits the hazard pay for Gus Fring's employees. The guy also made it out to "Ice Station Zebra Associates," the name of the shell company Jimmy uses to dodge income taxes.
- Hector's praising Mike for having "big balls" echoes Walt and Tuco's first meeting, where Walt manages to make a bold request of $50,000 from Tuco before nearly blowing up his office and Tuco replies, "You got balls, Heisenberg. I'll give you that." The circumstances of their first Salamanca encounters are also pretty similar: Walt was pissed after seeing Jesse beaten to a pulp, while Mike was pissed with Hector threatening his granddaughter.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Mike's remark to Nacho two episodes ago about how anything happening to Tuco lures in Salamancas like flies has come true, now that we've seen the Cousins.
- Consummate Professional: Mike refunds Nacho $25,000, since Tuco is set to get a lighter sentence than previously anticipated.
- Crazy-Prepared: Mike knew to expect a return after the first time Arturo dropped by. So Mike places carbon transfer paper underneath the welcome mat at his front door. He lifts the welcome mat when he returns home, and the carbon paper reveals at least two individuals have entered through the front door. He had also placed his TV remote beforehand at a spot well away from the TV, and where he'll have the drop on the Mexican thugs sent to intimidate him. He uses that remote to turn on the TV to flush them out.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Mike makes short work of Arturo and the other Cartel thug when they reveal themselves by coming through the basement door.
- The Dreaded: The Cousins are here, at Hector's beck and call. The motif used in their scenes in Breaking Bad is used over their threatening Mike at the pool.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Jimmy's rendition of the titular Bali H'ai song on Kim's answering machine is surprisingly very tender and has some legitimate emotion behind it, to the point of making Kim smile when she hears it. Later episodes establish that Jimmy is a Dreadful Musician who can't carry a tune to save his life.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Kim's motion hearing against Schweikart & Cokely in having Sandpiper Crossing disclose their residents' medical records. The judge was leaning in favor of Sandpiper and Richard Schweikart points out that Howard wasn't with her, indicating that he knew there was no way she could win.
- Hidden Depths: Richard's view on hazing rituals. While he laughed with the partners of the firm he was a rookie at of going through one, it didn't sit well with him. Prior to this episode, Richard could be seen as mildly antagonistic given his dismissive attitude towards Jimmy's toilet paper letter and that his firm is representing Sandpiper Crossing.
- Humiliation Conga: Not only did Howard demote Kim to doc review, but he also gives her the cold shoulder when they meet Kevin and Paige from Mesa Verde, gives her a sudden assignment with a tight deadline, and leaves her to defend a case on her own that she had no chance of winning.
- Initiation Ceremony: While having Kim for lunch, Richard recounts a case in his career where he went through the same thing of being left on his own to defend a case against a senior partner and three high-level associates. The partners at his firm said it was his "trial by fire" and laughed it off.
- Laser-Guided Karma: The use of the Cousins to threaten Mike's granddaughter puts a whole new light on Mike's actions in Breaking Bad, where, after the Cousins' botched hit on Hank, he is sent by Gus to finish off the critically wounded Leonel. Insofar as Mike is capable of it, he likely took some small pleasure when Gus gave him orders to do so.
- Mood Whiplash: Mike enters his house at night, aware that Hector's enforcers are inside the house (after an earlier visit from Arturo, Mike had planted some carbon paper underneath his welcome mat). He turns on the TV knowing that the noise will lure them out. It's this trope because what plays on the TV is this
Billy Mays infomercial at full blast. - Oh, Crap!: Mike's face drops the moment he sees the Cousins standing on a rooftop overlooking the pool. And then Marco does a gun sign... at Kaylee.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Mike's reaction to the Cousins threatening him in the presence of Kaylee is one of the rare times where he loses focus. Also earlier, his hands are a bit shaky while washing blood off his hands after pistol whipping the guys Hector had sent to scare him.
- Out of Focus: Jimmy almost is practically absent for a good chunk of screentime, with a lot more focus being placed on Mike and Kim.
- Rule of Symbolism: Jimmy's annoyance with his car's cupholder mirrors his own discomfort at being a by-the-book white-collar lawyer and his preference for quick-and-dirty methods.
- Rule of Three: With the cupholder gag being first shown in Cobbler, the second and third time are seen here, culminating with Jimmy using a tire iron to break it so that his coffee thermos can fit.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Kim goes on her lunch break after Howard gives her a sudden assignment with only an hour and fifteen minutes to complete it. Jimmy also does this to Erin and Omar when Kim calls him about a scam she started.
- Silent Treatment: Howard gives it to Kim when they're on their way to a meeting with Mesa Verde.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: During the final scene of the episode, Jimmy kissing Kim goodbye, destroying his cupholder and slowly driving off is set to the rather bombastic Henna Henna by The Bombay Royale.
- Spotting the Thread: Schweikart, based on his own experiences as an early-career lawyer, knows Kim is in Howard's doghouse despite her protests of otherwise. He treats it an opportunity to make a partner-track offer for her to join his firm instead.
- Stylistic Suck: Davis and Main replaced Jimmy's Sandpiper commercial with a new one, that not only recycles the dull narration and white text on blue swirly nebulousness of their last commercial, but it airs at 1:00 AM when its target audience is asleep.
- Taking You with Me: Mike threatens Hector with this when insisting on a payment of $50,000 for reducing Tuco's sentence. He knows the Salamanca twins will kill him if he attacks Hector, but he makes it clear he can get Hector first. Hector senses Mike is serious and agrees to pay the fifty grand.
- Tempting Fate: After Hector's goons failed to scare Mike into taking his deal, Mike tells the goons to try harder next time. That "next time" is the Cousins.
- Title Drop: When Jimmy sings "Bali H'ai" from Southern Pacific to Kim over the phone.
- Tranquil Fury: Though not readily evident, it's clear that Mike is angered by Hector threatening Kaylee's life.
- Tuck and Cover: Mike drying Kaylee off with a towel becomes this after the Cousins threatened to kill her.
- Villain Ball: When Mike arrives to meet with Hector, Nacho pats down Mike and finds a gun on him. Hector allows Mike to keep his gun since the Cousins were already in the room, but this allows Mike to threaten him and to convince Hector to increase his offer.
- Villain Respect: Even the ruthless Hector has to admire Mike's determination.Hector: [in Spanish, to Nacho] I told you, right? Giant balls.
- Would Hurt a Child: Hector is willing to send the Cousins after Mike's granddaughter if he doesn't take the fall for Tuco's gun charge
- Your Television Hates You: Unable to sleep, Jimmy does some late-night TV surfing. He makes the discovery that Davis & Main didn't use his ad and reduced it down to the dull narration and white text on that swirly nebulous background he wasn't impressed by.
