Smoke (Better Call Saul)

In a flashforward, "Gene Takavic" has collapsed at the Omaha Cinnabon and is raced to the hospital, but is discharged after doctors confirm he did not suffer a heart attack.{{efn|As seen in "Mabel".}} As Gene leaves, the receptionist stops him to obtain billing information. She has difficulty processing Gene’s identification, making him apprehensive, but she quickly realizes she made a mistake and corrects her error. Gene takes a taxi to the mall, where his car is parked, but becomes uneasy when he sees the driver making eye contact and he recognizes an Albuquerque Isotopes air freshener on the rearview mirror. He asks to be let out before reaching the mall, then walks quickly around the corner and out of the driver's sight.

Howard Hamlin calls Jimmy McGill and Kim Wexler about the fire at Chuck McGill's,{{efn|name=Lantern|As seen in "Lantern".}} and they arrive as Chuck's body is taken away. Jimmy sees the appliances outside Chuck's home and surmises his electromagnetic hypersensitivity symptoms had returned. He falls into a deep depression from which Kim tries to help him recover. Howard takes on the responsibility of arranging Chuck's funeral.

Mike Ehrmantraut receives his first payment from Madrigal Electromotive as a contracted security consultant, which Gus Fring arranged to launder the money Mike stole from the Salamancas.{{efn|name=Fall|As seen in "Fall".}} Though it was meant to be a paper transaction, Mike enters a Madrigal facility, performs a detailed inspection, and turns the results over to the manager with instructions to let Lydia Rodarte-Quayle know he was there.

Following Mike's advice,{{efn|name=Expenses|As seen in "Expenses".}} after Hector Salamanca's stroke{{efn|name=Lantern}} Nacho Varga takes the fake capsules containing ibuprofen from Hector and replaces them with Hector's real nitroglycerin. He tries to dispose of the fakes but is interrupted by Gus, who says they need to meet with Juan Bolsa. Juan puts Nacho and Arturo in charge of the Salamanca operation for the time being. Afterward, Nacho drives to a bridge and throws the fakes away, unaware Victor has followed him.

Several of Chuck's friends and associates attend his funeral and give Jimmy their condolences. After the service, Howard tells Jimmy and Kim he believes he is responsible for Chuck’s death because he forced Chuck out of HHM after their malpractice insurance premium increased.{{efn|name=Fall}} Jimmy conceals his role in causing the increase{{efn|name=Expenses}} and immediately regains his happy-go-lucky demeanor.

In the opening scene, Saul is at his workplace, a Cinnabon mall store. Though set in Omaha, Nebraska, the flash-forward was filmed at the Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico.{{Cite web |date=April 7, 2015 |title=The 11 Most Iconic ABQ Locations From 'Better Call Saul' Season 1 |url=https://www.newscastic.com/news/the-11-most-iconic-abq-locations-from-better-call-saul-season-1-2664760/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626075239/https://www.newscastic.com/news/the-11-most-iconic-abq-locations-from-better-call-saul-season-1-2664760/ |archive-date=June 26, 2017 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |website=NewsCastic}} The episode marks the first appearance of Jeff, played by Don Harvey, though he is not named until the fifth season premiere.{{Cite web |last=Elvy |first=Craig |date=February 26, 2020 |title=Better Call Saul's Gene Stalker Was Introduced In Season 4 |url=https://screenrant.com/better-call-saul-jeff-taxi-driver-gene-stalker/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119003640/https://screenrant.com/better-call-saul-jeff-taxi-driver-gene-stalker/ |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=Screen Rant}}

"Smoke" received critical acclaim from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it garnered a perfect 100% rating with an average score of 8.76/10 based on 17 reviews. The site consensus reads, "'Smoke' kicks off Better Call Saul{{'}}s fourth season by finally shifting Jimmy's disturbing transition to Saul into full gear."{{Cite web |title=Smoke |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/better_call_saul/s04/e01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208123101/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/better_call_saul/s04/e01 |archive-date=February 8, 2022 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}} Matt Fowler of IGN gave "Smoke" a positive review, with an 8.3/10.0 rating writing, "It's a heavy, reflective chapter that readily relies on silence to create both suspense and sorrow."{{Cite web |last=Fowler |first=Matt |date=July 23, 2018 |title=Better Call Saul Season 4 Premiere Review: "Smoke" |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/07/23/better-call-saul-smoke-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728224814/http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/07/23/better-call-saul-smoke-review |archive-date=July 28, 2018 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |website=IGN}}

"Smoke" was watched by 1.77 million viewers in the United States on its original air date,{{Cite web |last=Welch |first=Alex |date=August 7, 2018 |title=Monday cable ratings: 'Better Call Saul' returns down, 'WWE Raw' slips |url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-cable-ratings-august-6-2018/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808000533/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-cable-ratings-august-6-2018/ |archive-date=August 8, 2018 |access-date=August 7, 2018 |website=TV by the Numbers}} fewer than the third-season finale which brought in 1.85 million American viewers.{{Cite web |last=Welch |first=Alex |title=Monday cable ratings: 'Better Call Saul' season finale ticks up |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-cable-ratings-june-19-2017/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621015505/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-cable-ratings-june-19-2017/ |archive-date=June 21, 2017 |access-date=June 20, 2017 |website=TV by the Numbers}}

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{{reflist}}

• [https://www.amc.com/shows/better-call-saul/season-4/episode-01-smoke "Smoke"] at AMC
• {{IMDb episode|7073996}}

{{Better Call Saul}}

Category:Better Call Saul season 4 episodes

Category:2018 American television episodes

Category:Television episodes written by Peter Gould

Category:Television episodes set in Nebraska