The Lalo kills Howard in the final scene, before turning his attention to an impending conversation with Jimmy and Kim. It was a tense, brutal sequence that makes the extended wait for the next episode more difficult.
Breaking Bad also left viewers on a cliffhanger in its final season, concluding the first part with Hank finally uncovering the truth about Walter. The two twists are similar in that they represent moments where the protagonist's double-life started to unravel, with the dual aspects blending together in an unforeseen way. For Walt, his brother-in-law discovered he was the area's premier meth manufacturer. For Jimmy, his decision to be a "friend of the Cartel" indirectly caused the death of a former colleague, escalating his cruel prank into something much more traumatic. They're both integral scenes, but Better Call Saul's is the more shocking.
Hank's pursuit of Heisenberg was a recurring thread throughout Breaking Bad, with Walt evading many close calls before he was undone by a poetry book. The manner in which Hank found out about Walt's secret was unexpected, but him learning the truth fit naturally into the show's endgame. After watching a cat-and-mouse game unfold for years, audiences knew at some point Hank would figure out Heisenberg's identity, setting up a tense and emotional conflict before the series wrapped. It was definitely successful in leaving audiences wondering what would happen next, though the twist doesn't seem all that surprising when compared to Better Call Saul.
Howard's death was something that few people could have seen coming. It has a much higher shock value than Hank's revelation - especially considering the sheer cruelty of Lalo's nonchalant execution. Up until this point, the lawyer and cartel storylines in Better Call Saul largely operated independently of each other, so to see them dovetail now in such a vicious fashion came as a surprise and served as a horrifying reminder of one of the core concepts present in the Breaking Bad universe. Actions have consequences, and sooner or later those consequences catch up. Jimmy found himself in the middle of an escalating cartel war and established himself as one of the few people Lalo could trust. Howard became a blameless victim because of those choices Jimmy made.
Additionally, the Better Call Saul twist blows the rest of the show wide open from a narrative perspective. The lawyer storyline is effectively wrapped up now with Howard out of the picture, and coupled with Nacho's own tragic death, there's an element of unpredictability to Better Call Saul now. It's very hard to guess where things are going, especially since this season has already subverted many expectations viewers had coming in. This isn't to say Breaking Bad was predictable by any stretch; the second half of season 5 had its fair share of curveballs. But after Hank read Gale's note in the Walt Whitman book, at least parts of the plan started to crystalize. For Better Call Saul, any number of fates for Lalo, Kim, and Gene are on the table and there's no telling what will happen next. It will make the back half of Better Call Saul season 6 all the more compelling to watch.
Better Call Saul season 6, part 1 is now streaming on AMC+. Part 2 premieres on AMC on July 11, 2022.