The episode received universal acclaim from critics , with some considering it to be a series-best . Terri Schwartz of IGN awarded the episode 10 out of 10 , describing it as " the best episode of Better Call Saul to date " . It currently holds a 100 % on Rotten Tomatoes with an average of 9.5 / 10 based on 12 reviews . The site consensus reads : " The war between Jimmy and Chuck comes to an unprecedented climax in the heartbreaking , sober , and defining ' Chicanery ' , an episode that clearly cements '' Better Call Saul '' as essential television . " TVLine named Michael McKean the " Performer of the Week " for his performance in this episode , writing it was the " finest showcase yet for his fascinatingly layered performance as Jimmy 's brother Chuck McGill . " Donna Bowman of '' The A.V. Club '' , who gave the episode an " A " rating , praised the courtroom scene , saying " it is n’t just to give us the satisfaction of a courtroom drama , the neat ending where the truth comes out . The brilliance of this structure is to give us a slow-motion view of the heavens falling , an outcome methodically pursued by Kim and Jimmy , which nevertheless seems to give them no satisfaction . " At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards , Gordon Smith was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for this episode , his second for the series . Many critics were disappointed when McKean , who was said to have given " one of the best performances by anyone in TV all year " , failed to secure an Emmy nomination while his co-star Jonathan Banks did
69th Primetime Emmy Awards
69th Primetime Emmy Awards
Chicanery (Better Call Saul)