BETTER CALL SAUL

[Jay 37,322]

Better Call Saul 3x09 Fall

 

I loved the cold open where Jimmy talks to Irene and figures out he'd have $1 Million coming his way if they settled now.

 

The scene with Mike and Lydia was really cool, somehow it was so different than the usual type of scene on the show, perhaps it felt a bit more Breaking Bad-y than Better Call Saul-y.  I like that Lydia is already thinking so far into the future,she basically already sees the future.  It's really only her and Gus on this show that think so far into the future like that; Everyone else, especially Jimmy and Nacho, think only about the obstacles and goals right in front of them.

 

The scene with Chuck and Hamlin meeting with the insurance company was great, not only seeing Chuck invigorated and motivated to do some hard work, but Hamlin's performance was great here. I loved him trying to be diplomatic as possible with Chuck at first, basically hinting at retirement, then outright saying it.  Hamlin was AWESOME in this scene!  For as much as the show is gradually shifting Jimmy from hero to villain, its shifting Hamlin from villain to completely neutral nice guy just putting out fires just as well.

 

I liked the scene with Kim and the oil guy, because the location shooting was great; Loved the gorgeous sky contrasting with the ever-working oil pumps.  The stuck car bit was an interesting bit of what turned out to be foreshadowing, but as a standalone scene I loved her determination to fix the problem, and the solution she came up with, not to mention the workaholic-ness of her making her immediately resuming dictating when it was fixed.  The look of exasperation she had towards the end though made me think in her head it's Jimmy's fault she's even in this situation.

 

Loved the music Hamlin was listening to when he pulled into the garage, lol.  When Jimmy meets with him, you really kind of think its possible Jimmy truly IS thinking ONLY in the client's best interests when telling him to settle, but I love how Howard just shut him down and lays out what he thinks, and does the whole hand-out bit, etc.  Hamlin is ON FIRE this episode!!!  I would not complain if he gets an emmy nom.

 

Don Eladio picking Gus's distribution method over Hector's is no surprise, nor is Hector's reaction to the news.    The pill sequence that followed was SO TENSE!! I had no idea what was going to happen.  I assume next week we'll find out if Nacho pulls this off or not!  The later scene where Nacho has to sit down with his dad to tell him Hector will be coming into his shop was SO SAD, one of the saddest scenes the show has done;  Nacho is another character we've really come to like over the seasons.

Jimmy spreading discontent among the retirees was funny at first but gradually got sadder and sadder.  Hamlin visiting Chuck at his house and Chuck informing him he'll be suing HHM... holy hell WTF Chuck.  This is really going to be the end of Chuck's career, one way or another.

 

The bingo scene was tough to watch, it was sad, and I just felt bad for everyone involved.  Not a fan of Jimmy right now.  He got what he wanted though, it seems, when he tries to celebrate with Kim and she can barely even stop to process it.  I liked that he celebrated with the secretary instead.

 

THE CAR CRASH.  Holy shit that was well executed.  We saw signs this was coming between her napping in the car a few episodes back, and the earlier car problems here.  BUT HOT DAMN that was brutal.  The accident was completely caused by her lack of sleep, and the sad part is she doesn't need to be doing this to herself.  Jimmy promised her he'd cover his half of the rent, AND HE HAS, and she took the extra client anyway.  She will begrudge him for this, and he might not understand why.

 

 

 

Prediction time.  I think Jimmy isn't getting the money he thinks is coming to him, for several reasons.

 

1 is the Jimmy of Breaking Bad doesn't strike me as someone that ever had a bunch of money, and the Jimmy of BCS doesn't strike me as someone who would let it get away from him if he got it

 

2 I think it will connect to Chuck suing HHM, Hamlin will claim they can't afford to pay him because of ongoing litigation, etc etc.  Hamlin may actually prevent Jimmy from getting it out of spite for causing Chuck to be in the position where he's suing them, etc.

 

3 Another possibility it that it will connect to Kim's accident.  IE she has internal damage and needs some kind of fancy medical procedure or obscure surgery to survive, and Jimmy has to pay for it with the money he gets from HHM or whatever.  If this happens, I wouldn't be surprised if she dies afterwards and Jimmy's left with nothing.  

 

Can't wait to watch it tonight!

[Quintus 5,399]

Watched the last one tonight. There must be just one season left to run, because the natural conclusion seems close.

[Matt S. 493]

On ‎6‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 5:40 PM, Thor said:

Yes, you can definitely see the conflict in him when he woman storms out of the bingo room, and he brings up the settlement issue. It pains him to do what he's about to do, but he does it nonetheless.

 

This show never does what you think it will.....after all the trouble Jimmy went to, just when you think (or I thought, anyway) that he was finally about to slip permanently into the Saul Goodman character, he snaps back.  I guess after Chuck's heartless dismissal of him earlier (man that was COLD), his guilty conscience got the better of him and he screwed himself over just so a little old lady could get her friends back.  Now he's back to square one, financially.  At least he and Kim were able to get out of the office lease.

50 minutes ago, Quintus said:

Watched the last one tonight. There must be just one season left to run, because the natural conclusion seems close.

 

It does seem like the characters are getting so close to where they were when Breaking Bad started, but there is still so much time left, it's only 2003 in the timeline.  This show never goes in the direction you think it will, so I'm betting it goes at least five seasons, like BB. 

[Jay 37,322]

Damn, Chuck really lost it! 

 

Anyone watch Talking Saul, did it reveal any good tidbits? 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

This really is a great show.  Never even remotely predictable, how refreshing is that?

[Jay 37,322]

I've been saying that for years 

[Alex 2,833]

It's phenomenally well written

[Quintus 5,399]

I thought it was a smashing season overall, but I was a little bit disappointed with the quality of the writing in the final episode. The yoga microphone admission, Chuck's extremely sudden all-out reversal of his progress with his condition (even though the house smash-up itself was a good scene)... I felt these moments were contrived and weirdly heavy-handed - in a show which is normally so very careful about how it handles its setups and denouncements. Surprisingly uncharacteristic handling from Gilligan and Gould, I thought.

[Thor 7,478]

I actually loved that part of the episode, perhaps my favourite part. Chuck's apparent recovery has been set up as a faulty expectation over several episodes, and in this episode it all came crashing down (I think it's not only connected to his forced retirement, but also because of his 'fake' comment to Jimmy "I've never really cared about you"....the opening campfire sequence suggested otherwise). On the other hand, Jimmy had somewhat of a moral recovery with his admission of guilt to the retirees. In many ways, this episode was about fall and redemption to one degree or another. That cliffhanger was pretty intense, and I'm hardpressed to see Chuck getting out of this alive.

[Quintus 5,399]

They can't end on a shot like that and then have him back a year later. He's gone.

[A24 4,327]

A disappointing season for me.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

13 hours ago, Quintus said:

There must be just one season left to run, because the natural conclusion seems close.

 

I'm not so sure. Jimmy McGill still seems to be quite some distance from being Saul Goodman. Like Matt S., my money would be on two more seasons.

[Quintus 5,399]

Anything's possible, and I'm sure they could pad events out between Jimmy McGill and Breaking Bad for as long as there's an audience on Netflix who wants to watch it. But if they're shrewd, which they are, they'll consolidate the remainder of what they have to tell over the period of ten more episodes. 

[Matt S. 493]

3 hours ago, Quintus said:

They can't end on a shot like that and then have him back a year later. He's gone.

 

Of course, the next question will probably be, what becomes of Chuck's estate...did he leave a will?  He and Rebecca had no children, so what happens to the house (the property anyway, since the house will have burned to the ground...)  And what did Chuck do with the $3 million check from Hamlin?  I would assume the estate is also still entitled to the remainder of the 8 or 9 million he was due from HHM.  I could definitely see Jimmy going after that money...

Just now, Quintus said:

Anything's possible, and I'm sure they could pad events out between Jimmy McGill and Breaking Bad for as long as there's an audience on Netflix who wants to watch it. But if they're shrewd, which they are, they'll consolidate the remainder of what they have to tell over the period of ten more episodes. 

 

They also need to bring Jimmy and Kim's relationship to an end, somehow, and that will undoubtedly take some time.  Particularly since they seem to have grown closer than ever by the end of season 3.

[Quintus 5,399]

Maybe that's their way of laying the foundations for more than one more season yet. 

[Alex 2,833]

The show doesn't seem to have been officially renewed yet, but you would think it's a pretty safe bet based on the critical acclaim it's received as well as the history between Gilligan and AMC.

[Jay 37,322]

Better Call Saul 3x10 Lantern

 

Great cold open with young Chuck reading a story to young Jimmy; Sounded like they got Michael McKean to read it and they pitched his voice down just a bit.  At the time, I wondered if this would be the only time we saw the brothers together this episode...

 

The scene with Chuck and Hamlin where Hamlin lays into Chuck: Everything Hamlin says is completely true.  I've truly come around to liking Hamlin completely as a character.  He's really done nothing wrong (despite not being particularly likeable) but was thrust into tough situation after tough situation since Chuck's "condition" took over.  Using his personal finances to pay Chuck off is somewhat of a shortsighted solution to an immediate problem like Jimmy and Nacho like to do, except I think there's no worry that his firm will be so lucrative for so long to come he'll make all the money back.  Chuck's goodbye scene to the firm was awkward and I liked how it ended with him walking alone into the blinding light.

 

LOVED Jimmy taking care of Kim at home.  No matter what goes on in their professional lives, they really love each other a lot and are cute together.  When she says she could have killed somebody and he says "yea, yourself", its a gut punch and he's so right.

 

Hector in Nacho's dad's shop is another sad scene, much like Hamlin I've come around so much on Nacho's character and just want him to win.  I dreaded what Hector was going to do once he told Nacho he didn't trust his dad but... well, I guess it was a red herring?

 

Kim at home with the secretary was really cute, especially their trip to Blockbuster.  I loved Kim's assessment of the work to be done, the kind of 5 second beat of silence, and then the instant flip to the opposite of workaholic.  A side of Kim we've never seen!

At this point I'm wondering: Where's Mike?

 

When Jimmy visits Chuck at home, that was good stuff.  Chuck saying "You never mattered much to me" to Jimmy is just SO wrong, and just SO MUCH a lie!  He's literally spent all 3 seasons trying to keep Jimmy out of the law world.  Chuck's really getting delusional here.  Of course him telling Jimmy he's fine is a total lie too, since the very next scene we see him unable to sleep.

 

Hmm, still no Mike.

 

Jimmy talking to Irene was sad again, then him talking with the other ladies was funny because of his silly getup, but ultimately sad that he can't seem to talk them all into a resolution.  The montage of Chuck at home was pretty good, especially the AWESOME Dave Porter music!  Perhaps the best cue of the season, in a season full of great Dave Porter music.  Really liked this!  I want a Season 3 OST album ASAP!  Anyway, when it started showing Chuck on the ladder and stuff I thought he was going to fall, then when he started pulling wires I thought he was going to electrocute himself... nice red herrings there.  Oh, another nice thing about this montage was how different it was from the Mike montages;  In the Mike montages he's slow, meticulous, methodical, and there is minimal sound to mix in with the music.  In the Chuck montage, it was constantly loud, there was all kinds of noises mixed is as Chuck recklessly and randomly dug around.  Great work.

 

I loved how Kim binging movies ties into the constant movie references Jimmy is always making.  Love how perfect these two are for each other.  Nacho thinking he could just shoot Hector at the meetup location was a silly little aside that should have been edited out.  I loved how well things worked out for Nacho that Hector's collapse allowed him to pick up all the pills and presumably switch them back.  I thought for sure Gus was going to say something to Nacho after the ambulance left, that hard cut to commercial break was kinda weird.

 

This whole scene I thought for sure would be when Mike finally shows up but... nope.  

 

Jimmy's ploy to get the retirement home ladies back on Irene's side again was smart, and I really loved the return of his assistant from Davis and Main (one of those many instances of perfect casting this show has had).  But damn, is it sad.  I loved the running bit all 3 seasons about how great Jimmy is with the elderly, and its sad to have it all go away for a greater purpose.  So did the show say how much longer the litigation will run now that they aren't settling yet?  I have to assume at this point HHM actually wants to settle quickly to get money to undo what Hamlin paid to Chuck.. then again with what happens later maybe not, hmmm

 

Loved the detail of Jimmy wearing a University of American Samoa sweatshirt while packing up their office.  The rolodex bit was nice, but another odd thing that probably could have been edited out.  I love how close Chuck and Kim have gotten now, and that their entire future is open!

The final scene with Chuck kicking the lantern was unexpected as hell.  Did it seem a bit quick to anyone else to go from paranoia to suicide?  Very strange.

 

I wasn't expecting the season to end this way.  The first two seasons ended on cliffhangers with story threads in the middle of their arcs.  Here, we've really closed the chapter on almost every running story.  Next season could conceivably pick up years later, if there is one - it hasn't been renewed yet the last I saw.

 

I might need to reflect on how I rank this season compared to the others;  Both of the first two seasons ended so strong I was left loving them without any question.  This ending was such a slow burn of an ending rather than an exciting one it might take longer to process.

Overall I have no problem saying this is the best show on TV right now, or at the very least in the top 3.  It's without question the best written one.

[KK 3,307]

What I loved about the ending is that it didn't feel like a cliffhanger. But an inevitable end to a Chuck's tragic story. This really is some of the best television on right now.

[Jay 37,322]

Oh yea, did anyone notice the end credits music was completely different than all 29 episodes prior?

[crocodile 7,990]

Really good ending to the really good season. 

 

Karol

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

RIP Chuck, one of televisions most compellingly loathsome characters. I felt sympathy toward him at the end after years of dislike, and it was a well-earned and poetic end. Michael McKean should sweep awards for the "Chicanery" speech alone, but that last scene was even more heartbreaking. What an incredible performance.

 

Excellent episode. It didn't need Mike - I've found Nacho's story to be more compelling this season anyway. I'm pleased that Jimmy threw himself under the bus for the old lady that he set up last week. I was absolutely heartbroken by her situation and furious at Jimmy's scheme. I don't think I'll ever forgive him for it. What wonderful television.

[Quintus 5,399]

10 hours ago, Jay said:

The final scene with Chuck kicking the lantern was unexpected as hell.  Did it seem a bit quick to anyone else to go from paranoia to suicide?  Very strange.

 

 

The handling of that character's final denouncement doesn't sit right with me, I expected something much more deft from Gilligan. 

 

2 hours ago, Docteur Qui said:

RIP Chuck, one of televisions most compellingly loathsome characters. 

 

One the best I've had the pleasure to watch, I've said it before that I thought Chuck was this show's pièce de résistance. Michael McKean is a class act. 

[KK 3,307]

McKean has been brilliant this whole show. He should get an Emmy for this!

 

And was it suicide or just an accident? It didn't come across to me that he was intentionally knocking the lamp off the table.

[Thor 7,478]

1 hour ago, KK said:

And was it suicide or just an accident? It didn't come across to me that he was intentionally knocking the lamp off the table.

 

Seemed fairly obvious to me. He was left sitting in the ruins of his house, with everything taken from him -- his job and his self-professed, false disowning of his brother.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I've heard an interesting theory that Chuck's condition is a manifestation of the guilt he feels for the way he treats Jimmy. Very deep inside he knows that he treats Jimmy like garbage and that's how he punishes himself. I think it holds weight, especially as his final fatal episode came as he deliberately alienated his brother and lied about ever caring about him. 

 

Also it was almost definitely suicide. At the very least knocking the lantern over was intentional and he was on some level aware that his home had become full of dry fuel after ripping it apart.

 

Finally, I came across this gem of a thought today, from a random internet commenter:

 

Quote

And if there was ever a character who would attempt suicide, have second thoughts immediately, and then let himself burn to death rather than admit he was wrong, it's Chuck McGill

 

[Quintus 5,399]

My view is Chuck's condition has always been a proxy one - brought on by the nervous breakdown he suffered after his wife left him. We have various coping mechanisms when depressed and his basically just isn't a very good one, so he effectively shuts down from the world. He's in a state of massive denial about everything, as we know, and it's about as acute as it gets.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Good reading. I also just came across this quote from an interview with McKean:

 

Quote

So you never found out what sparked Chuck’s disorder?

Nope.

Does that seem odd to you?

No. But there was a moment, in one of the flashback episodes when Chuck and Rebecca are still together, and Jimmy comes to dinner. When she meets him for the first time and she really likes him, they have a lot of laughs. I’m trying to be funny, too, and it just doesn’t land.

We talked about a moment at the end of that scene when they’re both in bed, and I try a joke. And Rebecca doesn’t get it, and she goes, “Oh yes, very funny.” We talked about Chuck then reaching for the light and having it give him a little shock. And we didn’t do it, and I thought hmm, maybe that was a missed opportunity. Maybe that was some way of linking the intrusion of Jimmy McGill and the interruption of this nice simpatico I had with my wife. But hey, I don’t write this stuff.

 

Looks like your view is closer to the mark, @Quintus. Rebecca leaving has much to do with it.

 

Also I highly recommend reading the interviews with McKean that he's been doing for the last few weeks for various outlets. Some very insightful stuff and it's clear he absolutely relished playing Chuck and deeply understands and respects Gould and Gilligan's writing.

[Quintus 5,399]

I wonder if there are any filmed interviews with McKean where he talks about this character and the show. I'm gonna google it.

[crocodile 7,990]

8 hours ago, Quintus said:

 

The handling of that character's final denouncement doesn't sit right with me, I expected something much more deft from Gilligan. 

Not really, mate. It was pretty well established that Chuck needed attention all the time. He lost all his assets over the course of the past few episodes. On top of everything, his condition got even worse. It might have been pretty rapid development by the series' standards. But it makes sense.

 

Karol

[crumbs 14,305]

Mental illness doesn't make sense, which makes the finale that much more unsettling. Handled very well IMO.

[Jay 37,322]

It was certainly suicide and not an accident.  His leg wasn't twitching involuntarily, he was purposely trying to knock the lantern over, knowing it would break and light everything on fire.

 

It's possible he wanted it to be a suicide but "look" like an accident, ya know?  But the question is...Who gets the $3 Million Hamlin gave him?  Is Jimmy the next of kin, and inherits it?  Does Chuck have a will that states it goes to Rebecca, or to charity?

 

Nobody else noticed the different end credits music?

[crocodile 7,990]

I think the score for this series is actually pretty good.

 

Karol

[Jay 37,322]

Dave Porter's scores were AMAZING this season, some of the only television scoring I've sat up and noticed in all of the 2010s.

 

I wrote about some specific pieces if you want to read my episode reviews over the last few pages

[Quintus 5,399]

46 minutes ago, crocodile said:

Not really, mate. It was pretty well established that Chuck needed attention all the time. He lost all his assets over the course of the past few episodes. On top of everything, his condition got even worse. It might have been pretty rapid development by the series' standards. But it makes sense.

 

It was that sudden acceleration of his negative state of mind and the rush in the editing of his final resolve which bothered me about it. 

 

Actually, there was a moment earlier in this season where I thought he might call it a day, and I'd have probably found that more dramatically natural and satisfying.

[crocodile 7,990]

2 minutes ago, Quintus said:

 

It was that sudden acceleration of his negative state of mind and the rush of his final resolve which bothered me about it. 

 

Actually, there was a moment earlier in this season where I thought he might call it a day, and I'd have probably found that more dramatically natural and satisfying.

Have you noticed that the last two episodes were paced really fast as compared to everything that came before? Or was it just me?

 

6 minutes ago, Jay said:

Dave Porter's scores were AMAZING this season, some of the only television scoring I've sat up and noticed in all of the 2010s.

 

I wrote about some specific pieces if you want to read my episode reviews over the last few pages

I will. 

 

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

The last one in particular. It's probably why I thought it was a weaker episode.

[Jay 37,322]

It wasn't the best season finale the show's done, but the overall season was strong.

 

I wonder if Season 4 will pick up a couple years down the road, if the show gets renewed.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

7 hours ago, Quintus said:

 

It was that sudden acceleration of his negative state of mind and the rush in the editing of his final resolve which bothered me about it. 

 

As someone who has seen, first-hand, what relapse of mental illness looks like, I can tell you that it comes on quickly and violently.

 

Chuck rushes into recovery, and in his attempts to immerse himself into a normal life he skipped all the necessary steps one needs to follow to recover long-term. His doctor tries to warn him about taking it slow lest he relapse, but Chuck thinks he's above his illness and pays the ultimate price for his pride. 

 

There's a reason why recovering drug addicts are at higher risk of overdose than practicing users, and it has to do with being unprepared for relapse. A former user might take a dosage as high or even higher than what they were averaging as a daily user, and it's too much for the brain and body to handle. That's how I see this working with Chuck, and why it worked for me.

[Thor 7,478]

20 hours ago, Docteur Qui said:

I've heard an interesting theory that Chuck's condition is a manifestation of the guilt he feels for the way he treats Jimmy. Very deep inside he knows that he treats Jimmy like garbage and that's how he punishes himself. I think it holds weight, especially as his final fatal episode came as he deliberately alienated his brother and lied about ever caring about him. 

 

Yes, this has been my take from the get-go too, exemplified so clearly in the last episode.

 

Like the good doctor above, I've also seen sudden changes like this upfront  -- within my own extended family, even. The realism and intensity of this segue was one of the most powerful moments of the episode and whole series.

[Jay 37,322]

On 6/22/2017 at 7:11 AM, Docteur Qui said:

I've heard an interesting theory that Chuck's condition is a manifestation of the guilt he feels for the way he treats Jimmy. Very deep inside he knows that he treats Jimmy like garbage and that's how he punishes himself. I think it holds weight, especially as his final fatal episode came as he deliberately alienated his brother and lied about ever caring about him. 

 

A good theory

 

 

14 hours ago, Docteur Qui said:

Chuck rushes into recovery, and in his attempts to immerse himself into a normal life he skipped all the necessary steps one needs to follow to recover long-term. His doctor tries to warn him about taking it slow lest he relapse, but Chuck thinks he's above his illness and pays the ultimate price for his pride. 

 

There's a reason why recovering drug addicts are at higher risk of overdose than practicing users, and it has to do with being unprepared for relapse. A former user might take a dosage as high or even higher than what they were averaging as a daily user, and it's too much for the brain and body to handle. That's how I see this working with Chuck, and why it worked for me.

 

Agreed

[Quintus 5,399]

Personally, I think Chuck feels nothing but deep resent for his brother. And he's far too self-centred and self-righteous to feel any sort of guilt about how he treats him, how he has regarded him for many years. It's sheer and pure sibling jealousy and resent, sadly very common.

 

Chuck's ex wife will have first hand experience of her ex husband's ego, too. It got too much for her. He lost all control over her when she betrayed him, their marriage, and so the condition he manifested for himself was an emtreme stand-in for that. It became something else he could exert control over, in lieu of his wife.

 

So no, I don't agree with the brotherly guilt reading.

[Jay 37,322]

On 6/15/2017 at 7:26 AM, Quintus said:

I joked with my wife about something else I've noticed too - how the main characters seem to have a penchant for sitting up all night doing laboriously long and intensely intricate personal projects. Jimmy with his printing; Nacho with his pharmaceuticals; Chuck with his extensive foil wallpapering; Mike with his homing device modifications; I'm sure there has probably been a scene somewhere of Kim pulling an all nighter to do filing but I've forgotten it. It must be how people get ahead in Albuquerque, they're all vampires! 

 

 

Hehe, good observation.  I actually really like how hard working so many characters are portrayed as on this show.  Especially since just in the scope of Breaking Bad, you'd never peg Saul as a hard worker, the exact opposite really

 

 

 

On 6/21/2017 at 2:46 AM, Quintus said:

I thought it was a smashing season overall, but I was a little bit disappointed with the quality of the writing in the final episode. The yoga microphone admission, Chuck's extremely sudden all-out reversal of his progress with his condition (even though the house smash-up itself was a good scene)... I felt these moments were contrived and weirdly heavy-handed - in a show which is normally so very careful about how it handles its setups and denouncements. Surprisingly uncharacteristic handling from Gilligan and Gould, I thought.

 

I didn't think anything was weird at all about the yoga microphone scene.  Perfectly fit in with everything else IMO

 

 

 

On 6/21/2017 at 5:07 AM, Thor said:

I actually loved that part of the episode, perhaps my favourite part. Chuck's apparent recovery has been set up as a faulty expectation over several episodes, and in this episode it all came crashing down (I think it's not only connected to his forced retirement, but also because of his 'fake' comment to Jimmy "I've never really cared about you"....the opening campfire sequence suggested otherwise). On the other hand, Jimmy had somewhat of a moral recovery with his admission of guilt to the retirees. In many ways, this episode was about fall and redemption to one degree or another. That cliffhanger was pretty intense, and I'm hardpressed to see Chuck getting out of this alive.

 

I don't see it as a cliffhanger ending at all.  Chuck's dead.  Season 4 will likely pick up some months or years later, I reckon. If there is a season 4.

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, Quintus said:

Personally, I think Chuck feels nothing but deep resent for his brother. And he's far too self-centred and self-righteous to feel any sort of guilt about how he treats him, how he has regarded him for many years. It's sheer and pure sibling jealousy and resent, sadly very common.

 

Hmm, I agree.

 

 

Quote

Chuck's ex wife will have first hand experience of her ex husband's ego, too. It got too much for her. He lost all control over her when she betrayed him, their marriage, and so the condition he manifested for himself was an emtreme stand-in for that. It became something else he could exert control over, in lieu of his wife.

 

She betrayed him?

 

[Wojo 2,453]

Even my wife commented on how tense the music was as Chuck (McKean himself) destroyed his apartment looking for rogue electricity. The crescendo as he smasher the meter was tremendous. Good stuff. 

 

Chuck doesn't have to be dead in the present. We know he is, but TV rules say without a body, you don't have a death. The show loves flashbacks though. 

[Jay 37,322]

I fully expect him to return in a flashback or two if there's a season 4, yea

[KK 3,307]

Peter Gould and McKean have confirmed that he will be returning for various flashbacks.

[Quintus 5,399]

7 hours ago, Jay said:

 

She betrayed him?

 

 

Of course; at the time of their separation, there's no way in his mind that he was at fault for the breakdown of their marriage. She walked out, she betrayed his honour. Chuck is that arrogant.

[Matt S. 493]

I always figured that the divorce from Rebecca is what brought on his condition, especially since he was so desperate to keep her from finding out about it.  He was fine with his brother and everyone working at HHM knowing and dealing with it, but he did everything he could to keep Rebecca from finding out.  And even once Rebecca did know the truth, he hid inside his house and refused to see her. 

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I agree that the failure of his marriage was probably the catalyst for his initial breakdown, but I still like the idea that a combination of resentment and deep guilt about Jimmy is what fuelled it in the first place. I'm not sure what the exact timeline is, but I'm under the impression that Chuck's marriage ended around the same time he prevented Howard from promoting Jimmy out of the mail room.

 

It's incredible to see how Chuck and Jimmy have shaped each other and brought the absolute worst out of one another. Their whole arc has the distinct vibe of a Shakespearean tragedy about it.

[Jay 37,322]

1 hour ago, Docteur Qui said:

It's incredible to see how Chuck and Jimmy have shaped each other and brought the absolute worst out of one another.

 

Woah, great insight!

[Matt S. 493]

1 hour ago, Docteur Qui said:

I agree that the failure of his marriage was probably the catalyst for his initial breakdown, but I still like the idea that a combination of resentment and deep guilt about Jimmy is what fuelled it in the first place. I'm not sure what the exact timeline is, but I'm under the impression that Chuck's marriage ended around the same time he prevented Howard from promoting Jimmy out of the mail room.

 

 

It's also interesting that we never find out what caused their marriage to fail in the first place.  In the flashback where Rebecca visited Chuck for dinner (and he pretended the power was out, and was cooking by candlelight...), and again at Jimmy's disciplinary hearing, there was no evidence of any lingering animosity between them, in fact they seemed quite cordial with each other.  I wouldn't be a bit surprised if further flashbacks fleshed out their divorce, particularly if Jimmy was involved in any way...and then also showed the beginning's of Chuck's "allergy."