BETTER CALL SAUL

[A24 4,326]

Episode 7 (Expenses) is so far the best of S3. Things were getting too melodramatic and cliché. Now it's back about little things.

 

 

Like Jimmy doing community service.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Expenses

 

As of this episode, Jimmy/Saul has appeared on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul combined more than Walter White or Jesse Pinkman.

 

Another good one. We see Jimmy working hard as ever, doing community service, trying to get his film business of the ground, but it's just not happening. He's in an awful rot and down on his luck. Using his saving account to pay his part of the expenses.

 

Odenkirk is great as always as he buzzing like a bee trying to make things work. Possibly for the first time nothing is going his way. He can't even persuade Kim to join him in a scam.

 

Kim starts to feel guilty about what she and Jimmy did to Chuck. Wondering if there's something else they could have done. Jimmy remains as bitter as ever. He actually ends up seriously screwing over Chuck by going to the insurance company and doing a sob story about how his brother has a mental illness. There's no reason for Jimmy to do this other than spite. 

 

Nacho enlists the pharma guy from season 1 and 2 to get some of Hector's capsules for him so he can swap them and poison Hector. Mike gets wind of it and at first wants nothing to do with it. He later agrees to be and the hand-off and gives Nacho some friendly advise. This is after he's connected with a lady from the church. It's quite nice to see loner Mike dealing with someone else than his family or gangsters.

 

Unusual for this series the first part of the season seems to actually be bigger and more dramatic, and after the big reveal of Gus, and the Jimmy/Chuck courtcase things have slowly settled down. I wonder what Jimmy will do to get out of his rut. Will Nacho slip up with the pills? We know Hector doesnt die, and we havent seen Nacho in BB....

 

Good stuff!

[Jay 37,290]

Better Call Saul 3x07 Expenses

 

Wow, that was one fantastic hour of television.

 

Interesting little cold open, with Jimmy doing community service.  Of course we knew Jimmy wouldn't get full credit when it showed the boss guy behind him as he was on the phone, but it was still a bummer to see.  I love how Jimmy is still such a hard worker; You'd think the Saul Goodman of BB would find a way to actually just get out of having to do community service, but the Jimmy of now not only is starting it right away, but kicking ass at it while being on the phone the whole time.

 

The awkwardness of the recliner guy trying to act in a commercial was pretty funny.  I love Jimmy's director getup!  The scene with Kim and Jimmy splitting the bills and him paying her in cash was interesting.  I think she truly believes he isn't doing anything illegal to get that cash (and he isn't), but I think in the future, that cash won't all be legit... probably.  Hard to see how quickly the show will push Jimmy back into Slippin' Jimmy.  Bringing the pharmaceutical guy back as a way for Nacho to get empty pills to hide poison in was smart!  I like that character, I still laugh thinking about that giant Hummer he bought himself.

 

Seeing Mike take the money out of its hiding place was kinda neat.  I definitely sensed a little love connection with the woman who helped him out with the concrete,  She's a brand new character, right?  When the pharmaceutical guy meets up with Mike, I was glad he told him he wanted nothing to do with it.  He's effectively picked sides and agreed to let Hector live and take jobs for Gus when the money and situtation's right, and knows this guy is an amateur and will just screw something up.

 

Man, Kim needing a 5 minute power nap in her car before meeting with the Mesa Verde lady was sad on some levels.  Poor thing.  You start to get the idea her that she isn't reset to normal, something's still eating her / making her off.  Then when she snapped at the meeting, it was a very important character moment.  We've never seen Kim come close to acting that way in front of a client before.  I loved her instant apology, and bought the Mesa Verde lady's acceptance of it.  But then, finally, its revealed what specifically is eating at Kim.  It isn't that she got a room full of people to believe the taped confession was a lie, it isn't that she KNOWS it wasn't a lie and that she only has Mesa Verde because of this law breach; It's that she feels all they did was take down a sick man by getting Chuck to crack on the stand.  Damn, that's soul crushing stuff.  Poor Kim.

 

When I saw the Sklar brothers in the opening credits, I was wondering where they'd show up, and they did a good job as the guitar store owners.  That was another nice little scene.  When Jimmy sits down outside afterwards instead of taking the bus home with the crew, you have to wonder what he was thinking about.  My first thought, was that he was thinking about what scams he could pull off to get next month's rent for the office.

 

Mike at the support group, where he talks to the same lady from earlier, was interesting and different character development for Mike.  Usually we just watch Mike silently do things, and interact only with other criminals, Jimmy, or his daughter in law.  It was cool to see him in a different type of scene here.  I do wonder what's going to happen to this lady though.... probably something not good.  When she relays a story of how she doesn't even TRULY know what happened to her husband, he realizes he just can't NOT know what happens with Nacho, the pharmaceutical guy ,and Hector, and calls the guy back up... basically, not even following his own advice, to stay out of things.  Uh oh.

 

Man, another absolutely brilliant set of character moments when Jimmy takes Kim to the bar, so much to unpack here.  First its seeing her smoking outside the office, clearly a bit down, or at least a lot on her mind, and Jimmy instantly wants to take her out.  That's being a good boyfriend.  But then at the bar, he clearly has two motives, as all his mind is on is how to scam each person or couple in the room.  What was amazing though, was Kim smiling as they talked about it together.  I feel like we haven't seen her smile all season, and it was terrific; You could tell she needed this.  At this time, I'm sitting there not sure if it's all just talk, or if they are actually planning on scamming someone.  I mean, we saw Kim help him with a scam in the past, but then later say she didn't want to do it any more. But after this court case, has she changed?  Has part of her realized she got away with something in court, and kind of liked it?  That was quickly shot down, though, when Jimmy goes into too much detail about how he wants to scam one person, and she reels it in and reminds him that she only likes to talk about it, not actually do it.  And then things just get sad for them, they seem to be stuck in a rut with no clear solution.  Brilliant scene, including an excellent long shot that slowly pulled away from a closeup of both, as we watch Kim contemplate for a while, then shake herself out of it.  Good stuff.

 

Mike, the pharmaceutical guy, and Nacho meeting was pretty good.  It's clear that Nacho's attempt on Hector is going to take place this season, sometime in the next 3 episodes.  We know Hector lives into Breaking Bad, BUT we also know he has a stroke at some point between now and then, so a lot of possibilities are on the table - including the end of Nacho, who isn't in BB.  I somehow am sure his story will continue into next season though, but I don't know why I think that.  I loved how Mike checked for Gus's tracker, and his advice to switch the pills back afterwards.

 

The final scene with Jimmy at the malpractice insurance office was an amazing tour de force of acting by Bob Odenkirk, wow!  It started out as a seemingly genuine attempt to get a refund, hoping showing up in person he'd be able to get it.  Then when he started crying after it was clear he wouldn't, I thought it was for-sure real, genuine tears.  I mean, the guy has been shit upon the entire episode, so many things going wrong.  But then, a little ways into  his diatribe, it started sounding phony... and then when he mentioned Chuck's breakdown, it became clear the entire cry-fest was an act.  WOW!  Odenkirk nailed this transition perfectly.  And here's the thing: It isn't even clear when he decided to throw Chuck under the bus!  The options range from him TRULY crying for himself, and realizing DURING the cry that he could fuck over Chuck, to the other end, which is that he only showed up there at all JUST to screw over Chuck, knowing he'd never get that refund.

 

Cause here's the thing, all the other little things he's been doing t his season, were all carefully planned, all a part of getting them that court win.  And I am happy Jimmy won the court case... but since the court case, we've seen a side of Jimmy I DON'T like.  First it was when Rebecca came to him for help, and he dismissed her and basically said Chuck was dead to him.  And now, it's bringing to the insurance company's attention Chuck's court-room breakdown.  I mean, they won!  It's over!  He is ONLY doing this for SPITE.  And that sucks!  Yea, he feels betrayed by Chuck, but this seems just hateful.  And the look on Jimmy's face the insurance lady couldn't see as he walked out told us everything.  Damn.

Great episode.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

My friend at work called this a filler episode. I definitely don't agree - we're simply seeing the aftermath of the last few weeks. Brilliant stuff.

[Jay 37,290]

It's the most important episode of the season, at least for Jimmy and Kim. Chuck wasn't shown and I'm dying to know what happened after his phone booth call.  Pretty bug moment for Mike to, to force hi self back into things after he survived Gus, and got him to respect him. 

[A24 4,326]

10 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

My friend at work called this a filler episode. 

 

 

Unfriend him!

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

14 hours ago, Jay said:

Cause here's the thing, all the other little things he's been doing t his season, were all carefully planned, all a part of getting them that court win.  And I am happy Jimmy won the court case... but since the court case, we've seen a side of Jimmy I DON'T like.  First it was when Rebecca came to him for help, and he dismissed her and basically said Chuck was dead to him.  And now, it's bringing to the insurance company's attention Chuck's court-room breakdown.  I mean, they won!  It's over!  He is ONLY doing this for SPITE.  And that sucks!  Yea, he feels betrayed by Chuck, but this seems just hateful.  And the look on Jimmy's face the insurance lady couldn't see as he walked out told us everything.  Damn.

 

This!

 

So far Jimmy has done some bad things, but always as a reaction to something. I'm convinced he went to the insurance office simply to try and get it stopped, and when he found out it wasnt possible and that his rates would go up next year by 150% because he got disbarred, he just decided to screw Chuck over. Not because it would have gained him anything. Just out of spite.

[Jay 37,290]

Yea, that sounds about right.  It's entirely the initial tears were truly real, and then he quickly realized what he was doing... but instead of stopping crying and leaving with dignity, he pivoted into a new plan to get the man who effectively caused him to have his year's suspension.  Ice cold!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah I wondered about that. I started off thinking he was crying for real, but once he started to lay on that story. Brilliant work from Odenkirk.

[Jay 37,290]

It really was brilliant acting, yea.  Top notch.  Everyone's been great this year, which is no surprise.

I really can't wait to see what's up with Chuck, as well as Chuck and Hamlin's reaction to whatever the Insurance lady does after reading the transcripts.

[Matt S. 493]

One scene that really stuck out for me was when Jimmy and Kim were in the bar.  Jimmy had his eyes on the guy who was being a total asshole to the waiter, and the way Jimmy was describing how their scam would go down...step by step, he knew EXACTLY what to do.  You could hear the hunger in his voice for the scam, especially since he's so desperate for money now, he was almost drooling over it.  Kim's reaction to his intensity was just silent shock; she got him to come back from the edge and laugh it off, but she's clearly starting to see Jimmy for what he truly is (or rather, she's starting to allow herself to see him for what he is).  Bit by bit, their relationship is going to get chipped away by his lack of morals; eventually she won't be able to laugh it off or ignore it anymore.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It wasn't just about needing the money. It's about having a success. Jimmy is brilliant as a scam artist and almost as brilliant as a lawyer, and the fact that he can't do either is eating at him.

 

Chuck is actually wrong to force him out of the profession. We've seen him as a lawyer. Both as Jimmy and as Saul. He's not afraid to use legal trickery when it benefits his clients, but he's always done his best to respresent them. 

 

Jimmy is more dangerous as "Slippin' Jimmy" than as Saul Goodman. And the fact that he's no longer allowed to use his talents in the field of law, leaves him with only one option. 

[Matt S. 493]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Yea, that sounds about right.  It's entirely the initial tears were truly real, and then he quickly realized what he was doing... but instead of stopping crying and leaving with dignity, he pivoted into a new plan to get the man who effectively caused him to have his year's suspension.  Ice cold!

 

That's what is so insidious about Jimmy; Chuck is in fact mentally ill, but he was also 100% right about Jimmy's forgery of the documents and his character flaws.  Those two facts are irrelevant to each other, and yet that's all anyone will care about, his illness.  It will taint everything he says or does from here on out.  This show is starting to take the same character turns as Breaking Bad did...in the beginning, Jimmy was the lovable underdog, struggling to get his law practice off the ground and get out from under his brother's shadow, just as Walt was the honest family man just trying to provide for his wife and kids in the face of imminent death.  Now, we're really starting to see Jimmy's true nature; he's a cheat, pure and simple, just looking out for himself.  He truly IS ice cold, just as Walter White turned out to be.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

It wasn't just about needing the money. It's about having a success. Jimmy is brilliant as a scam artist and almost as brilliant as a lawyer, and the fact that he can't do either is eating at him.

 

 

Yes!  At this point, he can't do anything right, so he just lashes out wherever he can (i.e. at Chuck).

[Jay 37,290]

9 minutes ago, Matt S. said:

One scene that really stuck out for me was when Jimmy and Kim were in the bar.  Jimmy had his eyes on the guy who was being a total asshole to the waiter, and the way Jimmy was describing how their scam would go down...step by step, he knew EXACTLY what to do.  You could hear the hunger in his voice for the scam, especially since he's so desperate for money now, he was almost drooling over it.  Kim's reaction to his intensity was just silent shock; she got him to come back from the edge and laugh it off, but she's clearly starting to see Jimmy for what he truly is (or rather, she's starting to allow herself to see him for what he is).  Bit by bit, their relationship is going to get chipped away by his lack of morals; eventually she won't be able to laugh it off or ignore it anymore.

 

YES!  Brilliant scene, really.  The kind of scene that is so much more impactful because you've come to know these characters for 26 hours prior to this, and because Seehorn and Odenkirk nail this entire scene perfectly.

 

And honestly, and this point, I think its possible Kim could go in EITHER direction... that is, separating from Jimmy, and going fully into the completely moral lawyer who doesn't have fun can sleep at night, OR the one who starts to do more and more scams to advance her career and/or keep her boyfriend happy.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Hmmm...i dunno. I see aspects of Walter in both Jimmy and Chuck. And Chuck certainly doesn't have clean hands.

 

Jimmy crossed a line with the Mesa Verde scam, but Chuck used that as leverage to force Jimmy out of his profession. Because of the resentment he's had since they were kids. 

 

Jimmy will break bad, but Chuck is the cancer.

[Jay 37,290]

20 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

It wasn't just about needing the money. It's about having a success. Jimmy is brilliant as a scam artist and almost as brilliant as a lawyer, and the fact that he can't do either is eating at him.

 

Yes!  Expert analysis!

 

Quote

Chuck is actually wrong to force him out of the profession. We've seen him as a lawyer. Both as Jimmy and as Saul. He's not afraid to use legal trickery when it benefits his clients, but he's always done his best to respresent them. 

 

YES!  That's what makes the whole show so interesting, it's that Chuck is JUST as much at fault for Jimmy becoming the BB-era Saul, than Jimmy himself is.  Yes, Jimmy can't HELP himself from reverting to Slippin' Jimmy, but he WOULD have POSSIBLY overcome all those urges one day if Chuck just left him alone, and him and Kim ran that truly, honestly successful practice together.  But just like Jimmy, Chuck can't help HIMSELF from doing what he can to keep Jimmy out of the profession, instead of just ignoring him.  And that's the sad part of the whole brother dynamic!

 

 

Quote

Jimmy is more dangerous as "Slippin' Jimmy" than as Saul Goodman. And the fact that he's no longer allowed to use his talents in the field of law, leaves him with only one option. 

 

Yes, exactly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, Matt S. said:

That's what is so insidious about Jimmy; Chuck is in fact mentally ill, but he was also 100% right about Jimmy's forgery of the documents and his character flaws.  Those two facts are irrelevant to each other, and yet that's all anyone will care about, his illness.  It will taint everything he says or does from here on out.  This show is starting to take the same character turns as Breaking Bad did...in the beginning, Jimmy was the lovable underdog, struggling to get his law practice off the ground and get out from under his brother's shadow, just as Walt was the honest family man just trying to provide for his wife and kids in the face of imminent death.  Now, we're really starting to see Jimmy's true nature; he's a cheat, pure and simple, just looking out for himself.  He truly IS ice cold, just as Walter White turned out to be.

 

Yea... and its sad!  We had one episode of glow after Jimmy won the court case, soured only by the way he treated Rebecca.  But now after this week, he truly is turning into spiteful, ice cold person!  Damn!

[Thor 7,471]

I agree with the comments so far. The interesting thing about Kim is that she actually seems ATTRACTED to the 'scams' at some level, probably unconsciously. Just watch her in the bar scene. At the same time, she has a far more solid moral compass than Jimmy. Which causes these immense conflicts within her.

 

More great framings in this episode. The community service "line-up" in the beginning was awesome. Like THE USUAL SUSPECTS. Also love the "slap-stick" sequence as the film crew tries to hurry into Jimmy's car. And Dave Porter's BB-like music (those percussive bits) as Jimmy quickly tries to change from dirty community worker to film director. Maybe because it's a "transformation" scene that mirrors Walter's transformations?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I love the image of that shitty yellow car with the boom mike sticking out. Pure comic book aesthetics.

[Jay 37,290]

Yup great points all around; The shots in the opening like with Jimmy against the brick wall were great, as was the boom mike sticking out of the car.  I loved the little montages of Jimmy trying to switch over to being director guy.

 

It's kind of odd that Jimmy hasn't invested money in a better car by now, though it is funnier television this way

[A24 4,326]

1 hour ago, Stefancos said:

I love the image of that shitty yellow car with the boom mike sticking out. Pure comic book aesthetics.

 

The boom mic sticking out of the car window shots were funny. Almost slapstick like! 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul indulge in that kind of imagery on occasion. It's fun,

[Jay 37,290]

I got all excited to watch episode 8 tonight, only to learn there was no new episode last night due to Memorial Day.  D'oh!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Damn those falled heroes!

[Thor 7,471]

8th episode.....not giving away any spoilers, but damn, how these episodes fly by!

[Jay 37,290]

Episode 8 has aired overseas?  WTF?

[crumbs 14,302]

Yeah, WTF?!

 

EDIT: Episode 8 does appear to be out there! How did I miss that?

[Jay 37,290]

Looks like it aired on a channel in Spain

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/betterCallSaul/comments/6e7rlj/bcs_s03e08_tonight/

[Wojo 2,453]

¡Bueno! 

[A24 4,326]

I guess Thor doesn't pay for his content. 

[Thor 7,471]

3 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

I guess Thor doesn't pay for his content. 

 

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. In this case, I obviously didn't. I have a Netflix account and have been following the show through that up to now. But I was impatient, and succumbed to torrents this time (I think the Americans had a break due to Memorial Day, as Jay suggested).

[crumbs 14,302]

Does that mean Episode 9 & 10 will air overseas a week earlier than the US?

[Thor 7,471]

22 minutes ago, crumbs said:

Does that mean Episode 9 & 10 will air overseas a week earlier than the US?

 

That occured to me too; that the Spanish will be one week ahead of the US for the remaining two episodes. I'm guessing AMC will step in and make them wait untill they're "in synch".

[Jay 37,290]

Better Call Saul 3x08 Slip

 

Brilliant cold open!  I thought for sure it would tie into something in the episode later, but instead it was just really nice character development (I later learned that we see the bandaid box in Jimmy's apartment in the black and white S1E1 flashforward to Cinnabon Gene).  I loved learning a bit more about Jimmy's parents' store, but also how Jimmy views them and their situation.  It tells you everything you need to know about how Jimmy views the world and how to make a run in it when he talks about how his father "should" have run the store.  Great stuff.

 

Amazing overhead shot of Mike digging the desert!  Has there ever been an episode of this show without AT LEAST one really cool shot?  I really had no idea what he was up to until he called in the body he found... I guess the story that lady at the support group told him about how her husband disappeared and she got no closure made him think about the wife of the Samaritan that helped the driver that found the driver that Mike tied up.  Such a interesting detail of a small moment from last season that keeps coming up this season because Mike can't get it off his mind.  I love the particulars of Mike's morals.

 

I was happy to see Clea Duvall's name in the opening credits, and her return as Chuck's doctor was a pretty good scene!  Chuck can BS her all he wants about how much better he's doing but I really expect him to have a full and total relapse before the season's over (and I really  hope its not fatal).  Another name, or names I was surprised to see in the opening credits was the Sklar Brothers again!   I wasn't expecting the guitar store guys to return at all, but man was that a good and important scene!  I loved Jimmy's negotiating with them, you really feel for both sides as things go from bad to worse for Jimmy... and then we get the literal return of Slippin' Jimmy.  Damn.  We all knew it would come, but probably hoped it wouldn't be this soon.

 

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT sequence with Kim and Hamlin at dinner.  Best Kim moment of the season!  I loved every detail and every aspect of what happened.  Hamlin can complain all he wants about being "forced" to take clients out to dinner 3 meals a day but Kim is totally right to say that Hamlin hiding Chuck's condition from clients is entirely on him.

 

Loved that it was Nacho that gets a silent working montage this week (well, on top of Mike's).  Loved him practicing the pill drop.  No matter how you feel about Nach or any of the drug guys in the show, you really want his father to remain completely innocent!

 

The scene between Jimmy and Kim is such an interesting one.  It seems like the romance is dwindling between them, which is really sad.  They're both much more involved in their careers, or "career" in Jimmy's case at this time and Kim doesn't seem as happy about their financial partnership as she lets on, I don't think.  Before the end of the season, these two are going to have some kind of emotional blowup of some kind....

 

I think Kim taking on the Gatwood client because she thinks she'll need the money because she thinks Jimmy won't consistently come up with the money is not a good thing.... I think she's going to stretch herself too thin and something bad is going to happen.  Hamlin and Chuck's house... oh shit, the malpractice insurance is going up!!!

 

THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF THE PILL SABOTAGE WITH NACHO AND HECTOR WAS SO WELL DONE!!!!   One of the most tense television sequences I can remember watching in quite some time (maybe since the Breaking Bad train heist).  What's brilliant about it is its a major, extended sequence between two characters who are ultimately not main or even secondary characters on the show, but tertiary ones... yet you care so much about what happens!  Gilligan and Gould really have avoided all the problems that prequels usually have with this show:  Yes, we know Hector will not die, but that doesn't make a difference at all when we don't know if Nacho will live or die, we don't know if the pill swap will work, we don't know if Hector will catch him, we don't know what Hector would do if he did catch him, etc.  And I love that now that the pills are swapped, we don't find out what happens until next week.

 

The final sequence with Jimmy back on community service and negotiating the drug dealer out of his hours via threatening a lawsuit was pretty good.  Yea, the guy probably caved unrealistically easily, but that's OK.  It's important for the development of where Jimmy is right now.  The look on his face at the end when he lies there with his $700 tells you everything you need to know: Slippin' Jimmy is back and is probably never going away again.

 

Good final scene with Mike and Gus.  The start of a long relationship that likely would have worked out as both could hope for if not for Walter White.

[Matt S. 493]

Great summary Jay.  This was an absolutely fantastic episode from top to bottom.  And it was a full ensemble show; it wasn't focused primarily on Mike or Jimmy....each character had an important scene that moved his/her personal storyline forward.  And as always, the very best scenes are the ones that involve little to no dialogue.  For example, Chuck trying to buy groceries....this was the first time I truly was sympathetic towards Chuck; it's now been proven beyond any doubt that his condition is mental, but you can see the very real pain and anguish on his face as he walks through the store, intercom crackling and fluorescent lights buzzing.  He's trying to defeat it through sheer willpower, and good for him.  I really hope he eventually succeeds. 

 

And the scene in the restaurant with Nacho....man, I was sweating as much as he was, and my air conditioning works fine!  I was on the edge of my seat that whole time; like you said, we don't really know what happens to Nacho, and so I had no idea how the scene would play out; all during the time he's trying to swap the pills from one bottle to the next, I thought maybe he would spill them onto the floor, or Hector would see him....when he succeeded in tossing them back into the pocket, it was quite the emotional release.

 

I wouldn't say that Slippin' Jimmy is back, though; yes, he staged the fall so he could con the music store owners into buying the rest of his commercial time, but I think that was Jimmy's absolute last ditch, desperate attempt to get his money back.  The community service scene at the end was different, though; he didn't con anybody, just used his legal knowledge to make a few bucks....in fact, I think that scene was an epiphany for Jimmy, due to how EASILY he was able to make a quick $700 (and the guy was more than happy to pay it!).  His license may be suspended, but his legal know-how is as good as ever, and "mug-mealers" have plenty of cash to spend.  I think this was an important step on his transition to Saul Goodman.

 

A part of me is bummed that the seasons are so short; 10 episodes goes by in a blink, and then it's a year-long wait for the next batch.  But as a result, the storytelling is so tight and there isn't a single wasted scene to be found anywhere.

[Jay 37,290]

9 hours ago, Matt S. said:

Great summary Jay.  This was an absolutely fantastic episode from top to bottom.  And it was a full ensemble show; it wasn't focused primarily on Mike or Jimmy....each character had an important scene that moved his/her personal storyline forward.  And as always, the very best scenes are the ones that involve little to no dialogue.  For example, Chuck trying to buy groceries....this was the first time I truly was sympathetic towards Chuck; it's now been proven beyond any doubt that his condition is mental, but you can see the very real pain and anguish on his face as he walks through the store, intercom crackling and fluorescent lights buzzing.  He's trying to defeat it through sheer willpower, and good for him.  I really hope he eventually succeeds. 

 

Yea, I didn't mention it but Chuck's scene in the grocery store was good; All the scenes with him are so well handled in terms of making us feel what the condition is like for him with the visual filters and soundbed.  Good stuff.

 

But... do you REALLY hope he overcomes this?  You don't view him as the villain of the show?

 

9 hours ago, Matt S. said:

And the scene in the restaurant with Nacho....man, I was sweating as much as he was, and my air conditioning works fine!  I was on the edge of my seat that whole time; like you said, we don't really know what happens to Nacho, and so I had no idea how the scene would play out; all during the time he's trying to swap the pills from one bottle to the next, I thought maybe he would spill them onto the floor, or Hector would see him....when he succeeded in tossing them back into the pocket, it was quite the emotional release.

 

Yup, totally on the edge of my seat, in a way that TV shows rarely can do to me.  Another aspect of the whole situation was that even if Hector didn't catch on, the COOK might have.  And, in fact, the cook MAY have, and just didn't want to let on that he saw Nacho doing something, and will tell Hector privately later... who knows!

 

 

9 hours ago, Matt S. said:

I wouldn't say that Slippin' Jimmy is back, though; yes, he staged the fall so he could con the music store owners into buying the rest of his commercial time, but I think that was Jimmy's absolute last ditch, desperate attempt to get his money back.  The community service scene at the end was different, though; he didn't con anybody, just used his legal knowledge to make a few bucks....in fact, I think that scene was an epiphany for Jimmy, due to how EASILY he was able to make a quick $700 (and the guy was more than happy to pay it!).  His license may be suspended, but his legal know-how is as good as ever, and "mug-mealers" have plenty of cash to spend.  I think this was an important step on his transition to Saul Goodman.

 

You know, that's a good point.  I guess the Community Service scene at the end wasn't necessarily a "scam" per se, just Jimmy enjoying lawyering and realizing that his lawyering skills are still on point.  Maybe he will soon open his Saul Goodman law practice and hope Chuck and Hamlin don't notice....

 

9 hours ago, Matt S. said:

A part of me is bummed that the seasons are so short; 10 episodes goes by in a blink, and then it's a year-long wait for the next batch.  But as a result, the storytelling is so tight and there isn't a single wasted scene to be found anywhere.

 

I much prefer it this way for sure.  There are really no wasted moments or filler.

[A24 4,326]

Slip

 

 

I had to fight sleep. I feel like I've seen it now. Jimmy's fraudulent tricks, Chuck's imaginary condition, ...  'More of the same' doesn't seem to keep me awake anymore. Heck, maybe I was just tired. 

 

 

 

I did enjoy Nacho's plan though ... That segment was actually very good.

[Thor 7,471]

Could someone tell me about the geography of the show and how it relates to BB? We've seen places that appear in BB, but not the actual town where Walter White is -- presumably -- working as a chemistry teacher at this point, perhaps also before his cancer diagnosis. I forget, but does Saul establish his practice in WW's town or does he remain the general area of where he is now?

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Both shows are set in Albuquerque, which is a relatively large city. It's large enough that it makes sense for Walt not to have shown up in any capacity at the very least.

[Thor 7,471]

Ah, OK! I thought maybe several of the scenes in BCS were outside that particular area.

[Matt S. 493]

On 6/8/2017 at 9:53 AM, Jay said:

Yea, I didn't mention it but Chuck's scene in the grocery store was good; All the scenes with him are so well handled in terms of making us feel what the condition is like for him with the visual filters and soundbed.  Good stuff.

 

But... do you REALLY hope he overcomes this?  You don't view him as the villain of the show?

 

He's definitely a villain as far as Jimmy's concerned.  But the thing is, Jimmy is the true villain here (much like Walter White was/will be).  Chuck is a genuinely good person; he believes in following the rules and the law.  It just burns him SO MUCH that Jimmy cuts corners at every turn and always gets away with it.  And as we've seen in flashbacks, Jimmy was always the favorite son in the family, even though he was constantly breaking the rules and was even stealing money from their parents' store.  Jimmy even resented his father simply for being a kind-hearted man!

 

In any case, I think Chuck is on a mission...even though Hamlin suggested to Chuck that he forget about Jimmy, and Chuck seemingly agreed, there's no way it's going to be left at that.  The McGill brothers' paths will cross again, and I can only imagine how formidable an adversary Chuck will make once he's overcome his illness.  I'm sure it ultimately won't end well for Chuck, but it should make for good television!

 

 

On an unrelated note; since last week was a holiday and I couldn't watch Better Call Saul, I instead watched "Better Call Saul," the Season 2 episode of Breaking Bad that introduced the Saul Goodman character.  I was amazed at how much older Goodman looks; he's paler, his hair is thinner, a little greasier, he's about ten or twenty pounds heavier, his voice is raspier...it's almost as if they knew in 2009 they would be making a series in 2015 that takes place in 2002!  I know they never thought that far ahead; I don't think Saul Goodman was even meant to be a recurring character.  It's funny how things work out....did they make a younger Bob Odenkirk look older then, or are they making an older Bob Odenkirk look younger now?

[Thor 7,471]

New episode out! Why are there no comments yet?

 

Spoiler

 

Jimmy is stretching the moral limitations with his latest schtick, taking advantage of an older woman to get back at HHM (and obviously get his money). But there's still the aspect of the means justifying the ends -- also for the old woman. Fascinating play with the moral compass of the audience in this series.

 

 

[Jay 37,290]

On 6/9/2017 at 5:31 PM, Matt S. said:

did they make a younger Bob Odenkirk look older then, or are they making an older Bob Odenkirk look younger now?

 

They are making an older Odenkirk look younger now.  The wig helps a lot, and they probably attend to eye wrinkles every day too.

Plus IRL he's lost weight between now and then, which ended up helping show the difference too

 

 

 

 

39 minutes ago, Thor said:

New episode out! Why are there no comments yet?

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Jimmy is stretching the moral limitations with his latest schtick, taking advantage of an older woman to get back at HHM (and obviously get his money). But there's still the aspect of the means justifying the ends -- also for the old woman. Fascinating play with the moral compass of the audience in this series.

 

 

 

 

It airs late on Monday evenings here in the US, when I'm already in bed.  I watch the new episodes Tuesday evenings as a result.  I'll watch it tonight and probably write about it tomorrow.

 

AND THOR, you DON'T have to spoiler-block episodes that have already aired!

[Matt S. 493]

2 hours ago, Thor said:

Jimmy is stretching the moral limitations with his latest schtick, taking advantage of an older woman to get back at HHM (and obviously get his money). But there's still the aspect of the means justifying the ends -- also for the old woman. Fascinating play with the moral compass of the audience in this series.

 

I think you've got that backwards....for Jimmy, it's the ENDS justifying the MEANS.  And I don't think he was trying to get back at HHM, he just realized how much money he stood to gain and wanted it NOW.  It's always, ALWAYS about him....the lawyers were right, in that by holding out longer the clients stood to make more money (the lawyers do too, of course, but that's always how it goes).  Jimmy was trying to make it seem to the Sandpiper residents that they were being left to hang in the wind, but Jimmy's the one who did the true disservice to them by manipulating them into settling early, simply because he was the one who was broke.

 

Even then, once his financial situation was secure and the pressure was off, he could only think of himself.  He got back to the office and wanted to celebrate, and when he saw Kim completely frantic and overwhelmed, did he offer to help?  No.  He noticed that she had been up all night preparing for this meeting, but instead of, oh, I don't know, offering to drive her to the meeting seeing as she's so exhausted, he got annoyed with her that she wouldn't take the time to celebrate his newfound fortune.

[Thor 7,471]

40 minutes ago, Matt S. said:

 

I think you've got that backwards....for Jimmy, it's the ENDS justifying the MEANS.

 

Yes, that's right.

 

Quote

 And I don't think he was trying to get back at HHM, he just realized how much money he stood to gain and wanted it NOW.  It's always, ALWAYS about him....the lawyers were right, in that by holding out longer the clients stood to make more money (the lawyers do too, of course, but that's always how it goes).  Jimmy was trying to make it seem to the Sandpiper residents that they were being left to hang in the wind, but Jimmy's the one who did the true disservice to them by manipulating them into settling early, simply because he was the one who was broke.

 

That's part of the explanation, but not all there is to it, as far I see it. He does what he does for several reasons (getting the money, getting back at HHM, allowing the pensioners to get their money and not be exploited by HHM by dragging it out etc.). Jimmy's own exploitation of the elderly woman is certainly a morally bereft act, but there is also some purpose and heart to it. I think this is what makes him and the series so interesting; making his actions just 'controversial' enough to question his intentions, but at the same time doing it in a way that makes him likeable. Boiling Jimmy down to just an egocentric doesn't do the character service, IMO. It's more complex than that.

[Matt S. 493]

17 minutes ago, Thor said:

I think this is what makes him and the series so interesting; making his actions just 'controversial' enough to question his intentions, but at the same time doing it in a way that makes him likeable. Boiling Jimmy down to just an egocentric doesn't do the character service, IMO. It's more complex than that.

 

There is definitely a complexity to the character, no doubt about it.  Odenkirk does a great job conveying a whole slew of conflicting emotions within a single scene...he's certainly not a heartless con man, and there is definitely a conscience at work underneath his showy exterior, but he just can't seem to avoid taking the easiest way out. 

 

And this is just my interpretation, but I actually find Jimmy to be less and less likeable as the show progresses, especially now that his actions are starting to have long-term and far-reaching consequences for the people around him.

[Thor 7,471]

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.

[Quintus 5,399]

Unfortunately I'd avoided this thread because of the potential for spoilers, but I'm all up to date now and am awaiting the final episode of the season (I wonder how many more there'll be? I'm hoping 1 more). 

 

Oh Kim! 

 

On 2017-5-25 at 9:12 PM, Jay said:

 I am happy Jimmy won the court case... but since the court case, we've seen a side of Jimmy I DON'T like.  First it was when Rebecca came to him for help, and he dismissed her and basically said Chuck was dead to him.  And now, it's bringing to the insurance company's attention Chuck's court-room breakdown.  I mean, they won!  It's over!  He is ONLY doing this for SPITE.  And that sucks!  Yea, he feels betrayed by Chuck, but this seems just hateful.  And the look on Jimmy's face the insurance lady couldn't see as he walked out told us everything.  Damn.

 

I was with Jimmy on that one, I thought Chuck's ex wife was completely out of order there. After all that, I'd regard my own brother in the same way. The insurance company scene though didn't start out as premeditated spite, but his vengeful cunning was a sweetner purely to make himself feel a little better after receiving yet more bad news. Straight up spite, but not beyond what Jimmy is capable of. As applies to a lot of us. 

 

Anyway, this has been a superb season again, all told. A step up from the great but flawed previous one. Mike's half, specifically his early few episodes in this, played out like a cool as fuck silent movie. I loved watching him! 

 

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! 

 

Best thing I've watched this year so far. 

[A24 4,326]

Loved the last episode!

 

 

Plantar fasciitis! Hahahaa! I have that too! 

 

[crumbs 14,302]

I have a feeling Jimmy's plot to get the Sandpiper money will backfire horribly. It will surely intertwine with Chuck's lawsuit against HHM and the situation with the insurance premiums.

 

My guess is Howard decides to placate Chuck by agreeing to the insurance company's demands, but uses the Sandpiper settlement money to cover the premium increases. Most of the settlement money will end up paying off the insurance premiums, leaving Jimmy and the Sandpiper residents with pennies after the legal fees are taken out (a concept they repeatedly foreshadowed throughout the episode).

 

I shudder to think what might happen to Irene if they decide to take the show down a really dark path. Will her friends, angered by the paltry settlement checks (because Irene settled prematurely) escalate into violence? Could she suffer a heart attack? Jimmy's actions are increasingly causing angst and pain to everyone around him; it's only going to get worse.

 

It would be the ultimate irony if Jimmy ends up costing himself the Sandpiper windfall because he spitefully spilled the beans on Chuck's illness to the insurers.

[Alex 2,833]

Dave Porter did some really great work on the season finale this week