Watching Jimmy manipulate Irene and friends and cause her friends to shun her is so painful this episode. He is truly selfish, and what he did to Irene is so mean. Usually I like Jimmy/Saul as a character, but this episode, no. He is as conniving as Walt, and just as selfish.
1
Really looking forward to season finale tonight, although I am sure there will be several loose ends dangling. I am still waiting for another BB alum to turn up and hope it is someone on the police enforcement side of the tracks...Hank?!
Give Michael Mando an Emmy nod already! His portrayal of Nacho has been my favorite performance of this season with several standouts.
Give Michael Mando an Emmy nod already! His portrayal of Nacho has been my favorite performance of this season with several standouts.
2
Perhaps others have noticed that Saul would have made one heck of a salesperson for just about any product. He could have gone into real estate, for one, and made a fortune, especially since he is so good with old people and estates. That he has forged ahead in law has everything to do with his relationship with Chuck. Chuck is actually cut out for law and little else. However, he is as handicapped by his absorption with his brother as he is by his mental illness. In fact, it has become part of his mental illness. Howard and Kim should dump these two, go into practice together and, sooner rather than later, will probably also marry one another. Then they never need to see the McGill Brothers again.
3
Hi, David. As Nick of NYC noted, the lesser lights shone brightly this episode. Patrick Fabian has turned in superb work as Howard, and in this episode Vince and Co. have allowed his character to have a nuanced moment. It's been building, Howard's impatience with Chuck, and he's at the end of his tether with both McGills. We can witness his internal tug of war. This episode was all about breaking points: Howard's, Nacho's and of course Kim's. I have loved Rhea Seehorn in this role, and admire her ability to portray Kim as a person struggling against a part of herself as well as the circumstances of her life. Yes, she's bootstrapped her way--perhaps that explains her connection to Jimmy--but there's an inner conflict, a sense that she's getting only one chance to make good that infuses every moment and every decision she makes. The dread was stretched out over the episode--I'm thinking of the terror as she nearly crashes into the rig--until the final payoff at the end. But Kim was too alone, out in the oil fields. She's solitary and sad, but fighting it. Kudos, as Nick says, to the secondary cast.
6
Great review, agree with all of it, except the basics.
The theme was not money, but revenge. Revenge executed by Jimmy because of his betrayal by Chuck. Revenge executed by Howard as a result; Howard was not being unlike Howard, he was finally being Howard, he's protected and tolerated Chuck for years, with increasing problems. Revenge executed by Nacho against Salamanca, to protect his father. Revenge executed by the world against Kim, because she is guilty about both her role in Chuck's downfall and that she knows her boyfriend Saul is a total sleaze. First her car gets stuck, then it goes off the road and air bags her, to teach her a lesson.
Last episode of the season? Predictions: Howard pressures Saul to have power of attorney over Chuck. Chuck is desperate and cracks up. Kim dumps Saul. Will our Saul turning into Breaking Bad's Saul? Heck, he already has. What he did to the old woman showed he is now a moral monster.
Also, while I don't read "comments" much, I am certain that you have all, as I did last night, held a funeral for Saul. He died a few episodes ago, when he had a heart attack in the black and white opening. After that, openings are in colour and in the past. I celebrated Saul's death by going to a cliff and scattering ashes into the wind from a coffee can. Unfortunately, there was a strong wind. Saul, as usual, ended up all in my face.
The theme was not money, but revenge. Revenge executed by Jimmy because of his betrayal by Chuck. Revenge executed by Howard as a result; Howard was not being unlike Howard, he was finally being Howard, he's protected and tolerated Chuck for years, with increasing problems. Revenge executed by Nacho against Salamanca, to protect his father. Revenge executed by the world against Kim, because she is guilty about both her role in Chuck's downfall and that she knows her boyfriend Saul is a total sleaze. First her car gets stuck, then it goes off the road and air bags her, to teach her a lesson.
Last episode of the season? Predictions: Howard pressures Saul to have power of attorney over Chuck. Chuck is desperate and cracks up. Kim dumps Saul. Will our Saul turning into Breaking Bad's Saul? Heck, he already has. What he did to the old woman showed he is now a moral monster.
Also, while I don't read "comments" much, I am certain that you have all, as I did last night, held a funeral for Saul. He died a few episodes ago, when he had a heart attack in the black and white opening. After that, openings are in colour and in the past. I celebrated Saul's death by going to a cliff and scattering ashes into the wind from a coffee can. Unfortunately, there was a strong wind. Saul, as usual, ended up all in my face.
1
"But in the universe as conceived by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, the sinners rarely suffer for their sins,"
What?????
all this season I have had the sense that David Segal just didn't get it. Now we know how totally he has missed what BCS is and Breaking Bad was all about: sinners suffering for their sins.
Honestly, how can anyone watch either of these series and not get that?
What?????
all this season I have had the sense that David Segal just didn't get it. Now we know how totally he has missed what BCS is and Breaking Bad was all about: sinners suffering for their sins.
Honestly, how can anyone watch either of these series and not get that?
14
As Kim was driving and rehearsing her presentation just before her accident, she said something like 'I think you'll find this offer is more than fair' twice, and then seemed to go into a reverie with an emotional look on her face. I wondered if the penny had dropped that the news of the Sandpiper settlement wasn't quite kosher and she was hit with the implications of Jimmy manipulating the outcome (a la the Hoboken squat cobbler video of which she was so disapproving). When he told her she clearly knew something was amiss but didn't have time to take it in. Is that what distracted her in the car?
2
I honestly interpreted it as she was starting to doze off. But I did hear Peter Gould did say in the podcast, in that moment, HE thinks Kim is thinking of Jimmy.
That tequila not only showed up in Breaking Bad, but in another episode of "Saul" when Jimmy and Kim team up to scam an obnoxious financial advisor at a bar.
6
The writers have miscalculated in this episode. The tone in the treatment of elder abuse is way off. It is at least partially played for laughs (and not in a dark humour kind of way). The validity of Jimmy's advice is irrelevant. His motives are clear and his actions amount to mistreatment. Compare the jolly music of the scenes where Jimmy plants ideas in the heads of the residents to the sombre atmosphere when Nacho talks to his father.
1
It is fiction. No one was abused. Goodness.
3
If all African-Americans were portrayed as stupid or all women as weak then people would have something to say about it. It would still just be fiction.
Seems like many people, including me, didn't think those scenes were funny at all, but really upsetting. I think what you're picking up on is that JimmySaul has this passive aggressive way of doing it that *seems* so nice, and that's why it fools the old folks. Jimmy may be telling himself that what he's doing is ok, he's just doing what he always does. But he's really doing something much worse than usual. The music may have been expressing that attempt to fool himself.
Kind of a "meh" episode. Too mean for my taste, and once again covering too many story threads at once. Poor Kim!
The recap is incorrect on Irene's motivation for holding out, though. She's not hoping for bigger checks, but obeying the greedy lawyers. She's one of the nice folks Jimmy chews up and spits out on his way to becoming Saul. Collateral damage. Plot device.
I think the writers erred in ignoring the fact that law partners can indeed vote to change the status of a partner who is no longer keeping up his billings. Chuck has been on some sort of negotiated medical leave (presumably with his regular draw from firm profits), but he could be forced to go emeritus. The firm would not have to buy him out, either, but just continue his payout. I see this kind of thing happen frequently in law firms in the real world.
Other random, funky detail annoyances: you don't have to push-bounce a stuck car out of a soft spot if you have already placed a board under the tire. That was just to show Kim being plucky. Jimmy's obvious wig and "young" makeup is weirding me out. How did Jimmy afford a trunkful of MBT sneakers?
I'm surprised that a NYT writer would confuse the popular-culture Gollum reference with a (more obscure, to most) Golem. And I'm shocked that Zafiro Anejo was initially assumed to be vodka. Spanish name, therefore probably tequila, si?
The recap is incorrect on Irene's motivation for holding out, though. She's not hoping for bigger checks, but obeying the greedy lawyers. She's one of the nice folks Jimmy chews up and spits out on his way to becoming Saul. Collateral damage. Plot device.
I think the writers erred in ignoring the fact that law partners can indeed vote to change the status of a partner who is no longer keeping up his billings. Chuck has been on some sort of negotiated medical leave (presumably with his regular draw from firm profits), but he could be forced to go emeritus. The firm would not have to buy him out, either, but just continue his payout. I see this kind of thing happen frequently in law firms in the real world.
Other random, funky detail annoyances: you don't have to push-bounce a stuck car out of a soft spot if you have already placed a board under the tire. That was just to show Kim being plucky. Jimmy's obvious wig and "young" makeup is weirding me out. How did Jimmy afford a trunkful of MBT sneakers?
I'm surprised that a NYT writer would confuse the popular-culture Gollum reference with a (more obscure, to most) Golem. And I'm shocked that Zafiro Anejo was initially assumed to be vodka. Spanish name, therefore probably tequila, si?
8
Did you read the H.H.M. Partnership Agreement or something?? Who knows what it provides for??
1
"How did Jimmy afford a trunkful of MBT sneakers?"
He did get a pay off from those music shop guys (along with a guitar & amp).
He did get a pay off from those music shop guys (along with a guitar & amp).
3
Brandon, that is how law partnerships work.
1
Re: the Sandpiper suit: with clients who appear to be in their 70s, settling sooner rather than later is the way to go if you want the clients to be around to get the money.
Also, some elderly clients will find it very stressful to have a lawsuit drag on and on.
Settle the suit & get them their money.
Also, some elderly clients will find it very stressful to have a lawsuit drag on and on.
Settle the suit & get them their money.
14
Maybe someone else commented on this, but dragging out the lawsuit benefits HHM enormously as they increase their billings. I don't think Jimmy was giving bad advice to the old folks simply because it happened to coincide with his own interests to end the suit sooner.
3
Two thoughts:
(1) I could almost swear that Nacho shows up in BB. Wasn't he the reason Jessie contacts Crazy 8? To get to Nacho? Everyone seems to be saying Nacho ends with BCS ...
(2) When Nacho tells his dad not to do anything stupid, I felt the real possibility that dad isn't just a sweet old guy, but maybe has some fight in him? Maybe he sends Salamanca to the wheelchair?
(1) I could almost swear that Nacho shows up in BB. Wasn't he the reason Jessie contacts Crazy 8? To get to Nacho? Everyone seems to be saying Nacho ends with BCS ...
(2) When Nacho tells his dad not to do anything stupid, I felt the real possibility that dad isn't just a sweet old guy, but maybe has some fight in him? Maybe he sends Salamanca to the wheelchair?
13
"Nacho might need a Plan B."
Incredibly I think they gave it away in the "coming-scnes". There's Hector in that dark place saying "Where's popi?" Then it looks like Nacho running away with a gun in hand.
Nacho is going to put a bullet in Hector's spine.
[E9:Best episode of the season]
Incredibly I think they gave it away in the "coming-scnes". There's Hector in that dark place saying "Where's popi?" Then it looks like Nacho running away with a gun in hand.
Nacho is going to put a bullet in Hector's spine.
[E9:Best episode of the season]
3
That's what I thought when they showed the previews - hard to be sure though.
the producers have always been good at giving ambiguous clues to next weeks episode.
One thing I love about the creators of BCS & BB are the things that don't happen. Kim is obviously having a stressful day. First I thought she was going to be covered with New Mexico dirt & dust when the Gatwood oil owner zipped away. That didn't happen. Next her car gets stuck so she surveys the situation and finds a piece of wood in a pile. I thought, oh no, a rattlesnake hiding place? But no! Just when you think she's dodged a bullet...airbags! Great story tellers.
9
I love this show so much, but I wish I hadn't watched this one. Irene's misery broke my heart. A lesser actress would have garnered less sympathy as a dotty elder, but her pain and confusion were so real. BB Saul was a conniver, but I don't remember this level of cruelty.
I felt this was a sad one all around. Nacho and his dad, Kim with her face bloodied and hard work strewn across the desert.
I felt this was a sad one all around. Nacho and his dad, Kim with her face bloodied and hard work strewn across the desert.
17
True - that old ladies face broke my heart
6
Jimmy is a shrewd manipulator alright but he tried to soft talk Irene to reason but she was being stubborn. He was right that a settlement now would be best for all, but Hamlin's threat was a challenge for Jimmy to one up him too. His primary motivation is still, however, self serving. Irene and the ladies will soon be all friends again and rich and very happy (presumably). Although, fortunes do have a way of turning on characters on this show.
2
I so agree about Irene! Broke my heart! Kudos to the actress that played her.
1
Borrowing from several movies:
Jimmy just wants his "precious."
And Kim should know that Gatwood is drinking their milkshake!
Jimmy just wants his "precious."
And Kim should know that Gatwood is drinking their milkshake!
4
What if Hector's condition, like Chuck's, is also psychosomatic? That might explain why he recovered after taking not his usual medication, but placebo. If so, something else put him in that wheelchair. Chew on that.
10
What if Hector's medicine was actually just ibuprofen the whole time, which is what Nacho replaced it with? Or maybe he wasn't having a real seizure at that time.
2
ischemia is painful but it goes away unless you trigger a heart attack..the meds make it go away in 2-3 mins
3
It was discussed earlier in the season (by the pharmacist who got Nacho the empty capsules) that the drug is a form of nitroglycerine which is taken for angina (heart) pain.
1
This episode felt like the first 'Saul' appearance. I couldn't see Jimmy making old ladies cry without caring. It was fantastic to see Kim impress a Texas oilman, especially remembering how Skyler White and Marie Schrader (BB) were frustratingly powerless or girlish. Her losing control of the car was a poignant metaphor for how great effort can create something that is bigger than we can handle, but I was sorry to see it happen. Lydia delivered a great line about Gus's capabilities; it was chilling for being so enigmatic. She could have been referring to just about anything.
7
Did Jimmy really think Irene might wear a 9 1/2 or size 10 shoe? You can estimate better than that.
5
I thought that shot of him going through his car trunk was so funny it was worth the ridiculousness of it.
6
Here's hoping we get a little more back story on Madrigal Electromotive, which, if memory serves, provided part of the infrastructure for Gus's meth super-lab in Breaking Bad. (Was it the HVAC system? I can't remember.) There was, as I recall, one BB episode which partly took place at Madrigal's home office in Germany, prompting some speculation among re-cappers at the time of a possible familial connection between the company and the Chilean with the German-sounding last name. Makes me wonder what Madrigal might have been up to during World War II.
13
Let's sponsor for a hystorical pre-prequel... :)
7
Small details to correct but Howard was comparing Jimmy to Gollum, of Tolkien fame, and not the Golem of Jewish folklore. Also Zafiro Anejo is tequila, not vodka, and has previously appeared in BCS at a swanky bar where Jimmy and Kim teamed up to scam a d-bag stockbroker. One bottle costs like $800 or something.
Jimmy's manipulation of the old folk's home seemed to go off without a hitch! While it's certainly cruel to cause someone to be ostracized like that, in a weird way pushing to take the settlement is justified. Sure, Jimmy is interested because of his payout, but we also see that the class reps are being counseled by their corporate lawyers not to take the already generous settlement so that the law firms can cut a larger profit from the deal. Meanwhile, the longer it goes on the less value the money actually has to the plaintiffs (since they are running out of time to claim and use those funds). Taking the settlement now gets justice, lines everyone's pockets, and is the biggest benefit for the plaintiffs themselves.
On another note, I'm guessing this isn't a problem since nobody mentioned it as such - but can Jimmy, who is suspended from being a lawyer, legally have contact with his former clients and discuss their open cases? Could this come back to bite him?
Jimmy's manipulation of the old folk's home seemed to go off without a hitch! While it's certainly cruel to cause someone to be ostracized like that, in a weird way pushing to take the settlement is justified. Sure, Jimmy is interested because of his payout, but we also see that the class reps are being counseled by their corporate lawyers not to take the already generous settlement so that the law firms can cut a larger profit from the deal. Meanwhile, the longer it goes on the less value the money actually has to the plaintiffs (since they are running out of time to claim and use those funds). Taking the settlement now gets justice, lines everyone's pockets, and is the biggest benefit for the plaintiffs themselves.
On another note, I'm guessing this isn't a problem since nobody mentioned it as such - but can Jimmy, who is suspended from being a lawyer, legally have contact with his former clients and discuss their open cases? Could this come back to bite him?
12
He was absolutely flouting his bar suspension when he talked to all the elderly former clients. I wouldn't be surprised if that comes back to bite him later.
4
About contacting clients while on suspension: he went to great pains to make the contact either social or seemingly accidental. You can't practice law or give legal advice while suspended, but you don't have to run the other way when you see a client, either. After all, we see him still running the bingo game at the retirement home, which is full of his clients.
7
Is Hector going to get in trouble with the cartel for going against the dictate that all cargo travel via pollo hermanos and using Nacho's father's upholstery shipping instead?
3
Gollum was not a greedy weasel, he was fixated on his precious, which is also Jimmy's situation, he needs his cut of the settlement.
Watching the show you could see things taking shape with Kim killing herself taking a second full-time client to cover her expectation that Jimmy would not be able to carry his half of the office while Jimmy pushes a few buttons (a certain amount of effort) and rolls in with a million smackers. And then a) she almost does kill herself and b) there is foreshadowing that by manipulating Irene Jimmy might forfeit his share of the fee structure after all.
Watching the show you could see things taking shape with Kim killing herself taking a second full-time client to cover her expectation that Jimmy would not be able to carry his half of the office while Jimmy pushes a few buttons (a certain amount of effort) and rolls in with a million smackers. And then a) she almost does kill herself and b) there is foreshadowing that by manipulating Irene Jimmy might forfeit his share of the fee structure after all.
5
Since the episode centered on class action litigation it's ironic that Kim was involved in a single car accident. Did the SRS (airbags) malfunction? Her Mitsubishi Eclipse probably has the Takata SRS & as some of us know, they were involved in a huge recall. Mitsubishi, a rising star of the '70's & '80's, was a damaged brand by the turn of the century. Nearly everyone in this series is a damaged brand. Therefore, is this symbolic? Kim could just as easily have chosen a Mazda Miata, a Toyota Celica, or a Ford Mustang. Most likely, these vehicles have a higher survival rate than the Eclipse because they were more popular to begin with. Who knows what lurks in the minds of screen writers?
7
Interesting theory about Mitsubishi being a damaged brand. However, the airbag was clearly deployed.
2
That's the point: they deployed without impact. Faulty switches or sensors will cause a spontaneous deployment without impact. That's enough to make anyone lose control. The irony is Kim has been taking control of her life & her career & then this happens. Very sad.
1
It's not that deep. I think she's supposed to be so exhausted and overwrought that she ran off the road and hit a boulder. Full stop (literally).
5
Zafiro Añejo appears to be the BCS/BB version of the orange in the Godfather movies.
2
Howard was definitely calling Jimmy "Gollum." This would have been a contemporaneous pop-culture reference (not to mention savage put-down), as the show is set right around when the Lord of the Rings movies were playing in theaters (the second one came out in 2002, if memory serves).
The way Kim's car crash was filmed was brilliant. Movies and TV shows so often stylize and sensationalize these things, with slow motion, sound effects, dramatic music, etc., whereas this, like the real thing, was powerfully unexpected and startling -- sudden impact, confusion, disorientation. Gilligan & Co. continue to take realism to a whole new level.
I was also riveted by the scene at Madrigal. No small amount of irony and foreshadowing there in Mike's concern about his family not getting the money and his reluctance to sign the papers. And Lydia's reply to Mike about Gus Fring ("Is that all you think he is?" or something to that effect) was intriguing... is he in fact "only" a cartel-connected drug runner and fast-food chain owner? Or does his empire extend in even more directions than that? The mysteries behind the most enigmatic character on television persist.
The way Kim's car crash was filmed was brilliant. Movies and TV shows so often stylize and sensationalize these things, with slow motion, sound effects, dramatic music, etc., whereas this, like the real thing, was powerfully unexpected and startling -- sudden impact, confusion, disorientation. Gilligan & Co. continue to take realism to a whole new level.
I was also riveted by the scene at Madrigal. No small amount of irony and foreshadowing there in Mike's concern about his family not getting the money and his reluctance to sign the papers. And Lydia's reply to Mike about Gus Fring ("Is that all you think he is?" or something to that effect) was intriguing... is he in fact "only" a cartel-connected drug runner and fast-food chain owner? Or does his empire extend in even more directions than that? The mysteries behind the most enigmatic character on television persist.
17
BB implied that Fring was not from Argentina, as claimed, but from Chile. To me, that implied some sort of relationship to Pinochet.
1
I think in BB he described how he left Chile BECAUSE of Pinochet's regime. Just because he's Chilean doesn't mean he's in deep with the president!
4
kim is one strong girl, to push a car onto a board the first time in park with no help, like wow!
2
It wasn't in park or else it wouldn't have kept rolling into the oil rig making her run after it to save the day!
5
she got out of the car, saw the problem and ran for a board and pushed. plus no one can push a car alone, no one. I can't even push my riding lawnmower alone!
Did anyone else notice the small statue on Lydia's desk? Looked like a replica of the sassy girl staring down the bull on Wall Street...a nod to Lydia's drive as a woman in the (albeit shady) business world?
5
I thought the little statue was degas ballerina.
8
that statue was a copy of the little ballerina by Degas
7
Yes! It's called Fearless Girl. :)
1
That cursed (and overpriced) bottle of tequila also showed up during the first episode of season 2, when Jimmy and Kim managed to con some sucker into buying one at a bar.
1
As I recall, Salamanca is alive during Breaking Bad, so he'll survive Better Call Saul
1
Yes, the question is how did he end up in a stroke condition.
7
"....Nacho did it!"
-Saul Goodman
-Saul Goodman
I also think the bottle of tequila was the same brand that Jimmy and Kim conned that obnoxious stock broker to buy them when they pretended to be wealthy siblings with a big inheritance.
I think the Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad universe shows that in the near term, the people around the sinners pay the price, but over the longer-term the people themselves do. We know at the very least that Jimmy ends up mired in purgatory-like existence as a manger at Cinnabon. He also could be dead as we last saw him, in the present, collapsed on the floor. We know what is going to happen to Mike, and Gus, and Lydia eventually for their sins. Chuck and Kim's fates are a true mystery.
I think the Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad universe shows that in the near term, the people around the sinners pay the price, but over the longer-term the people themselves do. We know at the very least that Jimmy ends up mired in purgatory-like existence as a manger at Cinnabon. He also could be dead as we last saw him, in the present, collapsed on the floor. We know what is going to happen to Mike, and Gus, and Lydia eventually for their sins. Chuck and Kim's fates are a true mystery.
7
"Chuck and Kim's fates are a true mystery."
And Nacho's.
And Nacho's.
5
That was Ken who, in BB, with the "KENWINS" license plate annoys Walt who set's his car on fire. I love all these BB connections.
6
Poor, poor Kim. The quick cut to the crash is like the one last week, when she took a 5 minute power nap in the car before a meeting. Brilliant camera work and editing. Kim has been the one holding everything together, and in this episode we see her begin to fall apart -- No-Doz in the car (ironically enough), chugging coffee, shaking and jittery as she tries to get her binders ready (one of which was missing a section but went into the car with the rest anyhow). I noticed her earrings were turned a different way in this episode -- for most of this season, she has been wearing triangle-shaped earrings, with one of the points pointing downward. There is a shot of her purposely positioning them this way in the "Kim Getting Ready" montage from a few weeks ago, and she's worn them that way since. Combined with the many shoe/walking shots lately, I took that to represent being grounded, strong, sure-footed so to speak. Last night, Kim's earrings were pointing upwards. As no detail is ever wasted on this show, I took this to suggest something being upended (her usual attention to detail and order, her relationship with Jimmy). Last night's episode left me with no trace of sympathy for Jimmy. Scamming old ladies while Kim is working herself nearly to death? Nope, no tolerance for that. And as much as I want to hate Chuck, I cringed and said, "Awww" when he had to start grounding and orienting himself after Howard left. He is truly ill and trying desperately to get his life back.
21
Nice analysis! I noticed the earring repositioning also.
And, yes, this show can leave us with mingled feelings about many of its characters: they can be hateful and sympathetic at the same time, just as people in our own lives can be, especially family members.
And, yes, this show can leave us with mingled feelings about many of its characters: they can be hateful and sympathetic at the same time, just as people in our own lives can be, especially family members.
6
Nice catch about the earrings. I'd totally missed all that, but will have to look for it on rewatch. I was just catching up on these last few eps last night, and also listened to the podcasts - the costume designer Jennifer was on (I think for episode 8) and she really gets into each scene and they do little things like that on purpose for sure. She said even Howard's styling is slightly different depending on the emotional content of the scene. The actor who plays Howard was on for episode 9 and also talked about his relationship to his suit. Better podcasts than the last few.
Wouldn't it be ironic, especially since class action litigation is a major topic of this episode, if the SRS (airbags) in Kim's Mitsubishi Eclipse are defective & caused the single car accident? The Takata defect led to a huge recall. And Mitsubishi, rising star in the '70's & '80's became a damaged brand at the turn of the century (& it still hasn't recovered fully). Could the writers be using this symbolically? Kim could just as easily have chosen a Toyota Celica or a Mazda Miata, or even a domestic brand, like a Ford Mustang. If you had to source 15 year old survivors for the series these are more likely candidates than an Eclipse. Who knows what lurks in the mind of minds of screen writers?
5
You don't think falling asleep and running off the road into the huge boulder caused Kim's accident?
Zafiro Añejo appeared last season, I believe, in a scene where Jimmy and Kim enjoy conning a loud mouth into paying the cost of an entire bottle. When the bottle is emptied, the stopper is brought to the table as a badge of honor/souvenier. The scene was notable for showing a darker side of Kim, though, in a subsequent scene she clearly established her limits. We've seen little of the sort, really, since then. It will be interesting to see whether that side of Kim ever reemerges.
As I was watching her right before the accident, the scene reminded me just a bit of the accident scene with Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. You just knew where it was heading. Sorry to cross over into Fargo/Coen Brothers territory...
As I was watching her right before the accident, the scene reminded me just a bit of the accident scene with Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. You just knew where it was heading. Sorry to cross over into Fargo/Coen Brothers territory...
7
Lydia tells Mike that Fring is more than just a drug dealer. Maybe Fring diverts some of his money to charitable causes, down in Chile. Recall that, just before Salamanca killed him, Fring's departed soulmate said that Fring had "rescued me from the slums of Santiago." Certainly, there would be historical precedent for that (Escobar had a side gig as a philanthropist in Colombia). That could partially explain why Lydia decided to risk a solidly upper middle class existence to join forces with Fring. We don't know if the name Rodarte reflects Chilean heritage, but it could. If Fring does turn out to be a sort of underworld version of ZuckerGates, that could further explain why Mike decides to deepen his involvement with him.
Note that if the above scenario turns out to be true, all three people involved would be engaged in highly lucrative criminal activity that was partially, but only partially, motivated by a desire to serve others. Which would fit pretty well with the whole moral universe of Breaking Bad/BCS, given Walter White's tangled motivations.
The more this story evolves, the less interesting Jimmy/Saul becomes and the more interesting the other characters become.
Note that if the above scenario turns out to be true, all three people involved would be engaged in highly lucrative criminal activity that was partially, but only partially, motivated by a desire to serve others. Which would fit pretty well with the whole moral universe of Breaking Bad/BCS, given Walter White's tangled motivations.
The more this story evolves, the less interesting Jimmy/Saul becomes and the more interesting the other characters become.
10
I think by "more than a drug dealer" she just meant that he has such a large, sophisticated, and well-concealed operation that calling him a drug dealer is a disservice. He's a money machine! Lydia isn't cooking her books to help a part-time philanthropist, she's doing it to get paid.
5
Couple of points,
Small: Nacho is smarter than you give him credit for. He's giving Hector a drug (ibuprofen) that temporarily alleviates his condition but in the long run Hector is doomed.
Big: Jimmy's under suspension. As I understand the rules in many states, if you're suspended you can't be paid for work as a lawyer.
By hurrying the settlement, is Jimmy digging his own grave?
Small: Nacho is smarter than you give him credit for. He's giving Hector a drug (ibuprofen) that temporarily alleviates his condition but in the long run Hector is doomed.
Big: Jimmy's under suspension. As I understand the rules in many states, if you're suspended you can't be paid for work as a lawyer.
By hurrying the settlement, is Jimmy digging his own grave?
1
A settlement would be for work completed and a contract signed while he was licensed. He can, indeed, take the money.
5
Paul, I believe this is why Jimmy is manipulating Irene by giving her shoes, creating the bingo win. If he just advised her to go for the immediate settlement instead of waiting till she and her friends were too old (or dead) to enjoy it, then he would be tampering, or practicing law. As it is, he is hiding his tracks.
Why has Kim always been so devoted to Jimmy under all circumstances? Has that been explained?
9
Friendship? The story was that they are supposed to have both worked their way up from nothing at the law firm.
4
Some people have also forgotten, that they are a couple. They love each other.
If the show has failed in one way this season, it's that. I was so excited the first kiss ever shown in season 1, but they have let the romance fizzle. To the point that people were confused by the one scene of them at home together (brushing their teeth in the morning) earlier this season. Because they forgot that Jimmy and Kim are together!
If the show has failed in one way this season, it's that. I was so excited the first kiss ever shown in season 1, but they have let the romance fizzle. To the point that people were confused by the one scene of them at home together (brushing their teeth in the morning) earlier this season. Because they forgot that Jimmy and Kim are together!
2
The show is great but the season is too short to do justice to all the story lines. It's going to be a case of wait till next year which I will eagerly await but still this show needs more episodes.
23
My thought exactly. This should be a 13-episodes a year show. Or maybe we just can't get enough Better Call Saul! :-)
1
She was running on adrenaline, psyched up for an important job, just drank another coffee and ran off the road on the way there in the day time? Not believable. On the way back to the office maybe, but not on the way there.
4
Agreed. Broad daylight, no one else on the road, focused on her speech but looking straight ahead. Totally artificial eye-rolling plot device.
3
I think the quick cut - from her driving along, practicing her presentation to the nano-second after the accident - suggested not that she just drove off the road, but that she fell asleep, only to regain consciousness after the airbag deployed in her face. Completely believable. And, I'll say, completely consistent with my own similar experience.
28
Since she loaded up her car with the documents she was returning to the office. If she was going down to the Texas border to meet with claimants it is a long haul.
1
I am reluctantly beginning to see some of what Chuck has been talking about regarding his younger brother. Jimmy has some very well-nurtured sociopathic tendencies. What he's doing to the old ladies is shameful no matter how much he rationalizes it as being for their benefit. Perhaps his saving grace is that he sometimes uses his criminalish talents for good. And I'm not turning into a Chuck fan here. His behavior continues to be contemptible. He is being treated exactly in the way he typically treats other people. And he doesn't much like it. Maybe the metamessage in this story is that some drug dealers have have greater ethical sensibilities than some lawyers. Hypothetically.
21
The look on Jimmy's face when the kid on community service paid him the 700 dollars they agreed upon was telling.
He didn't have to pay him anything. He could have just walked out. Jimmy looked almost touched that he held up his end of the bargain. One of the more purely honorable gestures I can remember seeing on the show.
He didn't have to pay him anything. He could have just walked out. Jimmy looked almost touched that he held up his end of the bargain. One of the more purely honorable gestures I can remember seeing on the show.
Hamlet: Before the opening of the play, a king is murdered by his brother; poison is poured into the royal ear. Thereafter, equally virulent poison spreads through the entire body politic of Denmark and the play ends only after corpses have littered the stage and a new ruler emerges almost out of nowhere because everybody else is dead. Disease imagery predominates, the poison lays waste to everything good, and then the supposedly healthy audience leaves the theater. (So wrote the classical scholar H.D.F. Kitto, who described Hamlet as religious drama in the sense of ancient Greek Tragedy).
Is there some original crime, or original sin, that explains Jimmy McGill, certainly no Hamlet, and those around him? Was stealing from the cash register of a clueless, do-gooder father the first step, or did something come before that?
Is there some original crime, or original sin, that explains Jimmy McGill, certainly no Hamlet, and those around him? Was stealing from the cash register of a clueless, do-gooder father the first step, or did something come before that?
7
As always/ excellent review. Jimmy's treatment of Irene is just one reason why he ends up in the mall A a cin a bun boy!
5
tequila, not vodka. Wouldn't the class action have more than just one rep? I thought it was a bunch of facilities...
4
That is how class action suits with many plaintiffs work: a representative plaintiff is chosen to stand in for all.
4
Knowing Jimmy as we do, his behavior with the Sandpiper plaintiffs is unfortunate but not surprising. While his actions are in their interest - elderly plaintiffs getting good money now while they can still use it is better (maybe not for the lawyers) than holding out for years for a little more - he's motivated solely by self-interest, and isn't concerned about what he does to Irene. I am actually sympathetic to Howard, who finally seems to have reached a tipping point with Chuck, who has added little or no value to HHM for as long as we have known him. Howard is finally just doing what a responsible managing partner should do. Chuck threatening the insurance company is revealing - he may win that battle but at what cost? Chuck arguably won his battle against Jimmy, but he has lost his brother, his reputation and his credibility. He may beat the insurance company but good luck to HHM in obtaining insurance in the future. Howard wants to build relationships while Chuck, great litigator that he is, would rather uncompromisingly destroy his opponents than reach reasonable resolutions. Hopefully those that take that approach in life will get their just desserts.
I'm worried about Nacho - I think that he will do something rash that will cause his demise because his plan against Hector is not showing signs of success. And poor Kim. Brilliant scene, I was filled with dread as she drove, could sense something bad (and undeserved) coming.
I'm worried about Nacho - I think that he will do something rash that will cause his demise because his plan against Hector is not showing signs of success. And poor Kim. Brilliant scene, I was filled with dread as she drove, could sense something bad (and undeserved) coming.
27
Agree 100% about Chuck and Howard. Michael McKean gets all the attention as an actor because the character is given so much more to work with (his Bar hearing breakdown was clearly setting up an Emmy reel!), but I think Patrick Fabian has been criminally underrated as Howard the whole time. It really speaks to the depth of writing and characters in the series that we can get that level of drama out of secondary characters in a legal-drama side plot.
29
Another point of clarification: Nacho replaced Salamanca's prescription with regular ibuprofen. The point appears to be for Salamanca NOT to take his medicine and eventually to suffer the consequences from it.
20
Perhaps Salamanca's health problems are all for show. ...sorta like Sanford the elder in Sanford and Son
As Kim was rehearsing her presentation while driving, I was thinking "accident, accident". I think that many times, in drama, motor vehicles in operation are piloted irresponsibly with no consequences. The car is used to further the plot without the normal consequences that inattention to driving would bring. It's nice to see the consequence-driven BCS writers on top of their game.
7
The whole episode was so fraught with peril. Everything with Kim made me so nervous. I was certain she was going to spill that big mug of coffee on all those documents! I thought her scene in the car before she fell asleep was brilliant!
24
Great review Mr. Segal. Agree totally. Scene with Nacho speaking with his dad was sad to see. Surely, the lack of proper RX Hector needs has to adversely affect that evil man.
5
Kim also has a bottle of "NoDoz" in her car.
Then, a store at the mall is promptly named "Crazy 8".
Both are drug-dealer name drops from Breaking Bad.
Vince and Peter always give true fans nice little Easter eggs.
Then, a store at the mall is promptly named "Crazy 8".
Both are drug-dealer name drops from Breaking Bad.
Vince and Peter always give true fans nice little Easter eggs.
28
Crazy 8 is an actual children's clothing store that I have orders clothes from for my children.
Noticed the song "Dirty Lowdown . . . " wafting through the mall speakers as Jimmy emerged from the stairs in all white. Perfect!ly thematic song that shadows Jimmy's dirty deeds.
The writers' decision to move Kim out of the shadows and into her own light is worth shouting about! She's always had a more dramatic gift than she'd been allowed to present. The first car scene (where she was bogged in the sand) was an foretold the final scene: Kim is resilient; she will not be defeated; she will find a way to move forward.
Hamlin and Jimmy's confrontation in the underground garage was a nasty piece of business as was Chuck and Hamlin's above ground, in-office confrontation. Perfect settings as each party deals with consequences of their own making. For once, however, I stand with Chuck as Hamlin tries to push him out. As much as the scene was about Chuck's "disability," the narrative was also about our treatment of those whom society deems has reached their usefulness in the workforce.. Good for Chuck as he fights back. The impending clash will pit these now-warring associates in a legal arena of their making.
Erhmantrout [sic] is duly informed about Gus Fring's "other activities," when he is schooled in the real business of Fring: "If you think that's all he [Gus Fring] does, then you really don't know him," (or something to that effect). Gus and Fring's global connection will be significant. Gus, Mike, Nacho, et al. Pins? Needles? I'm sitting on 'em.
The writers' decision to move Kim out of the shadows and into her own light is worth shouting about! She's always had a more dramatic gift than she'd been allowed to present. The first car scene (where she was bogged in the sand) was an foretold the final scene: Kim is resilient; she will not be defeated; she will find a way to move forward.
Hamlin and Jimmy's confrontation in the underground garage was a nasty piece of business as was Chuck and Hamlin's above ground, in-office confrontation. Perfect settings as each party deals with consequences of their own making. For once, however, I stand with Chuck as Hamlin tries to push him out. As much as the scene was about Chuck's "disability," the narrative was also about our treatment of those whom society deems has reached their usefulness in the workforce.. Good for Chuck as he fights back. The impending clash will pit these now-warring associates in a legal arena of their making.
Erhmantrout [sic] is duly informed about Gus Fring's "other activities," when he is schooled in the real business of Fring: "If you think that's all he [Gus Fring] does, then you really don't know him," (or something to that effect). Gus and Fring's global connection will be significant. Gus, Mike, Nacho, et al. Pins? Needles? I'm sitting on 'em.
7
To a certain extent, I agree with you about the firm's treatment of Chuck. But the suit he threatened was not discrimination-based. He said it was for breach of contract. Specifically, as a partner, he has an ownership interest in the firm.
Howard can't take that from him without compensation, which Chuck values at $8 million. Chuck's right. That's so basic, it's not controversial.
Howard can't take that from him without compensation, which Chuck values at $8 million. Chuck's right. That's so basic, it's not controversial.
3
There are a few moments in BCS when I actually start to think that Hamlin could be a decent guy after all, but he always manages to remind us that he's not. I really wanted to knock him down when he said "Next time bring a tin cup" to Jimmy.
10
Byron, the partnership was never to be stolen from Chuck. In a law partnership even an equity partner can be voted out of active practice. He would then become emeritus and continue to receive his regular draw and profit sharing distribution. I think this was an error on the part of the writers.
1
BCS is making me anxious...Jimmy truly used to have a good heart, and his manipulation of Irene was uncomfortable to watch.
Did you see one of the stores at the mall called Crazy 8? And it was fun spotting Bonnie Bartlett as one of the seniors--she played Dr Craig's long-suffering wife on St Elsewhere. Jimmy's interactions with the Sandpiper lawsuit plaintiffs at least provides some much-needed comic relief to these grim tales of money, drug-dealing, and the art of the con.
Did you see one of the stores at the mall called Crazy 8? And it was fun spotting Bonnie Bartlett as one of the seniors--she played Dr Craig's long-suffering wife on St Elsewhere. Jimmy's interactions with the Sandpiper lawsuit plaintiffs at least provides some much-needed comic relief to these grim tales of money, drug-dealing, and the art of the con.
19
Bonnie Bartlett is the real life wife of William Daniels (Dr Craig)
2
Jimmy may have been pretty sleazy in dealing with Irene over Sandpiper, but he was spot on about those MBT shoes. They cleared up my plantar fasciitis in no time.
29
Good to know, on the shoes!
1