S01.E07: Bingo

[solea]

He probably doesn't realize it, or excuses it for the "it'll help him get better" idea, but Jimmy clearly conned Chuck into starting work on those documents (and double-checked to make sure he would). He's building a successful practice, but he doesn't have the time or ability to put in all the legwork.

 

I'll concede that it's possible that Jimmy leaving the files with Chuck and making a mistake regarding the number of the form has a dual purpose.  But I really don't think so.  I've seen nothing to indicate that Jimmy is either unable or unwilling to put in the work.  If fact, I see him as industrious and ambitious, if not successful or entirely ethical.

 

And that's what I find so fascinating about Jimmy.  His dual impulses to do right and to skirt ethics.  Slippin' Jimmy is trying to reform, but as we know he will ultimately become who is really is.  Bob Odenkirk is so good at conveying the conflicted Jimmy while still making him sympathetic, relatable, and even likeable.

 

Absolutely agree. Jimmy may be one to scam a scammer, but I don't think he's the type to scam perfectly innocent, unsuspecting old people.

 

Totally agree.  Another facet of this very interesting character.

[LuciaMia]

Jimmy sure knows his Classics.  I looked up 'cloud cuckoo-land' and it's from Aristophanies' play 'The Birds'

[Umbelina]

Another question about Mike I had after last week was, when did he leave the Philly police department?  Was it before or after his son died?  Do we have any concrete information about that?  And how corrupt was he?  We know he was taking dirty money, but was he already engaging in the likes of hired killing?

 

 

I think Mike was average dirty, in other words, did what the whole department did, skimmed money from drug busts, or got paid off by mob or criminals with enough money to do it, took his cut like his fellow officers and superiors.  I really didn't get the idea he was some kind of an initiating force with any of that, more that he had the sense to know that if he made waves, he'd be dead.  (As Matty was, simply for hesitating.)  I don't feel that Mike was a contract killer or  anything, but I could see him being involved with killing if someone was going to expose them all, or being forced into it.  I think 30+ years as a cop taught him a lot about crime, and he probably formed relationships with some criminals, because really?  How much worse were some of them than his coworkers?  Why not?

 

I loved the scene with Mike and the older cops talking it out, just perfection.

 

That said, real life kind of interfered last night, so perhaps it's just me, but this episode didn't really grab me.  There were great moments, so I don't know exactly why.  My guesses?

 

1.  Because even though there was progress with his brother, I really hate that whole story.  It bores the fuck out of me, and I find it frustrating.  I GET why he's there, and what will probably happen to transform Jimmy to Saul, but it doesn't matter.  I just don't like it, don't like the physical darkness of the scenes, don't like the actor or dialogue, don't like the anchor around Jimmy's neck.  It just doesn't work for me.  I realize that is probably just me, but oh well.  When he appears on my TV my brain checks out.

 

2.  It was too obvious what was going to happen with Jimmy's money from the Kettlemens.  Obviously, his friend wasn't going to join him in practice.  Obviously he wasn't going to get the huge office.  I didn't foresee that he would have to dip into his own meager earnings to pay the money back, but in retrospect, I should have. 

 

3.  The doom and gloom of his fucking brother just added to the heaviness/hopelessness for Jimmy.

 

Loved the Banks and Kettlemen stuff, as well as Bingo, but it wasn't enough to pull me out of the funkiness of this one.

 

Unlike many of you who saw BB Saul as an awful guy, I never really did.  He always seemed like a basically decent guy, and a damn smart lawyer to me.  He was never cold blooded to me, even when he considered murder, it followed a logical thought process, not anger or territory marking, or even muscle flexing.  It was a last resort option for him, and while still bad?  Sensible.  He also tried and tried to steer his clients on paths that wouldn't eventually lead to those kind of options. 

 

So for me, the Jimmy we saw tonight wasn't that far from the Saul I saw in BB.

 

I have to go read some reviews, because for me, the show just didn't work, or it did, but just not quite as much as the show usually does for me.  Perhaps my real life stuff, but I just wasn't compelled by this one, and I usually am.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Umbelina

[duVerre]

 

Jimmy sure knows his Classics.  I looked up 'cloud cuckoo-land' and it's from Aristophanies' play 'The Birds'

 

I've been reading that expression for years, and didn't know it went back to the Greeks. I'm trying to think how I must have known it, and I think it's from years of research I had to do about the period 1900-1930 (when it was used in film and novels.) So I'm assuming Jimmy knows it from classic movies.

[Primetimer]

The Kettlemans learn the hard way why you need to be careful when choosing the people you hire to represent your interests.

Read the story

[Constantinople]

Jimmy sure knows his Classics.  I looked up 'cloud cuckoo-land' and it's from Aristophanies' play 'The Birds'

 

Well, Slippin' Jimmy is from Cicero

[carrps]

I'm of two minds on the "514" document deposit. 

 

513. Maybe you need Chuck's help, too? :-)

 

Jimmy sure knows his Classics.  I looked up 'cloud cuckoo-land' and it's from Aristophanies' play 'The Birds'

Yeah, I knew it was Aristophanes, and I knew it was from "The Birds," but I was a lit major. It's a pretty common phrase whether you know where it came from or not.

 

I'm bummed at TWC. The show was breaking up, and inevitably it was dialog we lost, and the long silent scenes played perfectly. Now I have to watch it on demand to get the whole thing. Jimmy's patter is some of the best part of the show for me. Oscar and Felix -- ha!

[henripootel]

I'll concede that it's possible that Jimmy leaving the files with Chuck and making a mistake regarding the number of the form has a dual purpose.  But I really don't think so.

It never even occurred to me that Jimmy didn't intentionally leave the files for Chuck.  I was surprised a smart guy like Chuck didn't roll his eyes and see right through the ruse.  Jimmy takes care of people, it's his most touching quality.  

I think Mike was average dirty, in other words, did what the whole department did, skimmed money from drug busts, or got paid off by mob or criminals with enough money to do it, took his cut like his fellow officers and superiors.

See, that's something I really like about this show (and BB before it) - the writing is good enough to sustain ambiguity.  Being 'dirty' need not make someone an utter scumbag in all ways.  For instance, Jimmy knows Mike is a cop killer, but he also knows Mike is too honorable to simply walk away with a huge pile of untraceable money, even though there's little that Jimmy could've done to stop him if Mike went that way.  It's a much more complicated take on the character, and puts me in mind of one of my favorite complicated bastards of all time, Al Swearengen, once notably described as 'the most honorable man alive - unless he's trying to kill you.'  I do so love an intricate villain.  

[Blakeston]

 

The Kettlemans are a pretty high profile client. I'd think Howard or whomever the other Hamlin is -- if that Hamlin is still around -- would be getting regular updates on the status of the case. So Howard, or someone more senior than Kim, had to know the case was a loser.

The only thing that makes sense is if Howard felt Kim didn't adequately inform him about the Kettlemans' willingness to settle before she put in the firm's time, resources and political capital into getting them a deal. Kim doesn't seem as if she would do that, so Howard's probably just a jerk. But it's also odd that this is the first Kim is hearing that the Kettlemans weren't willing to settle.

I saw it as a scenario where Kim and Hamlin both knew the Kettlemans didn't want to settle. But HHM really wanted the Kettlemans to take the settlement, because they didn't want to have their record stained with a loss at trial. So Kim's job was to do as much as she could to convince them to settle, without pissing them off so much that they'd fire HHM.

But I still have a hard time buying that she'd be kicked out of her office immediately upon the Kettlemans walking out. Losing the Kettlemans at that point wouldn't make a significant difference to the firm, money-wise - the Kettlemans were no longer obligated to pay for all the work that was already done for them. And the firm wanted to wrap up the case very soon.

I can understand HHM disliking the idea of word getting out that some major clients were dissatisfied, and fired them. But unless Hamlin really is an unspeakably awful person, I don't see him banishing Kim to the "cornfields" immediately over this one thing.

[Pike Ludwell]

Saul's woman friend Kim, to me looks a lot like Francesca - Saul's secretary in BB. Thinner and better looking, yes, but I see a strong resemblance in the face. I think if they ever introduce the Francesca character in BCS, they should have her be Kim's sister.

 

Also, I am puzzled regarding something in the Mike-as-cat-burglar scene. After he'd sprayed the agent onto the wad of money so he could follow the trail, and placed the money on the toy truck ... Why were the Kettlemans so unworried about the wad of money suddenly appearing on the truck? Why wouldn't they have immediately realized something was amiss and taken cautionary steps. Obviously someone had been in there. Yes, it's nice to find a wad of money, but it should have been alarming too. I guess an explanation is that they are a couple with only a slight grasp of reality, to begin with.

Edited March 17, 2015 by riverclown

[editorgrrl]

I'm bummed at TWC. The show was breaking up, and inevitably it was dialog we lost, and the long silent scenes played perfectly. Now I have to watch it on demand to get the whole thing. Jimmy's patter is some of the best part of the show for me. Oscar and Felix -- ha!

 

You can also watch the entire episode for free on the AMC website for the next 30 days.

[Umbelina]

 

I saw it as a scenario where Kim and Hamlin both knew the Kettlemans didn't want to settle. But HHM really wanted the Kettlemans to take the settlement, because they didn't want to have their record stained with a loss at trial. So Kim's job was to do as much as she could to convince them to settle, without pissing them off so much that they'd fire HHM.

But I still have a hard time buying that she'd be kicked out of her office immediately upon the Kettlemans walking out. Losing the Kettlemans at that point wouldn't make a significant difference to the firm, money-wise - the Kettlemans were no longer obligated to pay for all the work that was already done for them. And the firm wanted to wrap up the case very soon.

I can understand HHM disliking the idea of word getting out that some major clients were dissatisfied, and fired them. But unless Hamlin really is an unspeakably awful person, I don't see him banishing Kim to the "cornfields" immediately over this one thing.

I can.

 

I feel they've laid the foundation for that many times this season.  HHM IS an asshole, and Kim has been treated badly all along, possibly sexist in origin.  Also, heads roll and fall guys are common at that level.  He may have a board to answer to, or partners, etc.

[ghoulina]

I feel they've laid the foundation for that many times this season.  HHM IS an asshole, and Kim has been treated badly all along, possibly sexist in origin.  Also, heads roll and fall guys are common at that level.  He may have a board to answer to, or partners, etc.

 

Did Hamlin know Jimmy was trying to bag the Kettlemans first? I think he's always been walking the line in regard to Kim's relationship with Jimmy. On the one hand, it helps him keep tabs on how Chuck is doing and anything Jimmy might be cooking in that arena. On the other hand, if they're TOO chummy, Hamlin might feel it's a threat to their firm. Is it possible when Kim lost the client, Hamlin thought she might have been trying to help Jimmy? Even if not, maybe he's already been annoyed at her and that was the final straw. I mean, a guy who trademarks a color is a douche of the highest order, and I wouldn't put anything past him.

[car54]

I think Mike helped Jimmy with the Kettleman's first because Jimmy helped him, but also I think Mike probably realizes he needs to make Kaylee's future secure and with his son's death, the parking lot job is not going to do that, so I think this is the first step in Mike's new side-business.

[Uncle Benzene]

Back in the early 90s I majored in Brit pop and just hangin' out, so I figured Jimmy's Cloudcuckooland reference just meant he was a big fan of Lightning Seeds.

[editorgrrl]

I think [Hamlin]'s always been walking the line in regard to Kim's relationship with Jimmy. On the one hand, it helps him keep tabs on how Chuck is doing and anything Jimmy might be cooking in that arena. On the other hand, if they're TOO chummy, Hamlin might feel it's a threat to their firm. 

 

In "Alpine Shepherd Boy," when Hamlin called Kim to ask if she knew where Jimmy was she automatically said no. When Hamlin arrived at the hospital, Kim said, "I found him. I thought I'd wait till you got here." So she's definitely hiding her relationship with Jimmy from Hamlin.

 

In this episode, Kim said HHM paid her way through law school. So she feels beholden to Hamlin. But she's deluded to think she'll make partner in two years. (We still don't know who's the other Hamlin in HHM.)

 

In Breaking Bad, Saul says he has two ex-wives. I think Kim might be wife #2—and Slippin' Jimmy was married to a bad girl.

[carrps]

Also, I am puzzled regarding something in the Mike-as-cat-burglar scene. After he'd sprayed the agent onto the wad of money so he could follow the trail, and placed the money on the toy truck ... Why were the Kettlemans so unworried about the wad of money suddenly appearing on the truck? Why wouldn't they have immediately realized something was amiss and taken cautionary steps. Obviously someone had been in there. Yes, it's nice to find a wad of money, but it should have been alarming too. I guess an explanation is that they are a couple with only a slight grasp of reality, to begin with.

I'm thinking it was on the toy car to implicate the kids as the naughty children who got into mommy and daddy's dirty little stash. And, of course, the kids would deny it, but Betsy being the awful human being she is would not believe them.

 

[Thanks for the tip on the AMC site, editorgrrl!]

[Lingo]

Also, I am puzzled regarding something in the Mike-as-cat-burglar scene. After he'd sprayed the agent onto the wad of money so he could follow the trail, and placed the money on the toy truck ... Why were the Kettlemans so unworried about the wad of money suddenly appearing on the truck? Why wouldn't they have immediately realized something was amiss and taken cautionary steps. Obviously someone had been in there. Yes, it's nice to find a wad of money, but it should have been alarming too. I guess an explanation is that they are a couple with only a slight grasp of reality, to begin with.

 

I couldn't see what was going on in the scene very well (it was dark) but we did see the Kettlemans' kids.  I thought maybe they assumed that one of them had taken the money out and played with it.  If you told me there was a scene of the adults scolding the kids I would believe you (it was dark).

 

ETA: carrps beat me to it!

Edited March 17, 2015 by Lingo

[Bannon]

Saul's woman friend Kim, to me looks a lot like Francesca - Saul's secretary in BB. Thinner and better looking, yes, but I see a strong resemblance in the face. I think if they ever introduce the Francesca character in BCS, they should have her be Kim's sister.

 

Also, I am puzzled regarding something in the Mike-as-cat-burglar scene. After he'd sprayed the agent onto the wad of money so he could follow the trail, and placed the money on the toy truck ... Why were the Kettlemans so unworried about the wad of money suddenly appearing on the truck? Why wouldn't they have immediately realized something was amiss and taken cautionary steps. Obviously someone had been in there. Yes, it's nice to find a wad of money, but it should have been alarming too. I guess an explanation is that they are a couple with only a slight grasp of reality, to begin with.

By placing the money on the toy truck, Mike fooled Ma and Pa Kettle into thinking that the kids had found the money under the bathroom cabinet (kids are liable to find anything hidden down low), and started using C-Notes as toys. Hence Ma Kettle calling the kids into the living room, as Mike watches from back at the wall, sitting them down and delivers a lecture, complete with shaking of the wad of money, at the children. Yeah, the litte kettles would deny, deny, deny, but we've already seen what a good listener Ma is (not).

 

Odenkirk was beyond good in this episode. He desperately wants to have a legitimate career, and a real life with Kim, personally and professionally. He knows other people can pull off that sort of thing all the time, and he is as intelligent as they are, if not more, and really, as ethical as many of them. He isn't prideful, in need of acclaim, on the lookout for all perceived insults, which will enrage him,  like a certain high school chemistry teacher. He just wants his brother to know he's not a crook, and he wants to be around Kim. That's it. It just kills him that these very normal things that normal people enjoy all the time remain just outside of his reach

 

Mike gained more respect for Jimmy/Saul in this episode than he will ever have for that certain high school chemistry teacher.

[ghoulina]

Gosh, it was dark and all, but I totally missed that they were scolding the kids for getting into the money. Makes so much more sense now. I'm very grateful for this forum, so the unanswered questions can be resolved!

[Pike Ludwell]

I'm thinking it was on the toy car to implicate the kids as the naughty children who got into mommy and daddy's dirty little stash. And, of course, the kids would deny it, but Betsy being the awful human being she is would not believe them.

 

I'd thought of that too, but the money was so well hidden and tricky to get to, I would not have thought they'd think the kid could have found it. But I'm sure that making them think it was the kids was Mike's plan. And what was their alternative to thinking the kid found it? That someone broke in and left a wad of money for them on the truck? So it was a well conceived idea.

Edited March 17, 2015 by riverclown

[nowandlater]

[pricklypear]

I found myself at the end of the episode, when Jimmy was crying, unable to look at my television. It made me that uncomfortable. And then I thought, "That's some damn FINE acting right there."

[editorgrrl]

Mike's adventure tonight reminded me of when he broke into the warehouse in Full Measure.  Similar funky mood music too.   I loved it.  I could easily watch ten seasons of Mike being Jimmy The Lawyer's PI.  A modern day Perry Mason and Paul Drake.

 

As nowandlater notes above, the song during Mike's stakeout is "Tune Down" by Chris Joss:

 

According to the Wall Street Journal recap of this episode, “You may recognize his work from various movie trailers and from 'Six Feet Under.'”

 

Edited to add that the WSJ recapper thinks Jimmy doesn't want Chuck to get better:

With Chuck stuck inside his house relying on Jimmy for just about everything, the sloppy lawyer can continue to do whatever he needs to while his big brother is none the wiser. There’s a genuine look of worry on his face when he sees that Chuck is, indeed, trying to get better and leave the house.

Edited March 17, 2015 by editorgrrl

[ShadowFacts]

 

Another question about Mike I had after last week was, when did he leave the Philly police department?  Was it before or after his son died?  Do we have any concrete information about that?  And how corrupt was he?  We know he was taking dirty money, but was he already engaging in the likes of hired killing?

 

According to the AMC website, where they reproduce the Philadelphia detective's notebook, Mike retired one week after his son's murder.  I don't know if that is considered canon, or something other than that.  http://www.amctv.com/shows/better-call-saul/abbasi-case-notes

[editorgrrl]

According to the AMC website, where they reproduce the Philadelphia detective's notebook, Mike retired one week after his son's murder.  I don't know if that is considered canon, or something other than that.  http://www.amctv.com/shows/better-call-saul/abbasi-case-notes

 

Yes, it's canon. They showed pages of Detective Abbasi's notebook in episode 6, "Five-O." It says:

Matt Ehrmantraut killed.

1 week later, Mike E. retires

3 months later Stacey E. moves to ABQ.

3 months later Fensky-Hoffman killed

[Circled] 1 day later Ehrmantraut leaves Phil.

[peeayebee]

I think Mike helped Jimmy with the Kettleman's first because Jimmy helped him, but also I think Mike probably realizes he needs to make Kaylee's future secure and with his son's death, the parking lot job is not going to do that, so I think this is the first step in Mike's new side-business.

At the police station, when Mike and Jimmy parted, Mike said, "Bill me." I think Jimmy offered to forgo the payment in exchange for Mike helping him.

 

Edited to add that the WSJ recapper thinks Jimmy doesn't want Chuck to get better:

With Chuck stuck inside his house relying on Jimmy for just about everything, the sloppy lawyer can continue to do whatever he needs to while his big brother is none the wiser. There’s a genuine look of worry on his face when he sees that Chuck is, indeed, trying to get better and leave the house.

That's not how I saw the scene. First off, I don't think Jimmy is a sloppy lawyer. We've seen that he's pretty good. Second, to me Jimmy looked emotional as Chuck told him he was going to get better because this made Jimmy happy. He wants his brother to get better.

 

Oh, and regarding how Mike tricked the Kettlemans with the money in the truck, I didn't realize Betsy was scolding the kids until I read it in a review. 

[editorgrrl]

Yeah, I don't see Jimmy as lazy at all, and it never occurred to me that his worry about Chuck meant Jimmy doesn't want Chuck to get better. Jimmy busts his ass prospecting new clients, and he spent hours poring over law books looking for the loophole that might get the Kettlemans off the hook.

 

Did anybody else notice that the book opened to "Electricity" before Jimmy paged to "Embezzlement"? I thought for a moment he was researching Chuck's condition.

[HappyDancex2]

also a stroke of luck that the kettleman's house is all windows with no window coverings despite being in a sun state....and that they didn't have an alarm system or pets.

[ElsieH]

How on earth was Mike going to explain showing up at the DA's office with all that money? Where was he going to say it came from? Even if the Kettlemans decided to turn it in, why would it come from an ex-cop who was just taken for questioning right before that? And also, if Jimmy adding his earned money plus what he didn't spend brought it back up to 1.6 million, what about the boat sitting in the driveway? Obviously they used some for that, right?

 

ETA - I'm sure there is a good answer to these questions, since I know the writers pay a lot of attention to detail. Just wondering if I missed something.

Edited March 17, 2015 by ElsieH

[ghoulina]

It's so interesting the different takes people have on things. Before reading the posts here, it never occurred to me that Jimmy left all of his files at Chuck's in order to either get help or ignite his brother's desire to practice law again (although now I can totally see the latter). I figured it was partly that he WAS out of room. He lives in that closet too! But also, I thought maybe it was a passive aggressive way of trying to prove to Chuck just how much work he was getting.

[queenanne]

Yeah, I don't see Jimmy as lazy at all, and it never occurred to me that his worry about Chuck meant Jimmy doesn't want Chuck to get better. Jimmy busts his ass prospecting new clients, and he spent hours poring over law books looking for the loophole that might get the Kettlemans off the hook.

 

Did anybody else notice that the book opened to "Electricity" before Jimmy paged to "Embezzlement"? I thought for a moment he was researching Chuck's condition.

 

Yes!  "Electricity" was such a fabulous touch.  In fact, I think your two points mesh together specifically because that's clearly what they want to tell us (I'm glad, because I was seriously wondering why they did that and wondering what primary/alterna-reasons other folks would have to describe it).  I think it could only be really nice shorthand to passport that Jimmy has spent hours researching legal precedents (WhateverTF they could be, lol) on electricity to be able to argue with Hamlin on Chuck's behalf. 

 

Worst case scenario, Jimmy has Chuck's hand-me-down expired lawbooks, and Chuck did his own research on legal electrical precedents/code back in the day, because this is or is not a fake condition to Chuck, which he is putting on wittingly.  (Which I still find a fine scenario!)

 

Oh, and regarding how Mike tricked the Kettlemans with the money in the truck, I didn't realize Betsy was scolding the kids until I read it in a review. 

 

Yes, it was rather late/early for me, and thus I'd like to thank everyone who pointed out WTF was up with the money and the toy truck! I thought someone of TPTB just wanted to be mysteriously creepy.

 

Also, ETA, is it now the done thing for everyone in-universe to call them "those Kettlemans"?  I thought this episode Kim picked up said elocution from Jimmy but couldn't be sure it was a verbal tic; but if it is, that's pretty funny, like they're "that darned dog" or something.

Edited March 18, 2015 by queenanne

[editorgrrl]

How on earth was Mike going to explain showing up at the DA's office with all that money?

I'm sure there is a good answer, since I know the writers pay a lot of attention to detail. Just wondering if I missed something.

Jimmy asked Mike something like, "you know where you're going [with the money], right?" When asked by those Kettlemans where the money was, Jimmy said something like, "on its way to the DA." I never thought for a minute that was the truth—I just thought it was how Jimmy convinced those Kettlemans to take Kim's deal.

I trust that all will be revealed in due time. I trust TPTB.

Edited March 18, 2015 by editorgrrl

[shapeshifter]

...Unlike many of you who saw BB Saul as an awful guy, I never really did.  He always seemed like a basically decent guy, and a damn smart lawyer to me.  He was never cold blooded to me, even when he considered murder, it followed a logical thought process, not anger or territory marking, or even muscle flexing.  It was a last resort option for him, and while still bad?  Sensible.  He also tried and tried to steer his clients on paths that wouldn't eventually lead to those kind of options....

Umbelina, I see things that way too, and I think Vince Gilligan must too, even though he seems like a sweetheart--like we are too, right? Heh. "He/she who forgives much is forgiven much."

...WSJ recapper thinks Jimmy doesn't want Chuck to get better:

With Chuck stuck inside his house relying on Jimmy for just about everything, the sloppy lawyer can continue to do whatever he needs to while his big brother is none the wiser. There’s a genuine look of worry on his face when he sees that Chuck is, indeed, trying to get better and leave the house.

This was my first impression of the look on Bob Odenkirk/Jimmy's face, but I also wondered if it was genuine concern that Chuck might wind up in the hospital. Odenkirk has succeeded in making Jimmy a complex character with many shades of gray (if not 50).

[TVFan17]

A good episode, indeed.  Those Kettlemans are a piece of work, aren't they?  Why do I have a feeling that one or both of them will do something shocking or violent by the season finale?  They seem prissy and uptight, but I can picture Betsy wielding an ax or something.

 

I also have a feeling that the series is starting out with rather 'tame' (by comparison) criminals for Jimmy/Saul to deal with, such as the kids who had sex with the corpse and the Kettlemans.  As his client base grows over the course of the series, he will probably take on more sinister, more evil criminal clients.

[Ohwell]

Why do I have a feeling that one or both of them will do something shocking or violent by the season finale?  They seem prissy and uptight, but I can picture Betsy wielding an ax or something.

I fear you might be right that we haven't seen the last of Betsy Kettleman.  Mr. Kettleman will be in prison (he's better off there because he'll be safe from her) but there's no telling what she might do because I think she is psychotic.

[tennisgurl]

I`m picturing a call from Betsy to Saul, where it starts with a close up of her face, and then pans out to Betsy covered in blood, holding a giant, blood covered ax. 

[Starchild]

Chuck is Jimmy's touchstone and his moral compass, and I think it is whatever happens to Chuck is what finally creates Saul Goodman.

Most people who change their identity start over in a new place where no one knows them, so I've been wondering why a guy changes his name and not only doesn't leave town, but also puts up big billboards so that everyone who knew Jimmy also knows that he's now Saul. I can only imagine it is so he doesn't dishonour his brother's name.

[lawless]

Odenkirk was beyond good in this episode. He desperately wants to have a legitimate career, and a real life with Kim, personally and professionally. He knows other people can pull off that sort of thing all the time, and he is as intelligent as they are, if not more, and really, as ethical as many of them. He isn't prideful, in need of acclaim, on the lookout for all perceived insults, which will enrage him, like a certain high school chemistry teacher. He just wants his brother to know he's not a crook, and he wants to be around Kim. That's it. It just kills him that these very normal things that normal people enjoy all the time remain just outside of his reach

So well put. Odenkirk is amazing, because I badly want these things for him too. I found it absurdly touching in both the scene where he shows Kim the new office, including the corner office, and gently makes his invitation to her to join him, and the scene at the end when he goes back to the office for one more look, alone. So painful. The actress who plays Kim is good too, and I like her unexpectedly low voice. I think Kim genuinely cares for Jimmy, but she just isn't madly in love with him, and maybe she senses the scammer (Slippin' Jimmy) within him, and that aspect of him pushes her away. At any rate, given where they are in their respective careers, she isn't willing to risk hers by publicly acknowledging how close she is or has been with him. And I get it, I don't know if I could risk my career for a man I am fond of, but not in love with, who lives in and runs his law practice out of a closet in a nail salon. It's fascinating that at least so far, he's willing to accept whatever she is willing to allow, and only gently makes overtures to get her to see him. It's his nature, he's not a thug or a heavy. The pitch to her to leave her firm and partner up with him was too much, I knew as soon as she went into the corner office what he was going to suggest, and I cringed because there was no way she was going to accept. But Jimmy made the proposition in a surprisingly low key, chivalrous way, and he was so quietly hopeful but sad. Oh Jimmy.

Then the show went back to the Kettleman saga, which I enjoyed, and I was so surprised at the frustration and sadness the Show revealed that Jimmy had at the end. How much of that was about Kim specifically as opposed to everything I don't know, but I realized this ep that Jimmy probably thinks (correctly) that if he had a normal, moderately successful practice, and was not the subject of ridicule by Hamlin, he might really have a future with Kim. On the other hand, would she find him as interesting and charming? I don't know. In any case, he thought that with the Kettleman seed money, he had a shot. It was not realistic to think that he could bring her round, even with the helpful funds from the Kettleman "retainer," because his reputation and status have already been established among their peers, but I found this rare moment of foolish hope on his part very touching.

That's not how I saw the scene. First off, I don't think Jimmy is a sloppy lawyer. We've seen that he's pretty good. Second, to me Jimmy looked emotional as Chuck told him he was going to get better because this made Jimmy happy. He wants his brother to get better.

He is a good lawyer, and that's what kills me for him -- something put him on the outs in the legal community (graduating from the University of American Somoa law school can't have helped), and he can't break in to established firms like his brother, and he's struggling as a result. But he's smart, he does work hard, and he's got great insight into people at times, which makes him a very good lawyer. As for his brother, I think he wants him to be happy, but he was dubious about Chuck's new way of building up a "tolerance," because while it could be a good sign, it could also just be another weird way his mental problems are manifesting. Two minutes out of the day is not a long time. Edited March 18, 2015 by lawless

[Dev F]

Jimmy asked Mike something like, "you know where you're going [with the money], right?" When asked by those Kettlemans where the money was, Jimmy said something like, "on its way to the DA." I never thought for a minute that was the truth—I just thought it was how Jimmy convinced those Kettlemans to take Kim's deal.

 

Hmm, I figured they were being up-front about where it was going -- to the DA, via some untraceable route of Mike's devising. (Say, he squirrels it away in a bus station locker and sends the DA the key.) I don't see why Jimmy would need to make sure every penny of the money was there if it weren't immediately going to someone who was going to count it, and no one but the DA would care that every penny was there.

[Sentient Meat]

The pleasures of watching Better Call Saul must be a little what it feels to be one of those characters in one of those sci-fi romances, where the person you used to love (Breaking Bad) died and was reborn in a different body.  I also look at it a little bit like the Wire where now instead of focusing on the mean streets of Albuquerque... they simply are moving to a different part of the city like in seasons 2, 4 and 5.

 

It might even, dare I say, get better than its predecessor because of the relationship between Saul and Kim... much more intriguing so far than Jesse's two flings or Meth Damon's obsession with Lydia.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Sentient Meat

[shapeshifter]

Jimmy asked Mike something like, "you know where you're going [with the money], right?" When asked by those Kettlemans where the money was, Jimmy said something like, "on its way to the DA." I never thought for a minute that was the truth—I just thought it was how Jimmy convinced those Kettlemans to take Kim's deal...

Hmm, I figured they were being up-front about where it was going -- to the DA, via some untraceable route of Mike's devising. (Say, he squirrels it away in a bus station locker and sends the DA the key.)....

I assumed it was even more straightforward than that, but now I'm imagining it being under Kim's control (like maybe she has a bus station locker key) and can leverage it to get her job back (along with the Kettlemans requesting her services).

[Milburn Stone]

 The music was perfect. It sounded as if it were straight out of a 70s cop show or movie.

 

I assumed an early 70s blaxploitation flick. Like Superfly, maybe. Anybody know?

 

As for Mrs. Kettleman, this may be an "unpopular opinion," but I think she's sexy. Which makes sense to me, because how else could she get that poor schnook of a husband of hers to do her bidding in all those unfortunate ways?

 

Odenkirk really is good, as has been said. In his last scene, my mind went back to Mr. Show, and how even though I thought that show was brilliant I could never have foreseen him turning into the actor he is.

[editorgrrl]

The song, "Tune Down" by Chris Joss, is from 2009.

[queenanne]

So well put.  Odenkirk is amazing, because I badly want these things for him too.  I found it absurdly touching in both the scene where he shows Kim the new office, including the corner office, and gently makes his invitation to her to join him, and the scene at the end when he goes back to the office for one more look, alone.  So painful.  The actress who plays Kim is good too, and I like her unexpectedly low voice.  I think Kim genuinely cares for Jimmy, but she just isn't madly in love with him, and maybe she senses the scammer (Slippin' Jimmy) within him, and that aspect of him pushes her away.  At any rate, given where they are in their respective careers, she isn't willing to risk hers by publicly acknowledging how close she is or has been with him.  And I get it, I don't know if I could risk my career for a man I am fond of, but not in love with, who works and runs his law practice out of a closet in a nail salon.  It's fascinating that at least so far, he's willing to accept whatever she is willing to allow, and only gently makes overtures to get her to see him.  It's his nature, he's not a thug or a heavy.  The pitch to her to leave her firm and partner up with him was too much, I knew as soon as soon as she went into the corner office what he was going to suggest, and I cringed because there was no way she was going to accept. But Jimmy made the proposition in a surprisingly low key, chivalrous way, and he was so quietly hopeful but sad.  Oh Jimmy.

 

I like it too, though I would think and suggest that Kim is mostly overcautious.  I would call her smart to be overcautious, though, and wouldn't swear to her level of feelings - seems like she could be doing something different in her off hours, like actively being places where she could find a more suitable man if she's at all into that kind of thing; heck, even Jimmy went out on a date to a bar - but the part that strikes me the most touching is, he's so clearly engaging in old-fashioned courting behaviors, with whatever he has at his disposal.  The painting-toenails thing, designed to please her - we know he thinks even her "not-cornfields" office is mean and foul, and there might even have been a comment about how it doesn't have a window.  So, he saves up a wall of windows for her, like the best piece of candy out of the See's box, and even with taking Jaul's projected clientele into account, it's just Not Done.  Possibly half the people crossing the threshold, and most certainly any fellow lawyers, would know that's the best office, and clearly the masthead partner should take the best office.  In fact, it's possible accepting the office would make for an uncomfortable situation with her, with people assuming left and right, oh, she's gotta either be the brains behind the outfit, or she's putting out. ;)  In a way, it's like he unfurled an engagement ring for her, so not surprising she'd be taken aback.

Edited March 18, 2015 by queenanne

[Bannon]

Yeah, I don't see Jimmy as lazy at all, and it never occurred to me that his worry about Chuck meant Jimmy doesn't want Chuck to get better. Jimmy busts his ass prospecting new clients, and he spent hours poring over law books looking for the loophole that might get the Kettlemans off the hook.

 

Did anybody else notice that the book opened to "Electricity" before Jimmy paged to "Embezzlement"? I thought for a moment he was researching Chuck's condition.

Agreed. A guy who does bingo parlor performances at nursing homes may be a good many things, noble or mendacious, but lazy ain't one of 'em. 

[lawless]

The painting toenails thing was interesting -- it was intimate, but not overtly sexual, and he was literally at her feet, but not in a creepy way. She allows intimacies with him, but also keeps him at arms length. Normally behavior like that would bother me about a person, but somehow it doesn't with Kim. Maybe it's because I don't think she's manipulative, just honestly conflicted. And there is legitimate reason to be conflicted about him. Also, he knows she has limits with him. I am very curious about their past and how they met.

[henripootel]

I don't see why Jimmy would need to make sure every penny of the money was there if it weren't immediately going to someone who was going to count it, and no one but the DA would care that every penny was there.

See, I didn't see why Jimmy had to make sure he paid back all the bribe money.  Surely the Kettlemans spent some already (on lawyers if nothing else) so it's not all there anyway.  Who's to say what happened to the 10 grand or so Jimmy took out of his own pocket (having spent it on suits and billboards), not the Kettlemans, certainly.  

 

I decided it was the price Jimmy paid for being 'clean'.  I mean it was ill-gotten gain anyway, so it was Jimmy's own mendacity that led him to tears at the end, not fate or even Hamlin.  Man, the more we unpack this, the greater my appreciation for the acting skills of Bob Odenkirk.

Edited March 18, 2015 by henripootel

[Bannon]

The pleasures of watching Better Call Saul must be a little what it feels to be one of those characters in one of those sci-fi romances, where the person you used to love (Breaking Bad) died and was reborn in a different body.  I also look at it a little bit like the Wire where now instead of focusing on the mean streets of Albuquerque... they simply are moving to a different part of the city like in seasons 2, 4 and 5.

 

It might even, dare I say, get better than its predecessor because of the relationship between Saul and Kim... much more intriguing so far than Jesse's two flings or Meth Damon's obsession with Lydia.

I gotta say that this aspect of the show makes me wistful. These are two people with some good qualities who obviously have affection for one another, and significant areas of compatibility, and we know, barring some major stuff that wouldn't make any sense, that they don't end up enjoying each other's company.

 

The world's a damned tragic place, even in the minor stuff that a guy in a trench coat once said doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Bannon

[Sentient Meat]

I know it can't happen, but I really want Jimmy to never turn into Saul and marry Kim and have a real law practice. Odenkirk is wonderful here. I'm not as big a fan of Mike and never liked him on BB, but Banks is a great actor.

 

Maybe he married Kim and lost her... which caused his downfall that ended up with him as Saul.