S01.E08: RICO

[Tara Ariano]

Jimmy shows Chuck that he's willing to do almost anything to win a case, even if it means getting his hands dirty.

[editorgrrl]

If they're capitalizing the title, then it's definitely a reference to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

Passed in 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law designed to combat organized crime in the United States. It allows prosecution and civil penalties for racketeering activity performed as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise. Such activity may include illegal gambling, bribery, kidnapping, murder, money laundering, counterfeiting, embezzlement, drug trafficking, slavery, and a host of other unsavory business practices.

 

To convict a defendant under RICO, the government must prove that the defendant engaged in two or more instances of racketeering activity and that the defendant directly invested in, maintained an interest in, or participated in a criminal enterprise affecting interstate or foreign commerce. The law has been used to prosecute members of the mafia, the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, and Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group, among many others.

[morgankobi]

Years of Law and Order have insured that the first thing I think of when I hear RICO/Rico is law, not a guy's name, even though I have know some.

[editorgrrl]

The AMC episode page has a sneak peek (more elder law—this time with Hydrox) and two photos (featuring Chuck & Mike).

Edited March 23, 2015 by editorgrrl

[SnarkyTart]

Is it Monday yet?  Love this show, and I can't wat!

[editorgrrl]

They showed a promo during The Walking Dead, and Jimmy is accusing someone of fraud rather than defending someone against a RICO charge.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5M1PY4LI3vU

Edited March 23, 2015 by editorgrrl

[paigow]

I think the Seniors Home Managers are systematically defrauding the residents...Jimmy wants them charged under RICO.

[SailorGirl]

Wow Howard, you were kind of a dick from day one. . . Way to take away from Jimmy's only best day in, like, forever. We don't even know what you said but yet we know you took the definition of "dick" to a whole new level.

And as for Jaul? You go Jimmy McGill! I think our boy has performance anxiety--he sees the wrongs being perpetrated against these gullible seniors but can't act until he's under pressure--undercover Mike to the assistance? How much more can my Jimmy crush grow?

He's in a dumpster covered in trash, arguing elder defense, being belittled and insulted but still knows he's right, and throws in the casual opera reference, just to be cool like that.

C'mon Chuck, hang in there. You're so close!

And now we know why Mike broke bad. Little bit of an easy out manipulation but still, in one scene, we now know why Mike is Mike. Sometimes, love (with a little guilt thrown in for good measure) is just that simple.

Wherever you want to go VG et al, I'm along for the ride. You had me at Nacho.

Edited March 24, 2015 by SailorGirl

[SignGuy]

Hamlindigo's printer code - 1933: the year Hitler came to power.

[Umbelina]

I loved that ending! 

 

Oh Jimmy, you are such a good guy, and so much smarter than anyone thinks.  awww

[Dianaofthehunt]

Best episode yet! Oh, how I hope they sue the HELL out of Sunset Acres, or whatever that dressed-up nursing home is named.

[Umbelina]

I bet the big firm gets the money, somehow.  Since Chuck still is a partner, and they copied files on their machine.  Somehow, Jimmy won't see a cent, and this may hurt Chuck somehow too.

 

:(

[LJonEarth]

I was listening to a podcast, and the host said of last week, "BCS is fantastic, but Vince doesn't seem care about his audience or if we're watching."

 

This was the first episode that kept me engaged the entire time and left me wanting more. I don't want the show to get to be too case-of-the-week procedural, but I appreciate having somewhat of a complete thought rather than just clues to something to come. I have enough of that with Mad Men.

[tennisgurl]

Go Jimmy go! You got to admire the mans commitment. Crawling through dumpsters, writing in bathrooms, suing giant evil corporations! Getting it done! 

 

Poor Chuck. He got in his lawyer high, and forgot all about his outside issues. 

 

I loved the flashbacks. The part with the party his friends had him, then the copier going, was just brutal. 

[whyjen8]

I was so proud of Chuck for getting those files, and I don't even really like the guy.  Another really good episode, loved the brothers working together.  Really loved seeing Jimmy shine to Chuck.

Going to hang on to this happiness because I know Jimmy is going to get screwed out of this suit.  

Also good to see Mike realize he's in the game.

[riverheightsnancy]

I bet the big firm gets the money, somehow.  Since Chuck still is a partner, and they copied files on their machine.  Somehow, Jimmy won't see a cent, and this may hurt Chuck somehow too.

 

:(

I KNEW the minute the female (cannot remember her name) said about Chuck still being at the firm, that this is not going to work out for Jimmy. It just broke my heart that he is going to get screwed and this is HIS case. He worked to to get this case. I want Jimmy to have some good for a change. 

[benteen]

Really enjoyed that episode.  I like the whole legal battle that Jimmy is waging here and glad to see Chuck beginning to take a more active role.  The flashback in the beginning was really good.  It's interesting to see that Mike's initial reasoning for pursuing a life of crime is similar to Walt's.

[Umbelina]

Yup.

 

Tonight made it look more and more that Chuck's problem is mental.  When he wasn't thinking of it, he got near a car, near the cell phone, under the wires, everything, and nothing bothered him at all.

[benteen]

While Hamlin's a dick, I thought it was pretty clear that Chuck didn't want to hire Jimmy either.

[Starchild]

I am so worried for Chuck, and by extension, Jimmy.

 

Jimmy loves his brother so much, it's going to kill him when something terrible inevitably happens.

 

Jimmy may have rough edges but he's the kind of lawyer I would want. He'll do absolutely anything for his clients.

 

And amazingly, I am finding Jimmy McGill a pretty sexy guy. I did not expect that.

[Umbelina]

Intelligence and humor are always sexy.

[benteen]

And hey, we even get a Soylent Green reference!

[car54]

I spend every episode anxious--for Jimmy---he has Kim, he has Chuck, he has his elders, and as Saul....they are not there for him.   I'm so engaged by this story, I spend the whole episode worrying for him.   Only two more episodes?   Not fair.   

Mike's vet's office reminded me of Saul's future waiting room.

[SoSueMe]

Just for a few moments (til the preview) I was afraid that Chuck's unintentional outing might be a fatal shock to his system.  

[thuganomics85]

While I really enjoyed Saul on Breaking Bad for what he was, I continue to be amazed how much I simply "like" Jimmy.  He isn't perfect and, sure, some of what he does is to help himself, but I really do believe that he was upset over what the senior citizen center was doing to their victims, and wanted justice for them, and it wasn't just a payday for him (even though I'm sure it helped.) And, also, the man is just such a hard worker.  This episode really did a good job showing how far he will go for his case; he's not a man who will be against diving into a dumpster to find evidence (and I totally cracked up over it being in the recycling bin the entire time.)  And, I loved the flashback, and seeing how hard he worked to even get his degree.  I really respect the hustle.  And, as usual, Bob Odenkirk is just really great at making Jimmy likable and even endearing.  It's just a pleasant surprise.

 

Easily the most I've liked Chuck.  Him getting involved in the case was great, and I liked seeing what he brings to the table.  I do hope going for $20 million is overplaying their hand.  That said, yeah, even if they do win, something has to happen.  I really can't see Jimmy getting that money.  I have to think Chuck still technically being with Hamlin, is going to come into play.  And Kim's reaction kind of concerns me.  Really got worried she was going to turn on them somehow.

 

Enjoyed seeing Dennis Boutsikaris as the rival lawyer, and looking forward to seeing their courtroom scenes.

 

Mike's face when he realized he was being asked to look after Kaylee, was just great.  Jonathan Banks really excels at that stuff (also loved that he waved someone through without checking for the almighty stickers!)  But, now we've got the beginning of how he winds up in a life of crime.  Uh oh! 

 

Nacho really has just disappeared, huh?  The fact hat they locked down Michael Mando as a regular must mean they either have bigger plans for him next season or they originally had bigger plans for him this one, but change their minds.  I love this season, so I can't complain too much, but I feel bad for Mando.

[SoSueMe]

Was Stacey pressuring Mike to help her financially? (on purpose, I mean).

[MrWhyt]

 "BCS is fantastic, but Vince doesn't seem care about his audience or if we're watching."

Good, I'd much rather watch Vince's story than one he puts out trying to chase viewers.

[Portia]

I was afraid Chuck was going to be like a cartoon character who realizes he's run off a cliff--that he'd come crashing down when he realized what he'd done--but at the end he just seemed to be pleasantly surprised, right? I'm crossing my fingers he'll just decide that his "exposure therapy" is working. I looooove Michael McKean and was happy to finally start liking Chuck in this ep.

[whydoiwatchtv]

I know there will be trouble with Jimmy getting the 20 million but maybe there will be some type of twist because technically Chuck is doing this pro bono. Not sure of the particulars on that but something for me to think about. It would be great for that dick Hamlin to think he's getting the best of Jimmy only to lose it on an overlooked law or provision.

Love this show! Only 2 left!

[Auntie Anxiety]

All I can say right now is "Go Land Crabs!"

[queenanne]

Good, I'd much rather watch Vince's story than one he puts out trying to chase viewers.

 

Wordy McWord and Hallelujah Chorus!!

 

(Assuming the host did indeed mean "avoiding fanservice".  And if the host didn't, I might co-opt that interpretation on their behalf.)  More shows have had their integrity ruined by "writing to the fans", rather than "telling the story we need to tell", than I want to count up on my fingers right now.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I was all ready to ask y'all what the metaphor of the copier machine whizzing away as they pulled the shot back to the disappointed Jimmy in the mail room was.  Then, BINGO, er, something...SHAZAM!  VG was foreshadowing Kim's eventual betrayal!  Yes, she went along with the original support utilizing firm facilities.  However, the preview, and Jimmy's lousy luck, portend a life-changing event.  

 

Stacey soooo guilted Mike into thinking he has to pony up serious cash for his only remaining family.  I believe she did have some angst about spending the bribe money, but it wasn't out of a sense of right and wrong.  I'm thinking it's like how spouses who lose their spouse sometimes hold onto clothes and such, refusing to let go of a connection.  It was absolutely used as a pretext, though, for the guilting.

 

Perfect casting for opposing counsel.  Boy, this show.

 

I was sad watching Chuck's understated reaction to the immense news of Jimmy's admittance to the bar.  I am convinced he was floored and thrilled.  yet, he simply never had much of an affect.  It's just who he was/is.  I can totally see how he went to his analytical side as he knew he would have to consider having Jimmy join the firm - before Jimmy even asked.  He knew he would have to say no, as well.  Which tempered his joy.

 

However, I see no way possible that he would not have made darn sure Jimmy landed somewhere decent with a real chance at something very good, long term.  Did he try and Jimmy's (wounded) pride kicked in to quash it?  Gonna be most interesting to see the reveal to this layer.

 

The overall value to the lawsuit is going to be entirely dictated by the breadth of the discovery allowed by a given judge, and even more tellingly, by how much Jimmy's side can, or is willing, to fork out - with no guarantee of success.  If they can get to the other locations and manage to find something stupidly left behind, they would win large.  I just don't see it.  Big law, with the deep pockets of their client, will bleed them dry before they could hit real paydirt.  Perfectly legal, mind you.  And perfectly horrid. 

[shapeshifter]

Go Jimmy go! You got to admire the mans commitment. Crawling through dumpsters, writing in bathrooms, suing giant evil corporations! Getting it done!...

My daughter and I got close enough to a restaurant dumpster yesterday (looking for a shoe she lost at a post-wedding reception get-together with old friends) that I wanted to yell at Jimmy/Saul: Don't do it! There's nothing of value in there! And then, if I saw correctly, it was in a separate dumpster in which he found the shredded paper. I hope the garbage on his head was fresh rather than ripe.

While Hamlin's a dick, I thought it was pretty clear that Chuck didn't want to hire Jimmy either.

I am so worried for Chuck, and by extension, Jimmy.

 

Jimmy loves his brother so much, it's going to kill him when something terrible inevitably happens.

 

Jimmy may have rough edges but he's the kind of lawyer I would want. He'll do absolutely anything for his clients....

Yes.

I was so afraid Chuck was going to take a drive-by bullet from some thugs hired by HHM.

Good, I'd much rather watch Vince's story than one he puts out trying to chase viewers.

But I do think Vince ultimately does strive to make a story that viewers will appreciate.

[Ronin Jackson]

I'm not sure I want to see Jimmy turn into Saul at this point. I'm hoping when he does, the shows focus becomes how Jimmy was really still there, beneath the surface. And I hope he finally wins out. It's a very different reaction than I had for Walter White, who by the end of the show, I didn't care if he got redemption at all. I'm pretty sure I'll never feel that way about Jimmy.

[Bannon]

I bet the big firm gets the money, somehow.  Since Chuck still is a partner, and they copied files on their machine.  Somehow, Jimmy won't see a cent, and this may hurt Chuck somehow too.

 

:(

 

Really enjoyed that episode.  I like the whole legal battle that Jimmy is waging here and glad to see Chuck beginning to take a more active role.  The flashback in the beginning was really good.  It's interesting to see that Mike's initial reasoning for pursuing a life of crime is similar to Walt's.

 

I am so worried for Chuck, and by extension, Jimmy.

 

Jimmy loves his brother so much, it's going to kill him when something terrible inevitably happens.

 

Jimmy may have rough edges but he's the kind of lawyer I would want. He'll do absolutely anything for his clients.

 

And amazingly, I am finding Jimmy McGill a pretty sexy guy. I did not expect that.

I continue to believe that this series, no matter how long it lasts, wll be about the price of remorse, whereas BB was about the cost of pride. Jimmy really isn't prideful, unlike Walt, and, I hope the writers are consistent about this. HHM is going to get involved in this legal action, and Jimmy will want to get paid, of course, but he really doesn't crave the validation from the likes of Hamlin in the manner that Walt craved validation by any number of people, to his and others eventual ruin.Mike pretty obviously will be driven to his eventual ruin by trying to make up for past acts that he skewers himsef for.

 

The overall value to the lawsuit is going to be entirely dictated by the breadth of the discovery allowed by a given judge, and even more tellingly, by how much Jimmy's side can, or is willing, to fork out - with no guarantee of success.  If they can get to the other locations and manage to find something stupidly left behind, they would win large.  I just don't see it.  Big law, with the deep pockets of their client, will bleed them dry before they could hit real paydirt.  Perfectly legal, mind you.  And perfectly horrid. 

In reall life, it would be a one in a million instance that a senior faciities company was going to this length to steal from its residents, and was not also engaged in Medicare fraud as well, and once that chum was tossed in the water, with the prospect of Federal whistle blower awards, the evidence would come pouring out. Now, they really don't want to turn this show into a legal procedural, so I don't expect them to take this approach to the story arc, but this would be a pretty tough case to beat at this point. I think the most believable way to write this is for HHM to bigfoot Jimmy, while tossing him a few bones, while  something terrible happens to Chuck.

[tennisgurl]

I kind of wonder if the show will end on a flash forward, where Jimmy/Saul is at his depressing Cinnabun job, when he overhears an old lady on the phone, upset about her pension getting taken or something. and when she gets up to the front, the shot focuses on him, and he sticks out his hand, and goes:

 

Ma`am, my name is Jimmy, and I think I can help you".

 

Cut to black. 

[peggy06]

I have this fear that HHM is going to say Chuck broke the partnership rules, or something, and use it as a reason to get rid of him without any payout. It was clear from Kim's reaction that it wasn't a good idea to use Chuck's code to do this volume of printing. 

 

I never expected it, but I'm finding there's an undercurrent of sadness when watching this show. It's because I know nothing can go right, because of where Jimmy ends up by the time of Breaking Bad. And, like someone said above, I don't want Jimmy to become Saul. It's like I'm constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know?

[Lonesome Rhodes]

1868.

 

Significance to Chuck?  My guess is year of Edison's first patent - electric voice machine.

 

Other guesses:  First traffic lights installed.  In London...14th Amendment adopted...Custer attacks Northern Cheyennes.  Chief Black Kettle is killed...President Johnson survives impeachment...Grant is elected president...Jesse James robs banks in Missouri and Kentucky...First black U.S. Congressman elected (Louisiana).

Edited March 24, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[placate]

Francesca > Kim

[Conan Troutman]

Just for a few moments (til the preview) I was afraid that Chuck's unintentional outing might be a fatal shock to his system.  

 

The way it was shot, I totally expected him to have a heart attack or something like that at any moment.

 

I have this fear that HHM is going to say Chuck broke the partnership rules, or something, and use it as a reason to get rid of him without any payout. It was clear from Kim's reaction that it wasn't a good idea to use Chuck's code to do this volume of printing.

 

Of course Checkov's printer is going to backfire, it will inevitably lead to Hamlin finding out. I don't think Kim will jump at the opportunity and rat them out, it's probably more like Hamlin seeing the bill, sniffing something and forcing her to come clean. After that though, there are a lot of different ways how that could play out, we only know that Jimmy won't like any of them. 

 

Was Stacey pressuring Mike to help her financially? (on purpose, I mean).

 

Definitely. Especially since she didn't approach him with the topic in a seperate instance, but asked him right after she let him see Kaylee for the day. The underlying message was to me "if you want to see your granddaughter regularly, you better pony up". I can understand her, since she probably thinks that Mike's somehow at least partially responsible for her husband's death. I guess she also has no qualms about it now after learning he was a dirty cop, maybe she even assumes he's still got some cash lying around from that time.

 

he's not a man who will be against diving into a dumpster to find evidence (and I totally cracked up over it being in the recycling bin the entire time.)

 

I was thinking "No Jimmy, don't go in there, there's gotta be another bin just for paper right around the corner", but he wasn't listening... I did laugh a bit, but I'm liking Jimmy too much right now to really enjoy that scene.

[ketose]

I'm not sure I want to see Jimmy turn into Saul at this point. I'm hoping when he does, the shows focus becomes how Jimmy was really still there, beneath the surface. And I hope he finally wins out. It's a very different reaction than I had for Walter White, who by the end of the show, I didn't care if he got redemption at all. I'm pretty sure I'll never feel that way about Jimmy.

This isn't Mr. Chips turning into Scarface. For one thing, I thought Walter White was a dick pretty much from episode 1. It's pretty obvious through Breaking Bad that Walter is an SOB who can't keep a job with any demands and managed to be the luckiest incompetent drug dealer ever.

 

Jimmy really is the opposite. He's not a genius, but he's clever and a hard worker. He deserves a chance and can't get it. The only bad part about BCS is that we know he ends up working out of a strip mall for some pretty shady characters. Then again, maybe that's what Jimmy really loved.

[Blackie]

And amazingly, I am finding Jimmy McGill a pretty sexy guy. I did not expect that  

 

I was thinking the same thing in this episode too.  I can see how Kim would have had a relationship with him now, in the first episode it didn't seem believable to me.

 

Another timeline question....Is Jimmy working at his brothers firm after he had the law troubles in Chicago or where ever he was before

 

It sounds like Kim worked her way up from the mailroom too,  I hope Howard didn't have other intentions toward her besides paying her way through law school, I wouldn't doubt it, he seemed like such a dick.

 

When Jimmy went in the dumpster, all I could think about is adult diapers.....ewww

[ghoulina]

It was great to learn more about Jimmy's back story, how he became a lawyer and what his connection to HHM was. Like many surmised, he DID start out in the mail room, ostensibly as a favor to Chuck. But I guess he just wasn't good enough to work as an actual lawyer there. That scene between him and Hamlindigo Asshole was crushing. I'd like to know more about that, though. What exactly was Howard's problem? Why wasn't Jimmy good enough? Did Jimmy's rough-around-the-edges personality just rub him the wrong way? A bit of snobbery? Was there already some jealousy over Kim? Were they up to some shady business and didn't want the two brothers both working there? And what was Kim's role back then? Did she come up from the mail room as well? I hope we get more of this early stuff. 

 

I love Jimmy helping the little, old ladies out! How sweet was Mrs. Waverly (was that her name? I'm a bit fuzzy this morning) digging around for all the cash she could scrape together? I felt awful for her, because you could see how embarrassed she was. And I loved that Jimmy was not about to take everything she had; he really does have a good heart. 

 

The scenes in the bathroom and trashcan were freaking hilarious! This is the kind of lawyer I'd want. He's tenacious and clever and willing to do whatever needs to get done. But it was just SO comical that he spent all the time sifting around in prune juice and adult diapers, only to realize there's a nice, clean recycle bin two steps over! Ahhhh, poor Jimmy. 

 

Best line of the night - "You can't say it's private if a hobo can use it for a wigwam"!

 

I love seeing him work with Chuck. They're a great team and it's so touching watching the range of emotions it puts Jimmy through - concern, gratitude, pride, etc. I really enjoyed the tender moment when Jimmy got down and tied Chuck's shoes....and, of course, when Chuck goes outside and is functioning like a normal human being without realizing! I'm very eager to see where this takes us next week. But that has got to be such a blow, to realize this malady you suffered through for so long, that completely debilitated you, was all in your head. I'm sure he's overjoyed, but also maybe ashamed? 

 

I hope they take Sandpiper down!

[BeatrixK]

I desperately want a shirt that says 'Go, Land Crabs!'

 

And I agree with some other posters:  I, too, am finding Jimmy strangely sexy!  As in...'might replace someone on my laminated list sexy!' 

 

And mad props to Gilligan:  I have NO idea what kind of pact he made with Satan, or how many kidneys he had to sell or whatever it was he did to get the writing talent he has...but this guy creates characters that have no earthly reason to garner empathic feelings towards...and damned if he doesn't:  He took a teacher facing cancer with a disabled son and a newborn daughter, believably turned him into a murdering, drug king pin WHO PEOPLE STILL ROOTED FOR!?!?!?  Now, he takes a lawyer, who 99% of this audience found a slimy bit of comic relief as his end result...but we are now rooting for the guy, finding sex appeal in him, and really cheering him on...even though we know how he ends up!  WTF, Gilligan - that's some genius level shit right there!

[ghoulina]

Was Stacey pressuring Mike to help her financially? (on purpose, I mean).

 

You know, the first time I watched that scene I wouldn't have said so. I thought she was just thinking out loud. But I rewatched this morning, and I was like - "Damned if she isn't hinting that Mike should find her some more ill-gotten money". It just seemed like such a passive aggressive thing to say. I'm not sure how I feel about her, but I do kind of get the feeling she's taking advantage of Mike's love of his granddaughter here. 

 

Of course Checkov's printer is going to backfire, it will inevitably lead to Hamlin finding out. I don't think Kim will jump at the opportunity and rat them out, it's probably more like Hamlin seeing the bill, sniffing something and forcing her to come clean. After that though, there are a lot of different ways how that could play out, we only know that Jimmy won't like any of them.

 

Yea, I definitely think the printing is going to come back and bite Jimmy in the ass. But I don't think Kim is going to intentionally betray them. It might end up being a situation where she's stuck in the middle and and is kind of forced into it, in order to keep her job. 

 

I'm not sure I want to see Jimmy turn into Saul at this point. I'm hoping when he does, the shows focus becomes how Jimmy was really still there, beneath the surface.

 

Same here! In my head, the Saul we saw on BB was that way because he was working with "bad guys", but he was still the same, old Jimmy when a "good guy" came into his office needing help. He uses the bad guy money to be able to help the good guys. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. 

[peeayebee]

Fantastic ep. I love seeing Jimmy working so hard. I love seeing Chuck being brilliant and rational. 

 

What happened in the very last shot? I wasn't sure where to focus, then I heard a thud. Did Chuck drop the box? 

 

The fb was great. I felt so bad for Jimmy. He practically had to beg for his brother's approval -- "Are you proud of me?" And then Howard later saying, "We're all proud of you." It sounded like something one would say to a child.

 

The scene with Mrs Landry and her Hydrox cookies was wonderful. Such a nicely performed little character.

 

That scene with Jimmy in the dumpster was great. Talk about dedication. And I cracked up when he told the lawyer who called him that he was at the opera. Exact opposite of where he really was. "Blow MY magic flute." Of course the recycling bin was just next door. Oh, and yet again Jimmy kicks something in frustration.

 

I was surprised that Stacey strongly hinted that Mike get her more money. At first I thought it was have been an innocent remark, but I couldn't deny the way she glanced up at him, giving more meaning to the remark. 

 

The meeting at Chuck's house was tense. BTW, when the lawyer said, "We’re going to make your clients whole," I immediately flashed back to Mike using the same expression in BB.

 

Go, Land Crabs!

[ottoDbusdriver]

What happened in the very last shot? I wasn't sure where to focus, then I heard a thud. Did Chuck drop the box?

 

Yep.

[editorgrrl]

1868.

Significance to Chuck? My guess is year of Edison's first patent - electric voice machine.

Other guesses: First traffic lights installed. In London...14th Amendment adopted...Custer attacks Northern Cheyennes. Chief Black Kettle is killed...President Johnson survives impeachment...Grant is elected president...Jesse James robs banks in Missouri and Kentucky...First black U.S. Congressman elected (Louisiana).

Of these, the February 24, 1868, impeachment of President Andrew Johnson is a possibility (or his May 16 acquittal). But I'd have to pick the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution (July 28, 1868).

My guesses: Thomas Edison applied for his first patent, the electric vote recorder, on October 28, 1868.

Also, the judge from the Scopes Monkey Trial, John T. Raulston, was born September 22, 1868.

[Lingo]

I couldn't quite see what happened in that last shot.  I heard a thump--I'm presuming Chuck dropped the box.  Did anything else happen?  He didn't collapse or anything, did he?

 

I actually thought this was one of the slower episodes.   There was no big Aha! or Gotcha! moment like most of the other ones had ... but I'm still invested nonetheless.

 

I can't help but feel a little sad whenever I see Jimmy and Chuck interact.  Forgive me for stating what may be obvious, but in that interaction, I see in Jimmy a guy who's desperate to earn the respect of his brother.  And sadly, in Chuck I see someone who in unwilling to completely give that respect -- he is always looking down on Jimmy, subtly or sometimes unsubtly.  He can't get past seeing his brother as the little criminal screw-up.  And that lack of respect manifests itself in a hundred little ways. He undermined Jimmy in the first episode when Jimmy was trying to get him his HHM payout. He's always grouchy when Jimmy is making a mess in his house, even though he was completely dependent on Jimmy to live through his "illness."  He hasn't really shown any gratitude toward Jimmy for helping him at all; in fact, his basically acts as if he's owed it.  Sure, we've seen that in the past Chuck bailed Jimmy out of major legal problems and probably got him his job at HHM, but since then Jimmy's worked his ass off to turn his life around and earn Chuck's respect and Chuck can't quite see it.  Sadly, I would not be the least bit surprised if we find out that Chuck did not completely go to bat for Jimmy behind the scenes at HHM to get him a job as a lawyer there.  He just doesn't see Jimmy as an equal. And I wouldn't be surprised to see Jimmy finally lose his patience with Chuck sometime soon.

 

ETA: someone said they were worried that the shady lawyers were going to put a hit on Chuck in the last scene.  But that's what I keep expecting Nacho to do!  He said there'd be "consequences" and I've been worried for Chuck (and Kim) ever since.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Lingo

[EDTV]

i had a hard time buying that no one ever noticed all that money missing from all 12 of those old folks home until Jimmy came along.

 

I mean all their families never asked them about money?