S02.E02: Cobbler

[Lorimac]

OK, I am having a really hard time with Kim and the whole "fabrication of evidence" thing. Evidence of what? Is she saying he fabricated evidence of a non-crime? Then is that "evidence"? First of all, the real primary crime -if the cops had known about it - was selling drugs. The video had nothing to do with that. Nor did it have anything to do with the baseball card theft. The ethical problem here was Jimmy straight out lying to the police. Kim getting on her high horse about the stupid videos makes no sense if she was just cracking up about how Jimmy lied to the police. She's all 'oh that's so funny' and then he tells her he actually filmed videos of Wormald and the pies, and she suddenly gets all virtuous. I found that more offensive than her taking part in the wealth manager manipulation.

Also, I never get these sibling rivalry things. Do older siblings really have such amazing psychic power over younger siblings? Chuck demonstrated his lack of love for Jimmy in season one - why on earth would Jimmy give a rat's ass about what Chuck thought of him. Chuck is a mental case, and he is controlling, vindictive and wants to see Jimmy fail. This is clear. It makes me think less of Jimmy that he still seems to care. Get a grip, guy. Next time your brother calls your name, take out the cellphone and walk over to him - that will show him who's really in charge.

All these complaints aside - I LOVE this show!!

[ghoulina]

When Howard was at Chuck's house explaining to Chuck that all the elderly clients love Jimmy, Chuck seemed jealous.  It isn't a big part of Chuck's skill set and it comes so effortlessly for Jimmy.  And no matter what he might do, he can never be as charismatic as Jimmy is.

 

Exactly. And he's too short sighted to see that this might actually be a good thing. A good firm would have many different personality types. Some are great with clients, others shine in the courtroom. And others, still, may be great at research. They could have worked together and done something great, but Chuck's ego got in the way. 

 

 

 

I'll leave him a big bowl of red delicious apples...

 

Umbelina, I am so with you on all of your plots, but especially this. And, not only would I leave a bowl of Red Delicious, I would smash his precious Fujis to a paste on the floor, all over the space suit his brother so thoughtfully created for him. 

Edited February 23, 2016 by ghoulina

[LittleIggy]

When Jimmy and Kim were taking their smoke break in the garage, and discussing his plans, he said he might buy a home between Santa Fe and ABQ, and "we'd get one of those smoker things." He said "we" not "I," implying that he and Kim would be spending a lot of their nights together - possibly moving in together. Kim had a quick little reaction on her face - hopeful and a little happy I guess. Then later she had to pull back with the revelation of the faked video. She was reminded of what Jimmy can be and how she needs to be cautious.

Kim said "we" and Jimmy picked up on that.

Chuck and Lady Mary Crawley would make a great pair!

Edited February 23, 2016 by LittleIggy

[Lurky McLurkerson]

OK, I am having a really hard time with Kim and the whole "fabrication of evidence" thing. Evidence of what? Is she saying he fabricated evidence of a non-crime? Then is that "evidence"? First of all, the real primary crime -if the cops had known about it - was selling drugs. The video had nothing to do with that. Nor did it have anything to do with the baseball card theft. The ethical problem here was Jimmy straight out lying to the police.

The video was exculpatory evidence to spare his client from being charged with (or further investigated for) a drug crime. It's like telling the police that your client couldn't have possibly committed that murder because here's a (fake) video of said client at another location during that time. It is just as unethical as manufacturing evidence to convict someone, and it's particularly egregious coming from an attorney because should be better versed in evidentiary law than your average citizen and have sworn an oath that requires following a code of ethics. Evidence is not just used to prove crimes, it's also used to exonerate suspects, which Jimmy did here falsely.

I'm also surprised that Kim's being called a killjoy for taking Jimmy to task for this. It's a serious violation of ethics, and it could result in his being disbarred. There are certainly very unethical attorneys and attorney who skate the line between ethical and not, but the legal system often relies upon attorney staking their oath and ethics seriously, and unethical behavior is something I've found real-life, non-Saul-esque attorneys care very deeply about. It could also affect her, if she has a duty to report ethical violations. Being disbarred or seriously sanctioned by the bar ruins your career as an attorney. I honestly think that part of her reaction to his story is that she knows how quickly it could destroy all he's worked for, particularly given the Chuck situation, but it's also shitty of him to dump that knowledge on her and possibly put her in an ethical bind with regard to her career.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

The cold open with Chuck playing the piano was also incredibly well written; revealing character without a word being spoken, until Howard knocked on the door .

The piano playing scene was just genius - with the metronome and the flub in the music at the same spot (I'm a pianist so I obsess over these kind of things). 

 

I really enjoyed the way Jimmy manipulated the cops right into believing his story. And I believe he really enjoyed it too. He's a smart cookie and it was like watching a game (and I'm so glad I didn't have to look squat cobbler up on the Urban Dictionary lol)

[ElDosEquis]

It seems like Nachos dad has no idea what his son is up to. He seems like a really decent guy, it really sucks how his son turned out. But I will take Nacho over Chucks hateful ass any day. 

Sometimes the worst asshole off the street is more trustworthy that the asshole you grew up with. Sometimes shit just turns out that way.

[BradandJanet]

Perhaps we'll get more backstory on Chuck and Jimmy. 

 

It's interesting how Chuck controls everyone else through his electricity problem, real or imagined. Jimmy catered to his needs, Howard does his bidding, an employee runs his personal errands, and everyone gives up cell phones and lights when Chuck shows up. The metronome metaphor was genius. 

[ElDosEquis]

Ahem, everyone that is pointing out the 'thin line/ethical violation' stuff are the people who are the salt of the earth, trustworthy people I'd want for my business.

 

NO one has ever lied or bullshitted their way thru a day of work.

[nodorothyparker]

Do older siblings really have such amazing psychic power over younger siblings? Chuck demonstrated his lack of love for Jimmy in season one - why on earth would Jimmy give a rat's ass about what Chuck thought of him. Chuck is a mental case, and he is controlling, vindictive and wants to see Jimmy fail. This is clear. It makes me think less of Jimmy that he still seems to care. 

 

 

But he does.  It's not explicitly spelled out in the first season but Chuck is enough older than Jimmy that he may have been as much of a surrogate father figure as a brother.  He's the one who's bailed him out over and over and it was pretty strongly implied in the episode where we learned about the Chicago sun roof that Chuck brought him out to Albuquerque and set him up in the HHM mailroom probably as a last ditch effort to get Jimmy to straighten up his life enough to not end up in prison.  He just wasn't expecting Jimmy to buckle down enough to get through law school and pass the bar in what seemed to be as much of an effort to finally make Chuck proud of him as it was to better his own life.

 

Chuck then didn't help matters any by letting Jimmy think he was finally proud of him while he struggled along on public defender cases and small time stuff like writing wills. This seems to have been at about the same time he began tightening the leash ever more by needing Jimmy to take care of him because of his supposed electricity illness and having "setbacks" when Jimmy did something he didn't think Chuck would like.  By the time Chuck is forced into finally pulling the rug out of from under Jimmy, he's done a bang up job of conditioning Jimmy to need his approval and that's not something you're just going to get over overnight.  These past two episodes show he's having a tough time not just saying to hell with it all and letting Chuck be right.

Edited February 23, 2016 by nodorothyparker

[Lurky McLurkerson]

Ahem, everyone that is pointing out the 'thin line/ethical violation' stuff are the people who are the salt of the earth, trustworthy people I'd want for my business.

 

NO one has ever lied or bullshitted their way thru a day of work.

There is an enormous difference between the-check-is-in-the-mail lying/BSing at work and committing a direct violation of your profession's ethical canon that can destroy your career.  Fabrication of evidence is not a gray area in the law.  There are a lot of ethical areas you can push in legal, this isn't one of them.  I would argue that Jimmy's lying to the police is part of the falsification, too.  I've seen lawyers bluster to try to avert focus from a damaging fact, and I've seen them "hide" documents bad for their case in enormous document dumps.  I've never seen one completely make something up and present it as evidence, and I'd be obligated to turn them in if I did.

 

I like Jimmy.  I find him charming, and he's fun to watch (though part of me gets why he galls Chuck so much -- not an excuse for Chuck! I think Chuck's behavior towards Jimmy is atrocious.  But I get why Jimmy's easy charm and lucking/conning his way through life pisses Chuck off.).  But I enjoy watching Jimmy-the-show and would never want to watch Jimmy-in-real-life because he's a trainwreck waiting to happen.

 

Frankly, I find a lot of parallels between the defense of Jimmy's behavior/condemnation of Kim and the Team Walt arguments from Breaking Bad.  And I really don't want to see Kim Wexler get the Skyler White treatment.

[ElDosEquis]

There is an enormous difference between the-check-is-in-the-mail lying/BSing at work and committing a direct violation of your profession's ethical canon that can destroy your career.  Fabrication of evidence is not a gray area in the law.  There are a lot of ethical areas you can push in legal, this isn't one of them.  I would argue that Jimmy's lying to the police is part of the falsification, too.  I've seen lawyers bluster to try to avert focus from a damaging fact, and I've seen them "hide" documents bad for their case in enormous document dumps.  I've never seen one completely make something up and present it as evidence, and I'd be obligated to turn them in if I did.

 

I like Jimmy.  I find him charming, and he's fun to watch (though part of me gets why he galls Chuck so much -- not an excuse for Chuck! I think Chuck's behavior towards Jimmy is atrocious.  But I get why Jimmy's easy charm and lucking/conning his way through life pisses Chuck off.).  But I enjoy watching Jimmy-the-show and would never want to watch Jimmy-in-real-life because he's a trainwreck waiting to happen.

 

Frankly, I find a lot of parallels between the defense of Jimmy's behavior/condemnation of Kim and the Team Walt arguments from Breaking Bad.  And I really don't want to see Kim Wexler get the Skyler White treatment.

I have bullshat my way thru many days of work.

Edited February 23, 2016 by ElDosEquis

[ElDosEquis]

Also, I never get these sibling rivalry things. Do older siblings really have such amazing psychic power over younger siblings? Chuck demonstrated his lack of love for Jimmy in season one - why on earth would Jimmy give a rat's ass about what Chuck thought of him. Chuck is a mental case, and he is controlling, vindictive and wants to see Jimmy fail. This is clear. It makes me think less of Jimmy that he still seems to care. Get a grip, guy. Next time your brother calls your name, take out the cellphone and walk over to him - that will show him who's really in charge.

 

In my case, I have three younger bros and the next one in line was a total AH, a bully and someone who would fuck you without pulling down your pants. One day - he was in a frenzy about something, began to yell at me about 'acting like I didn't care' because I wasn't running around cursing, throwing shit and yelling at people to do something.

It all depends on the personalities and what people want for each other.

 

Sharing is caring, but sometimes people get greedy and want too much.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Better Call Saul Turns Brother Against Brother, Again, Some More
Chuck comes out of confinement, and Jimmy has a little slip.

[Ohwell]

On the one hand, I think Kim really does want Jimmy to succeed.  However, the thing that bugs me about her is that I think she wants him to succeed for her, in order for him to be a suitable mate.  I don't know how much of Jimmy's backstory she knows, i.e., Slippin' Jimmy, but she does know him well enough to know he doesn't play by the rules.  So, if she doesn't like him the way he is now, she should just leave him alone romantically and stay his friend if she wants to, but don't give him any hope of a future together.   So yeah, in sum, she bugs the shit out of me.  

 

Also, my issues with her have nothing to do with how I felt about Skyler White and if I say something negative about Kim in the future, I do not want to hear "Oh that's just how they treated Skyler White."    

 

Nacho's dad is a sweetie.  

[Bannon]

Another scene which was exceptionally well written was when Jimmy visits the guitar-playing senior partner in his office. It drew a parallel with Chuck's piano playing in the cold open, but the guitar playing was relaxation tool for Jimmy's new boss, whereas the the piano playing was just another manifestation of Chuck's drive for control. Now I'm interested in Jimmy's new boss; will he eventually be revealed to be an A-hole like Chuck, or is he a generally decent guy, and if he is, will it make any difference? Secondly, the scene once again establishes that Jimmy has legitimate talent and required drive to be a conventionally very good lawyer, which is going to make his eventual career choices that much more interesting.

[Bannon]

On the one hand, I think Kim really does want Jimmy to succeed.  However, the thing that bugs me about her is that I think she wants him to succeed for her, in order for him to be a suitable mate.  I don't know how much of Jimmy's backstory she knows, i.e., Slippin' Jimmy, but she does know him well enough to know he doesn't play by the rules.  So, if she doesn't like him the way he is now, she should just leave him alone romantically and stay his friend if she wants to, but don't give him any hope of a future together.   So yeah, in sum, she bugs the shit out of me.  

 

Also, my issues with her have nothing to do with how I felt about Skyler White and if I say something negative about Kim in the future, I do not want to hear "Oh that's just how they treated Skyler White."    

 

Nacho's dad is a sweetie.  

It's not bad thing to desire that someone, who you are romantically interested in, to change enough that they don't end up having to work under a false identity as a Cinnabon manager in Omaha, especially if they have talents that could take them a very long way in a legitimate legal career.  It's easy to say "Oh, don't involve yourself romatically with someone if you won't accept them as they are", but our hearts don't work that way. We love who we love, and then we try to make it work, and sometimes making it work means trying to get people we love to change some things. Might be drinking too much, gambling too much, eating too much, or working too much, having sex with other people, etc.. Sometimes those we love make those changes, and sometimes they don't. Trying to get someone you love to avoid gross ethical violations, in a profession they have outsized talent for, isn't especially self centered, it seems to me.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Bannon

[Ohwell]

But if you have a pretty good idea that you can't change the person, the best thing you can do for yourself, and that person, is to move the fuck on.

[Lorimac]

Fabrication of evidence is not a gray area in the law.  

 

....   But I enjoy watching Jimmy-the-show and would never want to watch Jimmy-in-real-life because he's a trainwreck waiting to happen.

 

 

Evidence is a gray area in the law - that is why there are so many exceptions to evidence that there are actual colored flowcharts on the internet for law students to study.

 

But I am with you 100% on the Jimmy-on-the-show vs. Jimmy-in-real-life.  I don;t know if it would be worse or better if we didn't know where he will end up.

[suzeecat]

I'm loving all the intelligent observations here!  One of mine:  Howard makes a point of telling Chuck that KIM was instrumental in Jimmy getting the job at the law firm.  I'm curious as to his motivation in that regard.

[Stratego]

Another scene which was exceptionally well written was when Jimmy visits the guitar-playing senior partner in his office. It drew a parallel with Chuck's piano playing in the cold open, but the guitar playing was relaxation tool for Jimmy's new boss, whereas the the piano playing was just another manifestation of Chuck's drive for control. Now I'm interested in Jimmy's new boss; will he eventually be revealed to be an A-hole like Chuck, or is he a generally decent guy, and if he is, will it make any difference? Secondly, the scene once again establishes that Jimmy has legitimate talent and required drive to be a conventionally very good lawyer, which is going to make his eventual career choices that much more interesting.

I'm guessing that the #1 partner (Main?) is a higher form of Saul Goodman.  Reference the switch in Jimmy's office--that does what?  But is marked as hugely important.  Jimmy was provided with a really sweet deal--he's almost a partner!--and with enormous perks (but not equity/profit sharing).  Yet we know that Jimmy "moves on" and opens his own practice in a seedy neighborhood.  I surmise Jimmy gets axed as soon as the law firm gets everything out of Jimmy needed to crush Sandpiper like a grape.  

[Lurky McLurkerson]

Evidence is a gray area in the law - that is why there are so many exceptions to evidence that there are actual colored flowcharts on the internet for law students to study.

 

What gray area is there around completely fabricated evidence?  We're not talking about an issue of privilege, relevance, hearsay, or whether or not it was legally obtained.  I've never seen an admissibility flowchart that had to include the criteria, "Is this a lie you made up?".

 

It also looks like the New Mexico bar does have a professional reporting standard for lawyers (Rule 16-803).

 

Also, my issues with her have nothing to do with how I felt about Skyler White and if I say something negative about Kim in the future, I do not want to hear "Oh that's just how they treated Skyler White."

 

I believe that I said that I saw parallels between the two, not that anyone who complained about Kim was exactly like the people who pilloried Skyler (and, in some cases, Anna Gunn).  They are clearly very different situations and relationships -- for one thing, as you noted, Kim's got more of an opportunity to walk away from her relationship with Jimmy, whether it's friendship, friends with benefits, or something more. (Though, I think it is not always so easy to walk away from people about whom you care deeply nor do I think, particularly in some of the circumstances that Bannon described like addiction, that "moving the fuck on" is not the best thing you can do for someone).  That said, I get the same tenor of "killjoy" and "but she did X that wasn't 100% above board" and even a bit of "shrieking harpy" from some commentary on the show (not all here, not necessarily you specifically), and I don't think raising the comparison is invalid or not worth talking about.

[Bannon]

But if you have a pretty good idea that you can't change the person, the best thing you can do for yourself, and that person, is to move the fuck on.

That frequently is a very difficult thing to calculate, especially when you are immersed in it. 

[Ohwell]

That frequently is a very difficult thing to calculate, especially when you are immersed in it. 

I didn't say it was easy; my point is that it's the best thing to do.  

 

And the best thing for me to do is to move on from this subject.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

 

OK, I am having a really hard time with Kim and the whole "fabrication of evidence" thing. Evidence of what?

I firmly believe her concerns were not for his criminal liability, but for 1) His days at Big Law, and 2) SHE was the one pushing hard for him and she would take a major hit on her road to partnership.  Howard is already clearly against her.  His being sure to tell Chuck that she was Jimmy's biggest sponsor was all about knifing her.

 

Kim is absolutely a parallel character to Skyler.  They each came to understand they were with criminals who cared little for the impact it might could have on their loved ones.  She is making her illicit bed with Jimmy.  Obviously, Jimmy has not come anywhere near Walter levels as of now.  However, the character principles are all there for anyone to see.   Once a snake self-identifies, only a fool would deny there is, indeed, a snake before them.

 

It's certainly tragic.  No question about that.  But, for a Jimmy in particular, I have little sympathy.  He was carving out a nice and lucrative legal career.  He did not need to go where he is going/went.  I do love him, though.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Bannon]

I didn't say it was easy; my point is that it's the best thing to do.  

 

And the best thing for me to do is to move on from this subject.

I guess I don't understand being irritated with a character, or thinking a character self-centered, for failing to do that which is frequently very difficult. Like you said, however, it's best to move on at this point.

[Bannon]

I firmly believe her concerns were not for his criminal liability, but for 1) His days at Big Law, and 2) SHE was the one pushing hard for him and she would take a major hit on her road to partnership.  Howard is already clearly against her.  His being sure to tell Chuck that she was Jimmy's biggest sponsor was all about knifing her.

 

Kim is absolutely a parallel character to Skyler.  They each came to understand they were with criminals who cared little for the impact it might could have on their loved ones.  She is making her illicit bed with Jimmy.  Obviously, Jimmy has not come anywhere near Walter levels as of now.  However, the character principles are all there for anyone to see.   Once a snake self-identifies, only a fool would deny there is, indeed, a snake before them.

 

It's certainly tragic.  No question about that.  But, for a Jimmy in particular, I have little sympathy.  He was carving out a nice and lucrative legal career.  He did not need to go where he is going/went.  I do love him, though.

There certainly is no need to extend any sympathy to Jimmy. He has the ability to have a very normal, reasonably prosperous, if boring, career as an attorney, and he obviously ends up choosing a different path. It certainly appears, however,  that his choice will be colored by those he trusted absolutely screwing him.

[Ohwell]

Unfortunately, I don't think this is the last we've seen of Price and either Mike or Nacho will have to kill him.  I won't be sad if that happens though.

[Bannon]

Unfortunately, I don't think this is the last we've seen of Price and either Mike or Nacho will have to kill him.  I won't be sad if that happens though.

Yep, if Price is dumb enough to get involved with Nacho again (the actors for both characters are great, by the way; whomever does the casting is killin' it, too), after Nacho specifically told him that their dealings were over, then Playuh is definitely a Darwin Award candidate.

[helent]

Squat Cobbler >>> Chicago Sunroof

Cry-baby squat!

[SoSueMe]

I'm loving all the intelligent observations here!  One of mine:  Howard makes a point of telling Chuck that KIM was instrumental in Jimmy getting the job at the law firm.  I'm curious as to his motivation in that regard.

Yeah I picked up on that too. My take is that it allows him to spread the blame around a little for when things go south. I think Howard genuinely likes Jimmy but lacks faith in him.

[Domestic Assassin]

Here's a little background info about the cobbler scene.

[DrSpaceman73]

Perhaps we'll get more backstory on Chuck and Jimmy. 

 

It's interesting how Chuck controls everyone else through his electricity problem, real or imagined. Jimmy catered to his needs, Howard does his bidding, an employee runs his personal errands, and everyone gives up cell phones and lights when Chuck shows up. The metronome metaphor was genius.

I finally came to this same conclusion about his "illness" as well. It's a total power move to control others. Yes, he is hindered by it, but at the same time, he has manipulated the situation to where he still somehow is part of the law firm, even though he cannot really do the work required for it, and as you say, everyone waits on him. I would be interested to know when this started and when it began.

He controls Jimmy, or likes to when he can. His frustration with the piano piece at the beginning parallels his lack of control over Jimmy, he has lost that, or so he learns when he is told Jimmy a position at the other law firm

Jimmy is clearly bored with the work he is doing. He was wondering around the office looking for something to distract him. Even his "discovery" he tells to Ed Bagely, boring legal stuff I forget now, neither seemed too excited about it. while last season he was trying to do things to please his brother, this season he seems to be doing things to keep Kim. At least partially. Even though she said otherwise, I think she wants to be with him and wants him to be a successful lawyer of the same type she is now. If he did some other type of law, she'd move on.

Jimmy and Kim have the conversation about moving "half way" in between the two cities. At the same time, Jimmy is trying to find the half way point where he can be the type of lawyer and person he wants to be, yet still keep Kim. He is going to have a hard time doing that.

I agree with those critical of Kim by saying this wasn't really fabricating evidence. There was no crime he was charged with, its not evidence until he is charged with something. A fine line, sure, but it's just part of the story. Now yes he did blatantly lie to the police. The police really had nothing substantial, just suspicion, to charge anything with and as was stated, we're just fishing for things, hoping he would slip up and give them something. And he may have, had Saul not stepped in. But then you could say the police weren't being that honest either, hoping he doesn't bring a lawyer and bringing him in for questioning and basically hoping to get him to say self incriminate under the disguise of trying to "help" him find his baseball cards, which they had no intention of doing. If that is all they cared about, they would have found out the cards were recovered and just said OK, have a nice day, case over. They clearly wanted more.

I don't see Kim being like Skyler that much. Kim is being clear from the beginning she wants no part of anything illicit and if she finds out what Jimmy is doing is unethical or illegal, I think they will be done and she may very well report him to the state bar herself.

Squat Cobbler and all those sex names? Wow, that was hilarious. Makes me think of How I Met Your Mother, they were trying to get which one Robin did with a Canadian celebrity

On the one hand, I think Kim really does want Jimmy to succeed.  However, the thing that bugs me about her is that I think she wants him to succeed for her, in order for him to be a suitable mate.  I don't know how much of Jimmy's backstory she knows, i.e., Slippin' Jimmy, but she does know him well enough to know he doesn't play by the rules.  So, if she doesn't like him the way he is now, she should just leave him alone romantically and stay his friend if she wants to, but don't give him any hope of a future together.   So yeah, in sum, she bugs the shit out of me.  

 

Also, my issues with her have nothing to do with how I felt about Skyler White and if I say something negative about Kim in the future, I do not want to hear "Oh that's just how they treated Skyler White."    

 

Nacho's dad is a sweetie.

This is exactly how I see Kim as well. She wants Jimmy the successful lawyer, succesful in the partner at a major firm type of way. that is who she sees as her ideal mate, not anything else, and she wants Jimmy to become that person whether he wants to be that person or not.

I just don't think he does. I don't see him being happy with this type of job. And he has learned from his experience with his brother that trying to live as someone you are not to try and please someone else is a poor strategy

[peeayebee]

Good ep. Loved Mike's scene with Nacho (and his bringing up the name Tuco). Then when Pryce is there handing over his Hummer... That was great, esp when Nacho lets him know that the car is going to a chop shop.

 

Of course Jimmy telling the cops about the Squat Cobbler was a big highlight. 

 

I hate Chuck as much as the next person, but boy does Michael McKean play him well. BTW, I was wondering why he didn't sit in the head chair which Howard set for him. Maybe he was trying to appear to be a humble guy but not sitting at the head of the table, but of course we know that he is anything but.

[DrSpaceman73]

I thought Kim's response was reasonable. Conning a doucebag financial planner out of a bottle of expensive booze is one thing, fabricating false evidence to give to the police is almost certainly a felony (obstruction of justice?) and a serious ethics violation.

As an officer of the court, Kim probably has a legal and ethical responsibility to report such violations, so I could understand her not wanting to know about it.

Also, Jimmy is risking throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime by engaging in such antics for a minor case.

We all love Saul's schtick, but in the real world it could ruin his life.

Well we all know Saul's Schtick does eventually ruin his life, ends up in a Cinnabon in Omaha

However it seems to have worked for him for a good decade or so before that.

The main point though is the life he is leading now is not the life he wants. Yes what he is doing could end up costing him his current job, I just don't think he cares much about his current job. It's have given him some nice material possessions, but he doesn't seem to have a passion for it like the type of law we see him do later

[Auntie Anxiety]

Clearly Jimmy is most "alive" when he is running a con.  He likes that part of himself and the rush he gets from it.

 

Marco's ring reminds me of the old Twilight Zone episode in which a homeless guy finds a pair of shoes that belonged to a deceased gangster and starts killing people that the gangster held a grudge against.  The ring is a part of Jimmy's alter ego.

[Ohwell]

I was so hoping that Jimmy would keep Old Yeller and ditch the Mercedes.  I think at that point, that's when he really knew he was going to be living the life he didn't want to live, and to make matters worse, the damn cup wouldn't fit.  I was hoping he'd catch up with the tow truck and get his car back.  

[ElDosEquis]

On the one hand, I think Kim really does want Jimmy to succeed.  However, the thing that bugs me about her is that I think she wants him to succeed for her, in order for him to be a suitable mate.  I don't know how much of Jimmy's backstory she knows, i.e., Slippin' Jimmy, but she does know him well enough to know he doesn't play by the rules.  So, if she doesn't like him the way he is now, she should just leave him alone romantically and stay his friend if she wants to, but don't give him any hope of a future together.   So yeah, in sum, she bugs the shit out of me.  

 

Also, my issues with her have nothing to do with how I felt about Skyler White and if I say something negative about Kim in the future, I do not want to hear "Oh that's just how they treated Skyler White."    

 

Nacho's dad is a sweetie.  

Kim's faults are that she does want JM to be "her" JM. With the open concept house and horses?

 

Too many times people want to tweak a mate instead of letting them be who the were when they came into the relationship. IF A PERSON WANTS to change, they will, If you have doubts or you see something in a person, it becomes time to reassess your path.

 

P.S. that shit happens when you meet 'the one' and six months later you move in, get married and spend the rest of your days wondering what went wrong.

[Ronin Jackson]

 

Finally - Anyone know of any significance of the name "Rebecca Bais" on the sheet music, or of the music Chuck was attempting to play at the beginning?  Thank you.

 

They mention this on the podcast. The name itself is after Gennifer Hutchison's (the episode's writer) grandmother. Gilligan and Hutchison also pointedly tease without explaining much else that we will find out more about this in coming episodes.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Ronin Jackson

[Umbelina]

Jimmy's dream was to work side by side with his brother, and to finally have his brother's love and respect.  That's really the only reason he worked his ass off, with ZERO support from said brother (and father figure) to become like him. 

 

His dream wasn't to be a lawyer, it was to please his brother. Had his brother been pleased, would we have seen anymore of Slippin' Jimmy? 

 

Now from his brother's side, which Jimmy did not know, Jimmy would never be good enough to be like him, so he sabotaged him every single step of the way.  Was that Chuck's high-mindedness about the law, or was it that he could not STAND that popular, fun, adored, little brother Jimmy was audacious enough to think he could take over Chuck's role as the stable, smart, reliable, and prosperous son?

 

It's yet another chicken and the egg in this story. 

 

Yes, Chuck wanted Jimmy to succeed, as a mail boy, just stay in his place and let Chuck lord it over him, with condescending compliments, and still maintain HIS status as "the best sibling" even though Jimmy was probably always the most amusing and the most loved.  When Jimmy found out the completely sickening, and far more morally unethical machinations of Chuck, it took all the heart out of his desire to earn that brother's love and respect, to work along side him, and finally see that his brother was proud of him.  Hell, I doubt Jimmy even knew, and maybe doesn't even know now, how very jealous Chuck was of Jimmy, probably for his entire life.

 

Anyway, the heart's gone out of his desire to be worthy of Chuck's regard.  It will never happen, so why is Jimmy on that rat wheel at all?  Yeah, he's got the law degree, and he loves the part about dealing with people, and figuring out puzzles that cases allow, but is that enough for satisfaction in his working life?  It's more of it's a shame to waste that law degree, and a pathetic attempt with Chuck, no longer for love or regard or acceptance, but for the "YOU WE WRONG ABOUT ME" empty satisfaction.  At the same time, he wonders, is Chuck right? 

 

Chuck's the worm in Jimmy's possible Fugi apple of a life.  He always will be.

[Giselle]

 

Nacho's dad is a sweetie.  

 

Yes he is. I knew a mechanic who looked and acted just like him. A real sweetie! 

[Bannon]

There seems to be some confusion about this. If law enforcement is investigating what they suspect to be criminal activity, in this case Playuh selling drugs illegally, and somebody produces a video designed to sell a false story as to what Playuh was doing that resulted in the empty hidy-hole behind the couch, and law enforcement ever establishes that Playuh was indeed storing illegally obtained drugs in that hidy-hole, the person who produced that video has obstructed justice, which is a crime for anybody, and certainly an ethical violation for a lawyer, which could reasonably result in disbarment. Lawyers are usually very careful to say stuff that can never be called an outright lie.

 

Yes, Kim is obviously making a bad choice, if she thinks Jimmy is ever going to be happy as a conventional lawyer (Although I think he could be very happy as a conventional outlandish criminal defense attorney. He loves theater. Think Gerry Spence), but this stuff is hard for fallible humans to figure out quickly. Painting her as being notably self-centered for taking time to get to the point where she understands this seems divorced from what people usually are.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Bannon

[shapeshifter]

The video was exculpatory evidence to spare his client from being charged with (or further investigated for) a drug crime. It's like telling the police that your client couldn't have possibly committed that murder because here's a (fake) video of said client at another location during that time...

Thank you for explaining it in a way I could understand. Question: If Jimmy just "suggested" to Wormauld that he might want to make such a video to back up the story Jimmy told the cops, and if Jimmy was not actually present when the film was being made, and if Jimmy did not give them the tape, but instead Wormauld did, would that in any way protect/absolve Jimmy of ethics violations?

I have bullshat my way thru many days of work.

Hopefully not while sitting on a pie.

But if you have a pretty good idea that you can't change the person, the best thing you can do for yourself, and that person, is to move the fuck on.

Yeah, took me eight years to learn that one.

[Bannon]

Thank you for explaining it in a way I could understand. Question: If Jimmy just "suggested" to Wormauld that he might want to make such a video to back up the story Jimmy told the cops, and if Jimmy was not actually present when the film was being made, and if Jimmy did not give them the tape, but instead Wormauld did, would that in any way protect/absolve Jimmy of ethics violations?

There are things a lawyer might say to a client, which tells the client what sort of "evidence" would greatly help the client's case, without explicitly entering into an agreement to obstruct justice.

[Irlandesa]

On the one hand, I think Kim really does want Jimmy to succeed.  However, the thing that bugs me about her is that I think she wants him to succeed for her, in order for him to be a suitable mate.  I don't know how much of Jimmy's backstory she knows, i.e., Slippin' Jimmy, but she does know him well enough to know he doesn't play by the rules.

You're right, we don't know how much Kim knows about Jimmy.  In fact, we don't even know much about their relationship.  But what we do know is that Jimmy worked in the mailroom at her firm.  And that he went to night school to become a lawyer.  And probably that he really wanted to work at his brother's firm. When that didn't materialize, he thought of renting a swanky suite offices that screamed "prestige firm."     I can see how she'd think this is a victory for Jimmy and not realize just how deeply entrenched things are for him regarding his brother.

 

She also knew that liked to pull a fast one but I'm not sure how much she knew of his desire to break the rules because I don't think we've seen Jimmy expose his true Saul to her.She knows Jimmy who poked at Howard with his billboard.  No big harm and Howard's a big boy who can take care of himself.  And last week, all they really did was let a greedy douchebag attempt to seduce them thinking they had money.  Those things are slick but not illegal.  She clearly had fun doing it.

 

But what he did in this episode could get him disbarred or, at the very least, fired from his current position. I think Kim suspects that Jimmy is where he was working hard to get to and that if he did something to lose it, he'd be devastated. 

 

Yeah I picked up on that too. My take is that it allows him to spread the blame around a little for when things go south. I think Howard genuinely likes Jimmy but lacks faith in him.

I agree.  That whole scene was great because Howard was telling Chuck the "good" news knowing full well that Chuck wouldn't consider it "good" news.  He also wanted to make it sound as if he approved but wasn't too responsible either.  Chuck obviously has some power over Howard considering what he got Howard to do for him regarding Jimmy. I thought Howard sounded like he didn't want to provoke Chuck too much by making it seem like he was supporting Jimmy too much.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Irlandesa

[Dev F]

Finally - Anyone know of any significance of the name "Rebecca Bais" on the sheet music, or of the music Chuck was attempting to play at the beginning?  Thank you.

 

The Story Sync notes for the episode highlight the fact that the piece Chuck is playing "was commissioned for the opera Pelleas and Melisande, which tells the story of a man who discovers that his wife is in love with his brother." It's also probably significant that the song is a duet, and now Chuck is playing half of it all alone. I wonder if Rebecca Bois is the person who used to play the violin or flute part alongside him.

 

The suggestion seems to be that Rebecca is some woman who used to be in Chuck's life and now she's not -- and that Jimmy may have done something to get between them?

[LittleIggy]

Why does Howard kiss Chuck's ass so much? Is it that he doesn't want to pay out what Chuck would take away if he left the partnership?

[lucindabelle]

So is it not obstructing Justice jus to lie to the police? Kim seemed to find that part of the story hilarious.

[Bannon]

So is it not obstructing Justice jus to lie to the police? Kim seemed to find that part of the story hilarious.

A lawyer can retain plausible deniability with that; "Hey, that's what the client said to me, and I just passed the information along". Participating in the creation of video after the fact, however, and passing it off as the motive for the burglary, leaves no other possible explanation than the lawyer fabricating evidence to obstruct justice.

[Irlandesa]

Why does Howard kiss Chuck's ass so much? Is it that he doesn't want to pay out what Chuck would take away if he left the partnership?

We have never been told.

[Captain I0]

I know they touched on it a little by the end of last season, but I'm still suprised at how well the almost heel to face turn they did with Howard has worked.

You really see now that he really does have some respect for Jimmy, and does see his value but just has been playing the bad guy for Chuck for so long. And even though he still seems to have deference to Chuck and almost a certain amount of fear, he's up front and honest about things..."I didn't stand in his way". Even suggesting to Chuck's face that he knows Chuck wants him to stand in the way of Jimmy's success.