S02.E08: Fifi

[Bryce Lynch]

I want to see more Mike. Jimmy and Kim starting up the firms and Jimmy cutting and pasting (the old fashioned way) were OK, but I really want to see Mike vs. the Salamancas.

All the lawyer stuff has sort of a "Mad Men" sort of feel to it. All the "Will they get the big client?" stuff seems a bit low stakes to me after a while.

[benteen]

Good episode last night.  I'm glad Jimmy has decided to screw off Chuck but I can't imagine that not backfiring.  Chuck's pitch to the Mesa Verde was impressive and Chuck worked him well.  He did it to screw over Jimmy but still, I can't imagine a bank relying on a single lawyer to represent them as opposed to be a big law firm.  It has nothing to do with how good Kim is, it's just simple manpower.

 

Impressive opening shot but I thought it went on way too long.  Can't wait to see Mike spring his plan into action.

[monakane]

The episode reminded of classic Breaking Bad especially the opening sequence and the copy shop scenes.  Did anyone notice Howard's purple tie and the touches of purple around HHM?  A shout out to Marie?
 

[ghoulina]

I loved the fighting over Mesa Verde because it was so straight forward.  Kim made a great pitch.  Chuck made a better pitch.  (Yeah, she did bring them in but there are benefits to a prestige firm with multiple attornies handling the case.)

 

So agree. As much as I cannot stand Chuck, and really felt for Kim losing her client, it was totally above board and Chuck made some very valid points. But it was also interesting that it caused him possibly his worst setback thus far. Was it really JUST because of all the electricity? 

 

First Better Call Saul commercial?

 

Yea, I think he's on that track. In BB, his whole schtick was full of Americana and patriotism. 

 

I liked Howard in this episode.  I think he was honest when he told Kim he wanted to change the world, but "dad talked me out of it".

 

I liked getting a bit more background on Howard. It explained why he seems to relate better to Jimmy, even if he drives him nuts, than to Chuck. There is definitely some bitterness and resentment there. Obviously he's not doing bad in life, but it's like he heads the firm out of obligation more than anything. 

 

Chuck is tied with Rollo on "Vikings" for the worst brother prize.

 

But at least Rollo is hot. Or was. Before he Frenchified himself. 

[Ottis]

I love the degrees of bad and good on this show. No one is perfect. Chuck made a perfectly valid case for choosing HHM. Mesa Verde guy heard it and made the safe decision. Nothing was wrong with that, per se. On another level, though, Chuck went after a case knowing it would harm his own brother. Some families don't do that. This one does.

 

Howard is a robot. His responses are all slightly delayed.

 

I will concede that the show is feeling drawn out. I love the technique, but Mike's story should be moving along a little faster, IMO. I can be patient with Plot A. plot B, too? Asking a lot.

[Knuckles]

Agree with all, the opening shot was wonderful...all the tension I remember from the best of BB. And the attention to detail is just great storytelling...so kids, this is how the border works. 

 

And again. watching Mike carefully construct his hose weapon, with gloves and a very careful washing of any fingerprints. Gilligan has such faith in his audience, knowing that we really do want to understand how things work, and in watching, understand how Mike thinks. 

 

And Howard is still a lying buzzard...he knew about the deal with Schweikart, which tells me he still is Barzini and that Kim did not fall for his ploy to take that job...and get screwed...so he needed Chuck to do his thing to steal Mesa Verde from Kim, to screw her as a solo practitioner. Howard's only interest in changing the world would be to make it even worse.

 

And Chick, you worthless baked potato...you would not lift a finger to help Jimmy, you would simply find a way to dump an ailing Jimmy somewhere out of sight.

And finally, Jimmy knows it, as your saying it simply confirmed how cold and cruel you truly are. Yeah to Jimmy for screwing Howard, Chuck and Mesa Verde...hope it sinks their boat.

[rehoboth]

One of my tv/movie pet peeves showed its head again. The idea that someone hiding in a car is invisible and its the invincible way to spy. Gilligan has actually used this several times with Mike already and he used it Breaking Bad plenty of times with Hank spying on Jesse and Walt doing it. I just don't think it's very realistic that just because you are sitting in a car suddenly nobody can ever see you, especially if the window is open like Mike's was!

I was thinking exactly the same thing.  Don't they notice that old guy with the binoculars in the car across the street?  I would think this scene would involve the willing suspension of disbelief.  In real life, former cop Mike would probably be parked much further away or be on a rooftop but it would be much harder to get a shot of Mike and the "crime scene" for the TV screen.

[Lion18]

The name may not be changed yet, but Saul Goodman is in the houzz! That was awesome -- I hope we don't see a later scene where he falls for Chuck's BS and undoes what he did/puts back the original documents. Chuck, you are one manipulative piece of shit. Sure you'd "do the same" for Jimmy. When hell freezes over you crap weasel.

And WTF is Mike making with that hose?

I think he's putting nails in the hose and is going to lay it across the road so that truck will ride over it and get flat tires!

[teddysmom]

Chuck made a better pitch.

 

Agree except that Chuck is not mentally stable.  I don't think Kim could handle the Mesa Verde work by herself, but it felt a little sleazy for Chuck to be going on and on about how much he knew about banking compliance, and leaving out the part about how he has to stay at home because he thinks he's allergic to electricity.

[Ronin Jackson]

Great homage/shoutout to the opening sequence to Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil". I was expecting the truck to blow up.

Props to all those who got this was a "Touch of Evil" homage. The ToE shot also crossed the border at a border crossing.

[RustbeltWriter]

I really enjoyed the scene between Howard and Kim. His story about wanting to go into practice himself but feeling trapped by his father in HHM reinforced my belief that he resents being bound to Chuck and all his problems.

[benteen]

I was thinking exactly the same thing.  Don't they notice that old guy with the binoculars in the car across the street?  I would think this scene would involve the willing suspension of disbelief.  In real life, former cop Mike would probably be parked much further away or be on a rooftop but it would be much harder to get a shot of Mike and the "crime scene" for the TV screen.

 

Yeah, I had a problem with this.  Not so much during the initial night stakeout but when he's doing this in broad daylight.  Seriously, no one notices his car?

[Wouldofshouldof]

One of my tv/movie pet peeves showed its head again. The idea that someone hiding in a car is invisible and its the invincible way to spy. Gilligan has actually used this several times with Mike already and he used it Breaking Bad plenty of times with Hank spying on Jesse and Walt doing it. I just don't think it's very realistic that just because you are sitting in a car suddenly nobody can ever see you, especially if the window is open like Mike's was!

 

 

I was thinking exactly the same thing.  Don't they notice that old guy with the binoculars in the car across the street?  I would think this scene would involve the willing suspension of disbelief.  In real life, former cop Mike would probably be parked much further away or be on a rooftop but it would be much harder to get a shot of Mike and the "crime scene" for the TV screen.

I kept expecting someone with a gun to come up on Mike from behind the car.

[ShadowFacts]

I liked all the cinematography, especially how that helicopter came in fast and low.  The music in the episode was good, too. 

 

For some reason I found Ernesto kind of touching.  He didn't want to leave Chuck's, not only because he was ordered to stay, but he seemed sincerely concerned.  Chuck gets more loyalty than he deserves.

 

Mike having Kaylee help him with the hose -- cute and sweet, but geez Mike, has the idea of karma not hit you upside the head yet?  Your son is dead, partially due to your own criminality.  Maybe keep the kid away from your scheming entirely. 

[nodorothyparker]

Loved the Touch of Evil long tracking shot to open.  I kept waiting for something to explode too, but it was still visually stunning to look at.

 

The interesting thing about Chuck is that yes, he actually would take care of Jimmy.  Because we know he already has.  He's bailed him out and gotten him out of legal trouble before, and he set him up in the HHM mailroom.  But he wouldn't be doing it out of any genuine desire to help Jimmy.  Chuck as we already know is an almost operatic level of controlling monster.  Any help he gives is about keeping Jimmy in the place he deems acceptable for him so he can keep pulling his strings.

 

I will give Chuck credit.  He made a good case and pulled off a masterful performance as the competent brilliant attorney he's obviously capable of being when he's not huddling under a space blanket, which really underscored the tragedy in all of this.  Sure, it's terrible that he's channeling all of his efforts into trying to force Jimmy back into what he considers his proper place and betraying all the love and trust Jimmy obviously had for him, but he's also cratering his personal and professional life and physically destroying himself in the process whether you believe there's anything real to his psychosomatic illness or not.

 

Howard's small scene with Kim talking about how he once thought of striking out on his own was nice and I felt like it told me more about the character than I've managed to otherwise learn in a season and a half.  It's entirely possible he was just full of shit and putting on the blandly plastic face we see him use in making nice with clients, but it had a certain wistfulness to it and felt quietly believable that maybe he too once had notions of doing something different with his life and instead took the easy ready made road for him.   Because things work out the way they're supposed to.  It actually goes a long way toward explaining Howard's longtime fondness for Jimmy.

Edited April 5, 2016 by nodorothyparker

[Stratego]

I love the degrees of bad and good on this show. No one is perfect. Chuck made a perfectly valid case for choosing HHM. Mesa Verde guy heard it and made the safe decision. Nothing was wrong with that, per se. On another level, though, Chuck went after a case knowing it would harm his own brother. Some families don't do that. This one does.

 

Howard is a robot. His responses are all slightly delayed.

 

I will concede that the show is feeling drawn out. I love the technique, but Mike's story should be moving along a little faster, IMO. I can be patient with Plot A. plot B, too? Asking a lot.

We didn't see what was the total agreement between Mesa Verde and HHM--it could have included Kim and the front/point lawyer and HHM provides "the horsepower" and all of the support services.  HHM collects huge billings, yet Kim could serve as the lead attorney.   

It was my impression that both Howard and Chuck are very positively impressed (generally like Kim and want her to succeed) but that HHM needs to serve everybody--themselves, the client (M V), and help Kim.  The end result of Jimmy's fiddling with the M V documents could de-rail everything--including Kim!

[Bannon]

I was thinking exactly the same thing.  Don't they notice that old guy with the binoculars in the car across the street?  I would think this scene would involve the willing suspension of disbelief.  In real life, former cop Mike would probably be parked much further away or be on a rooftop but it would be much harder to get a shot of Mike and the "crime scene" for the TV screen.

Eh, I think it is only slightly condensed storytelling. In real life, it woudn't be a big deal for Mike to get ahold of an older model car with windows suffciently tinted to make Mike invisible to anyone from the distance of the people he was observing, and in Albuquerque such tinted windows on older cars are very, very, common. Not doing so made the scene a little easier to shoot, and avoided a scene of Mike getting a different car to use. I don't see it as a significant departure from reality.

[teddysmom]

The end result of Jimmy's fiddling with the M V documents could de-rail everything--including Kim!

 

From the preview of next episode, I have a feeling Jimmy's little trick is going to back fire. 

[ShellSeeker]

Yeah, I had a problem with this.  Not so much during the initial night stakeout but when he's doing this in broad daylight.  Seriously, no one notices his car?

 

He did pull in behind a semi trailer though, so his car was kind of hidden and not sticking out like a sore thumb. And Mike's car blends into the background. Many people will look right at things without actually seeing them. In most cases if you take just a few basic precautions, chances you'll be able to stay under the radar.

[shapeshifter]

Eh, I think it is only slightly condensed storytelling. In real life, it woudn't be a big deal for Mike to get ahold of an older model car with windows suffciently tinted to make Mike invisible to anyone from the distance of the people he was observing, and in Albuquerque such tinted windows on older cars are very, very, common. Not doing so made the scene a little easier to shoot, and avoided a scene of Mike getting a different car to use. I don't see it as a significant departure from reality.

 

He did pull in behind a semi trailer though, so his car was kind of hidden and not sticking out like a sore thumb. And Mike's car blends into the background. Many people will look right at things without actually seeing them. In most cases if you take just a few basic precautions, chances you'll be able to stay under the radar.

I just wish we had seen one shot of what Tito Salamanca was seeing (not Mike). To me, it looked like he was potentially looking right at him.

[Schweedie]

There was a bit I loved, because it showed that Howard definitely isn't just Chuck's puppet but has his own agenda: he totally played Chuck to get him to come to that meeting. He tells Chuck that Kim is "pooling her resources with Jimmy", which Chuck of course takes as them going in as partners, and Howard doesn't correct him. He knows full well that's not what it is; Kim told him they were doing separate practises and he called it smart. But he also knows Chuck couldn't stand to let Jimmy get one over on him; he knows Chuck will brave electricity and do everything he can to stop that from happening, so he lets Chuck think what he needs to think to get it done. Smart. Evil, but smart. That scene may not have shown us anything we didn't already know about Chuck, but it showed Howard to be cleverer than I thought.

[Bannon]

We didn't see what was the total agreement between Mesa Verde and HHM--it could have included Kim and the front/point lawyer and HHM provides "the horsepower" and all of the support services.  HHM collects huge billings, yet Kim could serve as the lead attorney.   

It was my impression that both Howard and Chuck are very positively impressed (generally like Kim and want her to succeed) but that HHM needs to serve everybody--themselves, the client (M V), and help Kim.  The end result of Jimmy's fiddling with the M V documents could de-rail everything--including Kim!

I really don't think a person who liked Kim would have buried her in doc review, even after Kim delivered a client worth, to HHM, a net present value in the millions of dollars. Which isn't to say that Jimmy's act of fraud couldn't be very costly to KIm, even if Mesa Verde was completely gone without that act of fraud.  She is going to be rightly furious if she gets wind of it, as the preview of next week suggests.

 

I really think it is notable how poor Howard and Chuck are at managing employees, especially employees with talent, which is the most important task of any business owner of any size. Chuck at least is a geniuinely elite lawyer, but he allowed his decades long resentments to prevent him from seeing that Jimmy is a genuinely talented, hard working, attorney, who was so despertaely in need of Chuck's approval, that all Chuck needed to do, to keep Jimmy on the right side of the line, was to keep him close by, and give him encouragement. In other words, act like a manager with a clue. Instead, he completely alienates him with utter backstabbing dishonesty. What a dope.

 

Howard? He isn't even an above average lawyer, and may be below average. Then, when an employee shows very rare talent, and delivers a client worth millions, he is so unspeakably stupid as to insult her. This is how large once successful businesses end up in bankruptcy or taken over by better run businesses. The sad thing is that this form of numbskullery is not extremely infrequent.  

[teddysmom]

Yeah, I had a problem with this.  Not so much during the initial night stakeout but when he's doing this in broad daylight.  Seriously, no one notices his car?

 

 

He's sitting far enough away and shielded so that his car isn't that noticeabl hence the binoculars.   He was a cop for what 20 years? I think he knows how to tail somebody without getting noticed.  You see him because the camera is on him.  The people he's tailing aren't looking for someone. 

[ghoulina]

I love the degrees of bad and good on this show. No one is perfect. Chuck made a perfectly valid case for choosing HHM. Mesa Verde guy heard it and made the safe decision. Nothing was wrong with that, per se. On another level, though, Chuck went after a case knowing it would harm his own brother. Some families don't do that. This one does.

 

Yup. His pitch to Mera Verde was perfectly fine, and well done, I must say. But, one has to wonder, would he really have hauled himself out of the house and put up with all that electricity if getting the client wasn't going to affect his brother and Kim? 

 

I really enjoyed the scene between Howard and Kim. His story about wanting to go into practice himself but feeling trapped by his father in HHM reinforced my belief that he resents being bound to Chuck and all his problems.

 

Yes, it feels like Chuck is some burden that Howard's father left him with. 

 

For some reason I found Ernesto kind of touching.  He didn't want to leave Chuck's, not only because he was ordered to stay, but he seemed sincerely concerned.  Chuck gets more loyalty than he deserves.

 

Yes! Ernesto is so sweet! And Chuck clearly doesn't respect him. When he thought Howard was Ernesto, he said something like, "The door's open!" loudly, and then, "Like it always is..." under his breath. As if Ernesto's knocking annoyed him. Bastard. 

 

The interesting thing about Chuck is that yes, he actually would take care of Jimmy.  Because we know he already has.  He's bailed him out and gotten him out of legal trouble before, and he set him up in the HHM mailroom.  But he wouldn't be doing it out of any genuine desire to help Jimmy.  Chuck as we already know is an almost operatic level of controlling monster.  Any help he gives is about keeping Jimmy in the place he deems acceptable for him so he can keep pulling his strings.

 

I think Chuck did those things to appease their mother. If their mother is now gone, I don't know that he'd be up for bailing Jimmy out anymore. I also don't think he'd go to the lengths Jimmy has - daily shopping trips and pilfering ice from hotels and setting all his stuff up at home. He was taking very very good care of Chuck, and I only see Chuck doing the bare minimum. 

[Bannon]

Yup. His pitch to Mera Verde was perfectly fine, and well done, I must say. But, one has to wonder, would he really have hauled himself out of the house and put up with all that electricity if getting the client wasn't going to affect his brother and Kim? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I very strongly suspect that if losing Mesa Verde would not have involved a victory for Jimmy on some level, Chuck merely would have prepped Howard for the meeting as best he could, and sent Howard out to likely lose the client. It would have been one more thing to hold over the head of Howard, and Chuck isn't anything if he isn't the sort of small, pathetic, person who lives to hold stuff over the head of people close to him.

[nodorothyparker]

Have they ever specifically mentioned the mother?  I honestly can't remember.

 

We've never been given a clear picture of how often Chuck had to clean up after Slippin' Jimmy, but the episode showing the Chicago sun roof incident and what Chuck's said since have suggested it was not a one-time thing.  Up until Chuck's big reveal, Jimmy always gave the impression that he felt he owed Chuck and part of becoming a lawyer in the first place was about making him proud and paying that back.  Part of the issue is that we saw Jimmy doing all these things for Chuck onscreen, so we know how much effort he's put in.  Because so much of Chuck's earlier efforts occurred offscreen before the show started, they're a lot more open to interpretation as each character tells it.

[Bannon]

He's sitting far enough away and shielded so that his car isn't that noticeabl hence the binoculars.   He was a cop for what 20 years? I think he knows how to tail somebody without getting noticed.  You see him because the camera is on him.  The people he's tailing aren't looking for someone. 

I suppose they could have had a scene with Mike taking his car to an auto glass shop, to put in tinted windows, but I doubt the writers saw it as a real hole in the storytelling; it's nothing like the common nonsense of the main characters being near-infallible shots, and the red shirts not being able to hit the broad side of a barn.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Bannon

[Bannon]

 

 

I think Chuck did those things to appease their mother. If their mother is now gone, I don't know that he'd be up for bailing Jimmy out anymore. I also don't think he'd go to the lengths Jimmy has - daily shopping trips and pilfering ice from hotels and setting all his stuff up at home. He was taking very very good care of Chuck, and I only see Chuck doing the bare minimum. 

Chuck gets a psychological reward from bailing out Jimmy, after Jimmy has gotten in trouble. If Jimmy simply was mentally ill, and required intensive attention, Chuck wouldn't get the chance to tsk tsk at Jimmy's ethical shortcomings. Thus, mentally ill Jimmy would have been institutionalized the first time Chuck saw a chance to do it, and Chuck being a great lawyer would have meant Chuck would have obtained that result pretty efficiently. Hell, he'd probably see to it that mentally ill Jimmy was kept drugged up into near catatonia, or, in an earlier time, lobotomized. I really see Chuch as being that terrible, when it comes to what he sees as legitimate treatment of his younger brother. 

[ShadowFacts]

 

He's sitting far enough away and shielded so that his car isn't that noticeabl hence the binoculars.   He was a cop for what 20 years? I think he knows how to tail somebody without getting noticed.  You see him because the camera is on him.  The people he's tailing aren't looking for someone.

 

Yes, true, but his judgment isn't infallible, as he's already messed up with thinking he could get Tuco out of Nacho's way without killing him.  Also, he has already been tailed by Hector or his people, they knew his history and found him at the diner, so he and his car are on their radar.  They may not be currently looking for him, but it was a little risky. 

 

 

I really think it is notable how poor Howard and Chuck are at managing employees, especially employees with talent, which is the most important task of any business owner of any size. Chuck at least is a geniuinely elite lawyer, but he allowed his decades long resentments to prevent him from seeing that Jimmy is a genuinely talented, hard working, attorney, who was so despertaely in need of Chuck's approval, that all Chuck needed to do, to keep Jimmy on the right side of the line, was to keep him close by, and give him encouragement. In other words, act like a manager with a clue. Instead, he completely alienates him with utter backstabbing dishonesty. What a dope.

 

I agree, they are poor managers.  It's a hoot that Chuck once said that Howard jumped through hoops to keep associates happy.  Yeah, right.  His comment to Kim about why he was hard on her was all about rationalizing his shitty behavior.  Contrast it to Cliff at Davis and Main telling Jimmy he was an asshole-that was keeping it real.  Come to think of it, I bet Kim's talents would have been respected at Davis and Main.  That is, before she recommended Jimmy.

[AuntiePam]

From the preview of next episode, I have a feeling Jimmy's little trick is going to back fire. 

 

I can't figure what to make of Jimmy going back to the printing shop.  The documents Jimmy doctored are most likely on a computer at Mesa Verde or HHM, so when the shit hits the fan -- "You screwed up!" -- they'll see that it was sabotage.  They'll know Jimmy is responsible.  But they wouldn't necessarily tie it to the print shop, so why is Jimmy going back there?  "Tell them you never saw me"? 

[Bannon]

Yes, true, but his judgment isn't infallible, as he's already messed up with thinking he could get Tuco out of Nacho's way without killing him.  Also, he has already been tailed by Hector or his people, they knew his history and found him at the diner, so he and his car are on their radar.  They may not be currently looking for him, but it was a little risky. 

 

 

I agree, they are poor managers.  It's a hoot that Chuck once said that Howard jumped through hoops to keep associates happy.  Yeah, right.  His comment to Kim about why he was hard on her was all about rationalizing his shitty behavior.  Contrast it to Cliff at Davis and Main telling Jimmy he was an asshole-that was keeping it real.  Come to think of it, I bet Kim's talents would have been respected at Davis and Main.  That is, before she recommended Jimmy.

Oh, Cliff is a much, much, better manager than either Chuck or Howard. He was just a little uncreative as a problem solver (the issue with Jimmy being at odds with what was a tolerable form of t.v. advertising was pretty easily solvable, and worth solving, given Jimmy's indisputably terrific results), and more importantly, Cliff has no chance to have the sort of control over Jimmy, that Chuck once had, and then idiotically threw away with stupidly dishonest behavior. Jimmy had no chance to be a good fit, long term, at Davis and Main, after Chuck backstabbed him, but Jimmy could have been a real asset for HHM, if Chuck wasn't a moron at managing Jimmy the employee, because Chuck could only see Slippin' Jimmy. 

[Dobian]

When Jimmy went over to Chuck's house, at first I thought he was going to pull the aluminum blanket off him after sending the other guy home to make Chuck suffer for stealing back Kim's account.  But that's just not Jimmy's style.  But can someone explain what the benefit of this address falsifying is?  So things get mailed to the wrong place?  Since it's Mesa Verde's own documents, it's obvious tampering and will be figured out soon enough.

 

Taking back Mesa Verde from Kim is of course within the rules.  But ethical?  No.  They did nothing to win that client in the first place, she handed it to them on a silver platter and they only signed because of her.  I agree that Chuck would never lift a finger to help Jimmy out.

[Primetimer]

And one about snakes -- though, to be fair, that one she'd kind of already learned before.

Read the story

[rehoboth]

Yes, true, but his judgment isn't infallible, as he's already messed up with thinking he could get Tuco out of Nacho's way without killing him.  Also, he has already been tailed by Hector or his people, they knew his history and found him at the diner, so he and his car are on their radar.  They may not be currently looking for him, but it was a little risky. 

 

 

I agree, they are poor managers.  It's a hoot that Chuck once said that Howard jumped through hoops to keep associates happy.  Yeah, right.  His comment to Kim about why he was hard on her was all about rationalizing his shitty behavior.  Contrast it to Cliff at Davis and Main telling Jimmy he was an asshole-that was keeping it real.  Come to think of it, I bet Kim's talents would have been respected at Davis and Main.  That is, before she recommended Jimmy.

Was Howard's gift of Kim's tuition money being used to lighten his guilty conscience of how he treated Kim?  Also, Chuck seems much sicker after he has behaved unethically than after his usual outings to the office.  Guilty consciences all around!  Jimmy will always win those contests because he is a wolf.  He behaves according to his natural instincts and thinks about it, if at all, later.  Much, much later.

When Jimmy went over to Chuck's house, at first I thought he was going to pull the aluminum blanket off him after sending the other guy home to make Chuck suffer for stealing back Kim's account.  But that's just not Jimmy's style.  But can someone explain what the benefit of this address falsifying is?  So things get mailed to the wrong place?  Since it's Mesa Verde's own documents, it's obvious tampering and will be figured out soon enough.

 

Taking back Mesa Verde from Kim is of course within the rules.  But ethical?  No.  They did nothing to win that client in the first place, she handed it to them on a silver platter and they only signed because of her.  I agree that Chuck would never lift a finger to help Jimmy out.

Well, it would show HHM's sloppiness.  The address isn't just wrong; two numbers are transposed.  That's just sloppiness - something a bank would think twice about.  If Mesa Verde thinks the documents have been tampered with, they will be wondering who at HHM is trying to sabotage their own firm.  They don't and will never know the Jimmy/Chuck dynamic.

[Bannon]

When Jimmy went over to Chuck's house, at first I thought he was going to pull the aluminum blanket off him after sending the other guy home to make Chuck suffer for stealing back Kim's account.  But that's just not Jimmy's style.  But can someone explain what the benefit of this address falsifying is?  So things get mailed to the wrong place?  Since it's Mesa Verde's own documents, it's obvious tampering and will be figured out soon enough.

 

Taking back Mesa Verde from Kim is of course within the rules.  But ethical?  No.  They did nothing to win that client in the first place, she handed it to them on a silver platter and they only signed because of her.  I agree that Chuck would never lift a finger to help Jimmy out.

To be fair to Chuck or Howard, there is nothing unethical about Chuck telling the Mesa Verde guy why Mesa Verde is still better off with HHM, as opposed to going to Kim's very, very, small shop. It is likely true, which means it quite ethical to provide the client with that rationale. Chuck's just an A-hole because it is quite likely true that Chuck wouldn't have made that pitch in person, if retaining Mesa Verde wasn't a way to hurt Jimmy.

 

The only thing I think of with regard to the address falsifying is that the wrong address will potentially invalidate the legitimacy of the documents from a regulatory standpoint, if it is that address on documents which is filed with the government, and when this fundamental error is repeatedly made in the compliance area, it will paint HHM in a very bad light, and validate Kim's argument that she would provide more attention to detail for Mesa Verde that that provided by HHM. I'll be interested to see how the writers flesh this out.

[ghoulina]

Have they ever specifically mentioned the mother?  I honestly can't remember.

 

 

Yes, I believe Chuck specifically mentioned that their mother called him, that's how he knew Jimmy was in jail. Something along those lines.

So yea, I think he partly helped Jimmy to appease their mother. But I also think he liked the control it gave him, having Jimmy work for him, but in a much lower position.

[SoSueMe]

For some reason I found Ernesto kind of touching.  He didn't want to leave Chuck's, not only because he was ordered to stay, but he seemed sincerely concerned.  Chuck gets more loyalty than he deserves.

 

 

Yeah, kind of like Omar doing what he could to save Jimmy. Two young guys who haven't become jaded and cynical yet.

 

And then there was Pixie Ninja Erin, the other side of that coin....

[PrincessSteel]

I can't believe that I only get to spend two more weeks with Jimmy, Kim and Mike but I have to live through an eternity of Donald, Hillary, Ted and Bernie.

[heisenberg]

I loved this episode and I loved the opening! 

 

Anybody knows what was that awesome opening music? Please!!!

 

I was at one point at the beginning hoping to see Hank (Dean Norris) passing by...  :-)

[Dev F]

Well, it would show HHM's sloppiness.  The address isn't just wrong; two numbers are transposed.  That's just sloppiness - something a bank would think twice about.  If Mesa Verde thinks the documents have been tampered with, they will be wondering who at HHM is trying to sabotage their own firm.  They don't and will never know the Jimmy/Chuck dynamic.

 

Yeah, I think Jimmy is operating under the assumption that if given a choice between telling Mesa Verde "Whoops, we accidentally transposed the numbers" and "Sorry, someone sabotaged every document in our possession with that address on it so we would get it wrong," HHM would opt for the explanation that doesn't make it sound like there's some sort of legal records terrorist lurking in the bowels of the firm. Though that may underestimate both Chuck's commitment to keeping everything honest and above-board and his desire to keep Jimmy from further sullying the legal profession.

[Conan Troutman]

"Don't get mad at Ernie. He spent the better part of a day watching you do your impression of a baked potato."

 

That line slew me.

 

Once again, Chuck was kinda in the right, but somehow still managed to be a huge asshole about it. Still impressive to how great length he goes to screw over Jimmy. Who of course returned the favor - who knew he could be so meticulous with all the colored post its? Erin taught him well I guess.

So how is that little stunt going to blow up in Jimmy's face? Kim will find out of course, but will anybody else? Will she still get the business or will she reject it now because of how she got it?

[Umbelina]

He did pull in behind a semi trailer though, so his car was kind of hidden and not sticking out like a sore thumb. And Mike's car blends into the background. Many people will look right at things without actually seeing them. In most cases if you take just a few basic precautions, chances you'll be able to stay under the radar.

I have to agree with the others on this one, but it was an "oh well, I'll suspend disbelief" and it didn't bother me much.  However, when he pulled behind the semi I thought, "Mike would never, ever, do that."  It gave him no way out, none.  They could have come up, using the huge trailer as cover, and trapped him there.  Fence on one side, trailer on the other.  Had he been spotted, he would be dead.  He carefully wedged his car in, we don't even know if backing out was his only exit, but even if he had straight forward or straight back, those were easy ambush points and he would be screwed.  And dead.

 

It gave him a HUGE "blind" area, and put him in a box.  Just no. 

 

I don't really care that much, but it definitely didn't ring true to me.

There was a bit I loved, because it showed that Howard definitely isn't just Chuck's puppet but has his own agenda: he totally played Chuck to get him to come to that meeting. He tells Chuck that Kim is "pooling her resources with Jimmy", which Chuck of course takes as them going in as partners, and Howard doesn't correct him. He knows full well that's not what it is; Kim told him they were doing separate practises and he called it smart. But he also knows Chuck couldn't stand to let Jimmy get one over on him; he knows Chuck will brave electricity and do everything he can to stop that from happening, so he lets Chuck think what he needs to think to get it done. Smart. Evil, but smart. That scene may not have shown us anything we didn't already know about Chuck, but it showed Howard to be cleverer than I thought.

I don't know if that makes Howard clever or simply an asshole.  Who knows with that character?  Was he concerned about losing the Mesa business, or still on his unexplained vendetta against Kim?  Or Jimmy?  Or is it Chuck?  No clue.  Don't really care that much any more either.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Umbelina

[Knuckles]

However, when he pulled behind the semi I thought, "Mike would never, ever, do that."

 

Umbellina, thank you for that. Very, very smart insight, and your explanation of why he wouldn't rings true. You'd think, having watched Mike operate over the last few years, I might have learned something about surveillance and how to do it right.

[Dobian]

To be fair to Chuck or Howard, there is nothing unethical about Chuck telling the Mesa Verde guy why Mesa Verde is still better off with HHM, as opposed to going to Kim's very, very, small shop. It is likely true, which means it quite ethical to provide the client with that rationale. Chuck's just an A-hole because it is quite likely true that Chuck wouldn't have made that pitch in person, if retaining Mesa Verde wasn't a way to hurt Jimmy.

That's what I was getting at.  From a purely business/professional standpoint, they were just doing what firms do all the time.  And Chuck's arguments were legit.  It was the douchebag aspect that he was only doing this to hurt Jimmy through hurting Kim.  And this was after he had helped Kim because he knew what a douchebag Howard was to demote her that time.

[Ronin Jackson]

Here's the Touch of Evil opening shot that the opening of this episode is an homage to:

 

 

I think they even used a similar kind of truck crane that emulated the slight shakiness even though there's plenty of modern technology available that could have mitigated that.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Ronin Jackson

[MaryHedwig]

Umbellina, thank you for that. Very, very smart insight, and your explanation of why he wouldn't rings true. You'd think, having watched Mike operate over the last few years, I might have learned something about surveillance and how to do it right.

God knows how much I've learned about making meth from watching Breaking Bad.

Edited April 5, 2016 by MaryHedwig

[Umbelina]

Actually, I think I learned that from childhood.  It's such a basic to not put yourself into an easy trap. 

[Starchild]

Just a nitpick from the recap:

Not only will Chuck prepare: he's going to put on his foil-lined suit and attend that meeting his very own self

I got the impression he thought about wearing the foil-lined suit but ultimately decided against it, so as not to sound crinkly during the meeting.

 

Just deepens the perception of the sacrifices he's willing to make to screw poor Jimmy.

[ShadowFacts]

 

The only thing I think of with regard to the address falsifying is that the wrong address will potentially invalidate the legitimacy of the documents from a regulatory standpoint, if it is that address on documents which is filed with the government, and when this fundamental error is repeatedly made in the compliance area, it will paint HHM in a very bad light, and validate Kim's argument that she would provide more attention to detail for Mesa Verde that that provided by HHM. I'll be interested to see how the writers flesh this out.

 

Amongst those documents I thought I saw an address in Scottsdale, AZ for their proposed new branch, on a contract for sale, some permits, architectural plans, etc.  That's not just going to paint HHM in a bad light, it's going to make the bank look bad.  Chuck told the guy in his pitch how the regulators get very strict about small mistakes and the price can be big. The client can't be off the hook because the law firm screwed up, though they can sue for malpractice maybe.  I think Jimmy was doing something more subversive here than trying to make HHM look sloppy.  The thing I don't get is that he is working with hard copies of documents that are word processed and he knows that.  Chuck also said in his praise of Kim that she learned everything from them at HHM, so . . . is Mesa Verde going to want anything to do with either of them? 

[Umbelina]

Whatever it is, I hope they make it good. 

 

If it's just another "Jimmy fucked me" scene(s) with Kim and Chuck and/or Howard I'll be a bit bummed.