S04.E01 Smoke

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Jimmy struggles to cope with Chuck's tragic death; Mike ponders his role at Madrigal; Howard makes a startling confession.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Jimmy struggles to cope with Chuck's tragic death; Mike ponders his role at Madrigal; Howard makes a startling confession.

This is the regular episode thread.  It will open after the US East Coast showing. 

[knaankos]

One of the slowest hours of television I have ever watched. 

[WritinMan]

Great to have this show back!

The cold opening was fantastic--really felt the tension in the scenes with the hospital receptionist and the taxi driver. Odenkirk is a great actor.

I love the scenes where we just follow Mike, with no idea what he's up to just watching and trying to figure it out.

And Lydia Rodarte-Quayle. I don't think I ever knew her full name, but that is so fitting.

[Primetimer]

In the aftermath of three emergencies, everyone in 'Smoke' searches for clarity in our EPIC OLD-SCHOOL RECAP of S04.E01.

View the full article

[Bryce Lynch]

5 minutes ago, knaankos said:

One of the slowest hours of television I have ever watched. 

It was OK, but after waiting well over a year, we need more plot movement in the premiere 

Basically the only important thing to happen was at the very end, when Jimmy Saul revealed himself to be a total dirtbag.  

[nodorothyparker]

Damn, Jimmy was stone cold to a weepy Howard.  I love that I can both fault him and not given what we've seen over three seasons.  Yes, he certainly bears his share of the blame and he did tip off the insurance woman, but he had no way of knowing Howard would pick that particular time to stand up to Chuck and use it to force Chuck out.

This was a slow episode that oddly made me feel almost like we're following too many people now.  It took seemingly forever to get back to any one story.  The opening with Gene managed to be great though in giving me a couple of points where the tension was ratcheted up so high I thought this was surely where he was going to be caught.  

[WritinMan]

2 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

It was OK, but after waiting well over a year, we need more plot movement in the premiere 

Basically the only important thing to happen was at the very end, when Jimmy Saul revealed himself to be a total dirtbag.  

He hasn't already?

[Dianaofthehunt]

The cab driver's eyes! That scene was like something out of Hitchcock.

[TVFan17]

There have been other episodes in the past that people raved about, while I thought they were lackluster or underwhelming.  However, I liked this episode -- it was pretty good --  but I see that others thought it was slow or dull!   lol   I thought there were a couple of scenes with good tension.

I think that if people only wanted to see Jimmy deal with the aftermath of Chuck's death, or just scenes with Jimmy and Kim and that's it, then this would have been disappointing.   But I have never been shy about saying that I am/was less interested in the Chuck-Jimmy storyline, and more interested in the Gus-Mike-cartel-related stories.  So I was very happy that Gus, Nacho, Victor, etc., were in this episode.     In fact, I was worried that it was going to be all Jimmy-Kim-Howard-Chuck things and nothing else.   I was relieved to see that there was more to the episode than just them discussing Chuck's life.

Edited August 7, 2018 by TVFan17

[Pike Ludwell]

Zafiro Anejo tequila makes an appearance. That is the tequila that in BB Gus poisons and gives to Eladio. It is a purely fictional brand, made up by the BB team because they failed in getting product placement. It is supposed to be extremely expensive, and so it was an extra special gift to Eladio.  Was Kim's obtaining a bottle a part of a previous episode? I sort of vaguely recall it but I'm not sure.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Pat Hoolihan

[Bryce Lynch]

2 minutes ago, Pat Hoolihan said:

Zafiro anejo tequila makes an appearance. That is the tequila that in BB Gus poisons and gives to Eladio. It is a purely fictional brand, made up by the BB team because they failed in getting product placement. It is supposed to be extremely expensive.  Was Kim's obtaining it a part of a previous episode? I sort of vaguely recall it but I'm not sure.

Jimmy bought it last season to celebrate the Sandpiper settlement, before doing the right thing and stopping it.

I wonder if Jimmy somehow introduces Gus or Mike to Zafiro Anejo, giving them the idea to poison the cartel with it.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Bryce Lynch]

16 minutes ago, WritinMan said:

He hasn't already?

Jimmy had his faults and was briefly full Saul Goodman when he ruined Irene's life to get his money sooner.

But, after Kim's accident, he undid the damage at great cost to his cash flow and reputation with the geezers.  He also tried to patch things up with Chuck.  

It seemed like he was pulling back from becoming Saul, but now he seems to be Saul.  His reaction to Howard was the most evil we've seen Jimmy on BCS.

[SailorGirl]

I THINK i'm making this not-spoilery enough for those who haven't seen BrBa, but I'm going to hide it anyway, just in case I'm not being as clever as I think I am. . . 
Given what Gus said about what drug wars bring, and knowing that there is an uncredited BrBa actor making an appearance in an upcoming episode, did anyone else: 

Spoiler

Wonder if it was time to pop a nice, cold, home-brewed Schraderbrau?

Although in one of the previews (yes, I sucked it up and watched the opening sequence of the following show to see the BCS previews), there was someone standing behind a counter in what looked like an office and I thought, was that . . .
 

Spoiler

Marie? 

And completely not at risk of spoilery-ness -- I actually really kind of loved the Mike warehouse scene. It was just so . . . Mike. And really, how many shows, and actors, could have pulled that off?? 

Edited August 7, 2018 by SailorGirl

[Spartan Girl]

Jimmy McGill is dead in everything but name. Long live Saul Goodman.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

OMAHA!

The B/W choice was weird, and then I realized it was a dream.  Cottonwood Mall is in Albuquerque.  Unless "Gene" had moved back to New Mexico, it was not reality.

A nit for me was BO affecting Michael Corleone's pose in a big chair at the end of Godfather II as Howard was elocuting his mea culpa.  Jimmy, in that moment, was super frail.  It didn't help that he was earlier "receiving" guests who shared condolences.  It was Barzini all along!

Did we ever know that the model of his craptastic yellow car was an "Esteem?"  Awesome.

I found it ridiculous that Nacho couldn't get rid of a few pills without going to some outrageous lengths.  There's being careful, and then there's whacko.

ME bopping around the warehouse and digging up paperwork was a delight.  How many potential new sub-plots was I cultivating in my mind?!  I was super excited trying to figure out who this next Walt-like Dad dude was and what he might represent.  Just excellent storytelling.  I had a good chuckle at, and to, myself when the reason was as benign as we discovered.   This vignette/montage was worth the super slo-mo pacing of this ep.  To that point:  The slower, the better.  It appears we are heading for only one additional season.  I want more!!!!!!!!

The supervisor wanted the windbreaker.  What an awesome touch/note.  Mike made the right choice to really break bad and get out from under that ultimately mundane existence.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Lonesome Rhodes

[thuganomics85]

Kind of a slow return for the show, but I was prepared for that since pretty much every first episode (or two) tends to be kind of slow.  It usually picks up as the season progresses and I have faith that it will do so again this year.

The final scene was great though.  Jimmy totally knows that letting the insurance company know about Chuck's condition  helped drive him to his suicide, but he is perfectly content with letting Howard "bare that cross" by himself.  Damn, that was cold!  Jimmy's progression towards Saul continues on.  I just hope the ones closest to him don't suffer because of it: especially Kim.  Bob Odenkirk was excellent as always.

I figured Mike's stuff was him doing his "security risk assessment" gig, but those scenes were fun.  It's always good watching Mike be so efficient as his job!

Can anyone pull off subtle, facial acting like Giancarlo Esposito can?  The way Gus was eyeing Nacho in their scenes was chilling.  And now Nacho is being tracked by that other guy.  I worry for Nacho.

Liked how they brought back some of the other lawyer characters like Rick Schweikart and Clifford Main for Chuck's funeral.

Not sure what to make of the "Gene" scenes.  Has is paranoia gotten the better of him or has he truly been found?

Can't wait to see where this season goes!

[Dev F]

1 minute ago, Bryce Lynch said:

It seemed like he was pulling back from becoming Saul, but now he seems to be Saul.  His reaction to Howard was the most evil we've seen Jimmy on BCS.

He wasn't doing it just to be a dick, though. In an episode where every story focused on the inconvenient fact that nothing burns away clean, Jimmy jumped at the miraculous chance to be absolved of responsibility for his brother's death, by putting it all onto Howard.

I thought it was a well-done episode, but not a super intricate one. I agree that it was maybe juggling too many storylines, so there wasn't much time for each one to do much more than pop up and say, "Yep, solving this problem also didn't fix anything -- okay, on to the next one!"

I did appreciate that the writers attempted to massage the chronology a bit, so that Chuck and Jimmy are a little closer in age than previously implied. Chuck mentioned that he was away at college when his parents put Jimmy to work at the store at about age nine, suggesting that he's at least a decade older than his brother. But now we learn that Chuck was a prodigy who graduated from high school at fourteen, so the age difference doesn't have to be that pronounced.

[Bryce Lynch]

27 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Jimmy McGill is dead in everything but name. Long live Saul Goodman.

Well, if by "long" you mean until about 2010 when Saul dies and Gene Takavic takes his place. :)

[Irlandesa]

54 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

This was a slow episode that oddly made me feel almost like we're following too many people now.  It took seemingly forever to get back to any one story. 

I felt that way a few times in the previous season.  So I appreciate the episodes that focus on one side or the other.  I think a problem is---

45 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

I think that if people only wanted to see Jimmy deal with the aftermath of Chuck's death, or just scenes with Jimmy and Kim and that's it, then this would have been disappointing.   But I have never been shy about saying that I am/was less interested in the Chuck-Jimmy storyline, and more interested in the Gus-Mike-cartel-related stories. 

 

And I'm less interested in the cartel side of the show, even though Gus is maybe my favorite character from Breaking Bad, than I am in the smaller scale maneuvering of McGill/Wexler/Hamlin that pushes Jimmy towards Saul. Give me the small shocks of "that's your cross to bear" anytime.

20 minutes ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

OMAHA!

The B/W choice was wird, and then I realized it was a dream.  Cottonwood Mall is in Albuquerque.  Unless "Gene" had moved back to New Mexico, it was not reality.

They've done all Omaha Gene flash forwards in black and white.  But good notice about the Cottonwood Mall being in Albequerque. (Unless that was an intentional nod that I had forgotten about.)

I enjoyed this premiere.  It was surprisingly comforting with small moments of tension like the opening, or when the car wouldn't start and I feared there was a car bomb, or with Nacho trying to get rid of the pills while Gus watched silently....  And there are few things I enjoy more than watching Mike take care to do something with competence.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Irlandesa

[Bryce Lynch]

2 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I felt that way a few times in the previous season.  So I appreciate the episodes that focus on one side or the other.  I think a problem is---

And I'm less interested in the cartel side of the show, even though Gus is maybe my favorite character from Breaking Bad, than I am in the smaller scale maneuvering of McGill/Wexler/Hamlin that pushes Jimmy towards Saul. Give me the small shocks of "that's your cross to bear" anytime.

They've done all Omaha Gene flash forwards in black and white.  But good notice about the Cottonwood Mall being in Albequerque. (Unless that was an intentional nod that I had forgotten about.)

I enjoyed this premiere.  It was surprisingly comforting with small moments of tension like the opening, or when the car wouldn't start and I feared there was a car bomb, or with Nacho trying to get rid of the pills while Gus watched silently....  And there are few things I enjoy more than watching Mike take care to do something with competence.

I didn't like the Mike scene because his "job" is to walk to the mailbox to get the checks Gus arranged for him to get from Madrigal.  Him nosing around the warehouse would only cause trouble IRL.

[Irlandesa]

4 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I didn't like the Mike scene because his "job" is to walk to the mailbox to get the checks Gus arranged for him to get from Madrigal.  Him nosing around the warehouse would only cause trouble IRL.

I think it's his attempt to legitimize his cover story with Lydia to back him up.

[Auntie Anxiety]

I’m just so happy to get this show back. Nothing like it on television. Might have been a little slow but I still enjoyed it.

Mike didn’t like the idea of getting a check for sitting around and doing nothing, thus his security audit at Madrigal. Made him feel like he earned his pay.

What ends up happening to the money that Howard promised Chuck for the buy-out? I was waiting for him to tell Jimmy how much he owed Chuck’s estate.

[Bryce Lynch]

7 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I think it's his attempt to legitimize his cover story with Lydia to back him up.

Yeah, but she made it clear that it wasn't necessary.

In BB Hank mentions that Mike is on the LPH payroll. I wonder if he blew the Madrigal deal with this stunt.

[BradandJanet]

I really liked this episode. The pace gave me time to think back to previous episodes and reconnect with the characters and the plot. I had to laugh when Jimmy put the phone down while listening to Howard read the obituary full of Chuck's achievements, something Chuck always held over Jimmy. The American University of Samoa sweatshirt was great too.  Zafiro Anejo made an appearance in an earlier season when Jimmy and Kim conned a loud salesman into buying them several shots of it (at $50 each). 

[StatMom]

Nice little music connnection: the piece being played at the funeral was the one Chuck was trying to play on the piano early in the 2nd season. The sheet music had Rebecca’s name on it, although we didn’t know then who it was.

Interesting note, now looking back on it. Chuck was playing the piano accompaniment without an instrument playing the solo part. I would imagine that was intentional, showing that he felt incomplete without Rebecca.

Edited August 7, 2018 by StatMom

[TVFan17]

41 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

 

And I'm less interested in the cartel side of the show, even though Gus is maybe my favorite character from Breaking Bad, than I am in the smaller scale maneuvering of McGill/Wexler/Hamlin that pushes Jimmy towards Saul. Give me the small shocks of "that's your cross to bear" anytime.

 

 

Most people feel as you do, Irlandesa.   Every year, most people seem to say similar things to what you say, about being less interested in the cartel side of the show and more interested in the other things (Kim-Jimmy-Howard-Chuck-law firm things).    I am pretty much the lone voice admitting to being more interested in the other stories.  I never see anyone siding with me on that specific issue.   

In any case, the cartel side of the show is, indeed, part of the show, and they have come this far with it and can't back away from it now.  So I will continue to enjoy it and hope it pays off somehow.   lol   I couldn't wait to see who was watching Nacho dump the pills... and it turned out to be Victor (sent by Gus)!  

Edited August 7, 2018 by TVFan17

[BradandJanet]

Was Rebecca the older woman sitting in the pew behind Jimmy and Kim?

Edited August 7, 2018 by BradandJanet
Get a name right

[TVFan17]

Just now, BradandJanet said:

Was Rebecca the older woman sitting in the pew behind Jimmy and Ken?

I wondered the same thing.  I couldn't get a close enough look at her (before the camera cut away) to be able to tell. 

[LittleIggy]

So happy the show is back! One scene I particularly loved was the Madrigal break room scene.  “Does Bruce Lee have a gun?” ?Then Mike signing the birthday card!

Edited August 7, 2018 by LittleIggy

[Irlandesa]

14 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

Every year, most people seem to say similar things to what you say, about being less interested in the cartel side of the show and more interested in the other things (Kim-Jimmy-Howard-Chuck-law firm things).    I am pretty much the lone voice admitting to being more interested in the other stories.  I never see anyone siding with me on that specific issue.   

Oh that's funny.  I guess it depends on where you read because I do think you are not alone. 

13 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

Was Rebecca the older woman sitting in the pew behind Jimmy and Ken?

Yes, that was Ann Cusack.

[Auntie Anxiety]

Yes, it was a Rebecca.

I chuckled over Jimmy’s law school motto: I shall either find a way or make one. Yep, pure Jimmy/Saul.

[WritinMan]

4 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Jimmy had his faults and was briefly full Saul Goodman when he ruined Irene's life to get his money sooner.

But, after Kim's accident, he undid the damage at great cost to his cash flow and reputation with the geezers.  He also tried to patch things up with Chuck.  

It seemed like he was pulling back from becoming Saul, but now he seems to be Saul.  His reaction to Howard was the most evil we've seen Jimmy on BCS.

I can't remember everything Jimmy has done in BCS, but I really don't know if I would say that's the most evil.

Edited August 7, 2018 by WritinMan

[100Proof]

Whats going on with McKean's career that they killed him off?

[rue721]

1 hour ago, Dev F said:

He wasn't doing it just to be a dick, though. In an episode where every story focused on the inconvenient fact that nothing burns away clean, Jimmy jumped at the miraculous chance to be absolved of responsibility for his brother's death, by putting it all onto Howard.

I agree. And Jimmy's reaction to Howard also didn't surprise me within the scene (as harsh as it was), because Jimmy has always been hardhearted, opportunistic, and unwilling to take responsibility in that particular way. A conman like Slipping Jimmy has got to be.

Even beyond that, though, I think Jimmy was also feeling very angry and bitter toward Chuck. They really didn't part on good terms, and then Howard just sat there emphasizing that Chuck had apparently just committed suicide over a falling out with the firm of all things. I mean, in a way, that just confirms that Chuck was telling the truth when he said that he just didn't care about Jimmy that much. It was only his relationship with the firm and his place in the firm that he cared about.

Chuck and Jimmy have this operatic court battle, Chuck cuts Jimmy off at the knees when the tries to reconnect, it's all very tragic, Jimmy is still paying the price, and...that has nothing to do with Chuck's death, he actually had a relapse and committed suicide because things went poorly with the firm? Bah. I can see how Jimmy would be like, "you want to take the blame for this? Take it then!" to Howard. Chuck and Howard and the firm wanted to write Jimmy out of the story, and now they really officially have. I think that's why Jimmy stopped listening to the obituary, too. It was all about Chuck and the firm and Howard-as-a-representation-of-the-firm and everything else (including Jimmy) was very cleanly edited out. In reality, Jimmy had a big impact on Chuck's life -- just look at the insurance rate hike as evidence, if nothing else! But if Chuck and Hamlin Hamlin McGill want to shut him out...I guess Jimmy figures at this point, "go right ahead."

57 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

I had to laugh when Jimmy put the phone down while listening to Howard read the obituary full of Chuck's achievements, something Chuck always held over Jimmy. The American University of Samoa sweatshirt was great too. 

Yeah, I liked that twinge of...I don't know, I guess sibling rivalry or even schadenfreude from Jimmy.

16 minutes ago, 100Proof said:

Whats going on with McKean's career that they killed him off?

I don't think they especially wanted to get rid of the actor. I think Chuck has been a sort of father figure for Jimmy within the story, and in order for Jimmy to fully remake himself as Saul Goodman they had to cut that tie. It's the same reason they always kill off the parents in coming-of-age stories, I think.

[PrincessSteel]

I didn't find Jimmy's response to Howard all that shocking given the history between the two men. And Howard was clearly angling for absolution. Jimmy doesn't owe him that. 

[100Proof]

Who remembers all these details from any show's previous seasons, lol. Rebecca? Who the heck is Rebecca?  And Jimmy squealed to the insurance company Chuck's condition?  What the heck was Cheese Nacho doing with the pills? I forget. He didn't want his father to getting coerced by the cartel or something.... lol.

Edited August 7, 2018 by 100Proof

[WritinMan]

4 minutes ago, 100Proof said:

Who remembers all these details from any show's previous seasons, lol. Rebecca? Who the heck is Rebecca?  And Jimmy squealed to the insurance company Chuck's condition? 

Considering the long breaks between seasons (particularly between 3 and 4) remembering the details is hard, but this site is really very helpful for looking things up:

http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Breaking_Bad_Wiki

Edited August 7, 2018 by WritinMan

[100Proof]

5 minutes ago, WritinMan said:

Considering the long breaks between seasons (particularly between 3 and 4) remembering the details is hard, but this site is really very helpful for looking things up:

http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Breaking_Bad_Wiki

Good to know, thanks

[Bannon]

If I have to choose between writing which is slow enough to allow characters to evolve as humans actually do, or writing that keeps a fast pace, to maintain audience interest, I will choose the former.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Bannon

[Bannon]

To follow on, what I love about this writing is that they never have characters suddenly become idiots, so as to  advance the story.

[Armchair Critic]

Even with a bad arm Kim still manages to make her ponytail.

[dwmarch]

4 hours ago, knaankos said:

One of the slowest hours of television I have ever watched. 

I feel compelled to note that with Vince Gilligan shows this is not a bug but a feature. In a world of fast food entertainment this show is a full course meal and is meant to be enjoyed as such.

4 hours ago, Dianaofthehunt said:

The cab driver's eyes! That scene was like something out of Hitchcock.

There was some great camera work in this episode. I also liked the embers floating over Kim and Jimmy and the scene where Jimmy was at Chuck's house and the firefighters were milling about, doing post-fire cleanup stuff that never makes the news.

3 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

I found it ridiculous that Nacho couldn't get rid of a few pills without going to some outrageous lengths.  There's being careful, and then there's whacko.

No kidding! Does this dude never stop to take a shit? Drug runner 101: flush the product when in trouble! He could dispose of the pill container anywhere or fill it with aspirin and say it's his and he's been having headaches lately. Instead he stops on a bridge where he has no real business stopping, dumps the pills discreetly enough and then flings the friggin' container in such a way that anyone following him would immediately know he was trying to dispose of some evidence!

3 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I didn't like the Mike scene because his "job" is to walk to the mailbox to get the checks Gus arranged for him to get from Madrigal.  Him nosing around the warehouse would only cause trouble IRL.

Mike is still a cop at heart and wants to know who he's working for and what they are all about. If they're into some gangsta shit, could a curious investigator with a clipboard compromise them? Apparently the answer is yes so he wants to help them beef up security before cashing his consulting cheques.

2 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

I chuckled over Jimmy’s law school motto: I shall either find a way or make one. Yep, pure Jimmy/Saul.

University of American Samoa for the win!

[FortKnox]

3 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

So happy the show is back! One scene I particularly loved was the Madrigal break room scene.  “Does Bruce Lee have a gun?” ?Then Mike signing the birthday card!

And when he asked that question I let out a loud hell yes. Bruce Lee was known to carry a .45.  

[Bryce Lynch]

After Jimmy's reaction to Howard, I think Kim's chances of surviving the season and the series are much better than I thought.  I think she dumps the cold hearted bastard soon, which would mean they wouldn't necessarily need to kill her off.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, dwmarch said:

 I also liked the embers floating over Kim and Jimmy and the scene where Jimmy was at Chuck's house and the firefighters were milling about, doing post-fire cleanup stuff that never makes the news

It's a sign of the times with regards to the traffic jammed information highway of 24-hour news—as well as the proliferation of shows—that neither the fire ember and aftermath scenes were edited out, nor was the episode pulled because of the ongoing fire losses in California and elsewhere. Even though those glowing bits and charred remains had an unintended effect on me, I am not offended, but rather appreciate the inadvertently current dramatization of reality.

Again, like last season, the camera work and direction make Nacho's anxiety palpable. Not only is it good practice to do more of what has worked in the past, but it gives the character a realistic consistency. 

Speaking of consistent characters: In the cold open I assumed Jimmy/Gene was playing a long con—even with and including the scary taxi driver with the Albuquerque air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror—especially bookended as it was with Jimmy's cheery smirk in the final scene after all his interminable scenes of silent "grief."

Anyway, those opening scenes seem to point to Jimmy/Gene meeting a fate not unlike Walter White's. But maybe not.

 

Kim's reaction to Jimmy's sudden perkiness seemed to me to telegraph that she might leave him when she realizes that he's every bit of a dick as was Chuck and as is Hamlin. —which @Bryce Lynch just posted too!

Hmmm. Was Hamlin trying to get Jimmy to take the blame? If so, excellent crocodile tears!

[JFParnell]

2 hours ago, dwmarch said:

Mike is still a cop at heart and wants to know who he's working for and what they are all about. If they're into some gangsta shit, could a curious investigator with a clipboard compromise them? Apparently the answer is yes so he wants to help them beef up security before cashing his consulting cheques.

This, and that he was bored out of his mind sitting home watching baseball, and he's Mike! He's very literal. lol. He likes to earn his keep. If you hire him as a security consultant, don't be surprised if he decides to consult on security.

Remember in season 1 finale, Jimmy asks him something like "why didn't we each keep 800K tax free?!" And Mike replies that the way he saw it he was paid to do a job, so he did it and that's where it ended for him.

 

6 hours ago, Dev F said:

In an episode where every story focused on the inconvenient fact that nothing burns away clean

That was beautifully put. I'm fine with the episode and just relieved that we weren't subjected to too much post-Chuck anguish and tortured reflection (well maybe Howard a little - but that won't last); I should have trusted that these showrunners would try to avoid the usual well-trodden paths.

In each season, these Cinnabon Gene scenes are so good, leave you wanting so much more of that world, that they threaten to deflate the regular storylines. But then you're back color and in time, back to ABQ, and the moment passes. 

Some table-setting, but that was to be expected. Especially after the long slumber between seasons (%%$##!). I need to watch it again -- was trying to catch everything at once, and in doing so likely missed all kinds of things.

[gallimaufry]

I adore the artistry of this show.

Smoke.  A metaphor for suspicion. No smoke without fire. Without heat.

Nacho has the whiff of smoke about him - he wears red, covered in black. Mike is on the trail of smoke. Howard thinks he is the smoke - black jumper and charcoal suit smothering the Hamlindigo blue at the start and end. Gene, Stacey, the taxi driver, the broken car guy, even the audience, all smell smoke.

So when Chuck died of "smoke" inhalation... he literally died of inhaling suspicion. Allergic to electricity? Electricity is just what people use to heat things faster.

Water quells heat like confession quells suspicion - "coming clean". Kayleigh with her hose that Mike thinks, perhaps subconsciously, about cutting dry. The river Nacho throws the pills into (also the blue highlights on his shirt which are more prominent when he seems to have escaped Bolsa's suspicions). Omaha, full of ice - surely no smoke there? Jimmy's pet fish, fed and happy surrounded by water.

So when Jimmy leaves the tap running...

He's literally pouring away his guilt. Until Kim turns off the tap.

So what if smoke and water mix? The water just becomes impure. The coffee Jimmy drinks in happy obliviousness in the morning. The coffee he gives to Kim before she knows Hamlin is trying to call. The coffee bar guys at Madrigal, oblivious to the impurities around them. Kim pours tequila - muddy yellow even though it's from a blue bottle; it promises confession but that's not what it delivers.

At the end though, when Jimmy makes the coffee...

He applies heat. Controls the water. Dumps the waste.

Suspicions? Guilt? Collateral damage?

'S all good, man.

At least until Gene. Overflowing soap-filled water and an empty coffee cup drip, drip, dripping dry...

[Bannon]

I'll note again that the cinematography on this show makes 99.9% of other shows look like local cable access television.

[ShadowFacts]

11 minutes ago, Bannon said:

I'll note again that the cinematography on this show makes 99.9% of other shows look like local cable access television.

Agreed.  The way we first see Nacho on the bridge, and the scene that follows, were particularly stunning.  In fact that, and all of Gene in Omaha, made the episode for me.