S04.E03 Something Beautiful

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Quote

Jimmy puts a risky plan into motion; as alliances shift, Nacho finds himself in the crosshairs; Kim contemplates her future.

[Primetimer]

Jimmy reads Chuck's letter, Gus sends a dispatch via 'crime' 'scene,' and the dead of Breaking Bad live again in our EPIC OLD-SCHOOL RECAP of S04.E03.

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[Shriekingeel]

“These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard

There may be many others but they haven’t been dis-carvered”

 

Gale not finishing that Tom Lehrer song is like “Shave and a haircut” without “two bits”. 

[Spartan Girl]

Yeah, I think Kim forged that letter too.

GALE! That's the best thing about prequels: dead characters get to come back.

[Bryce Lynch]

67%? Even Todd and the dude who looked like Wolverine could do better than that.

[ShadowFacts]

The brutality of defiling Arturo's body and shooting Nacho is the type of violence I had a low threshold for in BB and have been happy to have at a minimum in BCS.  Guess that's over. 

The tone of Chuck's letter did not surprise me, I thought any more venom from him would be overkill, but the curve ball for me was Kim's reaction compared to Jimmy not having a visible one.  Well done. 

[WritinMan]

Awesome to see Gale in BCS!

[tennisgurl]

Dads car wash isnt looking so bad now, is it Nacho? Damn, that whole sequence was brutal, even by this franchises standards. 

Hey Gale! Long time no see! And 67%? Even the rednecks from the last season could have made better product! 

I didnt even think of Kim forging the letter, but now I wonder if its possible. But if thats not true, her and Jimmy's reactions were certainly interesting. Jimmy could not give less of a fuck. 

[TVFan17]

33 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yeah, I think Kim forged that letter too.

GALE! That's the best thing about prequels: dead characters get to come back.

 

You know... I hadn't even thought of her possibly making up a letter to give to Jimmy, but I did think that there was something strange about the letter Jimmy read.  So that theory could possibly make sense, IF that is what happened.   Otherwise, if she didn't make up the letter, then it was just strange anyway.    I almost thought it was kind of short for what I would have expected Chuck to write, but I guess he could be succinct when he wanted to be.

Edited August 21, 2018 by TVFan17
Clarifed what I was trying to say

[Dianaofthehunt]

I was turned off by Kevin's rapacious expansion plans for the bank. Greedy bastard! This is exactly how businesses go out of business!

The violence against Nacho was almost unwatchable. And I hope my shady veterinarian buddy has no further "truck" with the cartel guys.

[peeayebee]

I have no doubt that Chuck wrote that letter. I figured it wouldn't be filled with vitriol, and that was probably as kind and effusive as Chuck could be. It's too bad that Jimmy couldn't REALLY read it and hear it. He's just shut down re all things to do with Chuck.

I didn't understand what was bothering Kim about Mesa Verde's expansion. 

Have we seen the guy who stole the Hummel before? (either here or on BB) For a second in the dark I thought it was Norm Macdonald. I was worried that he took the wrong Hummel, but I guess not.

Poor Nacho. What an ordeal.

Loved seeing Gale again AND singing opera! (or a version of it)

[Irlandesa]

First, the negative: There was a little too much pure cartel/violence stuff for me.

I don't think Kim forged the letter.  Jimmy said it was undated.  I think the tone sounds in line with something Chuck might have written long before the most recent events.  In fact, it was likely written before Jimmy got a law degree.  Chuck says something to the effect of Jimmy running with the opportunity he (Chuck) gave him in the mailroom, becoming a valued member of the HHM family.  And that he was always on Jimmy's side.  I don't even think Chuck, in all his delusion in recent years, would try to sell that. I also can't imagine Kim having the reaction she did to the letter if she knew what was in it before he read it. 

Her reaction was very interesting.  Outwardly, she's reacting more to Chuck's death than Jimmy.  I thought her tears were surprising.  And I wonder if it's a delayed reaction to the Mesa Verde con that started the domino effect which led to Chuck's suicide.  Kevin mentioned not always liking Chuck and that goes directly back to how Jimmy forged Chuck's paperwork.

Gus's sly smile to the camera after Juan Bolsa told him he had to find a local supplier was my favorite moment of the episode.  And it was nice to see Gale again.

[Bryce Lynch]

12 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

I have no doubt that Chuck wrote that letter. I figured it wouldn't be filled with vitriol, and that was probably as kind and effusive as Chuck could be. It's too bad that Jimmy couldn't REALLY read it and hear it. He's just shut down re all things to do with Chuck.

I didn't understand what was bothering Kim about Mesa Verde's expansion. 

Have we seen the guy who stole the Hummel before? (either here or on BB) For a second in the dark I thought it was Norm Macdonald. I was worried that he took the wrong Hummel, but I guess not.

Poor Nacho. What an ordeal.

Loved seeing Gale again AND singing opera! (or a version of it)

The Hummel thief was Ira from Vamanos Pest.

Edited August 21, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The tragedy in this ep is that an Oldsmobile 442 (specialized power version of the Cutlass) was sacrificed.   My Dad decided that would be a fine family sedan back in the day.  Well, it certainly got folks attention as he gunned it up and down "Pleasant Valley."  Those really were/are awesome cars and legendary for good reason.

I thought the verbiage was just too much for Chuck to have written it.  Maybe one, at most two, allusions to Jimmy being half-way decent.  But, the bitterness of Chuck would not allow generosity, in my opinion.  To me, the only reason he would write would be to spite Jimmy.  Chuck could never allow Jimmy the thought he "won" by outlasting Chuck.  YMMV.

Although it didn't work out this time, I was tingling in excitement as the scene in the restaurant between Mike and Jimmy was about to commence.  Very, very few shows ever evoke such a reaction in me.  

Keiko!  Man, I hope Kim grabs hold of the Mesa tiger and makes something of her practice with Viola right alongside.  North Platte, Nebraska was mentioned as a future site, right?  

I am loving the slow and sure pacing of Gilligan and company.    

Edited August 21, 2018 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Chaos Theory]

The letter was undated. Chuck wrote it but probably before Jimmy committed the unforgivable sin of becoming a lawyer.

[mattie0808]

Why did Kim go to the courthouse?

Poor Nacho!

[Irlandesa]

Here's the actual letter Chuck wrote.  It definitely sounds like this was written when Jimmy was working in the mail room but before he became a lawyer.  That's when things really seemed to break for Chuck.

Dear Jimmy,

I have left many things left unsaid in our relationship through the years. Rather than allow these unspoken thoughts to die with me, I've chosen to record them here for you. I hope you will take my words in the spirit in which they are intended.

I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. You brought a shine to her life that nothing ever else did, and I'm glad of that.

We have not always seen eye to eye. I expect that will continue to be so in the future. However, nothing will ever change the fact that we are brothers, flesh and blood.  And though we are very different people, I want you to know how much I respect what you have made of yourself in these last few years. You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom, and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family. For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill. I sincerely admire your energy and resilience. I used to worry about you finding a place in the world, but I'm not worried about that anymore. I'm certain now that, no matter what the future may bring, you'll land on your feet and I hope when you read this, you remember me not only as your brother, but as a person you knew was always in your corner.

Chuck.

[scenario]

Chuck clearly wrote letter when Jimmy was working in the mail room and under Chucks thumb. Chuck was fine with Jimmy when Jimmy was a nobody. 

[Bryce Lynch]

18 minutes ago, scenario said:

Chuck clearly wrote letter when Jimmy was working in the mail room and under Chucks thumb. Chuck was fine with Jimmy when Jimmy was a nobody. 

Or you could say he was fine when Jimmy was not a lawyer.  

Say what you want about Chuck, he knew Jimmy.  He sniffed out his billboard rescue scam and the MV document fraud to the finest detail.  He also knew just how to lure him into incriminating himself on tape and by breaking into the house to destroy the tape.

The record shows that Chuck was 100% right about Slippin Jimmy with a law degree being like a chimp with a machine gun.  Jimmy should have gone into copier sales.

[thuganomics85]

Well, this might be Season 4 of Better Call Saul for most of the characters, but for Nacho, this is really turning into Nacho and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Season for him!  Gus and crew don't mess around when it comes to covering their tracks, and they really weren't all that concern if Nacho died or not, since it wasn't a given that the Salamanca cousins would get there in time.  Glad the doctor/vet was able to save him (and even used one of the cousins as a blood donor!), but poor Nacho really is getting put through the paces here.

Gale!  As soon as I heard his voice singing that song, I got giddy.  I hope they also dive into how he would eventually make that awesome coffee as well!  But like with most things on this show, it's kind of tragic knowing what will become of him.  Wanting to work with Gus ends up being his downfall.

Not surprised Jimmy's plan to steal the Hummel ends up hitting some roadblocks: especially with Mike refusing to help.  I figured the replacement would also be a familiar face, but it took me a bit to place him (Ira from Breaking Bad's season five episode, Hazard Pay.)

Surprised they are already addressing the letter, assuming it isn't a forgery, which did cross my mind, but I can't see it fully working since I have to imagine Jimmy would know Chuck's handwriting.  But I guess it is showing how cold and indifferent Jimmy as become where he didn't even blink while reading it, while Kim was tearing up despite her best efforts.  Between this and her reactions to the Masa Verde expansion, I have a bad feeling Kim is starting to fall apart underneath her tough exterior.

[Tighthead]

Anyone catch the hook in the pizza order? “Yes, sliced”. 

Kim and Mesa Verde? Is she just feeling overwhelmed, and some guilt about Chuck?

i got the feeling she realizes she is on the verge of big things, and can’t move forward in life with a scammer like Jimmy. 

[AuntiePam]

35 minutes ago, scenario said:

Chuck clearly wrote letter when Jimmy was working in the mail room and under Chucks thumb. Chuck was fine with Jimmy when Jimmy was a nobody. 

Then why not give it to him then?  Why do an "in case of my death" thing and leave it for Howard to find?  I'm surprised that Jimmy wasn't surprised at Chuck writing such a nice letter.

3 minutes ago, Tighthead said:

Anyone catch the hook in the pizza order? “Yes, sliced”.

I heard "sliced" but how it that a hook?  I'm not up on today's lingo.

[tennisgurl]

I do wonder when that letter was written, because I think at some point, Chuck and Jimmy had a decent relationship. Probably while Jimmy wasn't a lawyer, and their issues hadn't really started. The letter even especially mentioned that Chuck was proud of them having the same last name, which I dont think was really true towards the end. 

I wonder if Kim feels guilty for Chucks death, on top of everything else that has gone on, hence the tears? Of course, the real question is Jimmy's reaction, or lack thereof. Does he just not care at all about Chuck, or what he did or didnt feel anymore? Is he just numbing himself? Or is this just him slipping down further down towards Saul? 

Hi Keiko! Always nice to see you popping up! 

[StatMom]

15 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Then why not give it to him then?  Why do an "in case of my death" thing and leave it for Howard to find?  I'm surprised that Jimmy wasn't surprised at Chuck writing such a nice letter.

I heard "sliced" but how it that a hook?  I'm not up on today's lingo.

In BB, there was a pizza place known for their unsliced pies. It was this type of pizza that Walt hurled onto his roof, and over which Badger and Skinny Pete had a discussion about the monetary impact of leaving the slicing to the customers.

[MrWhyt]

27 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Then why not give it to him then?  Why do an "in case of my death" thing and leave it for Howard to find?  I'm surprised that Jimmy wasn't surprised at Chuck writing such a nice letter.

I heard "sliced" but how it that a hook?  I'm not up on today's lingo.

because he wanted to leave a message behind in the event of his death. I don't think its all that unusual a thing, i have letters set aside (and they're more than just "clear my browser history and torch these hard drives")

[acid burn]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

67%? Even Todd and the dude who looked like Wolverine could do better than that.

Right? Poor Gale was so enthusiastic about his ability to do a much purer cook. 

Speaking of which, poor Nacho. I hope that sketchy-ass vet at least gave him some beef-flavored ibuprofen with his broad-spectrum antibiotics. 

[Constantinople]

As with the other episodes this season, I'm more interested in Mike and Gus than Jimmy

And the number of characters returning from Breaking Bad is starting to make me a little sad

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yeah, I think Kim forged that letter too.

GALE! That's the best thing about prequels: dead characters get to come back.

I thought about that too because of her reaction.  But then wouldn't Jimmy recognize the handwriting or be suspicious if it was typed? 

[HollyG]

2 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

First, the negative: There was a little too much pure cartel/violence stuff for me.

I don't think Kim forged the letter.  Jimmy said it was undated.  I think the tone sounds in line with something Chuck might have written long before the most recent events.  In fact, it was likely written before Jimmy got a law degree.  Chuck says something to the effect of Jimmy running with the opportunity he (Chuck) gave him in the mailroom, becoming a valued member of the HHM family.  And that he was always on Jimmy's side.  I don't even think Chuck, in all his delusion in recent years, would try to sell that. I also can't imagine Kim having the reaction she did to the letter if she knew what was in it before he read it. 

I thought for sure Kim wrote it until I read your post. I believe you are right. Chuck was glad Jimmy was working in the mail room. It allowed him to feel superior. It was after Chuck found out that Jimmy had earned his law degree that brought out Chuck's vindictive nature. He just could not be proud of Jimmy and took every opportunity to point out that Jimmy didn't get his degree from a prestigious law school. Jimmy got his from University of American Samoa's law program. 

So yes, I think Chuck wrote it while Jimmy was still in the mail room.

[Bannon]

I'm certain Chuck wrote the letter when Jimmy was in the mail room, when Chuck had Jimmy under his control, and make no mistake, control was everything to Chuck. Never forget his reaction to Rebecca's positive reaction to meeting Jimmy, or his reaction to Rebecca taking a phone call when she was having a conversation with Chuck. Chuck was a graceful, magnaminous, human being, as long as he controlled the other human beings around him. It is when he sensed that they might operate independently of his will that the rage machine really started humming along. He wrote that letter when everyone, probably Rebecca as well, was in their place, and knew what their place was.

Kim is feeling ovetwhelmed, in the midst of her grief/guilt, by Kevin's full throttle expansion plans, which is just too many hours for her and a paralegal. I feel more than ever that her labor shortage crisis is going to drive her back to a law firm with a revenue shortage crisis, one HHM.

Just awesome the way Mike turned down the Hummel nonsense. I bet Jimmy is about to find out that price estimates for "collectibles" on the internet aren't always reliable, and the crowd our Hummels thief hangs with aren't going to be pleased.

I'd like to think there was a way that Nacho could survive BCS, but I can't see it.

[BeeGirl]

I think Kim forged the letter. I think the real letter will give Jimmy more money than the $5000 but with the condition that he change his name. The line, "For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill," is extremely unlike Chuck. Also, his will was clearly written (or rewritten) at a time when Chuck was not happy with Jimmy.  Why would he write a nice letter and simultaneously screw him in the will?

[Bannon]

Also, I'm certain the higher purpose that Gus has in mind for Gale is overseeing a unique expansion of a commercial laundry building. Gus has been planning for a long time to have Juan Bolsa order him to start cooking on the north side of the border, in contradiction of Don Eladio's orders, and has planned all along to wait until U.S. production is ramped up, before seeking his assasination of Eladio.

[rhys]

8 minutes ago, BeeGirl said:

I think Kim forged the letter. I think the real letter will give Jimmy more money than the $5000 but with the condition that he change his name. The line, "For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill," is extremely unlike Chuck. Also, his will was clearly written (or rewritten) at a time when Chuck was not happy with Jimmy.  Why would he write a nice letter and simultaneously screw him in the will?

But Howard already knew Jimmy got only 5k.

[Quilt Fairy]

"But honey, it's a really, really expensive vacuum!"

This episode felt very choppy and unfinished to me, like a few too many scenes got left on the editing room floor.  

[Auntie Anxiety]

I got the feeling that Kim was looking at the expansion plans and started to feel like she was seeing her future and she wasn’t really that happy about it.  Didn’t she complain to Jimmy that she wanted to do legal work that “mattered?” In any event, she didn’t seem to be too into it.

[BeeGirl]

7 minutes ago, rhys said:

But Howard already knew Jimmy got only 5k.

I don't think he went through Howard for this. The letter was sealed so Howard has no idea what it says. If Chuck did what I think he did, made a name change a condition for more money, he wouldn't want that known. It's petty and mean-spirited and cruel. He could have gone to a different lawyer and set up a trust that Jimmy can only have if he changes his name.

 

The other reason I think the letter was fake is that it played a fairly prominent role in both episodes and yet was terribly anticlimactic considering the build-up. I just don't think we've seen the last of that letter.

[dwmarch]

2 hours ago, Tighthead said:

Kim and Mesa Verde? Is she just feeling overwhelmed, and some guilt about Chuck?

Yes and yes. Remember, she crashed her car because of lack of sleep caused by fretting over where a single comma or dash or ellipsis should go for a single expansion. Now the head of Mesa Verda wants to take over the friggin' world while she's still recovering from that accident.

1 hour ago, acid burn said:

Right? Poor Gale was so enthusiastic about his ability to do a much purer cook.

I was not expecting Gale even though I know the actor is still employed with AMC as the brilliant, unethical Wags on Billions.

16 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

"But honey, it's a really, really expensive vacuum!"

This episode felt very choppy and unfinished to me, like a few too many scenes got left on the editing room floor.  

I loved that scene for how authentic it felt. The copier salesman knows how good it is to have a top of the line new model machine to help you get stuff done! The wife decides she does not want wife to stand for "wash, iron, fornicate, et cetera".

[Jextella]

17 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Here's the actual letter Chuck wrote.  It definitely sounds like this was written when Jimmy was working in the mail room but before he became a lawyer.  That's when things really seemed to break for Chuck.

Dear Jimmy,

I have left many things left unsaid in our relationship through the years. Rather than allow these unspoken thoughts to die with me, I've chosen to record them here for you. I hope you will take my words in the spirit in which they are intended.

I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. You brought a shine to her life that nothing ever else did, and I'm glad of that.

We have not always seen eye to eye. I expect that will continue to be so in the future. However, nothing will ever change the fact that we are brothers, flesh and blood.  And though we are very different people, I want you to know how much I respect what you have made of yourself in these last few years. You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom, and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family. For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill. I sincerely admire your energy and resilience. I used to worry about you finding a place in the world, but I'm not worried about that anymore. I'm certain now that, no matter what the future may bring, you'll land on your feet and I hope when you read this, you remember me not only as your brother, but as a person you knew was always in your corner.

Chuck.

2

 

14 hours ago, BeeGirl said:

I think Kim forged the letter. I think the real letter will give Jimmy more money than the $5000 but with the condition that he change his name. The line, "For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill," is extremely unlike Chuck. Also, his will was clearly written (or rewritten) at a time when Chuck was not happy with Jimmy.  Why would he write a nice letter and simultaneously screw him in the will?

This letter does NOT sound as if it came from Chuck at all.

• The writing style is too simplistic for a man of Chuck's intellect.  He would have certainly crafted a more eloquent piece than this.
• The timing is off with a few things.  For example (although I could be misremembering), I don't recall a single moment during which Chuck, Jimmy, and HHM were a "family" in good standing.  One of the 3 was always on the outs and therefore claiming that there was a solid HHM family - that Chuck was proud to have Jimmy a member of, never existed.  
• "have run with it" implies in progress. "ran with it" would be past tense.  For the language to make sense, it would have to have been written during a brief moment after Jimmy passed the bar. 
• The fact that he mentions his death seems odd.  If he is speaking in general terms, it seems like a pretty random comment to make.  If he is speaking about death knowing he has plans to kill himself, the message would be different and again, crafted far more eloquently and deep than what is presented here.
• I don't think Chuck ever truly accepted Jimmy.  Jimmy always was Slippin' Jimmy to Chuck, and Slippin' Jimmy always went against Chuck's moral code....which, at the end of the day, trumps family.  We never saw a moment where Jimmy was truly reformed or that Chuck believed Jimmy was truly reformed. Chuck never did/never would speak proudly of Jimmy for this reason - not even when he was a lowly mailroom guy.

14 hours ago, BeeGirl said:

I don't think he went through Howard for this. The letter was sealed so Howard has no idea what it says. If Chuck did what I think he did, made a name change a condition for more money, he wouldn't want that known. It's petty and mean-spirited and cruel. He could have gone to a different lawyer and set up a trust that Jimmy can only have if he changes his name.

 

The other reason I think the letter was fake is that it played a fairly prominent role in both episodes and yet was terribly anticlimactic considering the build-up. I just don't think we've seen the last of that letter.

 

Yeah, and I think it could be a bit of a tool for the writers....lining us up to see more of Jimmy's childhood (hopefully!)

Edited August 21, 2018 by Jextella

[TVFan17]

1 hour ago, Bannon said:

I'd like to think there was a way that Nacho could survive BCS, but I can't see it.

I keep thinking the same thing.  Nacho has gotten into such a terrible position, right smack dab in the middle of the Gus Fring group and the Salamanca group.   We have seen what Gus and his men are capable of...

Spoiler

We even saw what Gus did TO Victor, his own henchman, in the "Box Cutter" episode of Breaking Bad! 

   

...And we have seen what the Salamancas are capable of.   (Do we all remember Tortuga?)    And...

 

Spoiler

...On top of all of that, we know that (in Breaking Bad) Saul references Nacho/Ignacio as having something to do with an incident involving Lalo, and we are going to be meeting this mysterious Lalo on Better Call Saul this season, which will probably lead to more trouble for Nacho.

I just don't see how Nacho can make it out of this series alive and intact.   The only ray of hope for him -- the only possible chance he has -- is if Jimmy/Saul suddenly swoops in to help him "disappear" in the nick of time (with the help of Robert Forster), hopefully with his dad at his side.    It is going to be a miracle if both Nacho and his dad survive the show, though.

Edited August 21, 2018 by TVFan17

[acid burn]

59 minutes ago, dwmarch said:

I was not expecting Gale even though I know the actor is still employed with AMC as the brilliant, unethical Wags on Billions.

Billions is on Showtime, which I think is owned by CBS and not AMC, right? Regardless, I love David Costabile as Wags. He'll always be Gale first and foremost for me, though.

So do you think he's the Breaking Bad cameo that was teased, or do you think it's someone from the main cast (apart from Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Mark Margolis and Laura Fraser)? I'm just wondering since we've seen the cousins this season, too.  

ETA: I didn't even think of the possibility Kim forged that letter while I was watching (duh, me) but I don't think it's farfetched at all, especially considering Kim's reaction. I thought she was just really affected by the letter considering how Chuck's and Jimmy's relationship ended, but maybe she was crying because she knows what the actual letter says and it's awful. I think it could go either way and I can't wait to see which way Gilligan and crew take it.

Edited August 21, 2018 by acid burn

[calvinshobbes]

1 hour ago, TVFan17 said:

I keep thinking the same thing.  Nacho has gotten into such a terrible position, right smack dab in the middle of the Gus Fring group and the Salamanca group.   We have seen what Gus and his men are capable of...

  Reveal hidden contents

We even saw what Gus did TO Victor, his own henchman, in the "Box Cutter" episode of Breaking Bad! 

   

...And we have seen what the Salamancas are capable of.   (Do we all remember Tortuga?)    And...

 

  Reveal hidden contents

...On top of all of that, we know that (in Breaking Bad) Saul references Nacho/Ignacio as having something to do with an incident involving Lalo, and we are going to be meeting this mysterious Lalo on Better Call Saul this season, which will probably lead to more trouble for Nacho.

I just don't see how Nacho can make it out of this series alive and intact.   The only ray of hope for him -- the only possible chance he has -- is if Jimmy/Saul suddenly swoops in to help him "disappear" in the nick of time (with the help of Robert Forster), hopefully with his dad at his side.    It is going to be a miracle if both Nacho and his dad survive the show, though.

In Breaking Bad, Saul is kidnapped by Walt and Jessie and brought to the desert in the Episode Better call Saul. Saul starts talking fast, pleading for his life and saying  “no, no no, it wasn’t me, It was Ignacio, he’s the one!” 5his implies that Ignacio or Nacho is the one the cartel is looking for.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Quote

I thought for sure Kim wrote it until I read your post.

Sepinwall also notes that another critic mentioned the possibility of Jimmy editing as he went along, to spare Kim what Chuck really had to say, which hadn't occurred to me. The more I think about it, the more I agree that, if you only look at that last scene, it's probably Chuck wrote the letter back in the day, when he could still feel expansively, patronizingly superior to Jimmy...

 

...but the stop at the courthouse still gives me pause. Could be a red herring; could just be designed to show that Viola's a little bit of an intrusive keener; could be something. I'll say this for Gilligan & Co., they don't tend to leave this stuff ambiguous. 

[acid burn]

5 minutes ago, Sarah D. Bunting said:

Sepinwall also notes that another critic mentioned the possibility of Jimmy editing as he went along, to spare Kim what Chuck really had to say, which hadn't occurred to me. 

The way Jimmy read the note lends credence to that idea. His tone was a little off/odd, and it seemed like he was glossing over parts. I thought at the time he just didn't want to read it, but he could very well have been editing it for Kim's benefit.

I love that this show is so well written and acted there are multiple ways to interpret scenes, which means we as fans can dissect them and obsess about details until we get the inevitable payoffs. 

[JudyObscure]

"I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. "

Poor, Chuck.  We see where it all began.  New parents should be careful about how they introduce the new member to the siblings.

"You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom, and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family."

If Jimmy was still in the mail room, "run with it," doesn't make sense to me.  Could this be after Jimmy got his degree, but before he passed the bar and was considered as a HHM lawyer? I feel like something is missing here.

5 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

"But honey, it's a really, really expensive vacuum!"

 

My husband got me a really, really expensive vacuum this year and I was delighted.  I guess he should know his wife better, particularly if she only likes shiny things, but now I have a clue as to how all those Hummels ended up at the office.  Gift rejects, probably.

7 hours ago, Tighthead said:

 

Kim and Mesa Verde? Is she just feeling overwhelmed, and some guilt about Chuck?

 

I wish I knew.  Maybe.  I would have quit on the spot if I thought it meant facing ten years of the kind of work that already led to her car accident.  This show has convinced me that being a lawyer in a big firm would be almost as horrible a life as being part of a drug cartel.

What was Gale's life philosophy that allowed him to use his brilliance to make meth?  Something about free choice or governments not controlling choice?  Surely he could believe that and still make his own choice not to be part of something so damaging.  I still hate the waste of such a delightful guy.

[buttercupia]

Of course Gus knows the lyrics to "the elements". What a delightful scene. And how Gus' face softened and lit up while he was with Gale. 

Kim is upset about the expansion plans because every state has different banking regulations that she now has to figure out. she almost killed herself just with 2 states.

11 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

 

What was Gale's life philosophy that allowed him to use his brilliance to make meth?  Something about free choice or governments not controlling choice?  Surely he could believe that and still make his own choice not to be part of something so damaging.  I still hate the waste of such a delightful guy.

Gale was a libertarian.

[Bannon]

5 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

"I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. "

Poor, Chuck.  We see where it all began.  New parents should be careful about how they introduce the new member to the siblings.

"You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom, and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family."

If Jimmy was still in the mail room, "run with it," doesn't make sense to me.  Could this be after Jimmy got his degree, but before he passed the bar and was considered as a HHM lawyer? I feel like something is missing here.

My husband got me a really, really expensive vacuum this year and I was delighted.  I guess he should know his wife better, particularly if she only likes shiny things, but now I have a clue as to how all those Hummels ended up at the office.  Gift rejects, probably.

I wish I knew.  Maybe.  I would have quit on the spot if I thought it meant facing ten years of the kind of work that already led to her car accident.  This show has convinced me that being a lawyer in a big firm would be almost as horrible a life as being part of a drug cartel.

What was Gale's life philosophy that allowed him to use his brilliance to make meth?  Something about free choice or governments not controlling choice?  Surely he could believe that and still make his own choice not to be part of something so damaging.  I still hate the waste of such a delightful guy.

Jimmy was never a lawyer for HHM. Chuck forbid it, while claiming it was Howard's decision. I'm pretty sure that all Chuck is saying in the letter is that Jimmy has been an HHM employee for 7 years without screwing up.

Gale was libertarian in orientation, thinking the government had little basis for prohibiting whatever chemicals people wished to ingest. Of course, one can think that is true, while still thinking it unethical to associate, either as customer or as business partner/employee, with a homicidal cartel which sells such an overwhelmingly destructive product like meth,  but lots of people associated with the illegal drug trade just lie to themselves, or otherwise ignore the damage being done. One of the things I loved about BB was how they didn't ignore the vast destruction of meth addiction. The cold open of Wendy, song and meth addict, is something I think of from time to time.

[ShadowFacts]

22 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

"I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. "

Poor, Chuck.  We see where it all began.  New parents should be careful about how they introduce the new member to the siblings.

This would have been the point where Chuck could have confessed that Mom called for Jimmy on her deathbed.  It's what I expected him to read next.  That might have been too confessional for prideful Chuck I suppose, but it is a bit odd that he left if out while trying to not leave brotherly things left unsaid.

24 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

I wish I knew.  Maybe.  I would have quit on the spot if I thought it meant facing ten years of the kind of work that already led to her car accident.  This show has convinced me that being a lawyer in a big firm would be almost as horrible a life as being part of a drug cartel.

Ha.  A little less dangerous but pretty grim.  I thought that whole room with all those models, the lighting, everything, was incredibly over-the-top grandiose.  It would take many people to work on all of that expansion, Kim could maybe oversee them, but Mesa Verde is the beginning of a painful chapter for her with Jimmy and Chuck.  I would want to flee it myself. 

[Bannon]

31 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

This would have been the point where Chuck could have confessed that Mom called for Jimmy on her deathbed.  It's what I expected him to read next.  That might have been too confessional for prideful Chuck I suppose, but it is a bit odd that he left if out while trying to not leave brotherly things left unsaid.

Ha.  A little less dangerous but pretty grim.  I thought that whole room with all those models, the lighting, everything, was incredibly over-the-top grandiose.  It would take many people to work on all of that expansion, Kim could maybe oversee them, but Mesa Verde is the beginning of a painful chapter for her with Jimmy and Chuck.  I would want to flee it myself. 

Yeah, Mesa Verde has "overly rapid business expansion leads to disaster" written all over it, and I think Kim sees it as well, especially as she tries to envision all the regulatory compliance work being done by just her and her paralegal.

(edit) To add on, whether Kim will be a better business manager than Howard or Chuck is kind of an interesting subplot. She and her paralegal clearly aren't enough to help Kevin achieve his hyperagressive expansion plan. Will she face this reality head on, and deal with it in a business-like manner, or will she put off the day of reckoning, leading to a much worse outcome, for all involved? For that matter, will she do the same, in her personal life, with Jimmy? Will Kim be the exception to the rule in the Albuquerque universe of Gilligan and Gould,  where people, sometimes very smart people, are unable to face circumstances, and thus make things much worse?

Edited August 21, 2018 by Bannon

[qtpye]

8 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I do wonder when that letter was written, because I think at some point, Chuck and Jimmy had a decent relationship. Probably while Jimmy wasn't a lawyer, and their issues hadn't really started. The letter even especially mentioned that Chuck was proud of them having the same last name, which I dont think was really true towards the end. 

I wonder if Kim feels guilty for Chucks death, on top of everything else that has gone on, hence the tears? Of course, the real question is Jimmy's reaction, or lack thereof. Does he just not care at all about Chuck, or what he did or didnt feel anymore? Is he just numbing himself? Or is this just him slipping down further down towards Saul? 

Hi Keiko! Always nice to see you popping up! 

 

7 hours ago, HollyG said:

I thought for sure Kim wrote it until I read your post. I believe you are right. Chuck was glad Jimmy was working in the mail room. It allowed him to feel superior. It was after Chuck found out that Jimmy had earned his law degree that brought out Chuck's vindictive nature. He just could not be proud of Jimmy and took every opportunity to point out that Jimmy didn't get his degree from a prestigious law school. Jimmy got his from University of American Samoa's law program. 

So yes, I think Chuck wrote it while Jimmy was still in the mail room.

 

6 hours ago, BeeGirl said:

I think Kim forged the letter. I think the real letter will give Jimmy more money than the $5000 but with the condition that he change his name. The line, "For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill," is extremely unlike Chuck. Also, his will was clearly written (or rewritten) at a time when Chuck was not happy with Jimmy.  Why would he write a nice letter and simultaneously screw him in the will?

 

6 hours ago, BeeGirl said:

I don't think he went through Howard for this. The letter was sealed so Howard has no idea what it says. If Chuck did what I think he did, made a name change a condition for more money, he wouldn't want that known. It's petty and mean-spirited and cruel. He could have gone to a different lawyer and set up a trust that Jimmy can only have if he changes his name.

 

The other reason I think the letter was fake is that it played a fairly prominent role in both episodes and yet was terribly anticlimactic considering the build-up. I just don't think we've seen the last of that letter.

 

6 hours ago, dwmarch said:

Yes and yes. Remember, she crashed her car because of lack of sleep caused by fretting over where a single comma or dash or ellipsis should go for a single expansion. Now the head of Mesa Verda wants to take over the friggin' world while she's still recovering from that accident.

I was not expecting Gale even though I know the actor is still employed with AMC as the brilliant, unethical Wags on Billions.

I loved that scene for how authentic it felt. The copier salesman knows how good it is to have a top of the line new model machine to help you get stuff done! The wife decides she does not want wife to stand for "wash, iron, fornicate, et cetera".

 

5 hours ago, acid burn said:

Billions is on Showtime, which I think is owned by CBS and not AMC, right? Regardless, I love David Costabile as Wags. He'll always be Gale first and foremost for me, though.

So do you think he's the Breaking Bad cameo that was teased, or do you think it's someone from the main cast (apart from Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Mark Margolis and Laura Fraser)? I'm just wondering since we've seen the cousins this season, too.  

ETA: I didn't even think of the possibility Kim forged that letter while I was watching (duh, me) but I don't think it's farfetched at all, especially considering Kim's reaction. I thought she was just really affected by the letter considering how Chuck's and Jimmy's relationship ended, but maybe she was crying because she knows what the actual letter says and it's awful. I think it could go either way and I can't wait to see which way Gilligan and crew take it.

 

41 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

"I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. "

Poor, Chuck.  We see where it all began.  New parents should be careful about how they introduce the new member to the siblings.

"You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom, and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family."

If Jimmy was still in the mail room, "run with it," doesn't make sense to me.  Could this be after Jimmy got his degree, but before he passed the bar and was considered as a HHM lawyer? I feel like something is missing here.

My husband got me a really, really expensive vacuum this year and I was delighted.  I guess he should know his wife better, particularly if she only likes shiny things, but now I have a clue as to how all those Hummels ended up at the office.  Gift rejects, probably.

I wish I knew.  Maybe.  I would have quit on the spot if I thought it meant facing ten years of the kind of work that already led to her car accident.  This show has convinced me that being a lawyer in a big firm would be almost as horrible a life as being part of a drug cartel.

What was Gale's life philosophy that allowed him to use his brilliance to make meth?  Something about free choice or governments not controlling choice?  Surely he could believe that and still make his own choice not to be part of something so damaging.  I still hate the waste of such a delightful guy.

 

5 minutes ago, Bannon said:

Yeah, Mesa Verde has "overly rapid business expansion leads to disaster" written all over it, and I think Kim sees it as well, especially as she tries to envision all the regulatory compliance work being done by just her and her paralegal.

I really did not think of the letter being faked until I read the recap and it was mentioned on this board. You guys are certainly a lot sharper than I am. However, if the letter is not faked (and this includes Jimmy reading it wrong and a Kim forgery), I actually get Jimmy's reaction. If the letter is authentic then Chuck wrote a long time ago and the sentiments expressed are meaningless in light of the most current relationship the brothers had.

The truth is Chuck would rather drive himself to the madness that caused the suicide in Lantern than have any sort of caring relationship with Jimmy. Chuck's problem was not that he hated and resented Jimmy (he definitely did) but that he can not let go of that little tiny bit of love that he still had for his brother. He would have loved to write the guy off but the truth was he needed Jimmy and he hated himself for that. Chuck was also considerably older than Jimmy and I am considerably older than my brother. This means that I sometimes have a quasi-parental love and responsibility towards him that would probably not have existed if we were closer to together in age. Some part of Chuck knew that he failed Jimmy and no amount of delusional moral grandeur was ever going to change that.

It is not unusual for a lot of smart and talented attornies to get burned out at their jobs for whatever reason. Kim might be realizing that a life working herself to the bone for Mesa Verde is not what she wants for herself or it could also be she realizes that such an aggressive expansion could only lead to disaster. Was this before the mortgage crises and the Great Recession? I know some places, like Vegas, were hit really hard when the bottom fell out of the housing market. I wonder if Mesa Verde's prosperity is based on mortgage-based securities?

As a married woman who was absolutely thrilled when I got an expensive vacuum after many years, I think the scenes with the copier guy was meant to inject a little humor in a pretty grim episode and show us that he is a putz for not realizing that his wife would not appreciate such a gift and letting her throw him out of the house for what could have been an honest mistake. I first thought he must have done something really horrible, like cheating, to be in the doghouse like that. It seemed a little extreme for a bad gift idea but we do not really know what is going on the family to judge.

[Dev F]

29 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Ha.  A little less dangerous but pretty grim.  I thought that whole room with all those models, the lighting, everything, was incredibly over-the-top grandiose.  It would take many people to work on all of that expansion, Kim could maybe oversee them, but Mesa Verde is the beginning of a painful chapter for her with Jimmy and Chuck.  I would want to flee it myself. 

Yep. That's basically what the whole episode was about: the characters being confronted with something beautiful, intricate and perfect, and then realizing with dawning horror that it's going to chew them up and spit them out. It's in the contrast between the clean and precise way Gus's men stage the fake crime scene and the chaotic scramble to save Nacho's life afterwards. It's the reintroduction of Gale, singing along in perfect unison with the world's most complicated song as he dreams of making fantastically pure meth for Gus, when we know that this latter pursuit is why he'll end up with a bullet in his head. Even Jimmy's little caper is the comedic version of this theme, as he imagine that he has an airtight plan to make eight thousand dollars in two minutes but then has to scramble to rescue it by sending a car careening driverless across a parking lot.

And I'd say that's the point of the final scene with Chuck's letter as well. Jimmy doesn't just hate his brother so much that he can't be moved by his words. His blasé reaction is defensive: if he lets himself apprehend the sad beauty of what Chuck is saying, he'll end up being figuratively shot in the gut.