S04.E03 Something Beautiful

[Constantinople]

So the theories about the letter that I've heard are

• Chuck wrote the letter when Jimmy was still in the mail room at HHM
• Chuck wrote the letter after he found out Jimmy passed the bar
• Chuck wrote the letter some time later, such as after Jimmy was having success with the lawsuit against the nursing home
• Howard wrote the letter
• Kim gave Jimmy a letter that she wrote, not the letter that Howard gave her
• Jimmy did not read letter as it was written

[jww]

I first became aware of Hummels from Slaughterhouse 5 when Billy Pilgrim and his fellow American  POWS were working to clear the rubble after the Dresden fire bombing when Billy's best friend  picked up a Hummel  from the ruble saying his wife collected them and put it in his pocket; a German saw him and came over and shot him dead for looting.

[JudyObscure]

I've always liked Chuck more than most people, but the time he ripped that phone out of Rebecca's hands and threw it across the room was the moment I started to love him a little bit.    

[chick binewski]

16 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

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.

 

 

14 hours ago, Bannon said:

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.

1

 

7 hours ago, Bannon said:

(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?

 

3

 

7 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I think someone forged it, but I don't think it was Kim.   I think it was Hamlin.  Kim was far too emotional when Jimmy read that letter.  I think she expected Chuck to type/write some really horrible stuff about Jimmy and she didn't get what she expected.

 

As a card-carrying member of the Kim Wexler Fan Club I've been crossing my fingers she isn't dead or in prison by the end of BCS, but I have felt since S1 she would in some way end up on Howard's side. She looked like she was going to collapse at Mesa Verde and I could absolutely see her moving back to HHM at some point. I mean, Jimmy is naturally outright lying to her every day but she is moving through their relationship in...I don't know - I can't say absolute denial bc I think she knows the score...but she seems to be putting off the inevitable and using Chuck's death as an excuse.

Which brings us to the letter that I Am Sure Chuck Did Not Write. Even if it was from the mailroom days a) Chuck was not an effusive guy who would state his feelings in that manner if he indeed had them and b) why write a letter like that but lie about your mom's last words on her deathbed and c) why go to the trouble of saving that letter while cutting the recipient out of the will? And yeah, I could even see Howard forging it more than I could imagine Chuck writing it. And I think Kim was crying out of guilt AND Jimmy's heartless reaction. I'm standing on this hill until Gilligan & Gould do something next week to make me question everything.

Edited August 21, 2018 by chick binewski

[riverheightsnancy]

16 hours 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. 

I was thinking that Howard might have written it. 

[Bryce Lynch]

32 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

I've always liked Chuck more than most people, but the time he ripped that phone out of Rebecca's hands and threw it across the room was the moment I started to love him a little bit.    

I wish Chuck rode the train with me in the quiet car and did that to all the idiots who talk on their phones. :)

[Bryce Lynch]

16 minutes ago, chick binewski said:

 

 

 

As a card-carrying member of the Kim Wexler Fan Club I've been crossing my fingers she isn't dead or in prison by the end of BCS, but I have felt since S1 she would in some way end up on Howard's side. She looked like she was going to collapse at Mesa Verde and I could absolutely see her moving back to HHM at some point. I mean, Jimmy is naturally outright lying to her every day but she is moving through their relationship in...I don't know - I can't say absolute denial bc I think she knows the score...but she seems to be putting off the inevitable and using Chuck's death as an excuse.

Which brings us to the letter that I Am Sure Chuck Did Not Write. Even if it was from the mailroom days a) Chuck was not an effusive guy who would state his feelings in that manner if he indeed had them and b) why write a letter like that but lie about your mom's last words on her deathbed and c) why go to the trouble of saving that letter while cutting the recipient out of the will? And yeah, I could even see Howard forging it more than I could imagine Chuck writing it. And I think Kim was crying out of guilt AND Jimmy's heartless reaction. I'm standing on this hill until Gilligan & Gould do something next week to make me question everything.

a) Since he wan't effusive normally, it would make more sense that he would want to leave behind a note letting Jimmy know how he felt about him.  If he told Jimmy how much he loved him all the time, the note would be superfluous. 

b) Lying about their mothers last words, was mostly an act of mercy towards Jimmy, though I think he also didn't want to admit to Jimmy that "Mom loved him best".  Jimmy would have felt guilty as hell for a long time, if he knew his Mom was crying out for him on her deathbed, while he was out getting a sandwich.  The note sort of undid the bad part of Chuck's lie, by letting Jimmy knew how much their Mom loved him.  

c) There are a lot of possibilities.   Chuck may have wanted Jimmy to know how he felt about him, at the time he wrote it, despite cutting him out.  Chuck might have written the will at the time he wrote the letter, and never intended to give Jimmy a big inheritance, as it was before Jimmy cared for him through his illness.  I wouldn't expect my married brother to leave me anything, except for maybe a keepsake and I wouldn't leave anything more than that to my siblings.   If could also be that Chuck revised his will, but forgot about the letter.   

The latest insider podcast is now available.  The guest is the vet.

https://audioboom.com/posts/6979596-403-better-call-saul-insider

[scenario]

18 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

The problem with that argument is that Jimmy couldn't keep his emotions in check when it had come to dealing with Chuck.  For Example, Jimmy couldn't hold back his anger when it was abundantly clear that Chuck was setting him up to break into Chuck's house to steal the cassette tape.  If Jimmy had kept calm at the time, he would have thought it through and realized that Chuck was setting him up.

I just can't imagine Jimmy being that calm reading and self editing "Chuck's" letter. 

Jimmy doesn't care care anymore. The sign of a dead relationship isn't anger its not giving a damn. 

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, riverheightsnancy said:

I was thinking that Howard might have written it. 

The letter was polite and bland which seems like Howard. There really was not anything in there that disclosed private information since Jimmy would not know how his parents reacted to him as a baby. The boring letter felt more like Howard than Chuck, Kim, or Jimmy purposefully misreading.

[LoneHaranguer]

19 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

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

Todd was using Walt's nifty new process, foolproof unless the story called for otherwise.

[peeayebee]

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

As a wishy washy person in general, it felt good to be able to like/heart all the letter theories here. 
Both this week's episode thread and last week's have us obsessing over The Letter—as are reviewers elsewhere. Are we making a bigger deal out of it than intended?

 

IMO, yes. I know people like to speculate, look for subtext, and dissect each scene -- I'm not immune -- but until reading about it here, I never considered that the letter wasn't exactly as it was presented to be. Many viewers can't help but try to uncover what's hidden and so sometimes look for something that's not there -- Hey, just like Chuck did when he tore apart his house!

Still, I understand that many people don't think the letter sounds like Chuck or think that Jimmy was too blase when he read the letter. To me, it sounds like Chuck -- For one thing, it's a letter. He didn't tell Jimmy his feelings face to face but had to praise Jimmy in print. Maybe he thought Jimmy would so appreciate these words that he'd want a keepsake. And as for Jimmy's demeanor when reading, he has buried his feelings about Chuck. They were too painful to deal with, and Howard's words gave him the ability to push the feelings way down. He hasn't even cried yet. Howard has cried. Kim has cried. I bet Jimmy cries before the end of the season. Anyway, his was a perfunctory reading because he didn't want to dwell on Chuck's words, whether they were good or bad.

Edited August 21, 2018 by peeayebee

[Bryce Lynch]

5 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Todd was using Walt's nifty new process, foolproof unless the story called for otherwise.

I think the best Todd ever did was 76% and he once started a fire in the lab.  

[ShadowFacts]

Jimmy's demeanor in reading the letter was cool and matter-of-fact, almost like he was showing Kim how unfazed he was.  He is in my opinion definitely pushing his feelings down.  He's getting busy with criminal enterprise and staying out all night (I doubt Kim doesn't realize his absence), all to keep from dealing with what just happened in the fire and before it.  I note that he signed the release form to accept the $5,000 without hesitation.  I think the phrase about being proud to share the McGill name would not have been written by Howard or Kim, and it had to gut-punch Jimmy.  He could have skipped over reading that but he didn't.  I suppose he could still rip up the release form and fight for more $, but I doubt it, he wants that all behind him as he forges ahead. 

[Bryce Lynch]

I just finished listening to the BCS Insider Podcast and the show's creators spoke as if the letter was written by Chuck.  They didn't even discuss the possibility of it being written by Kim, Howard, or anyone else.  Usually, if they consider something to be mysterious or unclear, they will either acknowledge the mystery or clear up any misconception.  The way they spoke about it makes me think they didn't even consider the idea that anyone would think anyone but chuck was the author. 

Edited August 21, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[LoneHaranguer]

12 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

The way they spoke about it makes me think they didn't even consider the idea that anyone would think anyone but chuck was the author. 

Wouldn't a letter like that be handwritten or have a signature, making other authorship unlikely?

[Bannon]

30 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Jimmy's demeanor in reading the letter was cool and matter-of-fact, almost like he was showing Kim how unfazed he was.  He is in my opinion definitely pushing his feelings down.  He's getting busy with criminal enterprise and staying out all night (I doubt Kim doesn't realize his absence), all to keep from dealing with what just happened in the fire and before it.  I note that he signed the release form to accept the $5,000 without hesitation.  I think the phrase about being proud to share the McGill name would not have been written by Howard or Kim, and it had to gut-punch Jimmy.  He could have skipped over reading that but he didn't.  I suppose he could still rip up the release form and fight for more $, but I doubt it, he wants that all behind him as he forges ahead. 

Oh, I think Jimmy's Hummel crimes are just him expressing pure nihilistic rage via lawbreaking. Better than violence, I suppose, but still kind of ugly and tawdry. 

[Tighthead]

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

The letter was polite and bland which seems like Howard. There really was not anything in there that disclosed private information since Jimmy would not know how his parents reacted to him as a baby. The boring letter felt more like Howard than Chuck, Kim, or Jimmy purposefully misreading.

 

I agree.  I would describe it as cordial.  Not particularly warm or intimate, basically saying he accepted Jimmy.  It sounded like something Chuck would write and then feel like it was a magnanimous gesture  

[Bannon]

4 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Wouldn't a letter like that be handwritten or have a signature, making other authorship unlikely?

My assumption watching the scene was that it was handwritten, and neither Kim or Howard are skilled forgers, so.....

[kieyra]

My immediate reaction to Kim crying over the letter was that she was crying with relief. Relieved that the letter didn’t say something that would totally destroy Jimmy. And maybe she didn’t realize how afraid she had been until the danger was past; then she broke down.

But this is just how I responded, at a gut level, to the actress’s choices, and I know damned well the showrunners love the fact that everyone has a different theory.

[qtpye]

Yeah, probably all of us speculating to the authorship of the letter is just us wearing our tinfoil hats too tightly... it's just that it was such a huge letdown. I am sure this is what Gilligan intended and it will make more sense later.

[Minaboo]

Long time lurker here, but the wife being angry at receiving a really strong vacuum cleaner as a gift made me laugh. 

Many years ago when my daughter was young, we had neighbors with three little girls. Mom and dad both worked full time and were always pinching pennies. George had a habit of buying gifts for Martha that they needed for the house anyway. She told him that was unacceptable, she wanted personal gifts from him. Next birthday he gave her a microwave oven with a silver plaque attached which read “A Personal Gift for Martha Washington.”

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I just finished listening to the BCS Insider Podcast and the show's creators spoke as if the letter was written by Chuck.  They didn't even discuss the possibility of it being written by Kim, Howard, or anyone else.  Usually, if they consider something to be mysterious or unclear, they will either acknowledge the mystery or clear up any misconception.  The way they spoke about it makes me think they didn't even consider the idea that anyone would think anyone but chuck was the author. 

 

This is correct. I had read things that made me wonder too and then saw this BCS Insider video and they seemed to show no doubt that the letter was written by Chuck and Kim was overwhelmed with emotion when Jimmy read it. So, I'm accepting it. Plus, Kim was hampered with the use of only one arm.  It would be difficult for her to type or write by hand. And, the envelope appeared to have handwriting to Jimmy on the outside. Surely, Jimmy would have recognized that as Kim's writing on the outside as well as the signature as hers or someone's other than Chuck.  Plus, would she have asked her paralegal to do something so shady?  I don't think so.

I was curious about Kim's emotions as she walked and looked at the models.  Is there a backstory there?  I didn't follow much last season.  Also, why did she decide last minute to go to by the courthouse?  She seemed to not share the reason with her paralegal, but, she must have, because, the paralegal was at her house when she dropped her off later that day, right?  I appreciate NoDorothyParker's post about Kim being overwhelmed about the amount of work that she is looking at, being solo with only one paralegal.  I can see that. 

Edited August 21, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Great sharing, y'all!

Now, to me, if that letter was handwritten, it would have required at least two pages.  There was nothing on the other side of the single page.  The Chuck I know would have destroyed that thing the instant he realized the horror of the chimpanzee lawyer.  No way would he risk his good sentiments ever be made known.  If, somehow, he failed to destroy it then, the Chuck I know would remember and be careful to destroy it as he considered the just-enough pittance he was going to leave Jimmy.   If Gilligan wants the letter to be understood simply as a letter from Chuck?  No worries.

I immediately took Kim's emotion to be an expression of grief over what could have been (Something Beautiful) with these two impressive guys.  It really is tragedy that things went bad between them.

Kim is a fool for throwing away the Mesa opportunity, if that is indeed what we are to make of her "daydream."  She would have local counsel in whatever new state the expansion took place.  Many states require a local counsel represent, at least in name, heavily regulated entities, such as a bank.  Sure, she and Viola would work hard.  The reward?  Building her own HHM if she played it well.  An ethical HHM.  Wasn't that her dream?! 

I readily agree that Kim is most likely just like Jimmy.  We've already seen this in the joy she took in scamming the turds as they did.  Her tragedy is like Jimmy's - she does not appreciate her talents in the legal marketplace.  She wants more.  Will she wake up in time as she reaches a precipice?  I hope so.

[Bannon]

22 minutes ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Great sharing, y'all!

Now, to me, if that letter was handwritten, it would have required at least two pages.  There was nothing on the other side of the single page.  The Chuck I know would have destroyed that thing the instant he realized the horror of the chimpanzee lawyer.  No way would he risk his good sentiments ever be made known.  If, somehow, he failed to destroy it then, the Chuck I know would remember and be careful to destroy it as he considered the just-enough pittance he was going to leave Jimmy.   If Gilligan wants the letter to be understood simply as a letter from Chuck?  No worries.

I immediately took Kim's emotion to be an expression of grief over what could have been (Something Beautiful) with these two impressive guys.  It really is tragedy that things went bad between them.

Kim is a fool for throwing away the Mesa opportunity, if that is indeed what we are to make of her "daydream."  She would have local counsel in whatever new state the expansion took place.  Many states require a local counsel represent, at least in name, heavily regulated entities, such as a bank.  Sure, she and Viola would work hard.  The reward?  Building her own HHM if she played it well.  An ethical HHM.  Wasn't that her dream?! 

I readily agree that Kim is most likely just like Jimmy.  We've already seen this in the joy she took in scamming the turds as they did.  Her tragedy is like Jimmy's - she does not appreciate her talents in the legal marketplace.  She wants more.  Will she wake up in time as she reaches a precipice?  I hope so.

I never had the sense that Kim's dream was to build a large law firm from scratch. My sense of it is that she wants a very successful career in law, and she has yet to define that precisely. Even with outside counsel in each state, the scale and speed of this expansion seems too much for one attorney, and one paralegal, no matter how hard they work, and hiring people is a hugely time consuming task in itself, if it is to be done well. Might not what serves Mesa Verde best is Kim as a full partner at HHM or Schweikert?

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, monagatuna said:

I loved that Cyrus was extra-careful to stomp out his cigarette in the brush on the side of the road, but the cousins go and set the car on fire after. The "oh my god another summer of wildfires" Californian in me first thought, did they at least dig a perimeter around the car first?

My reaction was the same, probably because I lived in the tinderbox areas of Northern California for 20 years— plus one recent fatal Cali fire started with a spark from the rim of a wheel making contact with the pavement because of a flat tire—so lots of inadvertently referential imagery. It even occurred to me that a few years ago this episode would have been pulled from the schedule if wild fires like this year's were then raging — but the networks don't seem to worry anymore about airing a fictional mirror of a current real life tragedy.

[kieyra]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

My reaction was the same, probably because I lived in the tinderbox areas of Northern California for 20 years— plus one recent fatal Cali fire started with a spark from the rim of a wheel making contact with the pavement because of a flat tire—so lots of inadvertently referential imagery. It even occurred to me that a few years ago this episode would have been pulled from the schedule if wild fires like this year's were then raging — but the networks don't seem to worry anymore about airing a fictional mirror of a current real life tragedy.

Probably because in 2018 they'd have nothing left to work with if they did. :(

[ErinV]

Not sure if anyone’s mentioned this yet, but way back wasn’t there some bit about how Kim couldn’t/didn’t want to return to her hometown?  Which I think was in the Midwest...and I think that’s why she got nervous about where Mesa verde wanted to expand.  She’d probably have to travel there for work.

[Starchild]

8 hours ago, Constantinople said:

So the theories about the letter that I've heard are

• Chuck wrote the letter when Jimmy was still in the mail room at HHM
• Chuck wrote the letter after he found out Jimmy passed the bar
• Chuck wrote the letter some time later, such as after Jimmy was having success with the lawsuit against the nursing home
• Howard wrote the letter
• Kim gave Jimmy a letter that she wrote, not the letter that Howard gave her
• Jimmy did not read letter as it was written

How about this? 

• Chuck wrote the letter not long before his death, and it is absolutely brutal
• Before giving it to Jimmy, Kim wanted to be sure so she read it first, so she could be prepared to support Jimmy as he read it
• Unbeknownst to her, Jimmy found the letter and has already read it
• When he reads it to her, he speaks cavalierly and changes the words to something bland and not requiring emotional support from Kim because he just doesn't want to go there
• Kim, knowing what the letter really says but thinking Jimmy is seeing it for the first time (ETA or suspecting he's already read it), believes that Jimmy is lying his way through the letter because he doesn't want her support and is pushing her away

In truth, though, I actually do believe the letter was written, as we heard it, by Chuck before Jimmy earned his law degree. It would have been too easy for Kim to look over his shoulder and see that he wasn't reading what was actually on the page (which was typewritten, as you can see from the picture at the top of the recap).

Edited August 22, 2018 by Starchild

[qtpye]

With a big client like the bank Kim could easily become a partner at any of the major Albuquerque law firms. I think it is likely that HHM might become HHMW. Jimmy might see this as a betrayal even though he really should not.

[Irlandesa]

Kim's reaction to the expansion was interesting.  I thought what pushed her over the edge was adding a new client but she did hire a paralegal to help her out so it doesn't appear as if she is adverse to adding additional help. 

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

 Also, why did she decide last minute to go to by the courthouse?  She seemed to not share the reason with her paralegal, but, she must have, because, the paralegal was at her house when she dropped her off later that day, right? t. 

 

About the courthouse, I have speculation about that that is based on things shown in previews and some very vague future episode descriptions.  My spec is not a spoiler but I'll put it in spoiler quotes anyway since it's based on spoilerish things--it refers to doing something that matters with her degree and what that might mean.

Spoiler

I'm wondering if she'd like to become a judge and she's at the courthouse observing. 

 

7 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I just finished listening to the BCS Insider Podcast and the show's creators spoke as if the letter was written by Chuck.  They didn't even discuss the possibility of it being written by Kim, Howard, or anyone else.  Usually, if they consider something to be mysterious or unclear, they will either acknowledge the mystery or clear up any misconception.  The way they spoke about it makes me think they didn't even consider the idea that anyone would think anyone but chuck was the author. 

 

Yeah, this wouldn't be the first time the writers wrote something straight forward only to have viewers get creative.  But Kim does have logistical issues trying to forget a letter and Howard doesn't really have a motive to do so.

Edited August 22, 2018 by Irlandesa

[solea]

17 hours 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.

Makes me think of her trip to the courthouse. A one liner and never referred to again in the episode. Which is a dead give away that something important happened there. Is she incorporating in order to handle the expansion workload?

Or…

Did she apply for a marriage license? 

[PeterPirate]

The more I think about it, the more I see Kim as the most tragic character of the franchise.  She's the only honest/non-criminal person who made the choice to associate herself/himself with the criminal element.  Skyler was blackmailed into helping Walt so their children (or at least Walt Jr.) wouldn't find out.  Jane had her own issues with drug use before she met Jesse.  

I wonder if Kim can survive this show.  When we first meet Saul in BB he cavalierly recommends the murder of Badger.  Before BCS is over, Jimmy is going to have to reach that level.  Even if Kim leaves Jimmy, she will have to live with the fact that she abetted and enabled him to become Saul.    

Try as I might, I cannot think of another person, real or fictional, like Kim Wexler.  Howard and Chuck are also unique, but Chuck is dead and Howard is a hero, not a tragic figure.  

Edited August 22, 2018 by PeterPirate

[JFParnell]

Bah. I didn't get to watch the ep until last night! So you guys have long since picked the carcass clean. Well done! I think (??) we're meant to think the bland lifeless letter WAS from Chuck. Without Jimmy as a devil on her shoulder -- for the occasional lark -- Kim seems otherwise a draw inside the lines kind of person. And I can't see Howard being capable of thinking around enough emotional corners to even conceive of doing such a thing; not from what they have shown us of him. We shall see!

Nice to see Gale! And Lane Kim. Wait, I mean Viola. Wait, I mean Keiko.

Gus, you sneaky Pete! Your "Who, me?" routine even fools your own partners in crime!

It was interesting to be reminded, in the Mike/Jimmy meeting, that Jimmy has no idea what Mike's been up to lately, since their worlds have yet to fully mesh. Almost comical how Jimmy was presenting this grand opportunity for ... a $4,000 split. To a guy whose biggest current problem is cleaning a boatload of stolen cartel cash. Poor Jimmy just wants to pay off his Mastercard. Though in fairness Jimmy's motive for the Hummel caper doesn't seem to have been entirely about money. Anyway it put me in mind of Dr. Evil's famous $1 million ransom demand.

[Milburn Stone]

On 8/21/2018 at 6:21 AM, 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...

That's exactly what my mind began to consider as we watched the episode last night (not having read anything about it beforehand). Except I went a little farther, thinking not just that Jimmy was editing as he went along, but that he was wholly improvising the letter, right from the get-go when he says it's undated (which made his brand-new 100% extemporized "letter from Chuck" more believable to Kim). We know he has the talent to do that. If I'm right, I wonder if we'll see a scene in which Kim comes across the letter and realizes that not one word in it is what Jimmy recited. And if that will be the breaking point for her.

Edited August 22, 2018 by Milburn Stone

[Bannon]

7 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Kim's reaction to the expansion was interesting.  I thought what pushed her over the edge was adding a new client but she did hire a paralegal to help her out so it doesn't appear as if she is adverse to adding additional help. 

About the courthouse, I have speculation about that that is based on things shown in previews and some very vague future episode descriptions.  My spec is not a spoiler but I'll put it in spoiler quotes anyway since it's based on spoilerish things--it refers to doing something that matters with her degree and what that might mean.

  Reveal hidden contents

I'm wondering if she'd like to become a judge and she's at the courthouse observing. 

 

Yeah, this wouldn't be the first time the writers wrote something straight forward only to have viewers get creative.  But Kim does have logistical issues trying to forget a letter and Howard doesn't really have a motive to do so.

Your spoiler speculation makes a lot of sense, and going in that direction would certainly require Kim to sever ties with her soon to be name changin' , now suspended attorney beau! I don't know if it is catastrophic enough to accomplish the full metamorphosis from Jimmy to Saul, but we may be about 97% of the way there already, so who knows?

[SunnyBeBe]

7 hours ago, solea said:

Makes me think of her trip to the courthouse. A one liner and never referred to again in the episode. Which is a dead give away that something important happened there. Is she incorporating in order to handle the expansion workload?

Or…

Did she apply for a marriage license? 

Interesting. Most of the time that an attorney goes to the courthouse, when they don't have a case scheduled, is to check on court files/documents, pleadings, and possibly things that are also housed in the courthouse in some places like real estate deeds and restrictions. Hmmm...But, I guess anything is possible. 

I got the feeling that Kim got emotional over the letter from Chuck, because she saw the conciliatory nature of the letter unfolding and realized that it was now possible for Jimmy to find peace with Chuck's life and death.  And her relief and joy for Jimmy, just overwhelmed her. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Bryce Lynch]

25 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Interesting. Most of the time that an attorney goes to the courthouse, when they don't have a case scheduled, is to check on court files/documents, pleadings, and possibly things that are also housed in the courthouse in some places like real estate deeds and restrictions. Hmmm...But, I guess anything is possible. 

Also, not to nit pick, but, before Kim handed Jimmy the letter, she handed him, what she called a Release, basically agreeing to not contest the will and then Jimmy would get his $5000.00, but, earlier, when Kim met with Howard, Howard gave Kim 2 envelopes.  One being the letter and the other envelop containing  a check for $5000.00.  So, if there was already a check for $5000.00, the release, in order to get the $5000.00, seems incorrect. Should be the other way around. Maybe, I'm reading too much into this. 

I got the feeling that Kim got emotional over the letter from Chuck, because she saw the conciliatory nature of the letter unfolding and realized that it was now possible for Jimmy to find peace with Chuck's life and death.  And her relief and joy for Jimmy, just overwhelmed her. 

I don't think Howard gave Kim a check.  It was the letter and the release form.

Here is the dialogue:

Howard: Well, then as far as Jimmy's concerned all that's left is for him to sign this agreement letter. Once that's done, we can disperse his share of the estate.

Kim: Let me guess. Four thousand?

Howard: Five. 

As for Kim's trip to the courthouse, it is really a mystery, and I doubt that was an insignificant throw away line.  Maybe she filed some papers to contest the will?  It might also be possible that she went to file an ethics complaint about herself?  Perhaps she knew a particular lawyer would be there (Schweigert?) and wanted to discuss getting help with the MV work, handing it off to them, or bringing it to them and joining the firm?

I'm not really sure what Kim is feeling about Jimmy.  One minute I think she has seen through him and wants out and the next it seems like she is getting drawn in even closer.  At the end of episode 401, I thought she would soon break it off with Jimmy.  At the end of 402 it seemed like she was totally Team Jimmy.  By the end of 403, it seems more like she is moving away from him, but it wasn't clear.

She definitely seems to feel very guilty about what they did to Chuck and over the "ill gotten gain" of the Mesa Verde work, which she never would have gotten without Jimmy's criminal acts, that eventually, indirectly led to Chuck's death.  I think she also feels overwhelmed by the work.  This probably makes her feel even more guilty about MV, because it suggests that Chuck and Howard were right, in their pitch that MV needed a large firm like HHM. 

Given that she feels that guilt, it must be awful to work all day, every day, on the client that Jimmy stole for her, at such a horrible cost.  She is constantly reminded of it at work, then she goes home to Jimmy who is also a reminder of it.  She might do well to get rid of the MV account (and probably Jimmy) for the sake of her sanity.  

Edited August 22, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[SunnyBeBe]

2 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I don't think Howard gave Kim a check.  It was the letter and the release form.

Here is the dialogue:

Howard: Well, then as far as Jimmy's concerned all that's left is for him to sign this agreement letter. Once that's done, we can disperse his share of the estate.

Kim: Let me guess. Four thousand?

Howard: Five. 

As for Kim's trip to the courthouse, it is really a mystery, and I doubt that was an insignificant throw away line.  Maybe she filed some papers to contest the will?  It might also be possible that she went to file an ethics complaint about herself?  Perhaps she knew a particular lawyer would be there (Schweigert?) and wanted to discuss getting help with the MV work, handing it off to them, or bringing it to them and joining the firm?

I'm not really sure what Kim is feeling about Jimmy.  One minute I think she has seen through him and wants out and the next it seems like she is getting drawn in even closer.  At the end of episode 401, I thought she would soon break it off with Jimmy.  At the end of 402 it seemed like she was totally Team Jimmy.  By the end of 403, it seems more like she is moving away from him, but it wasn't clear.

She definitely seems to feel very guilty about what they did to Chuck and over the "ill gotten gain" of the Mesa Verde work, which she never would have gotten without Jimmy's criminal acts, that eventually, indirectly led to Chuck's death.  I think she also feels overwhelmed by the work.  This probably makes her feel even more guilty about MV, because it suggests that Chuck and Howard were right, in their pitch that MV needed a large firm like HHM.   Given that she feels that guilt, it must be awful to work all day, every day, on the client that Jimmy stole for her, at such a horrible cost.  

You're right. I doubled checked and deleted that. Thanks.

[Colorado David]

15 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Wouldn't a letter like that be handwritten or have a signature, making other authorship unlikely?

Was the letter typed? Did Howard have a manual typewriter?

[Milburn Stone]

My take on the Kim-with-the-models scene, I'm persuaded, is wrong. FWIW, how I interpreted Kim's state of mind was that she was thinking, "Damn, I'm not charging these folks nearly enough money. If this is what they had in mind all along, I just got ripped off!"

But I agree it's more likely she was feeling overwhelmed. Of course, she can just say no. But then I think of all the times in my life when just saying no didn't even occur to me as an option (when of course it was), and I understand.

[SailorGirl]

15 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Wouldn't a letter like that be handwritten or have a signature, making other authorship unlikely?

That's what I was thinking too. Unless the letter was typed/printed from a computer, Jimmy would know his brother's writing. 

Also, something that occurred to me -- I think the "how much I respect what you have made of yourself" and "proud we share the name McGill" comments in the letter are even more of a push toward leaving Jimmy McGill behind and becoming Saul Goodman -- something like, "oh really Chuck? Actions speak louder than words and you showed me how you really felt. Fuck you -- here's what I think about your bullshit letter Chuck." Better call Saul!  

I think its a safe assumption that as much embarrassment Chuck had about Jimmy's actions, we can only imagine how much a shady late-night tv "criminal" lawyer for a brother would have sent him into a tailspin. He did prove Chuck right that he found a place in the world and landed on his feet, but certainly not in a way Chuck would have wanted, expected, or approved of. And heaven knows, all that mattered (to Chuck, and for a while, Jimmy)  is whether Chuck approved (in Chuck's mind anyway, but Jimmy has finally stopped buying into that -- thank god). Even after the BB world crashes in, he ends up on his feet, (that we know of), managing a Cinnabon in Omaha. 

I probably project WAY too much into this whole Jimmy finally living his life on his terms, doing what is right for him, and not feeling guilty (or caring anymore) that he's not living up to what Chuck thinks he should be, nor he is allowing Chuck's opinion to make him feel guilty about it. But . . . 

here's why I'm reading this into Jimmy's behavior around the will and the letter.

I lived with this very scenario for years (although I didn't become a "criminal" lawyer by any means -- I'm just living my life the way I want to, not the way family members think I should). Once I finally stopped caring about their opinions, stopped beating myself up wondering what was so wrong with me, and started living my life the way I wanted to, I became a much happier person. The less I cared about what they thought, the harder they pushed and the nastier they got. People with control issues LOSE it when you take back the control.  Of course it bothers me that I ultimately ended up having no relationship with my immediate family, but in the bigger picture, I am much better off, my world is a much better place, and I am a much happier person. It wouldn't bother me a bit on any fundamental emotional level if two of them chose the "out" that Chuck took. "oh, that's sad." Moving on . . .

We know Jimmy was loving life as Saul Goodman, at least until the BB world crashes to an end and he has to go to Omaha. And shouldn't we all try to be happy in our lives, so long as we aren't hurting ourselves or others? Until Walt and company entered his world, Saul was a happy guy! 
__________________

Dear Jimmy,

I have left many things 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 our life that nothing else ever 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

[peeayebee]

Thanks for transcribing that.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, Colorado David said:

Was the letter typed? Did Howard have a manual typewriter?

The letter was typed, the envelope was handwritten.  I believe we did see Chuck with a manual typewriter in his home when he was working on Mesa Verde.  It could have also been typed before his electrical fears developed. 

[ErinV]

13 hours ago, Starchild said:

How about this? 

• Chuck wrote the letter not long before his death, and it is absolutely brutal
• Before giving it to Jimmy, Kim wanted to be sure so she read it first, so she could be prepared to support Jimmy as he read it
• Unbeknownst to her, Jimmy found the letter and has already read it
• When he reads it to her, he speaks cavalierly and changes the words to something bland and not requiring emotional support from Kim because he just doesn't want to go there
• Kim, knowing what the letter really says but thinking Jimmy is seeing it for the first time (ETA or suspecting he's already read it), believes that Jimmy is lying his way through the letter because he doesn't want her support and is pushing her away

In truth, though, I actually do believe the letter was written, as we heard it, by Chuck before Jimmy earned his law degree. It would have been too easy for Kim to look over his shoulder and see that he wasn't reading what was actually on the page (which was typewritten, as you can see from the picture at the top of the recap).

I agree - because he specifically mentioned it wasn't dated.  That would be an odd thing to say if they weren't trying to convey that.

[ErinV]

6 minutes ago, ErinV said:

I agree - because he specifically mentioned it wasn't dated.  That would be an odd thing to say if they weren't trying to convey that.

But that doesn't explain why Kim reacted the way she did, so who knows.

[jww]

"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. "

How old would Chuck have to be to be able to  discern the " joy on Mom's face, never saw her happier"?  I doubt a five  or even a ten year old would be that sophisticated in reading emotions.  We do know from the obit Charles was in college when he was 14 so if he was a mature teenager when Jimmy was born it is likely he would be away at school when Jimmy came home.

[SailorGirl]

29 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Thanks for transcribing that.

Thanks, but I can't take credit -- it was a cut-and-paste from a recap site. :-D

[SailorGirl]

16 minutes ago, jww 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. "

How old would Chuck have to be to be able to  discern the " joy on Mom's face, never saw her happier"?  I doubt a five  or even a ten year old would be that sophisticated in reading emotions.  We do know from the obit Charles was in college when he was 14 so if he was a mature teenager when Jimmy was born it is likely he would be away at school when Jimmy came home.

As well, how would Chuck have known this was the happiest she'd ever been?  Its highly probable their mother was equally as excited when she had Chuck and he was a baby, but, oh yeah Chuck, you fucking asshole, you were a newborn baby and wouldn't be able to remember/have seen that! And if Chuck was 14 when Jimmy came along, he's just passed puberty, may be having some oedipal issues, and along comes this tiny little thing that takes his mother's attention away when he subconsciously desires it more than ever. That gets suppressed and never dealt with and it comes out in the form of jealousy and attempts to control the thing that he thinks took away his mother's attention. Whether real or imagined. After all, fathers provide the first impression of men for their daughters and mothers provide the first impression of women for their sons.  (hope I'm saying that right -- I'm by no means a psychotherapist). 

Plus, some (hopefully most) would realize, oh yeah, that was when we were kids, and we're adults now and let it freakin' go. But not Chuck. . . 

I really hate Chuck. :-D

Edited August 22, 2018 by SailorGirl

[PeterPirate]

12 minutes ago, SailorGirl said:

Plus, some (hopefully most) would realize, oh yeah, that was when we were kids, and we're adults now and let it freakin' go. But not Chuck. . . 

I really hate Chuck. :-D

Oh dear.  My first post for this show began with "I don't hate Chuck. Short of him murdering Kim, I don't think I will ever hate Chuck.  Why? Because Jimmy is a criminal."

I still don't know what Chuck could have done about Jimmy.  I think the best thing would have been to let him rot in prison after the Chicago Sunroof incident.  But that would have meant being disobedient to his mother, so Chuck was in a no-win situation.  I'm not sure what even the most emotionally healthy person on the planet would have known what to do.     

[Clanstarling]

On 8/20/2018 at 8:50 PM, tennisgurl said:

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 think this triggers the name change. Kind of an f u to Chuck.

 

On 8/20/2018 at 7:35 PM, peeayebee said:

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)

For a hot second I thought it was bearded Walt.

On 8/20/2018 at 10:23 PM, 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?

Because that nice letter could also serve as one last dig and cause Jimmy more pain thinking of what could have been. I don't think Chuck would consider that Jimmy would be so detached when he read it.