S04.E06: Pinata

[benteen]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

It was really Jesse who destroyed everything.  Of course, Walt fired Gale and hired him, but that was to get Jesse to drop the charges against Hank to save his career and probably his home.   Before that, Walt was perfectly happy to work for Gus, with Gale as his assistant.   If Fring hadn't allowed his men to use children to deal and murder, Jesse wouldn't have gotten up in arms and Walt wouldn't have needed to save him by killing Gus's dealers.  There was a lot of blame to go around in the collapse of that partnership.   So many ifs.  If Hank hadn't beaten Jesse, or if Jesse had just gone inside and locked the door, so many bad thing would not have happened. 

Jesse was also taking some of the meth and selling it on the side, which is about as stupid a thing to do as possible and pretty much screams out "KILL ME!  KILL ME!"  Jesse was definitely the one that seemed intent on sabotaging the business arrangement with Gus.

[Bannon]

I am starting to suspect that Jimmy is going to pull some sort of awful covert stunt, in hopes of poisoning the relationship between Kim and Mesa Verde, thus torpedoing Kim's partnership with Schweikert, because he is so desperate to maintain his dream of a long term relationship with Kim. Kim will find out, of course, and see it, not unreasonably, as an unforgiveable betrayal.

(edit) That could lead to the coldest of cold opens, set near the end of the Saul era. Saul, on the clock for Jesse/Walt/Mike, enters the courthouse or police department, just as Schweikert partner Kim, doing her criminal defense work, is leaving. Their eyes lock, Saul opens his mouth to say something, Kim looks away, says nothing, and keeps walking. A lifetime of pain and loss is revisited on Jimmy.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Bannon

[TVFan17]

3 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

On the podcasts, the creators have mentioned that AMC, being on basic cable, gives them a quota of how many curse words and especially F-bombs they can use in a season.  I think it is connected to AMC's contracts with cable providers.   Sometimes they will drop the sound on an F-bomb, so they can easily put it back in on Netflix and DVDs.  

I don't want to get political, but I guess they have to decide whether to use the Trump method of keeping people quiet (which has been rather ineffective) or the rumored (though unproven) Clinton method. :)

 

Was last night's episode the first episode of BCS (or in the entire BCS/Breaking Bad universe) where a character said "fuck" and the sound was not dropped?   Has any other character on BCS said it when it was not blanked out?     I thought this was the first time I actually heard the word on one of these shows, but I might be forgetting something.

I vividly remember the episodes of Breaking Bad in which Walt, Skyler, Mike, Jesse and Hank dropped the F-bomb -- but in each one of those cases, the sound was dropped.   It was never audible in those episodes. 

I know that AMC was pretty strict with The Walking Dead for years, and would not let anyone say the word.    There was a famous scene in one of the earlier seasons where Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) said "They're screwing with the wrong people" in a very tense, heated situation.  And the whole reason he had to say "screwing" (which sounded so silly in that specific scenario) was because AMC would not let him drop the F-bomb on the show (they shot an alternate version of the scene where he was allowed to curse, but it was not shown on the network).     But now they let people on Fear the Walking Dead say it!

The days of "fuck" not being allowed  on American Horror Story are over too.   They were not shy about letting it fly during the previous 2017 season.

I was shocked to hear "fuck" -- without it being blanked out at all -- in a new Lifetime show called You the other night... not because the word itself shocks me, but because I didn't think that Lifetime was OK with letting it be heard!

And I was truly astounded when the "C word" was unleashed on the FX show Feud -- that one really caught me off guard!   lol     My first thought was "Isn't that a word reserved for the premium cable channels only?  I guess not!"

Edited September 11, 2018 by TVFan17

[Bryce Lynch]

4 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

Was last night's episode the first episode of BCS (or in the entire BCS/Breaking Bad universe) where a character said "fuck" and the sound was not dropped?   Has any other character on BCS said it when it was not blanked out?     I thought this was the first time I actually heard the word on one of these shows, but I might be forgetting something.

I have read that on BB they were allowed one uncensored f-bomb per season on the AMC broadcasts. 

[TVFan17]

4 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I have read that on BB they were allowed one uncensored f-bomb per season on the AMC broadcasts. 

Yes, but as I mentioned above, when Walt, Skyler, Jesse, Mike and Hank said it, it was always blanked out.   They never let the word be heard on the shows that aired on AMC.  You could see them mouthing it, or hear a sudden sound drop, but not hear it.

I am trying to recall if anyone has said it on BCS -- before Howard -- where it was not blanked out and could actually be heard.  Or was Howard the first character to have the honor of his "fuck" being heard by everyone?

Edited September 11, 2018 by TVFan17

[PeterPirate]

18 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

 

Was last night's episode the first episode of BCS (or in the entire BCS/Breaking Bad universe) where a character said "fuck" and the sound was not dropped?   Has any other character on BCS said it when it was not blanked out?     I thought this was the first time I actually heard the word on one of these shows, but I might be forgetting something.

I vividly remember the episodes of Breaking Bad in which Walt, Skyler, Mike, Jesse and Hank dropped the F-bomb -- but in each one of those cases, the sound was dropped.   It was never audible in those episodes. 

I know that AMC was pretty strict with The Walking Dead for years, and would not let anyone say the word.    There was a famous scene in one of the earlier seasons where Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) said "They're screwing with the wrong people" in a very tense, heated situation.  And the whole reason he had to say "screwing" (which sounded so silly in that specific scenario) was because AMC would not let him drop the F-bomb on the show (they shot an alternate version of the scene where he was allowed to curse, but it was not shown on the network).     But now they let people on Fear the Walking Dead say it!

The days of "fuck" being blanked out on American Horror Story are over too.

I was shocked to hear "fuck" -- without it being blanked out at all -- in a new Lifetime show called You the other night... not because the word itself shocks me, but because I didn't think that Lifetime was OK with letting it fly!

And I was truly astounded when the "C word" was unleashed on the FX show Feud -- that one really caught me off guard!   lol     My first thought was "Isn't that a word reserved for the premium cable channels only?  I guess not!"

 

That word is such a natural part of my daily vocabulary that I didn't even notice its importance.  But if there is a quota to the use of profanity on the show, and they chose to use part of the quota in a Howard scene, I guess we can take that as a significant harbinger of things to come.  (I have my own theory about what those things might be.)

Edited September 11, 2018 by PeterPirate

[Bannon]

16 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

 

Was last night's episode the first episode of BCS (or in the entire BCS/Breaking Bad universe) where a character said "fuck" and the sound was not dropped?   Has any other character on BCS said it when it was not blanked out?     I thought this was the first time I actually heard the word on one of these shows, but I might be forgetting something.

I vividly remember the episodes of Breaking Bad in which Walt, Skyler, Mike, Jesse and Hank dropped the F-bomb -- but in each one of those cases, the sound was dropped.   It was never audible in those episodes. 

I know that AMC was pretty strict with The Walking Dead for years, and would not let anyone say the word.    There was a famous scene in one of the earlier seasons where Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) said "They're screwing with the wrong people" in a very tense, heated situation.  And the whole reason he had to say "screwing" (which sounded so silly in that specific scenario) was because AMC would not let him drop the F-bomb on the show (they shot an alternate version of the scene where he was allowed to curse, but it was not shown on the network).     But now they let people on Fear the Walking Dead say it!

The days of "fuck" not being allowed  on American Horror Story are over too.   They were not shy about letting it fly during the previous 2017 season.

I was shocked to hear "fuck" -- without it being blanked out at all -- in a new Lifetime show called You the other night... not because the word itself shocks me, but because I didn't think that Lifetime was OK with letting it be heard!

And I was truly astounded when the "C word" was unleashed on the FX show Feud -- that one really caught me off guard!   lol     My first thought was "Isn't that a word reserved for the premium cable channels only?  I guess not!"

I remember "I fucked Ted" being said very clearly.

[Blakeston]

27 minutes ago, PeterPirate said:

I'm dubious about the name of the animal being a thing.  If nothing else, Gus was only seven or eight at the time, so maybe he mis-identified the animal.   

Along those lines, I am skeptical about Gus' story not being true.  Gus had to be completely certain that Hector could not hear him, since Hector could wake up and inform his family cartel that Gus was planning on torturing him.  So Gus would have no reason to tell a fake story to an unconscious person.  

I think Gus's hope was that Hector would subconsciously understand the coati story - and begin to fear Gus - without actually remembering exactly what Gus said if/when he woke up.

Gus also probably knew that if Hector woke up and told his family members that Gus told him a story about battling a coati and "keeping it," they would probably chalk it up to Hector being batty from brain damage or medication, and not see it as a serious threat.

[TVFan17]

3 minutes ago, Bannon said:

I remember "I fucked Ted" being said very clearly.

She said it, but the sound dropped out on the AMC episode -- at least on the AMC episode I saw.  The word could not be heard -- and it has remained that way any time I have watched a repeat of it.  You see her mouthing it, but it sounds like she is saying "I _________ Ted."

Edited September 11, 2018 by TVFan17

[Bannon]

7 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

She said it, but the sound dropped out on the AMC episode -- at least on the AMC episode I saw.  The word could not be heard -- and it has remained that way any time I have watched a repeat of it.  You see her mouthing it, but it sounds like she is saying "I _________ Ted."

Hey, the last time I watched that episode was on Netflix, so my memory could be completely fogged.

[TVFan17]

I don't think that Gus was making up his coati story to Hector.   I don't see a reason to fabricate a story to someone who may not even hear or understand what he is saying.   Yes, Gus could have gotten the specific type of animal wrong, or maybe he lived somewhere other than Chile for a brief time as a child, but I think his story was mostly true.

[teddysmom]

52 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Was last night's episode the first episode of BCS (or in the entire BCS/Breaking Bad universe) where a character said "fuck" and the sound was not dropped?   Has any other character on BCS said it when it was not blanked out?     I thought this was the first time I actually heard the word on one of these shows, but I might be forgetting something.

I believe Gretchen said it on Breaking Bad. 

[ShadowFacts]

17 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

I don't think that Gus was making up his coati story to Hector.   I don't see a reason to fabricate a story to someone who may not even hear or understand what he is saying.   Yes, Gus could have gotten the specific type of animal wrong, or maybe he lived somewhere other than Chile for a brief time as a child, but I think his story was mostly true.

I agree.  You don't put in a bunch of detail about your age, your brothers, your living situation, a fruit tree, to someone in a coma.  Yes, the doctor said he might hear, but he's had a massive stroke and cognitively it is unlikely he is understanding much allegory or absorbing it on any level of consciousness.  I took it as Gus thinking out loud, like "I've done this before, Hector, and you're not dying from this infection, you're gonna feel some pain for a long time, like the coati."  

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

5 hours ago, BeatrixK said:

Howard dropping an F-bomb was awesome!

The AMC warning was so over the top that I was expecting a complete tirade of profanity from one of the characters.

I assumed it would be the N word. Did AMC just start issuing warnings about the F word?

 

4 hours ago, attica said:

I liked all the upside-down camera work in the piñata room.

There was a little too much upside-down camera work in the piñata room for me; I had trouble figuring out what was happening. But then I was watching on a tiny screen.

 

4 hours ago, benteen said:

Did Kim even consult with Mesa Verde that she was turning their account over to another law firm or are the writers going to hand wave this away? 

I wondered about this too. Stay tuned?

 

 

3 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Regarding the lucuma tree story, I am thinking more and more that Gus made it up entirely and it was simply a parable about Gus, Max and Hector.  Max was the scrawny, fruitless tree, that Gus rescued from the slums of Santiago.  He educated and nurtured him and made him fruitful, and got personal enjoyment (it has been speculated they were lovers) and profit through his meth making skills, just like he enjoyed eating the fruit of the tree and later sold the fruit to make money.  Hector is the coati that ruined all that by killing Max.  Gus is going to keep Hector alive and make him suffer, just like the coati in the story.  I mean, obviously Gus is drawing the parallel, but I suspect the story isn't real.  

The fact the Chile is the ONLY country, except for Canada, in North, Central or South America  where the coati does not live makes me think this.   

I thought this too when I read here that Chile is the only South American country where there are no coatis, but since that information is not (yet) in the script, I'm not sure (yet).

[Bryce Lynch]

59 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

Yes, but as I mentioned above, when Walt, Skyler, Jesse, Mike and Hank said it, it was always blanked out.   They never let the word be heard on the shows that aired on AMC.  You could see them mouthing it, or hear a sudden sound drop, but not hear it.

I am trying to recall if anyone has said it on BCS -- before Howard -- where it was not blanked out and could actually be heard.  Or was Howard the first character to have the honor of his "fuck" being heard by everyone?

Again, from what I understand, they were allowed one uncensored f-bomb per season to air on AMC and they did this.  There were more cases where they dropped the sound from the f-bombs for AMC and then put them back for Netflix and DVDs.

[Lurky McLurkerson]

4 hours ago, PeterPirate said:

I've seen posts for previous episodes containing speculation that Kim had a less-than-seemly past before moving the New Mexico.  I've always ignored them but now they begin to make sense to me.  There may be something about Kim that causes Jimmy to see her as a kindred spirit.  

Either that or I am just way over-thinking this.  

This is actually exactly what I was thinking about last night - I think that Kim has just outgrown Jimmy in the same way you can outgrow your high school friends when you grow apart and have nothing in common other than reliving the "good old days".  And Kim and Jimmy's good old days stunts could irreparably harm her future.  As someone who did some fairly stupid things in my youth, I get how Jimmy would have appealed to Kim's wilder side at one time and she's reaching a point where her affection for him is at odds with her pragmatism about what she wants out of life.

4 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Also, is Mesa Verde going to be okay with associates and paralegals doing the bulk of the work, instead of Kim? I thought that was why they wanted her.   I didn't follow last season, perhaps, I misunderstood. But, a large firm is going to expect LOTS of billable hours. 

Mesa Verde should be fine with it.  Their portfolio is expanded and requires more resources.  Having associates and paralegals brings their rates down (since this is the days before flat-fee arrangements for transaction work were all the rage) and provides a better stable for client service and responsiveness.  This is generally the model in BigLaw - the partner is the relationship manager, and the associates/paralegals do work under their supervision.

13 hours ago, Penman61 said:

Feeling grumpy, not sure if it's the show, so scroll by if you want your mellow unharshed:

• I found Gus's monologue to Hector uncharacteristically writerly in the worst ways that Vince & Co usually excel at avoiding.  You see, Hector, this story, which totally happened, is a metaphor, an analog, and it explains my character because no one watching has any idea how supremely, how patiently and terribly vengeful I am.  And, in the bargain, this ironically foreshadows what will happen to both of us.  Beautifully lit, though.  

3 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Regarding the lucuma tree story, I am thinking more and more that Gus made it up entirely and it was simply a parable about Gus, Max and Hector.  Max was the scrawny, fruitless tree, that Gus rescued from the slums of Santiago.  He educated and nurtured him and made him fruitful, and got personal enjoyment (it has been speculated they were lovers) and profit through his meth making skills, just like he enjoyed eating the fruit of the tree and later sold the fruit to make money.  Hector is the coati that ruined all that by killing Max.  Gus is going to keep Hector alive and make him suffer, just like the coati in the story.  I mean, obviously Gus is drawing the parallel, but I suspect the story isn't real.  

I am prepared to go sit on the grumpy couch with Penman61 - the scene with Hector and Gus was beautifully shot (and I'd listen to Giancarlo Esposito read the phone book) - but we've seen Gus's patience and we know his burning hatred of Hector.  I'm also not convinced that boorish Hector would be bright enough to grasp the metaphor even fully if he were fully cognizant.  It felt superfluous and, as was mentioned in last week's recap, service to moving back to Breaking Bad rather than forward with Better Call Saul.  I prefer Bryce Lynch's interpretation as a parable - that would make more sense to me; however, I just think that's parable before swine where Hector is concerned.  Hector is not a man for pretty words and would enjoy the pain that Max's death caused Gus.

I love Gus Fring.  He is one of my favorite TV villains of all time, but, for the love of all that is blue and 99% pure, get on with it writers! Move. the. story. forward.  I love a wink at the BB fandom just as much as any, but it's got to be subtle and not a hinge-point of the plot.

[tennisgurl]

I think that Gus`s story was more of a parable than something that actually happened. Or, if it did happen, it probably didnt happen exactly like that. Maybe it was some other kind of animal? I dont think it matters, the point is that Gus is a scary guy who doesn't want to kill his enemies as much as he wants to make them suffer, and he will wait for as long as necessary. 

The German guys have a sweet set up going on! I feel like Kai is going to be trouble, and you do NOT want to be a guy giving Mike trouble. Mikes bad side is a very bad place to be. Loved the beer garden and the futball set up in the background. 

Nice seeing the flashback to Chuck in his glory days. Poor Jimmy was already being ignored by Chuck, and Kim was already ambitious and passionate about the law. Chuck was clearly annoyed when Kim kept talking after the necessary "way to go!", but was clearly more interested when she started reciting law cases. *Sigh* Wexler and McGill was sadly never going to be. 

Howard gets our F bomb of the season, and Jimmy gives a solid pep talk! You know, maybe Jimmy was really meant to be a motivational speaker, instead of a lawyer/con man.  

[TVFan17]

21 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Again, from what I understand, they were allowed one uncensored f-bomb per season to air on AMC and they did this.  There were more cases where they dropped the sound from the f-bombs for AMC and then put them back for Netflix and DVDs.

Whatever the case, -- whatever they said they were allowed per season (which I had already heard about long ago) -- when Walt, Skyler, Jesse, Mike and Hank said "fuck" in their episodes that aired on AMC, the sound was dropped each and every time, in each one of those episodes, and it is still dropped in the repeats on AMC.   I'm sure the sound is fully intact on Netflix and DVDs.   I was only referring to the actual episodes that aired on AMC.   I have never actually heard the word in those specific BB episodes shown on AMC because the sound is always dropped.

So, since I can't recall any other instance of "fuck" being audible in a Better Call Saul episode shown on AMC from any season, I am going to assume that Howard was the first one whose "fuck" was actually audible?   Or is there another scene where it is audible (from a previous BCS season) that I am forgetting?  In other words, who said it last season, or the season before?   I can't recall.

Edited September 11, 2018 by TVFan17

[PeterPirate]

There's also the fact that it was completely out of character for Howard to use that word.  In season 1, when Jimmy directed the same word at Howard, he took it in stride and did not respond in kind.  

[TVFan17]

6 minutes ago, PeterPirate said:

There's also the fact that it was completely out of character for Howard to use that word.  In season 1, when Jimmy directed the same word at Howard, he took it in stride and did not respond in kind.  

That's what I was trying to remember -- if anyone had said the word on this show prior to this Howard moment, and if it was audible or the sound was dropped.   I couldn't remember if anyone had.   So Jimmy said it in Season 1?   Okay, at least I have my answer to that mystery.

Yes -- Howard always seems so contained, and we still know so little about him, so when he cursed at Jimmy it was unexpected!

Edited September 11, 2018 by TVFan17

[Bryce Lynch]

10 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

So, since I can't recall any other instance of "fuck" being audible in a Better Call Saul episode shown on AMC from any season, I am going to assume that Howard was the first one whose "fuck" was actually audible?   Or is there another scene where it is audible (from a previous BCS season) that I am forgetting?  In other words, who said it last season, or the season before?   I can't recall.

Didn't Jimmy once call Howard a pig-f***er and later tell him "Sorry I called your pig-f***ker? "

[Eulipian 5k]

6 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

17 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

Jimmy's motivational speech to Howard was perfect!  He does know how to turn a phrase, doesn't he?

Perfect for whom?   Jimmy isn't a mental health professional, he has no way of knowing how Howard will react to their conversation. 

Eggzactly. I think Jimmy lost patience with Howard's therapist. The "mental health professional" has left Howard 1) almost crying in a courthouse toilet, 2)near losing his law firm, and worst yet, 3)with unbuttoned collars. Jimmy can see how Howard has reacted to what(the f#@k)ever his therapist has been saying, so he gave him his two cents. 

[TVFan17]

3 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Didn't Jimmy once call Howard a pig-f***er and later tell him "Sorry I called your pig-f***ker? "

Apparently Jimmy did say the word -- PeterPirate just said that he did as well -- and I completely blanked out on that, which is weird, because "pig-f***ker" is pretty amusing and should be memorable!   Now, in my mind, I am going back over the seasons, trying to remember who said "fuck"!  lol

Edited September 11, 2018 by TVFan17

[Bryce Lynch]

9 minutes ago, Eulipian 5k said:

Eggzactly. I think Jimmy lost patience with Howard's therapist. The "mental health professional" has left Howard 1) almost crying in a courthouse toilet, 2)near losing his law firm, and worst yet, 3)with unbuttoned collars. Jimmy can see how Howard has reacted to what(the f#@k)ever his therapist has been saying, so he gave him his two cents. 

I'm sure the quality and methods of therapists varies greatly.   I also think they might tend to focus on a patient's long term mental at the expense of their immediate, practical needs.  Howard's therapist might be telling him to take it easy, feel his grief, and take time to smell the roses or whatever, not taking into account that if he doesn't get off his ass, sell himself to clients and save the firm, his resulting bankruptcy might cause mental anguish 10 times worse than he is feeling now.   I think that was what Jimmy was trying to say.  "You don't have time to feel sorry for yourself and get in touch with your feelings right now.  Save your damned firm and then you can do all the navel gazing you want later!"  

5 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

Apparently Jimmy did say the word -- PeterPirate just said that he did as well -- and I completely blanked out on that, which is weird, because "pig-f***ker" is pretty amusing and should be memorable!   Now, in my mind, I am going back over the seasons, trying to remember who said "fuck"!  lol

 

This thread is effed up! :)  The "Sorry I called you a pig-f**cker" might have been the warmest moment between Jimmy and Howard in the series.  He was acknowledging that he had largely misjudged Howard, due to Chuck asking him to be the heavy.  

Edited September 11, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[ShadowFacts]

26 minutes ago, Lurky McLurkerson said:

This is actually exactly what I was thinking about last night - I think that Kim has just outgrown Jimmy in the same way you can outgrow your high school friends when you grow apart and have nothing in common other than reliving the "good old days".  And Kim and Jimmy's good old days stunts could irreparably harm her future.  As someone who did some fairly stupid things in my youth, I get how Jimmy would have appealed to Kim's wilder side at one time and she's reaching a point where her affection for him is at odds with her pragmatism about what she wants out of life.

I had always been thinking something dramatic would happen to end Kim and Jimmy, but after seeing her wasting no time heading to Schweikert and in a direction that Jimmy can never hope to go, it looks more like they may end not with a bang but a whimper.  Which I would prefer to having something terrible happen to her.  But who knows, Jimmy may yet do something extreme that causes an explosive end, he acted very viscerally to her news.   It was almost a Chuck-like response, similar to his Gene meltdown in Omaha. 

[TVFan17]

Also... I have never tried lucuma.  When Gus was describing it, it sounded delicious.   I had no idea!   It makes me think I have been missing out on an overlooked gem of the produce world.  I never hear anyone talking about lucuma.

[Bryce Lynch]

The Insider Podcast for 406 is now available.

https://audioboom.com/posts/7003637-406-better-call-saul-insider

Special Guest: Patrick "FU Jimmy" Fabian

Edited September 11, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Booger666]

Regarding Jimmy and Kim being mismatched in the looks department, I reflect back to the Bali Hai ep where he would call her in the mornings to sing to her and she waited for that call.  This season we’ve seen him make her fresh squeezed OJ, make coffee, and frequently pick up dinner.  Jimmy is a charmer who is very caring to Kim and that goes a long way in relationships.  At least it does once you are past 16 and entirely about sex with the hot guy per Katie in Wet Hot American Summer.

[Ohwell]

8 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Hey, those f-wits have names.  According to IMDB they are "Peewee, Scooter and Skippy." :)  That is what Jimmy called them, when they first demanded his money in Quite a Ride.

More like Larry, Moe and Curly.

[Pike Ludwell]

Good God, could they have possibly given Huell a smaller role? At least throw in a line or two for him.

One of the great things about this season is NO CHUCK!! I was afraid they'd insert him in a big way via flashbacks, and they did a flashback, but his was such a small bit it wasn't too terrible.

[Lurky McLurkerson]

It's been a while since I've seen Huell, but I don't recall him being a man of many words.  (Kuby did most of the talking for him on BB.)  I actually though having the two of them lift their masks at the end was contrived.

[Ohwell]

37 minutes ago, Pat Hoolihan said:

One of the great things about this season is NO CHUCK!! I was afraid they'd insert him in a big way via flashbacks, and they did a flashback, but his was such a small bit it wasn't too terrible.

I truly hope that we're done with Chuck, no more flashbacks.  Just done.  

[toodles]

7 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

It does seem kind of strange.  Gus wants to do all of this digging in secret, and yet a whole bunch of people are going to know about it. 

Once the women are brought in, what is to stop them from asking the workers what they are doing, and what is stopping the workers from volunteering too much information?

Any women that are brought in to "service" the guys are going to know where they are, and there is nothing stopping them from telling the workers.  Of course I suppose they could blind fold the women too.

 

Spoiler

Maybe they can hire Wendy, the BB hooker,  for a bump and a root beer.

Edited September 11, 2018 by toodles
Stupid autocorrect

[Gobi]

A simple way to deal with the women issue would be to tell the diggers, in no uncertain terms, that they are to speak only German around the women.

[Bryce Lynch]

1 minute ago, Gobi said:

A simple way to deal with the women issue would be to tell the diggers, in no uncertain terms, that they are to speak only German around the women.

They could also transport the men, blindfolded to a facility in a different state and hire local hookers.    

At any rate, I am pretty sure Mike was saying  "Sorry, no women." when he added "Within reason" to his promise to get the Germans whatever they put on the list.   

[ahmerali]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

I truly hope that we're done with Chuck, no more flashbacks.  Just done.  

That would be the most disappointing thing in the world to me. I want to see how Chuck EM senstivity, real or imagined, developed.

[Ohwell]

15 minutes ago, ahmerali said:

That would be the most disappointing thing in the world to me. I want to see how Chuck EM senstivity, real or imagined, developed.

Well we certainly want different things. : )

[Quilt Fairy]

4 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

Whatever the case, -- whatever they said they were allowed per season (which I had already heard about long ago) -- when Walt, Skyler, Jesse, Mike and Hank said "fuck" in their episodes that aired on AMC, the sound was dropped each and every time, in each one of those episodes, and it is still dropped in the repeats on AMC.   I'm sure the sound is fully intact on Netflix and DVDs.   I was only referring to the actual episodes that aired on AMC.   I have never actually heard the word in those specific BB episodes shown on AMC because the sound is always dropped.

So, since I can't recall any other instance of "fuck" being audible in a Better Call Saul episode shown on AMC from any season, I am going to assume that Howard was the first one whose "fuck" was actually audible?   Or is there another scene where it is audible (from a previous BCS season) that I am forgetting?  In other words, who said it last season, or the season before?   I can't recall.

 

It was my understanding that the few times that BB used the word "fuck" - and I clearly remember the "I fucked Ted" line - the sound level was correct only in the original airing, and all subsequent re-airings on AMC had the sound level dropped.  I have not rewatched the show on DVD or Netflix, but I would assume they do not drop the sound level.  Why would they?

Edited September 11, 2018 by Quilt Fairy

[tiredofwork]

Very funny sped up montage with Jimmy bringing in the pallet of phones to his backroom office and Mrs. Nguyen every now and then just staring him down and at one point she just steps in his way  just to fuck with him and Jimmy just steps around her. 

[dwmarch]

15 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Coatis are not found in Chile, which other than Canada, is the only nation in the Americas that they do not inhabit.

Was this an error by the writers or does it mean Fring's story was a lie? 

It could mean that coatis were found in Chile until they pissed Gus Fring off.

[Ohwell]

9 minutes ago, dwmarch said:

It could mean that coatis were found in Chile until they pissed Gus Fring off.

And now maybe they're in Belize?

[MrWhyt]

10 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Plus, I'm not really sure I buy Fring's story of growing up poor.   He was apparently a high ranking general in the Pinochet regime. 

That is just speculation based on one line of dialogue (he is dismissively referred to as "El Generalissimo" by a cartel figure) and hints that he has some dark connections in his past.

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

It was my understanding that the few times that BB used the word "fuck" - and I clearly remember the "I fucked Ted" line - the sound level was correct only in the original airing, and all subsequent re-airings on AMC had the sound level dropped.  I have not rewatched the show on DVD or Netflix, but I would assume they do not drop the sound level.  Why would they?

Beheadings and child murder are fine but god forbid adults hear the f word.

[MarkySnark]

When Jimmy got out of the car to talk to the three chuckleheads at the end, I noticed that his track suit was just like Steve Austin's in the Six Million Dollar Man. When he started running away, I half expected to it to be in slow motion with the cha-cha-cha-cha sound. I am probably just old, but I am going to give Gilligan props for a wardrobe shout-out to my favorite show as a youngster.

[Kel Varnsen]

I thought it was pretty interesting that when Kim told Jimmy about her job offer she told it as if she just happened to be in the office and they surprised her with the offer that she is considering taking. But clearly from the actual scene it was her idea and she went to the meeting primarily to pitch the idea to them and see if they were interested.  Which means that at the restaurant she had already accepted it. Not so good for their relationship.

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

I never got Kim's attraction to Jimmy either. He is not attractive, intelligent nor charming. Maybe it is because I watched BB but he's always and will always someone who oozes slime. Their togetherness just happened. It was as if the writers though the show needed at least one pairing and they were it. 

I maintain that Kim would do so much better than him. She is laying in fleas being with him, as far as I am concerned 

[TVFan17]

3 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

It was my understanding that the few times that BB used the word "fuck" - and I clearly remember the "I fucked Ted" line - the sound level was correct only in the original airing, and all subsequent re-airings on AMC had the sound level dropped.  I have not rewatched the show on DVD or Netflix, but I would assume they do not drop the sound level.  Why would they?

 

I wasn't talking about DVD or Netflix.  I was only talking about what aired on AMC.  (And I don't want to derail this thread about the BCS episode by going on with this specific subject, but you quoted me so I am replying.)

I did not watch first-run episodes of Breaking Bad until the final season -- prior to Season 5, I only watched repeats because I got into the show late in the game and had to get caught up before Season 5 premiered.   So, if Skyler's use of "fuck" could be heard in that episode on the night it first premiered, then I missed it.  But in all of the repeats I have watched on AMC since then, the word was blanked out.  The same goes for Walt's use of the word -- if it could be heard in the original premiere of that episode, I missed it, but the sound dropped out for the repeats.  I could see what they were saying, but the sound went blank.

However.... Jesse, Mike and Hank all let the F-bomb fly in Season 5 (although Season 5 was broken into 2 halves, separated by one year, so Mike said it in the first half and Jesse and Hank said it in the second half), and I did watch those episodes when they first premiered...... and the sound dropped out for each one of their uses of the word in those first-run episodes on AMC -- at least on my AMC channel it did.   I am on the West Coast, so maybe the word could be heard on the East Coast and then was dropped by the time it aired here?  Who knows?  All I know is that the sound dropped out when Jesse, Mike and Hank said the word in their respective episodes, and that was in the first-run episodes, on the night they premiered, as well as in all repeats that I have watched.

I mainly just wanted to know if Howard's use of the word in last night's BCS episode was the first time "fuck" was said and/or could be heard on BCS  instead of blanked out/dropped, and PeterPirate and Bryce Lynch helped solve that mystery for me!   

Edited September 12, 2018 by TVFan17

[PeterPirate]

I'm going to cut the show a little slack regarding Gus' monologue to Hector.  The book Shogun ends with Toranaga thinking to himself, using words as if he was talking to Blackthorne.  The TV movie uses a narrator's voice to articulate the same things over visual shots of Toranaga looking down at Blackthorne from a ridge.  I suppose they could have done the same thing here, using Gus' voice over a shot of him staring, mute, at Hector.  But then we would be complaining that they were really getting too artsy for their own good.  

So in the end I choose to appreciate what's presented.  We get to see/hear Gus verbally articulate his malevolence towards another person--something that we don't get in BB.  And Giancarlo Esposito delivers it perfectly.  

[Bannon]

7 hours ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

I never got Kim's attraction to Jimmy either. He is not attractive, intelligent nor charming. Maybe it is because I watched BB but he's always and will always someone who oozes slime. Their togetherness just happened. It was as if the writers though the show needed at least one pairing and they were it. 

I maintain that Kim would do so much better than him. She is laying in fleas being with him, as far as I am concerned 

Really have to disagree that Jimmy is not intelligent. My impression is that he'd score quite highly on any number of standardized tests. As far as charm, the Saul of BB is quite a different person than Jimmy McGill, especially early in BCS,  and that is kind of the point of this show. Think of the impression that Jimmy made on the accomplished, intelligent, Rebecca, when they first met. She thought he was extremely charming, with a great sense of humor. Chuck knew this was how people frequently reacted to his little brother, and it enraged Chuck.

Could Kim do better? Absolutely. That's pretty common. Kim, however, came up via a similar path as Jimmy, they have shared many struggles, and Jimmy has been quite loyal to her. I suspect that may be about to change, however.

[qtpye]

8 hours ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

I never got Kim's attraction to Jimmy either. He is not attractive, intelligent nor charming. Maybe it is because I watched BB but he's always and will always someone who oozes slime. Their togetherness just happened. It was as if the writers though the show needed at least one pairing and they were it. 

I maintain that Kim would do so much better than him. She is laying in fleas being with him, as far as I am concerned 

 

1 hour ago, Bannon said:

Really have to disagree that Jimmy is not intelligent. My impression is that he'd score quite highly on any number of standardized tests. As far as charm, the Saul of BB is quite a different person than Jimmy McGill, especially early in BCS,  and that is kind of the point of this show. Think of the impression that Jimmy made on the accomplished, intelligent, Rebecca, when they first met. She thought he was extremely charming, with a great sense of humor. Chuck knew this was how people frequently reacted to his little brother, and it enraged Chuck.

Could Kim do better? Absolutely. That's pretty common. Kim, however, came up via a similar path as Jimmy, they have shared many struggles, and Jimmy has been quite loyal to her. I suspect that may be about to change, however.

 

On 9/11/2018 at 1:23 AM, Bannon said:

ppWhat masterful writing, in  the psychological portrayals, and in advancement of plot, and how both are woven together. I've been suspecting since last season that Kim would end up a partner at either HHM or Schweikert, and that it would crush Jimmy, but that knowledge didn't render the outcome less heartbreaking to watch. The flashback to mailroom Kim and Jimmy just drove home how long Jimmy has been nursing his dream of a personal and professional partnership with Kim, and thus why it was so devastating to him when Kim said she was going to be a partner at Schweikert. What was tremendous was that the devastation was portrayed not with histrionics, but with a simple scene of Jimmy leaning against the wall. Also, I'd pay money to see  Jimmy McGill, motivational speaker. 

It is weird that these scenarios happened to a friend of mine in real life. She was a very attractive and charming woman who was dating a guy that some people thought was a little beneath her while she was attending law school. We as her friends never mentioned anything about it but her family was on her case a lot to dump this supposed loser. This guy was nothing like Jimmy, he was honest and never did crimes, but he did not have the background or education or looks to make him an "equal" to her in eyes of her family. Anyway, my friend graduated from law school and became quite successful. She eventually did kind of move beyond this guy and ended up marrying a pretty successful surgeon.  I like Jimmy but we all know he will become Saul. I can not imagine people saying that "Hey look that is Kim Wexler, Partner at hoity-toity law firm...did you know her boyfriend is Saul from the adds...the one who works in the strip mall with the inflatable Statue of Liberty"? Kim is probably going to move on from him in a fairly organic way and Jimmy knows it. 

Another thing that is interesting to me is why the law? We have seen over and over again that Jimmy can sell snow to an Eskimo. Sales is not an easy field but those that are good at it can make serious bank. Can you imagine if Jimmy became something like a realtor? I would bet you that he would eventually have the number one real estate firm in New Mexico. This would give him money, success, and prestige. It would also make him seem like a much more equal partner to someone as accomplished as Kim. My feeling is that he turns into the scuzziest lawyer on earth because he wants to sully the profession that his cold-hearted brother and the woman who is probably going to break up with him hold so dear.

Also, we always talk about how Jimmy is so charismatic and charming. Does anyone think it odd that Jimmy seems to have no real friends? In reality, this is a guy whose phone should be ringing off the hook because he is the life of the party without any alcohol or drugs. He has been in Albuquerque for many years and with his personality, he should have a pretty active social life. The only real friend we saw of his was his scamming partner, Rico, in Chicago. As someone said most educated and cultured people seemed to be very charmed by Jimmy including, Howard, Rebecca, and Ed Begly Jr. character from Davis and Main. Jimmy's connections do not have to be limited to low lives and criminals, but I guess that is where he feels the most comfortable.