S04.E06: Pinata

[Bryce Lynch]

19 minutes ago, qtpye said:

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.

I think Jimmy's lack of friends might just be a Gilligan and Gould writing quirk.   Most of the characters in BB where never shown to have much in the way of friends.  Jesse had Badger, Skinny Pete and Combo, and Walt Jr. had Louis.  But, Walt, Skyler, Hank, Marie, Gus and Mike were rarely if ever shown to have friends.  There were some random guests at a few parties at the White house, but we never really saw most of the characters talk about or interact with friends.  

[qtpye]

2 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I think Jimmy's lack of friends might just be a Gilligan and Gould writing quirk.   Most of the characters in BB where never shown to have much in the way of friends.  Jesse had Badger, Skinny Pete and Combo, and Walt Jr. had Louis.  But, Walt, Skyler, Hank, Marie, Gus and Mike were rarely if ever shown to have friends.  There were some random guests at a few parties at the White house, but we never really saw most of the characters talk about or interact with friends.  

The thing was that BB took place in only a span of two years. I think Gilligan wanted us

Spoiler

to very much contrast that Walt was surrounded by family and friends on his 50th birthday and by his 52nd birthday he was alone in a Dennys with only a waitress to talk to.

We even see that misanthrope Mike had a social circle from his group and volunteering. I am a natural introvert and sometimes I have to force myself to socialize for my own good. I have meet guys like Jimmy and there is no way a man with that type of personality would at least have, even if it is just superficial, a large circle of friends. Jimmy is the type of guy that even check out people in the grocery store would look forward to helping. We saw him doing an Oscar pool in the office...this guy is a good time. He needs to be around people because they energize him. He is simply not the type to sit still and get lost in his own thoughts.

[jnymph]

Think I'm in the minority, but I completely get (and love) Kim and Jimmy as a couple.  They're both intelligent and charming.   As far as attractiveness level, I'd put them both in the same league.   Neither are stunners, but I'd definitely peg them as cute..... adorable even. : )

I really enjoyed Gus's creepy story telling time to Hector.  Loved the focus on the Hector's hand.  LOL  ; )

[Bryce Lynch]

11 minutes ago, jnymph said:

Think I'm in the minority, but I completely get (and love) Kim and Jimmy as a couple.  They're both intelligent and charming.   As far as attractiveness level, I'd put them both in the same league.   Neither are stunners, but I'd definitely peg them as cute..... adorable even. : )

I really enjoyed Gus's creepy story telling time to Hector.  Loved the focus on the Hector's hand.  LOL  ; )

I think Jimmy and Kim are on a reasonably similar level (Kim a bit higher) and the both care for each other and Jimmy really admires Kim.  But, they seem to have different goals and values and they don't communicate, but both sort of slough off when the other does something that worries or hurts them.  It seems odd to say, but I think they need to argue more.  

[Clanstarling]

23 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I wonder if Jimmy is really more in love with Giselle Saint Claire than he is with Kim.  In this episode, he wanted to be Viktor (with a K) and Giselle, but Kim immediately brought them back to Jimmy and Kim, before crushing his W&M 2 dreams.    Is it the con artist streak in her that he is most attracted to?

That's always been my guess - and she's attracted to the same in him.

23 hours ago, suzeecat said:

The producers just KNEW every audience member would be staring at Hector's hand as Gus left his room, W-A-I-T-I-N-G for it to move ! ! !

I had to laugh at how HARD we watched that hand, only to have it not move.

23 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.

With all their expansion plans, I think it's an easy sell to them. No way Kim could handle all of that on her own.

22 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I took Mike's response of "Anything within reason" to Kai asking when the girls would get there as being a "No" to the girls.   He had just told them to put anything they wanted on the list and Mike's guys would get it for them.  "Anything within reason" was qualifying that, after Kai's unreasonable request. 

That was my take on it too.

22 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I am pretty sure it is a different location.  It seemed to be more in the middle of nowhere than the laundry.  Also, in the scenes with Lydia and with the engineers in the laundry, there was a lot of laundry equipment in it.  The warehouse the diggers are in seems empty except for the houses, and recreational equipment.  

I figure the warehouse they're living in isn't in the same location as the laundry, and that they'll be transported with hoods on each day.

[Bryce Lynch]

26 minutes ago, qtpye said:

The thing was that BB took place in only a span of two years. I think Gilligan wanted us

  Reveal hidden contents

to very much contrast that Walt was surrounded by family and friends on his 50th birthday and by his 52nd birthday he was alone in a Dennys with only a waitress to talk to.

We even see that misanthrope Mike had a social circle from his group and volunteering. I am a natural introvert and sometimes I have to force myself to socialize for my own good. I have meet guys like Jimmy and there is no way a man with that type of personality would at least have, even if it is just superficial, a large circle of friends. Jimmy is the type of guy that even check out people in the grocery store would look forward to helping. We saw him doing an Oscar pool in the office...this guy is a good time. He needs to be around people because they energize him. He is simply not the type to sit still and get lost in his own thoughts.

Again, I just think G&G don't like to write friends into their scripts, at least not for these 2 shows.  With so much going on in them, there might not be a whole lot of room for showing interactions with friends.   Most characters don't have a whole lot of family either.  Walt's Mom was mentioned as a ruse for him to do a marathon meth cook, but we never see her and we never hear of anything about Hank's family (other than the other 3 main characters) or any other relatives of Skyler and Marie.  

G&G seem to economize by putting close family members and co-workers into the role  of close friends, instead of introducing friends and extended families.   Walt and Hank are a prime example.  Most brothers in law are not that close, and they are, by the narrower definition, not really brothers in law.  

[SunnyBeBe]

20 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

That's always been my guess - and she's attracted to the same in him.

I had to laugh at how HARD we watched that hand, only to have it not move.

With all their expansion plans, I think it's an easy sell to them. No way Kim could handle all of that on her own.

That was my take on it too.

I figure the warehouse they're living in isn't in the same location as the laundry, and that they'll be transported with hoods on each day.

Oh, really?  I thought that when Mike exited the building where the guys are being housed, it had that little carport cover and drive up area

Spoiler

that resembled the outdoor area that we have seen before.  Like when police went to check it out after a tip and walked through and found nothing in BB.  Not sure, if I have ability to go back to that episode.  I suppose we'll see more in the weeks to come. 

[Ohwell]

49 minutes ago, jnymph said:

Think I'm in the minority, but I completely get (and love) Kim and Jimmy as a couple.  They're both intelligent and charming.   As far as attractiveness level, I'd put them both in the same league.   Neither are stunners, but I'd definitely peg them as cute..... adorable even. : )

I'd put them both in the same league, too.  The one thing I don't like about Kim is her voice.  It sounds jarring and sharp and not pleasing to the ears.

[benteen]

Good point about a guy like Jimmy not having any friends.  That is odd although it might reveal more about him.  The circles he likes to travel in doesn't lend itself to many friends.  But I agree at the very least he'd have a lot of acquaintances that he could go to looking for business.

I was re-watching the scene recently when Jimmy tells Chuck that he passes the bar.  He does say to Chuck specifically that "I figured if Kim could do it, why not give it a try."  So they actually did establish that he became a lawyer because of Kim all the way back in the first season.

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Again, I just think G&G don't like to write friends into their scripts, at least not for these 2 shows.  With so much going on in them, there might not be a whole lot of room for showing interactions with friends.   Most characters don't have a whole lot of family either.  Walt's Mom was mentioned as a ruse for him to do a marathon meth cook, but we never see her and we never hear of anything about Hank's family (other than the other 3 main characters) or any other relatives of Skyler and Marie.  

G&G seem to economize by putting close family members and co-workers into the role  of close friends, instead of introducing friends and extended families.   Walt and Hank are a prime example.  Most brothers in law are not that close, and they are, by the narrower definition, not really brothers in law.  

I get your point about how writing friends would be difficult for a show that is as well paced as this one and BB. However, in BB even if they did not show it I kinda of could figure out the social life of the characters because of how well it was suggested by the writers. Jessie had his crew with Badger, Skinny Pete, and Combo (which was shown) and I could tell Hank was kinda popular.  I can imagine with his home-brewed beer and being a guy's guy that he probably was hanging out with the boys a lot before he got injured. Skylar and Marie were harder to peg down, but I could imagine both having some good friends even if they were not super tight with anybody in particular (both could also be a little annoying). I imagine that Walter would not have a ton of friends particularly after his life started to become disappointing and he began to feel like a failure.  If Walt had achieved what he considered success he would be more likely to go out and enjoy life. Of course, the events of BB also trapped all the characters in a prison of isolation due to lies, deceit, and obsession, so we were coming up on them at a time of their lives where normal socializing just was not possible.

However, none of this is true for Jimmy, at least not in the first season. Just some throwaway lines about how Jimmy is one of the most popular guys in the office when he was working in the mail room would probably suffice. 

[Bryce Lynch]

21 minutes ago, qtpye said:

I get your point about how writing friends would be difficult for a show that is as well paced as this one and BB. However, in BB even if they did not show it I kinda of could figure out the social life of the characters because of how well it was suggested by the writers. Jessie had his crew with Badger, Skinny Pete, and Combo (which was shown) and I could tell Hank was kinda popular.  I can imagine with his home-brewed beer and being a guy's guy that he probably was hanging out with the boys a lot before he got injured. Skylar and Marie were harder to peg down, but I could imagine both having some good friends even if they were not super tight with anybody in particular (both could also be a little annoying). I imagine that Walter would not have a ton of friends particularly after his life started to become disappointing and he began to feel like a failure.  If Walt had achieved what he considered success he would be more likely to go out and enjoy life. Of course, the events of BB also trapped all the characters in a prison of isolation due to lies, deceit, and obsession, so we were coming up on them at a time of their lives where normal socializing just was not possible.

However, none of this is true for Jimmy, at least not in the first season. Just some throwaway lines about how Jimmy is one of the most popular guys in the office when he was working in the mail room would probably suffice. 

I think it was sort of implied that Jimmy was popular in the mail room. He maintained a friendship with Kim that became a romance.  Ernesto (I miss him) went out on a limb more than once to protect Jimmy from Chuck and said it was because he was his friend.   

I think maybe becoming a lawyer separated him from his mail room buddies, but he wasn't legit enough to make new lawyer friends.  Plus, he had left his old friends, like Marco, behind when he moved to ABQ.   

Also, in season 1,  Jimmy was pretty overwhelmed trying to build a practice, taking care of Chuck, bothering Howard about Chuck's buyout and wooing Kim.  I'd picture pre-season  Jimmy hanging out with the guys  (and gal) from the mail room after work at the local bar.  

Again, I don't think the writers necessarily meant to write the characters as being friendless.  I think it was more that  friends haven't been relevant to the plots or characters, so they are a part of the characters' lives that is not really explored.  As I mentioned, they filled up the White house for Walt's 50th birthday, Skyler's baby shower and Walt's remission party, where Skyler talked about all the support they had received.  

[Blakeston]

15 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?

They didn't air the actual f-word on AMC at all when Breaking Bad was on - not even the original airing. The first time AMC actually aired the f-word without the sound dropping was in 2017, on Fear the Walking Dead. https://hiddenremote.com/2017/09/26/amc-permits-fear-walking-dead-use-controversial-word-just-beginning/

As for Jimmy's attractiveness, I think it's fair to say that a lot of people would find him very charming (but certainly not everyone.) Kim thoroughly enjoyed the Viktor/Giselle scams, so I can easily see her being charmed by his sleazy bad boy ways.

Bob Odenkirk is a reasonably good-looking guy, and I've seen plenty of women who are very attractive with men of his physical caliber. But I agree that Jimmy would regularly get some "how the hell did you land a babe like her?" ribbing from other guys.

That said, we don't see Jimmy and Kim meeting many people as a couple, and we don't see Jimmy with friends, so there aren't many people who would be in a position to make those kind of comments.

[SnarkAttack]

23 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Wonder how the plumbing works in those trailers?

I thought of that too!

[Bryce Lynch]

21 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

They didn't air the actual f-word on AMC at all when Breaking Bad was on - not even the original airing. The first time AMC actually aired the f-word without the sound dropping was in 2017, on Fear the Walking Dead.

During the final season of “Breaking Bad” in 2013, show creator Vince Gilligan mentioned in an interview with L.A. public radio station KCRWthat AMC only allowed them to use the F-word once in each season. They decided to use it in Hank Schrader’s final scene, as he told the man who was about to shoot him dead to “go f— yourself.” Other famous usages of the word in the series included Walter’s furious resignation from the car wash in the show’s first episode, and Skyler’s revelation to Walter in season 3 that she committed adultery to get back at him for domineering over her and continuing to cook meth despite her demands that he stop.

https://www.thewrap.com/walking-dead-doesnt-use-f-word/

[Blakeston]

5 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

During the final season of “Breaking Bad” in 2013, show creator Vince Gilligan mentioned in an interview with L.A. public radio station KCRWthat AMC only allowed them to use the F-word once in each season. They decided to use it in Hank Schrader’s final scene, as he told the man who was about to shoot him dead to “go f— yourself.” Other famous usages of the word in the series included Walter’s furious resignation from the car wash in the show’s first episode, and Skyler’s revelation to Walter in season 3 that she committed adultery to get back at him for domineering over her and continuing to cook meth despite her demands that he stop.

https://www.thewrap.com/walking-dead-doesnt-use-f-word/

The makers of Breaking Bad included the f-word in the scripts, and filmed it, and you can hear the f-word on the DVDs.

But when AMC actually aired those episodes, they dropped the volume so that the audience couldn't hear the actual f-word. That's what we're discussing - whether the original broadcasts contained the f-word in its entirety.

AMC didn't do that with any of its shows until 2017, after Breaking Bad had ended.

[Eulipian 5k]

 I find the argument of what a pretty woman like Kim wants with a dog like Jimmy a little curious (if not just jealousy). It's like asking why all Hollywood female stars are photogenic. They wouldn't have cast a woman as a co star if she was in Jimmy's "category" on the looks scale. (whatever that is). It was a big deal 20 or so years ago when "LA Law" cast an "overweight" female lawyer/love interest. Most real life lawyers, and people, are not TV leading lady/leading men in the looks department.

[Bryce Lynch]

9 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

The makers of Breaking Bad included the f-word in the scripts, and filmed it, and you can hear the f-word on the DVDs.

But when AMC actually aired those episodes, they dropped the volume so that the audience couldn't hear the actual f-word. That's what we're discussing - whether the original broadcasts contained the f-word in its entirety.

AMC didn't do that with any of its shows until 2017, after Breaking Bad had ended.

Gilligan has said in multiple articles and podcasts that they were allowed to air one audible F-bomb per season on AMC.  There are numerous other ones where the sound was dropped for the AMC telecasts.   AMC started allowing TWD to air audible F-bombs in 2017, but they were not the first ones on the network.  

Edited September 12, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Quilt Fairy]

3 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Gilligan has said in multiple articles and podcasts that they were allowed to air one audible F-bomb per season on AMC.  There are numerous other ones where the sound was dropped for the AMC telecasts.   

Thank you. This is what I remember as well, from listening to the podcasts as well as the show.

[Bryce Lynch]

8 minutes ago, Eulipian 5k said:

 I find the argument of what a pretty woman like Kim wants with a dog like Jimmy a little curious (if not just jealousy). It's like asking why all Hollywood female stars are photogenic. They wouldn't have cast a woman as a co star if she was in Jimmy's "category" on the looks scale. (whatever that is). It was a big deal 20 or so years ago when "LA Law" cast an "overweight" female lawyer/love interest. Most real life lawyers, and people, are not TV leading lady/leading men in the looks department.

Kim is attractive, but I don't really see her as any sort of stunning beauty, totally out of Jimmy's league.  Besides that, in every relationship one person has to be the "uglier" one. :)

[Pike Ludwell]

5 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Gilligan has said in multiple articles and podcasts that they were allowed to air one audible F-bomb per season on AMC.  There are numerous other ones where the sound was dropped for the AMC telecasts.   AMC started allowing TWD to air audible F-bombs in 2017, but they were not the first ones on the network.  

I agree with this. Count me among those who remember the F bomb on at least a couple of BB shows when they aired real time on AMC. Yes, on reruns they were censored one way or another, and that surprised me when I heard it, since they had not initially done so.

[SunnyBeBe]

Has Jimmy always picked up take-out dinners for him and Kim or is this due to her having a broken arm and not able to cook as easily with one hand?  They both seem quite trim, but, those dinners......maybe, people are more health conscious these days.  I know it was sushi last week, but, other weeks not as healthful.  

[Clanstarling]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Oh, really?  I thought that when Mike exited the building where the guys are being housed, it had that little carport cover and drive up area

  Reveal hidden contents

that resembled the outdoor area that we have seen before.  Like when police went to check it out after a tip and walked through and found nothing in BB.  Not sure, if I have ability to go back to that episode.  I suppose we'll see more in the weeks to come. 

I agree that the outside looks the same as the laundry, but the interior doesn't. So I went with two locations to explain it to myself.

[SnarkAttack]

4 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I'd put them both in the same league, too.  The one thing I don't like about Kim is her voice.  It sounds jarring and sharp and not pleasing to the ears.

I like Kim's voice, she sounds like an adult.  I hear female DJ's on local radio that sound like little girls; same with female singers.  Where are singers like Ann Wilson and Annie Lennox?!

[nodorothyparker]

My sense all the way along has been that Chuck was actually pretty on the nose about Jimmy when he was grousing about him to Rebecca in her initial appearance:  He knows that people are often very charmed by Jimmy on their first meeting, something that he found personally upsetting as he tends to idle at smugly condescending.  Jimmy can skate along pretty well on the surface level as long as he's willing to make the effort.  But we've also seen nearly everybody in their legitimate circle, save Kim, turn away from him along the way when he decided that maintaining that veneer was too much work for whatever he was getting out of it.  Jimmy seems like the kind of guy who'd be fun or advantageous to know in the short term but would probably eventually just become exhausting to have around.  Clifford Main could probably tell you a thing or two about that.

[LoneHaranguer]

7 hours ago, qtpye said:

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.

As Jimmy said, law is basically sales, but lawyers are generally held in higher esteem than salesmen. Also, success in "sales" tends to lead to doing less and less actual sales and more management, while success in "law" means he gets to keep doing the same thing with more prestige, and he likes doing what he does.

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, SnarkAttack said:

I like Kim's voice, she sounds like an adult.  I hear female DJ's on local radio that sound like little girls; same with female singers.  Where are singers like Ann Wilson and Annie Lennox?!

Well, we can just agree to disagree about her voice. : )

[smartymarty]

My guess regarding the demise of Jimmy and Kim is:

Spoiler

While representing a criminal defendant pro bono, she will connect that Jimmy sold the client a burner phone, thus helping people commit crimes.

[ShadowFacts]

6 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Also, in season 1,  Jimmy was pretty overwhelmed trying to build a practice, taking care of Chuck, bothering Howard about Chuck's buyout and wooing Kim.  I'd picture pre-season  Jimmy hanging out with the guys  (and gal) from the mail room after work at the local bar.  

Yes, as in real life, when you have work and family obligations there isn't a ton of time to run around with friends like there once was.

2 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

As Jimmy said, law is basically sales, but lawyers are generally held in higher esteem than salesmen. Also, success in "sales" tends to lead to doing less and less actual sales and more management, while success in "law" means he gets to keep doing the same thing with more prestige, and he likes doing what he does.

I think it all comes down to Kim and Chuck.  If they had been aces in advertising or any sort of business, that's where Jimmy would have been, too.  We pretty much saw it in this episode when he heads to the law library after hearing Kim and Chuck's conversation.  He's proving himself, to them and to himself. 

[Clanstarling]

On 9/11/2018 at 9:57 AM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Wonder how the plumbing works in those trailers?

All I know is that Mike said (or asked) if they were plumbed and the answer was yes. How they did it, I haven't a clue.

On 9/11/2018 at 10:33 AM, Bannon said:

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.

I love that cold open theory.

On 9/11/2018 at 12:18 PM, 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. 

Not to mention unshaven - the Mister and I noticed that first.
 

9 hours ago, jnymph said:

Think I'm in the minority, but I completely get (and love) Kim and Jimmy as a couple.  They're both intelligent and charming.   As far as attractiveness level, I'd put them both in the same league.   Neither are stunners, but I'd definitely peg them as cute..... adorable even. : )

I really enjoyed Gus's creepy story telling time to Hector.  Loved the focus on the Hector's hand.  LOL  ; )

I would put them at more or less the same level too. Kim's good looking, but not a stunner (imo), and Jimmy's good looking enough, but not handsome. Some of the perceived disparity may be simply that Odenkirk is trying to play younger than he is - and the hair piece doesn't help. Odenkirk was, imo, a damned attractive man when he was younger. Well, actually, I still think he is. At least when he's not wearing that hair piece.

I loved Fring's monologue. The NOT Chilean animal doesn't bother me - because people migrate - refugees, immigrants, military, diplomats, business people, the list goes on. Gus could be the "Chilean" simply because that's where he ended up, perhaps by extended family finding him and his brothers.

[SunnyBeBe]

Are Jimmy's phone dealings illegal?  I thought that the first time, he bought the phones with his own money and was reselling them for a profit, when he got robbed.   He paid for that first bunch out of his pocket, but, the store didn't lose anything. Then, when he ordered that shipment, was that from the same company? Was it through his store or on the side? 

Edited September 12, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

All I know is that Mike said (or asked) if they were plumbed and the answer was yes. How they did it, I haven't a clue.

It was a bit of hand-waving that stuck out to me. On the surface it doesn't make sense and it seems to me a government worker bee could notice and wonder about the water usage. That is unless Gus has paid someone off.

Quote

I figure the warehouse they're living in isn't in the same location as the laundry, and that they'll be transported with hoods on each day.

That's what I figured too, hence my curiosity about the plumbing in what would otherwise be an industrial building not set up to be a living space.

[LoneHaranguer]

5 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

It was a bit of hand-waving that stuck out to me. On the surface it doesn't make sense and it seems to me a government worker bee could notice and wonder about the water usage. That is unless Gus has paid someone off.

The plumbing may not go outside of the building. They could be using well water or a tank somewhere we haven't seen (possibly buried) that'll be refilled by a truck periodically.

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Are Jimmy's phone dealings illegal?  I thought that the first time, he bought the phones with his own money and was reselling them for a profit, when he got robbed.   He paid for that first bunch out of his pocket, but, the store didn't lose anything. Then, when he ordered that shipment, was that from the same company? Was it through his store or on the side? 

 

I've wondered that too. Certainly with the first batch it seemed like it was up and up, as the cash register seemed to balance out. In this case I wonder if he bought the shipment with his own money, but at the store's retailer price, and is making a little bank off of the difference. Which would be shady, and probably illegal. It seems like it wouldn't be much profit even if he did it that way.

13 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

The plumbing may not go outside of the building. They could be using well water or a tank somewhere we haven't seen (possibly buried) that'll be refilled by a truck periodically.

Well water is certainly a possibility. And a giant septic tank for the waste.

On the other hand, they could actually be on the grid more or less legally, if Gus actually owns or rents the warehouse, and has done the paperwork to start/restart utilities. Warehouses are typically built with plumbing and other utilities, I believe. So this one should have been. Granted the plumbing of the houses is weird, but if they don't use more than what their designated utility customer code, and Gus pays the bills, they shouldn't raise any eyebrows anywhere. He would probably use a shell company for the paperwork.

Edited September 12, 2018 by Clanstarling

[Kel Varnsen]

14 hours 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.

Agreed that Jimmy is intelligent. The legal moves he pulled in both shows and the number of times he talked himself out of things show that he is a smart guy.

I did kind of laugh at the salon lady accusing Jimmy of a get rich quick scheme. I would hardly call selling sell phones one at a time on street corners a get rich quick scheme. Even being Saul Goodman was hardly a way to get rich. I think Jimmy just likes being on the edge of the law in the mix with real criminals. Which is funny since being a successful lawyer would be a good way to get actual rich, and something Jimmy has the brains to do.

[ShadowFacts]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Are Jimmy's phone dealings illegal?  I thought that the first time, he bought the phones with his own money and was reselling them for a profit, when he got robbed.   He paid for that first bunch out of his pocket, but, the store didn't lose anything. Then, when he ordered that shipment, was that from the same company? Was it through his store or on the side? 

I don't think it could be through the store because he had them delivered to the nail salon.  The inventory couldn't be on the store's records or he'd be found out.  Whatever he's clearing on his own has got to be more than he can ever make at the really dead retail location. 

[preeya]

13 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

I don't think it could be through the store because he had them delivered to the nail salon.  The inventory couldn't be on the store's records or he'd be found out.  Whatever he's clearing on his own has got to be more than he can ever make at the really dead retail location. 

I thought he paid for the phone shipment with the money he got from Howard.

BTW, Jimmy, although intelligent in his own way has a commodity known as "street smarts."  Sometimes street smarts are much more valuable than book learning.

[Kel Varnsen]

30 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

I don't think it could be through the store because he had them delivered to the nail salon.  The inventory couldn't be on the store's records or he'd be found out.  Whatever he's clearing on his own has got to be more than he can ever make at the really dead retail location. 

Well the first batch of phones he bought were bought from the store, so he had to pay retail price for them. The second batch delivered to the salon on a pallet he probably paid a wholesale price for them.

15 minutes ago, preeya said:

I thought he paid for the phone shipment with the money he got from Howard.

BTW, Jimmy, although intelligent in his own way has a commodity known as "street smarts."  Sometimes street smarts are much more valuable than book learning.

I would say Jimmy has more than just street smarts. He was able to pass the New Mexico bar exam which probably doesn't have too many street smarts questions.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 9/11/2018 at 10:08 AM, 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. 

 

On 9/11/2018 at 10:29 AM, benteen said:

I always thought it was ridiculous that a bank only wanted a single lawyer to represent them.  Banking law is complex and extensive.  You need more than one lawyer for that. 

 

On 9/11/2018 at 12:28 PM, Tighthead said:

 

She isn’t turning over the account entirely. It’s still her client and she would be the main point of contact. 

The bank is in expansion mode, and there was already a simple problem made complicated by her lack of availability. I suspect the client would welcome more support and structure. 

Frankly, Kim and a paralegal doing the work on their own was starting to stretch credibility. 

There is no way that a single attorney and paralegal pair could do more than a small fraction of the planned expansion.  Mesa Verde must be out of their minds to think it could be done.

On 9/11/2018 at 10:08 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

The only detail the men know about their location is that they are in NM, right? Still, loose lips....

I don't see why they would know what state they are in.  They could have been brought in blind-folded like their boss.

On 9/11/2018 at 10:22 AM, Bryce Lynch said:

Do the lab diggers even know they are in NM?  I am guessing they were flown into Denver or some other city, like the 2 engineers and then blindfolded and transported to a location unknown to them.  It seems like they are never going to be allowed leave the compound, except to go to the laundry to dig, and I assume that will be done without them being able to see their surroundings.  

Agreed.

On 9/11/2018 at 11:06 AM, PeterPirate said:

Jimmy arranged for the services of Huell and Mountain Man through a phone call to the vet.  It was subtle because we only hear one side of the call, but after making the deal Jimmy made a reference to replacing half the water in the tank, which I presume referred to his fish.  

And he was responding to how "she" was, which we were supposed to think was an inquiry about the recovering Kim, but was actually a question about the fish!

[ShadowFacts]

8 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Well the first batch of phones he bought were bought from the store, so he had to pay retail price for them. The second batch delivered to the salon on a pallet he probably paid a wholesale price for them.

Yes, I was just replying to whether he got them through the store or on the side.  And whatever he's paying for them he's making more reselling them than what he makes at his job.  It's a win for him, minus the beating he took.  How long before Kim is onto it?  She kind of made it clear, no more Victor and Giselle. 

[Bryce Lynch]

39 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Yes, I was just replying to whether he got them through the store or on the side.  And whatever he's paying for them he's making more reselling them than what he makes at his job.  It's a win for him, minus the beating he took.  How long before Kim is onto it?  She kind of made it clear, no more Victor and Giselle. 

I am thinking Jimmy bought the phones wholesale.

He seemed to get a lot more of them with is $5,000 inheritance than he did with a similar amount of Hummel money.  

[PeterPirate]

1 hour ago, ShadowFacts said:

Yes, I was just replying to whether he got them through the store or on the side.  And whatever he's paying for them he's making more reselling them than what he makes at his job.  It's a win for him, minus the beating he took.  How long before Kim is onto it?  She kind of made it clear, no more Victor and Giselle. 

I think Kim has been onto it for a while.  In the last episode, after Jimmy got back home after being mugged, Kim asks him "So, this happened at the Dog House?"  And this is after Jimmy left without saying where he was going.  So my impression is the scene of Jimmy selling phones at the Dog House was not his first time there, and that Kim is well aware he has been conducting business late at night and away from his store. 

 

Factor in their later conversation about how Jimmy would have known how not to get "rolled" in his younger days.  She has to know what he's doing is not on the up-and-up, and that getting beat up is a not-too-uncommon cost of doing business.   Kim has traveled quite a ways down the path to the dark side since the time she didn't want to hear about manufactured evidence.   I still wonder whether her foray into criminal law is an attempt on her part to turn away from the dark side, or to go even further towards it.   

 

(The "path to the dark side" reference was inspired by the change in color scheme.) 

Edited September 13, 2018 by PeterPirate

[shapeshifter]

13 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I loved Fring's monologue. The NOT Chilean animal doesn't bother me - because people migrate - refugees, immigrants, military, diplomats, business people, the list goes on. Gus could be the "Chilean" simply because that's where he ended up, perhaps by extended family finding him and his brothers.

Excellent point. Gus is very much an animal not in his native habitat, as is Hector and as are all of the cartel members we encounter in the show in New Mexico.

 

 

Regarding Jimmy not being as attractive as Kim: IRL, Rhea Seehorn is 46 and Bob Odenkirk Kirk is 56. As someone who passed both those milestones without cosmetic enhancements and yet was often assumed to be 5-10 years younger, I would guess that RS has at least some Botox around the eyebrow area in order to play the part of a woman in her 30s, whereas BO looks un-enhanced.

This season I've noticed more comments about Jimmy being less attractive than Kim, but I seem to be alone in complaining that all the actors who came from Breaking Bad now look too old for their characters. I maintain that it's this older-playing-younger by only the BB cast that is creating the visual disconnect, but mileage does vary, and to each his or her own.

 Anyway, here's Odenkirk at the age of Jimmy: 

[Bryce Lynch]

5 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

And he was responding to how "she" was, which we were supposed to think was an inquiry about the recovering Kim, but was actually a question about the fish!

I love how the vet, who arranges for people to hire criminals to break legs and kill people, loves animals and always asks about Mike's dog and Jimmy's freaking $6 goldfish. So many characters in the BB/BCS universe, who do horrible things, have some sort of redeeming qualities.  

[Juliegirlj]

Interesting that Jimmy cares about preserving HHM, yet, doesn’t want to be associated with it ( McGill name is just a coincidence?! ). Does Jimmy fear he will cause damage to Chuck’s legacy by using the family name- hence the switch to Saul Goodman? 

[shapeshifter]

11 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I love how the vet, who arranges for people to hire criminals to break legs and kill people, loves animals and always asks about Mike's dog and Jimmy's freaking $6 goldfish. So many characters in the BB/BCS universe, who do horrible things, have some sort of redeeming qualities.  

I wonder if the vet was inspired by the well-known "Hitler loved dogs."

[Clanstarling]

30 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Excellent point. Gus is very much an animal not in his native habitat, as is Hector and as are all of the cartel members we encounter in the show in New Mexico.

 

 

Regarding Jimmy not being as attractive as Kim: IRL, Rhea Seehorn is 46 and Bob Odenkirk Kirk is 56. As someone who passed both those milestones without cosmetic enhancements and yet was often assumed to be 5-10 years younger, I would guess that RS has at least some Botox around the eyebrow area in order to play the part of a woman in her 30s, whereas BO looks un-enhanced.

This season I've noticed more comments about Jimmy being less attractive than Kim, but I seem to be alone in complaining that all the actors who came from Breaking Bad now look too old for their characters. I maintain that it's this older-playing-younger by only the BB cast that is creating the visual disconnect, but mileage does vary, and to each his or her own.

 Anyway, here's Odenkirk at the age of Jimmy: 

I had to laugh, Odenkirk is pretty yummy there (imo) - but the expression and that curl is SO Jimmy.

[Bryce Lynch]

1 hour ago, PeterPirate said:

I think Kim has been onto it for a while.  In the last episode, after Jimmy got back home after being mugged, Kim asks him "So, this happened at the Dog House?"  And this is after Jimmy left without saying where he was going.  So my impression is the scene of Jimmy selling phones at the Dog House was not his first time there, and that Kim is well aware he has been conducting business late at night and away from his store. 

 

Factor in their later conversation about how Jimmy would have known how not to get "rolled" in his younger days.  She has to know what he's doing is not on the up-and-up, and that getting beat up is a not-too-uncommon cost of doing business.   Kim has traveled quite a ways down the path to the dark side since the time she didn't want to hear about manufactured evidence.   I still wonder whether her foray into criminal law is an attempt on her part to turn away from the dark side, or to go even further towards it.   

 

(The "path to the dark side" reference was inspired by the change in color scheme.) 

I am generally terrible at figuring how much time has passed in a show.  But, I got the impression that Jimmy was mugged by Pee Wee, Skippy and Scooter on his first night selling phones on the streets.   

It did seem sort of odd that she didn't ask for more details about what he was doing there.  But, it seems like Kim doesn't want details.  She is gently trying to encourage him to get help, but she is giving him a lot of space (perhaps too much).  She doesn't seem emotionally prepared to turn over that rock and find out what is really going on inside Jimmy's mind and in his life, right now. 

[benteen]

On ‎9‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 8:41 AM, icemiser69 said:

Kim was acting like a suck up.  Nothing wrong with that.  Jimmy saw what she was doing.

I don't think Kim was being a suck-up.  Definitely too starry-eyed when it came to Chuck (Chuck seemed to be enjoying having his ass kissed after his big win).  But typical Chuck is visibly annoyed by her (because that's who Chuck is especially when dealing with people who he thinks are beneath him) until she starts showing her knowledge of the law, where he starts paying attention to her.

Edited September 13, 2018 by benteen

[LoneHaranguer]

14 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

On the other hand, they could actually be on the grid more or less legally, if Gus actually owns or rents the warehouse, and has done the paperwork to start/restart utilities. Warehouses are typically built with plumbing and other utilities, I believe. So this one should have been. Granted the plumbing of the houses is weird, but if they don't use more than what their designated utility customer code, and Gus pays the bills, they shouldn't raise any eyebrows anywhere. He would probably use a shell company for the paperwork.

They'll still need to explain the water usage. One possibility would be to put up a front (literally) with some laundry equipment run by his men and pretend there's an operational business there, even if all they're actually washing are the dirty clothes of the diggers.

[Bryce Lynch]

5 minutes ago, benteen said:

I don't think Kim was being a suck-up.  Definitely too starry-eyed when it came to Chuck.  But typical Chuck is visibly annoyed by her (because that's who Chuck is plus he was enjoying all the adulation and getting his ass kissed) until she starts showing her knowledge of the law, where he starts paying attention to her.

I thought Kim was trying to make an impression on Chuck.  I didn't find Chuck's  subtle, slightly irritated reaction to her going a bit overboard that unusual or off putting.  If a mail room clerk rambles on to a CEO, I'd expect that sort of reaction or worse.  IMO, Kim, in her enthusiasm, was being mildly presumptuous in trying to engage the senior partner in an extended conversation.   When she surprised him with her knowledge of case law, his attitude seemed to change and he was impressed.  Nothing wrong with the merit system, IMO.