S04.E07: Something Stupid

[PeterPirate]

What would have happened to Hector had Gus not been around in the first place to pay the bills, and what would happen to a similar patient if they ran out of money part of the way through an expensive treatment plan? 

Fwiw, while these kinds of discontinuity questions will pop into my head, I rarely spend much time thinking about them.  I don't place as much stock in the ability of TV writers to pay attention to such details.  I prefer to focus on what has been presented.  

[Lonesome Rhodes]

When did Jimmy quit his job at CC Mobile?  He can't be spending all day at the office and his other "mobile" location simultaneously.  Then again, with zero sales, how on earth did that store survive?  Has he been receiving pallet after pallet after pallet of phones?  Did he just put them in the van?  How many phones did Mrs. Nguyen end up getting?  :)

Did we know that Viola's last name is "Goto."  I love the English of go-to, as in she is one to go to, in order to get things done - like a Mike.

I think the solution to the Germans' companionship issue might could be resolved with an homage to the Dirty Dozen.   Mike could make it happen with Gus being none the wiser.  Just import the ladies as Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) did, utilizing the same van the workers use.   Ladies like that well understand the existential nature of discretion, aka STFU, when it comes to the business they have chosen.  

[atlantaloves]

HELP! Can somebody explain to me how Jimmy is getting and selling these phones, is he stealing them from his phone company employer or ordering them and running some scam.  I am totally confused.  Thanks guys.  

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

https://audioboom.com/posts/7012315-407-better-call-saul-insider

The Insider Podcast for episode 407 is now available.  

One thing that I caught from the podcast - that was a real cast!

[peeayebee]

6 hours ago, monagatuna said:

I cringed visibly during his tirade at the law firm mixer. I loved seeing Schweikert being affable and having a good time.

I guess, but to me he started the dick-measuring contest with Jimmy. He enjoyed seeing Jimmy out of his element. Jimmy did pretty good for a while but then had to go and ruin it with his suggestion of Aspen over Telluride AND jetting everyone out there AND everyone getting matching company parkas. Yikes, cringeworthy indeed.

I'm not so sure that the cop lied about what happened with Huell. I think he was presented to us as an honest cop trying to make a rational, moral argument to Jimmy. I don't know the ins and outs of the law very well, but I buy that the reason the ADA wants to put Huell in prison is because he has a rap sheet and he attacked the same cop who arrested him before. Although we know that was just a coincidence, it does look bad.

I don't know what Kim has in mind with the office/school supplies, but as she loaded things in her basket I laughed out loud suddenly thinking that she was going to have Huell sit at the defense table with crayons and markers to make him look mentally challenged. That's probably not what's going to happen, esp since she bought so much other stuff.

I loved this ep, but I'm sad about Jimmy and Kim. And about Jimmy/Saul.

[preeya]

19 hours ago, Dianaofthehunt said:

Televised tooth-brushing disgusts the hell out of me. I have to put my hand over my eyes until it's over.

Me too. I absolutely hate, hate, hate this. Whoever thought of this as a pause from whatever is going on, should have all their teeth extracted (without novocaine, lidocaine,  or whatever is the caine of choice).

[LoneHaranguer]

4 hours ago, PeterPirate said:

Either that or another drop phone street dealer about get into an argument over territory.

I thought Jimmy had that business to himself, so I hadn't considered that. But if somebody "owned" that turf and Jimmy was diverting cash from their enterprises, McGruff could have been there to deliver a get lost or give us a cut message.

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

The most memorable part of what was for me, a somewhat lackluster episode (photography aside) is Jimmy telling Huell "I'm the magic man."  That's Jimmy/Saul one month away from being reinstated to practice law, immediately jumping out of bounds into probable criminal, self-destruct territory.  Seeing Kim's beautiful office and symbols of her accomplishment, along with Huell's dissing the perfectly nice office he hoped to make into Wexler & McGill, has really got him reeling.  His feelings are understandable, but the actions he takes in response are unfortunate. 

I keep recalling when the character of Saul was first introduced off-camera in Breaking Bad by Jesse telling Walt:
   "Seriously, when the going gets tough you don't want a criminal lawyer. You want a 'criminal' lawyer."
So, to all you legal professionals on this thread with better memories than mine (I had to use my Google-fu to find the exact line) can any of you recall Saul Goodman's exploits in BrBa well enough to declare whether it is possible that all of the "legal" work that Saul Goodman did for his criminal customers did not require an actual license to practice law--that his work as Saul Goodman only required knowledge of the law?

 

 

5 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I doubt he could detect the badge, but Jimmy, who has a lot of experience with the police, and who as a con artist, is a student of human behavior would be very skilled at spotting cops.

3 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

Jimmy did immediately make the cop when he walked up, addressing him as "officer."

Having read these and other posts about Jimmy "making" the cop, I am left considering that Jimmy addressed him as "officer" to determine whether or not he was a cop. The guy asking Jimmy to sell his stuff elsewhere could have just been a neighborhood watch member, right? 
And/or, by addressing him as "officer," Jimmy shows deference, but then goes on to let the guy know that he (Jimmy) knows that he does not have to comply--even if the guy is/was and officer of the law.
If Saul Goodman does not have an actual license to practice law, this exchange between Jimmy and the officer could be an audition of Jimmy as a "criminal" lawyer.

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

Last week we were discussing what Kim sees in Jimmy. Charisma and smarts you say? 

 

Well .......................

[ShadowFacts]

2 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

HELP! Can somebody explain to me how Jimmy is getting and selling these phones, is he stealing them from his phone company employer or ordering them and running some scam.  I am totally confused.  Thanks guys.  

No, he's not stealing, he's getting them direct from the supplier, and used the $5,000 left to him in Chuck's will to get the initial shipment.  He's selling on his own and not scamming anyone.  If we're to believe what he told the cop, he's got a license to sell and is collecting sales tax.

27 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

If Saul Goodman does not have an actual license to practice law, this exchange between Jimmy and the officer could be an audition of Jimmy as a "criminal" lawyer.

I just don't think he could have been holding himself out as a lawyer and not been busted for practicing law without a license.  He was well known in Albuquerque as Chuck's brother, prosecutors and judges know him, etc. 

2 minutes ago, Deputy Deputy CoS said:

Last week we were discussing what Kim sees in Jimmy. Charisma and smarts you say? 

 

Well .......................

Ha, the bloom is off the rose. 

[qtpye]

3 hours ago, Ellaria Sand said:

I found this to be a sad episode because, IMO, we are certainly watching the end of Jimmy and Kim as a couple. They seemed to be two people that enjoyed each other’s company, had shared interests and respected each other’s individuality. Of course, we know that Jimmy McGill is a conflicted man who wears many faces. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to have a long-term, mature relationship with him. 

When Kim decides to finally move on from Jimmy, I’m sure that she will be fine. Jimmy, on the other hand, will be losing the last thing tying him to deceny and compassion. (I honestly wanted to punch him during the conversation at the office party.)

This may be considered heresy in the BCS/BB universe but I have no interest in  Huell. I don’t think that he adds anything to the narrative.

Love Mike’s growing friendship with Werner (?), the German civil engineer. However, I’m expecting another shoe to drop in that plot line. Keeping X many guys locked away doing a top secret job for nearly a year poses tons of issues. Mike - in his “fixer” capacity - will certainly be faced with some ugly tasks.

Gus vs Hector: while I appreciate the time taken to show us how these enemies maneuver around each other, I hope that it takes a backseat for the remainder of the season. This is the rare instance where knowing “the ends” of these two characters makes me much less interested in their present.

Quote

Spoiler

My speculation is that Mike will really grow to like Werner and then Gus will order Mike to Kill Werner and all the workers to test his "loyalty"

.

 

Edited September 19, 2018 by qtpye

[Penman61]

3 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

I think the solution to the Germans' companionship issue might could be resolved with an homage to the Dirty Dozen.   Mike could make it happen with Gus being none the wiser.  Just import the ladies as Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) did, utilizing the same van the workers use.   Ladies like that well understand the existential nature of discretion, aka STFU, when it comes to the business they have chosen.  

Well, if we get this homage next episode (and I don't know if we do because I deliberately don't watch previews and don't appreciate posters here detailing them I mean I love you but stop doing that it's a spoiler), I hope there's some tonal/agency shift from The Dirty Dozen, where, if memory serves, it's super misogynist and deeply insulting.  I'm really not up for a bunch of sexy Mexican geishas brought in to "comfort" the isolated manly-male-men workers with their must-be-satisfied manly-male-men needs. Ugh.  But I'm confident this show is better than that.

Jimmy at the corporate party:  Those of you who know Odenkirk was a finalist to play Michael Scott in the American version of The Office: You just got a sampling of what that would have been like. 

Edited September 19, 2018 by Penman61

[SnarkAttack]

7 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

He was certainly trying to act and talk in a way that would get viewers to spot him as a cop.

 

7 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

He was certainly trying to act and talk in a way that would get viewers to spot him as a cop.

A friend of ours is a cop, and when he walks into a bar at the lake, he surveys the entire place immediately.  I never noticed it before another mutual friend pointed it out.  

[Lonesome Rhodes]

1 minute ago, Penman61 said:

Well, if we get this homage next episode (and I don't know if we do because I deliberately don't watch previews and don't appreciate posters here detailing them I mean I love you but stop doing that it's a spoiler)

I can't spoil what I have not seen.  Not one item I have contributed in this forum is based on something in a preview.  

[Penman61]

Just now, Lonesome Rhodes said:

I can't spoil what I have not seen.  Not one item I have contributed in this forum is based on something in a preview.  

Sorry: I wasn't addressing you on that point.  :)

[Clanstarling]

21 hours ago, rhys said:

I wish I knew what Kim was up to with all those office supply purchases. I have a feeling she's going to highlight a bunch of random stuff to help Huell but what do I know?

There's been a lot of speculation, but the only thing I came up with was retail therapy because she's so stressed at that point. Some people really love office supplies.

13 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Speaking of "Separate Lives", I was expecting that Phil Collins song to be played during the opening of this episode.  It would have fit better, since we see Kim and Jimmy living very separate lives.  Even when they were in bed together, I didn't sense any intimacy between them. 

After the montage, I said "It's all over except for saying goodbye." Been there. Couples can languish in that state for a long time.

11 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

They may not have reached that stage yet.  Huell was just arrested.  I don't know if the ADA knows about Kim and Jimmy's relationship, but given that she knew about Jimmy being disbarred, it seems likely she does, assuming she looked into his disbarment hearing.  Kim being Huell's lawyer might throw a monkey wrench into any plans they had for Huell and Jimmy.  Actually, the fact that Huell could implicate her lover for kidnapping, assault and violating his PPD by associating with a known felon, is probably a conflict of interest for Kim. To get him the best deal, she would probably need to advise him to rat out Jimmy.  

As I recall, Jimmy wasn't disbarred (which is what Chuck wanted), but suspended. I don't think that's the same thing. That line took me aback. Plus, Jimmy wasn't that much of a scumbag at that point - it was still a matter between brothers.

8 hours ago, jnymph said:

GAH !  The Gus/Hector dynamic makes my hair stand on end.  It's that chilling.     

Anyone else notice the kitchen knife that Gus was holding (rather lovingly) when discussing Hector with the good Doctor?  Another *shudder* from me.

I did notice the knife. Chilling is a good word for it all.

3 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

When did Jimmy quit his job at CC Mobile?  He can't be spending all day at the office and his other "mobile" location simultaneously.  Then again, with zero sales, how on earth did that store survive?  Has he been receiving pallet after pallet after pallet of phones?  Did he just put them in the van?  How many phones did Mrs. Nguyen end up getting?  :)

True enough, but the montage scenes did show him putting the "be back later" sign up at that the office/store. I'm not sure if it kept up throughout the montage.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Wasn't the doctor pretty much telling Hector how to answer?

Aspen. Telluride. Wonder why Jimmy didn't mention Vail too? Oh wait, that's probably a long bus ride too.

DB Cooper? Heh, Huell is decidedly not a "hide in plain sight" type of guy.

Quote

He should have made plans for bugged cribs

Ew, he's going to listen to them having sex to make sure they don't talk about the work they're doing? Maybe he should just bring in girls that don't speak German or English. To be safe, probably not French, Spanish, or Italian either.

Quote

There's been a lot of speculation, but the only thing I came up with was retail therapy because she's so stressed at that point. Some people really love office supplies.

Retail therapy was my take too until I came here to see it maybe had a more significant meaning.

[milner]

Was Kim ever in  Breaking Bad? 

[Bannon]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I keep recalling when the character of Saul was first introduced off-camera in Breaking Bad by Jesse telling Walt:
   "Seriously, when the going gets tough you don't want a criminal lawyer. You want a 'criminal' lawyer."
So, to all you legal professionals on this thread with better memories than mine (I had to use my Google-fu to find the exact line) can any of you recall Saul Goodman's exploits in BrBa well enough to declare whether it is possible that all of the "legal" work that Saul Goodman did for his criminal customers did not require an actual license to practice law--that his work as Saul Goodman only required knowledge of the law?

 

 

Having read these and other posts about Jimmy "making" the cop, I am left considering that Jimmy addressed him as "officer" to determine whether or not he was a cop. The guy asking Jimmy to sell his stuff elsewhere could have just been a neighborhood watch member, right? 
And/or, by addressing him as "officer," Jimmy shows deference, but then goes on to let the guy know that he (Jimmy) knows that he does not have to comply--even if the guy is/was and officer of the law.
If Saul Goodman does not have an actual license to practice law, this exchange between Jimmy and the officer could be an audition of Jimmy as a "criminal" lawyer.

He was doing advertising as a lawyer in BB. You have to have a license to practice to do that. He also represented himself as a lawyer to the police, representing clients . I'm pretty sure BB featured Saul in a courtroom, as a lawyer, but I could be wrong

[PeterPirate]

2 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

Ha, the bloom is off the rose. 

Another way to look at is that Jimmy's thorns stabbed Kim again.   

I don't think Kim will ever voluntarily leave Jimmy.  Beyond Jimmy's charm and smarts, he is absolutely devoted to her and she knows it.  Despite the fact that his thorns cause her problems from time to time, she will stick with him.  But I fear that will lead to a confluence of external forces that will blow them apart.     

Edited September 19, 2018 by PeterPirate

[Quilt Fairy]

14 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Can someone elaborate on the scene where Jimmy is showing that office space? 

When Kim told Jimmy last week that the job at S&C would allow her time to do the pro bono PD cases that she really enjoyed, he immediately piped up that he'd also been thinking about going into criminal law.  He mentioned working close to the courthouse, perhaps in a renovated bungalow turned into an office space.  He's obviously found such a building and is working on his presentation for Kim to join him there and start up the Wexler/McGill law office again. 

[DangerousMinds]

FFS adults can make it through a year without sex. A lot longer, in fact.

[Bryce Lynch]

10 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I guess, but to me he started the dick-measuring contest with Jimmy. He enjoyed seeing Jimmy out of his element. Jimmy did pretty good for a while but then had to go and ruin it with his suggestion of Aspen over Telluride AND jetting everyone out there AND everyone getting matching company parkas. Yikes, cringeworthy indeed.

I'm not so sure that the cop lied about what happened with Huell. I think he was presented to us as an honest cop trying to make a rational, moral argument to Jimmy. I don't know the ins and outs of the law very well, but I buy that the reason the ADA wants to put Huell in prison is because he has a rap sheet and he attacked the same cop who arrested him before. Although we know that was just a coincidence, it does look bad.

I don't know what Kim has in mind with the office/school supplies, but as she loaded things in her basket I laughed out loud suddenly thinking that she was going to have Huell sit at the defense table with crayons and markers to make him look mentally challenged. That's probably not what's going to happen, esp since she bought so much other stuff.

I loved this ep, but I'm sad about Jimmy and Kim. And about Jimmy/Saul.

I rewatched some of the episode.  I don't think Schweikart started the dick measuring.  Kim brought Jimmy into the discussion, which was going on before Jimmy joined that group. She mentioned 10,000 Waves another woman mentioned Carlsbad Caverns and then Schweikart mentioned Toas saying he was thinking of splurging, not wanting to look like a cheapskate.  Then Jimmy trashed that idea and kept making more and more expensive and unrealistic suggestions to make him look bad.

Rewatching the cop scene, Jimmy was the one who escalated the conflict. The cop first tried to reason with him an appeal to his conscience.  The only mildly "intimidating" thing he said was "So you want to go that way." and then Jimmy went off on him, accusing of planning to harass him and plant evidence.  Then Huell arrived.

I also noticed that the last PPD file cabinet shot showed the 2004 Completed drawer, which would mean Jimmy is done with his PPD.

Edited September 19, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[MisterBluxom]

5 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

FFS adults can make it through a year without sex. A lot longer, in fact.

Yes. They can. But young men in their mid 20s won't be happy if they have to go for more than 6 months without some sex. And Mike agreed with the engineer that keeping them happy was an important goal. They  wanted to do more than just provide them with food and shelter. They agreed they wanted to keep them happy.

Even though you are correct that these men could go for a year without sex, it would become a problem if they had to do that.

7 hours ago, milner said:

Was Kim ever in  Breaking Bad? 

Rhea Seahorn is not listed on the IMDB "cast" page for Breaking Bad  and I don't remember ever seeing her in any episodes.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/fullcredits/cast

[milner]

MissBluxom.  Thank ypu for your reply 

[Bryce Lynch]

9 hours ago, Bannon said:

He was doing advertising as a lawyer in BB. You have to have a license to practice to do that. He also represented himself as a lawyer to the police, representing clients . I'm pretty sure BB featured Saul in a courtroom, as a lawyer, but I could be wrong

Saul Goodman is clearly a licensed attorney in BB.  I'm not sure if he was ever shown in court on BB.  He did mention that he had been in court, getting a restraining order against the DEA, forbidding them from following Mike.  

[Bryce Lynch]

9 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

DB Cooper? Heh, Huell is decidedly not a "hide in plain sight" type of guy.

The DB Cooper comment was a call back to Breaking Bad, the episode called "Better Call Saul", in fact.  

When Walt first went into Saul's office, pretending to be Badger's uncle, Mr. Mayhew, he was wearing dark glasses and a baseball cap.  Saul said, "Look at you. Should I call the FBI and tell them I found D.B. Cooper?"   This was also the scene where Saul revealed that his real name is McGill.  

[ShadowFacts]

9 hours ago, PeterPirate said:

Another way to look at is that Jimmy's thorns stabbed Kim again.   

I don't think Kim will ever voluntarily leave Jimmy.  Beyond Jimmy's charm and smarts, he is absolutely devoted to her and she knows it.  Despite the fact that his thorns cause her problems from time to time, she will stick with him.  But I fear that will lead to a confluence of external forces that will blow them apart.     

You could be right.  This episode, from the opening growing-apart montage to his performance at the office party to her telling him by her actions to basically buzz off (in her office when she started working on Huell's problem), I think the force that blows them apart will likely be Jimmy.  She's loyal to him but I hope not blindly loyal.  I would like to see her taking a verbal stand with him instead of being so non-confrontational.  Not that he would listen and alter his behavior, but she's very direct with others and I wish she would carry that through with Jimmy. 

 

11 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

As I recall, Jimmy wasn't disbarred (which is what Chuck wanted), but suspended. I don't think that's the same thing. That line took me aback. Plus, Jimmy wasn't that much of a scumbag at that point - it was still a matter between brothers.

She might have been using some hyperbole.  However, the fact that Jimmy had planted a battery on his respected brother at a bar hearing might have gotten around and some might see that as unsavory.  I would have if I had been on that bar panel, and it might have figured into the one year suspension.  Now he's selling burner phones and hanging with people with records, it's not a good look. 

[Bryce Lynch]

12 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Having read these and other posts about Jimmy "making" the cop, I am left considering that Jimmy addressed him as "officer" to determine whether or not he was a cop. The guy asking Jimmy to sell his stuff elsewhere could have just been a neighborhood watch member, right? 

That is also a good possibility.  Jimmy might have sensed he was a cop and called him officer to find out, just like guys did on his first night selling drop phones.  

Jimmy spotting the cop seems like a callback to BB Episode 208 ("Better Call Saul") where Badger sensed a would be meth buyer was a cop ("I so smell bacon!") but got talked into selling to him anyway and getting arrested.  

Huell's DB Cooper comment was also a callback to the same episode.   

[Joimiaroxeu]

1 minute ago, Bryce Lynch said:

The DB Cooper comment was a call back to Breaking Bad, the episode called "Better Call Saul", in fact.  

When Walt first went into Saul's office, pretending to be Badger's uncle, Mr. Mayhew, he was wearing dark glasses and a baseball cap.  Saul said, "Look at you. Should I call the FBI and tell them I found D.B. Cooper?"   This was also the scene where Saul revealed that his real name is McGill.  

Thanks for the reference.

I watched Breaking Bad and in fact have watched the final season several times since I bought the DVD. While I'm enjoying BCS it's starting to annoy me that I can't quite appreciate all the details because I don't have an encyclopedic memory of what happened on all five seasons of BB. Maybe Vince should issue some BB Cliff Notes or something. ?

[Bryce Lynch]

Regarding Kim's shopping spree.  It looked mostly like school supplies  There were, crayons, paper, pens, notebooks, colored envelopes (I think), a lot of color markers, etc..  There wasn't anything big enough to make a picket sign with. 

When Jimmy was looking around Kim's office, he found photo and note from Denise (the client she had to talk into showing up for court) thanking Kim for all she had done and saying her life was back on track.   I wonder if she is planning something similar with the school supplies.   

Edited September 19, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Clanstarling]

10 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

DB Cooper? Heh, Huell is decidedly not a "hide in plain sight" type of guy.

Depends on where he hides.

7 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

FFS adults can make it through a year without sex. A lot longer, in fact.

Absolutely. But combined with the fact and they're essentially prisoners who don't even see the light of day, it's a lot to handle.

13 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

She might have been using some hyperbole.  However, the fact that Jimmy had planted a battery on his respected brother at a bar hearing might have gotten around and some might see that as unsavory.  I would have if I had been on that bar panel, and it might have figured into the one year suspension.  Now he's selling burner phones and hanging with people with records, it's not a good look. 

Unsavory is the gateway to scummy. ;) Jimmy's been moving through scummy and is, imo, definitely ankle deep (if not further) into the scumbag territory now. His proposal to Kim about how to handle the cop in court was flat out scumbag.

[Tikichick]

On 9/18/2018 at 12:18 AM, MissBluxom said:

There are several factors. If all are present, then that person is usually a cop.

The most important is cheap ill-fitting clothing that look like they were put together by a blind gorilla.

Cops can't afford to spend money on nice clothes. Nice clothes cost a lot of money. Much more than a cop can afford. Plus cops don't ever get any training in how to mix and match colors and fabrics and other factors. It is almost never an important part of their lives. Many companies won't let employees appear in court or other places where they publicly represent the company unless they first make sure they know how to dress to make a good appearance. But no one seems to care how cops dress.

The next item is language and sense of humor. If you listen to them talk, their vocabulary and grammar usually give them away after they speak one or two sentences.

Umm ... sorry ... I'm just not happy talking about cops. I was once arrested for something I didn't do and the cops were two of the most vile and most stupid creatures I ever met. I did meet one clever cop once and if I feel up to it, I will tell you about that some other time.

Cops come in just as many varieties as any other means you can come up with of defining a group.  

Most cops I know are paid rather well, with generous enough benefits that most retire by their early fifties, quite comfortably.  Many also worked moonlighting or with some specialty side business of their own for several years, enabling them to live -- and dress quite well.   

[PeterPirate]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

Unsavory is the gateway to scummy. ;) Jimmy's been moving through scummy and is, imo, definitely ankle deep (if not further) into the scumbag territory now. His proposal to Kim about how to handle the cop in court was flat out scumbag.

Scumminess is in the eye of the beholder, I would say.  The cop and the ADA had a valid reason to think of Jimmy as a scumbag.  The first thing the cop said to Jimmy was "You want to know where I got it? (The business card.)  Off a drug dealer who got sprung today 'cause he was using a drop phone that you sold him." 

If, hypothetically, I knew someone who had lost a child to drugs and, upon learning that I watched this show, said to me that Jimmy was a scumbag, I sure wouldn't point out that Jimmy had a permit to sell drop phones.  I would say that I watch this show the same way I watch The Godfather or Goodfellas.  Or, for that matter, Breaking Bad. 

Edited September 19, 2018 by PeterPirate

[Tikichick]

19 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

He was certainly trying to act and talk in a way that would get viewers to spot him as a cop.

If I'm not mistaken the bumper and front grill of the nondescript, gray sedan that was shown in the first frame of film when he arrived on the scene was meant to announce the presence of a cop.

[Tighthead]

On 2018-09-17 at 10:54 PM, Lonesome Rhodes said:

My least favorite ep this season.  Part of that is due to the jump in time.  I just hate that the show must end at all.  But, beyond that, especially after the breaking apart, if not bad, montage, I didn't buy Kim's indifference, however feigned, when Jimmy indicated the party could go bad for her due to his presence.  To me, she already knew.  We get the courtroom scene later that should cement this awareness.

I don't care for the stroke doctor, either.   Much too much time with her in the hospital room and in the kitchen.  HOWEVER...holy schnikeys, the reaction of Gus when he realized Hector was still Hector!  Easily the best moment.

I did enjoy trying to discern Mike's take on Werner.  Does he genuinely like the guy, perhaps seeing himself a little in him?  Is he growing exasperated with him, aside from the construction issues?  And so forth...  

In the current timeline, if Mesa Verde is to fall on BCS, it won't have anything to do with the 2008 bubble crash.  What a cash cow for S&C and Kim!  As always, great to see Lane (Viola).

Finally, I like the touch of Jimmy taking off in his Esteem like a minion (Wicked Witch Flying Monkey?) on a mission.  There was zero regard for, or of, Kim.  She was literally nothing to him as she was standing right there.   

Is "Kai" German for "Nacho?"

 

There were parts of the episode I enjoyed, and it certainly advanced the plot. However, I’m finding several plot points a little off right now. I appreciate that too much realism means things happen too slowly. 

I question Frings ability to finance the construction and the clinic for the visiting doctor at the same time. Hadn’t the supply diminished? We are talking serious capital. 

I understand he has made it worth the doctor’s time, but she is a busy specialist from Hopkins and comes to ABQ to work on one patient, doing work that is more suitable for a PT/OT? Even if she doesn’t have a family, her patients, practice, and research obligations wouldn’t really permit that. I know he pledged a big donation, but it seems off. 

I have little knowledge on the early days of burner phones, but could these guys not just be buying them at 7/11? I’m skepitical that Jimmy is actually filling a void in the marketplace.

Two final quibbles.  Huell striking out at the cop seemed like a plot device, but so did the whole scene.  I also don’t buy Kim having the time and inclination to go to the wall for Huell.  Just because she is a partner doesn’t mean she isn’t busy.

I thought the scene with Schweikert was well done. I’ve been to a ton of those Law form socials and they are weird affairs. Schweikert was measuring dicks a little, but of course Jimmy crossed the line.  Usually the best encounters at these things are between partners who have hated each other for years.  The humblebrag and dick measuring is amazing “I hear you are going to Barbados Ken? That’s lovely.  I have to say once we discovered St. Lucia we never gave Barbados a second thought.  Nancy is insisting we go twice this year.”

18 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

If I'm not mistaken the bumper and front grill of the nondescript, gray sedan that was shown in the first frame of film when he arrived on the scene was meant to announce the presence of a cop.

 

His car, his haircut, his walk, everything screamed cop. 

[Tikichick]

8 minutes ago, Tighthead said:

 

His car, his haircut, his walk, everything screamed cop. 

The point I was making was we hadn't even seen the driver,  yet we were handed a cop's calling card in the form of a nondescript, gray sedan

[Bryce Lynch]

35 minutes ago, Tighthead said:

 

There were parts of the episode I enjoyed, and it certainly advanced the plot. However, I’m finding several plot points a little off right now. I appreciate that too much realism means things happen too slowly. 

I question Frings ability to finance the construction and the clinic for the visiting doctor at the same time. Hadn’t the supply diminished? We are talking serious capital. 

I understand he has made it worth the doctor’s time, but she is a busy specialist from Hopkins and comes to ABQ to work on one patient, doing work that is more suitable for a PT/OT? Even if she doesn’t have a family, her patients, practice, and research obligations wouldn’t really permit that. I know he pledged a big donation, but it seems off. 

I have little knowledge on the early days of burner phones, but could these guys not just be buying them at 7/11? I’m skepitical that Jimmy is actually filling a void in the marketplace.

Two final quibbles.  Huell striking out at the cop seemed like a plot device, but so did the whole scene.  I also don’t buy Kim having the time and inclination to go to the wall for Huell.  Just because she is a partner doesn’t mean she isn’t busy.

I thought the scene with Schweikert was well done. I’ve been to a ton of those Law form socials and they are weird affairs. Schweikert was measuring dicks a little, but of course Jimmy crossed the line.  Usually the best encounters at these things are between partners who have hated each other for years.  The humblebrag and dick measuring is amazing “I hear you are going to Barbados Ken? That’s lovely.  I have to say once we discovered St. Lucia we never gave Barbados a second thought.  Nancy is insisting we go twice this year.”

 

His car, his haircut, his walk, everything screamed cop. 

I am wondering how Fring is affording everything, but it is possible his drug ring has been that profitable.  Remember the neatly manicured, huge piles of cash he sent to Don Eladio in the flashback?  It is also possible he has backing, perhaps from Madrigal.  Maybe Herr Schuler has sent him money, ostensibly, to build a bunch of new LPH restaurants, but actually to fund the construction of the super lab.  We know that Hank found that at least one expensive piece of lab equipment came from Madrigal and was apparently not paid for.  

I think one could have bought them at 7-11 or other places.  The advantage with Jimmy might be that they are no security cameras and Jimmy is probably not keeping as thorough records of the serial numbers and such as 7-11 would.  But, I agree, that it is questionable whether Jimmy's drop phone business would be that lucrative, given all the competition.  

I can buy Huell striking a guy he thought was threatening Jimmy.  I can totally buy Kim going to bat for Huell.  At first, she reluctantly agreed, because she can't say no to Jimmy.  But, once she started to believe Huell was being treated unfairly, she became passionate about it.   

Edited September 19, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Bannon]

17 minutes ago, Tighthead said:

 

There were parts of the episode I enjoyed, and it certainly advanced the plot. However, I’m finding several plot points a little off right now. I appreciate that too much realism means things happen too slowly. 

I question Frings ability to finance the construction and the clinic for the visiting doctor at the same time. Hadn’t the supply diminished? We are talking serious capital. 

I understand he has made it worth the doctor’s time, but she is a busy specialist from Hopkins and comes to ABQ to work on one patient, doing work that is more suitable for a PT/OT? Even if she doesn’t have a family, her patients, practice, and research obligations wouldn’t really permit that. I know he pledged a big donation, but it seems off. 

I have little knowledge on the early days of burner phones, but could these guys not just be buying them at 7/11? I’m skepitical that Jimmy is actually filling a void in the marketplace.

Two final quibbles.  Huell striking out at the cop seemed like a plot device, but so did the whole scene.  I also don’t buy Kim having the time and inclination to go to the wall for Huell.  Just because she is a partner doesn’t mean she isn’t busy.

I thought the scene with Schweikert was well done. I’ve been to a ton of those Law form socials and they are weird affairs. Schweikert was measuring dicks a little, but of course Jimmy crossed the line.  Usually the best encounters at these things are between partners who have hated each other for years.  The humblebrag and dick measuring is amazing “I hear you are going to Barbados Ken? That’s lovely.  I have to say once we discovered St. Lucia we never gave Barbados a second thought.  Nancy is insisting we go twice this year.”

 

His car, his haircut, his walk, everything screamed cop. 

Madrigal, via Lydia, and her boss, could be assisting in the construction of the lab, and we really don't know how much capital Fring has amassed in his years of drug running. It could be very substantial.

The details of Hector's treatment I suppose could have been given more time and explanation, but I don't think it would have added anything. The point was that Gus was willing to private pay for Hector's rehab, far beyond what any insurance would cover (if Hector was even insured), which certainly happens. Robin Williams was said to have paid for Christopher Reeves rehab, for instance. We haven't seen the totality of Hector's rehab, so who knows if it all could have been done by a therapist. YMMV, obviously, but there wasn't anything shown which was contrary to how human beings normally behave, which is my standard for believability.

I'm no expert on the history of cell phone technology roll outs, either, other than knowing that prepaid phones were unevenly rolled out across the country, over a period of many years, and the history of the industry has many examples of localized short term profit taking on sales to early adopters, before mass retailing made huge market penetration. I imagine those involved in criminal enterprises were the earliest of early adopters.

[ShadowFacts]

42 minutes ago, Tighthead said:

I understand he has made it worth the doctor’s time, but she is a busy specialist from Hopkins and comes to ABQ to work on one patient, doing work that is more suitable for a PT/OT? Even if she doesn’t have a family, her patients, practice, and research obligations wouldn’t really permit that. I know he pledged a big donation, but it seems off. 

Agreed, this is very improbable to me.  We were shown that several months have now gone by, she can't have been there that whole time, suspending her practice for one patient, yet Gus made it sound that way when he said it's time to delegate.  If she had been flying in and out periodically she would have already been delegating. 

[ahmerali]

18 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I'd be concerned about both the law and the ethics because after all it is the sharing of information that is leading to the ceasing of therapy.  The only way I think she is okay is if she takes Gus' comments to mean that he is going to continue seeing that he gets therapy consistent with what he has been getting.  He said something like it's time to delegate so you can get back to your work and she could think that means that of course he is not going to let him languish.  She needs to question that though, and satisfy herself that Hector is set up for ongoing therapy. 

As Steve Gomez says in Breaking Bad, Hector is an original gangsta, with capitals O and G. Who exactly is Hector or the Cousins going to complain to? It's not like the Cousins are going to walk into a police station and fill out a report, pressing charges against the doctor who is allegedly denying their father medical care.

However....that thought makes me want to retract something I said earlier. Hector is clearly able to think and communicate in his own way. It would be very foolish of Gus to go to the extent that I thought earlier he would, taunting Hector about how the ability to make him better was still a possibility, in Gus's hands....Hector would find a way to communicate that to Leonel and Marco and that would not go over well at all. Certainly the way the Cousins act towards Fring in Breaking Bad - civil, and acknowledging his authority over his own territory at least - would never happen if they knew that. So Gus will taunt Hector about looking at him, but not reveal anything dangerous.

[Tighthead]

16 minutes ago, Bannon said:

Madrigal, via Lydia, and her boss, could be assisting in the construction of the lab, and we really don't know how much capital Fring has amassed in his years of drug running. It could be very substantial.

The details of Hector's treatment I suppose could have been given more time and explanation, but I don't think it would have added anything. The point was that Gus was willing to private pay for Hector's rehab, far beyond what any insurance would cover (if Hector was even insured), which certainly happens. Robin Williams was said to have paid for Christopher Reeves rehab, for instance. We haven't seen the totality of Hector's rehab, so who knows if it all could have been done by a therapist. YMMV, obviously, but there wasn't anything shown which was contrary to how human beings normally behave, which is my standard for believability.

I'm no expert on the history of cell phone technology roll outs, either, other than knowing that prepaid phones were unevenly rolled out across the country, over a period of many years, and the history of the industry has many examples of localized short term profit taking on sales to early adopters, before mass retailing made huge market penetration. I imagine those involved in criminal enterprises were the earliest of early adopters.

 

I don’t get the Christopher Reeves parallel. I’m not disputing that Gus is Hector”s benefactor. I just don’t believe that a top specialist would abandon all obligations to go across the country to spend months on the care of one patient. That doesn’t seem at all normal. 

There may be a brief window of a few months where selling the burner phones present an opportunity. I recall a film or movie (maybe The Wire) where somebody screws up by buying the burner phones atvthe wrong spot.  It could be the lack of traceability that works for him. 

[Bannon]

8 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Agreed, this is very improbable to me.  We were shown that several months have now gone by, she can't have been there that whole time, suspending her practice for one patient, yet Gus made it sound that way when he said it's time to delegate.  If she had been flying in and out periodically she would have already been delegating. 

The least believable part of the conversation between the doctor and Fring was when the doctor expressed confidence that Hector might regain the ability to walk and talk. Yes, it is possible, but no, the state of rehabilitation science then, or now, would preclude any doctor with a reputation to uphold from expressing such confidence in such an outcome. The point of the scene is to drive home how coldly determined Gus is to completely control Hector, so as to torment him, so I didn't see it as too egregious a departure from reality.

[Bryce Lynch]

10 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

Agreed, this is very improbable to me.  We were shown that several months have now gone by, she can't have been there that whole time, suspending her practice for one patient, yet Gus made it sound that way when he said it's time to delegate.  If she had been flying in and out periodically she would have already been delegating. 

If Gus offered to pay her well for her services, plus her living expenses and contribute millions to her new clinic, I think she would put her practice on hold for a year.  He's got 7 Germans putting their entire lives on hold and not being able to see the light of day for 8 months and counting.  If you pay enough money, you can get people to do just about anything, especially if they don't find that thing morally objectionable.   

My bigger qualm is with her being willing to abandon Hector's therapy  She was so optimistic about much greater progress, but then Gus told her  "Perhaps we should temper our expectations." and then said that dinner was ready.  

That is normally something a doctor would tell a patients family, if they were expecting too much of a recovery.  She has to know that Fring's reaction is very odd.  He was so enthusiastic about Hector recovering, and now all of the sudden he wants her to stop?   For her sake, I hope she doesn't push back and get sent to Belize.  

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Depends on where he hides.

Valid point, hence his desire to hightail it to the wilds of Louisiana. In Albuquerque though, he's pretty visible and memorable.

Quote

could these guys not just be buying them at 7/11? I’m skepitical that Jimmy is actually filling a void in the marketplace.

The ones from convenience stores were still fairly traceable via sales records and security cameras. They're probably okay for someone trying to hide an affair or if the phone's only going to be used once and then disposed of. Jimmy is basically giving the people he sells them to a bit of cover since he doesn't keep track of who he sells them to and the sales are happening in what amounts to a back alley.

Edited September 19, 2018 by Joimiaroxeu

[Bannon]

4 minutes ago, Tighthead said:

 

I don’t get the Christopher Reeves parallel. I’m not disputing that Gus is Hector”s benefactor. I just don’t believe that a top specialist would abandon all obligations to go across the country to spend months on the care of one patient. That doesn’t seem at all normal. 

There may be a brief window of a few months where selling the burner phones present an opportunity. I recall a film or movie (maybe The Wire) where somebody screws up by buying the burner phones atvthe wrong spot.  It could be the lack of traceability that works for him. 

My point is that wealthy benefactors have been known to spend a lot of their own money to rehab patients in real life. If you want to say the writers should have spent more time detailing the mechanics of Hector's rehab, in a more realistic fashion, while driving home how much Gus was willing to spend on the process, o.k.. I just don't think it would have added anything of importance.

6 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

If Gus offered to pay her well for her services, plus her living expenses and contribute millions to her new clinic, I think she would put her practice on hold for a year.  He's got 7 Germans putting their entire lives on hold and not being able to see the light of day for 8 months and counting.  If you pay enough money, you can get people to do just about anything, especially if they don't find that thing morally objectionable.   

My bigger qualm is with her being willing to abandon Hector's therapy  She was so optimistic about much greater progress, but then Gus told her  "Perhaps we should temper our expectations." and then said that dinner was ready.  

That is normally something a doctor would tell a patients family, if they were expecting too much of a recovery.  She has to know that Fring's reaction is very odd.  He was so enthusiastic about Hector recovering, and now all of the sudden he wants her to stop?   For her sake, I hope she doesn't push back and get sent to Belize.  

As I stated above, her optimism was the least realistic part of this subplot.

[PeterPirate]

2 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Thanks for the reference.

I watched Breaking Bad and in fact have watched the final season several times since I bought the DVD. While I'm enjoying BCS it's starting to annoy me that I can't quite appreciate all the details because I don't have an encyclopedic memory of what happened on all five seasons of BB. Maybe Vince should issue some BB Cliff Notes or something. ?

I wish we had a thread on this BCS forum for Breaking Bad.  I didn't watch BB when it aired and I have never ventured to any BB forum, anywhere.  

 

34 minutes ago, ahmerali said:

As Steve Gomez says in Breaking Bad, Hector is an original gangsta, with capitals O and G. Who exactly is Hector or the Cousins going to complain to? It's not like the Cousins are going to walk into a police station and fill out a report, pressing charges against the doctor who is allegedly denying their father medical care.

However....that thought makes me want to retract something I said earlier. Hector is clearly able to think and communicate in his own way. It would be very foolish of Gus to go to the extent that I thought earlier he would, taunting Hector about how the ability to make him better was still a possibility, in Gus's hands....Hector would find a way to communicate that to Leonel and Marco and that would not go over well at all. Certainly the way the Cousins act towards Fring in Breaking Bad - civil, and acknowledging his authority over his own territory at least - would never happen if they knew that. So Gus will taunt Hector about looking at him, but not reveal anything dangerous.

ITA.  As I recall, Gus didn't start visiting Hector until almost all of kin had been killed, and his remaining family member was in Mexico.  I would be very surprised to see Gus and Hector in the same room for the rest of the series.   

Man, I love the coati story.  It truly enhances the final face-off between Gus and Hector in BB.  

Edited September 19, 2018 by PeterPirate

[Bryce Lynch]

9 minutes ago, ahmerali said:

As Steve Gomez says in Breaking Bad, Hector is an original gangsta, with capitals O and G. Who exactly is Hector or the Cousins going to complain to? It's not like the Cousins are going to walk into a police station and fill out a report, pressing charges against the doctor who is allegedly denying their father medical care.

However....that thought makes me want to retract something I said earlier. Hector is clearly able to think and communicate in his own way. It would be very foolish of Gus to go to the extent that I thought earlier he would, taunting Hector about how the ability to make him better was still a possibility, in Gus's hands....Hector would find a way to communicate that to Leonel and Marco and that would not go over well at all. Certainly the way the Cousins act towards Fring in Breaking Bad - civil, and acknowledging his authority over his own territory at least - would never happen if they knew that. So Gus will taunt Hector about looking at him, but not reveal anything dangerous.

Good point that  Hector and the Cousins would never report anything to authorities.  

Gus didn't go as far as I thought with his coati story.  He never actually said he was keeping it to torture it or directly connected the story to Hector.  He finished by saying, "I believe you will wake, Hector."   Even if Hector knows Gus kept him alive so he could suffer, that would not be such a big deal, because they both already know they hate each other.  As long as Hector doesn't know that Gus intentionally stopped his treatment before he could learn to talk and walk again, it will not come back on Gus.

BTW, I was thinking Gus might really love  Nacho now for creating the situation where Hector will suffer so much and so long.   He didn't want Mike to shoot him in the head because it would be far too merciful.  Nacho, inadvertently, gave Gus a better situation than he could have imagined.  

19 minutes ago, Bannon said:

As I stated above, her optimism was the least realistic part of this subplot.

I don't really think her optimism was that unrealistic, especially when dealing with a benefactor as opposed to family members.  If she had seen patients as bad or worse than Hector be able to walk and talk again, she would have every reason for an optimistic prognosis.   At any rate, I think that was put in so we know that Gus probably prevented Hector from ever walking or talking again.  

[peeayebee]

7 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I rewatched some of the episode.  I don't think Schweikart started the dick measuring.  Kim brought Jimmy into the discussion, which was going on before Jimmy joined that group. She mentioned 10,000 Waves another woman mentioned Carlsbad Caverns and then Schweikart mentioned Toas saying he was thinking of splurging, not wanting to look like a cheapskate.  Then Jimmy trashed that idea and kept making more and more expensive and unrealistic suggestions to make him look bad.

I just rewatched the scene. I think Schweikart started it, in a subtle way, before Jimmy brought up Telluride. After Jimmy reluctantly joins the group and Kim tells him they're talking about company retreats, he says to the group, "That's a great idea. Where are we going?" which is obviously a joke and everybody laughs, but then Schweikart says, "Sorry pal. Employees only." The way he says it seemed deliberately intended to put Jimmy down. But Jimmy doesn't react badly, only says in an exaggerated, jocular bit of disappointment, "Oh darn it!" Then Schweikart says he's thinking of splurging a little this year. "Y'know, don't want to be outdone by the competition. You know, word gets out, you're a cheapskate." I think his talking about the competition has the subtext of being about Jimmy, but his saying he can splurge also is meant to put him above Jimmy. But again Jimmy doesn't get rude, saying, "Sure, sure, that's hard to shake off." Then finally when Scheikart mentions Taos, Jimmy says, "Taos. That's… nice." Scheikart then says, "Feel free to jump in. We're just spitballing here," which again I take as him baiting Jimmy. And Jimmy bites. 

[Blakeston]

On 9/18/2018 at 1:07 AM, acid burn said:

I assumed she was thinking picket signs and plans to suggest the DA's office is racially biased.

This makes far and away the most sense to me.

23 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Of course; but the script made a point of specifying that Huell was the only one of these cases who had a felony(?) conviction, which is not a minor point. If I were Kim, I admit I would have brought up the race issue during my initial convo with the ADA as a way to make her back down.

I think Kim was at least hinting at racial bias during the conversation with the prosecutor. She kept saying things like, "What makes him so different from the other five?"

That conversation made me think the cop didn't tell any lies in his report. None of the details given by the judge were factually inaccurate. It's just happens that the facts look pretty bad for Huell, because they give the impression that he assaulted a cop in cold blood because of a years-old grudge.