Better Call Saul Finale - What It All Meant
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2024
- This video essay analyzes the final episode of Better Call Saul, starring Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill. The finale wrapped up Jimmy McGill's complex relationship with the truth, the law and identity. This is the final episode and ending explained for Better Call Saul.
PATREON: / justanobservation
FAIR USE NOTICE:
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Music used:
Tumbleweed Texas by Chris Haugen
Thunder Chant by E's Jammy Jams
The Sound of a Dollar by DJ Williams
&
"Art of Silence - by Uniq" is under a Creative Commons license (Creative Commons - International Recognition 4.0 - CC BY 4.0)
Timestamps:
0:00 Regrets
2:25 Black and White Episodes
5:50 Finale and Ending
#bettercallsaul #bettercallsaulseason6 #jimmymcgill - บันเทิง
Love how he told the lawyers that he only needed to convince one juror and that he ultimately just wanted to convince Kim.
great observation! kim was that juror.
I like how showing the exit sign was like Chuck was there, finally proud of Jimmy for facing the consequences of his actions.
It even sounds similar to the Exit Sign in Chicanery
But Jimmy is still Jimmy. May do some shady stuff for a good reason. Everybody had their faults, even the law abiding ones.
@@Ludwig_Perpenhente it is the exit sign in chicanery
@@Ludwig_Perpenhente according to jimmy anyway
Chuck was an arsehole though. I honestly understood why one might not care for the respect of someone like chuck. He was worse than Jimmy in some ways. In the beginning Jimmy really cared for chuck and looked after him..he said chuck would do the same for him...but we all know that's not the case. Chuck was a rat. And a shit brother.
I think it's worth mentioning that the end of the cigarette Kim and Jimmy were sharing had color. That little moment he had with Kim restored some color and happiness in his life. I really appreciate how Vince Gilligan and his writers use color to help tell a story. It creates another dimension to the storytelling.
I agree about the use of color/BW. At first, I took the BW as flashback, and thought it would go color when we caught up with the real, actual 'current' events. Then when that was obviously wrong, I took the BW as current and a reflection of Gene's world view and emotional state. Then the red cherry of the shared cigarette at the end choked me up.
wtf, didn't even notice that
Actually it wasn't the cigarette; It was the flame from the lighter. Great catch regardless!
@@AndreRay1127cigarette was lit red the whole time. Just went back to watch. The lighter had color as well.
His failures were self destructive choices. He wasn't lazy.
I think they chose the perfect ending for Jimmy. He paid for all his crimes with decades worth of prison time, but he found redemption, regained his true self, Kim's respect, and a small measure of peace that he has hardly ever had since becoming a lawyer. After all, one of the greatest victories in one's life is victory over the darkness within one's self.
Highly unrealistic. Nobody would choose a life term over a 7-year sentence.
@@JackWiizard Except jimmy he always wants more
@@JackWiizard thats true. its great in a work of fiction but not realistic. he could have taken the 7 years and confessed to himself and kim. thats all that mattered.
@@uraigroves7898 one highly realistic fiction so far. Unrealistic just in the end to serve the plot. Not nice.
@@JackWiizard well, I just had a thought - maybe he knew if got out of prison he would just do it all again. saul might destroy jimmy on the outside. maybe he wanted to end it all...no?
Gene was a coward that ran, Saul was a rascal that scammed, but Jimmy at heart was just a good man
True, except in the end Gene did things that were out of character for even Saul. Saul and Kim scammed rich people who were assholes.
As Gene he and his little gang robbed any rich guy, and all their victims had a life that was full of trouble and sadness, like that cancer patient.
Although, as Saul he also made all those elderly ladies hate that one who had to make the decisions. That also was just plain wrong.
But all in all making himself put in a jail for the rest of his life just went way too far. Yeah he always has been a scammer etc, but did he really deserve all this?
Sure, because of him many people got a drug addiction and perhaps several of them died, but I doubt that was on his mind when he held that speech about all the things that he has done.
If they really wanted to take this path, I would have loved to see him as an old man in prison who regretted his choice to be there and then starts to plot his way out of there, without actually seeing him get out. Just a start of a plan that leaves you in the dark about where it will all lead to.
Jimmy Goodman
A struggling man. A struggling good man, maybe, or maybe not. A man who struggled who be good.
@@prezadent1 Walt was an anal retentive sociopath, I wouldn't put too much stock in his character analysis
Except for the crimes he was committing from the time he was a kid, up into his 20's, over and over .... other than that, he was a good man .... ??
I especially liked the scene where Jimmy delivers Chuck's groceries, as the one where Chuck asks Jimmy, "We always end up having the same conversation don't we?".
In this scene, Chuck was reading H. G. Wells' "The Time Machine", indicating that this is where Jimmy would go back to, if he could, namely his time as a struggling public defence attorney, before he "took his first bribe".
Didn't notice that. Great catch
Bribe for what?
@@garynubipwek3178 the analogue to Mikes first bribe
And this moment was also a chance to connect and bond with his brother before they became full-on adversaries.
@@garynubipwek3178 not bribe per say but his first act that went down a spiral, what bribes were to Mike was scams to jimmy and his first one being the ad that he shot
I thought the ending was perfect. The fact that, as Saul, he was able to prove he COULD HAVE conned his way to a measly 7 year sentence, in a minimum security federal prison with a golf program, yet he, as Jimmy, STILL decided to confess to everything under oath knowing he’d have the book thrown at him, it was a moral victory.
Similar to Walt getting revenge on Jack and his gang, poisoning Lydia, getting Gretchen and Elliot to donate his money to his family and freeing Jesse. He ultimately won in the end, despite dying alone and hated in a meth lab.
The parallels between the two are plentiful and yet they couldn’t be more polar opposites.
Walt broke bad, Jimmy broke good
Wow what a punchline ending
Breaking Bad is the story of a man succumbing to the darkness in his soul, while Better Call Saul is the story of a man trying to claw his way out of it.
@@TheRedCap30 Exactly
@@mijkwgeblwxz6853 The original working title was actually “Breaking Good or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Call Saul”
Wow poetic much
I figured he'd get caught and go to prison, but I didn't anticipate that he'd regain his soul. It was the perfect ending for me.
Saul Goodman to Good Soulman
@@osatoharuna nice
After episode 12, I predicted he would be caught unwillingly but take his sentence willingly.
I think it was well built to show that Saul is more than just a slippery lawyer with criminal connections, but someone who enjoys the thrill and often winds up in too deep. I really enjoyed seeing Jimmy pull one last scam talking his sentence down and making sure Kim was in the courtroom.
Jimmy didn't initially want to become such a sketchy lawyer/criminal, he wanted to prove his legitimacy to his brother seeking a big client from a small office, but I agree him facing the music seemed a good way of him ultimately seeking some kind of forgiveness and redemption.
It would have been nice to see Jimmy in prison, is he keeping his nose clean and helping people with legit legal advice, or has he fallen back into scamming and befriending the gangs to get a cushy life?
I also wish there'd been a nod to Robert Forster, maybe calling the vacuum place, getting an odd voice and hearing the old owner passed away , they just bought the place- I think the tension and realisation he's all alone might have been a good addition too.
I loved it too. Now that more time passes I love it even more. Jimmy has hope.
So, where is it in rule book to regain one's soul state one must serve at least 86 years imprisonment with no possible lesser term? Perfect Ending, not.
Kim was the one juror Jimmy had to win over, and he did just that. A poetic ending.
No wayyy... worst ending ever! They turned everything into a Lovestory. Slipping Jimmy was always a scammer and they wanted him to be all of a sudden all good. I dont buy it.
The day before He was stealing from a guy with cancer come oooon
When Gene saw the writing on the wall, he turned back into Saul.
When Saul saw Kim in the crosshairs, he turned back into Jimmy.
Marvelously said
To quote Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean, "Love, no bond on earth so strong yet easily broken"
I was racking my brain trying to figure what that “Kim in the crosshairs” shot in the last episode meant and you just made me realize.
@@carolfromhr9900can you tell me what was the crosshair I don't get it
@@iamnithin_ crosshair is in reference to shooting. On most scopes they have a cross to indicate where the shot should hit. Having "someone in your crosshairs" essentially means your scope (and by extension, the rifle it is mounted on) is pointed at them.
The fact that he was able to get it down to 7 years but CHOOSE redemption instead was perfect. He finally found peace.
I will bet peace is what he recalls in supermax federal prison.
Jimmy is better off serving 86 years (essentially life) in a supermax, than to continuing to be on the run.
@@christinem894 The prison he was living in being Gene was worse.
@@maximilianotorro527 if you say living as Gene is far worse than life imprisonment in Federal Super Max. I'd say he has not given his Gene manager of a Cinnabon at a mall in Omaha NE a long enough turn to be fair. It was not even a whole full year was it?
Maybe a better title is: Bitter StopRummming
The final touch that I loved about the last episode was Saul somehow getting his sentence reduced to SEVEN YEARS. It gives us an idea of just how insane Jimmy's capabilities are even with his back against the wall and also puts so much more weight into his decision to not take that recommendation for the sake of finding his own peace.
That is one hell of a deal. From a Life Sentence + 120 years to a 7 (and with Good behavior, can still be waddled to at least 4-5). That's like a 90% Discount
Imma hope he gets parole because of that.
jimmy is the greatest lawyer of all time
@samsalaz if I was one of the skaters I would be so grateful to jimmy
Yep. He proved he still had the magic.
What I liked about the ending is how Kim's importance is reestated. One of the mostly forgotten flashbacks is when Jimmy (working as a mail boy) decided to pursue a legal career not as much to impress Chuck but Kim. All the mistakes and troubles he got in with Chuck or the bar just to impress her. It made sense to me he would go this way just to make her peace with Kim. That's why I think the ending: Jimmy behind bars and Kim looking at him from the distance was just perfect.
yeah I'm sure that will get Kim through the nights she's eating cat food cause cherlys civil suit will bankrupt her for life..
@@bigkahuna3534 Pretty sure she’s working tho
Love hurts, love kills? Is this the moral of the story. Jimmy gave up his life for a woman's respect who left him when he needed her the most. Kim has a huge role in him becoming Saul Goodman. Yet he goes back to earn her respect and live by her moral standards. I think this is foolish and self-destructive.
@@MEDVE1978 woah
@@MEDVE1978 I didn't say it was healthy
Loved the way they wrapped up Jimmy/Saul/Gene's story. He came full circle
Personally I wanted Saul/Jimmy to get away with it but knowing that he was able to make everyone play by his rules one last time(reducing a life sentence +180 years to 7 years in a prison of his choice) was enough for me, plus he got what he wanted the most, redemption in Kim's eyes.
Same here. I was nearly cheering in my seat when I realized why he asked Marie to play into the whole "I was a victim of Walter White". But instead we got a copy/paste "poetic" ending of Flight with Denzel Washington.
Personally I don't really care for Jimmy. But Saul Goodman is a riot to watch.
Aggreed. The only thing that bugs me, though, is that he really didn't have any responsibility for Hank & Stevens deaths. I wonder how much his sentence could've been mildened with Jesse issuing his witness of the true events behind their deaths (since Jesse is the last living account of those events)
he also got redemption in his eyes. It's nopt just for Kim. He came to terms with his own doings and said outloud that he regrets this whole thing and wants to pay for it.
@@Shorty15c4007 Not me. I was worried he was going to get away with everything. In the end, he got what he deserved.
he actually didn’t get 7 years. His confession ended him with 86 years
It's funny because I understood Walt's regret differently. I don't think he regretted he didn't take action against being pushed out of Grey Matter because it would give him the money to live an honest life. I think he regrets it just out of pride and vanity. He was humiliated by the Schwartz couple.
If you recall 'Felina' you'll remember that he said he did it because he liked it, and he was good at it and kept him alive. He doesn't regret any of that. After all, I think the only main character who doesn't regret a bit of his actions is Walter.
Nah, all the grey matter stuff is just BS he tells himself and Saul. He's actually regretting what he thinks he's done to Jessie. The fade in on the watch is the proof in my mind.
@@kelvingriffiths6017 I don't quite understand how fading to the clock indicates that, could you explain it further? I think you're onto something
@@TheDeadMeme27 Jessie bought Walt that watch on his 51st birthday. At this point, Walt believes Jessie dead at Jack's hands. It also helps the whole why Walt leaves the watch in felina. Plus the angle of him lying to Saul and then also pointing out who is truly fake in the room is so good when it comes.
I’m sure he regretted keeping that Walt Whitman book that Gale gave him
Definitely. Breaking bad is more so about Walt's self-actualization. BCS is a tragedy, as Jimmy's moral decline is framed as a coping mechanism. Whereas in Breaking Bad, Walter's moral decline runs parallel with his idealized self-image.
The ending wasn't only a perfect ending to Saul Goodman's story, it also gave a main character the only fate we hadn't seen in Breaking Bad: someone getting caught. Walt died, Jesse got away, and Saul got caught. He accepted the consequences of his actions, and in going away how he did, probabaly gave some small amount of closure to Marie and the others. Someone, at least someone, was finally caught and sentenced appropriately. Poetry.
Poetry for a great ending to only learn from what I have read that Saul/Jimmy mentioning Jesse Pinkman and them finding business card in dumpster could have led to a very different outcome for Jesse Pinkman's "safe future" in Alaska.
@@christinem894 why are you so angry at this show lol
Not anymore
The character wasn't sentenced appropriately though.
Yeah but if anyone should’ve been imprisoned for the whole fiasco it arguably shouldve been gus or even walt. Saul is just a part. Putting everything on him to appease the mob is something, but it’s certainly not logical, or “justice”.
Jimmy was always addicted to the feeling of "getting away with it", but never to hurting others... It wasn't even about the money at the end of the day... He liked the feeling of proving himself smarter than others (something common in geniuses). Yeah, he misdirected all of that... compromising his own morals, but in the end he demonstrated that his addiction did not define him.
Coooool.. And now they call him Sally and he farts and poop comes out, meanwhile chicken head out here free as a bird.
I wonder what Jimmy would have done if he had better guidance in life
Gene was captured. Saul then negotiated the best deal he could. And then Jimmy sacrificed it to clear his conscience as a good man.
And to save Kim
@Matthew Christou YOU ARE BRILLIANT!!
@@patmc2916 Thanks! I do love to analyse good subtext/symbolism
Well done !
I LOVED this ending . I love how either if he stays in prison or reduces his sentence ,he still is on top. One of the things that matter the most to Jimmy is love so him being loved inside the prison as Saul and outside as Jimmy by Kim ( the only person whom ever truly loved him) is the best ending possible
There is zero possibility in reality of getting a reduced sentence I read. As prisoners must do at least 70% of sentence which still ends with him dying in prison. So, zero that to your happy ending thoughts.
I like to think optimistically that he gets parole and makes amends with those he met especially in Omaha.
Also he is probably loved as Gene because he taught old lady to watch TH-cam
No wayyy... worst ending ever! They turned everything into a Lovestory. Slipping Jimmy was always a scammer and they wanted him to be all of a sudden all good. I dont buy it.
The day before He was stealing from a guy with cancer come oooon
It's not the ending I wanted, but it really feels like the one that was needed. As much as Kim was right in so many ways about them not being good for one another, it was also so fulfilling to see that there's potential there for them to stay connected in some way.
Also, I appreciated that you broke down the courtroom scene! I didn't "get" what was happening with the admissions or the facial expressions. This makes perfect sense and contributes to how satisfying it was
And this could have been well taken and shown alright in my opinion apart from Jimmy/Saul having to serve 86 years in federal prison. If Kim still had any lawyer left in herself, she'd know 86 years is not good for any person to do, even her worst enemy let alone anyone she claimed to have loved. And is it really more comforting left guessing they may still stay connected via visits? Not really to me.
@@christinem894 hell yeah I agree with your comments
Hands down, the greatest TV show of all time, in my book. I sit in awe of everything they accomplished with Better Call Saul; especially the writing, the cinematography, the acting, and how perfectly they stuck the landing with that ending. I'm an amateur screenwriter and just watching this show has SIGNIFICANTLY improved my own writing. I'm still emotionally loopy two days after the finale. I hope I can create something a tenth as magnificent as this show someday. What an amazing journey.
The character was good but the show sucked balls dude. I struggled to stay engaged with the story many times, It was too slow and pretentious wasting the viewers time showing long shots of basically nothing at the start of every damn episode and compared to the show is span off from (Breaking Bad) it was always too different and no action at all for entire arcs.
@@euphoricbliss6699 Then why even bother watching a show whose symbolism and message are clearly out of your reach?
@@euphoricbliss6699 Hi, Euphoric. Hope you're well. The show wasn't going to be for everyone and you're one of those folks it just wasn't for. And that's fine! Like what you like, brother! But looking at this from a writing standpoint as an INTENTIONALLY slow burn drama, and as a character driven story? No other show in TV history pulled that off the way this show did. Personally, I find action packed stuff boring as hell. You have to be a very uniquely talented writer to make it engaging and bad writers use it as a crutch to heighten the garbage they've written. And it'll be too soon if I never watch another Marvel character doing karate on screen for two hours; it's just not for me, man. I get if you subjectively don't like BCS, but objectively speaking, the writing they pulled off with this show has no comparison. It's simply unique and ahead of everything else.
@@euphoricbliss6699 In the words of a wise man, "it's ok to have garbage taste".
If you love Better Call Saul and its tone you should try Mad Men. Mad Men and Better Call Saul have such similar tones and impeccable cinematography, writing, character building, art direction, details, etc. the writing is even more beautiful in Mad Men, it’s the only other show that’s on the same level, if not better, than BCS 🥲
The entire last few episodes I was waiting for jimmy to have some semblance of a redemption arc, and when he admitted in court all his wrongdoings it felt like a sigh of relief, regardless of what his punishment would be. He became a free man despite being a prisoner
Admitting he was wrong, apologizing in open court for running away, acknowledging Kim's superior road taken, and facing/asking Hank/Gomey's widows if there was anything he could do in the rest of his life to make amends, maybe something as simple as finding a financial way to help Gomey's kids as they grow up...seems to me he could still be a "free man" on a 7.5 year "go directly to jail" pass rather than an 86-year ticket.
Felt like I was about to die inside having to hear him repeat his victim story
@@minechaftgamer288 You're talking about when he faced the judge in his sharkskin suit and repeated his victim tale? I have a feeling the writers had him do that as a final sendoff to "Saul Goodman," because right after that he told the judge, paraphrasing, "I'm no longer Saul Goodman, I'm Jimmy McGill." There's a lot going on in that courtroom scene; I'll have to watch it again to catch some more nuance.
@@broadcasttttable that would definitely not have been a satisfying conclusion.
Agreed.
A lot of people have missed that he does not become Jimmy again, he becomes James (possibly for the first time).
Correct, and maybe the most important message of the whole Show. You can find redemption and peace for your soul, but it s not easy, costs a lot, and maybe you can't do it without the love of someone who means everything to you, and goes the right way b4 you ...like Kim did.
This.
Naw he was always Jimmy/James but had to cover it up as Saul/Gene. In the end he makes peace and combining the aliases together as one.
“The names McGill. I’m James McGill”gets me every time. What a story this was…and to think I almost didn’t watch it.
That’s a good point. Because Jimmy is the small-time con man, Saul is the master manipulator who gets what he wants, Gene is the coward who runs and James is the spark of good amongst the pitch black of evil of a man who got corrupted and split up into three more personalities
the heartbreaking thing about this series is, that jimmy and kim really really really loved each other, but their relationship could not work because their love was fueled by hurting others. so sad.
I really disagree completely with the idea that their love was fueled by hurting others. First of all throughout the entire series, the only person they actually hurt together is Howard. Before that, Kim only participates in 6 scams, and all of them are either victimless (getting a man to write a check they didn't cash), extremely trivial (getting a guy to pay for a tequila bottle), or arguably justified (helping Huell out when he faced unequal justice for possibly racial reasons).
The Howard plot was the first time anyone was actually hurt, but that wasn't what was fueling their love. Their love is apparent and very strong throughout the entire series, even when they aren't doing any scams at all. Their relationship is always maintained, even when Kim is 100% legit. And we know they also had a long history before the show even began.
Yes they enjoyed the thrill of the scam and the rule-breaking, and yes it was something that excited them at times, but it wasn't about hurting people. Kim never set out to hurt anyone except Howard, and even then, we see how her guilty conscience affected her.
But their love was a constant throughout the entire series, and was already at its strongest point long before the Howard scam. And their love also endures into the Gene era. Kim isn't hurting anyone, yet she still loves him, and he still loves her. The series ends with them both still loving each other. Hurting people was *never* what fueled their love.
Mostly scamming others🤣
I think Kim never actually ever loved him. They never said it accept once the entire series. Anyone who loves someone would not sit stupid and silent allowing him to rot and die in jail.
Just accepting these are fictional characters
@@MarkHogan994 all that is true. But her actions had reached a point where the risks of getting caught and punished as well of hurting someone seriously had become far too big for Kim. She knew it would not go the reverse way but still go more and more in this direction, if they stayed together. She had to regain her real moral basis, like in her fav movie ToKillAMockingbird, and it cost her a lot.
Great analysis. Interesting how he had to sort of borrow Kim's ego strength to come clean...he wouldn't have done it if she hadn't shown up. That's very human, we affect each other in these complicated ways.
This was a brilliant finale and I couldn't be happier, but I feel like they could've added to their artistry by having the color SLOWLY fade into the scene where he was confessing in court, showing that finally coming clean gave him his life back 👌🏽
But it was still brilliant with the cigarette cherry they shared being the glimpse of hope for their future 👏👏👏
That would have been cool but they wouldnt' have been able to do the "color cigarette" at the end when they were sharing the cigarette. I think that was more important. The "flame" with Kim being the only color in Jimmy's life.
That would have been too much color
The more time passes the more I confirm to myself how beautiful and perfect this ending was for Jimmy. Walt got his Scarface ending because that was Walt but this is Jimmy.
He has hope. Kim embraced him once again and now he can face anything. Kim is proud of him and Chuck would have been too.
It is so super Kim who was 100% more on board towards getting Howard at all costs, whereas we saw clearly Saul/Jimmy was not wanting to. But yea, just as long as Kimmy is proud, Yippee!!
As Saul during Breaking Bad, he always suggested killing as an option even if he would never do it himself. Being Gene and all he went through before as Saul, being able to kill was the next logical step in escalation. He came close to killing cancer man AND Marion. Bob confirmed this as much. But to cleanse himself of all that reverting back to Jimmy is so bittersweet.
I don’t see why him hitting him with the ashes is seen as “he’s okay with killing”. Hitting him with the jar would be very unlikely to kill him, more likely knock him out. Not saying it’s impossible but that’s definitely not the conclusion I’d jump to.
Chemo patients are basically made of glass, the guy would have probably died.
Go hit a drunk guy over the back of the head with a metal urn and come re read this comment
I had the same thought, the show hammers home the point that Gene/Jimmy/Saul was willing to kill when he threatened to strangle Carol later in the episode.
Yeah I felt the same way. I didn’t interpret that scene as him being willing to kill someone. I interpreted it as him just being willing to physically harm someone in order to escape. Which I already thought was bad enough on its own, it just never even occurred to me that it could be lethal. Even though I know it’s technically possible the guy could’ve died from being hit in the head I just thought it would knock him out.
unlikely to kill but possible, and he was willing to take the risk
Beautiful ending to a beautiful series.
yep, yep, yep, yep
@@situated4 yep, yep, yep, yep, yep
the ending was pretty mid for a good show
billys
@@vibinwpsilocybin1424 L take
Absolutely fantastic analysis..you added the clarity i needed to make me appreciate this series even more..I'm so grateful for that.
I find this ending absolutely cathartic and perfect. To me, it doesn't have to do with retribution or what Jimmy "deserved" for the horrible things he did, because I honestly don't think there's a clear answer in that regard. In a show about justice, change, overcoming your past, etc it's a disservice to give a cut and dry answer about whether he deserved his fate. I think this especially rings true with how much corruption is within the US court system, how inhumane the system is set up to be. In my eyes it can be Schrodinger's box, the answer is both and neither. Setting that aside, the show itself is dark and has very tough themes to think about, but I find it to be a hopeful ending to see Kim and Jimmy own up to their crimes. The message that it's extremely difficult to switch paths once you start a bad/dangerous habit is important to me. There's a lot of abuse and rot in my family, and I grew up deathly afraid that if I made the wrong move (like, trying alcohol underage, like the people before me did) I'd never be able to get myself away from doing things that hurt people. I think it's a really wonderful theme to have in the show, and extremely topical for the state of the world.
They absolutely nailed it. All those subtexts, it's crazy!! Great review btw, new sub!
I absolutely love how Saul makes clear that jurisdictional system is in fact his bitch. I bet it was harder for Saul to convince Tuco let 2 boys live. He just owns the court and uses it to redeem his sins.
For most of us, the question of "going back in time" conjures images of meeting famous people, witnessing history or undoing huge mistakes we made.
For Jimmy, I think his entire life, he thought about it as yet another method to do what he was born to do ... connive his way into more, more money, more prestige, more love, more.
I wanted an ambiguous D.B. Cooper-type ending for Jimmy/Saul as the show kept planting seeds of a fatally tragic end for the character. However, what was delivered was surprisingly fitting and bittersweet. Seeing how much Jimmy had grown from the pathetically desperate criminal who begged his big brother to save him from potential prison time to the man who fully accepted responsibility for his actions and to come fully clean to the one he loves.
Rewatching the flashback with Walt being indignant towards Jimmy, summed up just how delusionaly stupid Walt truly was. Walt would never have been able to go out on his terms if not for Saul Goodman and Ed the Vacuum Cleaner.
What do you mean by an "ambiguous D.B. Cooper type ending"?
@@dootdoot802 In case you don't know who D.B. Cooper is, back in 1971 he hijacked a plane with a bomb, got his ransom demands for two hundred Thousand Dollars cash/parachutes, and had jumped out the back of plane in mid-flight somewhere over Washington state and Nevada. To this day he's never been captured but it's also been theorized that he died during his plane jump due to a faulty parachute.
Now I didn't want Jimmy/Saul to do what Cooper did, more like a circumstance that it appears that he may have died or escaped but it's left ambiguous, giving something for the fans to discuss forever.
However, I think the ending we got is just about perfect and appropriate.
@@dootdoot802 I thought this would be what they went for, he refers to Walt as dB Cooper when they first meet, he could have vanished again, or possibly died, the ending told through news clippings etc, would have also been good
If it wasn't for Saul walter would have been killed by gus. Saul was the one that told Walt about hector and gus rivalry
@@SuperKidx10x No Jessie was the one that told Walter about Gus and Hector But he was also the one that startede the conflict with Gus
As much as I wanted Jimmy to get away with it and to live another life somewhere else, I think this was the best ending for the show
I don’t see why they had to hit us with that 86 years. Give the character 20, maybe 30, let us believe he and Kim might get some time together before they die. It’s just so heartbreaking, even with all we know it feels like his white collar crimes didn’t deserve life
@@Dean.CrockettI think you need to rewatch Breaking Bad. Saul did a lot more than white collar crimes
The twist at 5:59 when the music kicks in, gives me goosebumps everytime... It was truly such a beautiful ending amd final episode
I like how they make Hank out to be a saint even though he broke almost every rule in the book and ruined countless lives in his attempt to satisfy his DEA ego.
He was a pompous Ass
man you got a problem with local authorities?
@@ezaj.andara5621 na actually. local authorities are fine in my book. Feds suck lmao
@@BaronUnderbite so trueee
Well Hank conducted most of his later operations against Walt in secrecy so most bystanders don't know how unhinged he was near the end. Before that he was an extremely capable agent who put countless criminals behind bars. The only taint on his record was beating up Jesse, who most people considers as a low-life drug addict.
I believe the creators nailed the endings suitable for each character:
1- Walter who had a death sentence from the 1st episode, died before getting caught (his ending was death, the most suitable for the character)
2- Jesse who had the purest heart and cleanest conscious, had the opportunity to start over a new life far away from his past (his ending was escape, the most suitable for the character)
3- Saul who scammed the system for years and abused the law, had the law get the last laugh from him, although getting his sentence initially reduced was the best "lawyering" he ever did (his ending was jail, the most suitable for the character)
No wayyy... worst ending ever! They turned everything into a Lovestory. Slipping Jimmy was always a scammer and they wanted him to be all of a sudden all good. I dont buy it.
The day before He was stealing from a guy with cancer come oooon
Complex character development isn't for everyone I guess..@@annin24866
Frrr nd one of the best analysis
@@annin24866 I respectfully don't agree.
Just because he had a bad, judging brother, and a terrible upbringing, doesn't mean that he should always be treated as a scammer.
Yes he is a world-class scammer, and he got what he deserved, but why not have a lovestory? He deserves to love and be loved just like all of us, and we are ALL flawed in someway, but we don't like to be judged and categorized based on our flaws, we want to be treated equally like everyone else
Your videos are consistently fantastic, man.
Great job editing the footage and adding your own overlays. Lots of work went into this; well done.
Did anyone else feel like the courtroom scene felt kinda like a funeral for Saul? The music had kind of a gospel sound, the courtroom benches are like pews in a church, shots of the grieving widows, etc. And we get one last speech from Saul detailing all his misdeeds, almost like he was eulogizing himself.
You could already tell he was at peace with his decision when he was walking down the hallway, he almost looked happy. Brilliant ending to a brilliant show.
An intentionally underwhelming & small scale climax for Jimmy McGill.
What started this journey was Chuck bailing out Jimmy on a crime he deserved to be punished for.
It ends with Jimmy admitting the truth & facing the punishment for it.
Walt went out with a bang. Saul went out with a whimper. Both equally well written.
Still, unlike Jimmy and Mike, Walt chose to blame other people instead of blaming himself.
Jimmy blamed himself for hurting Chuck and not having a heart to heart conversation with Chuck sooner.
Mike blamed himself for being a dirty cop.
Walter blamed Elliott and Gretchen for “artfully outmaneuvering” him out.
So I have way less sympathy for Walter than Jimmy.
@@nont18411
Maybe. But we never actually saw it. We can infer Walt's ego took over, he can believe Gretchen & Elliott had no intention of pushing him out - but we weren't there.
And they ended up together. So there might've been an element of truth to Walt's explanation, even if just a hint.
i disagree. saul didnt go out with a whimper, he went out with a true bang while walt had the whimper. because saul finally became jimmy again, while walt could never come back from heisenberg. it doesnt matter if they are the same, walt wasnt a bad person before breaking bad
@@Cichyhub at least YOU get it 😂🤙
@@nont18411 he blamed Elliot and Gretchen but that scene was before the finale in breaking bad where he tells Skylar he did everything for himself. He ultimately did take full responsibility thats why he went on a suicide mission to save Jesse.
I’m rewatching BB and seeing Saul through new eyes. He wasn’t bragging in court, Walt and Jesse would have been put away right away if Saul hadn’t helped cover up their involvement for what Badger was arrested for. It is really a new show on rewatch for me.
Did you start from the pilot or the better call Saul episode
@@Haddonfield63 The pilot. It’s been so long since my last watch it feels new.
Same, I am mid S2 and it is so true, without Saul they would have never made it above street level
@@UATU. same I had to rewatch as well. It gives BB a whole new element and feel to it. I gotta rewatch BCS too tho lol
Loved this video. Great job! Keep it up.
I wanted things to be fixed between Jimmy and Kim, so I am more than satisfied with that ending
Well considering that Kim said that her bar card has no expiration date and she has her lawyer credentials still, there's more than a chance that happens
"It seems that being around all these murders and bloodshed has chipped away at his saul"
I shed a tear
I also love how this episodes court hearing mirrors the bar reinstatement hearing except in one detail. Both times he doesnt get any sympathy for his speech but telling the truth about chuck got him to win someone over. Except in the bar hearing he did that for his personal gain as saul goodman but in this episode its just redemption in the eyes of his associates like kim. Even if its a prison, he flipped a new page in life and finally we got someone in these two shows who makes a morally good move even looking at their track record
best take on bsc ive seen. thanks!
Great analysis and video as always!
Seeing a video sharing possible endings to the finale would be awesome
Better Call Saul ended the same way Seinfeld did, and nobody says anything. Also, Jimmy's "You. Will. ATONE!" in the pilot seems like massive foreshadowing now.
When the show first came out my son was just a baby now my son is 8 years old what I usually do with popular TV shows is I wait for the show to end that way I can watch all of it I tried watching better call Saul when it first came out but I just couldn't wait every week because it was so damn addictive so I patiently waited 7 8 years for the show to end that way I am able to watch it all
That's the best way to watch a series. I usually forget what happened when waiting too long so it's not as good. Binging is great.
@Morris Eriksson it's was already ruined thanks to co workers. Just like bb. With ppl wearing rip Walt shirts
Excellent breakdown. Thank you 🙏😇
i think the orange in kims cig being the only color was a nice touch. like this was one of the smallest and last things that could ever bring that feeling back to him
great analysis as always. however, i think you may have missed that the inclusion of the time machine novel in chuck's apartment seemingly symbolises that Jimmy wishes he could go back to stay and have that conversation with Chuck. which of course more broadly symbolises that he wishes he salvaged his relationship with chuck, therefore keeping him off the 'bad choice road'
I get that interpretation. I feel that’s one of many many flashes he gets as actually jimmy had so many opportunities
Great review thank you. Top comments too. I think deep down one wanted him to face some justice as much as we liked him. And to do so with dignity was great. Well done Jimmy
the ending was freaking amazing
Ehrensimon
Pretty much my thoughts exactly on the whole show. Well said. Only thing I'd add is that Saul Goodman is the moral code of Jimmy McGill on the exterior. It's the true darkness within us taken shape if you let it take form.
The scene with Marie blew me away. It rivals Chuck finding the phone in his pocket in Chicanery.
@@Kigoz4Life she bought it....i liked it cuz it reminded me of walts video tape marie had to watch with hank...lmao it sucks she knows the least about what really went down and the all the players
It makes no sense that she would be there.
@@opppopp2322 Did you even watch the show? She most certainly did not buy it.
Wow! Damn good analysis and explanation. I’m going to show this to my wife and son who I watched this with. I’m usually pretty good at this but “Saul” had me wondering. We just finished it a week ago and haven’t processed yet.
each of the main characters in the Breaking Bad universe got an ending they deserved. Walter White died, Jesse Pinkman got away, & Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill got caught
each ending fits with each character’s theme very well. Walter’s theme of being terminally ill facing death at any moment, Jesse’s theme of being trapped (whether by addiction, crime, physically trapped, or by trauma), & Saul/Jimmy’s theme of the law & its consequences.
Love how Jimmy gets in jail. Love how Marie gets her closure. Love how Hank and Gomez get justice.
Can never make myself to like how Kim get away with what she had done to Chuck and Howard.
The only reason people seems to okay with it because Kim was written to be extremely likable.
“But not our Kimmy, couldn’t be precious Kimmy.”
“And she got to practice law again? WHAT A SICK JOKE!”
The courtroom scene somehow solidify Chuck’s word that “Jimmy will never change”.
Because Jimmy did the thing that he always does. He scammed the court in order to get a criminal outside of the jail cell. And that criminal name is Kim Wexler.
It is not 100% for sure that she gets away with it.
The last thing we know is that Howard's widow is suing her based on the facts that Kim herself provided
Jimmy is not going to prison for what he and Kim did to Howard but for his actions in Breaking Bad. No one will be paying for Howard's death and the destruction of his reputation unless they find his body (unlikely) or his widow starts a civil lawsuit (which is very likely). Then Kim will definitely have to pay, but probably not with prison time.
Saul had nothing to do with Hank and Gomez getting killed. Giving Jimmy more years just because everyone who was involved is dead isn't justice, Walt already took care of that.
You must have been watching something else. They both came clean. Nobody is getting away with anything.
Both shows teach the same lesson: Once you take a dark road, you're forever changed. There was no escape for either of them. Kim wasn't happy in her new life. She isn't happy at the end either. Neither of them are. They were horrified at Howard's death. You don't forget something like that.
Jimmy was a scammer named slippin jimmy, Saul was a lawyer persona who would do anything to win a case even if it was bad and illegal, Gene was a person who would always try to run away, but the ending showed the character's transformation into James Mcgil (He even said to mention that name in the court) who was a matured man who knows how to fight and deal with situations by accepting their mistakes and moving forward.
Great video ! I found it really interesting that you actually went back on the regret path, exploring all the possible ways into Jimmy's bad choice road, because, now I can't stop thinking about it and I think what you did is a very relatable way to make one question whether there can only be one bad choice road defining moment. Honestly, it's quite hard to pick one for Jimmy. What do you think? Which of these moments you mentioned can we trace his fate back to?
I loved the ending, had to watch it a couple of times to really take it all in, really had no idea what they would give us. Im completely satisfied with it.
He saw an opening to get Kimmy back into his life and he took it and it worked he got back kimmy back into his life, even if it's just prison visits and or maybe conjugal visits (off screen) ... the show runners left a potential for movie or a mini series for Saul's Prison life and or getting that Parole for good behaviour and maybe with Kim Representing Jimmy at the Hearing.
I'd watch that mini series/movie
Never really thought about it, but i think it really goes back to that dude who gave Jimmy the talk about being a wolf or a sheep in life. It seems like he went from being an innocent kid at that point, to getting into the life of petty crime, and it spiraled from there. It also sounds like his parents were in denial about it, so in a way they enabled him by not nipping it in the bud early on, despite chucks warnings.
Great insight sir really enjoyed it. You’ve added a subscriber here. Wish i had found this channel earlier in the BCS story arc.
Kim and Jimmy smoking against the wall hit home. Such an amazing journey it has been.
Oh yeshhh it was rlly sweet 💜😭🫶🏼
While I can agree with every other idea here, I think the clothing store robbery and subsequent crimes came from a different motivation than speculated here. As Tone Loc's character in Heat said about Tom Sizemore's:"The cat's a fiend for action." As much as the money, he coveted to opportunity to pull a scam.
I think an important imagery was the shot in the courtroom next to the exit sign. It was buzzing with electricity, the same electricity that Chuck was deadly afraid of. The exit sign symbolised Jimmy exiting the control that his brother had over him all the time, as he confessed the sins he committed to spite his brother and what he stood for. By returning to his original name, he frees himself of the persona he’s created and let’s go of the character he had become, redeeming himself in the final act in the eyes of both Kim and the viewer.
Brilliant take on an excellent story
People really hated the episode "Nippy" but can you imagine this ending without that episode? The show needed that emotional lull after "Fun and Games", which is probably my second favorite episode of any show ever (first being "A God Walks Into Abar" from HBO's Watchmen). Nippy is the lie that gets him caught, and when Carol Burnett's character asks him, "There never was a Nippy was there?" we see that it's the absence of this animal that really arouses her suspicion. Everything else she might have dismissed but this one inconsistency is what breaks his story, and also is what shows how a single, stupid lie can unravel a whole operation.
I love how this show has always been one long, slow, deliberate meditation on the mechanism of justice. The whole timeline from episode 1 is about six years, but if we take into account Jimmy's whole life as a criminal, starting as the boy who robs his own father and commits insurance fraud to pay his way through bartending school, we see that really this is a long, long, long time coming. That's the dark, sad message here; that while sometimes judgment is swift and rarely fair, oftentimes true justice is tectonic and takes half a lifetime or more to catch up. But the arc of history is long and bends towards justice, and in the end, Saul got exactly what he deserved. This show feels like they had every beat planned before they filmed the first episode.
I'm so sad this show is over but I can't wait to see what the cast and writers come up with next. I hope this team stays together though, even if not for more Badverse.
Something that was overlooked was that Jimmy seemed to have found genuine peace and success in prison. As if those were the guardrails he knew he needed.
Courtrooms are actually quite similar to the confessional too, it's worth mentioning, particularly when it comes to sentencing. Basically you get up and confess your sins and a presiding member (priest) then gives you a penance (sentence) to serve in order to redeem yourself, it's all very Catholic.
The concept of punishment and atonement is not inherently Catholic, it's a basic human concept that exists in all cultures. I'd also add that in most cases people do not get up and confess their sins in court. A lot of people, probably most, get sentenced while still maintaining their innocence, or claiming that they had a good reason.
@@MarkHogan994 That's absolute nonsense. The vast, vast majority of court cases do not go to trial, they go directly to sentence after a committal hearing. Source: I am an experienced court officer myself and work in court every day. The idea that "most" maintain innocence is completely askew from reality, especially these days with CCTV everywhere, DNA and the like.
bro i love your vid but let me finish the series then i will hop on it
really can't wait to see your vid
not so subtle touch, but still good: Chuck taking the HG Wells book "The Time Machine" after the flashback to one of his visits to supply Chuck at home
Perfect ending. I think it was the best TV show ever, a true masterpiece.
you're right about the ending being poetic, it really feels that way
A masterpiece work of art
Dead on point with everything you said.
This was without a doubt the best ending for the show- an almost perfect series finale. We needed a different ending from Walt & Jesse, making jail the only viable option. Seeing him revert back to Saul and the ability to knock down his sentence to 7 years showed how well he could scam the legal system- displaying how smart & talented he is. Then seeing him cleanse himself from his sins by telling the truth on the record to revert back to Jimmy & spend 86 years in prison (really, the 30-35 years he likely has left due to his age), how the criminals respect him showing his life isn't bad, & how everyone calls him Saul as he's permanently in the shadow of his previous persona, is absolutely the best & most justified ending to the Breaking Bad world as a whole. It was genius, beautiful, & still had the tragedy of seeing Kim & Jimmy apart at the end. I'm grateful to have experienced it.
You may not have noticed, but the fact that Saul ends up in jail is a nod to all the crime that happened throughout the breaking bad universe. Most of it involved him.
Subtle, but little touches like that are what make the show so rewatchable.
Minerals
Waltuh
Bravo Vince
schrader brau
Kid named Finger:
The reason Kim came back was sadly lost on me. But I did understand she was proud he faced his wrongdoings. Ive watched this show twice but only finished it once: I finished it yesterday. Kim wexler is my favorite character in the show. I was using when I watched it the first time and I loved "Nacho" Varga. This tells me how much my mindset has changed and I've noticed so much more. There's so much loss Jimmy has endured due to his own actions. I'm wondering if the amount of money he spent on excessively and unnecessarily nice things reflected his unhappiness.
Awesome vid... Awesome series
This video does a great job of explaining my problems with the ending. You ran down a long list of instances where Jimmy had a chance to choose the "right" road but didn't, and the one time that choosing the "right" road would have devastatingly worse consequences for himself, THAT is when he decides to take that road?? It doesn't line up with everything we've come to learn about Jimmy.
Good choice road is actually always the most difficult one.
@@DocDaibhi ... and yet somehow he managed to take it when it was far, far more difficult than every other good choice road he previously bypassed.
Back then he couldn't see and accept the bad consequences. Remember this happens after the events of Breaking Bad, during which he lost everything, he saw "bad" people lose their lives, and after experiencing his loneliness as Gene. Also, Kim has always been an inspiration for him (like Jimmy has been for her), and her choice to finally confess their sin has shown him the way to redemption.
Expect for it was Kim and only Kim who stated that day "No this happens today" and spun around all on her own heading down towards bad choice road, which is why Howard Hamlin stood there in their apartment rightly confronting the two about the many reasons they had (apart from "getting off on conning") to justify getting Howard, when exactly then Lalo showed up that very same night, killing Howard. But yea it is totally Howard's fault as Kim so "rightly wrongly says" Even to his widow Kim believes her own stupid lie, Howard was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Absolute crap wrong, again.
I was truly anticipating a "Do it to Julia" ending for him. I thought he might really throw Kim under the bus, having seen an opportunity in her confession. It would be the thing that destroyed any sympathy we still had for him. I don't know if that ending would have been better, but I think it could have worked.
Walter White was that man not Jimmy McGill.
@@shanecadden5303 I think that's what we find out at the end. At the beginning of the season he's willing to sacrifice his life so Kim can get away, so it was cool to be genuinely wondering if he had completely lost that part of himself.
Rewatching the series, I think there's so much time spent painting Kim as the one Jimmy always looked up to that this ending would really betray his character. When he is Saul there are moments even in breaking bad (albeit unintentional at the time) that there is someone else underneath the facade. It's a huge part what makes the ending so satisfying; it doesn't pull off anything that doesn't fit with the character we've seen just for shock value. It offers closure and stays true to what it has set up.
It's a best of both worlds, really. Saul gets his ending and Jimmy gets his.
The Gene sequences struck me as him desperately trying to prove to himself and/or Kim, that he can keep just pushing and never get caught, it was kind of a new persona. Saul was never a common thief and the moment he strayed "from his lane" as Gene he got caught. And he couldn't push himself to murder even then.
@@LLPTV I think they left that ambiguous. He got interrupted, so we didn't really find out if he'd have gone through with it.
We didn't spend 6 seasons creating a love story for one partner to betray the other just like that
Brilliant! Your summary of the last show and your insight into the real meaning of the black and white is The Best conclusion of anyone who made final comments on the show. I searched online to hear others thoughts and ideas because frankly I was confused about the ending. But not now. Your stunningly exquisite and eloquent explanation video helped me understand everything. Thank you. I loved the show...the acting, the writing, the art direction, the emotion, the storyline, the drama, the humor, the un expectedness (is that a word?), the uniqueness of characters, again the rich rich portrayal of characters, cinematography, and the brilliant directing. Coming from a theatre background of acting and directing and everything I am trained to look for mistakes that need to be corrected to make the production perfect and believable. I do the same thing when I watch a movie or TV show. I am looking for a flawless production. To me this TV show was flawless. I can't think of one thing I would have changed. Not one! The show was perfect in every way. Thanks again for your perfect interpretation of the ending. Again, yours was the best!
Very good observation
"Breaking Bad" and "Better call Saul" are, in my honest opinion, the best TV could get. Storytelling, characterisation, actors, setting - all just marvellous. I would love to see a happy end for some characters as Nacho or Mike, for example. But all fits as it is perfectly. As well as for Jimmy, whose fate is both poetic and logical.
If you love Better Call Saul and its tone you should try Mad Men. Mad Men and Better Call Saul have such similar tones and impeccable cinematography, writing, character building, art direction, details, etc. the writing is even more beautiful in Mad Men 🥲
@@ultraviolettas Thank you, I will give it a try.
The wire, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, I keep coming back to these and I will no doubt do the same to BCS
@UC5bE0OSlvCMvv9i5rRJ1UIw Go enjoy yourself.
WHAT NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT: it all goes back to KIM. Had she NOT decided they NEEDED to follow through with the plan that day, even tho Jimmy suggested they reschedule? None of the dominos fall the same. Howard doesnt show up at their place that specific night, doesnt meet lalo and die, n they dont have to face allll of that terrible, life changing fallout from that event. Jimmy loves Kim, followed her lead there, and everything that happened happened, because of her decision and insistence on moving forward with it. She decided not to tell Jimmy about Lalo. She decided they needed to push the plan. Her decisions lead directly to Howard dying.
If Kim keeps driving straight and doesn't make that decision ? They dont break up over it, Jimmy thus potentially never dives head first into being Saul, and he doesnt end up serving crazy time.
She chose the bad choice road.
Amazing and brilliant show.
How could any state allow her to practice law
after her sworn written affadavit of her complicity in crime
So, if I am reading you correctly you are stating all this does not happen apart from Kim choosing bad choice road. Then how are you with this in light with 99% of everyone "okay" with Saul/Jimmy getting 86 years and it is all okay because he did it to cleanse "his soul" or to end on a good note pleasing Kim? Because you state amazing and brilliant show which it was not in the end in my opinion. And I cannot help wondering why all Jimmy/Saul fans are happy he got 86 years. When he clearly did not deserve this. Yes, seven years may have seemed too light for some but 86 years for a decision Kim herself made.
What was interesting to me is that, upon first watch, I didn't really enjoy the final season of Better Call Saul. But after a second watch, I have a much larger appreciation for how it fits into the overall BCS/BB universe. At their core, both shows are really a character piece about change. I see both shows about how characters start off or see themselves a certain way, yet have certain character flaws that just need a bit of influence to push them fully on the path of change. In Walt's case, we see a quaint, reserved, honest man (albeit extremely prideful) experience the catalyst of lung cancer that sets him on his path of Good --> Bad. (Keep in mind, Walt always had negative character flaws but I wouldn't have considered him inherently evil). Now for Jimmy, despite him wanting to believe himself as being Good...in Walt's conversation with Jimmy about regrets, we understand that Jimmy has always been a scheming, childish, "good for nothing". Walt recognizes that he has changed, but at the same time he recognizes that Jimmy has not and he has "always been this way".
It isn't until the very finale of season 6 that we see Jimmy truly change...and its from Bad --> Good. Quite fascinating.
Walt and Saul both faced the music in the end... Walt dying saving Jesse and admitting his faults to Skyler, Jimmy standing tall and taking all the consequences of his actions... Great writing!
one of the more satisfying endings to a story I have seen. I am not saying that it was a happy ending. I am saying that the ending checked all the boxes. It answered the big questions: mainly the love between Saul and Kim. In the end, that was what mattered. That was really the show. We watched because we were invested in those two people. And let me tell you: we got our answers and in a quiet and reserved way, we are happy, as much as the circumstances would allow, for the both of them.
Jimmy wanted to get caught. He saw the signs, took note and ignored them. The second he decided to roll the cancer patient, it became clear... Jimmy had to prove to himself that this is a fair and just world, where bad people are punished. It is why many become lawyers in the first place. Jimmy had to show the system how deeply flawed it was. He illustrated that his sentence could be whittled down to a meager 7 years, then as if to give the justice system the finger for not going at him hard enough, he tanked the deal and took it on the chin for a sentence he felt was more commensurate with the severity of his crimes. He lost his freedom but gained his dignity and a certain reputation in the yard. He now knows who he is and is at peace with it.
Great observation
Really well done. Connected a few dots for me.