PIMENTO Grinds My Gears... Better Call Saul ANALYSIS (+Reactions) 1x9 *First Time Watch*
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ย. 2024
- The pace picks up as we approach the finale, and my biggest theory is proved right... My review & commentary.
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![Better Call Saul 01X09 REACTION! 'Pimento' [FIRST TIME WATCHING]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eSOyYuDUQ54/mqdefault.jpg)
Sorry it’s late! What a chonky boi of a video. In other news, thank you! WE REACHED 5000 SUBS thank you so much for the support and welcome to any newcomers 🎉🎊♥ let’s hit 10k now yeah? 👀
I also just wanted to say, I hate Chuck’s perspective on life here. That goes without saying really, but specifically I’ve seen various examples in recent time of people exhibiting this idea of ‘if you didn’t do it the way I did it you’re not X’. The idea that someone doing something differently to you eradicates your hard work is insane. Your hard work is still valid. That is never taken away from you or minimised, the only person that actually takes it away is the person who so strongly declares THEIR hard work is above someone else's. Chuck is being a child here, unable to process and deal with his own feelings and it’s manifesting itself in anger and pain in not only himself but the person closest to him that has done nothing but help him. I think there’s a very important lesson to be had this episode for this kind of narrow-minded behaviour.
That said, I can see notes in this episode of a Chuck vs. Jimmy showdown coming at some point. As in, going head to head as lawyers on opposite sides of a case. Right now I’m feeling like Chuck would win it on a technicality or something and the show would spin it in a way of ‘Jimmy did win and we all know that’ but Chuck wins the case. How that would happen I have no idea lol, this is pure speculation on my part. I think combined with Breaking Bad’s unfailing way of making something as painful as possible, combined with what I know of where he gets as Saul in BB this seems the most likely outcome to my mind right now. After all, he isn’t lauding a win over the great Charles McGill of HHM/in his own fancy law office in the future I know of. This showdown is also something I want to see now. I also want to see Jimmy BEAT Chuck in that event, which I think is why he ‘would’ but with the trappings of these shows we never get it quite how we want it. Anyway, a few shots in the dark, but I feel it would be a missed opportunity at this point if it didn’t pit the two against each other professionally at some point.
Also by the way, there’s this change that comes over Chuck when Jimmy calls him out in the final confrontation of this ep. He kind of takes a deep breath and you see this simmering anger and menace settle on him that’s kind of beautiful.
It's been very frustrating how long this has taken to edit and get out because I couldn’t wait to share it with you, I think this is genuinely such a great episode. P.S. sorry about the lights, I noticed in the edit they flickered a bit (they weren’t flickering but the changing light outside the window interfered I think).
See you next week ♥
after watching it do you agree that its the best episode of the show so far?
While there may be that "childish" aspect of Chuck (not wanting Jimmy to succeed because it lessens his own accomplishments), I think that's just one part of it, the one part that's easy to criticize and blame Chuck for.
But I think there's another part of this: The one about Jimmy ACTUALLY being a 'threat' as a lawyer.
Yes, he works hard and he's a good lawyer and all that... But he's also someone who hired two fraudsters to cause an accident and fraud someone into becoming his client.
Now of course Chuck doesn't know about this specific incident, but he knows about everything else Jimmy did his entire life. His "slipping Jimmy" era. Having to deal with his stuff.
Chuck may be wrong about the fact that "people don't change", of course people can change... But did JIMMY change? Jimmy who did that fraud thing in the first episode, the guy falling from the billboard, copying Howard's suit/style, all these things don't denote any kind of change from Jimmy.
The only thing is (as Chuck fears), he's doing the "slipping" as a lawyer now instead of doing it as some lawless kid. And this is dangerous.
Which of course one could say is "speculation" from Chuck, but as we know from BrBa, it's exactly what ended up happening. "If you abuse the law, people get hurt", said Chuck... Well, no one could deny that people got hurt due to Jimmy (Saul)'s actions.
Of course you could say "That's the future, Chuck doesn't know about that, only the viewers know!" and that's fair, but while we do know about the future, Chuck knows about the past. He knows Jimmy a lot more than we do. To us the "slipping jimmy" is just a footnote in Saul's backstory, but for Chuck it's something he saw his brother act like his entire life.
So when we see Jimmy do the "guy falling off the billboard thing", we may see an innocent 'showmanship' thing, but Chuck sees the same thing he saw in all of Jimmy's life; Jimmy deceiving people to achieve his goals.
And again, what we know about Slipping Jimmy (the 2-3 incidents they talked about) is maybe 1% of what Chuck knows.
I'd say Chuck has legitimate reasons to fear the consequences of Jimmy becoming a lawyer. Would he suspect that Jimmy would end up as the lawyer of a drug empire that caused dozens of deaths? Maybe not... But there's a wide spectrum of "bad lawyer things" he could suspect Jimmy would do.
I think a good example to understand Chuck's position is... Imagine you're a police chief, and your little brother had a childhood of violence; Assaulting people, bullying people, abusing special needs kids and things like that... Then one day he tells you he went through police training, and he passed. He's gonna try to become a cop, but with his troubled past, he needs your help. Would you put in a good word for him? I would imagine you wouldn't... Because him becoming a cop is dangerous. You know he's not to be trusted with that kind of authority.
Now maybe you'd be more upfront about it, and would tell him honestly that you wouldn't do anything... Maybe you'd just be honest instead of hiding behind a Howard. But the end result is the same, you'd block him because you would not want him to be a cop, because you know he'd risk hurting people.
Well, Chuck feels the same about Jimmy.
And from what we know in BrBa, he was 100% right. Perhaps he didn't predict Jimmy's path to this extent, but he knew he would be up to no good.
It looks awful from our perspective, but in a vacuum, I don't find Chuck's position to be entirely unreasonable. Jimmy was a scumbag and a criminal in his childhood, he will be a monster in his future, and he wasn't all that great in the present as well (the accident scam). I wouldn't want that kind of person to be a lawyer either. Jimmy's the MC and we're attached to him and all that, but imagine if in the real world you were in charge of lawyer applications and you had Jimmy's entire life story... Would you support him becoming a lawyer? Assuming your answer is "no", then I think the follow up question is... Does the fact that he's your (his) brother change this answer?
To play the devil's advocate against myself, one could say that Jimmy turned like he is in BrBa because Chuck blocked him this way, but I'd buy this a little easier if Jimmy hadn't been like that (scamming and all) his entire life.
Bottom line: One may call Chuck a hypocrite and all, no argument there (though I think his reasons are rather obvious), BUT I do not think his beliefs are unreasonable, nor do they make him a villain/bad person. An antagonist, yes of course. But not all antagonists are villains (as we've seen in Breaking Bad, like Hank).
From an objective point of view, a person with Jimmy's background and "work style" (the scams and all) becoming a lawyer is a bad, dangerous thing. If the lawyer in question is not Jimmy, I think most would agree. Like, if you picked a random person in the streets who hasn't seen either show and told him the entire Jimmy story and asked him whether that person becoming a lawyer is a good thing, or a dangerous thing, I think most people would say he shouldn't become a lawyer, the same way they would say the abuser/bully shouldn't become a cop.
That's how I always saw it, anyway! Chuck does look like a horrible person from our perspective because he's the antagonist, and also because he's a hypocrite instead of being upfront about it... But I do not believe his opposition to Jimmy becoming a lawyer are misguided. I do not think scam-artist and fraudsters should become lawyers.
@@newpgaston6891 I strongly disagree. I think what you say largely bypasses the point, honestly. I might be wrong and you can correct me but from what you say you wouldn't allow those that have served time in prison equal opportunity when they're released. An argument I often hear is 'they've forfeited part of their right by doing what they did' but that's simply not how rehabilitation or redemption work. These are core values to humanity and I think you've fallen into Chuck's way of thinking, whether subconsciously or not.
With a few words from yourself if you had the power you would prohibit people's LIVES. I know I know...how many lives might they endanger if they're put into positions of authority? But these positions are scrutinised. People aren't left unchecked (or they are like we saw in the Mike episode but I'd argue that's not down to one person it's down to the corruption of an institution: the police force). We don't live in the free for all that I feel you imply. Sure, corruption happens, often by those that haven't served time or have squeaky clean 'records', so the line you're drawing seems arbitrary and cruel.
In your comment I see you draw on separate examples and I just don't agree with this method of examination. Why assume or rely on conjecture from fabricated examples to decide people's lives when we could turn our attention to real life cases of those that have done bad things in their past that have then gone on to exist in positions of power and served as a citizen in society well and with as much honour as someone without a black mark to their name? Those people exist and why shouldn't they be used as evidence to this argument rather than, as I say, fabrications for the sake of making a point?
After all, I'm not blind to Chuck's perspective. I have the same information as you do as to Jimmy's past (at least the past you mention in your comment), and so can be aware of his perspective and make a judgement on equal footing. While I can understand the WHY of why Chuck acted the way he acted I don't agree, and I think he's exhibiting this mindset in a way that actually is bad. Chuck would never have given Jimmy a chance to redeem himself and so what choice does Jimmy then have? I think a more prevalent perspective to examine is Jimmy's. Put yourself in his shoes. I'm not saying he's innocent. I'm not saying he couldn't have done certain things better or more 'straight and narrow', but from what we have to examine in the show so far he's been given very little opportunity to thrive. We see that when he actually starts to his brother ties a noose around his neck and keeps him nailed to the floor. Do I agree after that that everyone should be treated the same because they've proven in the past they've misbehaved? Absolutely fucking not.
Applications turned down on the basis of what someone might have done in their past causes a hell of a ton of problems. It's why so many that have served time turn back to crime because what choice do they have? No one will take them. Your arguments I feel miss the point of this episode I feel which is to demonstrate the damage done when you possess Chuck's mindset. He's not protecting anyone in the way he's conducting himself, he's harming. He's coveting this thing he holds so dear (the law) and compromising any capability he might have to exercise his love and care for his brother. It's limiting in so many ways. The childishness I refer to in Chuck is his inability to process his emotions and practice self awareness, along with his severe lack of empathy. In this moment in the show I refer to, for the actions he has taken in regard to Jimmy, he is a bad person. Is he a bad person overall? I guess I'll have to see depending how the show goes.
Michael McKean does such a fantastic job of playing Chuck, as does Patrick Fabian as Howard. Really all the acting in this show is so top notch, even on the smaller side characters like "Price."
@@TylerAlexander "I might be wrong and you can correct me but from what you say you wouldn't allow those that have served time in prison equal opportunity when they're released. "
I'd say it'd depend on the severity of the crime, and also the recidivism;
Say, I wouldn't put a sexual abuser in a woman shelter, even after he served his time. Would you?
Nor would I put a guy who did something to kids, in a school. Would you?
Do I know for sure that he would abuse people again? No, I do not. But there's a much higher risk than just putting someone else on that job... And the safety of these women/kids matters a lot more than that criminal having a few more job opportunities. There are other jobs in the world, pick another one. They didn't lose "their right to a life of opportunities" by committing this crime, but they lost your right to THESE FEW opportunities.
Now, Jimmy's crimes (by the time of BCS) are not as bad as sexual assault, of course... But fraud/extorsion/blackmail, all the stuff he did as Slipping Jimmy, these are the things a lawyer could use to play the system, and hurt people (financially if nothing else, but often more than just financially).
Same thing with a guy who tortured animals for fun or abused disabled kid, wanting to become a cop... I would be against that too. Especially if he did it a lot, like Jimmy did his stuff a lot.
Because there are jobs that demand certain standards; A job at a woman shelter demands respect for women (which obviously a sexual abuser doesn't have), a cop demands NOT to abuse his power/authority (which someone who abused animals or kids can't be trusted with)... And a lawyer demands someone who follows the law and act honestly (which obviously Jimmy doesn't have).
If it was just "stuff he did in his childhood" I could see the argument... Yeah, kids do stupid stuff. But again, he tried to commit fraud in the first episode, as a lawyer. He has NOT changed/learned his lesson. He's still breaking the law, and not just as a private citizen, he's breaking the law, as a lawyer!
Hell, fraud is the least of it; The skateboarder could've been seriously harmed or killed. Or the driver, say they swerve to avoid them, and drive into a parked car or a wall.
Jimmy pulling this scheme denotes a clear lack of morals, he doesn't care about defrauding or (potentially) hurting people, as long as it gets him a client.
I do not believe a person like that should be a lawyer. Because that person would use (and DID use) that position to commit crimes.
If he was truly redeemed it would be a different question, but that's the thing, he's not.
But I wonder: Of the examples I gave, which ones would you "greenlight" for the job? (the abuser at the women shelter, the diddler at the school, the violent bully/abuser as a cop)? And for this question, assume that they committed these crimes not just in their distant past, but also while they are on the job (as Jimmy did in episode 1).
If your answer is "None of them"... Then I would love to know why you don't feel that way for Jimmy too. Other than him being a likeable main character, what makes his situation different from all these guys? Do you think an amoral criminal lawyer doesn't pose any risk/threat to people?
It's a good point that Jimmy didn't find this case via shortcuts or theatrics. He heard something fishy and asked questions. He applied his knowledge of the law.
When Jimmy says "I thought you were proud of me", I could feel that in my gut. Chuck gravely missed an opportunity to nurture Jimmy and shape him into a better person, and his worldview got in the way ("people can't change"). It's very sad.
It's like Jimmy WANTS to be angry at Chuck, but he can't bring himself to be, because Chuck is his beloved big brother. So the emotion that surfaces in that moment (with Chuck calling him a loser) is sadness. "I...thought you were proud of me." Like a whimpering little puppy being kicked by its owner. Jimmy still even now, just wants to be on Chuck's good side, to have his big brother's love. Ironically, Jimmy NEVER wanted to upstage Chuck or even be his "equal." He always looked up to him, respected him, saw him as a genius, a titan, etc. Jimmy just wanted to make his big bro proud, that's all, to be a part of Chuck's team, to have a role in his brother's company, his profession. So fucking sad man
It still gets to me how Jimmy only knew because he always made sure his phone was off to make sure his brother was safe. Makes the whole scene hurt more
😥
Despite KNOWING (like the one doctor showed him when she turned his bed on) that his condition is NOT physical. The phone could be on or off, Chuck would never know, it would never cause him any pain or discomfort. Yet, Jimmy turned it off, because he loves Chuck and Chuck asked him to, so he's going to do it and be honest about it. That's the great irony, yes, Jimmy tried to hide the billboard scam from Chuck, but otherwise he has been totally honest about everything. Chuck, on the other hand, has been lying to Jimmy and keeping huge secrets from him for years, all the while Jimmy was struggling financially, but took time out of his day to buy Chuck little snacks and trinkets that he couldn't afford...because he loves him. Chuck has NEVER been honest with Jimmy.
You called it so good it's crazy, and Chuck's character is crucial to what Jimmy becomes later as Saul
I don't think I've ever seen anyone call the Chuck villain reveal before it happens until now (seriously, when last week's upload dropped with "Chuck is the ANTAGONIST" in the title, I thought, did we skip RICO??), but it's such a perfect twist because you're able to look back at everything he's done and go yyyeah that makes sense.
Also yes, the big guy in the parking lot is in El Camino. He's on the INCREDIBLY short list of characters who appear in Better Call Saul and El Camino, but not Breaking Bad.
Also also, very interesting to note that in this episode where Mike makes the distinction between "bad person" and "criminal" (effectively implying a distinction between "law-abider" and "good person") is the same episode that reveals the villain whose motivation is a devotion to the law.
ALSO also also, for as HORRIBLY WRONG as Chuck is here, the ultimate tragedy is he is eventually right. Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman is the embodiment of Chuck's worst fears, and that's the worst part.
Yeah that title for last ep came VERY late and I honestly thought I was either clickbaiting or overstating. My pinned comment also was written close to finishing that edit. I was getting slight hints during the watch which you can kinda see in that video, pieced the theory together as I edited and then as I re-watched my edit for checks with my theory in mind I saw all the breadcrumbs. It was all very last minute which was why I don't THINK I overtly say he's a villain or antagonist in that video but have it in the title 😂 I'm ngl there was a moment where it all clicked together for me and given a different day I might not have seen it.
I'd say there's definitely a reason I spotted it though, they plant these things so well.
Very glad to see the El Camino guy confirmed too 😂
Yes. And it's Chuck's fault. He's the reason Jimmy became a "chimp with a machine gun" in Saul Goodman.
@@TylerAlexander For those of us who watched in release order, it was "Hey, it's the guy from the parking garage" during El Camino as the movie came out between Seasons 4 and 5 of Better Call Saul.
Also I’m glad to see you are finally naturally calling him Jimmy and not Saul. I knew it would happen soon. I think everyone struggled through the first season calling him Jimmy or Saul but by season 2 he is firmly Jimmy in everyone’s mind.
I like how in this episode we see two different characters' views on morality that are almost polar opposites.
To Paraphrase
Mike: "There are bad cops and good criminals. You can be on one side of the law or the other but if you make a deal with someone you keep your word."
VS
Chuck: "The law is Sacred, if you play with it people get hurt."
Helps show the two sides of this show: Honorable Criminals and Scummy Lawyers. And Jimmy is the character that bridges the gap between the two.
I love that this show fleshed out the character of Jimmy/Saul so well. Like you can go back to Breaking Bad 3x2 Caballo Sin Nombre, where Jesse buys his house from his parents through Saul Goodman, and you can see how much GLEE Saul has from being able to screw over the smarmy, Chuck-like lawyer that Jesse's parents hired. Being underestimated all the time, Saul wears his suits to disarm his opponents, and he knows his opponents because they ARE his brother. These writers, man. Top notch, all the way through.
Also, I love the juxtaposition of Jimmy, as the guy who does the wrong things for the right reasons, versus Chuck, who does the right things for the wrong reasons. Chuck isn't wrong about Slippin' Jimmy, the same guy who pretended to rescue a billboard worker's life on camera for publicity for his career. He's scamming people into supporting him, while his brother will only support people if he thinks he can win the case (because it would damage his ego to lose). They're the perfect foils for each other.
Now we just have to see where this all goes...
FINALLY! Someone who takes the reveal with the same amount of rage that I did. Istg I could never forgive Chuck after this, I'm not usually one for resentments but Chuck made it. I'll keep watching your reactions because I feel soooo represented.
This is a standout analysis in a sea of fantastic analysis. I have been waiting for this episode, especially after you started catching on early. It didn't disappoint.
Been waiting for this episode reaction specifically!
This is the episode where "Better Call Saul" really found its wings. It set the 2 main characters on the course they would follow until the end.
The Jimmy/Chuck thing was actually not initially planned. Howard Hamlin was supposed to be Jimmy/Saul's main antagonist (and I think you can see some of this with the actor- Patrick Fabian plays Hamlin a touch more stiff in the first few episodes than later in the season) , but (and it may have happened after they wrote the first few episodes- I'd have to double-check) the creators decided that was too cliche, and that having it really be Chuck would add a huge layer of complexity to the rest of the show. Great decision that pays off in so many ways.
In interviews they said Michael McKean (Chuck's actor) played the part they had written in a way they didn't anticipate, his delivery of certain lines, the way he carried himself, his expressions, pauses, etc. They started to think "ohhh, maybe there's something interesting going on here with the relationship between the brothers, something secret, dark, an old grudge," and they were inspired to take the character in a different direction.
Tyler! I loved your connection with Walter and Chuck whistling... both guilty of so much yet happy as a lark. Chuck goes on to compliment Jimmy, just like Walter would say good things to Jesse to keep unsuspecting... amazing parallel!
Yep, from Chuck's point of view, all is right with the world. Mission accomplished. "I won," as Walt would say. Nevermind you just stabbed your loyal, loving little brother in the back.
Pod person comes from The Body Snatchers (Jimmy does love his classic cinema). In that film (and book) the aliens used pods to create fake humans that looked perfect, but lacked a personality.
you know its good when its longer than the episode
Excellent reaction and analysis as always! To talk about something other than Chuck, I appreciate how much you've noticed about Kim already. In fact, I never even realized the symbolism behind Kim helping Jimmy carry the boxes but you're absolutely on point with that. For all Jimmy gets judged and shit on by the other characters, it's nice to know that he has at least one person in his corner who believes in his abilities as a lawyer and his capacity to be a decent person.
Kim is my favorite character in the BB universe and I'm super excited to hear your take on her as the series progresses. She is not an easy one to pin down.
Yeah, I mean this case is shared between Chuck AND Jimmy. They have both been pulling their weight and working their asses off on it. I won't downplay Chuck's contributions (like staying up all night to stich together shredded paper), but let's never forget the lengths Jimmy went to to build this case out of NOTHING, to create a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit, exposing a nursing home's systematic fraud against innocent senior citizens. At first when the McGills enter, it feels like the applause is (sort of) for both of them, the heroes riding thru the gates to deliver victory to the people. Then Howard approaches Chuck to escort him to the conference room and the whole crowd follows Chuck to kiss his ass. Not ONE PERSON even acknowledges that Jimmy is even there (aside from Kim). How easy would it have been to say "Good to see you my old friend, and you too Jimmy, well done you two!" Nope, not one word towards Jimmy. He is completely ignored, left to stand holding the file boxes. Chuck has an "allergy to electricity," but what is he incapable of carrying a file box to help his little bro? Are the other employees incapable of saying "here, let me give you a hand, Jimmy, you should go on ahead to the conference room"? These details may seem insignificant, but they really speak volumes about the power dynamics going on rn.
And yes, only one person looks AT Jimmy, acknowledges his existence, offers to help him carry those heavy boxes, treats him like a human being worthy of dignity and respect: Kim. Good on you, Kim.
One of your very best reactions (and you've made a lot of really great reactions). Thank you for making it, my friend.
Thank you, Michael! ❤️
Ah yes, finally. THE episode.
GAH DAMN you are good at catching on to stuff bruh 😭
As much as I loved and respected Mike's character in Breaking Bad, BCS somehow manages to multiply that. What a guy. LOVE that monologue about criminality vs morality.
"Pod person" is a reference to "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", in which Earth is secretly invaded by aliens who replace people in their sleep, with a plant-like pod growing a duplicate of the original person. But although the duplicates can pass for human in a crowd, they have essentially no personality or emotion, and so can be spotted by those who were close with the original person.
Its a fitting description, given Jimmy knows she is her own person, with ambitions, who doesn't always agree with HHM or Howard, and has been his friend and ally in the past, yet all of a sudden she reverted to repeating Howard's talking points in a monotone voice, like all that color was sucked out of her and rendered her another of Howard's minions, conspiring to ruin Jimmy's life. He went too far screaming at her, but come on, anyone would be furious in his position, and feeling as if even your best friends are turning on you will only hurt even more.
I so love your analysis.
So impressive how crack on you were about chuck. Love the analysis sir
The question, knowing how Jimmy ends up, Was Chuck right, could he not have changed, or was Chuck the only person who could have gotten him to change.
I think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy on Chuck's part.
Worst case scenario of a supportive Chuck would be an HHM Jimmy with scammy tendencies but definitely not a Saul Goodman. The amount of hurt and disrespect and betrayal Chuck blasted on him especially this ep exacerbates the worst parts of Jimmy's behavior imo.
@@RURK_ I see the HMM path for him being he breaks the rules sometimes but all in the cause of doing good and helping people mistreated like Sand Piper
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HHM Jimmy would have ended exactly as Davis & Maine Jimmy ended: fired. Cliff (the boss of Davis & Maine) made the mistake of trusting Jimmy, his business got sabotaged in return. Hamlin later offered Jimmy a Job and he just tried to ruin Howards reputation out of spite. Jimmy had more opportunities than most people, but he burned ALL of those bridges. He said it himself, he just doesn't fit into such an environement, a square peg. It was never meant to be. Chuck is still an asshole for manipulating Jimmy and using Howard as a scapegoat, but he was 100% right in not hiring Jimmy to HHM. Things like the fake billboard accident prove that slippin Jimmy was never gone all the way, he's still somewhere in there, even at this point of the show.
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I see your point but I have to disagree. You have to keep in mind that his entire desire to quit Davis and Main still happened AFTER Chuck's Pimento Speech and knowing how much Chuck undermined him. He would have still been a slipper but not to the point of not wanting to be fired. He wanted rid of D&M because of his feelings of this law elite undermining the little guy to start a partnership with Kim, and who started these feelings? Chuck
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If I remember correectly, the D&M job started to go downhill when he released the commercial without asking. This was because of Jimmy's "the ends justify the means"- attitude, whereas his bosses were very much concerned about the way of getting to the goal. It does resemble the Chuck-Jimmy conflict a lot because Chuck basically had the same problem with Jimmy. Both conflicts have the same root; That's why they're so similar.
Like you said, Jimmy would have been a slipping either way, so the D&M conflict would have come up eventually. It's very difficult to say how exactly Jimmy would have handeled the D&M conflict if he didn't have a similar problem with his brother earlier. Maybe he would have been willing to adapt to D&M, maybe not. Unfortunately, we don't get to see how things would have gone if Chuck had acted differently, we only get to see this chain of events. So we both kinda have to speculate.
But to me, it never really seemed like Jimmy even understood why his approach wasn't appreciated. Even when Kim warned him that she vouched for him and that he would have to play it legit, he just couldn't help it. He just never grasped why he has to follow rules even when they only seemed to hinder him. I think this mindset would have ruined his chances at a proper career eventually, at least that's my impression of him.
The parking lot scene is the one I reference every time I'm discussing Mike's character - it's just the perfect depiction of his deep understanding of people and his resourcefulness
He also teaches a lesson on the power of saying less. The more you blab on carelessly, the weaker you look, like a little kid afraid of being ignored, desperately wanting to impress others and fit in, like the one hired gun with black hair who Mike beat up. Even his "unsavory" comments could have been made just to show off, like look how irreverent and twisted I am, I'm such a bad guy, I'm not soft, etc. Even the simple act of TELLING the others about his arsenal of guns is foolish. Why reveal your supposedly hidden weapons to people who might betray you? "Those are just the ones I'll tell you about!" In other words, I have another gun hidden on me somewhere too. How is it hidden if you tell everyone you have it lol. Mike could have a gun on him the whole time, but he's not a buffoon, so he's not going to admit it.
Mike's whole attitude and way of speaking projects 100% confidence, he is relaxed, at ease, just watching, listening, he can kill you with his gaze. Nacho notices that, whenever he looks at Mike, Mike stares back at him, never averting his eyes, showing no fear, no jumpiness, just that cold, dead eyed stare like "you feeling lucky punk? You want to go?" Nacho's like "hell no" he just wants to get out of there with the drugs alive.
Congratulations on 5000 subs🎉
I think I even was here before a 100 with the SAW reactions 😋
And I’m sure u will get many many more.
I like the in dept analysis and I don’t see many people really pick up on small interactions.
I am a sucker for good and subtle acting and we really see that in BB and BCS.
I have seen both now a few times and every time there are still things I see that I didn’t the time before so watching your analysis also really helps with that.
And as I have seen many people say, this is one of the better episodes.
We see one of the, if not the core problems of why Jimmy becomes who he becomes.
This episode hurts so much.
He just wants to make Chuck proud🥺
I cannot overstate how happy I am that we're here. I no longer have to keep quiet about Chuck, who is my favorite character in the series and, in my opinion, the greatest antagonist in fiction. There's simply no one else like him.
"Favorite," eh? I am a huge fan of Michael McKean, Chuck's actor, because he gives a legendary performance. In interviews he just seems like such a chill, warm dude, but that's just a testament to how talented he is making the audience DESPISE his character haha
WHOA... you're very good at reading the circumstances 🤯
I'm fairly certain you're correct that the very large guy from the parking garage scene was also in El Camino
I love your commentary on Howard this episode. In a sneaky way he's really the most important character in the show
Your analyses are magnificent. You're certainly quite observant. You've earnt a new subscriber.
"You're not a real lawyer" is my favorite Breaking Bad universe moment of all time!
University of American Samoa? An online course? WHAT A JOKE!
Bro, I have never in my life wanted to slap somebody more haha
Chuck was right about Sandpiper, though. A solo practitioner or two person firm would have a hard time handling a case that complex. You probably could hire some associates or some clerks to help, but that would require money up front, and the larger firm would be burying them in paperwork.
13:49 The parking lot scene with the man you thought you recognized was indeed from El Camino, same character and actor. I believe they refer to him as “mountain man” on the commentary track.
When Jimmy told the doctor all the stuff he does for Chuck, every day.
The dynamic between Jimmy and Chuck is one of the most amazing relationships I've ever seen in a TV show. The show continues to flesh it out and show more flashbacks to see how it came to this point. It is just stellar writing.
“Pod Person” is a reference to the science fiction film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” In which aliens kill and replace people with imitations grown out of these plant-like pods. Hence the term “Pod People.” It’s used to describe people who suddenly side with “The Man” over you, so to speak.
It took until that board room meeting for me to realize it was Chuck. He still had me fooled - I knew there was more going on, but I figured it had to do with Howard still. Good on you for sussing that out
Even earlier in the meeting before Howard leaves the conference room, he looks at Chuck with a look of “This is on you, you did this”
Fun fact! There are ***55*** individual characters who cross over from Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul. Ranging from fully featured characters to bit players who maybe have a line or two. That's insane lol
The interesting thing is that Chuck isn't entirely wrong. Jimmy's criminality and willingness to bend the law to get what he wants has been on full display this season (and even more so in Breaking Bad). I think a big thing for Chuck's "people don't change" argument is the whole situation with the billboard, which showed Chuck that Jimmy is still to some degree up to his Slippin Jimmy ways. In saying all this, I also believe that had HHM hired Jimmy back in the day, he possibly would've taken it all seriously and worked legitimately, it's just that without Chuck's full support, he kept slipping into his old ways.
For sure experiment with some lighting! Looks dope i think. Thanks again for the episode very smooth editting! Til next episode B)
I always thought that deep down, Chuck was genuine too and tried to protect Jimmy. But at the same time there is obviously a part of jealousy. The characters in this show are diamonds of complexity and nuances.
"I worked my ass off to get here!" I think that gives us a little insight into his mind. He is jealous of Jimmy. He can't believe that Jimmy could really accomplish the same challenges he struggled to accomplish, seemingly with such ease. Chuck is a tad bit intimidated by his brother, Jimmy's intelligence, his determination, drive, charisma. He feels like Jimmy is surpassing him or upstaging him somehow.
The big question I've always asked after this episode is did Chuck predict what Jimmy's future would be, or did he cause it?
That's the theme I think, nature vs. nurture. Why did Jimmy eventually become Saul? There is an argument to be made for both perspectives. Chuck is right, eventually Jimmy will become a crooked dude in Breaking Bad, but...maybe he is the force who PUSHED him into that line of work.
This might sound a bit weird but I love seeing people rage at chucks bs.
not related but my mother walked by while i was watching this and said "that guy looks a bit like jesus" LMAO
pod person is a term from the movie Invasions of the Body Snatchers. great movie!
THANK YOU FOR USING PAUSES so many reactors just talk over important scenes and dialog instead of analyzing it.
42:00 actually he is. Remember the guy who almost died falling off a billboard in Hero?
That was the con. The man that fell was never in danger as that was intended. He made a comment of 'you took your time' or something but real danger was largely absent.
A better example might be the twins when Jimmy's actions get them in trouble and in hospital via Tuco but this isn't cut and dry. After all, these two men are already putting themselves in harms way by doing what they're doing without Jimmy's intervention. Not to mention, the scenario in the desert only happens because the twins didn't listen to Jimmy and followed Tuco's mum to the house and stormed in. Once all is said and done Jimmy actually MAKES SURE they're safe by getting them out of the desert and even pays for their medical bill.
In all the scenarios above Jimmy goes above and beyond to make sure everyone involved is safe. Chuck is dead wrong and season 1 supplies evidence for this.
Chuck is more-or-less the inversion of Walter White. While Walter does the worst things for "good" reasons, Chuck does "good" things for horrible reasons.
Reminds me of the concept of the "letter" of the law vs. the "spirit" of the law. Chuck is rigid, inflexible, unforgiving, stubborn, "people don't change," to the point where he will treat his own loving brother like a scumbag. Jimmy may take a few "liberties" from time to time, but he still believes in justice, what's fair, what people deserve, standing up for victims and those who can't defend themselves, etc. Whenever he breaks the rules it is always a means to an end: to fight for what's right. I think Chuck is the opposite of Mike in some ways. Mike believes a criminal can be a "good" person. Chuck values the law over morality itself.
Most heartbraking thing is knowing that Jimmy will be Saul Goodman and knowing Chuck would technically be "right" about how Jimmy will eventually turn out but how wrong he really was about Jimmy in this moment.
Edit: YES YOU CALLED HIM JIMMY
The scene where Mike takes the call about the "job offer" is perfectly shot. It's his first step into the cartel world, so he's depicted as a dark silhouette. Stacy is nowhere near that world, so she's depicted as a normal three-dimensional person.
...only 5K ?
Great reaction
Nice call.
Pod person: from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," Watch the '50s or the '70s version.
You have no idea how hard it was not to confirm your theory last episode. Well done. 🦩
I admire the restraint 🦩❤️
I always felt nacho was trying to see what he could get away with in that scene. He convieniently had $20 ready after Mike said full amount or no deal. Also the way he was constantly looking at Mike during the deal. Similar to what he was saying to jimmy about how he likes to steal from criminals as they don’t have any recourse.
Exactly, he has never done business with this dude before. Maybe they talked over the phone or the "vet" guy arranged this meet between them, and told Nacho a little about "Price." Nacho has a sneaking suspicion that this guy is a pushover and he wanted to test the waters. What happens if I bring 99% of the money, but I'm short 20 bucks? Is he even going to count the money? Will he notice? If he notices, what's he gonna do about it? There's a good chance he will be so nervous that he will just say "oh, it's fine, go ahead and take the drugs," but Mike ain't having none of that BS. If you give your word, you hold up your end of the deal. No compromises. A dude like Mike ain't gonna let Nacho get away with any funny business and Nacho doesn't seem too eager to get into a firefight with this badass haha
I think the biggest twist is Howard is a really good guy, makes mistakes here and there but ultimately chose to be an asshole to protect Jimmy from the truth of his brother.
Yes, that is the guy from El Camino with the strippers. Good eye.
What's really sad is how Chuck's opinions became a self fulfilling prophecy - and Jimmy turned into exactly what Chuck said.
Question is obviously - would that have still happened if Chuck had supported him?
if you think about it Jimmy out lawyered chuck here
I think any fan of gta5 would agree with you in saying that was the best scene in this season lol
48:16 doesn't help that Chuck is short for Charles
So glad we can finally talk about Chuck openly in the comments. 😂
I have deep empathy for those with mental health issues, and I was so sad for him during the first few episodes. Finally, he shows his true colours. Jimmy, at every turn, tried to be a legitimate and upstanding lawyer. Chuck's irrational hatred for his own brother is probably what turned Jimmy into Saul. At the very least, Chuck's treatment of Jimmy is the snowball that started the avalanche.
And then his helplessness at the end of the episode. As if he expected Jimmy to keep shopping for him. Picking up groceries, newspapers and ice. Chuck is such an ungrateful parasite.
Good reaction
🦩
I like the jesus look you got going on
I think that at the beginning of the season, chuck is starting to accept jimmy as a lawyer (in the first episode he treats him with more “respect” when they talk about his job) but there are 2 things that make him change his mind back. First, the hospital bill for broken legs from the skaters that he finds in Jimmy’s pants in episode 2 (he thinks he is doing the slip and fall con again) and the billboard thing in episode 4. That’s why he says here he isn’t going to change, he is seeing him as slippin’ jimmy again
Also the fact that jimmy tries to keep him from knowing about the billboard probably makes Chuck think that he could be doing more things like these without him knowing
15:05 This explains it
As much of a jerk Chuck is, Jimmy has been slipping. All the times when Chuck got Jimmy out of a jam probably wore on Chuck. Can Jimmy be trusted? Does Jimmy hold the law sacred? Look at the situation with the twins or the Kettleman's. Yes, Jimmy can seem like a nice and relatable guy, but I feel that Chuck might be right. If Chuck gave him Jimmy a chance and Jimmy got into troublez it would wreck the reputation of the firm.
It might not be a jealousy thing. Im sure thats there. But Jimmy is a former conman. One that Chuck just saw pull off another stunt recently. He might just be too cowardly to say “you’re trouble bro. I don’t want you ruining this business.”
You should watch Breaking Bad S02E08 Better Call Saul again
I feel like the show has totally tricked you to be in support of Jimmy. It's not like he is a good guy. Maybe you will realize this after finishing the show, but chuck on paper is right. It is in Jimmy's nature to be slipping Jimmy. And him having that power as a lawyer can bring some real shady situations (like helping a cancer patient make and embezzle so much drug money that hurts a lot of others cough cough). Chuck being so arrogant and stuck in his ways doesn't do Jimmy any favors at all. Chucks being so critical and negative is totally a factor in Jimmy becoming Saul. But the show does an excellent job at making you root for a conman.
It's not really a trick, it's just the writing. You're meant to root for Jimmy. I criticise Jimmy plenty, especially in the episode releasing tomorrow, and actually address this relationship between the audience and the protagonist and how that's not reflective necessarily of who is in the right. That said, I do think you don't lie half as much culpability at Chuck's feet, at least in this comment as he deserves 😂 as for knowing Jimmy isn't a 'good guy' I reference this continuously and in videos before this one. Reactions/reviews etc of individual episodes are never going to always cover all the nuances of a character in one video.
@@TylerAlexander yep totally agree! I'll be excited for the vids releasing soon! Keep up the great work
@@brendencellan6576 thank you ❤️ hope you enjoy!
Yeah, after this episode I felt no sympathy for Chuck ever again. Chuck is just an awful person IMO (no spoilers BTW, I could take that opinion away from this episode alone).
"I've lost all sympathy for Chuck."
You'll regain some of it before the show's over. You'll still hate him, but you'll regain some sympathy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you were somehow tipped off in the comments weeks back but if not kudos to you for calling out the reveal of this episode. There is a long and wild ride ahead.
Nope. I wouldn't claim a theory as my own if it came from someone else's comment.
I find it interesting how hard people are taking Jimmy's side. You know how earlier in this season Jimmy was soliciting the help of the skateboard insurance scammers to pull a kind of a scam himself? Do you really want a lawyer who is "morally flexible" like this? What Chuck means with "The law is sacred" and "people get hurt" is that his profession is a part of the machine that decides over peoples lives. Their work decides whether people are free to live their lives or spend years or even decades without freedom. Chucks view that you only should only want people with a really firm moral compass in this profession is not unreasonable at all.
On the other hand, Chuck is of course wrong about Jimmy as a person. When you watch the following seasons, keep an eye out on the times where Jimmy genuinely tries to "go legit" an do the right thing. Like here in Season 1 we had the first example where Jimmy stumbles over the Sandpiper case and jumps on the opportunity to become a legitimate lawyer working for the benefit of his elderly clients.
If Chuck was able to see this and take a mentorship role for Jimmy, could he help Jimmy become a better person? And isn't it worse to leave Jimmy to fend for himself as a solo practitioner with no accountability buddy?
I address all of this in my next video. Everything we see in season 1 arguably could have been prevented if Chuck hadn't vetoed him getting into HHM. EVERYTHING we see in season 1 that is less than moral from Jimmy is because of Chuck's decision to withdraw his support. This is why Jimmy is struggling so badly and resorting to these methods.
I'm also not going to address this question of Chuck's 'sanctity of the law' that you bring up because I go into this in great detail in my analysis of 'Marco' but, suffice to say, I think you're coming at this entirely wrong. I know exactly what Chuck means when he says things like this, but it doesn't make him right.
I feel as if you haven't watched all of my videos on this show because you're telling me to 'watch out' for things that I've addressed on multiple occasions...buddy 😂 ??
You're also talking as if every single lawyer needs to have someone watching over their shoulder to add accountability to their actions like this is normal practise when it comes to the law. It's not. And to try and proclaim that all lawyers other than Jimmy are ALWAYS morally pure people 😂 like...what? Let's be real. It's entirely understandable why people take Jimmy's side in this situation if you spend any time actually thinking about it.
@@TylerAlexander Haha didn't expect this to be so negative. Sorry I haven't watched your next video yet. I didn't mean to say you haven't paid attention to when Jimmy is trying to do the right thing and when he doesn't - I just meant, generally. Apologies if it was already too obvious to you. It's just to explicitly follow the question both series ask: What makes people "break bad"?
I'm not saying Jimmy is an irredeemable character. But he is still a sleazy guy with a past of serial scamming. We are rooting for him because he is trying to better himself, but has he really proven himself so far? Not every lawyer needs an accountability buddy but someone with his complicated past - I'd feel better about it. Maybe Jimmy wanted Chuck to be that person. And if I haven't made it clear: I absolutely think that supporting and helping Jimmy would have absolutely been the right thing to do for Chuck - if he doesn't give Jimmy a chance, he can't prove himself at all. I just meant to say that his concerns aren't unfounded and that Jimmy is walking a fine line.
Anyway, It's all good (man), I'll not spoil development and keep watching to see what you make of the rest of the series. Even if you seemingly didn't enjoy my comment, I do enjoy your analysis. :)
@@cuddlycanine8246 fair enough, sometimes tone can be hard to read so I'm sorry that my response was harsh, as it read negatively to me initially. Obviously that wasn't the case.
For me I could understand Chuck having reservations about it all but the response he actually took was way too far. I can understand why then people would see Chuck more sympathetically, I just feel like his actions actively move him into a 'bad guy' space regardless of the foundations of his thinking. As for Jimmy, I think he's proven a lot in regards to his moral character this season. That doesn't mean he has been squeaky clean. It's too early at this point to say he's proven himself so far in regards to bettering himself. Something I'd be happy to say is that the intent to better himself was definitely present, and it was Chuck's decision that squandered that intent.
@@TylerAlexander "EVERYTHING we see in season 1 that is less than moral from Jimmy is because of Chuck's decision to withdraw his support." Yep, all the love for dishonesty and cons that characterized Jimmy's earlier life would have magically evaporated if only the successful and prestigious firm HHM had hired an American Samoa correspondence grad with no experience or respectable references.
Come on, anyone who paid attention to breaking bad should understand fairly easily that chuck was right.