Review: On 'Better Call Saul,' Mike and Kim struggle with half-measures
A review of tonight's Better Call Saul coming up just as soon as I lay down my new Welcome mat...
"You knew what you wanted, but I got in the way." -Kim
For the second week in a row, Jimmy disappears for long stretches of his own show. (Other than his performance of the episode's title song, "Bali Ha'i" from South Pacific, he doesn't appear at all between when he pulls out of the nail salon parking lot and when Kim calls him to announce she has a fish on the line.) And, for the second week in a row, the stories involving Kim and Mike are so compelling that the show does just fine leaving its leading man to suffer off-screen mortification at the hands of Erin.
For the second week in a row, the Mike subplot had me giddily renouncing all previous beliefs that Saul should take its damn time before introducing any more characters from Breaking Bad, this time with the return of Leonel and Marco Salamanca — aka "The Cousins" — as Hector's latest weapons in his campaign to intimidate Mike. The Cousins don't do much, but the image of them glaring down at Mike and Kaylee from an opposing rooftop sent shivers down my spine, and their presence was all Mike needed to realize he had to find a way out of this mess. (What was it he once tried telling Walt about half-measures?) And once Mike started fighting back, Hector was free to drop the harmless old man act and assume the colder and more arrogant persona we remember from his flashbacks in BB seasons 3 and 4.
Kim's life isn't in any danger, but she's nonetheless feeling the squeeze from Howard, who continues to treat her coldly (just check the stony look on his face as they march through the HHM offices, and how easily he turns on the charm as they approach their clients) even after Chuck has negotiated her release from doc review. Like Jimmy, she's struggling to get appreciation from one of the HHM partners. And, like Jimmy, she now has a pretty sweet offer to get on the partner track at another firm(*). And by episode's end, she has finally started to embrace his love of the grift, ending her recent silence by inviting Jimmy to help scam another obnoxious mark. It's at the same restaurant where she had her lunch with Rick Schweikart, but she seems much happier and more at ease there when she's pretending to be Giselle St. Claire than when she was considering the next step of her legal career.
(*) This assumes Rick's offer is on the up-and-up, and not just a very oblique attempt to get opposing counsel intel on Sandpiper by any means necessary. But even if that's his motive, he still has to hire her to get that.
But is this really the life for her? Jimmy believes it is, wants so desperately for it to be true, and he'd probably even settle for her being an honest lawyer by day and running harmless grifts by night. But there still remains a pretty big gap between tricking some d-bag into paying for your booze, or getting him to write a check you'll never cash, and pulling many of the stunts that we've seen bring Jimmy such joy. Her dismay at hearing the full extent of the squat cobbler story, for instance, wasn't that long ago, and we know he'll get up to much worse once he becomes Saul Goodman. Is she going to happily slip on down there with him, or is this current compromise going to be yet another half-measure that ends badly for all involved?
After all, when Jimmy is on screen, we see him really chafing at all aspects of his current life: not just answering to Erin, but sleeping in what should be ample luxury at the corporate apartment, and driving around in a much nicer car than his two-toned beater. Instead, he finds he can only sleep back in his old office at the nail salon, and he eventually has to take a tire iron to the company car's cup holder so that the travel mug Kim gave him will fit.
The only question is when Jimmy will feel the need to take a metaphorical tire iron to his entire life with Davis and Main, and whether Kim will still be hanging around with him after he's done with the alterations.
Some other thoughts:
* In case you missed it, AMC officially renewed Saul for season 3 last week. More a formality than anything, but still excellent news.
* One thought on age: where the show has done its best to age down Bob Odenkirk so that he'll look younger than when we met Saul on Breaking Bad, no such effort has been attempted with Jonathan Banks. ("They'll always try to make me look younger, but you can't put a silly wig on in my head," he told me last year. "I ain't going to look right.") At the moment, the fact that he's noticeably older is actually working for the character, because Mike so very clearly feels like he's past the point where he should be pistol whipping guys who are hiding in his bedroom, and the weariness and shakiness only adds to the gravity of a scene like the one where he washes his hands (and the gun) after chasing the two goons away. How the show will deal with this if/when we get to a point where Mike is working for Gus is an open question, but Banks is a great enough actor that I imagine he can raise Mike's energy level up just enough to compensate.
* Another thought on age: the Cousins are, like all the other Breaking Bad holdovers, about six years younger than when we met them. On the one hand, it feels like those six years should make them seem markedly different, since they're pretty young compared to a Jimmy or a Mike. On the other, Breaking Bad largely treated Leonel and Marco as monsters out of myth rather than people, so I'm okay with the idea that they were always this cold and collected.
* Michael Slovis, longtime Breaking Bad director of photography — and, along with Vince Gilligan and John Toll (who was DP for the pilot), one of the three people most responsible for the amazing look of that series — pays his first visit to the world of Saul as director of this one (a reunion with Breaking Bad writer Gennifer Hutchison, who wrote several of the BB episodes Slovis directed), which featured a lot of eye-catching compositions, including all of Jimmy's insomnia-driven antics with the balls, and the single take of Mike clearing the rooms of his house upon realizing (thanks to some old-school MacGyvering with the Welcome mat and the contact paper) that some Salamanca soldiers were hiding inside. Over at THR, Fienberg spoke to Slovis about revisiting this universe and what the visual differences are between the two shows.
* We are one step closer to Jimmy naming one of his money laundering funds after Kim's beloved Ice Station Zebra, as that's what they had Dale write the $10,000 check out to.
* Jimmy and Mike's worlds are pretty separate right now, but they're at least linked by late-night infomercials, with Jimmy enjoying a few minutes of the Chia Lion ad when he can't sleep, while Mike distracts Hector's goons with a bit of Billy Mays (RIP). Both are a lot more fun than the replacement Sandpiper ad that Davis and Main commissioned to replace Jimmy's.
What did everybody else think?
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
Comments
-
Marsha MasonHope Tio ends up in that wheelchair within a few more episodes.March 21, 2016 at 11:07PM ESTReply to CommentLike (10)Latest Likes:jefronozer8 Anonymous
-
Ed (guest)Anyone else cheer when the cousins were shown on that rooftop? I fear this may be the end of the Salamanco appearances for a while but this was worth it.March 21, 2016 at 11:20PM ESTReply to CommentLike (6)Latest Likes:jef5 Anonymous
-
-
GaryIt riled me up enough to watch the end of One Minute.March 21, 2016 at 11:59PM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:3 Anonymous
-
Just Drawn That WayI would have been, but unfortunately I had seen the trailer for "Balai Hai" last week and recognized the shows. However, I was damn excited when I realized where I'd seen those shoes before.March 22, 2016 at 1:41AM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
mshatzerThis is now the fourth week in a row that BCS has added back at least one additional character from Breaking Bad. I still feel like the BCS is using its catalog of BB characters as an unnecessary crutch. BCS is good enough to stand on its own without the constant need to give everyone’s backstory. Although I do enjoy the winks and minor callbacks to BB (like the Ice Station Zebra check).March 22, 2016 at 8:21AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
andreiThis is the first time that the introduction of a BB character (and I have always thought of the Cousins as a single character) as superficial and fan-service-y. A minor quibble, to be sure (their role was small and effective enough), but for me at least it takes away from the distinctness that makes BCS its own show, instead of a straight BB prequel.March 22, 2016 at 9:32AM ESTLike (8)Latest Likes:8 Anonymous
-
HISLOCALLast year, when Tuco appeared in only the first or second episode, I would have agreed w/ you guys. But the reality is, we know where these characters are headed, and that Mike gets there before Jimmy. So, it would be almost impossible not to at least start to introduce the cartel guys at this stage, since I assume this will be a 4 or 5 season show, and the final season or two will be "The Full Saul", meaning he'll be totally embroiled in the criminal world in which we met him.
That being said, I never ever want to see Walt, Jesse, Skyler, etc. on this show. There's no reason for it. The "criminal" BB characters make sense, but not the suburban "normals". The exception being Hank and/or Gomez, which would make sense since they're already at odds w/ the cartel.March 23, 2016 at 12:28PM ESTLike (5)Latest Likes:5 Anonymous
-
solidponce (guest)Man, Howard can be one cold, smug A-hole, can't he?
Anyways, all I have to say is: Jimmy and the cupholder at the end of the episode... is that Kim desperately wanting to be part of Jimmy's world, or Jimmy desperately finding a place in his life for her... or both?
I saw it as a Kim-Jimny metaphor, and not a really happy one.
that's all I got. :)March 21, 2016 at 11:22PM ESTReply to CommentLike (7)Latest Likes:7 Anonymous-
C. C.There's something personal there with Howard. Not sure what it is. Is he in love with Kim? ... the shot of him staring at nothing as he shared a celebratory drink with Chuck after announcing that Kim was responsible for the new business ... signified something, I don't know what.March 22, 2016 at 8:58AM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:3 Anonymous
-
andreiI see it more as Jimmy's willingness to break something (a car, a company, ABA ethics codes) in order to make it fit his immediate goal.March 22, 2016 at 9:48AM ESTLike (9)Latest Likes:9 Anonymous
-
SteveI think it's the latter, and also Jimmy trying to make things work at Davis & Main, but on his own terms, which hasn't worked too well so far.March 22, 2016 at 10:07AM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
ManishTo Andrei
Agreed. He literally had to jimmy the cup holderMarch 23, 2016 at 3:58PM ESTLike (4)Latest Likes:buster443 Anonymous
-
ReaganTwo things I noticed.
First, the official HHM/Davis and Main Sandpiper ad ran at 1:30 am, indicating just how out of touch they are with what works for the case. How many of their potential clients are awake then? Jimmy knew - it had to run in the early afternoon during Matlock. Or was it Murder She Wrote?
Second, I chuckled to myself when I realized that Mike ended up settling his score with one of the cousins in the third season of Breaking Bad.March 21, 2016 at 11:25PM ESTReply to CommentLike (34)Latest Likes:GBOD2012Marsha Mason32 Anonymous-
Roto13I thought the same thing about the ad. "Would anyone at Sandpiper even be watching TV that late at night?"March 22, 2016 at 3:51PM ESTLike (11)Latest Likes:11 Anonymous
-
TJ (guest)For some reason, I'm having trouble getting past the lighting in a lot of the law firm / courtroom scenes. It finally got completely ridiculous in the argument motion in this episode. The whole argument I'm thinking "why is it so dark in there" and then the long shot from below where you can clearly see rows and rows of fluorescent lights--all completely turned off. I mean--what in the world? It doesn't even work for the mood of the story, in my opinion. Oh well.
Other than that, I like the Jimmy stuff so much better than the Breaking Bad prequel stuff with Mike that I find myself missing the first season more and more.March 21, 2016 at 11:33PM ESTReply to CommentLike (6)Latest Likes:6 Anonymous-
Tausif KhanChuck McGill has what claims to be a light/electronic sensitivity disease which isn't recognized by the American Psychological Association. Whenever he comes to the offices they shut off all electronics for him.March 22, 2016 at 12:36AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
goofusyou may just want to adjust your brightness settings for your tv or video device. I used to have that problem with certain shows, especially Game of Thrones, where a lot of scenes are ridiculously dark to the point where you can't see anything. At that point I crank the brightness setting up and leave it up there forever. then I can see everything, not just in that scene, but in all the shows that try to do those annoying dark scenes. even with the brightness setting up on my tv or phone, I can still tell the scene was "supposed" to be dark, but I can actually see everything.March 22, 2016 at 7:44AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
Breakfast with Walt JrChuck wasn't in that court room, and the lights were off, not his TV color. I saw the same thing.March 22, 2016 at 9:34AM ESTLike (5)Latest Likes:5 Anonymous
-
HISLOCALIt actually might have been a very subtle, intentional thing. Kim was stood up by the senior partners, much like in Dennis Boutsikaris' story, so yeah they might have turned them off expecting Chuck to show up.
That being said, in technical terms, darker is usually better in video. A friend of mine who's a total cinephile has the darkest TV I've ever seen. It's unwatchable to me, but to people "in the know", it looks better. So, that could be the reason too.March 23, 2016 at 12:34PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first! -
JessaroniThe lack of lighting really stood out to me too, especially in the scene at Davis and Main when Jimmy is working with Erin and Omar.
As someone who works in an office, to me the natural lighting seemed really unnaturally dark for people who would most certainly be sitting in an office brightly lit by fluorescent bulbs in real life. I suppose it's because harsh lighting doesn't look very good on TV?March 24, 2016 at 5:38PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
Alex (guest)What's hilarious is that chemistry teacher Walter White is responsible for virtually everyone's death at that meeting of the criminal minds.
The show runners seem to realize how cute Rhea Seehorn looks in a tee shirt and little else, given how often we've seen that look.
Here's to Kim joining Saul Goodman in the future, although I still suspect dark clouds for her in the future.March 21, 2016 at 11:36PM ESTReply to CommentLike (5)Latest Likes:5 Anonymous-
Dark dougWalt isn't responsible for Nacho's death, nor the Cousins'. Judging by the standard people use to blame Walt for absurdly unrelated things like plane collisions, Mike committed suicide.
The Cousins came back to New Mexico looking to murder the law enforcement official who, in the course of his duties, defended himself against Tuco's insanity. Their ignorance of what had actually transpired led them to look for Walt, until Gus gave them Tuco's actual killer. And then decided to betray them to Hank in a really poorly researched plan that only worked due to blind luck. That's something we might keep in mind going forward to Gus' eventual debut - he's no more of a genius than Walt, and like Walt, sometimes got lucky in the execution of his underdog plans. He was not nearly the master manipulator a lot of people tend to remember him as, nor was Walt the avatar of destruction who wreaks havoc innocent lives that he is often critically discussed as. People love to point out that he caused problems by his insistence in pursuing his criminal enterprises...but so did Jessie, Mike, Gus and the whole wretched Salamanca family of despicable scumbags for whose removal the world owes Walt a thank you.
It's actually more hilarious that you chose to cite his chemistry background in your invocation of Walt's name, since rather than the responsible party for their deaths, he was actually the catalytic agent in the chain of events.March 22, 2016 at 12:17PM ESTLike (5)Latest Likes:GBOD20124 Anonymous -
Kim is NOT hotBetter to show off Kim's best feature (legs) than having to look at her with her hair pulled tight, which makes her look like a dude.March 22, 2016 at 12:32PM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:GBOD20122 Anonymous
-
Stevie Grant@"Kim Is Not Hot": You are not smart. And you need your eyes checked.March 22, 2016 at 6:51PM ESTLike (15)Latest Likes:rcadeGBOD201213 Anonymous
-
Butter FaceI loved Odenkirk as Larry's agent. As for my eyes, they're fine. I can see she has great legs. I can also see the she has a But 'Er Face.March 22, 2016 at 7:49PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
rcadeRhea Seehorn is a lovely woman. Anyone who thinks she looks like a dude has a cookie cutter mentality about female attractiveness that deserves our pity.March 24, 2016 at 6:06PM ESTLike (7)Latest Likes:7 Anonymous
-
ronozerGreat episode. And it's carbon paper not contact.March 21, 2016 at 11:36PM ESTReply to CommentLike (4)Latest Likes:4 Anonymous
-
ronozerGreat episode. And it's carbon paper not contact.March 21, 2016 at 11:36PM ESTReply to CommentLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
MrVickiValeI want to know why Kim Wexler was wearing the Kansas City Royals shirt at the end. Granted, the Royals are the reigning World Series champions as the show airs, but in 2002, they were in the midst of their 8th straight losing season. So you would have to assume that her character is from Kansas City. Or it is because Kim tends to wear blue.March 21, 2016 at 11:40PM ESTReply to CommentLike (7)Latest Likes:7 Anonymous
-
BrigidGood point! Being from KC I was so excited to see that t-shirt that I forgot the program was set 14 years ago. I assumed it Jimmy's t-shirt (morning after and all).March 22, 2016 at 5:44AM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
margaret oconnorPossibly the image is intended to suggest that Kim, like the KRC, is "striking out" in 2002: a penchant for hustling jackasses, a lying boyfriend, an abusive boss; nevertheless, like the KRC, Kim may be at the top of her game as she gains more experience in the game and the playing field changes. I hope this is the case!March 22, 2016 at 10:09AM ESTLike (4)Latest Likes:4 Anonymous
-
David SandersJimmy and Kim are quirky to say the least. It fits the character to own a jersey from a relatively non descript team like the 2002 Royals than say a "popular" team like the Dodgers, Yankees, or even the Cubs. Not many people (outside of KC) own a Royals jersey. This is their way of being different.
Or Kim grew up in KC and that is her childhood team.
March 22, 2016 at 11:51AM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first! -
Royals in 7Or maybe one of the writers is a Royals fan and it's an insider nod to him.March 22, 2016 at 12:34PM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
Protestant WhiskeyProbably a both/and. Her character HAS to be from the greater KC/Overland Park area in order to have one of those 14 yrs ago. Nobody else would have been cheering on the Royals. And either her (the actress) or a producer is from there as a nod to the current WS squad. No way it's Jimmy's shirt. He's from Cicero, and would more than likely be a Sox fan, maybe Cubs. But definitely not the Royals.March 23, 2016 at 9:18AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
HISLOCALI own several T-shirts of teams that I have no connection to, other than the fact that I visited their stadium and bought a souvenir. Not to mention, Jimmy seems like the kind of guy who has a wardrobe mostly made of second-hand stuff or free giveaways.March 23, 2016 at 12:37PM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
E (guest)Another thought on a character's age--the only one from BB who actually does look six years younger is Hector. And it works so sinisterly well in his favor!March 22, 2016 at 12:03AM ESTReply to CommentLike (13)Latest Likes:13 Anonymous
-
PJ (guest)Ice Station Zebra is also what Saul told Badger to make the money order payable to in his "Better Call Saul" episode of Breaking Bad.March 22, 2016 at 12:06AM ESTReply to CommentLike (5)Latest Likes:5 Anonymous
-
Tausif Khan (guest)There have to be stakes in Better Call Saul. In Breaking Bad Walt could kill people but for Better Call Saul people need to appear as they are in Breaking Bad. Characters who appear on both shows can't lose limbs either.
This brings me to Kim Wexler. Is Kim going to get fridged for Jimmy's character or change?March 22, 2016 at 12:31AM ESTReply to CommentLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!-
LarryCYeah that's a constraint on BCS. The suspense is limited somewhat by the fact that characters from BB aren't going anywhere. For the most part it has to be a lower key show, can't match dramatic events like the deaths of Tuco, Hector and Mike in BB, nor obviously can Jimmy/Saul go the way of Walt. The main exception is Kim, a character we're supposed to care about whose absence from BB isn't automatically explained by Jimmy's transformation to Saul. Her death cant be ruled out, though of course it's not the only possible explanation.March 22, 2016 at 3:54PM ESTLike (4)Latest Likes:Wraithtek3 Anonymous
-
Breakfast with Walt Jr (guest)when Mike came home the first time, and they lingered on the empty bed room, it was a great call back to Walt's near miss with the cousins. A simple bit of foreshadowing that made the Nelson Cruz Twins appearance land as square as a Mike Pistol Whip when we saw them.March 22, 2016 at 12:48AM ESTReply to CommentLike (2)Latest Likes:Protestant WhiskeyGBOD2012
-
FictionIsntReal (guest)Rick seemed slimy to me. Even if it was humorous, his mocking the waiter for the time for their drinks indicated to me he's supposed to be an asshole. Also because last season those Schweikart guys were helping to screw over the seniors.
It would be extra devious if Jimmy/Saul incorporated Ice Station Zebra Associates so that check could be cashed.
The shot of the cousins on the roof was really cool, but somehow felt too heightened for this otherwise relatively grounded episode.March 22, 2016 at 1:28AM ESTReply to CommentLike (5)Latest Likes:5 Anonymous-
cheRe. Schweikart's offer to Kim--I was surprised at Jimmy's reaction to this. Yes, be happy for her that another top firm wants to hire her, but Schweikart? Who's not just the legal counsel for the Sandpiper bad guys, but seems like a pretty bad guy himself. All that intimidation of Jimmy last season, and his condescension toward Jimmy and even Chuck? Yikes.
Maybe Jimmy DID feel the yikes (and just hid it well from Kim), and that was part of what fueled his attack on the cupholder. And then there was the prospect of losing the chance to work with Kim, or at least on the same team as Kim. If she's not on the anti-Sandpiper team any more, how long will he put up with the rules & rigamarole?March 22, 2016 at 6:49AM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:3 Anonymous -
mshatzerI didn’t take “mocking the waiter” to be a negative sign at all. It seemed like he was just trying to lighten the mood. And moreover, the fact that he knew the waiter’s name signaled to me that Rick Schweikart is quite friendly and likeable. I know the writers mean for it to be open-ended whether Schweikart is making a sincere offer to Kim or just trying to get her off the Sandpiper case. But at this point I found him to be sincere.
You’re absolutely right about the check though, FICTION. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time that we see that check…March 22, 2016 at 8:33AM ESTLike (8)Latest Likes:Protestant Whiskey7 Anonymous -
brienI thought the same thing re: incorporating the company in order to cash the check. Wonder if we'll continue seeing the check on Kim's mirror.March 22, 2016 at 11:40AM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
HudsonBillI am also of the camp that the interaction with the waiter was not meant to be mocking, but more along the lines of friendly banter / ball busting with the waiter who he knows by name. When I was younger if a older, more successful person took the time to learn my name and exchange barbs with me it made me feel special. I think Kim took it that way.March 22, 2016 at 12:08PM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
How many lawyers does it take to make an a-hole?Do you know any high-powered lawyers who are NOT assholes?March 22, 2016 at 12:36PM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
Dave_II thought Rick was being sincere. He was joking with the waiter because it was a place he frequented, as well as a way to break the tension after he offered Kim a job offer and then gave her space. Granted, he may not be a great guy but he is also not being portrayed as a bad guy either. He is a highly successful and powerful attorney who seems very much a professional lawyer.
I think Rick just saw an underutilized high-achieving lawyer in Kim and was smart enough to know he had something to offer. He may also have asked enough questions to find out she was being hidden away in a basement doing menial doc reviews and could relate. I do not think he would have tried eliciting Sandpiper info (in addition to being illegal, that somehow seems beneath him). However...Sticking it to HHM by getting a really, REALLY good lawyer that one of the partners there had not only overlooked but practically driven out of the firm, and allowing her to rise up in Schweikart's firm and be a star? THAT would be a small consolation, maybe a big one considering how high Kim's ceiling really may be.
As for Schweikart, I think he is a lawyer. By that, he may not be a bad guy even if he is legally defending bad people. That is his job, and even bad guys need legal defense. While it seemed seedy from our perspective how he treated Jimmy and Chuck while trying to screw a bunch of seniors out of their money, he is not a monster in the same vein as the Cousins, for instance.
My question is, would working for Schweikart ultimately be better for Kim than working at HHM? Hamlin and Chuck can be douchey, but are Schweikart and his firm more likely to put Kim in a morally grey situation more often? I doubt it will come to that, but it did occur to me to wonder what would happen if Kim DID accept the offer and things somehow ended up worse for her?
-CheersMarch 22, 2016 at 3:10PM ESTLike (4)Latest Likes:4 Anonymous
-
rhys1882Not even vaguely plausible Rick would even try to get any elicit info out of Kim. Both Kim and Rick could be disbarred for that and Rick's firm would be forced to withdraw as counsel for Sandpiper. Kim going over to Rick's firm would immediately raise HHM's and Davis & Main's radar to even the slightest whiff of impropriety. Now, it is possible that they think taking Kim off the Sandpiper case on HHM's side would be helpful, but that would also be a recognition of her skills in-and-of itself.March 22, 2016 at 2:01AM ESTReply to CommentLike (6)Latest Likes:6 Anonymous
-
LarryCI thought the whole scenario was a stretch. It would be hard to ever Rick's firm got info out of Kim by hiring her even if that happened, but by same token it doesn't look good even assuming both are above that any such thought. We know Kim is above it, but still. From Rick's POV how much of a find could Kim possibly be, just from general observation, to open such a can or worms in terms of appearances?March 22, 2016 at 4:02PM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
Isaac (guest)Another note on age: how old is Kaylee supposed to be? I feel like she's about the same age here than she is on Breaking Bad, but if Breaking Bad is six years in the future, she should have been at least a pre-teen by then (if not a teenager), or she should have been an infant on this show. Or are we going to find out that Mike is schizophrenic and has a granddaughter who "never gets old"?March 22, 2016 at 2:03AM ESTReply to CommentLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
JonasI'm trying to look away.
I always imagine she's 4 & 10 and that suspenses my disbelief enough.March 22, 2016 at 3:27AM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous -
SteveAlan has mentioned this before and I think we're just supposed to ignore it. But yeah, when the cousins showed up, I sort of wondered if maybe she gets killed and the version we see in BB is only in Mike's head (although I'm sure there's plenty of evidence of that not being true).March 22, 2016 at 10:11AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
DaxYeah, 4 or 5-ish versus 9 and 10-ish. Close enough. She's a young girl in both, but there's enough difference that it's not much of a 'frozen in time' error.
March 22, 2016 at 1:50PM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous -
Kaylee is 18 nowThe simple answer: it doesn't matter. The point is that Mike's granddaughter is all he has left in life, the only thing that motivates him, the only thing that makes him want to keep on living. Her age now vis a vis her age in BB is utterly irrelevant.March 22, 2016 at 9:16PM ESTLike (5)Latest Likes:GBOD20124 Anonymous
-
HISLOCALI agree w/ Dax. "4-6ish" and "9-11ish" is close enough for me. You're trying to hard to see the seams. We all know it's fiction, we just choose to buy into it.March 23, 2016 at 12:43PM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
Just Drawn That Way (guest)“For the second week in a row, Jimmy disappears for long stretches of his own show.”
Weirdly, after “Five-0", I don’t think of this as Jimmy’s show anymore. I prefer to think of “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” as comprising a Sin City-eqsue anthology series set in Albuquerque.
“One thought on age: where the show has done its best to age down Bob Odenkirk so that he'll look younger than when we met Saul on Breaking Bad, no such effort has been attempted with Jonathan Banks. ("They'll always try to make me look younger, but you can't put a silly wig on in my head," he told me last year. "I ain't going to look right.") At the moment, the fact that he's noticeably older is actually working for the character, because Mike so very clearly feels like he's past the point where he should be pistol whipping guys who are hiding in his bedroom, and the weariness and shakiness only adds to the gravity of a scene like the one where he washes his hands (and the gun) after chasing the two goons away.”
I’m perfectly willing to suspend my disbelief in-so-far as age is concerned. For me, the more important question is how will they conclude Mike’s “Saul” story in the unlikely event that Banks is unable to do the series.March 22, 2016 at 2:08AM ESTReply to CommentLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!-
HISLOCALJonathan Banks isn't so old that he can't finish the series. He's not Kirk Douglas.
As far as the aging, he's "grizzled old man" in both, it hadn't even crossed my mind that he's got one or two more wrinkles than in BB.
I agree about your first point. Just because the show is called Better Caul Saul doesn't mean that Saul has to be in every scene. Think of how many of your favorite "Seinfeld" moments didn't involve Jerry.March 23, 2016 at 12:45PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
tony in Phoenix (guest)Interesting that Kim worked in the mailroom for 6 yrs and went to school at night, paid for by HHM. She has been a lawyer for 4 yrs. It seems that she met Jimmy while in the mailroom, perhaps shortly after he arrived in ABQ. I think it is possible she convinced him to study to become a lawyer.March 22, 2016 at 2:50AM ESTReply to CommentLike (4)Latest Likes:4 Anonymous
-
cheAnd the firm paid her tuition but Jimmy didn't feel he could even tell his brother he was studying law.March 22, 2016 at 6:41AM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
andreiI couldn't imagine HHM paying tuition at the University of American Samoa, anyway (go Landcrabs!)March 22, 2016 at 9:51AM ESTLike (8)Latest Likes:mshatzer7 Anonymous
-
tony in Phoenix (guest)Interesting shot of Jimmy in his old bed at the nail salon. Half his face is in shadow. The two sides - Jimmy and SaulMarch 22, 2016 at 2:51AM ESTReply to CommentLike (7)Latest Likes:7 Anonymous
-
tony in Phoenix (guest)When Mike entered the restaurant and Hector is sitting at the table, I thought about the scene from Godfather II. Vito Corleone had tried to reason with a hard nosed landlord on behalf of a widow whose kids wanted a dog. The landlord chewed him out. He then shows up at Vito's office with hat in hand and Vito sitting confidently at his desk like the crime boss that he is.
Hector dropped the kindly old man act. Unlike the Godfather II, Mike did not back down. This impressed Hector. Given this and how Mike handled himself with the two guys in his home, this may well be how the Salamanca family hire him to support Gus.March 22, 2016 at 2:56AM ESTReply to CommentLike (5)Latest Likes:GBOD20124 Anonymous-
BikerdudeThe Salamanca family is at odds with Gus.March 22, 2016 at 12:13PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
tony in phoenixEventually Gus and the Salamanca's will be at odds with each other. But at this point Gus would be working for them. Los Dos Hermanos is a distributor and money laundering front. Gus is under their thumb. That may be something Gus and Mike will find in common and hence Mike's loyalty to Gus.March 22, 2016 at 12:35PM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:3 Anonymous
-
BikerdudeNot exactly, but I'm not going to argue about it. Enjoy the show however you want.March 22, 2016 at 4:14PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
tomtombb (guest)All of a sudden my mind got riled up with the age verification then i just remembered its the same guys who put Danny Trejo's head on an exploding tortoise and all the age checking is not necessary.March 22, 2016 at 4:28AM ESTReply to CommentLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
Ihatefanboys (guest)I'm kinda sad Jimmy ripped out the cupholder. I always got a good laugh at him trying to get that big cup into that small cupholder and seeing it from that perspective. It was a great visual on how Jimmy doesn't belong in that car or life and how much of a struggle it's been. It's symbolic. Him taking a crowbar to it and adapting it , violently , to make it fit, is also symbolic I think. Symbolic of how he is not content to just adapt to his "role" at Davis & Main, but how he's now about to fully start the journey towards becoming "Saul Goodman". Great episode.March 22, 2016 at 6:09AM ESTReply to CommentLike (4)Latest Likes:4 Anonymous
-
mshatzerThe fact that it makes you sad that the cupholder is gone is a testament to how great this show is :) The story of that damn cupholder lasted, what, like five episodes? Not many shows would trust its viewers to understand the analogy of the cupholder like this one. So smart.March 22, 2016 at 8:41AM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:alynch2 Anonymous
-
alynchI don't know, so far as metaphors go that was a pretty obvious one, about on the same level as the rot beneath Walt's house.March 22, 2016 at 9:39AM ESTLike (6)Latest Likes:6 Anonymous
-
Tony in PhoenixWhen he took out the cupholder he was left with a square opening. He was fitting a square hole with a round pegMarch 22, 2016 at 12:37PM ESTLike (7)Latest Likes:buster446 Anonymous
-
Protestant WhiskeyAgreed, I found the cup holder bit very satisfying. And I saw it as a metaphor for how Jimmy will tire of trying to fit into this world, he's going to make it fit him. Which sometimes means taking a crowbar to your life. Yes, a little on the nose, but I loved the setup/payoff.March 23, 2016 at 9:31AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
WeeBayIt would be epic if next episode the cup holder is fixed with blue tapeMarch 26, 2016 at 8:32AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
mshatzerThanks Alan for mentioning Michael Slovis and his return to the BB/BCS world. This particular episode was noticeably beautiful in how it was shot, even to the untrained eye. I really enjoyed the unique camera positioning in the shots of Jimmy playing with the twine balls in the teaser. It takes a special show to open with a light scene like that, but then also incorporate many horror elements into the scene in Mike’s house with the single shot and no soundtrack.March 22, 2016 at 8:45AM ESTReply to CommentLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
sharon james (guest)Yes, I did a fist pump when I saw The Cousins, and the shot of just the silver toes on their boots made me smile. This show is easily the best thing on any network. Great actors, great dialogue, a great look. Thank you Vince Gilligan and the many supremely talented people that keep us hooked week after week. And I agree, the sooner Tio hits that wheelchair, the sooner he can get blown apart!!March 22, 2016 at 8:54AM ESTReply to CommentLike (2)Latest Likes:jef1 Anonymous
-
alynchThat scene where the lawyer at the other firm delivered a lengthy monologue about his early lawyerin' days was the first time I understood people's complaints about this show's pacing. That monologue just kept on going and it contributed nothing.March 22, 2016 at 9:33AM ESTReply to CommentLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
Tony in PhoenixNo, his comments underscored Kim's feelings that HHM management does not have her back. You do not have to stay with the first firm that hires you.March 22, 2016 at 12:44PM ESTLike (6)Latest Likes:6 Anonymous
-
LarryCI teeter back and forth between sometimes thinking this show is too slow, and loving it. Generally end up at the latter though.March 22, 2016 at 4:06PM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
alynchIt needed no underscoring.March 22, 2016 at 7:31PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
EricWhat it contributed was a nice little scene for us to watch Seehorn process a lot of rough emotions that she's been trying to suppress, and also for us to feel some kind of happiness for her when we (and she) realize that she's being offered something better. The monologue was smartly filmed - almost the entire back half of it kept the camera trained on Kim and not Schweikart.
I like the pacing of the show - it's a tonic after seeing so many shows and movies where characters change motivations and positions solely to move the plot along, and these transformations are blazed through. On this show we get to luxuriate in a top-quality performance and see a character change the way a real person does.March 28, 2016 at 9:29AM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
Dan (guest)I read a few weeks ago that people were enjoying the Mike storyline's better then Saul's. I think it's clear that whenever Mike's story hits the screen, the excitement level takes a large step forward. I find most of the Saul story to be interesting but even it's best parts don't touch Mike's. With that said, a lot of the Saul pieces are somewhat boring and slow. I don't necessarily mind Kim but I really can't stand Chuck and Howard. Chuck is easily the worst character to ever land in this show or BB, I don't understand the point of him on any level. I enjoy the show but with a title like Better Call SAUL, they really need to do something to raise the stakes with that character - right now Mike is really carrying the load.March 22, 2016 at 9:56AM ESTReply to CommentLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
mshatzerJimmy/Saul is at his best whenever humor is involved, which is why season 1 was such a pleasant surprise. So many of S1’s best scenes were humorous – Jimmy visiting potential clients with their hilarious legal problems, all the Jimmy and Marco scenes, etc. Likewise, S2’s best and most infamous scene is the Squat Cobbler by far. I don’t mind at all that Mike and Kim are taking on as much screen time as Jimmy this season, but it does feel weird for him to be so underutilized two weeks in a row. It would be nice to incorporate a few more Jimmy scenes into the Mike/Kim centric episodes, even if only for comic relief. Getting the feeling we’ll see a lot more of Jimmy next week though.March 22, 2016 at 10:57AM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
First time commenter (guest)Love the show, but only one minor issue with the Mike/Hector story - wouldn't Hector be smart enough to realize that, after seeing MIke is not just some aloof old man driving around, the fight with Tuco was no accident? Maybe this will play out more in the future, but Hector and his crew are not dummies; they should realize there is more to the story.
Also, was Mike reaching for his gun and Hector just caved in and paid the $50k? Seemed a little too easy.
besides that, love the show, I'm just being picky.March 22, 2016 at 10:14AM ESTReply to CommentLike (6)Latest Likes:6 Anonymous-
DanI found the mike isn't just some old guy to be a bit off. Clearly the guy has unique skillsMarch 22, 2016 at 10:27AM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
Tony in PhoenixHector realizes Mike has skills. He is already thinking how he might use Mike. Even if he realizes Tuco was set up, he did say last week that Tuco was out of control and maybe prison is what he needs for a while to get his head back on straight. I guess it is his form of intervention to get Tuco clean.March 22, 2016 at 12:48PM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:3 Anonymous
-
GarySFI think Hector realized that what Mike said was true, they both would die. Chances are Mike would've gotten a shot off at close range even if the cousins shot at him. So combined with admiration for his cajones, Hector decided to pay the $50K, maybe in hope of establishing a working relationship down the road.March 22, 2016 at 4:39PM ESTLike (3)Latest Likes:Protestant Whiskey2 Anonymous
-
EricI don't see this as a plot hole or lapse in logic on Hector's part. He found out Mike was an ex-cop before he even approached him about the gun. The simplest explanation of the fight is not that Mike was involved in some scheme to take Tuco down, but rather that Mike is exactly the kind of ornery old guy who wouldn't take any shit from even a dangerous thug like Tuco, and Tuco is exactly the kind of thug who would beat up even an old man like Mike.
And I agree with GarySF. Hector probably could find a way out of that situation without paying Mike 50K, if he really wanted to, but he seemed to admire his gutsy play there - and knowing what we know about Mike's future, it's reasonable to guess they're going to call on Mike to do work for them. Maybe he sees this as a down payment on a potential employee.March 28, 2016 at 9:34AM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
Dr. GrossNo knock against Rhea Seahorn, who is really strong, but does anyone else find the show dragging when there's too much focus on Kim? Alan clearly disagrees. Am I alone on this?March 22, 2016 at 10:22AM ESTReply to CommentLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
DanTotally agree, same goes for Chuck he's the worst. This past episode was the first one where I actually enjoyed Kim's character on at least some levels.March 22, 2016 at 10:28AM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
BikerdudeI see what you mean in that we've already got Jimmy and Mike. We're supposed to care about Kim too? Obviously, she's an important character, but as far as attention spans go, she's important in terms of how she relates to Jimmy. Though I do feel we're coming to a head with some of that. Jimmy realizes he's not happy as a straight corporate guy, and Kim's gonna have to decide if she wants to be fun Giselle or partnership track Kim.March 22, 2016 at 12:16PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
MrVickiValeI don't know, she is one character whose future is uncertain. We know what happens to Jimmy, we know what happens to Mike, but we don't know for sure what the future holds for Kim, other than she will no longer be a part of Jimmy/Saul's life by the time Walter White comes on the scene.March 22, 2016 at 1:28PM ESTLike (4)Latest Likes:4 Anonymous
-
DaxMaybe, but not necessarily. What happens to Kim, Chuck, Howard, and Nacho is an open question, yes, but they don't ALL have to be dead or 'gone' during BB... We didn't see them, but we didn't spend THAT much time with Saul and Mike on their own... We were following Walt, Jesse, Skyler, Hank, and Marie more...March 22, 2016 at 1:56PM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
andreiYou may not be alone, but I would respectfully disagree about Kim - she is one of the most well-rounded and self-aware female characters currently on TV. She knows her situation, and isn't shy about taking whatever actions she needs to improve it. My favorite line of the season so far her her telling Jimmy "You don't get to save me - I save me!"March 22, 2016 at 2:11PM ESTLike (16)Latest Likes:buster44jef14 Anonymous
-
LarryCKim is special in being a character we're supposed to care about who isn't in BB and we don't know why. We know basically what happens with Chuck, Howard and other characters at the law firms, Saul leaves their world, though other things might also happen to them. Perhaps Saul and Kim just split up, but it's not as obvious. Nacho might be the same Ignacio Saul once refers to in BB, though I guess they could ignore that pretty easily if necessary. And he's becoming an interesting character, but not as central, yet anyway.March 22, 2016 at 4:18PM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
DaxNacho is almost certainly the same Ignacio... It's assumed (I definitely believe 'correctly') that he was named for that piece of Saul's dialogue...March 22, 2016 at 6:07PM ESTLike (1)Latest Likes:1 Anonymous
-
EricI love Kim and Seehorn's performance. The recent spotlighting of her has been some of the best stuff on the show for me.March 28, 2016 at 9:37AM ESTLike (0)This comment has no likes--be the first!
-
Margo (guest)I loved the Hitchcockian feel of this episode: the emotional claustrophobia Kim, Mike, and Jimmy are experiencing, the cameo appearance of the Cousins (and the cameo appearances in this series in general), and the visual allusions to at least two Hitch films: The Cousins in ominous silhouette against a church in the background echoes Bruno Antony standing in front of the Jefferson Memorial in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, and criminal blood from a weapon swirling around Mike's sink and down the drain recalls the iconic scene of Marion Crane's blood in the bathtub drain after "Mother" butchers her in PSYCHO. Did anyone else notice Hitch's influence in this episode?March 22, 2016 at 10:30AM ESTReply to CommentLike (6)Latest Likes:6 Anonymous
-
Rear WindowGood eye. I didn't make the same connections as I was watching. But Gilligan loves movies, movies reference, movies lines, etc.March 22, 2016 at 9:07PM ESTLike (2)Latest Likes:2 Anonymous
-
StanfordFIt’s interesting how Jimmy’s life, in some ways, parallel Walt’s, beyond their shared need for coffee: His actions more and more driven by the “love of a good woman,” while resenting a successful stuffed-shirt who had tried to help him. Though we’ve learned that Jimmy is boxers and Walt is briefs, one man’s meth is another man’s squat cobbler.March 22, 2016 at 10:33AM ESTReply to CommentLike (6)Latest Likes:6 Anonymous