Better Call Saul - Season 4 (AMC) (1 Viewer)

[WillG]

If the letter is a fake, I don't think Jimmy would even care that much. He wouldn't like being lied to but I think he's stopped caring about anything- good or bad- that Chuck had to say and so I don't see a fake letter designed to protect him as being a breaking point for his relationship with Kim.

I don’t know, I think Kim is the one person that Jimmy trusts and values. If he found out she was lying to him as well, who knows.

Yet another drummer gave up their band and went to law school.

Took me some time to figure this one out but is this a Gilmore Girls reference? I didn’t really watch the show, but my wife loved it and it was on before “24” on Mondays. So the deal was if I watched GG with her, she would watch 24 with me.

 

[TravisR]

Took me some time to figure this one out but is this a Gilmore Girls reference?

Yep.

 

[Tommy R]

I never would have guessed that Kim re-wrote that letter, but totally makes sense at the suggestion. Glad I have all of you on here to figure this shit out for me! I noticed Lane immediately. My wife made me watch GG all the way through, TWICE.

 

[TravisR]

I never would have guessed that Kim re-wrote that letter, but totally makes sense at the suggestion. Glad I have all of you on here to figure this shit out for me!

The idea makes sense but until it's actually stated in the show, I wouldn't assume that's what happened. We've seen Kim convincingly scam people before but her tears seemed real to me and coming from a place of relief that it wasn't a final cruelty from Chuck than an act to sell a bogus letter.

 

[joshEH]

Someone on another site just posted a theory that Kim went to the courthouse to check previously-filed versions of Chuck's will, and found a previous draft of the letter Chuck wrote, and gave Jimmy that, while hiding the one Chuck actually left him in the end.

The letter seems like something Chuck might've written while in a more favorable mood during the period when Jimmy was doing well in the mailroom, but before Chuck found out about law school. The letter being undated makes sense here, too.

 

[TravisR]

The letter being undated makes sense here, too.

The writers didn't mention that it was undated by accident either. However, you could say that the lack of date means that Kim made sure to be vague so it wouldn't conflict with anything between Jimmy and Chuck that she didn't know about or they wanted it vague so they didn't have to deal with any current or future continuity issues.

 

[Tommy R]

My first thought on Kim's breakdown was that she was relieved that the letter was nice and felt guilty on thinking badly of Chuck and maybe even how she reacted to Howard. But I definitely think there's more to it since there was that un-followed up on reference to her going to court and I'm sure they will spell it out in a future episode.

A different thought about something said on Talking Saul last year, will spoiler tag it just in case some would rather not know, since I haven't heard anything about it since.

Spoiler

It was said that Michael McKean will appear in flashback form and being 3 episodes in now I'm thinking they may be saving it for the end of the season perhaps. Anyone think the whole letter thing will factor in to whatever flashbacks they do?

 

[WillG]

My first thought on Kim's breakdown was that she was relieved that the letter was nice and felt guilty on thinking badly of Chuck and maybe even how she reacted to Howard. But I definitely think there's more to it since there was that un-followed up on reference to her going to court and I'm sure they will spell it out in a future episode.

Yeah, I think if Kim breaking down like that just over guilt of misjudging Chuck doesn't seem significant enough to end the episode on. I have to think that what Jimmy read wasn't the letter that Kim received from Howard. It can't be, how does a nice, final letter from Chuck advance Jimmy's descent into becoming Saul? There's got to be something larger at play.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

No way is that letter written by Chuck at any time, imo. And Kim breaking down, as Josh points out, was her overcome thinking about what the real letter said and knowing she delivered a total fantasy.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Guys,

I am not disbelieving anything that is being touted here...

But are how are we, the audience, supposed to figure out that Kim rewrote that letter?! There is no indication of that given to the viewer.

Outside of the letter being more favorable than you would expect, the writers don't make it at all obvious that shenanigans are at play here.

Your theories seem very plausible and I hope that they are revealed in flashbacks so that the rest of the world can figure out what you guys have already,

 

[Walter Kittel]

Not sure where I stand on the issue of the letter, but it doesn't seem like something that Chuck (at least the Chuck we have witnessed) would have written. Kim's reaction is a bit of a puzzler as well, but I suspect we will find out more as the season progresses.

Loved how a simple heist could go wrong and Jimmy's improvised rescue.

Nice seeing Gale again. I don't think we ever saw him at a Chemistry Lab in BB. When I saw where Gustavo was headed and the Chemistry Lab signs in the building, I knew something was up.

Surprised no one has commented on the most disturbing thing in the episode (well, maybe the second most disturbing thing after Nacho taking his lumps )...

Hated seeing that 442 get trashed.

- Walter.

 

[TravisR]

Not sure where I stand on the issue of the letter, but it doesn't seem like something that Chuck (at least the Chuck we have witnessed) would have written.

No but I think the writers wanted to surprise people- nearly everyone (viewers and the characters on the show) expected the letter to be something horrible but it was actually a kind farewell and showed a different & better side of Chuck.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

We're all just speculating at this point about the letter, but we know, from past experience with these creators, that it will play a factor later and more will be revealed.

 

[Michael Henry]

When I saw where Gustavo was headed and the Chemistry Lab signs in the building, I knew something was up.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up for about 2 seconds when I saw...school...chemistry lab...but then i realized it didn't fit the BB timeline and dismissed it - yes, all in the span of 2 seconds...

 

[MarkMel]

I don't think Kim rewrote the letter. I think Jimmy rewrote it as he was reading it. And Kim knew that and was heartbroken over it.

 

[John Lee_275604]

I could be wrong, but I think you guys are way over-narrating the letter situation.

It was written, by Chuck at an earlier, less contentious, time. It wasn't as confrontational as a letter may have been if Chuck penned it on his deathbed, but it was a platitudinous work one would expect Chuck to author to soften the blow of being effectively written out of the will in more ordinary times.

Kim is emotional because she wants to be smart and helpful and prepared to provide whatever Jimmy needs at the moment. It's her organized and analytical side confronting the mystery of Jimmy's current emotional state.

She was ready, with steely resolve, for the letter to be a bombshell, and Jimmy to be crestfallen, and for her to be the rock for him to lean on.

She wasn't ready for the letter to be a moot piece of nothing, . . . and the REALLY wasn't ready for Jimmy to be utterly checked out. She's in tears because she KNOWS, deep down, something is very wrong and very broken, . . . but she has no idea what, or how to deal.

Kim's emotional reaction is confusion and dread in the face of Jimmy's big check-out. It's not more labyrinthine or convoluted than that.

 

[TravisR]

I could be wrong, but I think you guys are way over-narrating the letter situation.

It was written, by Chuck at an earlier, less contentious, time. It wasn't as confrontational as a letter may have been if Chuck penned it on his deathbed, but it was a platitudinous work one would expect Chuck to author to soften the blow of being effectively written out of the will in more ordinary times.

Kim is emotional because she wants to be smart and helpful and prepared to provide whatever Jimmy needs at the moment. It's her organized and analytical side confronting the mystery of Jimmy's current emotional state.

She was ready, with steely resolve, for the letter to be a bombshell, and Jimmy to be crestfallen, and for her to be the rock for him to lean on.

She wasn't ready for the letter to be a moot piece of nothing, . . . and the REALLY wasn't ready for Jimmy to be utterly checked out. She's in tears because she KNOWS, deep down, something is very wrong and very broken, . . . but she has no idea what, or how to deal.

Kim's emotional reaction is confusion and dread in the face of Jimmy's big check-out. It's not more labyrinthine or convoluted than that.

That's basically what I was trying to say but you said it in a much smarter & better way.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Very well stated, John.

We can only assume what the writers have revealed to us thus far. If there is to be a future flashback that shows Kim rewriting that letter then so be it.

 

[joshEH]

Mike just scared all the grief-group members.

 

[joshEH]

The shrink is gonna be Dave. Calling it now.