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

[joshEH]

Evidently tonight's Labor Day episode runs an extended 1hr 15mins, so heads up, everybody.

 

[joshEH]

God, this is sad...tearing into the old girl like this.

...And also, he's wrecking the office, too!

 

[TravisR]

My continuity loving heart is all a flutter.

 

[joshEH]

Phone body-count: 1

The fact that Jimmy wears the high-visibility vest when no one is even around makes him a top-notch employee.

 

[joshEH]

SUPERLAB

Also: Lalo!

 

[TravisR]

SUPERLAB

That's what they want to build but isn't it about 5 years too early for the superlab? I guess there's nothing to say that it couldn't have been down there for a while or had different equipment from when we saw Gale unloading the equipment but I always thought the lab was pretty new when Walt got to it.

 

[joshEH]

^ Yeah, and also Gus didn't want to do business with that guy because he bragged about other business he's done. He's probably the guy who sprang El Chapo.

Watching the scene just now with Mike at the laundry, preparing to find someone to dig out the area for the lab, really shows you how much work was put into this operation with Pollos Hermanos and Gus. Walt destroyed it in one year; I feel like I should have more respect for Walt now?

 

[joshEH]

Yessss!! Two packs of chips!! Go Bill!

PETTY WITH A PRIOR

 

[joshEH]

Kim Wexler, Attorney-at-Law, Life Coach

"Because you're annoying me" is the simplest line that Kim has ever said, and also now my favorite.

 

[TravisR]

Street Life!

 

[joshEH]

The DOGHOUSE!!

This is exactly like Jesse's meth-slingin' montage, but with phones. Also, he went all the way back to the nail salon to pick up the track-suit. Nice.

Street Life!

Yeah, both The Venture Bros. and Better Call Saul recently had "Street Life" by The Crusaders. What a crossover!

 

[joshEH]

If only Jimmy was in Baltimore to help out the Barksdale crew.

Does Jimmy hire those bikers to send those kids to Belize?

 

[joshEH]

I would think Jimmy had most of his money in the car at the end, there. He had gotten in the car, and then gotten back out to talk to the bikers. He only sold four phones (that we saw) when those jerks mugged him.

Maybe they'll get caught doing something, and Kim will end up representing them.

 

[joshEH]

"I can't go to jail"

Has literal bars over her windows

 

[joshEH]

I like this German dude. I wonder if he works for the office that created Franch.

 

[joshEH]

George Costanza always wanted to be an architect.

Now is his time.

 

[joshEH]

"Are you associating with any known criminals?"

Not yet.

Also, Howard has gone from Hamlindigo to dark navy...

 

[joshEH]

The previous episodes this season seemed to be about the characters feeling trapped. Jimmy had no law-license, and has been stuck bouncing a ball against a cellphone store-window, Kim's career was going in a direction she didn't approve of, Nacho fucked up and was stuck doing whatever Gus wanted, and Mike was bored enough to do his fake-job for fun. I think this episode marked quite a lot of movement for the first time. Kim is finding her sense of justice again in being a public defender, Mike is doing actual work again, and Jimmy is becoming shadier.

The scene at the very beginning with "Saul" panicking before calling Ed the Cleaner was the most "Jimmy" version of Saul Goodman I think we've ever seen in the Breaking Bad timeline. And the scene with "Jimmy" selling phones to that shady contractor was the most "Saul" version of Jimmy McGill we've seen in the run of Better Call Saul.

What's amazing is that, again, this was the first scene we've seen in the future Breaking Bad timeline, and yet it feels like they've already solidly built upon both stories in either chronological direction. Excellent episode.

Also:

- Saul evidently kept the GoPhone companies in business single-handedly.

- I love the parallel of Jimmy and Kim, who are both into their side "jobs" so much in order to avoid bringing up the lingering "Chuck discussion" so far this season. And also how incredibly screwed-up they now are. The lady with the broken arm is the one taking care of somebody.

- The song playing in CC Mobile was the same song playing in the diner on Breaking Bad in "Boxcutter," when Walt and Jesse were wearing the Kenny Rogers T-shirts. That damned song is going to drive me insane now.

- Also, did anybody else think that was Jesse's bagged lowrider at the beginning of the Dog House-scene?

 

[TravisR]

Also, Howard has gone from Hamlindigo to dark navy...

It looks like Jimmy ruined that poor bastard's life.

The scene at the very beginning with "Saul" panicking before calling Ed the Cleaner was the most "Jimmy" version of Jimmy McGill I think we've ever seen in the Breaking Bad timeline. And the scene with "Jimmy" selling phones to that shady contractor was the most "Saul" version of Jimmy McGill we've seen in the run of Better Call Saul.

What's amazing is that this was the first actual view of Saul Goodman ever seen in this show. And he wasn't Saul. He was still Jimmy.

There's the scene later in the episode where Jimmy said "What the hell is the matter with me?" and it's hard to not imagine him thinking the same thing as he's alone in his office as his life as Saul Goodman is falling apart.

 

[joshEH]

What I love here is that they don't write Howard like a stereotypical archetype of a successful guy with impeccable swagger who's also a piece of shit underneath it all. He's actually a decent person who you want to see continue in his success, despite a privileged background.

When I saw Howard in that condition, man, that was terrible. A big thought I had was that I really hope he doesn't end up killing himself because of his guilt. I would be heartbroken. Jimmy has unwittingly sabotaged himself by giving Howard a problem he can't deal with. Howard's therapist isn't helping him, which means Jimmy is going to forego even the possibility of getting real help. It's sad.