between_time_and_42 | Entries tagged with bcs rewatch

Fall: ...and fall Kim does, asleep that is, leading to her car crash... and fall Irene does in the good standing of her friends. This is the only time in my rewatch when I've truly wanted to skip to the next scene, because the way Jimmy USES this poor old woman, just because he wants a cut of the deal, breaks my heart. I could hardly watch it the first time! I will say, as soon as I saw his sneakers, I did think "oh my GOD those look comfy af," and I laughed at him pulling out her exact size from among thousands of other boxes in his trunk- just how much money did he have to blow to make sure his scheme went off without a hitch? But the scheme itself... god... This isn't the first truly deplorable act that Jimmy has done- that would be gaslighting his brother into thinking he'd made a mistake with the Mesa Verde documents. But I still rooted for him then, because Chuck is a stuck-up prick and it felt like sticking it to him, plus Jimmy's intent behind it was to help Kim. This time, however, he isolated this poor lady from her friends and convinced them to turn on her just because it benefited him, because it was HIS money and he wanted it NOW. It was actually very satisfying to see Howard call Jimmy out on that- he's so precise and controlled most of the time that his anger was refreshing, especially since Jimmy well deserved it. Howard in general was great in this episode- I laughed when he assumed Chuck's letter was announcing his retirement and asked his assistant to plan the party, then he actually read the letter and his face just DROPPED. "Dammit, Chuck" was so perfect for that moment. As soon as I saw the letter I thought "Oh no, I bet Chuck's gone off the deep end and he's going to sue Howard." Next scene: "You're suing your own firm?!" I noticed Chuck and Kim are both overextending themselves to their detriment in this episode. Chuck, thinking so highly of himself, assumes that if he's made progress with his condition, he must be cured all the way, and so he forces himself into situations that he's not truly ready for. Kim, on the other hand, is practically driving herself into an early grave (almost literally!) due to a combination of pressure to look good for Mesa Verde, and guilt over what she did to Chuck, and determination to keep the firm afloat and pay for the office, just like Jimmy wants. The shadows under her eyes spoke for themselves. I will say, though, she looked AMAZING in that desert scene. The suit really flattered her. On a final note, Nacho and his dad reminded me of something... but I'm not sure what. Need to think. And... I realized in his penultimate episode that the reason Michael McKean's acting in this series is so good, is that it doesn't feel like he's acting. I've seen interviews with him and he talks almost exactly like Chuck sometimes, though he certainly doesn't say the same things Chuck says!

Lantern: I just finished watching this episode and I am Shook so it might be hard for me to formulate thoughts into words. I'll edit this post later with some more relevant/coherent thoughts. All I can say is... WOW the scenes with Chuck are every bit as powerful as I remember, I think they could be spliced together to make a short film. The music especially is PERFECT. It angers me and saddens me simultaneously to think that all he needed to do was talk to his doctor, but of course he never would rely on her counsel, he's a prideful man and he wants to figure out his own problems. Kim Wexler getting some R&R... we love to see it. Thank god Jimmy made things right for Irene, but he also made things EPICALLY wrong for himself- burned down every bridge entirely. He's really running up that hill right about now. And I honestly think Gus saving Hector is one of my favorite moments in the whole show, because of COURSE he would do that. He can't let Hector slip away when he's not the one to cause it. I really want to know what he was saying when he gave him chest compressions... was it "don't you die on me" in Spanish, or something like that?

Current Mood: Taken aback

...and slip Jimmy does, true to his old Cicero scam name. It had to HURT to resort to that old trick, and I bet the store owners saw right through it. But at least he got what he wanted... even if it was at the cost of a hurt back... I just wanted to yell at Jimmy when he insisted to Kim that he'll keep holding up his end. God DAMMIT, now is not the type to be all macho! You can afford to take a break if you need it! Now look what you've done, she's overworking herself just to make ends meet. I swear, sometimes this man is just as prideful as Chuck.

This episode always made me root for Chuck, as much of a bastard as he is... just because it's satisfying to see him finally getting some help for his condition. I actually use something similar to his calming technique on a nearly-daily basis, so I always really liked that part. And I actually managed to feel emotional when he was talking about wanting to have a dinner party and invite hundreds of guests once he's better... I just have to ask, though... does he have ANY friends? Besides Howard, I mean. And there's also a tragic air about his optimism, because we all know it goes down the toilet once Jimmy fucks him over for good and he ends up relapsing. Hell, he was even starting to sound regretful over the way he's acted, which, while it wasn't an admission of wrongdoing or an apology to Jimmy, is certainly SOME amount of progress... But then once he realizes what Jimmy did to him, he cuts him off for good (I need to rewatch the last two episodes of this season to get a good grip on his motives, but this is how I always interpreted it- he didn't mean what he said, he just realized that if Jimmy still has such animosity for him, he's better off without Jimmy in his life), and then the guilt of rejecting his brother causes him to relapse and he ultimately ends up killing himself. God, it's such a tragedy. And it really couldn't have ended any other way, because that's just how the two McGill boys were and always will be.

Nacho's pill-swapping scene was so tense- I didn't remember it being tense, but Michael Mando REALLY sold the performance, especially with how his hands were shaking as he filled the pill bottle. In the last episode, Mike's motives were unclear to me, but now it all makes sense now that he's found the Good Samaritan. And now he and Gus are properly teaming up... Yessssss.

This episode just straight up depresses me, until the very last scene. Jimmy's going through it, man. Interesting to compare his sad little post-community service self-care routine, with Kim's morning routine as she gets ready for the day. Both are at the end of their rope, working so hard... and for what? I'm dreading seeing what happens to Kim in a few episodes' time, and as for Jimmy... My god, if I didn't know his little crocodile tears moment at the end was all a ploy to punish Chuck (there is no way in HELL he ever would have said "I pretend not to care, but I do" because he does NOT care about Chuck at this point), that would have really hit hard. Poor dude is losing money like crazy. Have I mentioned before that Jimmy is the king of fucking himself over? Because he really, really is. And I feel like he might have some mental issues just like Chuck- not to Chuck's extent, but the way he starts to slip in the bar while he and Kim are people-watching, and his complicated love-hate relationship with Chuck... it all adds up. Y'know, I feel like I might end up writing a fic after I complete my rewatch, just to delve into Jimmy's psyche.

Can't BELIEVE Pryce is back. Ugh. Although I cracked up at one his lines, when he asked if Nacho was here to steal his baseball cards. Mike's subplot here was very strange- I don't see the point of it so far. His interaction with Anita... something about it felt so uncomfortable, but I can't put my finger on it. And I still have no idea what to make of Kaylee's mother.

That 5 minute nap Kim took in her car... I've been there, and I HATE it. Her guilt over what she and Jimmy did to Chuck also shapes her character significantly- I need to look out for that in the upcoming season.

The moment with the makeup girl trying to give her money to Jimmy got me emotional. Someone help this man, he won't help himself.

Man, this was a GOOD one. I must have completely forgotten about it in the wake of "Chicanery," because it pretty much begins as the falling action to "Chicanery" (Chuck's outburst being the climax), but then it becomes something even better.

First off, the beginning of the episode proper (minus the opening with Nacho) damn near made me cry, with Rebecca knocking on Chuck's door and Chuck being curled up next to it, too embarrassed to face her. Rebecca was right- "He's mentally ill. What's YOUR excuse?" Jimmy totally did lie to her. He only wanted her there so Chuck would be thoroughly humiliated. Now Jimmy is burning his bridges, and by the end of the season, Chuck burns his as well (along with his house...). It's devastating, because they could have mended fences, but after the whole trial hearing, their relationship is just shattered. God it hurts so MUCH to see.

FINALLY Nacho starts getting a character arc... I love my boy. Still can't stand Mark Magolis as Hector Salamanca... it worked better when he was in the wheelchair and didn't have to say anything in that horrid accent. I did laugh at "He only had to do six months! He's gonna be there FOREVER!" *knocks stuff over and flips table*

Totally forgot Lydia makes an appearance so soon! Wow.

The scene where Chuck is going out into the world looking like a goddamn nutcase with his space blanket hoodie... that was shot REALLY well! I love the way they emphasized the lights and all the glowing signs, because that's exactly how Chuck would view it in his mind. I really found myself rooting for him to get better, as much as I can't stand him.

And finally, Saul Goodman appears! I think Kim just got the first taste of Jimmy's TRULY seedy side, and she is disturbed. Jimmy didn't want her to see that side of him. And let's just say- Jimmy should have been a director, NOT a lawyer.

*clears throat*

YOU THINK THIS IS BAD? THIS- THIS CHICANERY?

HE DEFECATED THROUGH A SUNROOF!

AND HE GETS TO BE A LAWYER? WHAT A SICK JOKE!

Even if this episode wasn't a fantastic one, it would certainly be memorable JUST for the memes it's provided. Though the memes really haven't extended past the BCS fandom, but nonetheless... Just call it Chuckposting.

There's a reason that speech is so quoted, though- it's delivered so well! And the camerawork is so good, man... you hardly even notice the slow zoom until the camera is right up against Chuck's face, demonstrating just how absorbed he is in his own world, how obsessed this feud with Jimmy has made him. You love the law so much, Chuck? Why don't you marry it?

(Speaking of Chuck & marriage, I still don't understand why Jimmy invited Rebecca to the hearing. My first thought was to humiliate him, but I don't think Kim would have been on board if that was the reason.)

Also, hey, this episode had no interference from Mike's storyline whatsoever! I must say I'm happy about that.

Ever notice how the fifth episode of each season opens with a flashback (or, in season 5's case, a flashforward)? And every premiere opens with a flashforward, and every finale opens with a flashback.

Jimmy: WITNESS ME!!!!!

Chuck, Howard, and the PI guy: WITNESSED!!!!!

Jimmy's rage-fueled bender at the end of this episode is a sight to BEHOLD, and probably the first scene in the show where Bob Odenkirk REALLY gets to show off his acting chops. My blood ran cold at the line "tell me or I'll burn this whole house down." In retrospect, there are SO many lines like that that hint at what's to become of Chuck... Speaking of Chuck, GOD THIS GUY IS AN ASSHOLE AND I HATE HIM. When Howard said "it's been 8 days," I literally started pointing at the screen and shouting "He's insane! This dude is insane!" Like, seriously, that was a RISKY gamble to pull off, and I was glad Howard got to say something about it, because Chuck isn't even doing this because Jimmy broke the law- this is personal. He's getting back at his older brother for having ten times the charm and ten fewer scruples than he does. He's getting back at him because his parents preferred Jimmy. He's getting back at him because he charmed over his wife even when Chuck needed someone on his side at that moment. I don't think he truly hates his brother... but god, the amount of time spent OBSESSING over him is seriously unhealthy at this point.

Gus is extra as fuck. He sends Mike on a wild goose chase to go catch him and talk to him, but instead of meeting him face to face he leaves a cell phone out in the desert for Mike to find and waits until the precise moment for Mike to come by to call him, so it rings as soon as Mike finds it. So... now Gus is in the story, FINALLY!! I love Gus. Yes he's a bad person but I love him as a character. I remember freaking out the first time it showed his face in this episode, but now I realized, he's actually shown out of focus in the background before Jimmy sees him face to face. Which is even cooler, really. As soon as I saw it this time, I went, "That's Gus!" I hope Mike's storyline will pick up from here because this is the second time I nearly fell asleep while watching it.

The first time I saw this, I forgot that Francesca was a character in Breaking Bad, and I still think it's a little contrived and unnecessary for her to have started as Jimmy and Kim's secretary. I thought it was hilarious how you could still hear her talking in the background about Cracker Barrel when Jimmy went to meet Kim in her office. Speaking of Kim... this episode has the most beautiful shot of her (and I'm not saying "most" as in "most excellent" a la Bill and Ted, but I mean, I think that she looks more beautiful in this shot than in any other part of the show, it's a very specific shot that I have screencaps of).

Fuck Chuck. Couldn't let Jimmy share a nice childhood memory for two seconds before reminding him how much he resents him. Where's Gus? For that matter, where's Nacho? I'm getting impatient. Mike's storyline is only interesting to me when those two are involved. Kim's character is developing beautifully- this season was the one where I felt genuinely scared for her the most. I think Los Pollos Hermanos comes back in the next episode, so I better be prepared to feel hungry.

Nailed: The way Chuck's electromagnetic sensitivity was depicted in this episode was great! Especially in the courtroom scene, where as he gets less confident, the hum of the electric lights gradually fades up in the background. The condition is, after all, tied to Chuck's anxiety. The ending also really put me in his shoes and made me feel like the lights and the electricity and everything was burning him. The head-hit on the counter made me cringe. I can't wait for the opening of next episode, as that's the finest portrayal of his condition in the show and an outstanding showcase for Michael McKean's acting. He was no slouch in this episode though, and man... seeing him face off against Rhea Seehorn's Kim was AMAZING. I can't even imagine what it must feel like for those two to be acting opposite one another- they must be constantly awed by the other's performance. As I've mentioned before, Ms. Seehorn is EXCELLENT at acting without words. You could tell, every time the camera cut to her face, exactly what she was feeling and thinking. You could see her starting to hear Chuck out, then slowly coming to believe his side of the story, because she knows Jimmy just as well as Chuck knows him, and she KNOWS this is something he would do. Chuck is 100% in the right here- and yet, Jimmy knew that the way he'd explain it would make him look like the arrogant prick he is. That was an evil genius move. He KNEW Chuck wouldn't be able to let it go, to concede that maybe his mind has played a trick on him. Basically, Jimmy is gaslighting his own brother, and it sucks- but in Jimmy's mind, this is all okay because it means Kim gets what she deserves. So much of Jimmy's character this season revolves around living and dying by Kim's hand. He LOVES her. (But who wouldn't? Side note, Kim looked so cute in that sweater and jeans with her hair done up...) As for Mike's story... Mike done fucked up, and I kind of enjoy that, because he was such a stone cold badass in Breaking Bad. Nothing ever got past him. But this time, something did, and he has to pay the price. I can't WAIT for his impending team-up with Gus... ahhh...

Klick: So the McGill brothers aren't so different, eh? Both use social engineering and emotional manipulation to get what they want. Last episode, Jimmy exploited Chuck's pride and desire to be on the right side of things, and in this episode, Chuck took it a step further and exploited his brother's soft spot for him. He's become the new evil genius, and I can't wait to see them go head to head in season 3. I forgot that the hospital scene (which is super hard to watch, I kept cringing throughout- not from embarrassment, but from discomfort at imagining myself in that position) isn't the episode opener- instead it's a flashback to when the McGill matriarch was on her deathbed. The moment Chuck refused to tell Jimmy his mother's last words out of spite was probably the moment he lost all sense of goodwill towards Jimmy. Again I say... Jimmy drops everything to take care of Chuck, but when does Chuck EVER show that kind of love and support for Jimmy? I can think of exactly one scene coming up that shows that (and even then, Chuck's self-centeredness shines through). I just... ugh. Can't stand the character, can't help feeling sorry for him at the same time. Also, I keep forgetting to mention it but I HATE THE WAY HE TALKS TO ERNESTO!! Other moments from this episode that stood out were Nacho looking fly as fuck in that suit- very suave, very gangster- and Kim's reaction when Jimmy tells her to make coffee for his clients. That's the SECOND time she's had to suffer that humiliation (first was when Chuck told her to make coffee for him, because he can't use the coffeemaker due to its electricity). Mike's plot continues to be the most boring thing on earth, so I am even more excited for Gus' arrival in the story. I keep forgetting to mention it, again, but one thing that's always bugged me is hearing characters pronounce Hector's name as "Heck-ter" instead of "Eck-tore." But maybe I'm getting it wrong- I don't speak Spanish.

For those who aren't aware, I've begun my Better Call Saul rewatch and have been regularly blogging it on Tumblr. Now that the weekend is over, my blogging shall proceed here. I didn't review last night's episode because I was falling asleep during it, so here are two writeups to make up for it.

Inflatable: I'm left wondering what Kim's life was like before BCS. She says she came from a tiny Midwestern town, and with the way her life was headed before she decided to go to law school, she would have ended up as a cashier at a supermarket or married to the guy who ran the gas station. In a flashback scene, she's shown being treated unfairly by her careless mother, and in another scene she admits that she and her mother moved around a lot because they got evicted frequently. What I want to know is, did she ever commit crimes? Did she pull scams like Jimmy did and is that why she loves what she does with Jimmy? I think that aspect of her character feels odd throughout this season because it was only hinted at once in the first season, so that would go a long way in explaining it. Anyway, Kim makes me want to wrap my arms around her and just... cover her face in kisses. She's GORGEOUS. And Rhea Seehorn is a masterful actress. Her silence speaks louder than anything. The other standout aspects of this episode were the "inflatable" montage- I actually ended up hating Jimmy so much, whereas the first time I saw it I think I was more amused than cringing. I know he only took the job because he thought he'd have a better chance with Kim if he did, and it was never going to work out for him. But YIKES, man. I feel so sorry for Cliff, who really is a good guy. And Jimmy really is an asshole. (Speaking of good guys, Omar is the BEST. I wish we'd seen more of him later, I can't remember how much of a presence he ends up having.) Honestly, though, I understand that Jimmy leaving Davis and Main is pretty much in line with his entire character, starting from when he was a kid stealing out of the till. He just can't stop himself- if people have low expectations of him, he'll meet them, because he doesn't think he can do any better. When the grifter told him "there are wolves and sheep in this world, decide which one you're gonna be," he thinks FINE... my dad is a sheep, and I don't ever want to end up like him... so let me be a wolf if that's the only other way. (I also want to believe he stole the four dollars back because he believed his father didn't deserve that dirty money, but idk.) Speaking of the grifter, I was so shocked to learn that was Stephen Snedden- AKA, Jimmy Bond from The Lone Gunmen! Looks like Michael McKean wasn't the only TLG actor whose number Vince Gilligan hung onto after the show wrapped. Also... he's straight up hot now... Dude was always fine, but he aged VERY well.

Fifi: The last two episodes were missing Mr. McKean something bad. (I love the man, also his performance as Chuck is OUTSTANDING, almost as good as Ms. Seehorn as Kim.) So I was very satisfied with the office meeting scene where Chuck uses his classic passive-aggressiveness to win back his client. The whole time I was going "oh NO" because it meant Kim was losing her client, and "oh my god oh my god oh my GOD" because the acting was SO GOOD! I feel like I lost my entire mind over that. I'm not sure what to think of Chuck's statement at the end- when he thanks Jimmy for spending the night and says he would've done the same were their positions reversed. I think that's true... I want to believe it... because I think Chuck loves Jimmy as a brother and hates him as a lawyer... but WHEN does Chuck ever SHOW that he cares about Jimmy?? WHEN?! Besides that... the only thing that really stood out to me here was that Mike's subplot this season is boring AF. I can't wait until Gus shows up next season. He improves the entire story with his mere presence. Love that evil man. I will say about Mike's story, though, it's always adorable to watch him and Kaylee together. Hope Kaylee never grew up to realize what she was actually helping him make that day. I also can't wait to get more Nacho (next season is when his story really amps up, I think). Lastly, Jimmy's document switch is the first truly awful action he takes in this series, and although I don't like Chuck, this never sat right with me.