Better Recall Saul - "Pimento"

Jonathan Banks

Welcome to the new TV Recap series Better Recall Saul that chronicles the adventures of Better Call Saul and a young criminal lawyer as he cuts his teeth down in ABQ, and his Breaking Bad buddies might stop by to wish him luck. Feel free to join every Tuesday as the adventures unravel and the story behind one of the funniest and sleaziest lawyers in TV history begins to take form and remind us why he is such a great character in the first place. Is this spin-off meant for greatness, or is it the worst idea that AMC has ever done? You'll have to read on to find out the truth.

"You’re ‘Slippin’ Jimmy’! And Slippin’ Jimmy I 
could handle just fine, but Slippin’ Jimmy with 
a law degree is like a chimp with a machine gun!”

- Chuck McGill (Michael McKean)

Plot:

Things are looking up for Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) as Chuck makes a breakthrough with his electromagnetic illness. He can go outside with a special suit. He decides to go to the office and sabotages his brother's career by having the firm not accept him. During this time, Chuck also drains Jimmy's phone's battery, which puts him in an odd place. As he grows desperate, he finally gets answers from Chuck. Jimmy is not a particularly great person because Chuck feels that Jimmy cheating his way into being a lawyer is a bad thing. Meanwhile Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) teaches his veterinarian how to handle drug dealers by not carrying guns and keeping things simple. He tries not to be corrupt even while doing a dirty deed.

Rating:  3.5 out of 5

Bob Odenkirk

MVP:

Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk)

Is next week going to be the start of Saul Goodman? It seems like it after this week's shocking reveal that puts the two McGill brothers against each other. Still, it is an issue with Jimmy to be considered a legitimate lawyer in the face of nobody believing him. He wants to stand up for good and it shows in this episode. He believes that he is doing right after making a few issues here or there. In the traumatic final moments, he even provides probably one of his finest moments in the series so far when he nervously cries for forgiveness from his brother. Still, what is Jimmy exactly if he cannot have anything that he wants? It is a solid yet paranoid performance that makes him rather exceptional this week.

Best Scene

Up until this point, it seemed like the McGill brothers were going to work things out together. However, there's an unfortunate reveal in the third act that makes complete sense. The paranoia that Chuck has had this entire time wasn't for concern, but embarrassment that Jimmy is a sleazy con artist. In a moment packed with tension, the brothers duke it out with a few revelations that unveil something more profound and disturbing about their dynamic that changes our understanding of the two's relationship up to this point.