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[Ignatz Mouse]

This is the dumbest damn thing, but about 2/3 through the episode we see some chip bags in a machine and that Jimmy's eating from, and I'm pretty sure they're unchanged modern designs. Just took me a bit out of the ~2002 vibe.

Same here!

 

[hydruxo]

Hot DAMN. Chuck not only getting rekt, BUT WITH THE HELP OF SURPRISE HUEL!?!

This could't have possibly been better. And it's only mid-season.

Right?? This felt like it could've been a finale episode, and yet, we still have 5 episodes left. This season has been masterful so far.

 

[typist]

Another amazing episode, can't wait for next week. Maybe it's a little too soap-opera melodrama but it occurred to me, in the flashback when Rebecca answered the phone to her conductor -- his name was Andre. Like, Andre. A Greek name which literally means man.. dude seems like a prime candidate for some extra-marital action. In the last flashback with Rebecca we got to see how her relationship with Chuck was utterly devoid of romance, they probably stopped having sex a long time ago. But maybe she was always on the phone to some lover, and maybe Chuck was smart enough to realise she was having an affair, so maybe that's why he reacts so strongly to electricity? It's like a Pavlovian association thing:
Step1: wife always on the phone to lover, Chuck too insecure to confront her about it --> feels bad
Step2: eventually phones just --> feels bad
Step3: then everything electrical --> feels bad

It wouldn't even have to be a physical affair. Chuck might maybe interpret the good conversational chemistry that Rebecca had with Jimmy (and probably others) as something akin to an emotional affair, though in reality it's more like an emotional deficiency on Chuck's part, a stiff sense of humor and an inability to build relaxed rapport

 

[IggyChooChoo]

Chuck is right. That's the fundamental darkness to the show. Jimmy DOES lie and cheat and swindle in his practices, and even this disproving of Chuck was more evidence of that. Jimmy is a genius, but at the same time, a bit of a crook, and Chuck can see that, and it's why he hates him, because to Chuck the law is sacred.

Jimmy had to crush his brother in court using any and every trick he could, to save himself and shake Chuck from standing in his way any more. Because Chuck, even more so than Kim, is the only one who really sees through him for what he is. Crushing Chuck is the first dark disingenuous step to becoming Saul, even if sanctimonious spiteful Chuck has a come up uppance due.

The fact that Jimmy is incredible at this is fantastic to watch, and the fact Chuck does have a mental illness do not detract from that.

I love Jimmy and I'm rooting for him, but he is an anti hero just like Walter White, except even more stealthily..

I think this is what makes it all so bittersweet. Chuck may be too negative about Jimmy, but he is right that Jimmy should be disbarred. And Jimmy does love Chuck. You can see why Jimmy would admire Chuck for being disciplined and smart and reliable, the way their dad wasn't.

I think a theme that will get further attention down the road is the extent to which Jimmy genuinely cares about Kim. He may believe that what he did with Mesa Verde was for her, but I think it's more plausible that that's just what he tells himself. Really he did it because it's fun to pull a scam, and that pulling scams is what he loves best in life. I mean, he may care about her, but he has shown that he is absolutely willing to put Kim's career at risk for his scams, and that is a huge, huge problem for finding Jimmy a sympathetic character.

 

[Dark_castle]

LMAOOO i love the rant Chuck gave out at the end when he got "a little carried away" by the end of the episode. He defecated through the sunroof. hahahahaha

Better Call Saul is awesome.

 

[SDCowboy]

I think this is what makes it all so bittersweet. Chuck may be too negative about Jimmy, but he is right that Jimmy should be disbarred. And Jimmy does love Chuck. You can see why Jimmy would admire Chuck for being disciplined and smart and reliable, the way their dad wasn't.

I think a theme that will get further attention down the road is the extent to which Jimmy genuinely cares about Kim. He may believe that what he did with Mesa Verde was for her, but I think it's more plausible that that's just what he tells himself. Really he did it because it's fun to pull a scam, and that pulling scams is what he loves best in life. I mean, he may care about her, but he has shown that he is absolutely willing to put Kim's career at risk for his scams, and that is a huge, huge problem for finding Jimmy a sympathetic character.

Yeah it will be interesting, as time goes on, to see how Jimmy and Kim break up. She wasn't his GF/partner (or even in) for BB, so something must happen to her/them.

 

[hydruxo]

LMAOOO i love the rant Chuck gave out at the end when he got "a little carried away" by the end of the episode. He defecated through the sunroof. hahahahaha

Better Call Saul is awesome.

I loved how it zoomed in on him during his speech. In Chuck's head he thinks after he says all this shit that he's had pent up for years, everyone is going to just be on his side. Then it zooms out and the whole room is awkwardly silent and Chuck realizes he fucked up. So great. Made even better by that final shot of him staring dumbfounded at the exit sign.

 

[SDCowboy]

One thing I wish the show would touch more on this season, as near perfect as I think it is, is that Jimmy and Kim are a couple and not just business partners. It gets touched on from time to time (like them holding hands outside their firm, and the bathroom scene while getting ready together in their PJ's), but I wish they'd delve a bit deeper into it.

Like, does Chuck even know about it? I've always wondered that.

 

[Saganator]

One thing I wish the show would touch more on this season, as near perfect as I think it is, is that Jimmy and Kim are a couple and not just business partners. It gets touched on from time to time (like them holding hands outside their firm, and the bathroom scene while getting ready together), but I wish they'd delve a bit deeper into it.

I know what you mean, but I almost hope they don't go deeper with it, because it'll just hurt even more when they breakup/separate. I love Kim.

 

[SDCowboy]

I know what you mean, but I almost hope they don't go deeper with it, because it'll just hurt even more when they breakup/separate. I love Kim.

But does Chuck even know about the relationship? Is it just supposed to be assumed he does? I would think Chuck would try to play on that if he knew.

 

[Oathbreaker]

It doesn't matter if it's Jimmy's storyline or Mike's, this show is just amazing! What a great episode. It was kinda like "12 Angry Men" at the end.

 

[GhostTrick]

It doesn't matter if it's Jimmy's storyline or Mike's, this show is just amazing! What a great episode. It was kinda like "12 Angry Men" at the end.

That's what makes this show's amazing. I feel like watching two great interconnected shows that sometimes join and sometimes gets far from each others. And yet, both segments feels equally amazing for different reasons but with the same production values.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

One thing I wish the show would touch more on this season, as near perfect as I think it is, is that Jimmy and Kim are a couple and not just business partners. It gets touched on from time to time (like them holding hands outside their firm, and the bathroom scene while getting ready together in their PJ's), but I wish they'd delve a bit deeper into it.

Like, does Chuck even know about it? I've always wondered that.

I was actually thinking about this during that bathroom scene. I kinda like how ambiguous it is sometimes. Keeps it from going in a predictable direction of "Kim has to save Jimmy cause he's her boyfriend." I wouldn't be opposed to getting more though. These writers know what they're doing.

Could've sworn that in one of those episode post mortems this season, they said that different people in the writers room see Kim and Jimmy's relationship in different ways.

 

[SDCowboy]

I was actually thinking about this during that bathroom scene. I kinda like how ambiguous it is sometimes. Keeps it from going in a predictable direction of "Kim has to save Jimmy cause he's her boyfriend." I wouldn't be opposed to getting more though. These writers know what they're doing.

Could've sworn that in one of those episode post mortems this season, they said that different people in the writers room see Kim and Jimmy's relationship in different ways.

I also like that them being a couple is low key in the show, as it's not a romantic show, and I don't think Saul is supposed to be seen as a romantic character. I just wish it was touched on a tad more.

And if Chuck knows about it, I would think he would use that to his advantage somehow. It just seems odd that Chuck seems to either not know they're a couple, or just never mentions it or uses that.

 

[jerry113]

i actually felt a little sorry for chuck at the end

just a scared old man

 

[RecRoulette]

I also like that them being a couple is low key in the show, as it's not a romantic show, and I don't think Saul is supposed to be seen as a romantic character. I just wish it was touched on a tad more.

And if Chuck knows about it, I would think he would use that to his advantage somehow. It just seems odd that Chuck seems to either not know they're a couple, or just never mentions it or uses that.

I always saw it as Kim being an absolute professional and keeping business and her personal life separate (although since she's a lawyer living in her office trying to start a new firm, she barely has a personal life).

Thinking back to the conversations Kim and Chuck had, I'm pretty sure Chuck isn't that dense and knows that Kim and Jimmy are a thing.

 

[Nyx]

Damn that was another amazing episode, actually felt sorry for Chuck after his speech.

Great acting!

 

[Spikematic]

Holy shit, what an amazing episode. What masterclass acting! This one will go down as one of the greats. I love this show so fucking much.

 

[SDCowboy]

I always saw it as Kim being an absolute professional and keeping business and her personal life separate (although since she's a lawyer living in her office trying to start a new firm, she barely has a personal life).

Thinking back to the conversations Kim and Chuck had, I'm pretty sure Chuck isn't that dense and knows that Kim and Jimmy are a thing.

I don't think she lives at the firm. The bathroom scene with them together getting ready seemed to be at her apartment the two of them were/are living together in.

 

[Raw64life]

i actually felt a little sorry for chuck at the end

just a scared old man

Have they ever even hinted at how old Chuck and Jimmy are? The way they talk about their childhood it seems like they're relatively close in age but Chuck looks old enough to be Jimmy's dad.

 

[TimeEffect]

Fantastic episode, but the one thing I'm bothered by is that I find the sleight of hand to be way too hard to believe.

Huel inserting that into the inside of Chuck's pocket is just too silly, and there is far too big a risk that Chuck would find it.

Everything about that rested upon Huel placing the battery in the pocket, and this show tends to do that very often where a small, but critical set up is needed for the dominos to fall into place (like just the other week when Mike is shooting at the shoes)

 

[gun_haver]

Hasn't Nacho only been in one scene all season and didn't have a single line? I mean he got some screentime in that scene but I don't think he spoke, he just gave meaningful looks.

Really weird that he's been in the main cast from the start and hasn't really been in the show at all by season 3. He's basically just served as a henchman and sometime associate of Mike.

 

[rekameohs]

Fantastic episode, but the one thing I'm bothered by is that I find the sleight of hand to be way too hard to believe.

Huel inserting that into the inside of Chuck's pocket is just too silly, and there is far too big a risk that Chuck would find it.

Everything about that rested upon Huel placing the battery in the pocket, and this show tends to do that very often where a small, but critical set up is needed for the dominos to fall into place (like just the other week when Mike is shooting at the shoes)

Huell was already described as an elite pickpocket (and so, the reverse should be true) and that holds true in Breaking Bad. Jimmy's always flying by the seat of his pants, so he may have been able to work something out if things didn't work, but every time he's needed help from Mike or his associates, they've been nothing but professionals.

 

[GuessMyUserName]

God this week's episode seriously flew the hell by in no time, as the Exit sign was coming up I realized it was the end. Seriously intense, love it.

 

[MrBadger]

That was brilliant. Season 3 has hit it out of the park every week.

 

[TimeEffect]

Huell was already described as an elite pickpocket (and so, the reverse should be true) and that holds true in Breaking Bad. Jimmy's always flying by the seat of his pants, so he may have been able to work something out if things didn't work, but every time he's needed help from Mike or his associates, they've been nothing but professionals.

I guess that's fine, but Im still finding it happens too often

 

[Bandit1]

Looking ahead at what's in store for Chuck, things don't look good for him. I'm going to go into some speculation here and I guess I'll spoiler tag it in case some want to avoid speculation.

Spoiler

The episode ends with Chuck and an exit sign. I think this foreshadowing, in other words, Chuck is about to make his exit. Now I may be reaching here, but hear me out. Chuck has now been humiliated in front of his brother, his ex-wife, Hamlin, and the New Mexico bar. His mental health has been called into question. I can only see Chuck becoming more withdrawn after these events. And whether or not Chuck loses his license to practice law, I think Hamlin begins to distance HHM from the McGill name. Perhaps Hamlin and Chuck have a falling out because Chuck thinks Hamlin believes he's crazy. Chuck has alienated Ernesto and Jimmy, and I think his ex-wife will soon be leaving town. So without Jimmy, Ernesto, and Hamlin, who is going to bring him supplies? Kim possibly, but I can't see anyone else going there to bring him supplies, unless Hamlin sends someone, and then they would just be doing it as part of their job. So there we have Chuck isolated and alone. Now, the question is, what does Chuck have to live for? His brother has outsmarted him, his brother is practicing law, and he is not. He has no friends. I think that at the S3 finale we could be looking at Chuck's suicide, and therefore his "exit." I think the events of this episode and the fallout could drive him to take his own life. Kim, feeling guilty about how things went down, goes to check on him and finds him. She then tells Jimmy and says that "this is our fault." She realizes how far she's gone, helping Jimmy with his cover-up and lies to the bar. Jimmy, in denial and trying to divert blame from himself, tells Kim something like "he made his choice." Kim finally tells Jimmy she can't do this anymore and there we have Jimmy and Kim's split. Season 4 he kicks in to full Saul mode with the Walter White appearance in the S4 finale, and in season 5 we merge with the Breaking Bad timline, and move on through to the Cinnabon era to end the series.

 

[TimeEffect]

Btw how many episodes left and whats the end goal?

Is it up to the intro of Saul? Some point in saul's career? The end of saul?

I assume the end. I wonder how theyll dance around Walt then

 

[MegaManTrigger]

Chuck is completely indefensible after tonight's episode.

That's the face of a man who knows his creamy bullshit just fell out of his pockets and in front of his ex-wife to boot.

This and the beginning shot where Chuck enters the courtroom as one of the judges told him about the accommodations were amazing. It tells a story on its own: the beginning scene hints at Chuck's electrical illness not being as much of an illness as we think (he was closer to the exit sign and didn't feel the effects), and then the final shot speaks for itself.

 

[jett]

FUCK CHUCK

Best episode the season.

 

[Rymuth]

*mwah* *mwah*

That was...cathartic.

 

[Cornballer]

Looking ahead at what's in store for Chuck, things don't look good for him. I'm going to go into some speculation here and I guess I'll spoiler tag it in case some want to avoid speculation.

You don't need to spoiler tag speculation unless it's informed by what you've seen in a preview or interview.

Btw how many episodes left and whats the end goal?

In terms of numbers and not your narrative questions, there are five episode left in S3. Speculation for a while was that the show was going to run five seasons, but Gilligan and Gould seem a little more amenable to extending it further these days or continuing in another spinoff. They do note repeatedly that they have a finite amount of story to tell. My guess would be that we'll get 5-6 seasons of ten episodes.

 

[Donos]

Btw how many episodes left and whats the end goal?

Is it up to the intro of Saul? Some point in saul's career? The end of saul?

I assume the end. I wonder how theyll dance around Walt then

That's an interesting question but since they showed Saul in his undercover post BB life i bet they are getting to that timeline in the end. He will be catched by his past. Be it Kim, prosecuters or someone/something else. Somehow they are going to close the pre and post BB era together.

 

[Merriweather]

Another amazing episode, can't wait for next week. Maybe it's a little too soap-opera melodrama but it occurred to me, in the flashback when Rebecca answered the phone to her conductor -- his name was Andre. Like, Andre. A Greek name which literally means man.. dude seems like a prime candidate for some extra-marital action. In the last flashback with Rebecca we got to see how her relationship with Chuck was utterly devoid of romance, they probably stopped having sex a long time ago. But maybe she was always on the phone to some lover, and maybe Chuck was smart enough to realise she was having an affair, so maybe that's why he reacts so strongly to electricity? It's like a Pavlovian association thing:
Step1: wife always on the phone to lover, Chuck too insecure to confront her about it --> feels bad
Step2: eventually phones just --> feels bad
Step3: then everything electrical --> feels bad

It wouldn't even have to be a physical affair. Chuck might maybe interpret the good conversational chemistry that Rebecca had with Jimmy (and probably others) as something akin to an emotional affair, though in reality it's more like an emotional deficiency on Chuck's part, a stiff sense of humor and an inability to build relaxed rapport

That's kind of what I thought; hearing his ex-wife on the phone with another guy caused him to freak out out of jealousy.

And maybe his whole "condition" is just a crutch he's made up to cope with his wife leaving him.

 

[Pakkidis]

An episode that doesn't deal with the drug cartels and it was still amazing. Fantastic writing and directing all around. I never really appreciated the camera work on this show until I watch other shows and realize how much better this show really is.

 

[MrBadger]

Chuck reminds me of Walt in the opening scene. It's obvious when he's lying because he constructs this huge story about the neighbours instead of just saying the power's out.

Chuck in general is a bit like Walt, in the way that he's entirely motivated by pride, but keeps falling back on his justifications. "The law is sacred" is starting to sound like "I'm doing it for the family".

 

[LQX]

It is still not clear to me. Does Chuck have schizophrenia or was he outright just lying all these years that he is allergic to electricity?

 

[jett]

It is still not clear to me. Does Chuck have schizophrenia or was he outright just lying all these years that he is allergic to electricity?

He's a crazy person.

 

[forgeforsaken]

It is still not clear to me. Does Chuck have schizophrenia or was he outright just lying all these years that he is allergic to electricity?

He's mentally ill. The strength of his symptoms ties into how much stress/anxiety he has. When he's focused he tends to forget them or they are mitigated.

 

[Moff]

I didn't buy it, felt cheap to me

 

[RecRoulette]

I don't think she lives at the firm. The bathroom scene with them together getting ready seemed to be at her apartment the two of them were/are living together in.

Whoops, should've been more clear. Didn't mean she was literally living there, just that she's spent a ton of time there, and even her share of all-nighters (hence the montage of her getting ready at the gym).

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Death of the author, examples from the text:

While Chuck specifically claims the love of the law as his motive, we see via flashback two specific instances of Chuck resenting his brother getting more love/positive attention from female figures. Both their mother and Chuck's wife show evidence of liking Jimmy more. Moreover, the only purpose these scenes have *is* to demonstrate that resentment. There are no other significant pieces of information delivered in those scenes (except the fact that Chuck lies to Jimmy about their mother, which is consistent with this thesis and further evidence of resentment).

Vleek, you've gotten married to this Knight Templar interpretation, which is frankly more two-dimensional and cartoony that what's actually been shown on screen. Chuck's not Rorschach, and he hasn't shown this kind of zeal or laser-focus over anything else.

 

[minor effort]

He's mentally ill. The strength of his symptoms ties into how much stress/anxiety he has. When he's focused he tends to forget them or they are mitigated.

And when he's unaware of any source of electromagnetic activity (a cellphone battery in his own pocket) he's unaffected by it.

 

[Cornballer]

- Inside Better Call Saul Episode 5 (AMC vid)
- Los Pollos Hermanos Employee Training with Gus Fring: Code of Conduct (AMC youtube)
- AMC Q&A: Lavell Crawford (Huell Babineaux)

 

[IggyChooChoo]

Chuck reminds me of Walt in the opening scene. It's obvious when he's lying because he constructs this huge story about the neighbours instead of just saying the power's out.

Chuck in general is a bit like Walt, in the way that he's entirely motivated by pride, but keeps falling back on his justifications. "The law is sacred" is starting to sound like "I'm doing it for the family".

There are times I get shades of the Walt/Jesse dynamic in the proud master/unworthy apprentice that Chuck has with Jimmy. People speculating Chuck will commit suicide -- what if he goes postal at HHM? If Chuck feels Howard believes Jimmy over him, I could see it happening. Withhout the law, Chuck has nothing and no one, and he's mentally ill. Jimmy changing his name suggests something a lot more ominous than mere embarrassment.

 

[sfedai0]

Hope we get this Chuck business outta the way soon. I need to see how he transitions in to slimy Saul Goodman.

 

[Chase17]

Amazing episode. The acting in this show is so well done. Both Chuck and Jimmy are in a bad place.

I even feel bad for being happy/relieved when Chuck was exposed. I can't fault him for denying the existence of his mental disease. I think they did a good job of transitioning his rant from hooray, Jimmy will win, to painful as it goes on and we see how bad of a state Chuck is in.

 

[Spieler Eins]

That's what makes this show's amazing. I feel like watching two great interconnected shows that sometimes join and sometimes gets far from each others. And yet, both segments feels equally amazing for different reasons but with the same production values.

This made me realize that Yakuza 0 is Better Call Saul with martial arts.

 

[JustinBB7]

Amazing episode, another brilliant plan by Jimmy, and Chuck breaking was amazingly well acted. The entire episode was. Actually really hyped for next ep now. Also knew straight away Huell would come after the vet said something about the tight space. Glad he's back.

Goddamn was this episode satisfying.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FuckChuck/

The official Chuck sub is so happy right now.

"I fucked Ted" lmao

 

[liftedly]

I think I saw someone in this thread imply that Chuck was right about the billboard thing. Wasn't that a genuine accident? Did I miss something?