No he isn't. Not even remotely. I don't know how anyone is reaching this conclusion.
Because they knew they were being played too.What kind of confused me is why Irene would reneg on the settlement even with Jimmy being discovered. It's not as if her friends will now suddenly not give a shit about getting the money.
I think you were supposed to see Jimmy burning his scam by exposing himself to the seniors as a redemptive moment, and I don't think it's coincidental that we see Chuck die soon after.What was "his point all along"?
Chuck didn't think Jimmy was any good as a person, but he didn't accuse him of being a murderer or anything.
I think people are trying to find a meaning in an otherwise meaningless scene, because TV just isn't written like that.
Maybe that's true. I guess the other side of the coin is that Chuck basically pulled a Jimmy and quite literally burned it all down, first destroying his career and remaining friendships, and then cutting off the relationship with Jimmy. They're much more similar than either would like to admit.
Well, he is right that Jimmy only seems to be able to hurt people. Jimmy himself expressed this sentiment in this very episode. He cannot create, he can only destroy.
He just happened to turn that talent toward a positive and self sacrificial end. What he destroyed was his relationship with the elderly. And he did hurt them... They believed he was their friend, so to hear him say the things he said about them was hurtful.
It's just that in those ruins, something positive was able to come forth.
I think you were supposed to see Jimmy burning his scam by exposing himself to the seniors as a redemptive moment, and I don't think it's coincidental that we see Chuck die soon after.
What kind of confused me is why Irene would reneg on the settlement even with Jimmy being discovered. It's not as if her friends will now suddenly not give a shit about getting the money.
DeadFrom Reddit:
The whole point of the Irene thing was proving Chuck wrong. Jimmy isn't responsible for Chuck killing himself, Chuck went insane because of his mental illness and refusing to get help. The foreshadowing had been there for a long time.
It's just odd. Chuck is always right about Jimmy
Jesus, for a group of writers, actors and directors to maintain this high level of quality after 3 season and a 5 season masterpiece before this. The BB/BCS crew is on a legendary status right now.Someone on Reddit noticed that the numbers never changed on the meter.
http://imgur.com/a/MfB4c
So, it's possible that he was imagining it all.
Which is funny, because in my interpretation Chuck clearly recognized that he was either hurting everyone around him or at least that's how he's always be perceived, and the guilt/regret for that/the way he ruined his entire life, was eating away at him and lead him to project the advice that he couldn't take himself in terms of being cold towards the world, onto Jimmy, ruining himself even more in the process.Well....he technically proved him right. Jimmy did, as seemingly always, what Chuck said he would. He hurt people. He picked a target and left it in ruins to get something he wanted.
What Jimmy rejected was Chuck's invitation to become a full monster, uncaring of the consequences he had. Chuck invited Jimmy to live a life of no regrets, and Jimmy said fuck you to that. That's why he took his powers of destruction and directed them toward himself.
It's just odd. Chuck is always right about Jimmy, atleast in the things he objectively does. But for those things, he wants Jimmy to be the bad guy, and Jimmy doesn't want to fill that
role, even if he often does because that's just what he's good at.
But I do agree that Jimmy's not responsible for Chuck's death. See my edit for that reasoning.
No he isn't. "He always destroys" is simply wrong, and by saying what he did to salvage the Irene thing was just more destruction you're willfully ignoring what that was about to fit a narrative. The point with Chuck is that he only saw one side of Jimmy, not Jimmy the fully formed human being.
No, you're ignoring his methods.
How? How did he salvage Irene's relationships?
By destroying. Himself, in this case.
Like, this isn't even subtext. Jimmy says it himself. He's struggling to build some kind of window for Irene to come back into the fold with her friends, and he can't. He says to Kim. "I can't create. I can only destroy." And then he realizes what he can do to salvage her relationship. An act of destruction.
Destoryers aren't necessarily bad people, as his act of destruction in this episodes a positive end. But destroy is what Jimmy does.
Simplifying all Jimmy's actions as mere acts of destruction is ignoring all of the good work he has also done for his clients, such as the work he's put into his clients' wills or most notably, the foundation of the Sandpiper case.No, you're ignoring his methods.
How? How did he salvage Irene's relationships?
By destroying. Himself, in this case.
Like, this isn't even subtext. Jimmy says it himself. He's struggling to build some kind of window for Irene to come back into the fold with her friends, and he can't. He says to Kim. "I can't create. I can only destroy." And then he realizes what he can do to salvage her relationship. An act of destruction.
Destoryers aren't necessarily bad people (Chuck thinks they are, or that they ought to be in any case. His telling of Jimmy that he should abandon his regrets isn't because he thinks he's being disingenuous, but because he just wants the simple narrative that Jimmy is just a bad guy), as his act of destruction in this episodes a positive end. But destroy is what Jimmy does.
What he did directly resulted in Irene getting her friends back. Jimmy and Kim have a loving relationship. Jimmy has hired people and given them jobs. That's not destruction. You're seeing what you want to see.
Simplifying all Jimmy's actions as mere acts of destruction is ignoring all of the good work he has also done for his clients, such as the work he's put into his clients' wills or most notably, the foundation of the Sandpiper case.
*throws up hands*
If you cannot see that Chuck is fundamentally right about his methodology being destruction, something Jimmy himself admits in this exact episode before literally committing that exact act with the elderly, then I can't make you. It seems your rejection of it is that you conflate destroyer with immoral person, and I already said that was not the case. If you are unable to make a distinction between those two things, there isn't really an understanding we can come to.
Jimmy destroys, that's part of who he is, but he doesn't only destroy. He creates and loves too. Weren't you the one saying how we have to appreciate these characters as complex? Why are you now suddenly so dead set on simplifying things?
No, you're ignoring his methods.
How? How did he salvage Irene's relationships?
By destroying. Himself, in this case.
Like, this isn't even subtext. Jimmy says it himself. He's struggling to build some kind of window for Irene to come back into the fold with her friends, and he can't. He says to Kim. "I can't create. I can only destroy." And then he realizes what he can do to salvage her relationship. An act of destruction.
Destoryers aren't necessarily bad people (Chuck thinks they are, or that they ought to be in any case. His telling of Jimmy that he should abandon his regrets isn't because he thinks he's being disingenuous, but because he just wants the simple narrative that Jimmy is just a bad guy), as his act of destruction in this episodes a positive end. But destroy is what Jimmy does.
See above post. I am fully accepting of Jimmy's aspects of being a creator.
And you're mistaken if you think destroyer is a moral simplification. Or atleast you are conflating 'destroyer' with 'evil'.
I am not saying that Jimmy is simple or evil just because he's a destroyer. I'm just saying that Chuck called him a destroyer, and he is objectively correct.
Chuck said all he does is destroy and that he can't change. I think part of the whole point of Jimmy's character arc through this is that Chuck is wrong, and it'll be especially clear when the show wraps up. I'd nearly bet my account on there being at least one episode devoted to a post-BB redemption arc in the final season.
No, that's where you're wrong. Chuck does not say that's all he does. Go back and check if you don't believe me.
What he says it's something he can't help doing. He's saying it's an inherent aspect of his personality, not the whole of his personality. He just wishes he could write Jimmy off as evil for doing it, because evil people wouldn't have regrets like Jimmy does.
But we do know that Jimmy continues to play to his strength as he becomes Saul eventually.
And even if we get that episode...so what? It will just mean that that Jimmy rejected Chuck's advice to not feel bad about his actions in the end. But he still did them.
I really think Chuck is dying tonight
It'll mean that Jimmy can change and deep down isn't the man his brother believed he was.
Except he will have been, save for the last few days of whatever this post-BB thing hypothetically happens.
It's not exactly a slam dunk win against Chuck, is it? "Hahaha, see bro? I can change! And it only took me years and years and years of doing that exact thing you accused me for it to happen."
Also, keep in mind what we know about post-BB Jimmy. He sits at home and watches his Saul Goodman videos to feel better about himself. And in a moment of personal crisis, he sides with a petty thief that was committing an actual crime. It's a petty crime, but when he saw it happening, he sided with the guy who stole the store property from an innocent party.
Lastly, a running theme of the show is having people accept themselves for who they are, even if who they are isn't a positive thing. Walt died happy that he lived his life the way he wanted, even though it meant destroying hundreds of lives. Mike eventually goes to work for Gus as his personal hitman, because his skills make him good at that.
In that theme, the natural conclusion would be for Jimmy to accept that he is a destroyer. Not make some kind of care-bears 'he was a good person deep inside all along' aesop.
That was excellent.
- Sepinwall's review
- Onion A|V Club review
- Indiewire review
- Deadline: Better Call Sauls Michael McKean & EP On Tonights Fiery Finale, Whats Next & Spinal Tap Lawsuit
- NY Times: Michael McKean on Chucks Inflammatory ActThere were no screeners for critics tonight, so the reviews will be slowly rolling in tonight and tomorrow.
Kim in Blockbuster was great and brought back memories. Was that the first time we've seen Kim and Jimmy actually kiss eachother?
Just read this. Did not know they confirmed Chuck is legitimately dead. Thought there was a chance he survivrd. Well fuck.
So is he the best character on the show?
That first scene when he confronted Chuck and made him actually consider his actions (threatening to tear down HHM at the first suggestion at retirement from his loyal friend of at least 17 years), and then he bought the guy out using money out of his own pocket, showing an extreme difference in values (Howard cares about the firm, Chuck cares about himself, his pride, and being right), and THEN Howard forced the man to face all the people of the firm that he had just threatened to destroy, while they look up to him with trust and glowing admiration.
It was such a powerful move, almost as strong as what Jimmy pulled at the bar hearing.
I was watching by myself, but I still said, "Damn, Howard."
Not much to say, episode was amazing as always. RIP Chuck. Despite everything, it was a tragic way to go.
I think this is officially better than BB for me now. It probably already was for a lot of you, but now I'm sure.
I think so? It definitely caught my attention, as I don't recall Kim ever doing that before.
As usual, you're going off the rails and becoming petulant over a TV show. You have this incredibly irritating tone where your interpretation of characters is the only right one, and that anyone who doesn't agree is a child or dumb. I'd tell you to try and dial it back, but I know you won't. I don't agree with your worldview at all.
Not much to say, episode was amazing as always. RIP Chuck. Despite everything, it was a tragic way to go.
I think this is officially better than BB for me now. It probably already was for a lot of you, but now I'm sure.
I think I'm just waiting for Kim to found out what Jimmy did.
That first scene when he confronted Chuck and made him actually consider his actions (threatening to tear down HHM at the first suggestion at retirement from his loyal friend of at least 17 years), and then he bought the guy out using money out of his own pocket, showing an extreme difference in values (Howard cares about the firm, Chuck cares about himself, his pride, and being right), and THEN Howard forced the man to face all the people of the firm that he had just threatened to destroy, while they look up to him with trust and glowing admiration.
It was such a powerful move, almost as strong as what Jimmy pulled at the bar hearing.
I was watching by myself, but I still said, "Damn, Howard."
Did Kim actually know what Jimmy did to Irene at the end there? I don't see how she couldn't but she seemed oddly fine with it.
W0tIt's been implied since season two that Kim knows everything.