"I don't care about the fan service, the reintroducing of old characters, the family feuds, or the cliché stoic gangsters. I care for the humour. That's why I started watching the show. I wanted to see Saul Goodman's wacky adventures."--from a reviewer.
Really? You don't care? Shallow comes to mind, like thinking a good pizza costs $1.99...yes it will satisfy in the moment, but you are missing out on amazing for a few more bucks.
This episode is brilliant! It directly ties into episode 7 in season 2 (also brilliant). The opening of that episode takes us back to Jimmy as a young boy in his father's store. He witnesses his naive father, so good to his fellow man and also so naive and known as the man who gives handouts to grifters.
This epic episode gives us deep insight to the relationship with Jimmy and Chuck, chuck who sees his father as a "saint" but Jimmy, the rebellious son sees him as one who was weak and naive to getting scammed. The family root of multi-generational shame is perfectly captured in this one episode and a direct link to where these brothers are at today.
Yes, I get how one desires the humor of Bob Odenkirk as Saul from Breaking Bad (see him in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond--it is an early version of Saul), but for those of us who have watched all of Breaking Bad and all of Better Call Saul, this is beyond satisfying. You will not see this depth of character development in a movie.
Keith Gordon directed--also a director on Fargo and Homeland. Michael McKean is amazing in this episode. Such restraint and conviction to his character. The writing and acting is simply perfect here.
Do yourself a favor and watch Better Call Saul from the beginning again...watch S2 Ep7 carefully...this ties directly to this episode of Chuck who gives his life to the law and regards it as sacred and Slippin' Jimmy who as a boy looks honestly at his father (the rebellious child is usually the most honest in the family). Chuck lives in illusion about his father but Jimmy does not. Jimmy has been chasing Chuck's approval all his adult life but Chuck cannot give it up. Chuck's anger is not towards Jimmy, his anger is towards his father!
