Last week’s season premiere did a nice job of summarizing
the first season with one glaring omission, Chuck. This episode brings Jimmy’s ongoing conflict
with living honestly in sharp focus.
Mike Erhmantraunt is back in all his cynical glory save stupid criminals
from themselves.
The episode begins in a dim room with a metronome ticking
away as Chuck plays “Sicellene” on his piano.
His skill is impressive, when he makes a mistake he simply starts
over. After a second mistake, Chuck hits
his head with his hand and abandons the piano and the metronome. Howard comes to pay his old partner a visit
and to bring provisions now that Jimmy has written off his brother. Howard tells Chuck he’s missed at the firm and
Chuck replies he’s contemplating coming to the office for an “hour or two” next
week. Howard informs him about the
Sandpiper case that Davis and Main and Howard’s office working on. Chuck asks about Jimmy. Howard informs him he’s now working at Davis
and Main has hired him. Chuck tellingly
asks, “Doing what?” Howard is somewhat
surprised, “As an attorney.” Howard
explains Jimmy was hired in part because the “old folks love him” and he is key
to their cooperation in the case. Chuck
concedes his brother is good with people but asks if the new firm is “aware of
his education and history.” Howard
replies he warned them but it was Kim who really pushed for Davis and Main to
hire him. Chuck asks if his brother is
on the “partner track” and Howard confirms this. The men shake hands and Howard leaves. Chuck goes back to the piano, sets the
metronome on a slow pace but does not play.
Kim readies the conference room for a meeting. She arranges folders and switches Jimmy’s seat
next to hers. The meeting commences
about the Sandpiper case. Kim and Jimmy play “footsie” under the table. Later,
they take a smoke break in the parking garage. Jimmy’s new firm is in Santa Fe
and they have provided him housing but he’s looking for something closer to
Albuquerque and her. They brainstorm
what kind of place Jimmy should buy and its clear they are considering it
together. Jimmy informs Kim he’s getting a company car delivered to the nail
salon. Kim gives him a little gift, a
yellow coffee mug that reads, “World’s Best Lawyer.” She has added “2nd” in red as a
gag. He asks if they will see each other
later, Kim is flirty, “If you play your cards right.” Jimmy and Kim seem to be transitioning nicely
from friends to a bonified relationship. However, with newness comes fragility.
Jimmy says goodbye to his yellow Geo Prism that is loaded up
on a tow truck. His new ride is a fully loaded black Mercedes. The nail salon staff comes out to marvel over
his upgraded car. The boss chides her
employees in Vietnamese to get back to work. Jimmy offers the boss a “goodbye hug” which
she refuses. As Jimmy drives away, he
tries to put the mug in the cup holder but it doesn’t fit. “Must be metric!” Jimmy exclaims to himself. Or is it symbolic of Kim and Jimmy not fitting
together?
Mike works at the garage kiosk when some large vehicle makes
his coffee vibrate. (Jurassic Park reference?) Its Dan Wormald and his bright
yellow Hummer. He looks surprised to see
Mike and asks, “Why are you here?” Mike responds, “I work here.” He asks Dan to
pull around the side so they can talk privately.
Mike gets into the yellow monstrosity and asks Dan why he’s
going to the police station. Dan
explains he was robbed and he needs to get his baseball cards back. Mike is
incredulous, “Baseball cards? It’s a bad idea to talk to the cops.” Dan
explains the police already came to his house and took a report but he didn’t
tell them about his "pharmaceutical business.” He said the police called him back
to ask him more questions. Mike explains
this police tactic is known as a “fishing trip” and the police are suspicious
of him especially given his choice of transportation. Mike advises Dan to cancel his
appointment. Dan whines that he needs
his baseball cards back. Mike explains how him being questions puts Mike and
others at risk too. Mike offers to find
Dan’s cards. Dan thanks him but Mike adds,
“It’s going to cost you!”
Jimmy writes notes with his new “Davis and Main” pen on his
custom desk. As he takes notes, he becomes distracted by the sound of an acoustic
guitar. Jimmy gets up and walks around the office until he finds the source of
the music, his new boss Cliff. Cliff explains he uses music to “blow off steam”
and asks Jimmy if he plays. Jimmy says,
“I used to but then I realized there were easier ways to get girls.” Cliff advises Jimmy to pick a method to
de-stress in this line of work. Jimmy
talks about a fact he’s discovered in the case and Cliff tells him “Nice
work.” It’s a positive message that
Jimmy has been starving for from his old firm and from his own brother.
Sewing machines whir in a dimly lite shop. Mike enters the front of the store, which
advertises re-upholstery service. He
tells the man in charge he’d like new seats for his car. The man gestures for his son who speaks better
English to help Mike, and his son is Nacho. The three men go to look at Mike’s car, a
vintage Cadillac and discuss seat options. Mike says the car had “sentimental value” and
wants an estimate for alligator seats. The
older man leaves Nacho and Mike to agree on the services but warns his son not
to “upsell” his customer.
Nacho is unnerved that Mike found out where he works. Mike explains the problem with Dan and his
missing baseball cards. Mike understands
why Nacho stole from the man, but notes, “You underestimated what an idiot he
was.” Mike explains how Dan has brought
the police in to assist him find his baseball cards. Nacho quips, “That sounds like a YOU problem.”
Mike says it’s a “carrot and stick”
dilemma. Nacho becomes defensive,
thinking Mike is threatening his family. Mike says the “stick” is Tuco Salamaca, if he
finds out Nacho is running a “side business” he’ll hurt Nacho or worse. The “carrot” Mike explains, is Nacho returns
the baseball cards to Dan and pays Mike ten thousand dollars and nets sixty
thousand dollars. This sounds much more
agreeable to Nacho and Mike explains his plan off screen.
It’s 3:40 am and Chuck looks at his clock in the dark. Chuck lies awake for sometime until Ernesto,
the law office lackey comes with his daily delivery. Ernesto sees Chuck is dressed in his “thermal
blanket” lined suit. (Jimmy’s idea to help his brother with his “magnetic
allergy.”) Chuck is headed to work.
Dan tells Nacho and associates to make sure they fill the
Hummer with premium gas and get it hand-waxed once a week. Dan’s shirt and watch match his beloved SUV.
Nacho smiles, “I’ll make the chop-shop is real gentle.” Dan is incredulous that they are going to
destroy his Hummer. Nacho says, “It
looks like a school bus for 6 year-old pimps!” Dan gets back his baseball cards and is
confident they are all there. Mike tells
Nacho and Dan, “Now are business is concluded.” The Hummer drives away in a swirl of dust. Dan’s phone rings, “Take Me Out to the Ball
Game” it’s the police. Will Dan continue to be a liability for Nacho’s
business? I don’t see it ending well for
him.
Howard conducts another joint meeting with Jimmy present
regarding the Sandpiper case. Jimmy is
speaking confidently about his clients and the records they have documenting
abuses. The meeting is interrupted and
an assistant gathers up cell phones and electronic devices. Jimmy forcefully avoids eye contact as Howard
calls Chuck into the meeting. Jimmy
tries to resume what he was talking about before but is visibly nervous in
front of his brother. Kim squeezes his
knee under the table and Jimmy gets a “mojo boost” and is able to resume his
part with more confidence.
The meeting has concluded and Howard calls Jimmy over to
speak with Chuck. Chuck says, “My name is still on the building.” Jimmy asks his brother, “Why are you
here?” Chuck responds, “To bear
witness.” (To Jimmy being competent?) Jimmy’s phone rings and he picks it up in
another gesture of defiance of his brother’s fear of electronics. It’s Mike who asks, “Are you still morally
flexible? If so, I might have a job for
you.” Jimmy looks at Chuck as he says,
“Where and when?”
Jimmy is called to be present as Mr. Wormald’s lawyer as police
questions him. Dan tells the detectives,
“It’s fine.” After a few pointed
questions Dan adds, “I found the cards.” This makes the detectives even more suspicious
but Dan tells them he hired a private investigator to find them. Dan implores the detectives, “Don’t waste
anymore of your time on this.” Jimmy
advises his client to “get some air.”
Jimmy levels with the detectives, he knows his client is
suspicious because of his “hidey hole” he’s sure the police found at his
residence. Jimmy speaks eloquently in
Dan’s defense and says the problem is a “sensitive subject” between Mr. Wormald
and an art patron. Jimmy confides Mr.
Wormald makes videos designed to “titillate the senses.” He characterizes the dispute as a “lovers
spat.” The detectives are more curious,
especially if the videos might be illegal. Jimmy describes the videos as “Squat
Cobbler.” The detectives don’t
understand. Jimmy says the videos depict
a man sitting bare assed on a pie, and Mr. Wormald’s special talent is crying
while performing this action. The
detectives are disgusted. Jimmy adds,
“The world is a rich tapestry!”
Outside, Jimmy meets Dan by his car. Dan asks anxiously, “We’re good, right?” Jimmy
tells him not quite yet; they need to make a video. Jimmy loads about five pies into his car.
Kim wears Jimmy’s “University of American Samoa” sweatshirt
while they share a banana cream pie in bed. Jimmy explains the pie is a “leftover prop”
from the video. Kim is upset. She can’t
believe that Jimmy would fabricate evidence after the fact to get his client
off. Jimmy defends himself noting it was
a pro bono case that didn’t have anything to do with his new job at Davis and
Main. She warns Jimmy he could be
disbarred for this kind of action. Jimmy
notes Kim didn’t have a problem bending the rules when it came to ripping off “douchebag
Ken.” Kim counters that was a fluke on
their free time. She chides Jimmy for
sounding like “every dumb criminal ever.” Adding, “What is the point?” Kim states she can’t hear about Jimmy doing
these things ever again. Jimmy looks
abashed, “You won’t.” He promises her.
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