This hour explores life after Jimmy cuts his relationship with Chuck. Jimmy is forced to come up with a plan for a year outside of the law. Kim continues to offer to him support but within the realm of his legitimate business. Gus and Hector take their feud to the next level offering us views of how the Fring Empire was built.
Nacho is seated in a taqueria called “El Michochano.” Don Hector is seated at a table nearby reading the sports section of a Spanish newspaper. A heavily tattooed man enters and pays Nacho. Nacho places the cash, rolled and secured with a rubber band in a duffle bag. (Like the one that was given to “El Greco” in the Sabrosito episode.) The next man who comes into pay looks like he could work at a cellphone company. He attempts to make small talk with Nacho but Nacho quiets him so he can count the money. The payment is short, the man explains one of his new guys was spooked by a cop car and dropped the drugs in the gutter. He promises Nacho he’ll make it up to him next week. Nacho allows him to leave but Hector looks up from his newspaper and scoffs, “Who works for whom?” Nacho gets up and drags the man back inside the restaurant for a beating.
Nacho works the sewing machine at his father’s car upholstery shop. His father asks about where a certain leather is and Nacho tells him. The dark shop is a safe environment for him, away from his cartel business. Nacho works in almost a Zen-like trance sewing a heavy leather material until he punctures his own hand with the needle. He calmly removes the needle from his skin. The opening credits flash depicting a payphone in the desert sun, the book is opened to the advertisement for Saul Goodman, attorney at law.
Kim makes her final appeal to the New Mexico State Bar panel. She highlights Jimmy’s work for an underserved clientele, the elderly. A group of his former clients sits in the courtroom, all have given Jimmy glowing testimony as to how he helped them as their attorney. In a taxicab, Rebecca goes across town to check on Chuck. Kim continues her speech, emphasizing how Jimmy spent three years being the sole caregiver for his older brother, including buying his favorite newspaper and altering a suit with Mylar lining so that Chuck could work. Rebecca arrives and knocks on several doors but Chuck doesn’t answer. He’s crouched on the floor in the dark. Kim concludes her statements characterizing Jimmy’s actions as a moment where “he snapped” but refutes that Jimmy destroyed evidence.
After the proceedings, Kim pops open some champagne to celebrate his year probation from practicing the law, this was the best possible outcome. Jimmy jokes that Kim made him sound like a saint, “right up there with Mother Theresa.” Kim asks what Jimmy thinks he may do for the next twelve months. “Whoa, slow down, that’s tomorrow talk.” He raises his mug to toast her as the "world's best defense attorney." They smile together but there is a knock at the door.
Rebecca enters the office and explains how she went to Chuck’s house and knocked for over an hour but he refused to let her inside. She wants Jimmy to go with her now to try to get inside to check on him. Jimmy looks at her incredulous, “I’m done with all that.” Jimmy apologizes if she feels he mislead her about the reason for coming out but he stated he needed help with his defense and Chuck would need help afterward, all of which was true. Rebecca counters, “I guess you are the person Chuck always said you were, enjoy your champagne.” Jimmy knew he was destroying his relationship with his brother and Rebecca with the court proceedings. Unlike Rebecca, Jimmy has dealt with his brother’s mental illness for a long time and is understandably done after this betrayal. It’s doubtful Rebecca will stay and help her ex-husband as she expected Jimmy to do. The incident sours their victory night.
Stacey shares a local grief group. She speaks about how her late husband used to make Mickey Mouse pancakes and she tried but they didn’t come out the same but it made her daughter Kaylee very happy. She continues that Kaylee wants her to come and speak about her father’s job (police officer) on career day. She says she’s considering it. The therapist praises her progress. Mike is seated next to her but he doesn’t share. Afterward, she confesses she volunteered him for a project, helping build kids a playground. He resists but ultimately he can’t say no to his daughter-in-law, especially when she calls him “Pop” and mentions how her late husband worshiped him.
Howard pays a visit to Chuck’s late in the evening. Chuck doesn’t respond but Howard calls out “I’m not leaving, I don’t want to wake up the neighbors but I’ve got all night.” Finally, Chuck opens the door. Howard has brought a very expensive thirty-five-year-old Scotch. (Lawyers and their scotch.) Howard shares that Jimmy has been a suspended for one year. “And if he screws up, which we both know he will that one year can turn into forever.” Howard encourages Chuck to look forward, his brother is not worth dwelling on. He says, “Put your energy into the future, anything else is a waste of your time and intellect.” Chuck sighs deeply. “To new beginnings!” They toast. Howard rises to leave, insisting he’s fine to drive. Chuck paces but then returns to his desk. He removes the infamous tape recorder and takes out the large batteries. One rolls off the desk but he moves to grasp it in his fist, gasping in pain. It seems he’s trying to de-sensitize himself from his phobia.
Jimmy talks to the fish he bought last week. (In Breaking Bad, Saul’s office will feature a large fish tank.) He calls out, “Francesca, it's go- time!” He has Francesca begin to call each of his clients, from A-Z to inform them personally of his year “sabbatical” from the law. He tries to spin the situation the best he can, promising them each a letter explaining the reasons. It’s admirable that he takes the effort to contact each one personally. The last client reminds him that he sees Jimmy’s advertisement every day on the local television station. Jimmy calls out in a panic, “Francesca, get me KWPV.” If he doesn’t pull his commercial, he could be in violation of the probation agreement and possibly make his suspension permanent.
Jimmy smokes outside the block glass wall of the office. Kim comes out to join him. Jimmy tells her about the ad for television, he had nine airings left and is out of nearly five thousand dollars. Kim advises him to find a local business to sell them to but Jimmy says it’s forbidden in the contract unless she can find a loophole. Kim is concerned about giving Francesca two weeks notice and the high cost of renting an office meant for two practices. Jimmy doesn’t want to fire Francesca nor does he want her to give up the law office. He makes her a promise that he will find a way to continue to make payments for the rent, and the secretary, “Split things fifty-fifty, just like before.” Jimmy says, “Call it aspirational thinking, the day I don’t show up with my half we talk about closing this place.” Kim agrees, but it’s not clear how Jimmy will do it.
Jimmy pitches the idea of advertising on television to a local carpet store. The Native couple seems wary of the high price for running nine ads. But they have seen him on television, “Give me Jimmy!” They want at least a week to think about it. Jimmy offers them one commercial spot for the price of eight hundred and ninety dollars, but he wants them to shoot and air it that day. They can’t make a commitment.
Jimmy goes outside to find the NW State crew who shot his other ads. He tells them to get in the car, he’s failed to secure the client and is out the money unless he can find a business in the next two hours. “How do I find a client who needs a commercial and can afford one?” The young woman in the group suggests he make a commercial about his commercial making service.
They go to the local television station to shoot in front of the satellite dishes. Jimmy tries to come up with a pitch but he’s frustrated and doesn’t know how to pitch the new idea. He hopes one of the film students can make the pitch but none of them has any charisma. Jimmy orders, “Quick, open your magic bag, we’ll have to Karloff this thing!”
A Pollos Hermanos truck approaches an industrial facility isolated in the middle of the desert. The men work to dismantle the truck, down to the floorboards. They open up the floor of the truck to reveal kilos of cocaine packed in sand. Gus has increased his import of product in accordance with Hector’s demands. The ingenuity of drug smugglers is amazing.
In the warehouse, ten bricks of “product” are placed on a table. Nacho comes with his pony-tailed associate Arturo to meet with Fring’s men. Nacho asks if all the bricks are the same weight and requests a scale. Gus’s lead man Ernesto scoffs but offers Nacho to pick which bricks he wants. Nacho opens a black duffle bag and proceeds to take six bricks. Ernesto says, “Did you forget how to count?” Nacho replies, “Don Hector gets six.” Victor (Gus's goon) pulls out his gun and points it at Nacho. Nacho puts his hands in the air while Arturo looks at him, ready to draw his weapon if necessary. Nacho asserts, “He’s expecting six, and that’s what I’m going to bring.”
Slowly, Ernesto pulls a phone from his pocket and walks away to call his boss. He explains the situation with Nacho. “He’s pushing it.” Gus, calm and collected responds, “Give it him.” Gus stands in an industrial building as well. Ernesto puts his phone back, and his man slowly lowers his gun. Nacho slings the duffle bag over his shoulder and walks away. He appears surprisingly calm for someone who just had a gun to his head. Nacho has resigned himself to a criminal life.
Gus tours the industrial laundry. Breaking Bad fans will instantly recognize it as the place, which hid the Fring state of the art meth lab. He inspects the machines and floorboards with a small flashlight. He stops at the place that will later hold conceal the basement lab. As he exits the facility, there is large for sale sign on the property. He enters the care where a woman is waiting, Lydia his business distributor. “It could work,” he informs her. She smiles, “Okay then.”
Chuck pauses before exiting his home late at night. He wears a “space blanket” over his head tucked under his cardigan. He walks down the middle of his suburban street, the electricity hums loudly around him. He walks down another street past a few people and businesses lite up with bright neon lights. No one gives him a second look despite his strange attire. Finally, he reaches his destination, a pay phone. Despite the loud humming in his ear, he manages to make a call to his former doctor Laura Cruz. He pleads to speak with her and his placed on hold. It’s a big step for Chuck, realizing he does need help. Without Jimmy, he’s forced to face his demons without an enabler.
Nacho and Arturo meet with Don Hector at the taqueria. The old man gloats about the victory. “What did he say, did he piss himself?” Nacho says Gus wasn’t there, but they called him. Nacho mentions that they put a gun to his head, Arturo adds, “It’s no big deal.” Arturo's phone rings and he takes the call outside. Alone with Nacho, Hector presses him for details about his father’s business. Specifically, he wants to know where in Mexico he gets his supplies. Nacho cautiously replies, “Jalisco.” Hector has a new plan to get his product over the border using a legitimate business. He doesn’t want to rely on Gus any longer. Nacho pleads his father is a “simple man and not in the business.” Hector commands, “You will teach him.” Nacho protests but Hector promises that “I’ll take good care of Papi and he’ll make much more money than with his little sewing machine.”
Arturo re-enters the restaurant, he’s received bad news about Tuco. Tuco caused a fight in prison and broke a guard’s jaw. Tuco is in solitary confinement. Hector is outraged, “He only had six months, now he’ll be in there forever!” Hector upends a table in frustration and begins coughing. He reaches for a pill out of his pocket. He catches his breath after taking the pill. He growls, “You talk to your father!” before leaving the taqueria. Nacho moves his boot revealing a stray capsule that Hector dropped. (It looks to me like Cardizem, a calcium channel blocker which is used to improve the heart's blood flow. One pill is unlikely to be harmful to someone on the medicine.) He is likely hatching a plan against the old man. You don’t mess with people’s family members!
Jimmy is animated on the home phone, taking notes and promising, “You won’t be disappointed!” He says he’ll shoot the commercial and have it on the air the same day. “Don’t wear stripes or you’ll moray, it’s a film-making term.” Kim enters and catches the end of his phone conversation. She seems bemused by Jimmy’s enthusiasm and offers him a beer. He notes that if she’s sleeping at home her case must be doing better. “I needed clean clothes.” She asks about his scheme. Jimmy explains how he’s unloading the ad-time, they pay him to shoot the commercial and he throws in the airtime for free thus enabling him to keep the terms of the contract.
“I made a new one today.” Kim wants to see it but Jimmy turns sheepish. He finally agrees but adds, “Keep in mind, it’s not my best work.” He puts the tape in the VCR.
Jimmy is wearing a flack jacket, fake goatee, and sunglasses topped with a black baseball hat. “What’s that I see, Albuquerque’s next TV star? It’s you I see! Struggling to make it in today’s fast-paced economy but thinking TV advertising is too expensive for you? Well, you better think again! You can’t afford not to be on TV! Look at you, you’re a triple threat, great services, great products and now that face! You’re a star! Wrap it all up and your natural charisma and BAM! You belong on TV! Better watch out for paparazzi and autograph hounds!” He holds up an old Polaroid camera. “And it gets better, I can have you on the air TOMORROW! Better get ready to get famous Albuquerque, I can get you on TV for a price you can afford! Just call me, Saul Goodman!” The commercial concludes with his new name emblazed “Saul Goodman Productions.”
Jimmy smiles, “The guy at the station said he’d never seen so many ‘star swipes’ in a row.” Kim notes wryly that he appears to have a lot of energy. Kim looks at Jimmy, “Saul Goodman?” Jimmy nods, “Yeah, It’s all good man! It’s just a name.” But it turned out to be the beginning of his new life.
The preview for next week shows Saul trying to manage his community service with his new business, Kim works hard for Mesa Verde and Mike is brought back in to do some work in the criminal world for Gus. It was gratifying for Breaking Bad fans to see the beginnings of Fring's empire, Lydia and finally the moniker Saul Goodman.
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