Jackson Ball reviews the eighth episode of Better Call Saul…
Better Call Saul has officially exploded out of its mid-season slump. After a few mediocre, directionless instalments, the series has hit a string of episodes filled with televisual gold. Episode 6 brought us an earth-shaking performance from Jonathan Banks; Episode 7 delved deeper into the fundamentally good nature of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk); and now, with episode 8, the series narrative is given a huge injection of pace.
Warning! Spoilers Ahead – You have been warned!
Episode 8 opens with yet another flashback into Jimmy’s earlier days. This time we find out just how he became a lawyer, in an official sense. Sure, we’ve seen glimpses in previous flashbacks of the influences and circumstances that led to him wanting to be an attorney, but here we see several scenes as to what happened immediately after that.
We see Jimmy, glowing with pride, as he hands Chuck (Michael McKean) a letter confirming that he has passed the bar, and is now officially licenced to practice law. It’s a nice moment for both characters, but the scene’s real significance comes from the caveat that Chuck didn’t even know that Jimmy was training to become a lawyer; nobody did. It’s an early indicator of the drive and determination that we have seen from an older Jimmy/Saul time and time again.
Determination and attention to detail are key components to the Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman character and indeed to this episode, as we fast forward to the show’s main narrative thread. Jimmy is once again trying his luck with elder law and we find home, not for the first time, dealing with an elderly woman’s will proceedings. Here, the show chooses to once again reinforce Jimmy’s unexpected ethical side, as he lends the woman his services for a discounted price due to her financial issues.
It’s another good deed to add to Jimmy’s growing catalogue, but also one that seemingly pays dividends to his career. His generosity to this lady leads to a discussion as to why her funds are dwindling, which raises suspicions for Jimmy about the legitimacy of the elderly home in which she lives.
Jimmy’s determination flashes ups again, as his investigations reveal that the home has been overcharging many of its residences, conning them out of thousands of dollars. Flustered by what he has stumbled on, Jimmy takes the case to his wise-Yoda figure, Chuck. The scenes between the two McGill’s have always been strong, but the back-and-forth between them in ‘Rico’ marks an all-time high for the pair. The Jimmy character is never better than when he’s chasing something down – hustling and manoeuvring towards a goal – and to see Chuck involved in the same way is great fun.
These are genuinely likable characters in so many ways, and it’s a real treat for the audience to see them at the strongest, and so close to a long-awaited victory. Whether or not they’ll reach that goal is unknown and unfortunately, given what we know about Jimmy’s future, looks quite unlikely. There’s every chance this is just another case of the character being propped up to be knocked down, and it would be his biggest knock down to date.
Jackson Ball – follow me on Twitter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5&v=ONsp_bmDYXc&feature=player_embedded
Originally published March 27, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
