Better Call Saul ***Spoilers***

Pelvis

I don't really understand the thinking behind the letter being a fake. I assumed the whole point of the scene was Jimmy reading a heartfelt letter like he'd read a paper, with zero emotion.

eric hoone

Great episode, didn't Jimmy change suddenly there when Howard spoke about Chucks suicide and insurance problem. Shutters came down instantly, poor chap

jester77

I got the impression that the letter was old, written a long time back. As it mentions the job in the mail room, and nothing about his later achievements qualifying to become a lawyer.

artvanderlay

I could never get into Breaking Bad (I tried multiple times) but I love Better Call Saul. Sadly I think it's becoming more like Breaking Bad, than a unique show in itself. I'm no fan of Gus Fring, or characters like the silent twins working for Salamanca; all a bit hammy. I preferred when Mike, Nacho, Kim and Jimmy were given more screen time, rather than charmless sociopaths; they are the more human characters in the show. I also don't buy Jimmy's sudden emotional shutdown; it's a bit too quick for me. Chuck dies and now Jimmy's conscience dies? They could have stretched that out a bit more.

KevinCavan

artvanderlay wrote: »

I could never get into Breaking Bad (I tried multiple times) but I love Better Call Saul. Sadly I think it's becoming more like Breaking Bad, than a unique show in itself. I'm no fan of Gus Fring, or characters like the silent twins working for Salamanca; all a bit hammy. I preferred when Mike, Nacho, Kim and Jimmy were given more screen time, rather than charmless sociopaths; they are the more human characters in the show. I also don't buy Jimmy's sudden emotional shutdown; it's a bit too quick for me. Chuck dies and now Jimmy's conscience dies? They could have stretched that out a bit more.

Chuck more than likely leaving Jimmy nothing in his will has hardened Jimmy too. The €5000 he is getting in hush money is more of an insult than anything.

jester77

KevinCavan wrote: »

Chuck more than likely leaving Jimmy nothing in his will has hardened Jimmy too. The €5000 he is getting in hush money is more of an insult than anything.

Didn't they say that once it was over 4k or 5k he couldn't contest the will? Sounds like he was left the minimum amount required for this.

JoeA3

jester77 wrote: »

I got the impression that the letter was old, written a long time back. As it mentions the job in the mail room, and nothing about his later achievements qualifying to become a lawyer.

Yes I interpreted it that way too.
Back then, Chuck was “happy” that Jimmy had cleaned up his act and had a respectable enough job in the mail room. That was “his level” as far as Chuck was concerned and maybe Chuck believed at that point that this was as ambitious as Jimmy was ever likely to be.

JoeA3

jester77 wrote: »

Didn't they say that once it was over 4k or 5k he couldn't contest the will? Sounds like he was left the minimum amount required for this.

Yes that was mentioned by Kim when she had the face off with Howard in the last episode.

The Black Oil

Gilligan and co. sure like their teasers.

The poster in Kim's place was Jack Hoxie - Outlaw Justice. A 1932 silent film.

rubadub

just looking up gale

http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Gale_Boetticher

History
Background information

In 1994, after moving to the United States, Gustavo Fring established a college scholarship, known as the Max Arciniega Chemistry Scholarship, at the University of New Mexico Chemistry department. This scholarship honored Gustavo's dear friend, Maximino Arciniega. Gale was a recipient of the scholarship (perhaps one of three dozen), and this paid for his education ("Hermanos"). While at UNM, Gale received his Bachelor's degree, and graduated in 1999 ("Hermanos").

gormdubhgorm

The Black Oil wrote: »

Villigan and co. sure like their teasers.

The poster in Kim's place was Jack Hoxie - Outlaw Justice. A 1932 silent film.

Fair play for spotting the likes of that.

ButtersSuki

One thing I can't stop thinking about is Kim's reaction and behavior after the Mesa Verde meeting. I can't help but think her surprise at the scale and pace of the expansion has led her to believe all is not above board with Mesa Verde and that has led her to to examine something at the courthouse. One minute she was going to do it all herself, the next it's dropped off to her assistant while she goes off on an unscheduled trip to check out something. Her honesty and principles wouldn't allow her to work with someone breaking the law (aside from short cons of course...), and perhaps this is foreshadowing the end of her relationship with Jimmy? Of course I could be seriously overanalysing here; but it's a signal of something - nothing happens by accident in this world.

I'm also double-guessing the letter. Even if Chuck wrote it, it's a pile of sh*t really and designed to make him look like the good guy. He was happy with Jimmy in the mail room; but he never viewed him as a colleague, let alone an equal. It's a PR puff piece, and yet Kim doesn't see through it such is her want and desire to see the best in people.

gormdubhgorm

ButtersSuki wrote: »

One thing I can't stop thinking about is Kim's reaction and behavior after the Mesa Verde meeting. I can't help but think her surprise at the scale and pace of the expansion has led her to believe all is not above board with Mesa Verde and that has led her to to examine something at the courthouse. One minute she was going to do it all herself, the next it's dropped off to her assistant while she goes off on an unscheduled trip to check out something. Her honesty and principles wouldn't allow her to work with someone breaking the law (aside from short cons of course...), and perhaps this is foreshadowing the end of her relationship with Jimmy? Of course I could be seriously overanalysing here; but it's a signal of something - nothing happens by accident in this world.

I'm also double-guessing the letter. Even if Chuck wrote it, it's a pile of sh*t really and designed to make him look like the good guy. He was happy with Jimmy in the mail room; but he never viewed him as a colleague, let alone an equal. It's a PR puff piece, and yet Kim doesn't see through it such is her want and desire to see the best in people.

I agree with all of this I was thinking during the building Mock Up/Rich Bankers piece v Kim she did mention something about Federal laws?
It also got me thinking that she is going the opposite way to Jimmy trying to do the right thing. Whereas Jimmy has no scruples now. Mike would only target someone who 'done him a wrong/ a wrong' where as Jimmy now sees everyone as a opportunity.
I am 50/50 on the letter seems like something was a bit off?

rubadub

the scripts can be got here. Some might want to re-read the letter bit to see if they do think it was faked.

Some said Kim might have written it, don't know if it was shown but in my head it was handwritten and Jimmy would know both peoples handwriting.

https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/episode_scripts.php?tv-show=better-call-saul-2015&season=4

What's up? Jimmy, there's just a couple of things, from talking to Howard, that maybe we ought to go through.
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, let's get it over with, you know? Rip the Band-Aid off, right? Yeah.
Uh, this is a release.
It says basically that you won't contest the will.
If I sign it, I get my share? That's about the size of it.
So, uh how much do I get? $5,000.
Five K.
Yeah.
I can pay off my Mastercard.
What else you got? Um this is It's from Chuck.
Nobody knows for sure what's in it.
You don't have to open it right now, but Let's see what the old boy has to say.
Okay, I'll I'll give you a minute alone.
No, no.
Stay.
It's fine.
I mean, uh, you want to hear this, right? Yeah.
If it's okay.
It's undated.
Okay, here it goes.
"Dear Jimmy, I have left many things unsaid in our relationship through the years.
Rather than all allow allow these unspoken thoughts to die with me, I've chosen to record them here for you.
I hope you will take my words in the spirit in which they are intended.
" New paragraph.
"I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital.
You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face.
I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day.
You brought a shine to her life that nothing else ever did, and I'm glad of that.
" New paragraph.
"We have not always seen eye to eye.
I expect that will continue to be so in the future.
However, nothing will ever change the fact that we are brothers, flesh and blood.
And though we are very different people, I want you to know how much I respect what you have made of yourself in these last few years.
You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom, and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family.
For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill.
" "I sincerely admire your energy and resilience.
I used to worry about you finding a place in the world, but I'm not worried about that anymore.
I'm certain now that, no matter what the future may bring, you'll land on your feet, and I hope when you read this, you remember me not only as your brother, but as a person you knew was always in your corner.
" He signed it just "Chuck.
" Well, say what you want, the man could write a letter.
[Inhales deeply - S-Sorry.
- Hey.
No, I didn't I didn't mean to make it No.
It's okay.
It's okay.
It's a nice letter.
- Hey.
- No, just Just g Just give me Just give me a minute.
Kim

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=better-call-saul-2015&episode=s04e03

dr.kenneth noisewater

Re-reading it that seems to me that it was written years ago based on the mention of giving him the job in the mail room and him running with it and the line "We have not always seen eye to eye. I expect that will continue to be so in the future."

frozenfrozen

Chuckovs Letter, it's gonna go bang in the second act

The Black Oil

frozenfrozen wrote: »

Chuckovs Letter, it's gonna go bang in the second act

Well, I suppose lawyers do take people down with words...

rubadub

frozenfrozen wrote: »

Chuckovs Letter, it's gonna go bang in the second act

Jimmy asked, and Kim confirmed she did want to hear the letter. If he did make it up on the spur of the moment (I do not think he did) then I could picture a future scene where the letter is crumbled up and binned and Kim finds it and goes for a second read of it, not necessarily doubting Jimmy was spoofing, but just wanting to read it again and knowing Jimmy did not mind if she did hear it. -Then she sees he was making it all up, and it all kicks off.

-just the type of thing I could picture, but some said Gilligan usually does not do it that way.

Nerdlingr

Kim is sitting about a foot away from Jimmy as he's reading it, she could probably read the letter from that distance. She glances at it as they sit down to read it. As good as he is at verbal diarrhea, i dont think even jimmy could ad lib a letter like that in 5 seconds.

Think its clear chuck only wrote that letter when he thought jimmy had found his level... the mail room. Jimmy getting the lawyer degree from new mexico or whenever he got it, can t remember, absolutely disgusted chuck and felt it belittled his entire professional and his years of hard work.

TomOnBoard

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I agree with all of this I was thinking during the building Mock Up/Rich Bankers piece v Kim she did mention something about Federal laws?
It also got me thinking that she is going the opposite way to Jimmy trying to do the right thing. Whereas Jimmy has no scruples now. Mike would only target someone who 'done him a wrong/ a wrong' where as Jimmy now sees everyone as a opportunity.
I am 50/50 on the letter seems like something was a bit off?

Kim is going to see that Mesa Verde is just a huge money laundering scheme for the cartels and will either a) get taken out by the cartels or b) have to go into Witness Protection after she goes to the cops....

frozenfrozen

Nerdlingr wrote: »

Kim is sitting about a foot away from Jimmy as he's reading it, she could probably read the letter from that distance. She glances at it as they sit down to read it. As good as he is at verbal diarrhea, i dont think even jimmy could ad lib a letter like that in 5 seconds.

Think its clear chuck only wrote that letter when he thought jimmy had found his level... the mail room. Jimmy getting the lawyer degree from new mexico or whenever he got it, can t remember, absolutely disgusted chuck and felt it belittled his entire professional and his years of hard work.

I agree it wouldnt suit the show for it to have been rewritten off screen either. But is Chuck not too meticulous to leave an out of date letter in his will? Has to be a higher purpose IMO

rubadub

Nerdlingr wrote: »

Jimmy getting the lawyer degree from new mexico or whenever he got it,

American Samoa, I noticed he the sweatshirt on

De Bhál

frozenfrozen wrote: »

I agree it wouldnt suit the show for it to have been rewritten off screen either. But is Chuck not too meticulous to leave an out of date letter in his will? Has to be a higher purpose IMO

Jimmy says it's undated out loud so we can come to the conclusion that Chuck wrote it prior to Jimmy getting his law degree.

If Jimmy hadn't specifically said it was undated we would've been a small bit more confused about the letter and who wrote it as it's so nice to Jimmy.

gormdubhgorm

De Bhál wrote: »

Jimmy says it's undated out loud so we can come to the conclusion that Chuck wrote it prior to Jimmy getting his law degree.

If Jimmy hadn't specifically said it was undated we would've been a small bit more confused about the letter and who wrote it as it's so nice to Jimmy.

About the letter Rhea Seehorn (AKA Kim Wexler) said this on twitter:

https://twitter.com/rheaseehorn/status/1032802298450198528

Thinking the letter was re-written by Kim was not what was intended.

steve_r

rubadub wrote: »

American Samoa, I noticed he the sweatshirt on

Sorry to gush, but another lovely touch from the costume team. Of course, Jimmy would hold onto that sweatshirt, even if he knew Chuck looked down his nose at it.


It would be interesting if it turned out Madrigal owned Mesa Verde. It's potentially a way of bringing those two worlds together. If that were the case, it could mean the end for Kim, either she bails on Albuquerque, or worse.

frozenfrozen

De Bhál wrote: »

Jimmy says it's undated out loud so we can come to the conclusion that Chuck wrote it prior to Jimmy getting his law degree.

If Jimmy hadn't specifically said it was undated we would've been a small bit more confused about the letter and who wrote it as it's so nice to Jimmy.

Sorry I didn't explain what I meant right, my point was that Chuck wasn't the type of man to write something before Jimmy got the degree, then not go back and change it to bring it up to date.

I'd assume he would go back and revise such a letter to reflect a big change like Jimmy becoming a lawyer. Unless he intended for it to be exactly as it was, making a point that he thought Jimmy would never get out of the mail room and he had slotted into a perfect position for the rest of his life (same as he said they would continue to not see eye to eye) he assumes that Jimmy would continue to just be working in the mail room.

I just find it hard to believe that it's just a letter written 3-4 years prior, they don't put things into the show for no reason. Or if the purpose of the letter was to just show Jimmy being emotionless then its a bit out of character for the show and I'd be disappointed that it didn't have a deeper meaning or be more central to the plot. This letter has been a main point of 3 scenes (Getting it from Hamlin, not being able to deliver it and filing it away, and the reading) unless this is the turning point where Kim grows apart from Jimmy, then so much emphasis on this struggle with the letter would be more appropriate.

This is what I hate about BrBad and BCS, you end up mind fooking yourself thinking way too deeply into things. But when you see the theories that come out of breaking bad even months after seasons have ended then it does feed into the idea they really cram detail into every frame of these shows

De Bhál

frozenfrozen wrote: »

This is what I hate about BrBad and BCS, you end up mind fooking yourself thinking way too deeply into things. But when you see the theories that come out of breaking bad even months after seasons have ended then it does feed into the idea they really cram detail into every frame of these shows

yep the show does lead us to overthink stuff alright - anyway the tweet above explains that the letter wasn't supposed to be taken any other way than what we saw.

rubadub

frozenfrozen wrote: »

then not go back and change it to bring it up to date.

I thought he might simply not bothered going back changing his will. But it does seem he went and changed it to give him the token amount of money. I would presume at the time he wrote the letter he would have been leaving him more.

LFCFan

'You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom, and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family.'  <-- This is present tense so the letter was obviously written back when he was still in the mailroom otherwise he would have written, 'You took the opportunity........'. I think the biggest kick in the teeth for Jimmy is that Chuck couldn't be bothered updating the letter so didn't care enough anymore. 

Tony EH

"Taken" can be past tense too.