Better Call Saul Episode 5 – Alpine Shepherd Boy

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Review by: Mark Salcido

Last we left off; Chuck fought all odds and faced his fears head on. He marched into hell to retrieve what so desired and his deepest hearts. He battled all terrors of man made weapons to quench his thirst for knowledge. Chuck stepped at the foot of theImage 6 mountains of madness only to come out on top. His body mind and soul ached all at once. But was it all worth it? Yes.

But to the rest of us, he just looked like a crazy man covered in an aluminum blanket taking a copy of the local newspaper from his neighbor’s driveway. That’s what his old lady neighbor saw as well and so the cops come a knocking on Chuck’s door.

Welcome back to Better Call Saul.

This week’s episode didn’t start with the ALPHA FLASHBACK but picks up right where it left us. Let’s start off by saying that this was a not a very “technical” episode. There were no series of grand shots or awesome angles that the audience had never seen before. There was however, a bad ass transition but we’ll get to that later.

This was more of a “lets follow the results of Jimmy’s actions” episode. In doing so, we get a colorful cast of would be clients for Jimmy. Steps in his first potential client; Big Ricky Sipes.

Automatically you can guess from the name that this guy loves his unnecessary military laced civilian vehicles (I.E. Armored Jeep and Hummer) and to hunt. This guy is the right Image 10wing America to the umpth degree. Big Ricky believes that Jimmy is the lawyer he wants for his cause. “I want succeed from the United States”. This causes pause for Jimmy until the promise of being hired as retainer. A retainer totaling to a million dollars; five hundred thousand up front five hundred thousand when they win. Shit, this is the opportunity was looking for. Until the money is presented to Jimmy, which is stack and stacks of 100 dollar bills with Big Ricky printed on it…I laughed as fast and hard at the same rate of Jimmy speeding off in his car. Next client.

Rollins J. Cox. Jimmy decides to try is had at maybe doing patent law with this client. Seems this client has come up with a great idea. A method that helps parents teach their kids to be pointy trained; an idea probably worth millions. Until Rollins gives Jimmy a demonstration. Take a dump and the voice box throws a bit of encourage to the tune of “Ooohh yeah that’s the way.” and “Gosh you’re big, you’re so big” and  “Fill me Chandler put it in me”. What 1-3 year old doesn’t want to hear that when they’re dropping a load?  Any other lawyer would laugh this client off, but not Jimmy.  Jimmy still Image 12tries will find a way to sell this device by suggesting the people of the Pacific Rim nation would buy this…hehehe “rim”. Alright, enough of the toilet humor. Rollins, who probably has sex through a bed sheet with a hole cut out(I apologize to my Amish reader or friends of Amish), calls Jimmy a perv and demands him to leave. “Hey buddy, you’re the one with the sex toilet.” Whoever wrote that, I’m letting you know I’m stealing that comeback from Jimmy.

The next scene must’ve been titled “Slow”. Slow for the elderly client to come down the stairs and slow to reach Jimmy in her living room. The old lady, who reminds me of the typical tropes of someone’s grandma, (useless trinkets and a roll of money in her coin purse) in this scene is saying something about the show; a slow burn. The lady is slow down the stairs, slow to meet Jimmy in her living room and is slow in counting the cash and paying Jimmy. Slow burn for a well deserved payment.

So we have another alone time with Kim and Jimmy. There’s Image 7not much development here but it is enjoyable when these two interact. It looks as when with every episode they become more and more comfortable. I mean you just don’t paint anybody’s toe nails unless they’re someone you care about. Or being paid to do and I don’t think is aiming for that career. Thanks to a suggestion from Kim, that actually might be in Elderly law.

Let’s jump back to what happened to Chuck. The cops had broken down door to his home, believing Chuck was a tweaker or a squatter. He’s tased and brought to the hospital. A great slow down to this comedic centric episode. Chuck’s condition starts to be questioned from the doctors to Kim and even possibly Jimmy. When Howard comes to the hospital to check on his old friend Chuck, Jimmy is there to intervene. Their back and forward is there to remind us that neither side will budge in their dispute and help remind of us of Jimmy’s commitment and trust to his brother.

Back to the elderly law idea, Jimmy takes notes as best as he can from a master on how to approach potential elder clients. From the master,Image 11 Mattlock. So Jimmy dawns his Mattlock light grey suit, cleverly puts his calling card at the bottom of every Jell-O cup (actually slow clamped when I saw the Jell-O) and makes his way to an old folks home to stir up new business. He even puts on a southern accent in his “Hello” for good measure. Any man who’s this clever deserves my business. But still, not my trust.

Seeing that Jimmy has finally found his calling, he makes his normal rounds at the court house but not before stopping at the entry gates with Mike to greet him. Jimmy hands him a new business card that says “Need a will? Call McGill”. This is when the bad ass transition I had mentioned earlier comes in. When Jimmy leaves, its night, but the transformation from day to night is so perfectly seamless. Almost like no edit was made. That, was fucking awesome.

With the transition also comes a change of story from Jimmy to Mike. As Mike’s shift ends he makes a trip to a local diner and to a mysterious woman’s home. They cross stare without saying a word and Mike heads home.  When Mike rests in his lounge chair, a knock is at the front door. Mike’s opens Image 8it and his greeted by two detectives and two cops. Mike: “Long way from home are you?” Guy at door: “You and me both.” End. All that screams is “What the fuck?” Mike’s past is catching up to him and it looks like the next episode will be Mike centric. I’m already salivating at the idea.

Like I said early, this is not a very “wowing” technical episode, par from one transition, but it feels like a break from everything from the previous episodes. Like a side step from the journey into a bit of shenanigans, all to bring us back on course into these characters lives and history. A filler episode, but still one worth watching.

Next episode is titled “Five-O” and I’m sure it’ll be a good one. So come back here and feed your Better Call Saul reviewing fiening next time.

“Better Call Saul” airs Monday nights on AMC