Me and Margaux, blah blah blah, Better Call Saul.
Trevor: How intriguing was that first scene? A mulleted Jimmy McGill in jail for some unspecified reason – well, he said it was just a “Chicago sunroof,” but that raises more questions than it answers.
Margaux: Seriously, my first note was, “what the shit is a Chicago sunroof? Actually, don’t tell me.” It was refreshing to see Chuck in tip-top lawyer form, you can see why Jimmy idolized him so much – he’s basically magic, at least to Jimmy.
Trevor: And it’s kind of adorable to see Jimmy’s complete ignorance of the law, at least in terms of legal jargon. The “Heeeere’s Johnny!” entrance was just the icing on the cake.
Margaux: It’s been really enjoyable that they writers of Better Call Saul continued to incorporate Jimmy’s love of reciting famous movie lines as if Jimmy might’ve said them first – it makes really think twice because Odenkirk sticks the fucking landing every damn time.
Regardless of how or why Jimmy really ended up in jail in the opening flashback, one thing is clear, we saw his turning point. And how far “going straight” has got him. Sleeping in the back office of a nail salon.
Trevor: It’s not all bad, he finally got some cucumber water. You have to celebrate the little victories. And then you have to drunk dial a pretty lawyer and warn her about the Kettlemans.
Oh by the way, Betsy Kettleman? Ida Thurman, the sheriff’s widow, from Fargo.
Margaux: THANK YOU! I knew that actress looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place her – probably because she didn’t have a whole lot to do on Fargo once her husband died.
I digress. How funny and uncomfortable was Jimmy’s “sex robot voice” warning phone call to the Kettlemans? By the third time he called them, I was anxious and then resentful that I already memorized the Kettlemans’ family voicemail, “YOU’VE REACHED TEAM KETTLEMAN!” Take a buzzsaw to my ear why don’t ya.
Trevor: When he finally abandoned the paper towel tube, it was very hilariously high school. “You’re in danger bye!” I love seeing him in over his head, and he spends a lot of “Nacho” in over his head. He even underestimates the parking attendant.
One reason this show is growing on me even more is that, like Breaking Bad, it can wear so many hats. Even more than Breaking Bad, I’d say. It can be a dark comedy, it can be a drama, and with “Nacho” it showed that it can be a thriller. Jimmy frantically leaving Nacho voicemails was almost unbearably tense.
Margaux: Ugh, those damn voicemails! It even less tolerable to sit through than Jon Favreau in Swingers. But I liked that even Jimmy was surprised that Nacho named him specifically as his lawyer – which, to me, was when the episode really kicked into gear.
I loved that the cops Jimmy and lady-lawyer friend were dealing with were not the Hank and Gomey (RIP!!!) of Breaking Bad. Not say they were bad at their job or inept but clearly were racial profiling, just a wee bit. And the vindication Jimmy feels when Mike “bridge troll” Ehrmantraut backs up his theory of the Kettleman’s kidnapping themselves was a really nice, subtle glimpse into their friendship we’ve become familiar with in Breaking Bad.
Trevor: I really liked the begrudging respect they started showing for each other. Mike respected Jimmy’s insight into the case, and Jimmy was just happy that someone finally believed him. This was the most competent we’ve seen Jimmy, frantic voicemails notwithstanding. It was nice watching him play detective, even if he was wearing the absolute worst clothes to go traipsing through the forest.
Margaux: Loved Jimmy moonlighting as Nancy Drew, sweating it out for his literal dear life to find this shitty, stupid family. Who, by the way in a really fun twist, actually did embezzle over a million dollars. So, Jimmy’s instinct was more or less right several time throughout “Nacho”, and not just because his ass was on the line for more than half the episode.
Jimmy did have one line, when he shows up the Kettleman house “crime scene” earlier on, that I thought summed up his character quite nicely, “I’m just reading tea leaves.”
Trevor: Loved that line. Jimmy’s getting better under pressure. I guess it helps when Nacho – whose silence reminded me of Mac’s dad on Sunny – promises that Jimmy will die if he doesn’t get Nacho out. Michael Mando’s performance balances reason and menace very nicely, I think he’s a great addition not only to this cast but to this world.
Margaux: I’ve liked the start to Nacho’s character and honestly cannot wait to see how all these characters (Mike, Tuco, Chuck) come colliding together. And if we’re gonna see the slight turn from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman in the next episode or two, with the discovery of the Kettleman’s stolen cash, there are a lot of muddy moral waters to trudge through there. Or at least a good place to lay the foundation for it.
Trevor: This TV-making factory of Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, and “Nacho” director Terry McDonough (a Breaking Bad vet) sure know how to tease you with a cliffhanger, don’t they? The behind the scenes staff on Better Call Saul is already one of the most competent and capable around, and we’re only three episodes in.
Margaux: I mean, duh. And if you need further proof, check out the Better Call Saul Insider podcast that features the cast and crew, if you already thought this show couldn’t get anymore likeable, listen to the podcast and have your heart explode. And be prepared to be mildly jealous, the Better Call Saul’s production team have the best job in the fuckin’ world.
With that being said, hire me!
Trevor: Well we have the second best job in the world, geeking out about this show every Tuesday. I’m thinking four and a half stars. Any objections?
Margaux: Four and a half stars is perfectly agreeable – Odenkirk’s “robot sex voice” earned at least half of the star rating by itself anyway.
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