Cohort. Magazine (Issue 2)
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Cohort</strong>. issue 2<br />
misunderstanding with two cops got Chuck hospitalized,<br />
Jimmy is presented with the notion that Chuck’s condition<br />
isn’t real, but a manifestation of something deeper.<br />
Other than Saul himself, his fixer Mike Ehrmantraut<br />
(Jonathan Banks) also appeared in the series as a<br />
main character. After appearing as a one-note parking<br />
lot attendant who argues a lot with Jimmy in earlier<br />
episodes, he eventually becomes involved with Jimmy’s<br />
line of work. The character got a well-deserved spotlight<br />
in episode six where his past as a cop is explored – the<br />
episode which probably garnered Banks his Emmy nod.<br />
Another notable character in the series is Kim Wexler<br />
(Rhea Seehorn) – a tireless litigator at HHM whom Jimmy<br />
shares an intimate history with. Jimmy tries to help her<br />
throughout the season despite the damaging outcomes,<br />
as in solving the Kettleman case. When he finally gets<br />
the chance to significantly improve his business with the<br />
Kettlemans ditching HHM and coming to him, Jimmy to<br />
enlist Mike in helping him manipulate the Kettlemans to<br />
“do the right thing” and revert back to Kim in the equally<br />
excellent and heartbreaking seventh episode – costing<br />
Jimmy a real shot at vastly improving his career, and<br />
marking the end of the embezzlement arc.<br />
It wasn’t the only major arc in the season, though. Per<br />
Kim’s advice, Jimmy decided to specialize in elder law,<br />
and it brought him to the last big arc of season one.<br />
Jimmy finds out how the retirement home of his clients<br />
have been overcharging them. His discovery leads him<br />
to actually work alongside Chuck, giving Jimmy a real<br />
chance to actually win the case, and also forced both<br />
of them to confront some truth about Chuck’s condition.<br />
Throughout its run, Breaking Bad showed how good or<br />
bad is just a matter of perspective – how everyone’s<br />
moral compass isn’t completely black or white. Gus<br />
Fring genuinely cared for people outside the drugdealing<br />
world, and was also a man of honor. Todd highly<br />
respected Walt, sparing him some money for his family<br />
and paid condolences after the ordeal in the desert.<br />
Even the psychotic Tuco still valued respect. The last<br />
two episodes of Better Call Saul explained how Hamlin<br />
isn’t inherently bad, and at the same time revealed how<br />
Chuck hasn’t exactly been the most supporting brother<br />
to Jimmy.<br />
Early on, the series explored Jimmy’s past as a scamartist<br />
nicknamed “Slippin’ Jimmy” through flashbacks<br />
and dialogues. After figuring out Chuck’s disdain<br />
towards him, Jimmy decides to venture back to Illinois<br />
for a sabbatical in the finale. He is reunited with his old<br />
partner-in-crime Marco, and the pair goes back to their<br />
old scamming habit. During their last scam together<br />
before Jimmy decides to go back to Albuquerque, a<br />
tragedy ensues, making Jimmy question on how doing<br />
the right thing has never worked to his advantage. He<br />
decides to ditch his shot on working for another major<br />
firm and drives off to Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke on the<br />
Water’ – edging him closer to fully embracing the moral<br />
ambiguity he’s well-known for in the original series.<br />
So far, Better Call Saul has a considerably less brutish plot<br />
compared to Breaking Bad. However, the show surely<br />
managed to remind viewers of the more violent nature<br />
of its predecessor in the first two episodes, where the<br />
first main antagonist of Breaking Bad Tuco Salamanca<br />
(Raymond Cruz) made a literally bone-breaking<br />
appearance. Notably, Tuco’s role in the whole season<br />
was quite minor, as he was more or less present so that<br />
the show could introduce Nacho (Michael Mando), his<br />
right-hand man. Nacho has been more prominent in the<br />
series so far, with him being tangled into the Kettleman<br />
case, and also played a role in Mike’s side-jobs.<br />
Overall, it was a surprisingly satisfying season. With<br />
compelling writing and solid direction providing an<br />
already-promising base, Odenkirk successfully held<br />
the show together as the central character, exceeding<br />
expectations and dispelling intial doubts. It’s going to be<br />
both interesting and devastating to see Jimmy transform<br />
into – as Betsy Kettleman stated – “The kind of lawyer<br />
that guilty people hire”.<br />
Season 2 premieres on February 15, 2016.<br />
MPTV<br />
1 2<br />
MORE<br />
SERIES<br />
RETURNING<br />
SOON:<br />
3 4 5<br />
1. THE WALKING<br />
DEAD S6<br />
February 14<br />
2. HOUSE OF<br />
CARDS S5<br />
March 4<br />
3. THE<br />
AMERICANS S4<br />
March 16<br />
4. DAREDEVIL S2<br />
March 18<br />
5. GAME OF<br />
THRONES S6<br />
April 24<br />
79
Change language