McGill v. McGill: The Birth of Saul Goodman
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- One of the biggest factors in turning Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman is his relationship with Chuck. Rarely on television, have we seen a relationship so layered, mutually destructive, divisive, and at the same so real. In this video, we deep dive into Chuck and Jimmy’s stories, how they intertwined, and how they ultimately brought out the worst in each other.
Thank you Greg for editing this video! / grishkamalishka
This is the grand finale to OneTake’s Week of Saul, but there is plenty more Saul content on the way. So, make sure you’re subscribed!
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When Jimmy busted into Chuck's house to destroy the tape and ends up waiting on the curb for the police, Chuck stood outside over him lecturing him without any symptoms. That's important to this evaluation.
This was around the time Chuck was able to be outside though but I do think its somewhat relevant.
i thought it was a plot hole at first but this makes sense!
@@officerspooder really you thought this masterpiece had a plot hole, really?
@@BhBc8f8 i mean chuck blames jimmy for his father losing $14k yet seems oblivious to the fact that his father is an overly generous man, did chuck not have a relationship w his father? did chuck never spend anytime around the store? If you’re talking about BCS as a whole though Gus also reused dead drop zones which even Jesse and Walt didn’t do when they were dealing on their own. They’re major plot holes.
@@KobeLoverTatum Chuck was sent to college during that time but rushed home in the middle of his clerkship to help his father with the book keeping and that's when he discovered $14K was gone. Jimmy stealing $40 every day for a year is $14K, $20 for 2 years is $14K, $13 for 3 years is 14K, $10 for 4 years is $14K and $8 for 5 years is $14K. Chuck said “Jimmy grew up in that store”, so if Jimmy worked there after school from age 13 to age 18 then it’s certainly possible now isn’t it? But like you’ve said there is room for doubt, Jimmy has his truth and Chuck has his truth but THE truth lies somewhere in the middle, with both or neither. Just because the writers intentionally left it ambiguous doesn't mean it's a plot hole.
If you keep doubting the genius writing of this show I'm gonna have to enact protocol chicanery under article 1216, one after Magna Carta.
“The law is sacred.” has the same vibe as “What I do, I do for the family.”
Jimmy had to witness both BS
It's funny too because law is made up by a bunch of suits in a room who will never have to worry about the consequences of their actions so...at least in some cases the law isn't right to begin with. Not to mention the fact our justice system is ineffective. What? Someone does something bad so we put them in a metal box with others who probably did something worse so they'll never learn better behavior? So they'll be worse? Our system doesn't consider redemption possible. Good behavior is irrelevant because a lot of employers don't want convicts...and if they do something bad enough or do enough bad things they just sit in a cage their whole life? That's not fair either. Redemption and time are something the law treats like toys to be played with. And that's wrong.
@@TheOneTrueClovehitch Absolutely spot on! Chuck is the living embodiment of the American justice system, and the idea that people don’t change, redemption and rehabilitation are impossible.
@@pastlife960 You are wrong though.
Chuck is not a “living” embodiment☠️
@@TheOneTrueClovehitch Also Chuck spent the early part of his career arguing precedent and law interpretation, he would be well aware that laws change and are amended or even ignored all the fucking time. That 'law is sacred' nonsense was just bullshit.
@@jackd6881 Exactly, like they said in the video; The idea of him becoming a lawyer and Jimmy not being capable of that was sacred to Chuck. He based all of his self-esteem and self-worth around that belief. His cognitive dissonance grew as Jimmy continued to exceed expectations in passing the bar, building an independent legal practice, and building a huge multi-million dollar case that got his law partner extremely excited. Not to mention Jimmy noticed an irregularity that Chuck didn't in work they both examined that led to the SandPiper case.
This is without a doubt one of the most complex and tragic relationships ever portrayed in fiction.
No one can change my mind about this
It’s right up there with Michael and Fredo to me, truly a masterful relationship.
Brilliant, tragic, sad brotherly relationship.
People spouting shit like this is so funny to me.
They are just brother this is how brothers be
@@jacobhealy8376 wth ur talking about. I definitely don't have a relationship like this with my brothers. If u do I'm sorry for you but the circumstances, consequences and psychological impact/effect on the characters brought about by this complex relationship between the Mcgill brothers are far away from normal.
The thing that pissed me off the most with Chuck is that he saw first hand how good of a person Jimmy had the potential to be when he discovered the Sandpiper Lawsuit. How Jimmy actively came to the defense of all of those people being taken advantage of and how hard he worked to ensure justice would be given to them. He even made sure to get the papers in a legal way and made sure Chuck knew that. And most of all, how much he’d changed and how driven he was. He saw that all first hand and yet it didn’t matter.
But no. Jimmy can’t improve or change himself according to Chuck.
Even if Chuck was right about Jimmy’s eventual fate, he pushed him in that direction by not ever giving him a chance to bask in the changes he was actively making in himself. Jimmy could have actually been a decent lawyer if Chuck had let go of his hatred and prejudice for him.
And maybe it would make sense to me if Chuck didn’t do the exact same thing that he constantly is mad at Jimmy for but because it’s “in the grounds of the law” it’s fine. It pisses me off to this day how much of a hypocrite he was.
If you hadn’t written this, I would have. Perfect summary of my own thoughts!
I don't think Jimmy ever would have been a straight and decent lawyer. Look what happened at Davis & Main. Chuck expected Jimmy to do the same at HHM, and he was right about that. Jimmy has a problem and Chuck knew it.
@@abhijitpadhi625 I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying Chuck is a hypocrite.
@@abhijitpadhi625 Davis and Main was different. Jimmy made one mistake, and got permanently punished for it, and then they turned around and made a commercial anyways.
@@uyuyyhgghh8542 Their issue was that Jimmy should have told them about the ad. Running unauthorised ads in such companies is a HUGE mistake. Of course he got punished for it. What are you, a child? Stop making excuses for Jimmy. It was his fault he did all that. Jimmy can never properly work for a company as he will just do his own thing. Chuck new that, hence never gave him a job. He was right for doing that. Stop making excuses for Jimmy just because you like him.
Chuck being kindest to him when he's allowed to feel superior is such a great point!
That’s how narcissists work … they only praise you after you’ve done what they want
How many of us have dealt with that reality? When it hits you like freezing cold water right in your face...it changes everything for you.
Jimmy tried to go straight and narrow for years but all it get him was more judgment and resentment from Big brother Narcissist. When Chuck died Jimmy realized he can now fully embrace being Saul Goodman. “Sometimes you gotta play to your strengths” - Slippin Kimmy
I think Chuck’s belief that he knows Jimmy’s “true nature” is ultimately just a cover for the fact that he can’t find any cosmic justice in Jimmy thoroughly eclipsing him socially and doing only slightly worse career-wise even though Chuck did everything right and Jimmy did everything wrong by conventional standards. The ultimate reason he can’t reconcile with Jimmy is that in doing so he would be forgiving things he believes to be unforgivable.
I feel like people are too harsh on Chuck. I grew up with a habitual thief/liar. People always told me I was too hard on them. Those same people would wind up living with them, and come back apologizing.
@@sanchoquixote1121 they aren't lol. By the time of first episode Jimmy knew Howard for a decade and in all those years he showed he changed himself by not falling into his slipping ways and actually becoming real lawyer in completely legal way. Guess what Chuck does in this case? Manipulates and sabotages his brother's career due to sheer spite and hatred he feels for Jimmy which he masks as some kind of moral duty because he sees himself as guru of righteousness due to being lawyer. Fucking joke.
People can indeed change, but it isn't rule and depends on individual and their circumstances. Jimmy changed himself to become better person, but Chuck pushed him back into his evil ways.
@@kolczak6964 Jimmy also fucks Howard over multiple times for fun and no other reason.....Even though Howard never did anything to Jimmy. So let's not talk like Jimmy was good.
Jimmy also did the one thing I hate about people - does something wrong apologizes and expect people to move on. Then he makes a promise he would never do that again, knowing full well - he will.
@@sanchoquixote1121 I don’t know your story in full, of course, but if this person was genuinely trying to change, would you have turned down, or even sabotaged, all the attempts in right direction or helped and supported?
If remember the past of Jimmy - he did all he promised to Chuck, he honestly worked in a mailroom, didn’t run any cons or schemes. But, he never promised not to pursue success in his life, and he also honestly studied, worked hard, honestly passed the bar, became a promising lawyer. His regression back to his Slippin Jimmy started only after he was first time rejected by HHM.
A detail that got passed over: When Chuck vouches for Jimmy at the bar, he is the one person there who doesn't state any sense of pride or joy in being there to do so.
I noticed that. "Its my honor to endorse X"
He just did it very matter of factly
nah mans was just shy. look how happy he was when Jimmy brought him out of his shell. lol everyone's a psychologist now
@@BhBc8f8 lol right
His death scene was absolutely hautning to see. And in the episode "winner" that flashback of him and jimmy made me shed a tear. Chuck mcgill is an amazing character well done Peter & Vince
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brebro brance
The dynamic and tragic relationship of the McGill brothers honestly inspired me to be a better brother and patch up any wounds with my mine to ensure that nothing like this happens to us.
I wish the writer's read your comment.
Mike had an amazing quote which encapsulates the whole show. “I’ve met good criminals and bad cops.” Jimmy does good things in a bad way while Chuck does bad things in good ways. Nobody is inherently bad we all just have different ways of showing the devil in us.
Underrated comment
and then Nacho's dad say the truth to people like mike who thinkg they have the high morale, ''you gangster and your justice, you are all the same.''
you know what's worse than Chuck?, the fact that Michael Mckean never won an emmy for his potrayal of Chuck
*What a sick joke*
Yet
this chicanery!
Have some more emmys, have some more trophies. It doesn't matter if it's gold or bronze.
What a sick joke!
On top of that, Jimmy threw Howard's own feelings of guilt back in his face and insincerely blamed him for killing Chuck, when he was responsible for jacking up the malpractice insurance (is it possible the insurance company could've found out Chuck's breakdown some other way, tho'?).
One detail I never see anyone point out, the episode following Chicanery, when Jimmy gets suspended and Rebecca chews him out for playing Chuck, is the first time he uses Saul Goodman publicly as an alias.
I think Howard is more responsible for Chucks death than Jimmy. But no one is more responsable than Chuck.
Eh the insurance company would’ve definitely found out about it eventually. It was on the record and there were more than a few witnesses. That’s why Howard was dining his clients doing damage control just in case they heard something. Jimmy just hit the gas pedal for them.
@@qorsoI love how Chuck apologists constantly have to point out that Jimmy is responsible for his actions but conveniently make an exception for Chuck in regards to everything he did including his self-inflicted death.
@@rusi6219
People point out that Chuck helped push Jimmy into being Saul.
Detractors: Jimmy is an adult, his actions are his own!
Chuck constantly being a jerk and pushing people away and hating his brother so much he develops a fake allergy to electricity which his then homeless brother has to take care of him for.
Detractors: *crickets*
You know it's a great show when you need a 30 min condensed lecture to explain the relationship between only two characters!
and it could keep going
I love this show and season 5 was phenomenal but my favorite part of the show was the conflict between Jimmy and Chuck. Just an incredibly nuanced, unhealthy and complicated relationship. I actually felt more sympathetic towards Chuck the second time I viewed the series whereas I hated him at first. Also, Chicanery is still my favorite episode of the show.
me too bro
Yep, McGill Bowl was definitely a highlight for the earlier seasons.
Interesting, I'm rewatching for the first time (now S4) and I think I dislike Chuck even more than before, because of all the occasions where he's secretly working against Jimmy. The worst of course when he has Howard denying Jimmy a position at HHM for a second time. That fake indignation against Howard, who Chuck abuses as a scapegoat, while he's sitting next to Jimmy, is just the worst.
Haven't done a rewatch yet but I know I'm gonna feel differently about howard this time through.
For me it was the opposite. The first time I was very sympathetic towards Chuck but now i despise him.
I remember when the show started, I was really desperate to see Jimmy become Saul. When eventually aired season 4 finale I was as stomped and surprised as Kim when he said S'all good man!
If they had reworked the plot and tied up loose ends, it would have been an amazing ending for the show.
I loved that last 30 seconds so much
Jimmy and Chuck's fallout as brothers really made me sad, because they honestly would have been a great lawyer team if Chuck wasn't selfish and decided to help Jimmy instead of ruining Jimmy, sure he was being honest, but imagine them together in HHM, alongside Kim and Howard, Jimmy would have maybe not been Slippin Jimmy anymore and that he could work hard as a rightful lawyer, there would be no Saul Goodman and Jimmy's life would have been amazing, rich and more positive unlike what happened in the events of Breaking Bad
So there shouldn't be show
@@Fred-ur2sr im seeing it from an aspect of an alternative ending
That’d be a dream team for sure.
@@edislettuce4218 city fan 😂
@@plasma9839 damn right
Definitely the best Chuck and Jimmy analysis I’ve seen so far. Hoping for possible closure or a flashback with Chuck in season 6.
The whole story is in the karaoke scene. It tells you everything you need to know about the whole series.
When chuck stole the mic to sing solo, jimmy stands back and admire's his brother's singing.
If jimmy did that, chuck would have been furious.
jimmy ain't perfect, but he's human. his respect for rules is not great, but his care for people is high. chuck, not so much.
Not to mention, that was supposed to be Jimmy's moment. Chuck stole it, showed how much more talented he was and got all the attention to himself, and Jimmy didn't mind in the slightest. If the roles were reversed, it would've become one of Chuck's most hated memories.
@@TaysanGalovu Yeah.
The thing Chuck was never able to realize is that Jimmy loved him more than anything and never tried "one upping" him in the situations that Chuck felt insecure him. They just needed to talk it out instead of keeping their feelings pent up. I know it sounds cheezy but that really is what had to happen.
Ther's this saying in writing "If you want a story to be universal, go as local as you can"
This relationship is so goddamned specific and intricate and somehow it feels incredibly relatable. Not the curcumstances of course, but never have I felt "family" better portrayed; the relationshios that arise from admiration on one side and envy on the other, the unwillingness to really see one another, the pils and piles of assumtions, the imbalance, the obsession, the toxic way it all builds together in a loop that no one seems to notice. Gorgeous storytelling
omg, that "you don't matter all that much to them" cracked me a bit, I didnt felt it the first time, but yeah, fuck Chuck
This is the most intelligent and comprehensive analysis of Chuck and Jimmy's relationship. Looking at the story FROM BOTH PERSPECTIVES is the key to unlocking the brilliance of this show.
Just wanted to say thank you for the videos, Saul Week has been the perfect build up for the last season! All of them have been great but I think this is my favourite one. The way you lay everything out, it really confirms how tragic these brothers are. It’s truly an amazing relationship they were able to craft on the show and I loved hearing you celebrate it.
In S01E02 there is a scene when Chuck wears his space blanket, and Jimmy says "take it off, I didn't do anything wrong". So that means that Jimmy knows that Chuck's condition is related to Jimmy doing bad things, right?
Yes. He knows. But he chooses to play along, helping him tailoring the space blanket suit, bringing him groceries every day and so on. Jimmy knows the truth, but he thinks pleasing him he's the only way to get his approval.
That's in the middle of them talking about the whole procedure Chuck expects visitors to take. He didn't do anything wrong with grounding himself, putting his cell phone in the box, not bringing anything else.
Chuck is a hypocrite plain and simple.
1. Chuck says to Jimmy and the world that if you work hard it pays off. He then insures that all Jimmy's
hard work comes to nothing at the firm.
2. Chuck says to Jimmy and the world to be a grownup and take responsibility for your decisions He then
lets Howard be the fall guy for not hiring Jimmy.
3. Chuck says to Jimmy and the world to do good work and the clients will come. He than all but
steals the Sandpiper case from Jimmy.
(Jimmy started that case with good work and genuine outrage at Sandpiper for robbing his clients.)
4. Chuck says to Jimmy and the world that the law is sacred, He then unjustly punishes Kim for the TV add.
(when her real crime in Chucks eyes is she won't see Jimmy in the same light as he does.)
5. Chuck says to Jimmy and the world that Jimmy is a conman that hurts everyone he is close to.
He then uses his "ILLNES" as leverage to con Jimmy into being his caretaker.
6. Chuck says to Jimmy and the world that he accepts his brother for who and what he is and loves him despite
his shortcomings. He then refuses to see Jimmy for what he has become.
7. Chuck says to Jimmy and the world that people don't change! (because he never grew and changed)
He then never gets past his resentment of Jimmy. (because Jimmy did)
You’re so good at taking in and analyzing what Vince and Peter and company are trying to say and putting it all together. I just found your channel this week and I’ve been watching so many videos, building hype for the premiere tonight. Great job bro. One thing I wanna mention is the whole Davis and Main commercial thing, but Clifford Main still doesn’t fire Jimmy and genuinely gives him a second chance because, as he says, “I believe in second chances”. But Jimmy keeps messing with it until he wants to leave, and gets himself fired. It just hurts thinking about it after hearing you put it all together, how Chuck believes he can never change, yet Jimmy genuinely wanted to. Jimmy puts himself through school outside of work and takes the bar like 3 times before he gets it, yet Chuck never gives him a chance, creating this self fulfilling prophecy FOR Jimmy where he will always be Slippin’ Jimmy. Kind of makes me hate Chuck, he judges Jimmy for going on a path that Chuck himself is helping be paved. When he has all the power to help him walk on a better path. Back to Davis and Main, maybe Jimmy could’ve found a way to stick with it and learn how to work in that environment doing things their way, maybe it’d be hard for him but it’s so sad to think about how he could’ve had chances outside of HHM to be really successful, but all because of Chuck, he himself believes he’ll never fit in there. At the time still thinking that it was Howard that was in his way, he probably saw Cliff as just another Howard like he tells Kim how Rich is as well. But nah, now Gene gotta worry about Taxi drivers and not passing out while making cinnamon buns and getting caught, thx for nothing Chuck. Great videos bro, just subbed.
23:33-23:37 Of course Jimmy would take the easy way out of the grieving process. He always did. His brother ensured that he did by constantly reminding him of his past. He never once gave him credit for staying up late, studying, and taking the bar exam three times until passing, all indicators that Jimmy has it in him to do the work. He instead is tossed aside, as Chuck believes people can never change. This in turn makes Jimmy question what exactly is the point of doing good things and being a good person if it just makes people resent him further and gets him nowhere in his professional and personal life. I think that it makes sense for him to forgo the grieving aspect of his brother's untimely death and not take responsibility because that is what he was pressured into by Chuck and taking the easy way out is his coping mechanism
One of my favorite things about this series is the idea that a good person can be broken by the world little by little. Sure Jimmy does things differently but chuck sees that as a departure from normalcy so much so he becomes superlawyer. Chuck wanted to be as good as Jimmy and couldn't even. So chuck became the antithesis to Jimmy. I don't see Jimmy messing up anymore than a normal person what I see is Chuck not letting go of anything ever. Jimmy would try to change but get sullied by his brother whose his mentor in a way. Think of how great they could have been if they joined forces. Holy shit. They wouldn't need Howard's limp ass...
Chuck: "the law I sacred, but I'm too lazy to properly investigate the matter."... His prejudice against Jimmy bothers me.
I love these Better Call Saul videos you’ve done this week. I’m both sadden and happy this show is ending. Sad because it’s my favorite show on TV that’s coming to an end, and possibly the last show we will get within the Breaking Bad universe, but glad as I wouldn’t want this show to go on more seasons than necessary and then say “that show’s still on?” It’s best when shows end on top. Breaking Bad did that and it looks like Better Call Saul will do that as well.
Last video in your BCS marathon did not disappoint. Really well done
As an older brother of 6, if Chuck woulda gave Jimmy the slightest bit of support after he got his shit together, he woulda never became Saul Goodman.
Chuck was socially awkward, was jealous of Jimmy's social skills and insanely spiteful of his mother's love for Jimmy. Oh yeah, Chuck was batschit crazy too.
it’s annoying that chuck treated jimmy like that when federal judges and lawyers are paid off, bribed and blackmailed for years...it definitely showed his jealousy of jimmy...if he’s so against corruption of the law, why didn’t he go after all the judges and lawyers that were corrupt, not just jimmy
@@blaubeer8039 hahahaha exactly...deep down people like him know they’re frauds
Because to him, Jimmy isn't a 'real lawyer'. The law is sacred, and Jimmy isn't sacred, because he's a pretender.
@@thecynicalone7655 going back to my original comment...then why go after solely his brother ? 😂😂😂 go after all the corruption if you’re so righteous...he was just jealous of jimmy
@@govegan562 I believe that to chuck, there is a difference. I'm not saying it's a rational one. But he beleives that Jimmy is a fake lawyer, and therefore undeserving of access to the law, because it's sacred
Brilliant analysis dude! Watching chucks and Jimmy's relationship is 💔 2 episodes tomorrow !
Thanks Jason!
It's proof how powerful a story is where despite how much you hate Chuck, you just can't help but feel sorry for him, and wish that he and Jimmy could've made up and worked together.
Hot take: Kim dies in that plane crash that walt inadvertently caused.
In all seriousness,
Jimmy is going to be directly responsible for Kim’s death. And he will compartmentalize his guilt about it the same way he compartmentalizes his own involvement in Chuck’s death or even his own father’s demise. And that’s why his admin Francesca is so disgusted by him in Breaking Bad. From her prespective, Jimmy’s a monster. But the only reason Jimmy is a monster is because Chuck (ironically) turned him into one and Kim enabled it further.
Even if that did happen, which now we know it didn’t, how would that be him directly killing Kim. It’s a stretch to even say that he would’ve indirectly killed Kim if it happened.
What's truly masterful is that Jimmy is genuinely a better person than Charles. Jimmy assumes the best in his brother despite the evidence, continues to take care of him with a disease he knows he doesn't have even when he finds out Charles is the reason he isn't moving forward as a lawyer. An important aspext is that his changing of the numbers isn't for his own sake, it's revenge for Chuck taking a case away from Kim (who is struggling to establish herself); Jimmy no longer cons for himself, it is for Kim, it is for his clients. Let's face it, Jimmy doesn't want to be a lawyer, he wants his big brother to like him, he wants to impress him. Jimmy, when we see him, shows a huge capacity for selflessness.
Chuck on the other hand is very petty, holds all sprts of grudges, uses his intelligence to benefit himself at the expense of others, he enjoys the admiratiin, the portraits of himself, the lights being turned off when he enters a building, they show him as having no love for anyone but himself. And he represents the sacredness of the law, he is convinced and proud of his "objective" goodness. We never see Chuck as a public defender, taking on a case pro-bono, seeing Sandpiper as anything but "a way for Jimmy to scheme his way into my castle" and not a legitimate wrong happening to vulnerable people. He is like a high ranking bishop in a medieval story about what is means to help others. Charles is blind by design; he lives in darkness, he struggles with empathy, he makes the world fold into his assumptions.
He doesn't deserve what happens to him or anything, it's just a really interesting aspect of his character; so sure of his own goodness, he's a bd person, and Jimmy, so sure of hiw own badbess can't hide the fact that he's truly kind. Jimmy takes after his father: "Not my Chuck, not my precious Chuck" and has to learn his own lesson in order to grow.
The irony. Fuck, the irony is so good.
This video is amazing. It brought whole new layers to their relationship I didn’t even pick up on. Great stuff
Jimmy: *does something right*
Chuck: “And I took that personally.”
For every person that has dealt with other people standing in their way of becoming better just because of their past or said people just deemed them unsuitable for... reasons... Jimmy is the guy the audience roots for throughout. We root for the scoundrel on our side.
4:48 I have to disagree, maybe it contributed to it but I think it was a way to coax Chuck into having fun. Jimmy saw he was leaving because he wasn’t having a good time but he wanted him to stay. He wanted Chuck to break out of his comfort zone and be apart of the celebration
You have the best videos about everything BCS and BB! I love your content!
Thank you Jorryn! 🙏
Jimmy stole at most $3.50 a day. That’s a free hot dog here and there with a pop or two. If half the money was his dad handing out money, that’s under $2 a day.
I love your work man. You changed my whole perspective on the show. Your work is on point and always a pleasure to watch. Now I can tell my friends what is it exactly that made me watch the show 5 times. And maybe make them watch it with me for the 6th time :)))
Keep it up.
I always thought that my older sister was there for me no matter what, because we are family. We used to joke about being supportive siblings like Van Gogh and Leo. When I became more successful, more educated and made more money, I paid for her vacations abroad several times and even tried to pay for her master's degree. But many years later, I found out that she was mocking me behind my back for "caring so much about money" (unlike her high moral ground of not caring about money), at the time she was accepting the vacations I paid for her. Later I also found out she was secreatly trying to sabotage my relationshiop with our mother. My world turned upside down and I had to spend literally a couple of years to process the info. I went into the contemplation mode and started to recall many incidents that happened when we were growing up, and her psychology behind them. Finally I reached the only logical conclusion that would fit all the evidence -- she had been jealous of me, particularly around high school onward, when I started to outshine her. I didn't see that earlier becuase I had ignored the signals, probably because I was too naive or I wanted her love too much to acknowledge who she is. I later distanced myself from her and stopped needing her. Now we are in a polite relationship where she can't sabotage me any more. It's a good place and I like it, although she doesn't know why. I am giving myself time to heal and space to forgive her silently (I never told her that I discoverd what she did behind me because that would probably induce shame and subsequently denial and anger out of self protection, which might irreversibly damage the relationship). I hope one day I will be able to regain closeness to her without letting her hurt me when I am wiser and stronger.
Encouragement 👏
Nah that’s fucked, wtf you need to have a serious conversation with ur sister
Went thru the same with my brother and the shit that came to light from flashback’s when I processed shite -not good but I’m on to his game
At first, it seems odd that Jimmy could go from miserable at the knowledge of Chuck's death to being apparently cheerful upon learning that he was complicit in it. He comes off as needlessly spiteful towards Howard.
But looking at the bigger picture, one could say that Jimmy actually had learned his lesson. The last time a broken man ever came to Jimmy professing guilt, it was Chuck. It was a manipulation tactic and it worked on Jimmy, tricking him into confessing to doctoring the Mesa Verde documents.
Now Howard comes to him in much the same manner (albeit here, his profession of guilt is genuine as opposed to fake) and Jimmy is given the same choice: confess his guilt here too, which would probably ease the burden on Howard, or make the smart decision and clam up. Jimmy's telling himself, "Your pity for a broken man caused you to make a stupid decision last time, and you can't let that happen again." He may even think that Howard is trying to manipulate him in the same way Chuck had, so his "your cross to bear" line is his way of saying "I know what you're doing and fuck you."
You're forgetting that Howard was in bed with Chuck about the Mesa Verde thing as well
best analysis of the jimmy/saul transformation i've seen! keep it up good sir
I'm not good with forming great words to appreciate this video, but man, you dont know how much I feel inside how great you prepare this analysis and the way you deliver them. I hope theres a machine that can interpret whats inside your mind so you can see it. thanks for making this video.
Great break down of Jimmy / Saul character! Can't believe I missed it. His father's words still stuck with Jimmy. I felt so sorry for him when his ONLY brother says what you quoted him saying to Jimmy that "you never meant that much to me" (paraphrasing). Chucks analogy of Jimmy being a lawyer comparing him to a chipmunk with a rifle, or something to that effect.
In that flashback scene where Chuck and Jimmy are by their dying mother's side, Jimmy leaves quickly to get something for them to eat and drink. The mother wakes up, Chuck tries to come for her and all she can say is; "Jimmy, is that you?". Jimmy asked Chuck if Mom ever woke up or said anything and Chuck lied and said "NO".
Methinks Chucks jealousy of his baby brother was from the moment he saw his mother "Bringing Jimmy home, looking happier than he'd ever seen her"!
You really hit the nail on the head. Me and my brother watch the show and have completely different opinions (ironic I know). But I think that’s the beauty, each side is very well supported. It’s nature vs. nurture. Could Jimmy have been nurtured into being a better person, or was he always destined to be Slippin’ Jimmy/Saul? And a larger question, is it anyone’s responsibility to nurture you in this world? Or is that your responsibility? Chuck didn’t have to let him into HHM, that was his choice, and Jimmy can have his own opinion of that. You have to take life as it comes, not expect everyone to do exactly what you want them to. It’s also something you come across in real life very often. People who play the blame game, their lot in life is never on them. They behave as if they can’t do anything to improve their own life. And that, to me is the fatal flaw of Jimmy’s character - he thinks he’s the underdog in every situation, which results in him taking shortcuts in every situation. I’ve always taken Chuck’s side more but I by no means totally agree with him, he didn’t need to go as far as he did in many cases. And he could’ve done some good but clearly expressing his opinions much earlier. I also think that his “I’ve never really cared about you line” is an out and out lie. He clearly proved he cared about him, (for better and worse) many times. But it’s just so equally balanced. It’s really down to your own personal bias which side you take, which is a beautiful thing.
I think that Jimmy was the brother with the kindest heart, and it literally broke his heart to see his own father go down in bankruptcy and then die. He thought that his kind-heartedness would not give him success in life, and decided consciously to bury his kind and honest personality because he thought that he could not afford being kind. This is how Slippin' Jimmy was born. Chuck was not that sensitive, being more of the rational kind. They had different strategies to cope with their dad's failures, and Chuck seeing Jimmy living out what he had (more or less consciously) sacrified built tons of resentments in him.
Chuck's decision making is anything but rational.
Fantastic video. I've been rewatching BCS and I'm like, damn, the more I re-watch, the more appreciation I have for these two characters. This puts what I'm thinking to words.
Chuck telling Jimmy, “You’ve never mattered all that much to me.”, is such a gigantic lie that if Chuck were Pinocchio, his nose would have grown so much it would have broken out a window.
This is a brilliantly insightful analysis. And extremely well explained.
Kudos.
I know everyone is posting their theories and continuing the discussion which is fantastic here, but can we also appreciate the amount of time and effort it took the vlogger here to post this insightful analysis? Thanks a lot of this as im hyped to continue to watching season 6 :)
Truly excellent analysis correlating Chuck’s resentment with electro magnetic symptoms…
I mean, obviously she would call out Jimmy's name as she died. He was the one who wasn't there. She was asking Chuck where the fuck his little brother was?
Really insightful video. Great job.
Holy shit man, youve made me appreciate the writing of this show 1000x more than I already have. Such a complex and deep character read
It was always so crazy to me that Jimmy seemed to think that HHM was the only law firm worth working for. There are many other firms that would have accepted him. Divorce, medical malpractice, car accidents, anything.
Jimmy never cared for HHM, like he didn't want the job at Cliff but got pressured to accept it. He wanted to practice law with Chuck, so his brother would accept Jimmy and make him proud, but he got that denying many times until he became slipping Jimmy again
The person above me is correct. Hell, he never even really cared about being a lawyer, all he wanted was to get the approval of his brother.
I know it is pushed that Saul was always in Jimmy and he could never stop. However, I am still curious about how he could've turned out if Chuck loved him and was supportive of him joining the firm as an actual lawyer. Jimmy was an addict for the rush of his criminal behavior/scams and addicts NEED a support network to get better otherwise relapsing is highly likely and he never had that considering the dishonesty of Chuck.
This is the best video essay on Better Call Saul I’ve ever watched.
This is genuinely an amazing analysis. I'm not easily impressed so props.
These video's have been extremely entertaining and endlessly useful for understanding this show a little better. You should be proud of what you've done here
jesus.. I rarely come across an actual honest to Bob, GOOD YTer but you man, are definitely one of the elites. Bravo man, seriously. The depth and dots connected but also in the manner presented is top tier, and anxiously awaiting clicking on your next BCS interpretation video. 👏 😎
I love how at the end of ep2 of the new season he says wolves and sheep, its such a good callback that i completely forgot about that
Was about to comment that, i was thinking about why saul said that, then looking at this vid it makes sense!
Great video. Its clear that you really watched and enjoyed the show and you're not just reading a script someone else wrote.
27:00 never would have caught that, brillliant take
Detail I just noticed because of this video, the scene in which jimmy makes coffee and feeds his fish to seem unbothered is very similar to how chuck plugged everything in his house back in to seem better. Not sure how to bring it home to some deep conclusion but I felt like I should comment this.
Great observation! At minimum shows they have similar coping mechanisms for grief or trauma
This is a great analysis. Thank you!
Love the way they made a young Jimmy @ 3:43, really well done despite the sheer craziness of these two brother's unrealistically weird relationship in the show.
This is by far the best analysis of the relationship between Chuck and Jimmy.
Saul wanted to be good he wanted to be positive and show his brother he can be good. He sees chuck as good itself he envied him. But when jimmy saw that his brother was anything but good, it broke him. Chuck is a heartless machine that ate at jimmy on many levels. He tried to change he wanted to change but chuck let his resentment and jealousy hurt his relationship with his brother who just wanted him to accept him.
like mike and his son what great foils
I love this dynamic so much so complex
Such a tragic relationship. If Chuck's lack of forgiveness ensured Jimmy would never get a chance to redeem himself.
So Jimmy became the only thing Chuck allowed, in his mind.
One more think that seems to drive a wedge between the brothers is the death of their father which Chuck thinks was caused by the closure of the store which he again thinks is because Jimmy siphoned $14,000 over the years.
But, we actually don't know how much of the $14,000 was stolen by Jimmy and how much by the grifters. I think Jimmy's resentment for his brother is because he thinks that he didn't steal anywhere near $14,000 but still gets the blame for it.
His brother told him "Why have regrets at all? What's the point?" and he took that advice to heart
McGill Vs McGill: The Battery Defense.
Jimmy perpetrated an assault and BATTERY and got away with it...with the help of sticky fingers Huell. Can a brother get some love?
But not our Jimmy! COULDN'T BE PRECIOUS JIMMY!
This is brilliant summary, jordan peterson has a good comment on these types of relationships. "Some families have their hands around eachothers necks slowly choking them over 20 years" chuck should have taken Jimmy's success as his own, aiding him agaisnt is self destructive barriers, if only he'd have let Jimmy take the spotlight, a wholesome happy life wouldn't have been too far away.
I used to hate season 2, but now I realize Clifford Main is who Chuck should have been to Jimmy. Cliff fixed his financial situation overnight, gave him an apartment, company car and publicly showered Jimmy with praise.
The very first time he had to reprimand Jimmy, rightfully so, he still stood up for him and let him keep his job. Jimmy shows gratitude by having a temper tantrum to con his way out of a job just to keep 20k. It proved that Chuck was right all along and even if HHM had welcomed Jimmy with open arms, he would endangered their entire reputation.
Exactly right. All of the past between the McGill brothers was made irrelevant when Jimmy got that prestigious job at a top firm. That was Jimmy's opportunity to demonstrate that he had changed; turns out people don't change.
@@dash_r_media, You literally missed the entire point of their relationship.
@@drphilsranch6782 No. You Jimmy apologists twist and turn every which way to avoid putting the blame where it belongs: on Jimmy
You're forgetting one thing. Jimmy got the job at D&M after having been backstabbed by his brother twice, and at that point he wasn't sure he wanted to be a lawyer at all. Just because he was an asshole to Cliff, doesn't mean he would've been as asshole to Chuck too. He loved his brother dearly. He became a lawyer to make his brother proud. And after Chuck's betrayal he only continued being a lawyer because of Kim, the other person he loved most in the world.
@@TaysanGalovu After he learns Chuck not only betrayed him with the Sand Piper case but getting into HHM, he talked to Mike and asked why they didn't take the millions they had instead of giving it back to authorities. Mike gives his answer which is he was paid to do a job and he did it, Jimmy meanwhile says he knows why he did it, and he's not letting that stop him again.
He didn't take the money because he was trying to be a good person for Chuck. Slippin Jimmy would have kept it but he's doing his best not to be Slippin Jimmy. After learning of the betrayal, he no longer cares about being a good person for Chuck, his perspective changes.
Before learning about Chuck's betrayal, I 100% believe Jimmy would have done his damndest to be a good lawyer at Davis & Maine despite any issues he has. But what we see is after Jimmy knows he was betrayed and changes his perspective, this is not the same Jimmy before he learned about Chuck's betrayal. That is a key thing people miss, there was something that kept Jimmy from keeping ill gotten millions and that was being a good person, Chuck's betrayal made him stop caring about that.
To put it in perspective, Jimmy could have had millions of dollars if he acted like Slippin Jimmy but gave it away. Meanwhile, Jimmy builds the Sandpiper case on his own, does everything right, is being good and legal and is punished by his brother. When Slippin Jimmy is more of a net positive on his life than Jimmy McGill Esq, I can understand Jimmy going that path and Chuck showed him that the straight and narrow doesn't give you crap.
It's actually remarkably simple. Chuck believed in studious, hard work and the rewards will eventually follow. Jimmy believed in cutting corners where the 'ends will justify the means.' Chuck hated the fact that Jimmy was able to pass the bar and become a legit attorney...so Chuck inadvertently wished to stop Jimmy from thriving, sabotaging him from behind the scenes. Jimmy, being the catalyst for disaster and unethical behavior, inevitably proved Chuck right...but Chuck never got to see the end result.
you have amazing observational skills
In a way, Chuck is also responsible for all the bad stuff Saul does in breaking bad. Jimmy wanted to change as a person when he worked so hard to become a lawyer and I personally think he would have done his best to play it straight if Chuck had just given him a chance. You treat someone like a monster for long enough and they become one
Cant wait for years of BCS analysis. Goddamn Vince Gilligan is a fucking genius
This show has been nominated for 46 awards and hasnt won a single one smh
One of the best youtube videos I have ever seen and I have been watching vids on here for years. Incredible summary of such a complex relationship!
in a way chuck seems to be the bigger liar of these two. chuck says he sees the law as sacred, but then he has no trouble breaking it himself in his quest to stop slippin jimmy
pretty crazy how much they look like real brothers... and i do wish Micheal McKean wouldve been in BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice
In my opinion, and party as you pointed out, Jimmy's form of coping with his brother's death is simply moving past it as quickly as possible. He stuffs his feelings away, and goes back to good old Jimmy like you said. But part of that, is the idea of fairness, which is a big deal to Jimmy/Saul. You can see that in the voting of the scholarship and just as you said, it really bothered him. Chuck does all this crap against him all his life, finally culminated in not one but two separate betrayals that almost ended his lawyering career, and made his life extremely hard. Then, Chuck's last words to his brother are that he never cared about him. Finally, Chuck commits suicide likely in big part because of what Jimmy pulled to get back at him. The ultimate betrayal, the ultimate diss, the farthest you can possibly take your pettiness: suicide. Because in killing yourself, you are killing a part of everyone who loves you. This final betrayal, this horrible act of selfishness would break anybody. Jimmy simply decided to not let that happen.
If Chuck doesn't care about Jimmy, then why should he care about his brother's suicide? Fuck him. And I agree completely. These characters are brilliantly written, and these two brothers' relationships can be dissected and examined in all sorts of ways, and of course people's views on these events differ based on their perspective. But to me, I am fully on Jimmy/Saul's side. The world kept screwing him no matter how straight he played it, so might as well play it dirty too.
People seriously need to research the psychological phenomena of confirmation biases.
amazing analysis
it could be a small thing, but in a flash forward I'd love to see a flash forward for christy espasito showing her taking his advice/kicking ass. maybe just a billboard of her advertising her own firm or something, maybe just somethin small but still. would love to see that she/those unm film kids used what they learned from jimmy for good
BCS is such a beautiful, horrible, wonderful character study of two complex characters.
Chuck was an exceptionally bright kid (he graduated high school with honors at 14, I think) who was probably out-of-step with his peers and not well understood by his parents or their community.
The 9 year gap in age between the brothers and Chuck's letter to Jimmy saying how he remembers how happy their mother was when she brought Jimmy home from the hospital makes me think their Catholic mother probably suffered many failed pregnancies before he was born.
So, Chuck could achieve all kinds of accomplishments but he'd never reach the ultimate accomplishment that Jimmy did just by the miracle of his birth.
Jimmy must've been just showered with love and, in return, he was lovable. I wonder if Chuck was ever lovable.
You’re absolutely correct in what you’re stating. I completely agree with what you said. You hit the nail on the head. I think you’re right on the money. Couldn’t agree more.
One scene that stood out to me was when Jimmy lashed out at Howard when he retracted his job offer. Jimmy starts spewing claims that he can shoot lightning from his finger tips as if he was some kind of wizard wielding destruction magic. It stood out to me because I always saw the McGill brothers as lawful evil wizards and Howard being a lawful good paladin.
Jealousy is one hell of an emotion.
Jesus, this is the most accurate most on point review of the brothers McGill relation.