Better Call Saul: How Jimmy McGill Evolves
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- Опубликовано: 6 авг 2024
- This video essay analyzes how Jimmy McGill evolves over six seasons of Better Call Saul, starring Bob Odenkirk, written by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. This analysis will help you to understand the complete character evolution in psychological detail over five stages.
PATREON: / justanobservation
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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro/Childhood
5:45 Stage One
10:40 Stage Two
15:39 Stage Three
19:03 Stage Four
27:08 Stage Five/End
Music used:
C Major Prelude by Bach
'Permafrost' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
'Moonlight' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
Eureka by Huma-huma
Falling Rain by Myuu
Beethoven's 7th Symphony (Public Domain)
Groove by Drew Banga
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(Vivaldi) Winter mvt 1 Allegro non molto
(Vivaldi) Summer mvt 1 Allegro non molto
(Vivaldi) Summer mvt 3 Presto
by John Harrison with the Wichita State University Chamber Players
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported - CC BY 3.0
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Link: freemusicarchive.org/music/Jo...
The original work has been modified with basic fades, cuts and loops
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Funeral March (by Chopin) by Chopin (RUclips Audio Library)
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#bettercallsaul #bettercallsaulseason6 #breakingbad 
Развлечения
To me, Jimmy truly started his downward spiral when he drank the cucumber water that was for customer only.
underrated comment
bravo vince
I wonder why he didn't confess that in the court. Surely its some kind of crime
I love how, at first, all we wanted to see when the show started was for Jimmy to become Saul Goodman. But by the end of it all, we wished he would’ve stayed Jimmy
yup
I felt the exact same way when I watched breaking bad too
BRAVO VINCE AND PETER!!!!
Wish he never became gene
I felt the exact same!
“He really did change, by accepting that he never would.”
What a profound way of putting it.
imagine doing a life sentence for nonviolent offenses in a super-max surrounded by murderers, and torturers and vicious guards, all treat you with zero humanity and decency. then see what that profound little epiphany does after week two or three.
@@griffinsalmon5798 you really think that the inmates would hurt him? he's Saul Goodman, every criminal in Albuquerque knows who he is, they have no reason to hurt a former lawyer that fought for them. Its even shown in the last episode that the inmates loved saul, they were chanting his name in the bus.
@@iandrakarisoh1008 in scene one of the finale when saul is desperately trying to escape capture by fishing diamonds out of trash, to him saying "hell yeah ill throw the rest of my life away."
El camino was good cause it left jesse's story still ultimately ambiguous, it didn't change the canon of the original. in the breaking bad finale, jesse rides off, where does he go, it doesn't matter hes free. in el camino jesse ends up in alaska, where does he go from there, doesn't matter hes free.
its a hard argument to make that the final court scene in BCS isnt completely contrived.
real world example, jordan belfort was a ruthless conman but he cut a deal because who would voluntarily go to a horrific prison for life. no one would do that voluntarily unless you're a rushed character development for a character that seems to understand that hes in a tv show and needs to give disney-brain diseased audience some sense of closure.
the sopranos has the greatest ending of any crime show because it ultimately hates the idea of closure and refuses to give its audience the satisfaction. insteads it leaves them slightly satisfied on some plots being resolved but mostly confused or upset.
@@griffinsalmon5798 ok
@@griffinsalmon5798 The only thing I understood from your ramblings was that you get aroused when theres no clear ending/closure. Your pretty weird, I would say
Just realised Chuck was always saying how he's going to beat his illness and that everyone needs to be patient with him but never gave that same luxury to Jimmy
Chuck could never accept that he and jimmy were alike in many ways, they BOTH needed to change for the better together, but sadly they ended up tearing each other apart
To hell with the Chucks of the world. You don’t need someone else’s permission or recognition to be your own person. What others think of us will never be something we can entirely control, so we should train ourselves to become indifferent to it - taught the Stoics.
@@ckminty603 it's always good to have a tempered mindset
@@patrickripleyiii134 Jimmy realised that he would never change if he was free; he would always return to crime since it was too much fun. Becuase of this, Jimmy gives up the 7 year deal and is given a sentence of 86 years so that he can't hurt other people. In contrast, Chuck denies the fact that he will not get better and it tears him apart. His condition is getting worse and worse and, seeing no other way out, kills himself after Jimmy cancels him malpractice insurance.
Yeah! He says "Jimmy can't help himself" and never even considers that means he needs someone else to help him.
I want to point out something about the, "Jimmy leaving his dying mother's bedside to go get a sandwich" thing: he and Chuck had been there for a while, and he left to go get them both some food after failing to perk up Chuck by recalling a memory with their mother that he recounted with rose tinted goggles, causing things to get a little tense.
It's a tiny thing, but crucial. Jimmy wasn't being flippant about his mother's state, he was doing something quite thoughtful which wound up blowing up in his face. A pretty common theme for him.
That's a great point. Chuck thought Jimmy cared about their mother less and yet was rewarded with her affection, when in reality Jimmy was being kind and punished for it.
It's kind of like that thing Chuck said about Jimmy in Chicanery. "He has a way of doing the worst things (being absent during his mothers final moments) for reasons that sound almost noble (doing a thoughtful thing for his older brother who probably hasn't eaten or slept in for a really long time)."
And it was all chucks fault, chuck put him into this mentality
@@juliancarreon5569 What? They barely interacted before Jimmy moved to ABQ
Chuck lied about their mother's last words I thought that was pretty low. Chuck had always resented Jimmy's existence and the fact that his mother had to divide her time between them so there was nothing Jimmy could do to change it. Chuck was mean and vindictive.
I like the parallel that Breaking Bad was about Walt becoming someone who deep down, he truly always was whereas Better Call Saul was about jimmy slowly losing who he truly was, an actual good guy with a few bad habits.
That is not what breaking bad was about
@bruh moment That's literally what it was lmao
It was hinted at many times in the past that Walt always had it in him. He always had a pride far too big for his own good. Cancer was what finally gave him the opportunity to break bad and do as he pleased.
@@bruhmoment6620 “I did it for *me* *I* was good at it. *I* liked it”
Breaking bead is about Walter succumbing to his pride and ego. All the while justifying it as doing it for family, before finally admitting he was doing it for himself. He had enough money for a long time. But instead he wanted to “be in the empire business”
It’s 100% about that
I kinda see jimmy in an opposite way, i think chuck sadly was hundred percent right despite his awful words. Jimmy has it in his nature, he just can't do things straight and honest. For me the evidence was, that he actually had a couple of clear opportunities to start fresh and change his ways, but he chose not to. Like for example when he lost his licence, he actually had it all, kim was by his side, the cartel wasn't pushing him around, he could've let it go and live a normal life, but instead he stirred for trouble again. What i kind got from the show is that jimmy is that way because of his upbringing. So for me better call saul is jimmy trying to sell that he is honest, happy and changing, but just failing everytime and looking his true self in the mirror. Kinda f up but i guess life is
@bruhmoment6620 the moment when Walt snarls at Gretchen rejecting her offer to pay for his cancer treatments is like tearing away a veil. For just a second we see a glimpse of the cruel and hateful monster from the last season. It was there all along. Resentment and pride fostered in Walt like an abscess. His cancer just popped it and let the pus explode everywhere.
Howard’s job offer was not insincere or condescending. Howard and Jimmy bore similar pain: weight of personal responsibility for Chuck’s suicide. Unlike Jimmy, Howard did the personal work to overcome his grief and be a better person. Howard was genuinely trying to make amends. Jimmy can’t tolerate seeing Howard achieve growth while he’s getting cartel kingpins off of murder charges, which is why he broke down and shot lightning bolts at him
From his fingertips!!!
I agree that Howard did indeed mean well by the offer and was genuine about it. But the offer came as a result of feeling guilty over the previous issues they had and that even led to Chuck's death. So, for Jimmy, it might have seem insincere - and in some way insulting, since the trial to make amends (and to apologise in a sense) came way too late. At this point, Jimmy and Howard were on a completely different page.
this was the moment when James McGill became Zeus.
@@mrdabrow bravo vince
@@mrdabrow Zeus Who? Zeus Skywalker Ozymandias Goodman.
You’re telling me a man just happens to evolve like that? No! He orchestrated it. Jimmy!
HE DEFECATED THROUGH A SUNROOF!
Thank you! I love this reference!
I swear, people slighlty modifying this quote will never be not funny.
CHiCaNeRY
Same ol slippin Jimmy
The funniest thing about both Jesse and Jimmy is how all these tragedies could literally be avoided if Walt/Chuck patted them on the back and said "good job sport!" but those two just had such colossal egos that they couldnt💀
Facts😭
Ffs, isn’t that the truth? And Jimmy cared so fucking much. So conscientious with his brother…. And then he just got dicked so many times.
It was kick the puppy (as well as Jesse) for the both of them until they changed.
Regarding the McGill family store, $14K in late 1970's money would be about $65K today. I firmly believe the writers made the amount that high to indicate that Jimmy couldn't have stolen all of it and Chuck was assuming the very worst of his brother. Short of a bad drug or gambling problem, what would a teenage Jimmy have spent that money on that wouldn't have been immediately obvious to everyone around him even if he stole it over a 6 year span?
_shoves fully equipped limited edition eldorado convertible into tree house_
That is precisely it. Chuck telling Kim about the money stolen was supposed to show her how bad Jimmy really is. It only showed that he never gave him a chance.
I've always maintained that at least half of that $14,000 was his father's misguided generosity for everyone who came begging, which he then of course never recorded in the books.
@Sandi2105 I think this is entirely correct, Jimmy stole a tiny amount compared to what his father gave away, that's why the books were out, but chuck had no idea about his father's problem with giving away money, as he was studying for the law degree. That's why he just blames Jimmy
yeah, I think it's a clear indicator that Jimmy isn't the only person taking advantage of the store. But... he was the only son doing it.
Chuck damned his brother. No one digs their way out of hell alone. Chuck put his foot in Jimmy's face and pushed him right back down.
Very good point but the way you worded that reminded me of that scene in A Christmas Story where Santa pushes Ralphie back down the slide after denying his request of a Red Ryder BB gun 😂
Jimmy did his brother way more wrong than Chuck did in the end, even if Chuck's wrong doings are focused on more in the show. Chuck's at least started from being mentally ill.
@@johnselwitz5362 Ho...Ho... Ho.... *kick*
Why remove Jimmy’s agency? Jimmy’s a big boy, if he was truly a moral person he wouldn’t have gone down the path he did.
@@freebandz4332 nobody is "truly moral" even the most widely regarded people in history like MLK or Gandhi were not morally perfect and often did or said things that were morally wrong. What makes a difference is how they deal with those divergences from good. Chuck not being able to truly support his brother definitely did not help Jimmy he may not be responsible for Jimmie's actions but he is responsible for his own to sabotage and attempts to hurt him.
After watching this show's finale I felt that the message was: "it's never too late to change". Even if your whole life you were someone, you can always try to be somebody else. Even in the last minutes of the last episode of the last season.
It’s kind of the same message as John Steinbecks East of Eden. Just because other people say your bad and you do bad things it doesn’t mean you have to continue being that. You have the freedom to make your own choices in life.
@@seenasoltani1808 love that book prob my favorite
Very similar to the story of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Arthur Morgan Becoming a better man.
@@seenasoltani1808 that’s a great point.
I am in season 92 episode 17 of my life you saying I can change?
I feel like the saddest part is that no matter how hard Jimmy tried, Chuck never gave him the benefit of the doubt. I genuinely believe that Jimmy would have been able to take a righteous path if Chuck didn't keep standing in his way
Yeah. Chuck definitely had his reasons to be skeptical of Jimmy, but by believing he can never change, he was condemning his brother to just that; never changing. Not for the better at least.
It wasn't even the "benefit of the doubt". Chuck believes the worst in Jimmy. When he sees Jimmy straighten up, put forth effort, and nearly be awarded for it, Chuck does everything he can to pull him down. Everything Chuck does has hurt Jimmy or benefited himself.
He never knew Jimmy. The only thing Chuck ever knew was that $14,000 was gone and he was his parents' no. 2. He ignored everything Jimmy did that didn't fit that narrative.
Jesus loves you
@@scrubbingdoubles8585 no
The only barrier to Jimmy's path to a better life was himself. This is an object lesson in NOT setting too much store by the opinions of others; had Jimmy stood alone and on his own merits; his talent would have shone through.
Jimmy McGill is one of the best written characters in television history. He's actually my favorite of all time.
Same here!
He's my number one too, even above Walter White. You could argue Walter White is a better character overall because of how memorable he is, Bryan Cranston's acting etc. But in terms of pure writing, Jimmy McGill is easily the best imo.
I think chuck is, in my opinion. The tone in tones his voice, his mannerisms and ego are just spot on.
mine too
@@mayowafele9691 Chuck is also a really good character. The whole fake illness adds a whole extra layer to his character as well
Kim's arc is just as fascinating. Because unlike Jimmy, her true nature is the prim and proper, cross every T and dot every I, bright attorney. One of the most promising Howard's ever known, in his own words. But she slowly loses herself in Jimmy's world of shortcuts and cutting corners. Eventually she's the one taking the reigns in the Howard plot and the results are devastating. So both Jimmy and Kim are constantly fighting their own natural urges out of love for each other. It's a twisted but beautiful love story at its core. What a great show.
her true nature is prim and proper? i think the show strongly suggests that she's always been a morally complex person
It’s about how much people are gonna hold Kim accountable for her own actions.
Because I see people blame her misfortune on Jimmy everywhere, like she is an angel who can do no wrong.
“But not our Kimmy. Couldn’t be precious Kimmy.”
I loved the flashbacks of her with her mother, because her being more or less forced to help with her mom's scams revealed a lot abut her true nature and why she stuck by Jimmy so long. He was sleazy and he caused trouble, but he loved her and so she was willing to stick by him.
You did watch the shoplifting scene?
@@nont18411 Welcome to the world. Women are rarely held accountable for their wrongdoing.
The wild thing is, Chuck didn't kill himself right after being pushed out of the company, but after he burnt his bridge with Jimmy, who genuinely wants to get closer to Chuck again after Kim is injured in a car accident (which reminds him of what's important).
Chuck was even using electricity again, to Jimmy's astonishment.
I'm not saying being pushed out of the company wasn't a major reason for his end, but pushing away Jimmy for good left him all alone, even more alone than when he was at home for 2 years straight.
People get Chuck's character wrong so much it hurts. The guy did help his brother in the 1st place because he did love him and he wanted him to change (his final bit in BCS was about how it is never too late to change himself). He actually was shown to be proud of him even being a lawyer at 1st. Can't help that he stunts like his own mom not giving a damn about him on his deathbed or his divorce leaving him alone for the most part.
Chuck is the definition of mentally alone vs physically alone he’s fine being in his own head but not being around others physically drives him mad
It was actually after Jimmy tried to get sandpiper settled the first time and ruined the old woman's friendships
@@ClintonKE yup. Chuck is extremely complex in that he loves Jimmy but also sees the evil within him and wants to stop it. The problem with Chuck is that he himself suffers from his own demons and those demons only get worse the more he dislikes his brother. Hence why his illness gets worse than ever after burning his ties with Jimmy and why he kills himself.
@@ClintonKE You are wrong mate. Chuck helped Jimmy because his mother asked him to and then took him under his wing to feel better about himself. Sure it was objectively good thing for Jimmy since it put him on straight path, but let's not pretend he was motivated out of love and genuine desire to improve his brother otherwise he would have tried to help him sooner and he wouldn't try to destroy him if he became but a living reminder of Chuck's superiority. That's why he was so terrified and never happy for his brother becoming lawyer. Chuck wanted to be explicitly better than him and Jimmy trying to become his equal and earn his respect was going against his pathological superiority complex (fucker was always more successful than Jimmy like wtf).
And no, he wasn't happy at the beginning of Jimmy's lawyer career. You can see how Chuck uncomfortable looked after hearing about his brother passing a bar when he asked if it was a joke. Literally next day ordered Howard to immediately cuck his brother from joining their firm because it wouldn't allow him to manipulate and sabotage Jimmy. Chuck doesn't love him that much and he certainly never had his best interests in mind.
I love the part where Chuck saying
"Have some more chicken, have some more pie it doesn't matter if it's boiled or fried"
have a happy Monday. A BETTER CALL SAUL DAY!
I love the part when they’re at court and Chuck goes: „It‘s Chuckin time“
@@sowjetgollum4447 I also love the part when Jimmy points out there's something in Chuck's pocket and Jimmy says "Yeah It's been there Saul this time".
Or the moment when Jimmy enters Chuck's house after fighting a cartel member, and Chuck notices the blood and says, "You got red on you."
or when hamlin howard says," THE ONE PIECE THE ONE PIECE IS REAL!?
Chuck's dynamic with Jimmy is such an interesting one because he's always right, but never fully. Yes, Slipping Jimmy was always there, but he himself helped that side of his brother to stay prevalent. Yes, Jimmy fooled him to lose his client but what really tipped them over the edge wasn't his perceived incompetence, it was his own dismissive and arrogant attitude when he talked down to them. Yes, Jimmy publicly humiliated him in court, but only after he himself dragged him there after betraying his trust in more disgusting way he ever did. Yes, Jimmy did steal from their father, but so did everyone else and he even tried to initially stop that but was talked down from doing it. And while Chuck resented Jimmy for captivating everyone's attention, he himself refused to learn better people skills to compete with him and instead dismissed them as worthless or at least much less important and not something that should be rewarded. He always saw the problems, but never his role in them.
Chuck is selfish a-hole.. not once did show any kind of appreciation for Jimmy taking care of him while he was "sick" in the house, not once!
Spot on deduction!! A lot of people talk about Jimmy and Chuck’s dynamic; It’s hard to find an analysis that distills chuck’s flawed way of thinking down to its essence, but I think you really did that here.
People perceive their dynamic as a Chuck vs Jimmy debate, when in reality they’re both right, yet both flawed
I love the contrast between Jimmy and Walt. While Walt did own up to his actions to some extent, Jimmy had the courage to face the consequences of his actions. Death for Walt was always an escape. What mattered most to Walt was his ego and his pride which he could never let go off. I love that Jimmy takes that away from Walt in his testimony by saying that without him there would be no Heisenberg.
So he did win against walt
Kinda
21:03 I never thought that Howard only offered Jimmy the job out of guilt, Howard always respected Jimmy and knows from experience that Jimmy is scrappy and creative he's the kind of guy to bring in the big bucks to get things done fast and to find good opportunities also he's colourful to say the least. Howard was at a point where the company was on the verge of falling over, and Jimmy was the only one who told him what he actually needed to hear. At that point, Howard was determined to keep the company, and he needed someone like Jimmy. That's why he offered him the job. At least, that's how I saw it
Your character analysis are not only accurate and insightful, but also well-paced, sharply written and unexpectedly poetic in some ways. Some of the best analysis on RUclips in my opinion. Great job again!!
17 seconds into this video
He said
“ each one of us ARE”
When “each “ is obviously a singular pronoun-
If you wanna sound smart
Speak correctly
@@lash570 If we’re gonna go that route, do you know how many sentences a 30 minute video has, and also the amount of work that is to record all of that? I think one mistake is understandable.
@@lash570 Huh? What's interpunction again? Speak to whom, i can't hear anyone?
@@lash570 oh the jealousy. you need a creative outlet my friend, maybe a yt channel of your own. anything. else that wrath you feel when seeing other people get complimented on the traits you think you should get compliments for will eat you up inside and make you miserable. and then who will aknowledge your skills? nobody. they won't let you have the satisfaction. be like jimmy. change before it's too late. just something to think about.
@@lash570 Nitpicking over small errors in grammar is an easy escape route for pedants that want to be critical but cannot actually engage with the substance of the content in any meaningful way. The problem is that this behaviour doesn’t constitute intellect. It is just smug and pretentious.
If you’re going to lecture others on intelligence, you should (at the very least) first demonstrate intelligence of your own by contributing something worthwhile to the discussion at hand. Otherwise, you’re more than just smug and pretentious - you are also a hypocrite.
This is the single most worthwhile analysis of this character I've ever seen. Thank you for doing what you've done here.
Yes, This a the most clear and comprehensive summary of the series I have seen, and the most thorough understanding of Jimmy's character. This analysis makes clear the warnings for us all in our own life's journey.
I am so happy to see that saul goodman/ jimmy mcgill can take the title of one of the most complex characters on television along with walter white and tony soprano among many others
“Because he really did change, by finally accepting that he never would”.
That is a damn strong line right there
Jimmy is the personification of
"if i cant be the hero, then let me be he villain"
i feel like jimmy 3:25 didnt steal all of the money, he defienetely took part but i think it was quite a jump for chuck to immedately accuse jimmy of bankrupting the store when they had the whole town stealing from it.
3:53 I included both brothers perspectives
@@JustanObservation thanks for replying I wasn’t that far in the vid yet
@@seraph8293 You couldn't have waited 30 seconds?
@@Alexander_Grant yeah mb for commenting in the middle of the video
@@Alexander_Grant LMAO why are you like this
I also thought Jimmy could change for the better. And the finale proved that. I have believed since season 1 that Jimmy could change for the better. If he was given the proper rewards system, respect, and encouragement from Chuck specifically but everyone around him in general that he cared about, I truly believed we would’ve never seen Saul Goodman. I think Jimmy still would’ve bent the rules here and there but as long as he had the positive reinforcement from those whenever he’d stay straight and do things by the book, I am very confident he wouldn’t have ended up as the tragic character that he is.
I dunno.. he was given many opportunities on silver platters and still ruined those instantly with his 'own' ideas
Although Jimmy could have made it if he was supported, I can totally understand Chuck’s position. It’s probably not the first time Jimmy said he would change, that he was quitting scams, become straight and honest… After some time, you just don’t take it seriously anymore, and the law was the one thing he couldn’t let him mess with.
I wish he tried harder and stayed at Davis and Main, but Chuck's earlier rejections sealed his fate.
damn. hopefully you understand the show better on the second viewing. good luck 👍
@@blinkyy1088 I’ve watched through the show several times, including season 6. I stand by thought process. Especially after the finale. It showed that Jimmy can change for the better. It showed that Jimmy at his core was just someone who put up fronts to deal with whatever trauma or bad luck comes his way when in his heart of hearts he truely was a good person. So I hope you can open your mind upon a second viewing and understand that both sides of the spectrum of this debate hold merits and neither one is correct. Just observations and personal conclusions. So lemme know how a second view goes.🤙🏻
7:00 Chuck didn't just suggest Howard not hire Jimmy at HHM, Chuck was the *only* person who said no. Howard and the other partners all voted yes, but Chuck was the sole person who voted no.
His story really went full circle
You couldve also mentioned that Kim dared him to spill the truth, he told her "you first". So she confessed and now its his turn and he finally lived up to it, keeping his word. He owed it to her.
Why though? He gives away his life to... Prove a point to his ex? They also somehow put the entire Walt and Gus operation AND cop killing on Saul for no reason. Ending was so self-righteous and stupid.
@@KasumiRINA love is the only thing worth living for dumbass
Chuck is a very interesting character. He knows that Jimmy has that tendency to take shortcuts, but his personal resentment towards Jimmy is what drove Chuck against him and that made people lose trust in Chuck's words. Chuck hated Jimmy more than he hated his actions and if he were less personal about this, then Jimmy could have been an upstanding lawyer.
I do think it's important to note that Howard's job offer wasn't motivated by guilt at Chuck's death, or at least, not entirely. His own justification for it cites Jimmy's speech about Kristy and his own repentance for not standing up to Chuck. He is, in fact, being the authority figure who forgives a rule-breaker, but by this time Jimmy is so arrogant he won't accept the very grace he's been demanding all this time. Howard's changes put the lie to Jimmy's narrative that no one will ever give you a second chance. But Jimmy's too far gone to take advantage of it now.
Without a doubt one of if not the most(imo) complex character in TV history. What the writers achieved with this character and show is just incredible
Edit: This video just proves that the finale was perfect and completely true to the characters. These characters are really complex and demand the viewer to be invested in them , this is why some people think that the ending didn't make any sense, which is just not true and is simply the result of them not putting the needed time in thinking about the complexity of the characters especially Jimmy's character and his complicated psyche
I don’t get the people saying this ending didn’t make sense. Imo, this is the only way it could’ve gone.
@@dialnh The ending made perfect sense, but I swear some people watch tv with only a third of their brain present.
@@dialnh People wanted an explosive and exciting ending like Breaking Bad had, but Better Call Saul isn’t like that. Walter could have an ending like that because he was a kingpin. He was the guy who made the meth. He was the one who knocks. Saul did what every lawyer does. Protect their clients at all costs. It’s fitting that the thing he used to get himself and everyone he was acquainted with out of trouble dozens of times before would be what finally took him down. Of course, not without Saul Goodman coming out one last time to negotiate his guilty verdict down to 7 years before blowing it up by telling the truth.
@@Odinsday it took me a while to accept that BCS was not BrBa. It was much less violent but much more deeper. And I slowly started to shift my focus onto that, eventually changing my “not really BrBa” level opinion into “BrBa if it was about Jimmy” This show was every bit as good as BrBa it was just a different flavor, which took me a while to get used to. Ill never be able to watch any show again… will just seem too subpar lol.
It isn't surprising to know most people who don't like the ending are the same people who dislike the Gene episodes and think they are boring. The Gene episodes are essential into understanding the finale because Gene's behaviour pretty much summarizes Jimmy's addiction and personal problems in just 3 episodes, they're Jimmy's last stop before becoming truly irredeemable and Gene's antagonistic personality is just the ultimate consequence of Jimmy's own corruption throughout both BCS and Breaking Bad, his regrets and repressed feelings bottling up and exploding into a reckless monster.
One thing I think gets overlooked about the missing $14k. It wasn’t just jimmy taking the money out of the till. The dad was too. I think that’s the tragedy of Chuck v. Jimmy. Chuck thought he could see everything but he had blind spots. Sometimes I think the Bb/BCS shows are about blind spots. One thing about Walt was he was always trying to see around corners and get ahead of people but it was the blind spots that get him. (Hank, and leaving the Walt Whitman book from Gayle on the toilet for just one of many examples).
yeah, this was sadly one-sided.
I think Jimmy really terrified himself when he contemplated bashing in the cancer patients skull and then threatened the old lady. He was betraying the few shreds on goodness he had left, his lack of being violent and his love for old ladies (even if he’d scam them he still felt guilty about it) I think in those two moments he realized Chuck was right about who he is. Slips and falls and never catches himself, and seeing how Kim did catch herself and accepted responsibility made him see the other path
Yeah, as Gene he really started to cross lines that he wouldn't have crossed before. At that point in his life -in hiding, doing a mind numbing poor paying job- he got so bitter and frustrated that he started losing the last human parts of who originally was Jimmy McGill and got extremely close to becoming a complete evil monster. You could see it in his face and demeanor in certain scenes, he looked cold and evil and has lost most (if not all) of his charm. He was becoming as scary a person as a Gus or Hector. Out of respect and love for Kim, the only person who had really believed in him, he managed to turn himself around. Great ending!
Holy shit I didn’t even notice the parallel until now to when chuck bailed Jimmy out of jail, to when Jimmy was caught by the end and almost getting a 7 year sentence.
With Chuck Jimmy was screwed and totally begged to be saved, by the end of the show Saul played them like a damn fiddle.
In the end, Chuck tried to help Jimmy turn his life around, but due to him believing Jimmy could never change and trying to show the world that he’s the better brother, he ended up being the catalyst of Jimmy’s descend to a darker and destructive path.
Jimmy’s story really shows how paramount it is to maintain a healthy relationship with your family…😢
I’ve said this before but season one of Better Call Saul is vastly underrated. It’s not my favorite season but it’s every bit as important as the others. We are led to believe that Howard is the villain but in reality it was Chuck. And Chuck, while justified in his reasons for keeping Jimmy out of his firm, accidentally started Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman when they had that argument in the second to last episode
My friend once told me "Love can change a man as well as not getting love can change a man too". Truly felt while watching this show.
Agree with everything you said minus the last stage (imo): it wasn't that Kim left him, it was that he left Kim, leading to the same outcome. You can tell he lost all trust in her when she confessed that she knew all along that Lalo was alive, meaning the one person that Jimmy believed cared for him betrayed his trust.
Another masterpiece of analysis, this series is full of subtleties and sometimes some information goes unnoticed, your analysis further evidenced the depth of the character, keep up the good work.
It just occurred to me how his charismatic nature covered up how far he’s gone over the edge not just within the show, but to the audience as well
He finally did change by accepting that he never would. I’m still trying to figure that out. My brain hurts a little. Great video. Miss this show so much.
27:04 "...and no longer seeing the GOOD MAN in Saul Goodman." That line really sticked with my head🙈
29:01 I thought that too. Robbing the cancer patient was basically Jimmy projecting his anger at the dead Walt for destroying the meth empire that made both of them so much money.
Out of all the better call saul analysis videos and breakdowns, this is one of the absolute best I've seen. Clearly establishing what made Jimmy turn into Saul in just 30 minutes out of a series that is hours long is incredible. This made me appreciate the series as a whole and especially the finally far more. Good job man!
The best part is, the law is broken, the system is broken, so there’s always an actually moral place for a Saul Goodman… so that’s what he gets to do in the end. Be the Saul Goodman his fellow prisoners need, while the Jimmy in his soul is free.
I totally agree, but I think it goes one layer deeper personally - every system is going to be broken in a way that let's a Saul Goodman character thrive. When Saul/Jimmy sees a wall, he doesn't see a barrier, he sees something he has to climb over, in a perfect judicial system, there is always going to be a Saul who's found a loophole to wiggle through.
Jimmy's commercials weren't a hustle. He genuinely tried and showed he should have been in advertising. This show and breaking bad show what-if's perfectly.
I'd love to see you do a vid on Mike Ehrmantrauts evolution over the course of the series.
I only recently began to realize how well written his transformation is, and how he slowly surrenders his agency to Gus. The killing of Werner makes him just as bad as the cops who killed his son.
Something about Kims evolution would be interesting too. Oh heck, what can I say? ALL the characters are brilliantly written in this series!
This would be amazing!
Fred from travel wire will be next
@@Cichyhub Don't forget Lyle
@@Cichyhub watching a man change: from working at travel wire, to being dead
I need a video on the tragedy of poor Ernesto.
18:27 Jmmy basically blaming Howard for Chuck's death because Jimmy couldn't deal with his own grief and guilt about it was a dick move.
Thank you for explaining it like this. I hate when people say “Chuck was right all along” cause he wasnt. Jimmy had changed but Chuck convienced him that this wasnt possible and that he would never change, thus creating Saul
I don't think he fully changed. But he was truly trying to. That matters. Chuck believed that people can't change. Jimmy tried to make something noble of himself. He just couldn't fully do it. Everyone around him pushed him farther into his eventual fate. It's tragic and unlike Walter, Jimmy does the right thing in the end.
great video, i think mike's monologue about "good criminals, bad cops" and how you can be on either side of the law regardless of your morality is relevant to jimmy's arc
I like to think that the implication throughout the episode is that the moment Jimmy would go back to is the scene where gets Chuck's malpractice insurance cancelled. It was a crime, in his opinion.
We will never know for certain - but watching that scene back now is scary. Something so simple & so venomous ended up destroying any chance of reconciliation with his brother. As the winner - he took it all & it was more than he could handle.
I think it's made quite clear that the moment Jimmy would go back to is that scene with Chuck and the Time Machine book, which takes place probably the day before the events of the first episode of BCS.
Chuck was reaching out the one and only olive branch we see him offer to Jimmy, the chance for two brothers to just sit and enjoy eachothers' company. I think the point is that Jimmy feels things would have been a lot different had he stayed that night, maybe the chance to start fixing their tattered relationship.
You covered parts of the show that I didn't even pick up on. Kudos on another amazing video essay. It's so sad that Jimmy went in with the Cartel which ended up in getting Howard killed and forced Kim to leave him.
I like how, at first, the roadblocks in his path are not his fault but, as the show goes on, he is the main one standing in his own way of going straight...
What’s crazy is that this video helped me understand the feelings behind restorative justice an empathize with those labeled criminals than any other podcast or piece of media ever has.
This is THE BEST analysis of Jimmy McGill in BCS!! PERIOD! AMAZING MAN!
One of the few guys who doesn't mindlessly analyze random "details" that were never intended like a maniac and just actually observes and talks about the story of the show. Great video
it's been said before but i'll say it again, never has a prequel add more to the original story, making it more interesting than it already was. Not to mention finishing it off great.
I was waiting for this one after I finished watching Walter’s transformation!
THANK YOU JUST AN OBSERVATION FOR THIS!! Truly an amazing analysis of one of the best characters ever written for TV!
This was the best analysis of this show I've seen yet. Just wow. Summed up all my loose thoughts perfectly.
What I found impressive in BCS is that the Jimmy McGill we see in the first four seasons is still in Saul later on. While there is certainly change and evolution, the roots are still there. Flickers come up.
Can we please just appreciate for a moment how both Bryan Cranston and Bob Odenkirk absolutely MURDERED their respective roles in this universe when so many people doubted their abilities in playing a serious role beforehand?
This is the best breakdown of the show I have ever seen. Bravo. Perfectly said, perfectly executed.
I love how soothing your voice is while talking about assorted crimes
Hearing season 1 put into words, I've realized the purpose of the parking validation montage. The first time Jimmy's told he doesn't have enough stickers he's slightly annoyed but deals with it, but as it goes on he's yelling about it "SORRY! I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STICKERS!". This mirrors how Jimmy feels about the straight path. He's annoyed by it sometimes, but deals with it. But as he gets screwed over so many times by the straight path, he finally starts getting fed up with it.
This is a brilliantly crafted video mate.
Since watching BCS for the 2nd/3rd time I’ve considered the Jimmy and Chuck’s relationship as the best I’ve ever seen on screen, but watching this elevated how well written even I thought it was.
Vince Gilligan is the best in the business.
Peter Gould had more an important voice in the creation of this show than Vince Gilligan, yet gets no credit.
What's really tragic, is if it weren't for Jimmy and Kim's direct interference, Howard was really on the right track and growing as a person. He had the firm slowly growing to its former glory, he was doing what he could to salvage his relationship with his wife, and he had made peace with Chuck's death as much as one could. He even extended not just an olive branch, but a handshake to Jimmy. But Jimmy seemed morally incapable of accepting that. Its as if making peace with Howard is offensive to him.
I think my favourite part about Waterworks is the fact that Gene almost does murder 2 people in cold blood, one a cancer patient after robbing him, the other being a frightened elderly woman he manipulated. All of this ties back to Walt and Jimmy's earlier work in elder law and shows more than anything just how far he's fallen and I love it for that. For just a minute or 2 in this episode, Bob Odenkirk got to show how genuinely terrifying he would be.
By far, THE best analysis of Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman I’ve ever seen. Bravo - you’ve done an AMAZING job. This video should have millions of views!
As always , you've done a great job at highlighting the unspoken intentions of characters and tying together the collected impact of events on the timeline. Thanks for the additional insights
Next we need a show about the shoplifter who was denied the scholarship
Meh, she doesn't mean all that much to me.
No, we need one for that background character in the 'Saul screams at guy" scene
@@alexanderyt4610 massage my prostate with your tongue, we need a show about Jimmys goldfish while we’re at it.
Completely spot on 🔥🔥
Keep up the amazing work
I have such a personal attachment to Saul/Jimmy and your videos make my love for
Him and his show even greater. Thank you!
Brilliant analysis! Thank you for contextualizing the series in this way and sharing it here
Jimmy was always good at heart but always being rejected turned him into a “ fuck the system “ kind of guy and since he was more creative, smart and charismatic than most ( I’m 100% sure he’s on the adhd spectrum and i know this because I am too ) and he developed into Saul which at the end he regrets it , he’s not evil or cold as he pretended to be , people can change if you only believe which chuck unfortunately didn’t , what a brilliant show
You never miss with your thoughtful video essays
Keep up the good work
🎂🐁
Been waiting for this one for a long time! I'm so glad it's finally here. The tragedy of Jimmy McGill and Chuck McGill's brotherhood left a wake of destruction on the world as a whole, and it's crazy to think about.
Such a superb analysis. Your scripts are just as good as the show itself. Thank you.
Wow, your video is a true masterpiece. You have a deep understanding of the character’s writing. Beautiful work! ❤
What a killer analysis. Love all of your Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad content; please keep it up!
This is such a beautiful and well written analysis, by far the best I’ve seen of Jimmy McGill before. I agree with every point you’ve given, metaphorically, Jimmy was a man trapped on a rollercoaster. He could switch a lever to stop the ride and get off at any time, but he chooses not to. I can say for a fact that Jimmy's arc is fully complete and his ending is far from a driven happy one. Bittersweet maybe, but it is a necessary nobility for a man who's done wrong. For every sin that he admits to, he has to be willing to own it and, eventually, be forgiven in his own ways. Jimmy, once a man who drowned out his guilty conscience behind a facade known as "Saul Goodman" is now surrounded by one and not only does that severely limit his ability to escape from his past, which he formally insinuates by admitting his role in several past crimes; but it also perpetuates his mind's death sentence. Not only has he come to terms with his past but he's also looked inward, to understand who he is fully, and to embrace the full breadth of his character's complexity. He admits his role in Walter White's drug empire, but also remembers one last malfeasance that caused the life of his own brother Chuck. This cements Jimmy's character we've seen from day 1 into the place where Saul used to sit, and no longer is he referring to himself as Saul - but rather his old self. He knows his true self is still Saul, and to protect Kim from prosecution he throws himself in front of a bullet for her and does 86 years in prison - a considerable addition to the 7 years he would have served had he just taken the deal and left Kim for the chopping block. Since he doesn't do this, and not only to be honest with his inner demons and release his opprobrium within himself, he surrenders to a life of lying and running away to being rightly punished as everyone wanted him to be.
This, Jimmy McGill, is his ending. He can't quite escape his true persona, the inmates recognize him as Saul Goodman and that's okay to him. He tries to persuade his peers to recognize him as the feeble, straight and narrow but morally challenged milquetoast kind of guy that he used to be - but he knows deep inside they won't accept him that way. He realizes that's the price to pay for not getting off the bad choice road.
The ending line to this video gave me goosebumps, thank you for your work on this! You did a great job.
This is such a complex and well-written show, I was expecting many analysis videos once it was over. Thanks for such an in-depth chronological analysis video
I’ve decided to watch the show before seeing breaking bad. Watching that nice guy Jimmy turn into Saul goodman has been heartbreaking. I almost feel like Chuck, apprehensive, watching Jimmy become this nice lawyer, who takes care of the elderly, but yet knowing he’s still up to no good because he’s always been a little scam artist and the apprehension of knowing he’s just gonna revert back to his life of crime. But as a first time viewer, not knowing Jimmy before he became a lawyer, I really liked that character and who he was and his potential. But watching him become Saul is heartbreaking.
Oh yes. I've been waiting for this analysis 😃
That aspect of how Chuck keeps attacking and sabotaging Jimmy until he eventually defeats him in court and leading him to suicide always felt to me like some traumatic action of self defence. Like someone you care about is coming at you with a knife, and you desperately yell at him to stop, but he keeps coming at you, until you eventually have no other choice than to shoot him. I think that at least since that “You’re not a real lawyer” scene Jimmy knew in his heart, that it is him or Chuck, that Chuck won’t ever stop attacking him as long as both of them are breathing. But it took some time for him to accept who and what his brother really is, and what he has to do.
Your videos on the show are always a joy. Thanks for this one
Wow. A hell of an analysis. Makes me appreciate the story on an even deeper level.
Masterful. Thank you for recreating an incredible dram in the truest sense in such a concise way and poetic way, that it is almost a piece of art in itself. It not that easy to see the whole picture over with long waits between seasons in combination with the flashbacks with one watch. You made it entertaining all the while.
Wow this was a great video! Very well done. One of my favorite shows and you killed it with the commentary.
Excellent analysis, thank for putting in words some things I had seen, and many others I've missed. What a great series, the writing and acting is amazing.
It's so nice to see a brilliant character being thoroughly analyzed by someone whom you can trust his well-thought opinions.
I'll rise my next shot while telepathically making a toast for you and Jimmy :))))
Extraordinary character analysis. Great work man.
What an absolutely excellent analysis, thanks for all your hard work!!
Perfect way to sum up how meticulously well written the show is, a truly spectacular analysis, congrats man!
Great analysis!! I do think Howard genuinely admired Jimmy. Sure he offered him that job as a peace offering, but deep down I believe Howard truly respected him.
This gives those Gene cons a lot of explanation. He wasn’t doing it to get arrested or anything, he just literally lost all morals and just wanted to make sure he had a control on himself still, and Jeff coming into his life was the perfect way to get back control over his colorless life
I think one of the big differences between them is that Jimmy genuinely loves his big brother but that Chuck, at least by this point in their lives, only puts up with Jimmy out of a sense of obligation. He's his brother so he'll sigh and go bail him out of court and get him a job and so on. But it's not because he loves Jimmy, it's because that's just what you're supposed to do. Even when we see him invite Jimmy over to dinner and go out drinking after Jimmy passes the bar, it's clear he doesn't really want to do this stuff, it's just another obligation. It's an unwritten law and Chuck follows the law. Even when Jimmy is taking care of him Chuck just views it as payment for all he's done for Jimmy and doesn't see the love in his service to Chuck.
Simply commenting for the algorithm to push this because this is THE BEST analysis of Better Call Saul and Jimmy’s character I’ve seen. Highest of praises