<em>Better Call Saul</em> "Rico" Recap: Down In The Dumps

AMC

Last week on Better Call Saul, Mike did a favor, the Kettlemans looked for new representation, and Jimmy did the right thing. This week, Chuck got back to work, Mike looked for a new job, and Jimmy went to the opera. Let's talk about the newest episode, "Rico," below.

"Are You Proud Of Me:" Even in the pilot, it was abundantly clear that Jimmy and Saul were going to turn out to be far more different than we ever imagined:

This [is] a Jimmy who isn't really a criminal yet. Sure, he's willing to pull petty scams. He's closer to Slippin' Jimmy than Saul Goodman. But this is a guy who wants to drum up legit business for himself, not someone who wants to be the consigliere of a suburban drug dealer.

As with Breaking Bad, adversity shows one's true character. And thus far, Jimmy has shown much more moral clarity then we would have ever expected from the future Saul Goodman. Last week, Jimmy had the chance to take the Kettleman's case and shove it in Howard Hamlin's face, but he did 'the right thing' instead, even though it brought him no pleasure (and set back his dreams of moving up into a new office, AND gave Hamlin the chance to smugly announce the settlement on TV). This week, he worked really hard to find evidence that Sandpiper Crossing was committing fraud. Whether he was scribbling letters on toilet paper of crawling around a dumpster, he was literally down in the shit, and all on good faith. His work ethic is no joke, however much the universe takes a dump on him.

There are two moral compasses in Jimmy's life (two people who see how much value Jimmy has, who see past his sleazier attributes)—last week was all about his relationship with Kim, so this week it's back to his brother Chuck. The cold open gives us an affecting, heartbreaking look at Jimmy before his brother's illness took control of his life—Jimmy has been secretly working toward his law degree (from the University of American Samoa) while killing time in the mail room at HHM. He was being sincere when he promised Chuck that he was ready to change back in the cold open of episode three, when he was sitting in a jail in Cicero.

"I know I'm a lousy brother. I'm a lousy brother, I'm a big screw up, and if I was just a better person, I would not only stop letting you down, you know what, I'd stop letting me down. And it's about time that I started to make both of us proud."

Better Call Saul is an underdog story about compromises and shifting identities; it's elevated to tragedy because we know Jimmy will fail despite his best efforts. And when Hamlin asks to speak to him alone about a possible job and the sound fades into the background of a legal mail room, the melancholy rises like a tide and washes over the hum of the printers. Smash to credits.

This isn't the story of a man giving in to his most vile impulses and discovering that's who he really is, as with BB; this is the story of a man literally doing everything he can to fight against his baser instincts and walk the straight and narrow—a man struggling to do the right thing. We are rooting for Jimmy in a way we never could with Walt after, say, season two, and it's heartbreaking knowing where this is leading.

But just look how Hamlin or the nursing home's lawyer treat him. Look how long people like the Kettlemans—actual sociopathic suburban criminals—treated him as beneath them! How much longer will Jimmy continue trying to play by their rules if the universe keeps telling him it's not working?

The Magic Flute: And so the majority of the episode is taken up by Jimmy and Chuck's investigation into the possible fraud, elder abuse and deceptive trade practices of Sandpiper. Jimmy crawls through two dumpsters in the funniest sequence of the episode ("You say potato, I say spoliation," he whisper-yells at Sandpiper's lawyer), he passes out from exhaustion a few times, he debates the legality of dumpster diving ("You can't say it's private if a hobo can use it as a wigwam"), and he unexpectedly inspires his brother out of his legally-atrophied state. This was like a real Matlock episode, only taking place in the sequestered darkness of Chuck's electricity-free fortress of solitude.

It's a legitimately exciting episode that doesn't rely on the tension or emotional vulnerability of some previous episodes. But it's a pretty ideal mix of everything the show does great, including dark comedy ("Blow my Magic Flute," Jimmy mutters to himself while 'at the opera') and underlying depression (just about everything involving poor old Chuck).

And despite his $20 million gambit (which we already know won't really work out for Jimmy in the end), Chuck is a mess this episode. Regardless of whether you think there is anything to electromagnetic hypersensitivity, it's clear at this point that Chuck's mental condition is closely tied to his responsibilities, whether it be to his brother or to his work/career. And the episode ends on a mix of hopefulness and discomfort as Chuck maybe takes a step toward recognizing that out in the sun.

What Did Jimmy Kick This Week? Jimmy kicked the first dumpster after hitting his head while climbing out, and comically fell over backwards. Jimmy really has a difficult relationship with trash receptacles.

What Did Mike Do This Week? We checked in with Mike in three Jimmy-less scenes sprinkled in throughout the episode. After babysitting his granddaughter, Mike's daughter-in-law not-so-subtly mentions the family's money crisis, prompting Mike to return to the shady veterinarian to take up his offer of doing some work (for an unnamed third party). Could this lead right to the Chicken Man himself?

Mike's story so far in Better Call Saul seems to drift toward fan-service at times, for lack of a better term. Jimmy's journey from Slippin' Jimmy to Matlock Jimmy to Saul Goodman has revealed unexpected depths to a character who was considered pure comic relief once upon a time. Against the odds (and the more pessimistic prognosticators), Jimmy's really is a new story, and every week the show has moved farther and farther from its big brother's shadow, with its own funny mixture of the melancholy and the bittersweet.

We've seen lots of new sides to Jimmy as he fumbles his way towards legitimacy, but Mike is essentially the same person we knew in Breaking Bad. Sure, it's fun watching Jimmy and Mike work together, or wondering how Mike will meet Gustavo Fring, but a whole show of that probably wouldn't have been very satisfying. Thankfully, while the story beats haven't been that surprising for Mike so far, the performances have been remarkable (especially in the towering sixth episode). And the fact is, having these restrictions is making the show's subtle shifts even more powerful.

The Honorary Huell Babineaux 'What The Huell Else' Section:

• It's generally very satisfying to see Chuck engaged in work again, and exciting to see him team-up with Jimmy. Jimmy turns back into a little brother in that moment, looking like he's on the verge of tears as he hugs him.
• The flip side of that of course was the meeting with the nursing home lawyers, when Chuck seemed on the verge of a breakdown. How is this arrangement going to work if it ever goes to court?
• Mike let someone pass without stickers! What's happening to Mike?!?
• Esquire has a nice list of Jimmy's 10 best schemes (from Saul and BB).
• Our weekly reminder that Nacho/Ignacio, who promised Jimmy in episode four that there would be consequences for him warning the Kettlemans, is still out there. We have few doubts he won't come back to haunt Jimmy before the season is through.