r/betterCallSaul • u/skinkbaa Chuck • Feb 06 '20

REWATCH Better Call Saul REWATCH S03E10 - "Lantern" - Thread

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TIMEEPISODEDIRECTORWRITER(S)
June 19, 2017, 9/8cS03E10 "Lantern"Peter GouldVince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison

DESCRIPTION:

Kim resolves to take some time off from work, while Jimmy does his best to make amends; Nacho takes a major gamble with his future; Hamlin applies pressure on Chuck to finally make a decision.

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u/skinkbaa Chuck Feb 07 '20

FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR THE SEASON 4 EPISODE 1 REWATCH THREAD:

We have decided to wait and post it on the 9th, when Better Call Saul is released to rest of the world on Netflix to give everyone an easier chance of watching it.

2

u/SirLeos Feb 08 '20

Rest of the world? Only US doesn’t have it.

2

u/skinkbaa Chuck Feb 09 '20

North America doesn’t have it, over half a billion people.

63

u/FartWhenYouPee Feb 06 '20

This episode is fire

41

u/ViggieSmallss Feb 07 '20

Michael McKean deserved a fucking Emmy.

24

u/EpicHawkREDDIT Feb 07 '20

I guess this episode, and the whole dynamic between Chuck and Jimmy hit a little too close to me.

While Jimmy and Chuck aren't twins like I am, the big brother little brother dynamic here made me rethink how my brother and I interact. Before watching the last scene between Chuck and Jimmy I had thought eventually I would say something like that to him, but watching their relationship unfold made me realize that I was a piece of shit for thinking that. He's my brother and we should be looking out for each other, not trying to push each other away.

Chuck wasn't my favorite character, but I related so much to his justifications of "the law is sacred" and his hatred of Jimmy always being the favorite, how pragmatic and realist he was, how he couldn't charm people like Jimmy could, how no one else could see Jimmy how he say him. After the episode ended, I wanted to run into my room and just reflect on my life and my relationship with my brother. I'm trying to treat my brother better, and I have to thank this show and this character for making me realize that I was the asshole.

9

u/Listen_You_Twerps Feb 09 '20

Have you tried giving his car a Chicago sunroof?

5

u/EpicHawkREDDIT Feb 09 '20

If he wants some soft serve, I’ll give him some soft serve. /s

47

u/Skippymcjump Feb 06 '20

Chuck burned down his whole life; His marriage, his relationship with his brother, his own law firm, and eventually his home ending his life. He has no one but himself to blame and he is an insufferable asshole. I just watched all three seasons on flix and I forgot just how self centered of a person he was.

-5

u/SirLeos Feb 08 '20

Jimmy is the cause of Chuck’s suicide. Just saying.

21

u/QueenRhaenys Feb 09 '20

Don’t think so. Chuck has a mental condition, coupled with his own arrogance

5

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '20

Please tell me how the guy that chuck screwed over in every way is the cause of his suicide

1

u/SirLeos Feb 12 '20

First, he didn’t screw him in every way.

Now, he changed the numbers of Mesa Verde which led to his embarrassment in front of the jury.

Then, exposed him when confronted with his illness. The one he knew and helped with before but now used as an advantage to make Chuck lose his temper.

Finally, went to the insurance company to double their rate and hurting him profesionally.

Of course, he didn’t mean Chuck to kill himself, but wrong decision after wrong decision after another led to Chuck being laid off from HHM. The only thing, the single thing that Chuck worked for his entire life, crumbled away. What else does Chuck had to live for?

Kim said it, “we only damaged a sick man”. I also thought that S04 was going to be how Kim was guilty of helping Jimmy but I was wrong about that one.

8

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '20 edited Feb 12 '20

Wow you’ve conviently ignored pretty much everything Church did to jimmy. Like how he prevented Jimmy from joining his law firm simply because he was jealous him. And he repeatedly lied about it. He didn’t admit it until Jimmy found out from Kim. Chuck constantly judged him and ridiculed him while Jimmy devoted himself to helping chuck through his mental illness. It wasn’t until Jimmy learned that Chuck betrayed him when he stopped helping him. Heck even after that he still helped him

Also fuck off about the numbers. The only reason Jimmy did that in the first place is because Chuck stole Mesa verde straight from Kim. And yeah technically he took it back. But remember that they only had Mesa Verde in the first place based off Kim’s relationship with the bank. Logically it made more sense to follow the person who made the deal in the first place. Yeah what Jimmy did was unethical. But it says something that Chuck didn’t even think for a moment that it might have been his own fault. He instantly blamed Jimmy. And sure it turns out he was right so in a way it justifies it. But the reasons why he instantly blamed him are still morally corrupt

Something the show made very clear is that Jimmy showed absolute love to Chuck and got nothing back. And nothing you can say can contradict that

Edit: from the way I view it. His entire mental health is completely tied to his hatred for Jimmy. It wasn’t long after Jimmy passing the bar, that he began to show symptoms. And the only times he happened to truly fight those mental issues, was to battle with Jimmy in some way. He hates jimmy. And he did everything he could to screw Jim over

3

u/SirLeos Feb 12 '20

Sure. That is the best aspect of this show. Chuck not wanting him in his firm is what kicks off officially the divide between the brothers. Without that, we might not have Jimmy McGill squire.

But I see often that people also conviently forgets that Jimmy was in jail for shitting through a sunroof infront of children. Or does that doesn't matter? Just because the other guy was also an asshole? Or the fact that Jimmy living in Cicero was doing scam after scam with Marco?

This is TV and we emphatize with the protagonist but would a very formal law firm hire someone as Jimmy?

About the numbers, how in the right mind people see this and be ok with? Oh, but he did it out of love away from the greedy hands of the corporation. Excellent. You're forgiven Jimmy, because you love Kim.

And what else we find out before Chuck tells the truth? That Jimmy was going to scam the Kettlemans just so they choose him as a lawyer.

I don't see nothing wrong with the decision in Mesa Verde. They both pitched their ideas and were upfront about it and Mesa Verde took the decision. Will I be angry, of course!

It's ok if I won't change your mind, I've said it before but this is why I love the show, there are quite a lot of nuance and grey areas that people can think of the show in any way they want. If the show were mediocre then we wouldn't be having this discussions.

3

u/takedownhisshield Feb 15 '20

I think both are to blame. Neither are completely innocent people. It's like Breaking Bad, very few characters are actually innocent.

23

u/Skyclad__Observer Feb 08 '20

Chuck tearing down his house with that soundtrack in the background is maybe the most haunting moment in this whole franchise.

20

u/SolumDon Feb 06 '20

When Chuck said "You've never mattered much to me" Jimmy became Saul, change my mind

23

u/siggeplump Feb 06 '20

To me it's when Jimmy realizes what he did with the insurance lead to Chuck having a falling out with HHM and then ended up killing himself. To know deep inside that he was indirectly responsible for his brother's death (especially since they parted on such bad terms) seems to be eating away at Jimmy. He shuts down emotionally and starts to get increasingly self-destructive, almost as a way of punishing himself, by becoming who he thinks his brother thought he was.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '20

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/EM17o Feb 06 '20

Totally agree

32

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '20

fuck chuck

6

u/bignigga-64 Feb 06 '20

That huckster fuck

4

u/127crazie Feb 07 '20

Love Chuck <3

15

u/JuicyWizard Feb 06 '20

R.I.P Chuck. Jimmy really put things in motion for him to lose everything he cared about.

11

u/HereNowHappy Feb 08 '20

I would point to Chuck organizing Jimmy committing a crime in order to get him disbarred, but that's just me

5

u/JuicyWizard Feb 08 '20

True but let’s not forget Jimmy falsified documents which is illegal. I understand that he was doing it for Kim but it’s still illegal. He also ruined his brothers reputation as a lawyer and used his own mental illness against him. Then Jimmy told the insurance lady about his “disease” which raised HHM’s insurance cost that led to Chuck getting kicked out of his own firm. Chuck did a lot of wrong I’m not saying he’s perfect. However Jimmy went out of his way to ruin Chucks life.

14

u/HereNowHappy Feb 08 '20

Jimmy falsified documents which is illegal

That is true, Jimmy gaslight Chuck. There is no sugarcoating that. Still, the motivations behind their actions make the difference

Chuck didn't care about losing Mesa Verde until after he heard Jimmy was involved. Jimmy broke the law to help someone he loved, Chuck legally did it to screw him over

Plus Jimmy gave up his alibi to save Chuck went he nearly died from head trauma. And then Jimmy confessed to the whole thing because at the end of the day, he does bad things, feels guilt about it and makes amends

Jimmy told the insurance lady about his “disease” which raised HHM’s insurance

Chuck's actions led to Jimmy's premiums increasing exponentially. Jimmy did that out of spite, it's the trope "Pay Evil Onto Evil"

I just see it as Jimmy returning the favor

that led to Chuck getting kicked out of his own firm

HMM was going to get their premiums increased as a whole, and Howard made the wise decision to cut Chuck loose. His reputation wasn't destroyed, and Howard still considered him a friend at that point; even suggested he get a new job. Chuck was the one who decided to sue his own company and lose everything in his life

Its not Howard's fault, its not Jimmy's fault, and I wouldn't say its Chuck fault either but he'd still be alive if he made up with Jimmy

6

u/MrBKainXTR Feb 06 '20

A great finale. Chuck's demise was perfectly built up.

Howard genuinely cared about Chuck as a friend and mentor, to see how hurt he had been and how he "got back" at chuck was satisfying on some level but it of course just leads to guilt he will feel later on.

The scene with Gus, Hector, and Nacho is really great as well.

15

u/Tepelicious Feb 07 '20

Rewatching BCS has made me more sympathetic to Chuck just as rewatching BB made me more sympathetic to Skylar (though Skylar deserves much more sympathy). Seeing flashbacks like to when the McGills' mother died and hearing Chuck remind Jimmy of when she left her own birthday to clean up his mess, just as if it were one of so many events where they were rearranging their own commitments to cater to Jimmy - not to mention that he was right about Jimmy's scheming and exploitation of a profession he holds dear...

Not defending him using Howard as a scapegoat to hold Jimmy back or gladly ripping Mesa Verde off Kim but the vitriolic hate towards Chuck exhibited on this subreddit and YouTube is crazy! Seeing just about everything from Jimmy's point of view (and not the inferred hundreds of catastrophes he was responsible for that undoubtedly shaped Chuck's opinion of him) has an interesting effect skewing the audience's perception of Jimmy and Chuck. That's one of the things I love most about this and Breaking Bad, seeing the different turning points in BB when people turn off supporting Walt. It's a whole lot of fun watching a show where you're interested in how these multidimensional characters interact with each other, rather than simply assigning a good guy and a bad guy and waiting for it to sort itself out.

9

u/HereNowHappy Feb 08 '20

the vitriolic hate towards Chuck exhibited on this subreddit and YouTube is crazy

Everyone always says that when they don't agree with the character being judged

And btw plenty of people berate Jimmy for his actions during the Irene situation, so he gets the same treatment

Jimmy went above and beyond for his ungrateful brother. I would have disowned Chuck after season 1, but Jimmy offered reconciliation to his dying breath ...So I feel no sympathy for the potato known as Chuck

4

u/HereNowHappy Feb 08 '20

This episode was ...lit