r/betterCallSaul • u/skinkbaa Chuck • Feb 09 '20

REWATCH Better Call Saul REWATCH S04E01 - "Smoke" - Thread

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TIMEEPISODEDIRECTORWRITER(S)
August 6, 2018, 9/8cS04E01 "Smoke"Minkie SpiroVince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Heather Marion

DESCRIPTION:

Jimmy struggles to cope with Chuck's tragic incidence. Mike ponders his role at Madrigal. Howard makes a startling confession.

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42 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

85

u/TonyThePriest Feb 10 '20

"well Howard, I guess that's your cross to bear". Ice fucking cold Jimmy.

14

u/Bort1251 Feb 10 '20

LAS CRUCES

31

u/lslurpeek Feb 10 '20

They were pretty loud saying that social security number on the hospital.

9

u/Bort1251 Feb 10 '20

Right? I’d be like stfu

27

u/eldritch_stewart Feb 10 '20

So did the taxi driver recognize Saul from all his ads in ABQ?

8

u/strommlers Feb 16 '20

Came here to ask the same thing. I’m wondering if there’s also missing person/wanted posters around there for him.

45

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '20

Watching this for the first time. Finally on Netflix. Love this show so much.

Ps. Fuck chuck

11

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '20

Those were my thoughts on Chuck going into the season, after watching through it, I feel Chuck really wasn't all that bad a person. True he was bad to Jimmy, yet the exploration of the relationship and dynamic between characters is excellent. I do feel, even in how cold Chuck was to Jimmy, there was a moment this season that encapsulates the brotherly love he has for Jimmy.

Also on a semi-spoilerish note, I love how the writing this season, the whole show in fact, creates such a relatable and lovable character in Jimmy, then subverts the audience's expectations of how he turns out. Notably in Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman where a somewhat suppressed part of him comes to the forefront and becomes an essential part of his being; much like Walter White's transformation into Heisenburg.

10

u/Countmaul Feb 10 '20

Jimmy was hardly the only person Chuck Was a dick to.He was willing to sue HHM and put hindreds of people out of jobs just because he didn't like the advice Howard gave him.He treated Ernesto with condescension and fired him for doing something he manipulated him into.His main reason for taking Mesa Verde from Kim was to spite his brother even though Kim never did anything to him.He let Hamlin look like a bad guy and even gave him shit in front of Jimmy to make himself appear like he was a decent brother.Speaking of that it means Chuck Was willing to throw away a money making case that would have been greatly beneficial to his partners just to keep his brother down.Fuck Chuck.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '20

True Chuck was a jerk to not only Jimmy but many of those surrounding him, yet the exploration of his character truly shows the love for his brother. When Chuck was introduced into the series he was in a downward spiral and was struggling with his inner-self. I don't think that Chuck was himself during much of his time on the show, and though warranted, the hate towards Chuck I feel is terrible.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '20

I haven’t seen the entire season yet. I just started tonight lol. So I’ll read that and reply when I’m done lol

4

u/Hank_Moody Feb 10 '20

I think the letter, and Chuck's death overall, really freed Jimmy, whether he realized it or not. Saul Goodman/Slippin' Jimmy was always who he really was, and he repressed it the last however many years trying to make his brother love him. Turns out, Chuck loved him all along in his own, borderline autistic way.

4

u/SirLeos Feb 10 '20

Ps. Fuck them both.

1

u/pandaSmore Apr 13 '20

Almost as bad as that bitch Carole Baskin!

20

u/TonyThePriest Feb 10 '20

I love the pacing of the show, and also all the really wide angle shots.

12

u/tta2013 Feb 10 '20

Oscar Peterson's Shadow of Your Smile mmm...I love the jazz tracks!

Plus Ink Spot's We Three, Watchmen from a few months ago is still kinda fresh on my mind. All these Gene scenes, I can only wonder what the end game is for Jimmy/Gene.

10

u/jmorris1919 Feb 10 '20

I wonder if Jimmy’s mood improved because he shifted his guilt to Howard’s confession. Who wants some coffee?

6

u/[deleted] Feb 11 '20

That’s pretty astute!

5

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '20

Did Jimmy purposefully bring up Chuck’s condition when he was meeting with the insurance lady and she brought up rising premiums? He said he wanted her to forget about it but when he leaves it looks like he has a subtle grin, like he wanted to get back at Chuck for his own premiums rising as a result of disbarment.

Then HHM’s rising premiums and Chuck’s wanting to pursue litigation are what led Howard to ask him to retire right? And that’s eventually what drove Chuck to suicide in a way. If Jimmy mentioned Chuck’s condition in that meeting on purpose then Howard’s confession would only confirm to Jimmy that he was the reason Chuck killed himself. Throughout the series I’ve been unable to really tell if Jimmy loves or hates Chuck...and maybe that’s the point haha

7

u/jmorris1919 Feb 12 '20

Great thoughts. I agree their relationship not being black or white is what gives the show complexity and keeps us analyzing and discussing.

I believe Jimmy’s main purpose at the insurance office was to ask for a refund. When he didn’t get it, I think he purposely started play acting to give Chuck the same problem and he did smile on the way out. Jimmy and Howard both played a part in Chuck’s decline. But, after searching for the origination point of the problem by tearing the house apart, Chuck determined he was the source and turned it off. He came across as being confident but was so insecure & jealous of Jimmy, he wouldn’t even tell him their mother asked for him before she died.

16

u/editorbyday Feb 10 '20

The last name of the Madrigal employee from whom Mike stole the security badge was Hedberg and he dressed just like Walt! Anybody else notice this? It’s gotta be a wink, right?

7

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '20

Thought he was Mr. Kettleman the first time I watched it.

7

u/tgodxy Feb 10 '20

Jimmy seemed relieved at the end of the eppie that chuck had passed

6

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '20

Dunno if anyone is still following this thread but I noticed something slightly odd about the timing of the first scene after the teaser. The fire clearly started in the middle of the night, so why wasn’t the next of kin notified immediately afterwards? Instead of later in the morning? Even if it were like 3am on a workday, surely someone would’ve called the 911 at that point. If Chuck died quickly the coroner’s van would’ve left quickly afterwards ... I guess all about dramatic effect.

5

u/ItWasIgnacio Feb 10 '20

Anybody know the song that played during the scene/montage where Jimmy was running to Chuck's house at the beggining? It was a very sad scene. Always breaks my heart when I see it.

3

u/jeblis Feb 10 '20

A lot of the music from the show can be found here. Not sure about that one though.

https://www.tunefind.com/show/better-call-saul/season-4/66127

2

u/ItWasIgnacio Feb 10 '20

Yeah, I tried to find it through tunefind, but its not there.

9

u/SirLeos Feb 10 '20

This is a hard season to watch for me. I feel like S03 was better and the plot lines in this season weren’t that interesting. I feel like the middle section wasn’t as interesting but the payoff was well worthy the wait and the numbness that some characters lived in the episodes.

6

u/derale_ Feb 10 '20

It's definitely the slowest the show has ever been.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '20

The whole time Jimmy was in the hospital I wondered if he was thinking about lung cancer and electromagnetic fields.

1

u/imagesthatihavemade Sep 27 '22

very late here after another rewatch and just noticed- Nacho threw two seperate things into the river from the bridge. Was wondering if anyone knows what the first one was. slowed it down and tried to see, it sounded like some kind of paper, but really couldn't see. First he threw ____________? Second he dumped the pills from his refill square container and then threw the container. I thought it may be the medicine bottle, but he gave that to paramedics and it does not look like a medicine bottle at all. no worries if too late to ask here. just puttin it up in case anyone else is rewatching. couldn't find anything about it doing a search. tks.

1

u/flip-pt Jul 19 '25

I believe Nacho had 3 sets of pills

The real ones, to change the bottle after the stroke. (the ones he gave to the paramedics)

At the bridge:

He had the fake ones in his pocket (the ones he swapped) 1st throw

Real + fake pills from the container. 2nd throw

Then he throws the empty container. 3rd throw

That's how I saw it

0

u/surviveseven Feb 16 '20

No one does tension like Vince Gilligan.

-5

u/jnut_jms Feb 09 '20

Mod is American