Better Call Saul: Real Redemption?

Regrets? Who, me?

Season 6 spoilers of course.

The other videos in this series: (no need to watch in order)

In this video we talk in depth about Jimmy McGill and his arc through the course of the 6 seasons of Better Call Saul. It's a pretty fun video, I had a great time making it, and I hope you enjoy. Feel free to support the channel and these videos by sharing them or whatever. Make sure to watch this in 4k or high definition if your device allows it.

[VinnieGer]

I try to be super healthy but honestly, these videos are best enjoyed with a warm Cinnabon.

[dashisneat]

I feel like there’s one important scene you’re missing when asking whether or not Jimmy has ever taken accountability for his actions. In the season 3 finale, Jimmy destroys his own reputation within the elderly community in order to repair what he did to Irene. This seems like a very good example of him taking accountability, without it being about self-interest.

[Kyrieru]

After re-watching the Tuco negotiation scene, I realized something I feel gets glossed over. Tuco is about to kill the two guys, and Jimmy literally tells Tuco "I put them up to it".
Think about that for a sec. Tuco was about to gut these guys, and Jimmy STILL told him that it was his fault. He's lucky that Tuco kind of glossed over that comment as much as the audience does.

[godamoon]

When jimmy tells the old people he manipulated Irene but didn’t actually own up to them and he faked that microphone bit cause he couldn’t actually face what he did is an interesting moment for his character

[deuce]

Gene Takovic makes the character all the more complex, an incredible feat tbh given he's around for 3 episodes only. The black & white episodes are like a soft reboot of the show, Jimmy, now as Gene, is going through all the phases he went through the entire show except in a more quick succession now, in Nippy he phases between good and evil trying to make the right thing while also taking advantage of the shortcuts just like in the earlier seasons, in Breaking Bad he turns into Saul Goodman to escape from the pain of losing his life's work to the feds and Kim's indifference and thus he becomes more indifferent to the pain he causes other people given his own emotional pain just like Jimmy in Seasons 4-6.

Basically Gene is pretty much living a summarized version of his entire life and by extension us the audience are watching like a summary of the entire series in a mini story arc of sorts. Gene has nothing, both metaphorically and literally, Jimmy had Chuck, Kim and the law, Saul had money and fame, Gene has absolutely nothing, no friends, no family, no money, he has nothing to lose, he doesn't have the loved ones he used to keep as Jimmy McGill nor the popularity of Saul Goodman, this is why Gene has no restraint. In previous episodes we saw Gene try to replicate his personas, but in Waterworks we see Gene in the raw, we had a brief glimpse of it at the end of Breaking Bad and now it's clear, Jimmy was the lawyer, Saul was the criminal lawyer, Gene is just a criminal. He will rob and almost kill a man with cancer if necessary to escape, he will threaten to murder an old lady in order to save his own ass, he will even gloat to the DEA on their face about how he's gonna get away in his own terms.

Gene is Jimmy's worse, Jimmy McGill with nothing to keep him in check, he's an unleashed "monster" and the realistic outcome of what 6 years of living as a soulless conman is gonna do to your moral compass.

I thought I would make this brief analysis of the final episodes since while they were aired they got a lot of flack for their slow pace and atmosphere. Without these episodes the finale wouldn't work at all, they encapsulate what Jimmy's problem is, Jimmy is too smart for his own good, he will never be truly punished because he'll always find a way and he WILL take it. Kim, Chuck, the law, no one can punish Jimmy. Jimmy has to punish himself.

[osmanyousif]

You know, the ending of the show is a lot more ironic, as it was Jimmy who told Walter White in their final meeting to stay in Albuquerque and face the music for his actions (“You walk in with your head held high, you'll be the John Dillinger of Metropolitan Detention Center…”), but Walt didn’t take his advice. Instead, it was Jimmy who took it.

[kyleowsen]

I think the reason they made the difference between his plea deal and his real sentence so huge is so the audience would know it was a genuine confession.

Like you don't just give up 80 years of your life as a romantic gesture, you only do it if you've realized that not coming clean and facing your guilt is going to be worse than prison.

[reid.]

As for times he willingly took accountability for his actions, how about when he knowingly sabotaged the career he built in elder law to get Irene her friends back and put the Sandpiper case back on track?

[heszedjim]

Remember the regret scene with walter while you watch breaking bad. The fact he looks at that watch is his real answer to the question, while he covers his shame with prideful boasts about grey matter

[onemoreminute]

Gene's story ends when he is captured. He sees the literal writing on the wall in his cell and so reverts to the Saul Goodman persona.

Sauls story ends when he negotiates the best deal he can (as Saul would). But when he sees Kim (literally) in the crosshairs in the courtroom (mirroring how he had a moment of moral hesitation in court when he represented Lalo), he reverts back to Jimmy, his true moral self.

After the finale, I feel as if the main struggle of BCS had finally revealed itself- it's about the internal schism in the main character across his identities as Saul, Gene, and Jimmy. It's about a man battling with his demons (made literal identities) as he tries to get by in life.

Breaking Bad was about watching a man become a demon, but Better Call Saul was about a man trying to counter or give into his inner demons (kind of like Sopranos, but ultimately more positive). Just think back to the song from the very start of the series-

- My Echo (Gene)
- My Shadow (Saul)
- And Me (Jimmy)

The Mike flashback focused on Saul Goodman, when he was still obsessed with money and collaborating deep into the world of the cartel.

The Walt flashback focused on Gene, just as he's about to take on a new identity in hiding and is still refusing to reform himself.

The Chuck flashback focused on Jimmy, before he began his descent into Saul and you can see his morality and humanity when he interacts with his brother (also some details in that scene hint that it actually takes place the day before the events of the first episode)

[MisterzzYT]

Can't wait for the Lalo Prequel "Lalo's Gonzalo" where we see the origins of his vlogging career. Not sure if it's coming before or after "Huell's Rules" but should be great. Bravo Vince!

[TheAwesomeAlan]

Really hoping that there's a show in the future with this much character depth that allows for opportunities for discussions and videos like these. A lot are close, but in my opinion, nothing quite compares to this show's level of quality and how relationships structure and affect the show's world as a whole.

[dialnh]

One of the only ways I think you're missing out by not watching Breaking Bad is the whole anxiety of watching each episode like "wtf happens to kim." Because the more you watch Better Call Saul, the more you realize how integral she is to the story but then in Breaking Bad: nothing. She's not even mentioned once. Obviously it's because she wasn't conceived of yet, but still lol. For me the anxiety was real like I was watching BCS like "Ok if Kim is still around, she would've been in BB"

[morningstar]

Man I’ll be real with you, the last scene between Jimmy and Kim, made me cry man. Idk why, it just hit me hard. I felt like a little girl :(

[stevesmith]

"I don't go to the dentist, because my high school bully had braces" is a terrible comparison to the Jimmy tearing up the shrink referral after talking to Howard. A more accurate analogy to that scene is "I don't go to the dentist, because a guy I know is going, and his teeth are not getting any better, and it sounds super painful."
And please note, I am not saying that the re-wording I stated above isn't without some faulty logic; however, the original quote seems grossly over exaggerated in a bias way to make a point.

[karholdelrio]

One of the reasons I didn't want this show to end is because I'll miss your video essays. They're on the top quality ones, not only about this show in specific. But Better Call Saul is a great source of topics for this in deep analysis. Great job!

[peterpirate]

Good video. I would say the first time Jimmy took accountability was when he restored Irene's reputation, to his own financial detriment, in the season 3 finale.

[lulu]

beautiful analysis as always. i really liked the way you ended it. the one thing about the finale that never sat with me is that imprisonment in a supermax isn't "justice" being served for his actions. perhaps it will keep him from harming more innocent people, but our "correctional" "justice" system is in actuality exactly what manuel said to mike - revenge. retributive, not restorative. nothing can really atone for all the harm jimmy did in his life, but tossing him in a cage in inhumane conditions for the rest of his life is no better. justice is indeed building a world which doesn't incentivize people to harm others for personal gain.

[JustCobaltVA]

I know there will never be another show like Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad. Quite a ride.

[jaredlauri]

I remember watching Winner for the first time. I actually did pick up it was an act about halfway through, I just randomly thought ‘could he by lying here’ and my heart sank. I spent the next 2 minutes hoping I was wrong before the other shoe dropped. One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had watching a show, and one of the best episodes of TV I’ve ever seen. I’ve never wanted a character to truly change so badly