Better Call Saul found Jimmy vowing to do good by his brother in order to keep him healthy, while Mike finally started receiving some character development.
Better Call Saul episode 5 begins with the neighbor who watched Chuck steal her newspaper last episode summoning the Albuquerque police about the… uh… theft. The officers ask Chuck to open the door, but he refuses. Growing suspicious, they assume he’s a “tweaker” when they notice he’s cut the power wires in his own home. When the police demand to enter, Chuck stupidly tells them to not bring electronics — including tasers — into the house. This only pushes them to whip out their tasers and kick down the door.
New clients… Maybe?
Meanwhile, in several funny scenes Jimmy keeps busy meeting all of the potential clients who were wow’d by his heroic actions in episode 4. He first pays a visit to a rich man named Richard, who has a sprawling home surrounded but nothing but beautiful Albuquerque desert. An apparent animal lover, Richard is intrigued by the fact that a hard working man like Jimmy has to drive around in a beat up old car. Richard’s got a case for Jimmy: He wants to succeed his 1,100 acres of land from the United States and become America’s “Vatican City.”
Richard offers to pay Jimmy a $1 million retainer to take on the case, and Jimmy, who’s clearly scheming something, is all for it. There’s just one problem: Richard’s $1 million is cash that has Richard’s face on it. The cash is only valuable in Richard’s union.
So much for that one.
His next potential client is a man named Roland who wishes to patent a new device he describes as the “idea of a lifetime.” The object turns out to be an add-on to a toilet named Tony the Toilet Buddy, which talks to kids who are potty-training when they poop to create positive re-enforcement. Tony sounds sexually suggestive every time he talks (“I want it all,” “Give it to me,” Tony tells kids every time they have a bowel movement).
… Next!
Is the third client the charm? Jimmy goes to a woman who wishes to put together a very, very specific will. And while he’s hesitant to ask the nice old lady for his fee, she happily obliges. Finally, a successful gig!
Later that night, Jimmy invites Kim over to the salon for a touch up on her toenails. Jimmy tells her he’s got two wills and a living trust in the bag, and Kim suggests he may be destined for a career in elder law. Their peaceful, jazz-filled evening is interrupted by a phone call from Howard, who informs them that Chuck’s been hospitalized.
Chuck’s Allergy
When Jimmy and Kim get to the hospital, they panic over Chuck’s exposure to the electronics in his room. After they manage to turn most of them off, Chuck tries to gather himself and explain his condition: “Electromagnetic hypersensitivity.” He’s super sensitive to electronic radiation — or allergic to anything electronic, as Jimmy suggests. This condition gives him a world of symptoms, including vertigo and shortness of breath. In general, it brings him a lot of pain.
As Chuck continues to convince the doctor to believe him, she secretly activates his electronic bed, proving that this is an issue related to something else. Speaking privately with Jimmy, the doctor believes this is a disaster waiting to happen and advises they don’t give up trying to get him help.
Then, Howard shows up at the hospital to suggest Chuck not be committed. Jimmy sees through this because he knows Howard wants to prevent Jimmy from being his care-taker — it would mean Jimmy could force Chuck to be bought out of the firm. To spook Howard, Jimmy vows he’ll commit Chuck.
Back at home, Jimmy has a theory: Chuck gets in worse shape every time the younger McGill does something bad. With that in mind, Jimmy promises Chuck he won’t turn into Slippin’ Jimmy again, and rattles off his new “elder law” plan. By being a good lawyer, Jimmy can help Chuck recover.
Need a will?
After watching an old episode of Matlock to mirror the old lawyer’s outfit, Jimmy pays a visit to an elderly home where he offers up the Jeopardy-watching residents cups of Jell-o that hold a message at the bottom of the jar: “Need a will? Call McGill!” Jimmy is doubling down on Kim’s elder law idea, and his “brand” and persona are classic Saul/Jimmy.
Jimmy passes a business card for his new campaign on to Mike, who viewers then begin to follow. After working the night shift, Mike grabs breakfast at a diner. Next, he… stops by his daughter’s home? We cut to a house where a woman (who looks like a nurse) is leaving for the morning. Mike is waiting outside in his car. When she drives by him, she stops momentarily and they enter a staring contest.
Mike then drives to his home where he enjoys a drink and watches television before the cops come knocking on his door. “Long way from home, aren’t you?” he says to the detective.
Previews for next week show that Mike and Jimmy will be teaming up to save the former. It looks like Mike has a complicated past that Jimmy is about to get deeply involved with.