Better Call Saul

Help you find something?

No, thanks. I'm just browsing.

That still works.

You can plug it in if you want.

Thanks.

How much for this?

That?

I could let that go for 30.

Seventy-five for all three?

Yeah, don't worry about it.

Building will take care of it. That's what you pay rent for.

What's your day look like?

I got MDC in the morning and court in the afternoon.

And I'm finally doing that lunch with Howard.

Yeah?

See what he wants.

Hopefully it will be short and sweet. You?

Yesterday was bad.

Today, I'm gonna fix it.

Sounds like a plan.

See you.

Pull the initial research we did on Lot 2375.

Yeah.

Yeah, all of it.

Permit status, costs, projections.

Are they on digital?

Good. How are you on PowerPoint?

Great. I'll walk you through what I need when I get in.

I should be there in 20.

I'll see you when I get there.

You gentlemen have had a busy week?

Bail has been denied.

No mystery there.

Okay. Let's start at the beginning. Somehow, you two are short on priors,

so I think I can get the DA to knock

the drug charges down to simple possession.

We can lay responsibility for the felonies

at the doorstep of your unfortunate dependence

on hard drugs, but we're gonna have to argue for rehab as part of probation...

Hells, no. I hate rehab.

All right. Don't get all in a twist, okay?

I've heard that there exist certain less-than-reputable establishments

that will provide certification without the pleasure of your actual attendance.

You know a place like that?

I could conceivably find such a place for an additional fee.

All right, because I ain't going to no rehab.

You go, you don't go. That's between you and your God.

But you gotta tell the judge you'll go,

and you gotta sound like you mean it, okay?

- Yeah. Yeah. - Yeah, okay.

Well, all that's left is your many, many misdemeanors,

which include graffiti, vandalism,

littering, public urination.

Nature's calling you, you gotta answer it.

Hold it too long, you get kidney-stoned.

Be that as it may, even misdemeanors add up,

so if I can get you concurrent sentences, you're looking at...

12 months in stir.

Now, with good behavior and overcrowding, takes it down to six, maybe five months.

That's minimum security.

It's gonna be like taking a cruise, only less danger of drowning.

Christ, man, five months?

Down from five years, consecutive, or worse,

if they get this heavy stuff to stick.

Now, come on.

You do your months, you do a little community service,

maybe a year probation, and you're gold, Ponyboy. Sound good?

Yeah, okay. Yeah, we can take that.

No doubt.

Great. So all that's left is my fee.

Ahem. Okay, so for my time, court costs, filing fees,

you're looking at, let's say about...

four grand, all-in.

- Say what? - Don't play us like that.

What about 50 percent off?

That is 50 percent off. Now, my normal rate would be 4K each.

Dude, this is B.S.

They got lawyers here they gotta give us. You pay nothing.

- Free lawyers? - Public 'fenders.

Four grand, we can get a lot of scante, man.

I'm sorry. Free lawyer? Are you saying that you want a free lawyer?

- We're just talking over options. - And, you know, free is, you know, free.

Did you ever hear the phrase, "you get what you pay for," you nudnik?

Without me, they're gonna lock you up and throw away the key.

I'm sorry. Did I say "five years"?

You go ahead and play Russian roulette with a public pretender,

you're gonna end up doing a decade in Los Lunas.

You twerps even know who I am?

I am Saul Goodman.

Okay? You think 4K is too much?

Yesterday, I got paid 8K just for the afternoon.

That's how good I am. I am the real deal.

You're lucky I'm even talking to you.

You know what?

Hey, come on, man. Don't be like that.

Hey, all right. Hey, we're sorry. We're sorry.

- You. We... We wanna go with you. - Hunny-percent.

Please, sir?

Okay.

We're back on the same page, though. Payment.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Before you make my headache even worse,

no, you cannot pay me with the money you stole.

Okay, that cash is Exhibit A for the prosecution.

So, relatives? Anybody you haven't already fleeced?

My grandma, maybe?

Yeah, she got a house...

- Yeah. - ...and a car and shizz.

Yeah, grandma. She's perfect.

Okay, so you tell granny, faster she gets me my money,

faster I work my magic.

My wire info is on the back of that card.

I look forward to hearing from her.

Coming out!

I'm sorry I'm late. It's just one of those days.

No problem. Let me introduce you.

Judge Lawler, this is Jimmy McGill.

Actually, it's Saul Goodman. I changed my name.

But Lawler? Now, you're federal, right? District of New Mexico?

That's me.

Thought so. Your gavel work is legendary.

Thank you?

I'll let you get back to your lunch. Catch you on the back nine next week.

See you.

Jimmy?

- And I'll have the sole and... - No butter, side of steamed veggies?

You got me. Creature of habit.

Great. I'll put this in, I'll be right back with your drink.

So...

Saul Goodman. Am I allowed to call you Jimmy?

Saul Goodman is my professional name, but my friends still call me Jimmy.

You can too.

Well, tell me about Saul Goodman.

What do you mean?

Well, what I mean is, if he's not Jimmy McGill, who is he?

What's he about?

Well...

Saul Goodman is... He's the last line of defense for the little guy.

Are you getting sold down the river?

He's a life raft.

You getting stepped on, he's a sharp stick.

You got Goliath on your back, Saul's the guy with the slingshot.

He's a righter of wrongs. He's friend to the friendless.

That's Saul Goodman.

Couldn't Jimmy McGill do all that?

Maybe he could, but Saul Goodman is.

I get it.

You do?

Yeah. I understand why you changed your name.

Is that right?

Hamlin Hamlin McGill did you wrong.

Your name is a part of that firm. Now it's tainted.

We took your legacy away from you.

If you say so, Howard.

No, no, I've been thinking about this a lot.

And you know what? We should have hired you.

I mean, don't worry about it. That's ancient history.

You deserved a shot.

And I could've given it to you

when you got barred or when you brought us Sandpiper.

Both times, I should've shown some backbone.

It would've been the right thing to do.

I am glad you had this cleansing moment of clarity, Howard.

Good for you.

Let me be clear.

I'm not interested in yesterday.

I missed an opportunity with you, and I think it's time to correct that.

I'd like you to come work at HHM.

You want me to work for you after all the shit that's happened between us?

As far as I'm concerned, that's between you and Chuck.

Hey, look, before you offer me a job,

you might want to call your buddy, Cliff Main.

He'd have a unique perspective on employing me.

This isn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, Jimmy.

I have been considering this for a while.

At the scholarship committee, you spoke about that young woman.

Kristy Esposito.

Yes. Kristy.

- Yeah. - You stood up for her.

And that got me thinking.

About judgment

and honesty.

And when you kicked my ass last year, you weren't wrong.

You say what you mean.

Listen, you don't wanna be surrounded by liars, Howard,

you might be in the wrong profession.

Look, it's simple for me.

You're smart. You're scrappy. You're a go-getter.

You don't wait for things to happen. You make them happen.

HHM is growing again and could use someone like you.

I could use you.

Charlie Hustle.

- Howard, I... - You don't have to answer right now.

Let's just enjoy lunch.

But do me a favor.

Live with it for a bit. Okay?

That's me.

Well, Howard, this was...

Thanks for lunch.

I'll get the next one.