Better Call Saul

My husband and I scrimped and saved for so many years.

We did our best to build a nest-egg...

...so that we wouldn't be a burden to our family.

After Ronald passed, I moved to an assisted living facility.

A nice place.

They told me they'd take care of everything...

...but then one day they said all my money was gone.

How could that be?

Where did it all go?

If you or a loved one is a resident of a Sandpiper Crossing facility...

- ...or associated retirement... - Jesus. You used your own voice?

Strictly to save money.

- All in, the whole thing cost... - Just.

Call the law offices of Davis & Main...

...at 505-242-7700.

That's 505-242-7700.

Production cost: $647, all in.

The one single airing was a $700 ad buy, so dirt cheap.

You think this is about money? That's what this is about?

I'm just trying to offer complete information, here.

Now, this one airing, it was an experiment and as such, by any measure...

- ...a success. - You keep saying experiment...

...like you're the goddamned Wright Brothers.

When were you going to tell us about this experiment?

Today. This morning.

I admit I got a little ahead of myself. A little exuberant...

...and for that, I apologize.

But the headline here is, I think...

...we've gotten nearly 200 phone calls since this one airing.

Cliff, since you and I spoke last night, 72 more.

You hear that? Right there.

- That's the sound of victory. - Jimmy, stop selling.

And don't act like you don't see the problem here.

- I don't. - You cut us out.

- You did an end run around us. - Exuberance is no excuse.

Cliff...

Client outreach is my department. You told me that day one.

If you're in charge of payroll...

...would I be okay with you giving million dollar bonuses?

You and I did discuss the possibility of a commercial.

The possibility in the abstract...

...for a grand total of 30 seconds when I was halfway out the door.

I guess... I thought I heard enthusiasm. So I... I took some initiative.

Some?

We are a team at Davis & Main. This is a team approach.

You coming as a solo practitioner, I knew there's gonna be a learning curve.

But if you simply can't fit in as part of the team...

I can fit in. I... I fit in.

I am here to help you and HHM...

...win Sandpiper. That's all this was about.

Sandpiper's not what keeps the lights on around here.

We have clients who wouldn't want to be associated with this kind of... This.

Our image, our reputation...

...is something we've been carefully building for years.

It's worth far more than any one case. Something like this could damage it.

Suffice to say, there's not a lot of love for you in the room at the moment.

The vote is currently 2-to-1 to fire you for cause.

However...

...I believe in second chances.

But know this is both strike one and strike two.

Going forward, you can expect a great deal more scrutiny.

Yes, ma'am, let me take your number.

Come on, come on.

Hello, you've reached the voicemail of Kim Wexler.

Please leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Hey, Kim, I need you to call me as soon as you can, all right?

It's a time-sensitive thing, so...

I mean, I may have...

Just... Well, please call me before you talk to Howard, okay? Bye.

It's a simple question, Kim.

Did you or did you not know about this commercial?

I... Yes.

- He showed it to me... - He showed it to you?

- Yes. A few days ago. - And you didn't say anything to anyone?

No. I didn't.

- You didn't think I deserved a heads up? - I didn't realize...

At the time, I didn't think it was necessary.

You were wrong about that.

We were caught flat-footed in front of our co-counsel.

Which, I don't need to tell you, does not reflect well on HHM.

Or on you.

That'll be all.

You can go.

What are you going to do?

So, what do you think?

I figure from here, you got a good bead on the place.

But someone inside, they can't pick you out.

Tuco and me, that's our spot. He always sits facing out.

Looks like a gangster thing, but it's so he can keep an eye on his ride.

Every Tuesday, we're here squaring accounts...

...dealer comes in, pays what he owes.

Tuco, he likes to get face-to-face.

Says everything he needs to know is right here.

Looks them in the eyes. Just stares. Like he's looking inside of them.

I've seen him go like that five, ten minutes.

And what does that accomplish?

He calls it his lie detector.

That's why these things go all day.

Just the two of you? No extra muscle?

Don't need it. We can handle our business.

Anyway, it takes hours. Collect the cash. Count it. Lie detector.

One at a time. Guy comes in, transacts, then the next.

Then, when we're done, Tuco gets in his car...

...I get in mine, boom, we go our separate ways.

That is where you come in.

See him packing up: Drive over.

Pull up in the spot next to Tuco's. Pop, headshot, roll out.

Easy.

I-40 on ramp is eight blocks up.

You're in the wind before anyone has time to blink. And here's the beauty.

All these dealers? They know we're here.

So the story is...

...one of them got ideas, decided to kill Tuco, get a cut of the business.

Could've been any of them as far as the cartel's concerned.

These Tuesdays of yours. Day or night when you wrap it up?

- Day. - So full daylight, plenty of traffic.

How exactly do I not get seen? My car, at least.

Murphy's Law tells me somebody's gonna pull the plate.

Fine. Go to the yard, buy a beater.

You gotta stay in the car.

Ain't no one gonna see you. And if they do see you, so what?

That's why you're perfect. You're no one, you got no connections.

You're a ghost.

So I pull in next to him. That assumes there's a parking spot.

Our guys park next to him. They come and go from the same spot.

Last one takes off, you're open.

Someone comes in behind me, I'm blocked.

- Who's gonna pull in behind you? - I'm guessing someone who likes tacos.

What then? What's my exit?

I don't know. Get out and run.

Bad knees.

Look. The details? That's what I'm paying you for.

You got a better plan? Go on. Tell me.

I'm all ears.

You sure about this?

Killing your partner...

...that's a bell you don't unring.

See this?

You know how I got this?

Back in '96, '97, Tuco and I were working...

...with these bikers out of Riverside County.

They were running this peanut-butter crank.

Real shit, you know, but cheap. We could sell it as fast as we got it.

Anyway, Tuco develops a taste for it...

...and crank does not bring out the best in people, made Tuco erratic.

Our connect was a guy called Dog Paulson.

One day, Tuco's settling up with Dog, he decides to put on his lie detector.

Dog is like, "What the hell," you know.

Tuco just keeps staring at him, then he goes real quiet.

"You think I'm an idiot, Dog?"

He thinks Dog is supplying his competitor, trying to cut Tuco out.

Dog, he denies it.

"No way, not me."

Tuco doesn't even raise his voice, but suddenly he's got a sawed-off...

...and right in Dog's face.

I was behind him.

Sickest thing I ever saw to this day, and this...

...a piece of Dog's skull under the skin, a little piece of him.

Tried digging it out, but it's in there pretty good.

Not the kind of thing you go to the doctors for.

The thing about it was Tuco really liked Dog.

Kind of felt bad afterwards.

But when he's using:

Crazy. There's no other way to put it.

And he's using again, crystal, much bigger kick.

So it's like you said, if Tuco finds out about my independent ventures...

...it's gonna be Dog all over again.

It's him or me.

There.

Man with a scoped rifle could get a clean shot.

Fire a single round, disappear before anybody knew what had happened.

No witnesses, clean egress.

Pretty far.

You can make that shot?

Yeah.

You saying you'd do it?

Fifty grand.

Fifty grand.

I'll look into it.

- Hey... - Your brother isn't here, Mr. McGill.

I know. He sent me to get his ink blotter. I'll just be a second.

- Watch yourself, the floor is slick. - Thank you, Gesualdo.

Sorry about the floor.

Oh, no.

Are you looking for Miss Wexler?

- Guess I'm too late, huh? - No, she's still here.

Where?

Kim.

I am so, so sorry.

- I should've told you last night. - You think?

I honestly thought I could fix it.

I thought they'd understand once they saw the numbers.

I knew it would work, and it did. It worked.

Howard can't just stick you in Doc Review because of something I did.

Plus, at an entirely different law firm. What kind of sense does that make?

I told you this would happen.

- He can't blame you for this. - I warned you he would.

I'm talking to Howard.

What, call him a pig fucker again? Yeah, that will help.

I screwed up, you know. I know that.