"Better Call Saul" Recap: "Cobbler"

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

The other day I was discussing Better Call Saul with a couple of folks that had never seen the show, simply because of the fact that they were interested in the series and wondering if it was worth their time and effort since let's be honest, there's a billion excellent shows to watch out there right now. Of course I recommended the series to them, how could one not? It's well written, well acted and enthralling to watch, but that conversation got me thinking, what is the real fascination when it comes to this show?

After all, on the surface it's a Breaking Bad prequel about a guy who loses his way and well...that's when it hit me. The simplicity of that story is exactly what I love because it feeds a burning curiosity in all of our minds, what is it that makes good people go bad? We often believe that it's a singular moment in someone's life, a turning point if you will, but this show is steadily showcasing that a turn to the dark side is a long and arduous process where the best parts of a person are chipped away and last night's episode, "Cobbler" demonstrated this as we discovered that respect, and a lack there of is one reason Jimmy became Saul Goodman.

In fact we are learning more and more that Chuck's stunning revelation about what he really thinks about Jimmy is having a greater effect on him than we ever expected. For proof we need not look further than Jimmy's interaction with Cliff over at Davis and Main. Despite stumbling on what could be some potentially helpful evidence in the Sandpiper case, Jimmy had zero confidence in talking with Cliff and it was strange to watch the normally confident Jimmy McGill speak in such a mousey manner and back out of the room in such a reserved fashion. But while that was a subtle example of what those damning words have done to Jimmy, the glaring evidence came about when Chuck dropped by a Sandpiper Update meeting at HH&M, and Jimmy fell to pieces with his brother in the room, and if it wasn't for Kim who knows if he would have been able to recover.

But while those baby steps toward Jimmy's future were fascinating, nothing beats the moment when a preview of Saul emerged at the end of the episode in what turned out to be one of the funniest moments I've seen in a long time and quite frankly, I don't think I'll ever look at pie the same way ever again and I'm pretty sure the show coined a new phrase for Urban Dictionary with the "Hoboken Squat Cobbler." But I digress, because despite all the laughs, this was an important scene, one where Jimmy compromised and risked everything he had earned this point, something Kim was quick to point out later in the day, ironically over pie, because...this potentially could have been the moment when Saul Goodman was born. I mean just look at how quick Jimmy was on his feet, and how amazing a job he did in getting Pryce off the hook...it was everything we have come to expect from our favorite future antihero. 

Every single second of this episode captivated me thanks to more fine performances from this stellar cast and because of the fact that this episode was in fact a detailed character study. We learned so much about Jimmy and how much being cast in a positive light drives him, I mean we watched the guy pout like a little kid caught stealing cookies when Kim scolded him, speaking large to the conflict brewing within Jimmy and at this point in the story, it looks like the only thing keeping him from becoming his infamous alter ego is Kim and one has to wonder how long she will put up with his rebellious ways, regardless of how much she loves him.  Either way, I really do get a funny feeling that this week's episode was designed to feel like it was full of fluff because it was setting the stage for something larger, exactly what I don't quite know just yet, but I am certain whatever is about to go down, will put Jimmy McGill past the point of no return. Until next time. 

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