"Cobbler" is the second episode of the second season of Better Call Saul and the twelfth episode of the series altogether.
Hamlin arrives at Chuck’s door with his standing grocery delivery order in hand. Hamlin delicately informs Chuck that Jimmy was hired by Davis & Main in a partner-track position to maintain continuity on the Sandpiper case. Taken aback, Chuck asks whether Cliff Main is aware of Jimmy’s background. Hamlin says he painted a full, honest picture of Jimmy -- but also admits that he didn’t stand in the way of Jimmy being hired.
Summary
At HHM, Kim enters an empty conference room that's set up for a meeting with Davis & Main. She rearranges seat assignments so that she and Jimmy will sit next to each other. Later, at the meeting, Jimmy and Kim appear to be consummate professionals… while also sneaking a game of footsie under the conference room table. After the meeting, the two share a cigarette in the HHM garage. Jimmy suggests he might buy a house between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and they playfully daydream about the myriad possibilities together. “We should get one of those smokers,” Kim muses. Both notice her use of the word "we." Jimmy stubs out the cigarette, but before he leaves, Kim hands him a present -- a travel mug that she has craftily adjusted to read "World’s 2nd Best Lawyer." "Just keepin' it real," she smiles. It fits perfectly into his Esteem's cup holder. Jimmy sneaks a kiss, then heads out.
Outside the nail salon, Jimmy watches a tow truck haul his shabby old Esteem away. Grinning, he strolls over to his company car: a posh new Mercedes Benz. After a frosty goodbye with Mrs. Nguyen, he settles into the driver’s seat, admiring the luxury vehicle’s interior. However, one thing about it isn’t quite right… Kim’s mug doesn't fit into the cup holder. “Must be metric,” Jimmy mutters to himself, cruising onward and upward toward his new life in Santa Fe.
Meanwhile, Mike is working his shift at the courthouse parking lot's ticket booth when Daniel Wormald rolls up in his audacious yellow circus wagon. Mike is none too happy to see him, especially after Daniel inquires whether he’s in the right parking lot for the police station. Mike instructs him to pull over -- they need to chat. Mike steps into the Hummer. Daniel explains that he reached out to the police after his house was broken into, and the detectives want to follow-up with him about a few details. Mike, being an ex-cop, explain to Daniel what's really going on: the police are suspicious of Daniel and think he's covering up illegal activities, and this summons is them wanting to sweat him until he confesses to being a drug dealer. The wise move for all involved would be to go home. Daniel refuses. He’s too sentimentally attached to his baseball card collection to abandon the search. Seeing that Daniel won’t be swayed, Mike offers a compromise: he’ll find the cards himself.
In his cozy office at Davis & Main, Jimmy meticulously pores over Sandpiper documents. He hears guitar music emanating from Cliff’s office, so Jimmy pops his head in to share a discovery he’s made. Cliff tells Jimmy he plays to “blow off steam,” and then commends Jimmy on his hard work. It looks like joining Davis & Main was the right move for Jimmy after all!
Mike tracks Nacho down to his father's upholstery shop. He pretends to be interested in reupholstering his car in order to get Nacho’s attention. When they’re alone, Mike informs him that he knows about Nacho's visit to Daniel's house. Nacho shrugs it off, but Mike has an ace up his sleeve: he threatens to reveal Nacho’s dealings with Daniel to Tuco, who does not take kindly to breaches in loyalty. Seeing that he’s shaken Nacho’s confidence, Mike proposes an alternate plan that will leave both Nacho and Daniel satisfied.
When Ernesto drops off groceries at Chuck's house the next morning, he finds Chuck putting on his space blanket-lined suit jacket, ready to venture out.
Back at the desert meeting spot, Daniel hands Nacho the keys to his Hummer in exchange for the stolen baseball cards. Daniel is devastated to discover that Nacho plans to send his car directly to a chop shop to be destroyed, but is relieved to find his card collection in good order. Nacho hands $10,000 to Mike, unceremoniously concluding his business arrangement with Daniel. Wallowing in his defeat, Daniel looks to Mike for sympathy. He doesn’t find any. As they prepare to head back to Albuquerque, Daniel’s phone rings: It’s the police.
Representatives from Davis & Main and HHM meet again to confer on the Sandpiper case. Jimmy begins to report on his client outreach efforts, but is interrupted when receptionist Brenda enters the room holding a familiar bin for everyone's phones. Jimmy freezes, knowing that Chuck is coming by. With very little fuss, Chuck settles in at the conference room table. Jimmy’s self-assurance shatters. Kim supportively squeezes his leg under the table as he collects himself. Putting on a charming smile, Jimmy rallies. After the meeting, Jimmy tries to escape without acknowledging Chuck, but his brother stops him. Quietly fuming, Jimmy asks Chuck why he felt the need to attend this meeting. “To bear witness,” Chuck responds icily. This doesn’t sit well with Jimmy, but his phone rings before he can engage further. It’s Mike, offering Jimmy a job if he is still “morally flexible.” Jimmy’s in: “Where and when?”
At the police station, Jimmy accompanies Daniel to an interrogation room. Daniel nervously explains to two detectives that he no longer needs their help. He successfully hired a private investigator to track down his baseball cards, so: case closed. When the dubious detectives press for more details, Daniel begins to flounder. Jimmy mercifully cuts him off and encourages him to go get a little air. Alone with the detectives, Jimmy gets down and dirty: he explains that he knows the police have discovered the hiding space behind Daniel's baseboards, and are, understandably, suspicious. Jimmy assures them that it is not used for anything illicit, but admits that it involves a private matter between Daniel and his (fictitious) “art patron.” The secret compartment in Daniel's living room is used to store “Crybaby Squat Cobbler” fetish videos that Daniel would send to his patron -- that is, until the two had a spat and the spiteful patron stole the videos and the baseball cards. Since then, hearts have mended, the art patron has returned all stolen property, and Daniel does not wish to press charges. Incredulous that Jimmy would fabricate such an elaborate story, the detectives accept his masterfully-orchestrated yarn. As they exit the police station, Jimmy assures Daniel that he’s off the hook... with one small caveat: he'll have to make a video.
Later that night, Jimmy visits Kim’s apartment. He pulls a stack of pies from his backseat before heading inside. Jimmy and Kim gleefully split one of the pies as Jimmy regales her with Pryce’s tale. She’s utterly enthralled: “I’ve heard a lot of far-out scenarios used to sow doubt, but this one takes the cake.” Jimmy corrects her, pointing at their dessert: this one takes the pie. Their sweet moment quickly turns sour when Jimmy admits it was the video he and Pryce shot that really sold the lie. Kim is stunned that Jimmy would fabricate evidence. She reprimands him for jeopardizing his job at Davis & Main and risking disbarment. Quietly, she tells him that she cannot hear about his illegal activities ever again. Jimmy measures her with his eyes, then affirms: “You won’t.”
Credits
Main Cast
- Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman
- Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut
- Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler
- Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin
- Michael Mando as Nacho Varga
- Michael McKean as Chuck McGill
Guest Starring
- Ed Begley Jr. as Clifford Main
- Mark Proksch as Daniel Wormald
- Jessie Ennis as Erin Brill
- Omar Maskati as Omar
- Eileen Fogarty as Mrs. Nguyen
- Juan Carlos Cantu as Nacho's Father
- A. Russell Andrews as Detective Salerno
- Troy Winbush as Detective
Co-Starring
- Brandon K. Hampton as Ernesto
- Luis Bordonada as Brian Archuleta
- James E. Dowling as Francis
- Sarah Minnich as Brenda
- Victoria Pham-Gilchrist as Salon Employee #1
- Kim-Lan T. Pham as Salon Employee #2
- Le Hai Dang as Salon Employee #3
- Bau Thi Duong as Salon Employee #4
- Lalo Flores as Nacho's Man #1
- Victor A. Guajardo as Nacho's Man #2
Uncredited
- Brian Barela as Police Officer
- Jenelle Gallegos as HHM Lawyer
- Steve Larese as HHM Lawyer
Trivia
- Daniel's ringtone is "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
- In real life, fetish videos of both men and women sitting on cakes exist but there is no established category for pies.
- Jimmy claims Daniel is as good as an actor as Julianne Moore.
- Jimmy mentions that Hellmann's Mayonnaise has a different name west of the Rockies (Best Foods Mayonnaise).
- Towards the end of the interrogation room scene, a guy that bears resemblance to Hank Schrader can be seen walking by outside.
- Kim warning Jimmy about the risks he is taking reminisces of Skyler warning Walter about his - to no avail in both cases.
Featured Music
TBA
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