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"Mijo" is the second episode of the first season of Better Call Saul and the second episode of the series altogether.

Summary[]

Teaser[]

BCS 102 01

Tuco is cooking in his grandmother's kitchen when she returns home, followed by Cal and Lars. The twins, irate, begin to insist on getting money for the injury caused by the grandmother's "hit and run." They begin to argue loudly and insult the grandmother, which agitates Tuco. After sending her upstairs, he beats both twins unconscious with a cane.

Act I[]

BCS 102 02

While Tuco cleans up bloodstains on his carpet, Jimmy knocks on the front door and is immediately taken hostage. Under interrogation, he reveals himself to be an attorney representing the twins, who called him after the hit and run, insisting that he did not intend to target Tuco's grandmother. Noticing the bloodstains, Jimmy guesses that Tuco has only hurt the twins because he is a "reasonable" and "just" man. He attempts to barter with Tuco to save himself and the twins. Tuco agrees and brings Jimmy to the garage, where they are being held. Just as Tuco is about free them, one of the twins outs Jimmy's role in the hit and run scam.

Act II[]

Tuco takes Jimmy and the twins, all bound and gagged, out in the desert. Under more questioning by Tuco, Jimmy cops to the entire setup - how he put the twins up to the scam as a way to get back at Craig and Betsy for not hiring him as their lawyer. When Tuco threatens to sever his fingers with wire cutters, Jimmy desperately tries to claim that he is an FBI agent. While Tuco initially believes this, his right-hand man, Ignacio "Nacho" Varga, quickly sees through this façade and threatens Jimmy into telling the truth. Jimmy admits that he is a lawyer who intended to scam the Kettlemans, and how he was just trying to find a way to climb up from the pit that has become his life before Tuco "rescued" him. Tuco frees Jimmy.

Feeling that a message still has to be sent, Tuco moves to kill the twins in revenge for insulting his grandmother. Jimmy manages to convince him to spare their lives, and talks him down to merely breaking one leg on each twin to make an exact example of them. After Tuco shakes hands with Jimmy and accepts his proposal, he gets two henchmen to grab the twins. While Jimmy watches, Tuco breaks one leg on each brother. Afterwards, Jimmy drives the twins to an emergency room, insisting (over their protests) that he is "the world's best lawyer" for talking their punishment down from "a death sentence to six months' probation."

Act III[]

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That night, Jimmy goes to a bar with a woman to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Traumatized from the day's events, he is distracted by waiters breaking breadsticks, which reminds him of the sound of legs breaking. Jimmy excuses himself and vomits in the bathroom. Afterwards, he goes to Chuck's house and thoughtlessly takes his cell phone inside, which causes Chuck to panic and throw the phone into the yard. When Jimmy wakes up, he discovers that his phone and keys are missing. Chuck confronts Jimmy after seeing the hospital bills for the twins, which have exhausted all of Jimmy's funds. Jimmy reassures Chuck that he isn't going back to being "Slippin' Jimmy" - in other words, he isn't scamming people. Jimmy is forced to go back to the public defender’s office and its measly income.

Act IV[]

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Jimmy becomes increasingly discouraged as he loses case after case, but eventually gets a confidence boost when he finally wins an acquittal. At his backroom office, Jimmy is about to take a nap when Mrs. Nguyen, the owner of the beauty salon, tells him that a client has arrived. The client turns out to be Nacho, who now wants to rob Craig Kettleman of the $1.6 million he has embezzled. Jimmy wants no part in Nacho's plan, insisting that he is a lawyer and not a criminal. Before he leaves, Nacho writes his phone number on one of Jimmy's matchbooks and tells Jimmy he will die if he tells anyone about their conversation.

Official Photos[]

Trivia[]

  • This episode marks the first appearance of Nacho Varga, despite being credited for "Uno".
  • This was the second part of the two-episode premiere, in which the first episode aired on February 8, 2015 and this episode on February 9, 2015.
  • This episode is in reference to Tuco Salamanca, in which his grandmother calls him "mijo" which means "my son."
  • Miriam Colon, who plays Tuco's grandmother, is also known for her portrayal of the mother of Tony and Gina Montana in the 80's crime drama Scarface.
  • In the opening teaser, Tuco is seen cooking dinner. This is a reference to how Tuco cooked burritos for his uncle Hector Salamanca, Walt and Jesse in "Grilled".
  • This is the only episodes where Kim Wexler does not have a speaking role, however she does not appear in "Five-O","Nippy" and “Breaking Bad”.
  • This episode marks the earliest chronological appearance of Gonzo and No-Doze, who first appeared in Breaking Bad.
    • When No-Doze spoke out of turn, Tuco gets angry at him and tells him to "stop helping." This foreshadows when No-Doze will speak out of turn during a meeting with Walter White, leading Tuco to beat him to death in "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal".
  • Vince Gilligan has confirmed that the desert, in which Jimmy negotiates with Tuco, is the same spot where Walter White gives his "Say My Name" speech to Declan and his gang in "Say My Name".
  • When Saul tries to persuade Tuco not to kill Cal and Lars, Tuco suggests doing Colombian Neckties which is slitting their throats and pulling their tongues out. This could be a reference to the Breaking Bad episode "Cat's in the Bag..." when Jesse makes a semi-joke about how Krazy-8 is going to give his and Walt's entire family Colombian Neckties.
  • There is an extended cut of the scene with Jimmy's date, which includes a conversation about their childhoods and does not have background music. It was included in the home video release.
  • Tuco's knife which he threatens the twins with appears to be a Cold Steel Espada Large.

Production[]

Credits[]

Co-Starring

Uncredited

  • Eddie J. Fernandez as Robert Williams
  • William Fogle as Courthouse Lawyer
  • Andrea Good as Women Defendant
  • Fred Padilla as Inmate
  • Ryan Baloy Rivera as Bartender
  • Michael E. Stogner as Bar Patron

Filming Locations[]

Featured Music[]

  • "One Leg Each" by Dave Porter
  • "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Juan Garcia Esquivel
  • "Chuck's Theme" by Dave Porter
  • "Concerto in G for Strings 'Alla Rustica' 1. Presto" by Vivaldi (version created for Better Call Saul)
  • "Quando Sei Vicino a Te" by Stephane Huguenin, Yves Sanna & Christian Padovan
  • "Everybody Ciao" by Daniele Benati & Fernando Paterlini

References to other media[]

Jimmy makes many references to other media during the series. In this episode, he makes references to:

Memorable Quotes[]

"You called her "biznatch"?"
―Tuco, in anger at Cal and Lars's insulting of his grandmother.

"Chào các cô, ladies, Chào các cô"
―Jimmy saying "Hello Ladies! Hello", in Vietnamese.

"Are you punking my Abuelita?"
―- Tuco asking Jimmy.

"Wow. You got a mouth on you."
―Tuco, to Jimmy after hearing his explaination.

Skateboarder: "You – you are – you are the worst lawyer – the worst lawyer ever!"
Jimmy: "Hey, I just talked you down from a death sentence to six months probation. I'm the best lawyer ever."
―Jimmy driving the two brothers to the hospital.

"Like a troll under a bridge, you must have the stickers or you won't pass. Troll alert here. Don't feed it."
―Jimmy mocking Mike at the parking lot toll booth.

"It's showtime, folks!"
―Jimmy's pep talk to himself after returning to PD.

"Doesn't matter. Judge has got to see your mother. Well, do you know anybody who looks like her? No, an uncle won't do it!"
―Jimmy discussing strategy with a client on the phone.

Jimmy: "Welcome, welcome. My office is being painted. Excuse the temporary - uh, quarters."
Nacho: "Wow. Cozy."
―Jimmy and Nacho when the latter looks him up to seek out the Kettlemans.
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