Jamil Scalese" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Jamil Scalese
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • X (2022)

      Jamil Scalese
      April 22, 2022
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • X (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      April 22, 2022
    • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      April 15, 2022
    • The Adam Project (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      March 16, 2022
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Jamil Scalese
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      Jamil Scalese
      July 30, 2019
      DVD/Blu-ray, News
    Recent
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Avengers: Endgame arrives on Digital 7/30 and Blu-ray 8/13

      psychodr
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • X (2022)
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
  • The Adam Project (2022)
  • The Batman (2022)
  • Entropy (2022)
  • Killer Sofa (2019)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Reviews

Better Call Saul 1.08 “RICO”

Jamil Scalese
March 29, 2015
Reviews, TV

That hit the spot.

In my coverage of Better Call Saul I’ve been pretty critical of the show’s lack of… pizzazz? That’s the problem; it’s hard to define exactly what the show has been missing. It’s without a certain tenacity, a tautness that pushes forward the scenes. I’ve made pains not to mention Breaking Bad in these reviews, both shows should stand on their own, but it’s apparent that whatever magic the predecessor held, the successor is still desperately reaching for.

Breaking Bad had a quality that it excelled at more proficiently than any other TV show I’ve ever seen: it was always seven steps ahead of the audience. Viewers, especially vetted ones, can see the left turn from a mile away, Bad almost always found a shortcut to advance the narrative several steps in logical, savvy ways. For the most part, Better Call Saul has lacked that. It’s not so much telegraphing its moves as it just taking its good ol’ time getting there.

BCS-01

 

Due to the narrative pace, Breaking Bad was essentially great scene after great scene, to the point where it was almost necessary to rewatch because you’d barely had time to process the impact of a particular development before being jettisoned into another perfectly-executed set piece. For the first time, this week Better Call Saul succeeded in producing an episode stacked with entertainment.

In the modern era of TV the cold open has become a fertile ground for memorable moments and this show has made it a motif. Keeping with the pattern, the start of “RICO” is temporally unanchored and perhaps gives us the most context yet on the life of Jimmy. We find our star in the occupation of mail clerk at Hamlin, Hamlin and McGill, a reveal that explains a lot about the odd, perhaps antagonistic, relationship between him and the law firm. We even get a little bit of a tease as to the timing and nature of Jimmy and Kim’s more-than-friends relationship. The intro does big time work in another regard too: We find out exactly how Jimmy became a lawyer.

The centerpiece of the opener is the final bit. After telling Chuck about his successful passing of the New Mexico Bar Exam our hero celebrates in the mail room with a few co-workers. Howard Hamlin enters to speak specifically to Jimmy, and under the muffle of copiers we see, but cannot hear, Howard essentially torpedo Jimmy’s ambition. We aren’t privy to what’s said and we don’t need to be. It’s clear, Howard is a dick.

better-call-saul 8 sad jim

It’s an appetizing scene because I’m happy to finally have a legit reason to dislike Howard. The show has done very little in building the main antagonist and it does great things for its depth to expand on the origins and nature of this rivalry.

So yeah, the opener gripped me, and it sparked an episode that steamrolls downhill (the GOOD downhill).

We move to present day where Jimmy visits his elderly clients, in particular Ms. Landry, who finds she cannot afford his fee. Upon hearing the word “allowance” Jimmy digs deeper into the situation and discovers a systematic fraud scheme perpetrated by an old folk’s home that is grossly overcharging their clients. He’s smart enough to realize that this could be a huge case and goes to Chuck for a double check.

better-call-saul 8 white suit maven
One element of Breaking Bad that was inherent to its allure was the relationship to chemistry. While science permeated some of the bigger themes (i.e. violent transformations) even on a surface level there was a certain fun to hearing Walt gush about chemicals or digress into teacher-speak. I always expected Better Call Saul to have this same type of relationship with law, and yes, we’ve received some of that, but this episode is the first time that I really felt the wild world of litigation bursting from my TV screen.

The first moment of this is when Jimmy goes to Sandpiper Creek to follow up on his discovery. He finds the employees are already shredding documents, so Jimmy excuses himself to the bathroom and writes up a legal notice on the back of a notepad and a strip of toilet paper. It’s neat seeing the law bent in creative and impulsive ways and even neater watching Jimmy frantically execute it.

The second happens near the end of the episode when the lawyer for Sandpiper Creek, Rick Schweikart, and his team arrive at Chuck’s house to discuss the claims made against their client. Everything about this scene is well-executed, in particular the role of Chuck. His status a “rock star” lawyer is demonstrated well in this episode, Schweukart practically falls over in his reverence, and his status is juxtaposed well with his nervousness and discomfort at the conference. As the two parties discuss a potential case Chuck remains silent, awkward even, and Jimmy is forced to do all the talking. The nursing home lawyers offer up a settlement but refuse to admit fault, and the Jimmy counters by pointing out that the old folk’s home buys supplies from out of state provider which could make any future case eligible for RICO status, a development that could lead to major federal charges and a class action lawsuit.

better-call-saul 8 sandpiper crew

Schweikart asks the McGills for a counter offer to which Chuck speaks up for the first time “twenty million”, he states coldly. For a moment it seems that Chuck might be slipping further into madness however as he explains to Jimmy, Schweikart mentioned several facilities operated by the Sandpiper Creek’s parent company, and if one is practicing unsavory method then likely they all are.

In the interim between these two great scenes is another one. After Jimmy gets kicked out of the assisted living community for serving them papers he returns in the evening to retrieve the shredded documents. What follows is one of the show’s most visceral and powerful moments: Jimmy goes dumpster diving! Seriously, my stomach churned watching soon-to-be-Saul get doused with filthy, slimy trash, and then I laughed as the dumpster lid slammed on his head only then for him to turn the corner and find the paper recycling bin. Good stuff.

better-call-saul 8 chuck and jim

Jimmy brings the shredded docs back to Chuck’s and works throughout the night to piece them back together (while the classic Coffee Cold by Galt MacDermot plays over top). When he passes out Chuck picks up the slack and helps finish the job. After the meeting with the Sandpiper lawyers Chuck expresses to Jimmy he would like both of them to work the case and the younger sibling is absolutely gleeful. This scene paired with the opener proves how much Jimmy respects and admires his brother and it seems like a working relationship is something he’s always strived for.

Later, Chuck, while doing background work on the case, asks Jimmy to retrieve something from his car. Jimmy, tired and nearly napping, doesn’t immediately get it so Chuck ventures outside and grabs the requested paperwork from Jimmy’s car. It’s not until Jimmy call out to him in confusion that Chuck notices that he’s willfully exposed himself to the outside electromagnetic energy and didn’t seem to notice. The episode ends with the elder McGill standing still in shock.

“RICO” did wonders for the show in terms of progression and entertainment. Injecting the law aspect into the show does wonders for its identity. I want more fast talking, manipulative dialogue and more of Chuck’s library-brain than we were getting previous. There are lots of scripted shows about the practice of law. Lots. But few operate with the superb comedy/drama balance that Better Call Saul does.

better-call-saul 8 mike

Am I missing something? Oh yeah, Mike!

With the sixth episode dedicated to the character it would be fantastically negligent not to continue Mike’s story. In a trio of scenes totally unrelated to Jimmy’s tale Mike takes up babysitting duties for his granddaughter. He soon finds out that daughter-in-law Stacey is struggling to make ends meet, which causes Mike to visit the seedy veterinarian that stitched him up in “Five-O.” Mike is starting his career in enforcer work and it’ll be neat to see how and when he and Jimmy will cross paths again.

This episode was a savior of sorts, inserting vigor and funk into the series as it closes out the first season. Hints from the producers have disclosed that the final two episodes are built to shock and amaze and if this is true it’ll come at a great time. A strong finish could make Season One an overall success.

Though I gotta ask: Where the fuck is Nacho?

(Visited 56 times, 1 visits today)
Better Call Saul 1.08 "RICO"
Jamil's Rating
4.0Overall Score
Reader Rating: (0 Votes)

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Better Call SaulBob OdenkirkJamil ScaleseMichael McKean

The Musketeers 2.10 “Trial and Punishment”
EZMM 2015 Day 1: Zombies – When the Dead Walk (2008)

About The Author

monsterid
Jamil Scalese
Edge Cutter / Shadow Emissary

Jamil Scalese would rather watch reruns of Frasier than catch up on media he's tragically behind on. Follow his weak tweets @jamilscalese

Daily Top Ten

  • Superman Unbound Blu-ray ReviewSuperman Unbound Blu-ray Review by Zack Davisson
  • Priest (2011) Blu-ray ReviewPriest (2011) Blu-ray Review by Paul Brian McCoy
  • The Muppet Valentine Show (1974)The Muppet Valentine Show (1974) by Jessica Sowards
  • Big Eyes Smart Mouth: Knights of Sidonia (2014)Big Eyes Smart Mouth: Knights of Sidonia (2014) by Serdar Yegulalp
  • Muppet Madness: You’re the DirectorMuppet Madness: You’re the Director by Jessica Sowards
  • Big Eyes Smart Mouth: The King of PigsBig Eyes Smart Mouth: The King of Pigs by Serdar Yegulalp
  • Jessica Jones 1.03 "AKA It's Called Whiskey" & 1.04 "AKA 99 Friends"Jessica Jones 1.03 “AKA It’s Called… by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Parker (2013)Parker (2013) by Laura Akers
  • TIFF '13 Day 3: Rainy Days, Runaways & Rare MeatTIFF ’13 Day 3: Rainy Days, Runaways & Rare Meat by Nate Abernethy
  • Rampage (2018)Rampage (2018) by Nate Zoebl
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Advance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-rayAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • Sick Flix: Guinea Pig 2 – Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985)Sick Flix: Guinea Pig 2 – Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985) by Corin Totin
  • Shakespeare's Macbeth (2010)Shakespeare’s Macbeth (2010) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have… by Corin Totin
  • The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006) by Corin Totin
  • Arrietty (2011) ReviewArrietty (2011) Review by Kelvin Green
  • Condorman (1981)Condorman (1981) by John Clark
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

Latest Reviews

  • X (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    April 22, 2022
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    April 15, 2022
  • The Adam Project (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    March 16, 2022

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E37 - G.I. Joe #12 / Three Strikes For Snake-Eyes!

It's the start of one of the most iconic Joe stories in it's entire history, and it includes the return of two pivotal characters from the past! Join Greg and Jaren as they venture into Rio Lindo to root out Cobra's next devious plot!
---
Watch Greg and Jaren at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes @anythingjoespod #GIJoe #MarvelComics #SnakeEyes
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 412: Good Omens (2014 BBC Radio Dramatisation)

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was first published in 1990 and was a comedy about Revelations and Armageddon.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #GoodOmens #NeilGaiman #TerryPratchett #BBC #MarkHeap #PeterSerafinowicz #JimNorton #AdamThomasWright #JosieLawrence #Charlotterichie #ColinMorgan #CliveRussell #JuliaDeakin #BBCRadio
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E36 - Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2022

Greg & Jaren recount their experience meeting Larry Hama at the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2022. Plus, the latest news, recent acquisitions, and listener mail!
---
Listen to Greg and Jaren's podcast at the link in our profile!

@anythingjoespod #AnythingJoes #GIJoe #Mezco #LarryHama
Today at https://psychodrivein.com X (2022) Ti W Today at https://psychodrivein.com

X (2022)

Ti West is a director I haven’t fully enjoyed, though I would say X is his most accomplished film to date for me. 
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#X #TiWest #MiaGoth #Slasher
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 411: The Secret of Marvel's Success

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been dominating the box office since the release of Iron Man.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #Marvel #MarvelStudios #MarvelCinematicUniverse #MCU #IronMan #Avengers #MoonKnight #WandaVision #Hawkeye #RobertDowneyJr
Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2022 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2022 Day 9: All of Us Are Dead S1 E7-12

There are enough plot threads left dangling to give us a good launching point for a future second season, but if that doesn’t happen, All of Us Are Dead can stand as a solid one-and-done.
---
Read more of Paul's review at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2022 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2022 #AllOfUsAreDead #Netflix #LeeJaiKyoo #KimNamSu #ChunSungIl #JooDongGeun #YooInSoo #ChoYiHyun #OhHyeSoo #YoonChanYoung #LeeEunSaem #YangHanYeoi #JinHoEun #HaSeungRi #SonSangYeon #zombies
Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2022 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2022 Day 8: Return of the Living Dead III (1993)

Return of the Living Dead III is, quite simply, one of the best examples of the genre.
---
Read more of Paul's review at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2022 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2022 #zombies #ReturnOfTheLivingDead3 #BasilWallace #BrianYuzna #JTrevorEdmond #KentMcCord #MelindaClarke #SarahDouglas
Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2022 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2022 Day 7: Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

While I really didn’t like Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City very much, I want to give it a fair shake.
---
Read more of Paul's review at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2022 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2022 #ResidentEvil #ResidentEvilWelcomeToRaccoonCity #WelcomeToRaccoonCity #JohannesRoberts #RobbieAmell #HannahJohnKamen #TomHopper #DonalLogue #NealMcDonough #KayaScodelario #AvanJogia #MarinaMazepa
Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2022 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2022 Day 6: Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021)

Vengeance. That’s what Ashin is doing. That’s what she’s been doing from behind the scenes all along.
---
Read more of Paul's review at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2022 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2022 #Zombies #TheKingdom #TheKingdomAshinOfTheNorth #AshinOfTheNorth #Ashin #Netflix #JunJiHyun #KimEunHee #KimRoiHa #KimSeongHun #KimShiAh #ParkByungEun
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Anything Joes: S01E37 – G.I. Joe #12 / Three Strikes For Snake-Eyes!

    Greg Engle
    May 11, 2022
  • Lost in Translation 412: Good Omens (2014 BBC Radio Dramatisation)

    Scott Delahunt
    April 29, 2022
  • Anything Joes: S01E36 – Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2022

    Greg Engle
    April 27, 2022

TWITTER

My Tweets

Look Who's Talking

Oliver Ghingold
Oliver Ghingold - 2/18/2022
Muppet Madness: You’re the Director
Do you still have these tapes? I've been looking everywhere for them! I loved the Interactive Vision...
white swan
white swan - 12/22/2021
The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
I enjoyed the article though I would never call brutality gorgeous.
Shawn EH
Shawn EH - 10/26/2021
13 Days of Halloween Day 12: Halloween Kills (2021)
Very disappointing, it's true. And very mean-spirited murders of nobodies. And I don't even see how...
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
%d bloggers like this: