# Better Call Saul 1.04 "Hero" 2/23/15 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440 "2015-02-23T19:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/1 "2015-02-23T19:53:55Z")
Didn’t see a thread yet. Looking forward to seeing the aftermath of last week’s ending. [Link to the thread for the first two episodes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748615). [Link to thread for the third](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749297). Is Jimmy the “Hero” of tonight’s episode for finding the Kettlemans? Or the villain for ruining HH&M’s (and Kim Wexler’s) case? What becomes of the duffelbag full of cash? What happens to Nacho? Does he recognize that Jimmy saved his (and his gang’s) ass? Or only that Jimmy got him into the situation in the first place? When/how does Mike become Saul’s trusted assistant? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/2 "2015-02-23T20:57:51Z")
And another episode ending in “O”, as does next week’s title. I wonder if “Tuko” will be among them. Non-show specific about something in a previous episode while waiting: do space blankets actually keep people warm? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/3 "2015-02-23T21:40:41Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > And another episode ending in “O”, as does next week’s title. I wonder if “Tuko” will be among them. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Call_Saul), next week’s episode is called “Alpine Shepherd Boy”. > [@Sampiro](#): > > Non-show specific about something in a previous episode while waiting: do space blankets actually keep people warm? Apparently, yes: > **[Space blanket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_blanket)** > > A space blanket (also known as a Mylar blanket, emergency blanket, first aid blanket, safety blanket, thermal blanket, weather blanket, heat sheet, foil blanket, or shock blanket) is an especially low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective thin plastic sheeting. They are used on the exterior surfaces of spacecraft for thermal control, as well as by people. Their design reduces the heat loss in a person's body, which would otherwise occur quickly due to thermal radiation, water evaporat... ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/4 "2015-02-23T22:21:53Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Call_Saul), next week’s episode is called “Alpine Shepherd Boy”. Hmm. Another source says ‘Jell-O’. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/5 "2015-02-24T13:53:30Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Hmm. Another source says ‘Jell-O’. My DVR agrees with “Alpine Shepherd Boy.” I’ve liked every episode though it has progressed a bit slower than I had hoped. I thought the part in this episode where Jimmy sits in his office trying to justify taking the money by billing his time and expenses was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/6 "2015-02-24T14:05:05Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > And another episode ending in “O”, as does next week’s title. I wonder if “Tuko” will be among them. > > Non-show specific about something in a previous episode while waiting: do space blankets actually keep people warm? Yes. They were designed by NASA to be a lightweight compact way of retaining body heat. We’re talking about 1960s NASA; they got things right so I have little doubt that they work. However, that’s apparently not why Chuck uses one. He seems to be using it to block electromagnetic fields. Of course it only does that in his mind. Speaking of Chuck, from the previews it appears that he’s going to have trouble with the police. Maybe the neighbor lady reported him for stealing the paper? I could imagine him freaking out if the cops tried to enter without “grounding” themselves. That could lead to a very bad situation. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/7 "2015-02-24T14:14:02Z")
S’all good, man. I CAN’T BELIEVE I never got that. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/8 "2015-02-24T14:49:05Z")
I don’t know what to think of the alley scam. They went to a lot of trouble on the off chance that the mark would turn over all his money for the fake Rolex. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/9 "2015-02-24T14:57:16Z")
Slow episode but I loved the billboard scam at the end. I’m also getting really interested in Slippin Jimmy’s back story in Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/10 "2015-02-24T14:57:19Z")
Not a lot happened but I still liked it. I like how they show his scams in Cicero. He’s not in it for the money, he’s in it because he likes messing with peoples minds. I think he feels smarter than everybody else around him and enjoys the game of outwitting them. As he said, the money was little more than beer money. Contrast that raw intelligence with the Kettleman’s who are terrible at crime. Well, he is, she may be smarter. She had him steal the money and he’ll take the fall. I bet she’s already worked out how he goes to prison, she gets off and keeps a large chunk of cash. Loved how Jimmy justified his costs. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/11 "2015-02-24T14:58:01Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > S’all good, man. > > I CAN’T BELIEVE I never got that. That’s what I said, too. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/12 "2015-02-24T14:58:49Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > S’all good, man. > > I CAN’T BELIEVE I never got that. Ditto…I’ve got to believe that was the origin all along and it’s funny that they didn’t use the joke in BB. I didn’t see the sting with the passed out co-conspirator coming. Seems like it would have required quite a set up. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/13 "2015-02-24T15:14:15Z")
Another great episode. It’s interesting to see how Jimmy thinks. And it’s nice to have a break from Nacho, though I’m scared to find out what he has in store for Jimmy. Jimmy’s story is tragic in it’s own way. I thought that was heartbreaking when the Kettleman’s wouldn’t give him a retainer, because “he’s the type of lawyer that guilty people hire.” He wants to be good and legitimate, and it’s just not working out for him. > [@davidm](#): > > Speaking of Chuck, from the previews it appears that he’s going to have trouble with the police. Maybe the neighbor lady reported him for stealing the paper? > > I could imagine him freaking out if the cops tried to enter without “grounding” themselves. That could lead to a very bad situation. Yeah, it could be that Chuck is in trouble for something, or it could be that the cops are just checking on something and it escalates because Chuck is acting so weird and the cops find his behavior suspicious. > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I don’t know what to think of the alley scam. They went to a lot of trouble on the off chance that the mark would turn over all his money for the fake Rolex. Weren’t Jimmy and the other guy leaving a bar or something? I’m sure he’s pretty good at picking out a buddy who has some cash on him and would be greedy. If he started talking to someone and they put down their last dollar on the bar, or they seem honest, then he’d move on to the next guy. > [@What\_the](#): > > I didn’t see the sting with the passed out co-conspirator coming. Seems like it would have required quite a set up. I didn’t see that coming at all. But later in the episode, I knew something was up immediately when the worker fell. That was great planning by Jimmy. Really, the whole thing was very clever. Jimmy was really upset about the big law firm saying that he couldn’t use his own name. But by trying to fight about the look of the billboard and the logo, he got the judge to say that he can use his own name. That was very smart. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/14 "2015-02-24T15:56:42Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > … > Really, the whole thing was very clever. Jimmy was really upset about the big law firm saying that he couldn’t use his own name. But by trying to fight about the look of the billboard and the logo, he got the judge to say that he can use his own name. That was very smart. I thought the fight over the name would be what led to him using “Saul Goodman”. I suppose that it may still work out that way, or maybe it will be something else. BB always liked to use that kind of misdirection to keep us guessing. Maybe the reason will really be what he told Walt; that he believes that a Jewish name makes him more marketable as a lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/15 "2015-02-24T16:02:37Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > … > Yeah, it could be that Chuck is in trouble for something, or it could be that the cops are just checking on something and it escalates because Chuck is acting so weird and the cops find his behavior suspicious. > … They’ve been emphasizing the whole “did you ground yourself” nonsense. There’s probably a reason for that. This may be it. So Chuck gets in big trouble with the law. It’s been implied that Jimmy seems to feel somewhat responsible for Chuck’s emotional issues. So because he feels responsible he ends up doing some very illegal things (bribing a judge or something) to help Chuck; taking another step towards becoming the BB Saul. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/16 "2015-02-24T16:09:53Z")
How does one “ground” themself, btw? (I know it’s BS, but I wasn’t clear on what action Chuck is having them do to say that they grounded themselves.) Great performance by McKean and writing of Chuck. I’ve known mentally ill people like him before who are perfectly rational and reasonable and intelligent people in most ways, like Chuck was when asking about the newspaper and quipping about kids loving to steal print journalism and the like, but are also so completely “rational” and “reasonable” about something absolutely nutty like his electromagnetic fixation. (With one person it was their absolute belief that Paula Abdul was sending him messages; in his defense, she was bigger then and her output was greater.) ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/17 "2015-02-24T16:45:31Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > S’all good, man. > > I CAN’T BELIEVE I never got that. Same here! ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/18 "2015-02-24T16:49:16Z")
Though I understand the scene in the ally was a bit of a stretch, I thought this was the best episode yet. Some people are saying that not a lot happened… I thought plenty happened. I watched it with someone who’s only seen some of Breaking Bad, and never watched this show, and he really liked it too. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/19 "2015-02-24T16:51:12Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Yes. They were designed by NASA to be a lightweight compact way of retaining body heat. We’re talking about 1960s NASA; they got things right so I have little doubt that they work. > > However, that’s apparently not why Chuck uses one. He seems to be using it to block electromagnetic fields. Of course it only does that in his mind. > > Speaking of Chuck, from the previews it appears that he’s going to have trouble with the police. Maybe the neighbor lady reported him for stealing the paper? > > I could imagine him freaking out if the cops tried to enter without “grounding” themselves. That could lead to a very bad situation. I think it’s going to be the guy from the law firm that sends the police there. The war between him and Jimmy is clearly escalating. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440/20 "2015-02-24T16:58:54Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > How does one “ground” themself, btw? (I know it’s BS, but I wasn’t clear on what action Chuck is having them do to say that they grounded themselves.) > > Great performance by McKean and writing of Chuck. I’ve known mentally ill people like him before who are perfectly rational and reasonable and intelligent people in most ways, like Chuck was when asking about the newspaper and quipping about kids loving to steal print journalism and the like, but are also so completely “rational” and “reasonable” about something absolutely nutty like his electromagnetic fixation. (With one person it was their absolute belief that Paula Abdul was sending him messages; in his defense, she was bigger then and her output was greater.) Someone posted in another episode’s thread that it is [electromagnetic hypersensitivity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_hypersensitivity), which is not an actual medical condition and electromagnetic fields don’t cause the symptoms that sufferers claim. I think when he has to ground himself it means remove anything that uses power, radio waves, etc. This is also presumably why the power to the house is cut off. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-04-hero-2-23-15/713440.md?page=2)