# Better Call Saul: 1.09 Pimento **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395 "2015-03-31T03:59:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/121 "2015-04-02T00:16:11Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > But what if he was a good fit. If he worked at HHM, he may have turned out to be a great lawyer and fit in just fine in that corporate culture. Perhaps (and we’ll see how it plays out) the only reason he’s an ambulance chaser is because that’s where Chuck pushed him. I disagree, the point of giving him the contract position would have been to be seen to be supportive, even if he was a good lawyer, good fit, his position in chucks eyes, was the mail room. At the end of the year, if not sooner, he would have been gone. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Athabasca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Athabasca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athabasca)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/122 "2015-04-02T00:19:06Z")
What was said about Tuco working for Gus Fring, it doesn’t sound feasible since Tuco was Hector Salamanca’s nephew, and the Salamancas were all cartel. Fring, IIRC, wasn’t cartel but the cartel tried to bring him to heel anyway. Jmo. And, Tuco was a junkie for meth, and Fring hated junkies, cf. Jesse Pinkman ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/123 "2015-04-02T00:32:01Z")
Fring didn’t deal “in his own back yard”. He ran the distribution for dealers elsewhere in the South West. The local (local to Fring) distribution was handled by Tuco, who was the local extension of the Cartel. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/124 "2015-04-02T00:36:17Z")
> [@Athabasca](#): > > Jimmy is talented in a way that Chuck couldn’t touch. Let’s not go too far. Chuck built HHM into a multimillion dollar firm and Saul doesn’t even have anything like that in BB. Chuck’s a jerk but worse lawyer than Jimmy? I don’t think so. Saul is still a guy in a strip mall law office with a decent advertising budget and flexible morals in BB not a high powered attorney with a crack law firm that he built himself. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/125 "2015-04-02T00:56:26Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Depends on if his brother is a senior partner of the firm (apparently, 1 of 3). 😉 > > At the least, you’d expect the brother to use his connections to help him find a position somewhere doing something law-related. Sure. But Jimmy didnt ask his brother didn’t ask for that kind of help. Jimmy quite unrealistically asked for a lawyer job there. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/126 "2015-04-02T00:57:04Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > Let’s not go too far. Chuck built HHM into a multimillion dollar firm and Saul doesn’t even have anything like that in BB. Chuck’s a jerk but worse lawyer than Jimmy? I don’t think so. > > Saul is still a guy in a strip mall law office with a decent advertising budget and flexible morals in BB not a high powered attorney with a crack law firm that he built himself. No, obviously Chuck is vastly more knowledgeable than Jimmy about the in and outs of law. But what Jimmy is, is very clever and very glib. He might never be as good at nuts and bolts law, but with coaching and time he probably had the making for a quality trial lawyer. I presume any big firm could probably use those kind of skills, which seem to at least some extent to be dependant on personality and native ability. At any rate we don’t know yet, but this may just be the reason Jimmy never got a chance to build a top firm. Because he will bitterly short-circuit that career, taking shortcuts and becoming a criminal-enabling shyster. Maybe Jimmy never had it in him to succeed brilliantly like his brother ( probably not ), but in some sense Chuck may have stolen his chance to try. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/127 "2015-04-02T00:57:43Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > And FWIW, I’m willing to bet if Howard had gone to the partners and said 'My brother got his law degree, I’d like to bring him out of the mail room" they would have. My Brother passed the BAT, I’d like to being him out of the mail room. The state of New Mexico says that he mat practice law there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/128 "2015-04-02T01:05:31Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > No, obviously Chuck is vastly more knowledgeable than Jimmy about the in and outs of law. But what Jimmy is, is very clever and very glib. He might never be as good at nuts and bolts law, but with coaching and time he probably had the making for a quality trial lawyer. I presume any big firm could probably use those kind of skills, which seem to at least some extent to be dependant on personality and native ability. > > At any rate we don’t know yet, but this may just be the reason Jimmy never got a chance to build a top firm. Because he will bitterly short-circuit that career, taking shortcuts and becoming a criminal-enabling shyster. Maybe Jimmy never had it in him to succeed brilliantly like his brother ( probably not ), but in some sense Chuck may have stolen his chance to try. I agree with this analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/129 "2015-04-02T01:09:40Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > My Brother passed the BAT, I’d like to being him out of the mail room. > The state of New Mexico says that he mat practice law there. > > 🙂 I’ve heard that this is even harder than passing the BAR. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/130 "2015-04-02T01:12:05Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > While it is of course true that “senior partner” isn’t a real title, I have to disagree with your analysis of how this firm seems to work in this program. > > In the info we are actually given in the series, Jimmy just assumes that “the partners have made a decision” really translates into “that douchebag I hate has decided”. > > This is consistent with actual control of the firm being in very few hands. > > If it was widely distributed among a whole bunch of equity partners, the plot would not make any sense - how would Chuck, by making a midnight phone call to that apparently-douchebag fellow, “fix” it so that Jimmy can’t be offered a job - even though it would cost the firm a $20 million case? Wouldn’t the rest of the equity partners not give a shit what Chuck had to say - if it cost them a big case? Like Jimmy says, Chuck does hold the nuclear option. What’s worse, losing a $20 million case or losing your entire firm? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/131 "2015-04-02T01:21:34Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > Like Jimmy says, Chuck does hold the nuclear option. What’s worse, losing a $20 million case or losing your entire firm? I suspect that if Chuck threatened Hamilin with anything, it was the threat to make him buy out his share of the firm, something Hamlin has been resisting all season. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/132 "2015-04-02T01:35:49Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I suspect that if Chuck threatened Hamilin with anything, it was the threat to make him buy out his share of the firm, something Hamlin has been resisting all season. Right, he resisted because it could bankrupt the firm. Remember Chuck kept using the people would lose their jobs excuse for why he wouldn’t sell out. Hamlin and Hamlin can’t survive alone apparently. That’s why Jimmy wanted him to threaten just that. Not to get Chuck from HHM but to make HHM hire him. If Chuck really wanted to work with him that is. If you’re commenting on what was actually said, I was responding to the so far unnamed and possibly non existent additional partners would have voted and how Chuck could have convinced them to sabotage Jimmy. I don’t expect it would have been hard to convince them anyway since he was still planning to and still plans to give them the case anyway. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/133 "2015-04-02T01:36:36Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > I’ve heard that this is even harder than passing the BAR. Indeed, mat practicing law is a bitch! 🙂 Oh hell, the BAT too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/134 "2015-04-02T01:43:23Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > Right, he resisted because it could bankrupt the firm. Remember Chuck kept using the people would lose their jobs excuse for why he wouldn’t sell out. Hamlin and Hamlin can’t survive alone apparently. That’s why Jimmy wanted him to threaten just that. Not to get Chuck from HHM but to make HHM hire him. If Chuck really wanted to work with him that is. When Jimmy suggested that Chuck use the nuclear option to force Howard to hire him, he already knew what was going on (or at least had a pretty good idea). He knew Chuck wasn’t going say ‘hey, that makes sense, I’ll do that’. He was just had to start backing Chuck into a corner to get him to come clean and A)confirm his suspicions and b)explain _why_ he asked HHM not to hire him, twice. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/135 "2015-04-02T01:47:49Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > When Jimmy suggested that Chuck use the nuclear option to force Howard to hire him, he already knew what was going on (or at least had a pretty good idea). He knew Chuck wasn’t going say ‘hey, that makes sense, I’ll do that’. He was just had to start backing Chuck into a corner to get him to come clean and A)confirm his suspicions and b)explain _why_ he asked HHM not to hire him, twice. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/136 "2015-04-02T01:49:01Z")
I would like to see how Saul hid his tracks in fleeing to manage a Cinnabon joint far away. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/137 "2015-04-02T01:49:47Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > When Jimmy suggested that Chuck use the nuclear option to force Howard to hire him, he already knew what was going on (or at least had a pretty good idea). He knew Chuck wasn’t going say ‘hey, that makes sense, I’ll do that’. He was just had to start backing Chuck into a corner to get him to come clean and A)confirm his suspicions and b)explain _why_ he asked HHM not to hire him, twice. I get all this. I’m just saying the nuclear option can be used to make HHM do what he wants either way. On the show, Jimmy asks him to do this exactly like you described. In the reply I was saying he could have used the same option to make the unseen partners not hire Jimmy. The option cuts both ways. Since we never saw the conversation no idea if he actually had to go that far or not to keep them from hiring Jimmy ( probably not ) but clearly if Chuck really wanted, Jimmy could not get hired. He holds the Nuclear Card. There would no longer be an HHM if Chuck doesn’t want there to be. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/138 "2015-04-02T01:59:44Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I would like to see how Saul hid his tracks in fleeing to manage a Cinnabon joint far away. We did, he used the disappearer (Robert Forester). > [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > I get all this. I’m just saying the nuclear option can be used to make HHM do what he wants either way. On the show, Jimmy asks him to do this exactly like you described. In the reply I was saying he could have used the same option to make the unseen partners not hire Jimmy. The option cuts both ways. Since we never saw the conversation no idea if he actually had to go that far or not to keep them from hiring Jimmy ( probably not ) but clearly if Chuck really wanted, Jimmy could not get hired. He holds the Nuclear Card. There would no longer be an HHM if Chuck doesn’t want there to be. I suppose. But I can’t see Chuck going up to the partners and saying “I swear to god, you guys, if you hire him why I’ll…I’ll quit”. They love Chuck and if Chuck asked them not to hire Jimmy I think they’d do that for him. Just like (as I said earlier), if Chuck asked them to hire him, they’d probably do that as well, or at least take his opinion into serious consideration when discussing whether or not to hire this new applicant. I just don’t think Chuck had to threaten to bankrupt the entire firm just to keep them from hiring a mail room clerk that got his degree from The University Of Samoa (Go Landsharks). He could also use the nuclear option to get the better toilet paper in the executive washroom or to get his office vacuumed every night instead of just twice a week. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/139 "2015-04-02T02:05:31Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I just don’t think Chuck had to threaten to bankrupt the entire firm just to keep them from hiring a mail room clerk that got his degree from The University Of Samoa (Go Landsharks). Land Crabs. Passed the BAR, if I can spell it correctly this time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395/140 "2015-04-02T02:08:49Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Land Crabs. > Passed the BAR, if I can spell it correctly this time. 🙂 Ya know, I was thinking about that yesterday. I was wondering why that clever shark from SNL would be the mascot for a college. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-1-09-pimento/716395.md?page=8)