I read an interview of Gilligan in the Breaking Bad days. Based on how the writers work, they probably didn’t have a plan one way or the other.
I don’t think he’s going to last long there at all. The light switch thing was to show that they pretty much are always working there.
I thought it was symbolic of how no one there bothers to ask “Why?” about anything, they just do their jobs. Jimmy is there less than five minutes, and he’s already found something that makes him want to break the rules, just to find out why it’s a rule.
And then, it apparently means nothing at all.
I suspect it’s one of those “We’ve always done it that way” kind of things, where no one knows any more what the original reason for the switch was, and now it’s no longer relevant, but none of the drones have the gumption to ask about it.
That was a good episode, that looks like a start to a great season looking at the previews.
The AV Club recap pointed out how he was playing with his partner’s ring before going in, and theorizes that this is just another long con for Jimmy. Not that he’s necessarily going to be conning anyone, just that he’s now not going to let anything hold him back.
I loved that he had matching bright yellow shoes. I figured the baseball cards were easier to fence, or just whoever broke in found them and thought they were cool baseball cards to keep or to give to their kids.
I agree with Horatius, the light switch and the sign is to show that Jimmy isn’t following the rules. It could be the light switch does nothing, or it could be to something important and unseen, like some computer backup or HVAC system or something that will cause major problems if turned off.
Also that sign is in contrast to the sign at the beginning where he’s about to go through the door but won’t because the sign says the police will come.
He did and he didn’t. He took the job finally, all set for the good life and getting some respect for a change, but he just HAD to flick the little switch on the wall (lead us not into temptation). But of course he wouldn’t be Jimmy if he didn’t.
Pretty good episode, started slowly. Very Breaking Bad subplot going on there.
Of course it would be insane for the firm to have something truly vital hooked up to a switch that basically dares a person to flip it.
If it were important, either it would be unflippable (placed behind a Plexiglass case or such), or there would be some actual information on the label about why it ought not be touched.
Is it possible that the Ed Begley, Jr. character has it hooked up to some kind of indicator in his office, and that he uses it to test his new employees on their rebelliousness/curiosity/failure to be team players?
I think you’re right about the showrunners wanting us to contrast them. Of course “Gene” has good reason to avoid the attention of the police, whereas Jimmy would still be willing to go through that door.
Interesting that by the Cinnabon era of his life, he is identifying as Saul (“SG was here”) instead of as Jimmy.
So…“Switch.” Will all of Season Two’s episodes be words that end with “tch”? Let’s see: Hitch; Witch; Ditch; Twitch…Nah, a look at Wikipedia reveals that episode 2 is “Cobbler” and episode 3 is “Amarillo.” No more rhymes!
It is “very Breaking Bad” isn’t it? A man, educated but not street smart, becomes an amateur dope dealer and gets in over his head ruining a good thing by doing stupid things, getting greedy, and not listening to sound advice from Mike.
Not that this guy will ever by a Heisenberg. Then again, maybe he will. It’ll be interesting to see how far the writers take it in that direction, if at all.
Yes. You guys are correct.
And the title “Switch” could refer to both the wall switch and the switch between the fearless rule-breaking Jimmy McGill and the fearful, hiding in the shadows, Gene.
The stock broker guy they conned… Was he the loud, obnoxious guy from Breaking Bad? The one who got his car blown up by Walt at the gas station?
Yes he was.
Switch was a clever title actually. Jimmy also decided to switch from his I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude to taking Kim’s advice and taking the new job, which was also a switch since the people there seemed to treat with the respect he’s been craving and could never get from Chuck. As far as the wall switch, it’s really the apple of temptation, isn’t it? He could ignore it, but what fun would that be?
I think it was clear that he had ransacked his place himself, for the look of the thing. The cops noticed that despite the mess there was a clear area by the untouched sofa - which is what led them to the empty hidey-hole. Ignacio is probably professional enough to find the cash without tearing the place apart, and wouldn’t mess around with hard-to-monetise baseball cards when he had his money back.
My impression was that the clear area existed because he had moved the sofa out to check to see if something (probably money or drugs) had been stolen. If he deliberately ransacked the place, why would he leave a clear space?
As you say - he pulled out the sofa and saw that his hidey hole was cleared out. (Or maybe it was left pulled out.) Then he called the police (because he still has the instincts of a law-abiding civilian and that’s what you do when bad people invade your home). After they’re on their way, he realises that he can’t tell them what *actually *happened and panics. He ransacks his own room, disappears his baseball card collection and *then * puts the sofa back - leaving the clear space in front of it.
The ransacking clearly happened after the pulling out of the sofa - so it wasn’t Ignacio because why would he do that once he had what he came for?
Good opening for the season. I noted at the end that a preview shot mentioned Tuco, so we’ll see him again.
I didn’t think the home invasion was entirely clear - which is one thing I like about the show. It lets you fill in the blanks.
My guess was that the couch got pulled out, clearing a spot in front of it, after the place was ransacked. Not sure whether it was by the ransacker or the homeowner. For me it was sufficient to know that the guy was being stupid, and something bad was going to happen to him. Didn’t need everything specifically set out.
With the initial not wanting to use the emergency exit, I took that as evidence that he wanted to avoid interaction w/ the police. Figured that would be explained later - or not.
Loved the way Kim joined in with Viktor with a K! 
I didn’t think the wall switch was some plot by Ed Begley. I’ve worked/been in plenty of places where there was a switch with a similar notice. Might go to an alarm, reset the computer, etc. Tho if they were as free with their cash as it seems, I’d think they could get the wiring changed. But I was willing to accept it as showing Saul’s unwillingness to accept unexplained/unreasonable limitations.
Love the way this show is filmed.
It strikes me that they deliberately emphasized how free with their cash that law firm is, even agreeing to a desk made of some expensive tropical wood (coco something?), without thought or question, for a new employee.
I think this is to help illustrate a character flaw in Jimmy/Saul. No matter how ridiculously good a legitimate opportunity is, he’s not happy if he isn’t rebelling against the rules in some way, such as flipping the light switch.
I think in an episode during the first season, Jimmy said he wanted a desk made of Cocobolo. But I can’t remember why he said that. I know he had an expensive suit tailored to copy one worn by his brother’s partner. So was he copying someone else’s use of a Cocobolo desk?
And other sites mentioned that the fictional brand of tequila in this episode is the same one used by Gus Fring to poison the cartel in Mexico in that Breaking Bad episode.