# Better Call Saul 2.08 "Fifi" 4/4/16 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208 "2016-04-04T23:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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 6, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/61 "2016-04-06T15:49:21Z")
I was trying to find a picture of the reception area from Saul’s office in Breaking Bad, but the big ‘clue’ is that in BB his office was in that strip mall, it was a standalone building. [![](http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/breakingbad/images/0/07/SaulOffice.png/revision/latest?cb=20130804211215) ](http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/breakingbad/images/0/07/SaulOffice.png/revision/latest?cb=20130804211215) ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/62 "2016-04-06T15:49:42Z")
My takeaway was that the document tampering was designed to make HMM (and Chuck in particular) look incompetent and careless. It’s just a big headache that will need to be sorted out eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/63 "2016-04-06T16:46:16Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > The brothers have always been presented as opposites - lax, fast-talking, empathetic Jimmy and meticulous, painfully honest, socially awkward Chuck. I haven’t read chuck as really socially awkward, more that he’s pretty humorless and stodgy. I’m not surprised that he can do a pitch as a lawyer well, and don’t think he really got it from Jimmy - I doubt he would have been able to talk the prosecutor down in the Chicago case if he couldn’t do that kind of pitch. I also wonder if Jimmy’s sabotage isn’t aimed so much at making HHM look bad to MV as it is at making Chuck look bad to HHM. He was already getting really weird looks when he showed up at the office, if people start to think he’s losing his legal ability that could be rough for him. ---
**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 6, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/64 "2016-04-06T16:57:03Z")
I really don’t see a simple digit flip error as something that’s going make anyone think Chuck is losing it or that he can’t do law anymore. That’s kind of ridiculous. And it’s pretty unlikely he even put together all those documents by himself, like especially the land survey stuff. I also don’t think Jimmy would pull this purely to fuck up his brother out of revenge- he must be angling to lose them the client. ---
**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 6, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/65 "2016-04-06T17:02:51Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > He was already getting really weird looks when he showed up at the office, if people start to think he’s losing his legal ability that could be rough for him. That’s the second time someone mentioned the weird looks he got at HHM. I thought the ‘weird looks’ were just because he was walking around ‘normally’. The light were on, no one turned in their phone, he didn’t have his space suit on. I’m guessing a lot of people didn’t even realize he was there. They don’t think twice about all the bizarre stuff they have to do when he normally shows up and all of a sudden he walks past them in the hallway like (to them) everything is back to normal. I thought that’s why he was getting ‘weird looks’. He was just catching them off guard. Like that first time you take your kid to school and she’s dressed normally after 3 months of not leaving the house without a tutu on. You almost don’t want to say something and risk reminding her that she forgot to put it on…or is she finally past that phase? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/66 "2016-04-06T17:07:48Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > It did seem that Jimmy had a bit of remorse when Chuck said thanks to Jimmy and he would do the same if the roles were reversed. Though Jimmy really crossed the line with that stunt, that’s not a little bit over the line, that’s way over the line and probably past a few other lines too. I wasn’t that upset with what Jimmy did to Chuck, as Chuck has not been nice to Jimmy (nor Kim Wexler) all this time. ---
**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 6, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/67 "2016-04-06T17:21:15Z")
I agree on the “weird looks” thing, Joey P. They were shocked he was acting so normal, they have all accepted his crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/68 "2016-04-06T17:39:07Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > It would be even better if, perhaps as a result of Jimmy’s actions, she went to work as a Federal prosecutor when her attempt at a private practice failed. Probably far too clichéd, but what if Kim’s legal career goes up in flames and she winds up going back home to end up a manager of a Cinnabon. In Omaha. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/69 "2016-04-06T18:23:36Z")
> [@Pedro](#): > > My takeaway was that the document tampering was designed to make HMM (and Chuck in particular) look incompetent and careless. It’s HHM\*. Who looks incompetent and careless _now_? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/70 "2016-04-06T18:44:46Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > It’s HHM\*. Who looks incompetent and careless _now_? 😛 Indeed. Consider me properly shamed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/71 "2016-04-06T18:53:42Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > It did seem that Jimmy had a bit of remorse when Chuck said thanks to Jimmy and he would do the same if the roles were reversed. Though Jimmy really crossed the line with that stunt, that’s not a little bit over the line, that’s way over the line and probably past a few other lines too. I don’t agree that Jimmy’s stunt was over the line, given what Chuck has done to Jimmy and to Kim over the course of the show. It’s actually a little amazing that Jimmy still cares about Chuck at all, given how he’s been treated. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/72 "2016-04-06T18:54:06Z")
> [@Pedro](#): > > Indeed. Consider me properly shamed. 🙂 You’ll be out in the street soon. That better not happen again. (and please flush after going number 2) ---
**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:** [April 6, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/73 "2016-04-06T19:04:09Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I haven’t read chuck as really socially awkward, more that he’s pretty humorless and stodgy. I’m not surprised that he can do a pitch as a lawyer well, and don’t think he really got it from Jimmy - I doubt he would have been able to talk the prosecutor down in the Chicago case if he couldn’t do that kind of pitch. I agree, Chuck isn’t necessarily awkward, just stodgy and expects rules to be followed, both ethical and social rules. Put him in the right circumstances like the meeting with Mesa Verde and he shines. I’m sure before he got “sick” that he could meet with clients at the office or on the golf course or at the steak house or wherever, and the clients wouldn’t think he was the most charming guy in the world, but they’d like him and think he was a good guy. Or when he walked into a party, he’d not be the immediate center of the party, but everyone wouldn’t necessarily be running away trying to avoid him either. Compared to Jimmy who might walk into a party and quickly become the life of it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/74 "2016-04-06T19:05:14Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > There is la wide range of what is even legal and/or legally binding wrt non compete clauses. In many jurisdictions a non compete clause as part of a medical practice would be basically illegal and I imagine it would be similar for lawyers. Such a clause would basically be forcing people to give up their doctor or lawyer. But I think some jurisdictions have ruled that non competes are just generally unenforceable for any business. They are common in engineering with respect to intellectual property so if you go to a competitor, you better be working on something totally different. There must be something similar in law which is why Kim couldn’t work on Sandpiper if she had gone to the rival firm. This might be covered by the Ethics Board of the State Bar though. Like you said, there shouldn’t be a reason why she shouldn’t be able to poach clients in general. Which it was totally reasonable for Chuck to try to keep the client with his pitch. Even his approach wasn’t a dick move. He pointed out, correctly, that the bigger, more experienced firm better suited their needs. It would have been a dick move only if he had said horrible things about Kim’s competence or something of that nature. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/75 "2016-04-06T19:06:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It’s actually a little amazing that Jimmy still cares about Chuck at all, given how he’s been treated. How is that amazing? It’s his brother. Most people don’t completely abandon their family members that easily. ---
**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 6, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/76 "2016-04-06T19:22:01Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > It’s HHM\*. Who looks incompetent and careless _now_? 😛 The people in this thread who keep calling the client Mesa Grande? That would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/77 "2016-04-06T19:31:19Z")
I wonder how much of Chucks illness is a result of guilt about his treatment of Jimmy/Kim. I get the feeling that his illness ties into his feeling for his brother. ---
**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 6, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/78 "2016-04-06T20:41:47Z")
I’ve listened to the beginning of the podcast and, as expected, they talked about the opening shot. First of all, it was a mockup of a border crossing, as seen [here](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfTwQLcUIAAKauJ.jpg:large). Everything else you saw (at least WRT the building) is digital. They even mentioned that they added a top to the building on the set just to cast a shadow on the trucks, the top we saw was a SFX. As for what I thought was a ‘drone shot’. It was a guy holding a stedicam, stepping on and off a crane. The crane is a Chapman Titan crane which is special for two reasons. First, it’s a [crane mounted on a truck](http://www.chapman-leonard.com/sites/default/files/styles/product_page_large_image/public/TITAN%20REACH_0.jpg?itok=bobfC80T) so it can drive around. Second, apparently, the boom moves up and down by pumping liquid mercury around to act as a counter balance. I’m not sure of the advantage of that over the normal ways of lifting and lowering a boom or crane, but it seems that they are using mercury instead of just stacking weights on it because it gives them more precision. They mentioned they had to be careful when the camera guy got off to make sure someone else stepped on so the now ‘light’ end didn’t catapult up into the air. Also, they said it was actually two shots very carefully spliced together. I’m not sure if it’s at the spot where I noticed the cut or if that was the end and it was somewhere else in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/79 "2016-04-06T21:11:11Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > … First of all, it was a mockup of a border crossing, as seen [here](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfTwQLcUIAAKauJ.jpg:large) … One of the first things I noticed it that the truck inspection station didn’t make any sense logistically. Firstly, the inspection shed wasn’t deep enough to fit a full size semi. Secondly, trucks would have to turn around and back into the inspection shed causing a huge bottleneck. All of the inspection sheds I’ve ever seen were situated so that vehicles could pull straight in and then drive straight out the other side. ---
**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 7, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208/80 "2016-04-07T00:14:38Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > One of the first things I noticed it that the truck inspection station didn’t make any sense logistically. Firstly, the inspection shed wasn’t deep enough to fit a full size semi. Secondly, trucks would have to turn around and back into the inspection shed causing a huge bottleneck. All of the inspection sheds I’ve ever seen were situated so that vehicles could pull straight in and then drive straight out the other side. That makes sense. On the podcast they said they modeled it very close to a border crossing in New Mexico but did take a few liberties. Maybe that was one of them. I watched it [again](http://www.amc.com/shows/better-call-saul/video-extras/season-02/episode-08/making-of-episode-208-better-call-saul-fifi). It’s New Mexico/Santa Teresa Border Station. I wasn’t successful at finding any pictures of it online, maybe someone else will be. More trivia. They built it on the airfield where Fifi was. They had to edit out the control tower and some of the other airport stuff. They said you could walk from one location to the other. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-2-08-fifi-4-4-16/751208.md?page=5)