Better Call Saul Episode 1.05 Alpine Shepherd Boy

After watching Chuck brave the outside world to swap her Albuquerque Journal for a five-dollar bill, his curious neighbor apparently reported the foil-covered thief to the local authorities. Two officers drop by Chuck's house to investigate. When he refuses to open the door, one of the officers begins to inspect the premises. Through a window, he sees Chuck's supply of white gas fuel and his mangled breaker box. Thinking Chuck might be a tweaker, the cops break down the front door.

Meanwhile, Jimmy approaches an impressive ranch house to visit a prospective client, Big Ricky Sipes. The wealthy tycoon offers Jimmy $1 million in cash to help him declare his property a sovereign state and secede from the United States. Jimmy's excitement at the windfall quickly dissipates when he looks at his payment and sees Big Ricky's jovial face grinning back at him -- the eccentric mogul has printed his own currency, and Jimmy can't take a single dollar of it to the bank.

Not letting the first appointment's failure get him down, Jimmy visits another prospective client, an inventor named Roland Jaycocks. Roland asks Jimmy to help him patent "Tony the Toilet Buddy," a training toilet that spouts encouraging phrases to kids as they do their business. When Jimmy points out that all of the phrases could be misconstrued as sexual innuendos, an incensed Roland chases Jimmy out of his house. Strike two.

Finally, Jimmy visits Mrs. Strauss, an elderly woman who collects porcelain Hummel figurines. He assists her with estate planning, which mostly consists of allocating various Hummels to different friends and relatives. Mrs. Strauss finds Jimmy's moxie quite charming, and pays his full fee upfront. Finally, his hard work has paid off!

At the nail salon that evening, Jimmy entertains Kim with tales of his eventful day while attempting to give her a pedicure. Now that he has two wills and a living trust under his belt, she suggests that he could have a genuine future in elder law. Jimmy considers, but their conversation is interrupted when Kim takes a worrisome call from Hamlin: Something's up with Chuck.

Soon, Jimmy and Kim catch up to Chuck -- not at the police station, but strapped to a hospital bed, against his will. He's sedated but still in pain, so Jimmy attempts to turn off anything electrical in the room, against Chuck's nurse's wishes. His actions prompt a security guard to come running, closely followed by Chuck's physician, Dr. Cruz. Jimmy informs her of Chuck's allergy to electricity. When Dr. Cruz recommends a psychiatric evaluation, Chuck rouses and insists that his condition is physical, not psychological. Dr. Cruz surreptitiously presses the power button on Chuck's electric bed, turning it on... but Chuck doesn't react! Out of Chuck's earshot, Dr. Cruz argues that Jimmy is enabling his brother, allowing Chuck to endanger himself, and urges him to commit Chuck before he hurts himself or someone else. Jimmy refuses.

Hamlin arrives at the hospital and assures Jimmy that the District Attorney won't sign off on any involuntary commitment papers for Chuck. He's on Jimmy's side: They both agree that Chuck's condition is physical, and that it wouldn't benefit from forced psychiatric intervention. Hamlin's reassurance chafes at Jimmy. Thinking that Hamlin knows committing Chuck would allow Jimmy to become his legal guardian and cash him out of HHM, Jimmy changes his tune. "I'm having Chuck committed," Jimmy declares, storming away from Hamlin.

Kim rushes after Jimmy, and begs him to think things through before committing Chuck. Jimmy responds that he just wanted to see Hamlin sweat -- he's actually taking his brother home where he belongs.

Jimmy and Chuck return from the hospital. As Jimmy helps his fragile brother to the couch, he catches sight of the Journal on the floor -- still open to the article about Jimmy's "heroic" rescue. He shows the paper to Chuck, and points out that Chuck's symptoms always seem to worsen when he thinks Jimmy has been up to no good. Chuck denies this, but Jimmy continues to plead his case: The billboard was just a bit of razzmatazz to get the ball rolling, and now he's ready to embrace the straight-and-narrow, even thinking of specializing in elder law. Chuck remains skeptical, but Jimmy vows sincerely that the stunt was a one-time thing. "We'll see," responds a cynical Chuck.

Alone in his office, Jimmy painstakingly studies an episode of Matlock and carefully makes note of all the details in Andy Griffith's classic white suit. Soon after, a newly-coifed Jimmy waltzes into a retirement home, dressed in a linen ensemble that would have made the lovable TV lawyer proud. He works the room, shaking hands and charming potential clients as they snack on cups of gelatin that have his new slogan printed on the bottom: "Need a Will, Call McGill!"

After another busy day at the courthouse, Jimmy pulls up to Mike's booth. For once, he has all the requisite parking stickers. He tells Mike cheerfully about his new venture into elder law, and offers him a large-print business card -- just in case he knows any elders. As Jimmy drives off, Mike stays in his booth. Night dissolves into morning, and Mike finishes his shift. After eating breakfast alone at Loyola's Diner, he drives to a suburban neighborhood and parks across the street from a modest house. From inside his car, he watches as a woman exits the house, headed to work. As she drives by Mike, she slows, and he makes no effort to conceal himself. The two lock eyes, but neither says a word. The woman drives off, and so does Mike -- in the opposite direction.

At his house, Mike receives an unexpected visit from a pair of detectives. "A long way from home, aren't you?" Mike remarks to them. "You and me both," one of the detectives replies.