Better Call Saul - Chicanery - Review

Every season, the Producers pick their best episode to promote a For Your Consideration episode for an Emmy Nomination, Chicanery was that episode. Chicanery was  unlike any other Better Call Saul episode. The cast of course was amazing, not to mention an amazing guest cast. We saw the return of Chuck's ex-wife Rebecca and a Breaking Bad treat, Huell.

The teaser was a flashback to where Chuck and Rebecca had recently divorce. She was in town on tour with her orchestra, so Chuck decided to have Rebecca over for dinner. Chuck was to proud to let Rebecca know he was sick, so Jimmy the good brother that he was, helped Chuck fixed the house to make it look "normal." What about the lights, you ask. Well, Chuck made up a great story on why the whole house was lit by candles. The power company mistakenly switched his address number with his neighbour's address, a little throw back to Mesa Vedre. The dinner was going great until Rebecca's cell phone rang. It was her boss, she had to answer the call. Rebecca left the room when she answered the phone,  Chuck was able to tolerate the pain until she came back into the dining room. Then the pain became unbearable for him, Chuck left the room and went into the kitchen where Rebecca followed him. Then Chuck snapped, he knocked the phone right out of Rebecca's hands and threw it on the floor. She was very upset, as anyone would be. Jimmy encouraged Chuck to tell Rebecca the truth but Chuck refused, instead he told her that she was being rude for taking a call while having dinner at someones house. Rebecca apologized for being rude and left.

Jimmy made a visit to Mike's vet, AKA his connection to the underworld. Jimmy took a goldfish with him so it wouldn't look to suspicious, like he was there for another reason. As if a goldfish needs to see a vet. Jimmy needed someone that had a "light touch", a real professional. The vet said he had the right guy for Jimmy as long as he didn't have to fit him in a tight space.

Kim decided to tell Kevin and Page about Chuck's allegations against his brother Jimmy; to whom she shares an office space. Kim continued to say that Chuck had been accusing his brother of switching the address numbers on some of the Mesa Verde documents. Kevin and Page were both shocked that someone would come up with such an elaborate plan,  just to place blame on someone else. Now that Kevin knows the truth, he decided to stay with Kim.

The day before the hearing Chuck and Howard did a walk through at the courthouse with the Prosecutor. He showed Chuck how they'll be able to accommodate Chuck while he's testifying -- Chuck agrees that it's to his satisfaction. Howard had some concerns, he asks Chuck how he felt, and said it's already a solid case; they really don't need Chuck's testimony. Chuck insisted, he tells Howard that he is the only one that can truly explain what happened that day, no one else. The truth is, Howard doesn't want to damage the Law firm's good reputation. Chuck see it differently, he truly believes that Jimmy must pay for what he has done.

Opening arguments have begun and the Prosecutor's statement proclaims that Jimmy knew what he did was illegal and yet he did it, there for Jimmy deserves to be disbarred. However Kim's statement was very different. She states that this case was more about two brothers and how their relationship has stained over the years.

Bang! Bang! BANG! Howard bringing his testimony describing what happened that day.  He made Jimmy sound like he was unhinged -- not thinking clearly, which he wasn't. Howard mentioned that he was afraid that Jimmy would strike Chuck, which was when he made his presents known. Kim stood up, looked Howard right in his eyes, you could feel the tension. Kim asked Howard about Jimmy's history with the firm. Howard mentioned Jimmy was able to put himself through Law school while working full time in the firm's mail room. Yet when Jimmy got his Law degree Howard and Chuck refused to hire him. Why? Howard said, the partners and I wanted to avoid nepotism. Even though Howard was hired by his father, right out of Law school.

It was time for Chuck to enter the courthouse, and that's where Huell's skills came into play. While Chuck and Howard walked up the courthouse stairway, Huell walked down facing Chuck, holding a newspaper in his hands. Huell walked right into Chuck. Chuck not realizing that Huell placed a cell phone battery in Chuck's inside pocket. Chuck took the stand, he explained why he recorded Jimmy's confession. He said that he knew that Jimmy switched the numbers but had no physical proof of the act.  Chuck knew the only way that he could get Jimmy to admit to his actions, was to put on a performance. It worked, Jimmy played right into Chuck's hands.

Last week we knew that Kim and Jimmy had a plan for Chuck, but we weren't quite sure what it was. Up to this point Jimmy paid a visit to Mike's vet, Huell made his bump into Chuck on the stairway, why we weren't sure yet. When it was time for Kim to cross-examine Chuck she asked for a moment to brief, then Rebecca walked into the room, and Jimmy got up to greet his former sister in-law. Clearly Rebecca was part of Jimmy's plan, but how?

When they returned to order and Chuck took the stand, Kim turned cross examination over to Jimmy. Jimmy simply asked Chuck how did he recorded him without Jimmy's knowledge. Chuck told Jimmy the recording device was under a space blanket, out of sight, so Jimmy wouldn't be able to see see it. Jimmy was impressed that Chuck planned that whole thing just to set him up. The house look like the inside of a "disco ball" and that performance my god, Chuck deserves an Oscar in my book! Moving on, Jimmy mentioned that Chuck's symptoms started shortly after Chuck and Rebecca divorced. Chuck said the divorce had nothing to do with his disease, he and his ex-wife are still on very good terms. Jimmy asked about what happened the last time they saw each other.  Chuck replied by saying that  he kept his disease from Rebecca. Chuck was suffering from it for sometime and he didn't want Rebecca to know, Chuck didn't want her to think less of him. That's just what Jimmy wanted to hear, he goes on by asking Chuck if he  had cancer or another disease would he had told Rebecca.

Jimmy was asked to move on, he asked Chuck what does it feel like? Chuck mentioned it's a physical pain all over his body. Jimmy asked Chuck does he feel any pain right now, from anywhere around the room. Chuck said no, not with the accommodation the court has provided. The way Jimmy was acting Chuck knew Jimmy was up to something and said " Jimmy do you have something in your pocket?" Sure enough Jimmy had his cell phone in his pocket, but with no battery. The chairmen were upset with Jimmy and told him to wrap it up. Jimmy asked Chuck to reach into his breast pocket, there it was Jimmy's fully charged cell phone battery. Chuck was shocked, everyone was shocked, expect for Jimmy and Kim of course. Then it happened, the Prosecutor said "Chucks mental health is not on trial here, if he was Schizophrenic.. "Chuck broke, the whole court saw what Jimmy has been feeling for a while now; Chuck hates Jimmy and now everyone knows the truth.