[Jimmy is proposing Kim join him as a partner in their own law firm]
KimIf we're gonna be law partners, I need to know one thing: What kind of lawyer are you going to be? I don't mean what kind of law are you gonna practice, I mean... are you gonna play it straight? Or are you going to be... colorful?
I'm going to play it straight, right down the line! I'm gonna dot every 'i', and I'm gonna cross every... [stops and looks at Marco's ring] There's no point in me doing this if I can't be myself. Every time I try to do things someone else's way, it blows up in my face. That's what happened at Davis & Main; look how that turned out. I almost derailed your career, pissed everyone off. I've been trying to be the person someone else wants me to be for... who knows how long. At first it was Chuck, then it was you and that's not your fault. That was my choice, but if we're going to do this? I'm gonna go into it as me. So, yeah... colorful, I guess.
So, how'd it go with Schweikart?
Kim
Uh, it went well... should be getting their offer tomorrow.
That's fantastic. I'm really happy for you.
Kim
Thanks.
You know what? We should celebrate. Whataburger, on me.
Kim
I'm not taking the job.
Kim
You were right. It's time for me to be my own boss: solo practice! [beat] What, you don't think it's a good idea now? Don't tell me you've changed your mind.
No, I- I'm surprised, is all. Hey, I- I said all along, you're too good for those clowns! This is, uh... shit, yeah! Wow, it's great!
Kim
Good. To that end... I have a pitch for you. [places the torn business card on the desk] Not Wexler-McGill, but... [slides the two halves apart] Wexler and McGill. We find an office, share the housekeeping costs: the rent, electricity, everything. But I am Kim Wexler, attorney-at-law, and you are Jimmy McGill, attorney-at-law: both free to practice as we see fit.
Separate firms under one roof?
Kim
We're both headed uptown, so why can't we share a taxi? You do things your way, and I do them mine. We'll have freedom, but... we aren't trying to go it alone. Not partners, solo practitioners together. What do you think?
I don't know what to say...
Kim
Say yes.
[Kim meets with Howard to resign from HHM]
Kim
Again, thanks for taking the time-
You can just go ahead and rip off the Band-Aid. I have a pretty good idea why you're here.
[Kim nods and hands Howard her resignation letter. Howard glances at it before putting it down]
So, you're going with Schweikart & Cokely?
Kim
I'm sorry?
I heard through the grapevine.
Kim
I'm not going to another firm. I'm starting my own. I figured I'd try giving it a go as a solo practitioner.
[relaxes] Well, I, uh... wow!
Kim
I realized it was something I needed to do.
The week Jimmy exits Davis & Main, you decide to leave us? That can't just be happenstance.
Kim
...It's not. We're gonna be sharing expenses; one office, but two separate practices.
Smart. On several counts.
Kim
Howard... I want you to know that I appreciate my time here. I'm grateful for everything you and the firm have done for me, especially the financial help with my schooling, and I'm ready to write a check for the remainder of the loan. I just need accounting to get me that figure.
No need. Our gift to you.
Kim
...I don't know what to say. Um, thank you.
You earned it. Tell you the truth, I'm kind of envious.
Kim
Really? Why?
Something about a fresh start. Back in the day, right out of law school, I thought long and hard about hanging up my own shingle.
Kim
Oh, yeah?
Yeah. Oh, I was ready to take on the world, make a difference. [pause; smiles] Dad talked me out of it - wanted me to join the ranks here, throw another H in the firm's logo. [pause with smile frozen on his face] Things work out the way they're supposed to, I guess.
[Howard gets up to let Kim out of his office. Kim follows suit]
Kim, I want you to know that I always pushed you harder because I knew that I could expect more from you. Good luck to you.
Kim
[pause; shakes Howard's hand] Thank you.
[Kim steps out of Howard's office and hears Howard's voice through the door]
Get me Kevin Wachtell at Mesa Verde, cancel everything I have lined up this morning.
[Kim takes off sprinting for her cell phone]
Kim
Hi, Paige! It's Kim. Yeah, hi, just checking to see that we're still on for lunch on Monday. Great, and Kevin too? Good. Well, before we meet, there's some news you need to know about.
[Jimmy and Kim are lying in bed]
You wanna talk about this?
Kim
Not now, not ever.
I'm just going to say: You are meant for Mesa Verde, and they are meant for you. So, all is right with the world. [beat] Good night.
Kim
Good night. [beat] Your brother is one smart lawyer.
The smartest one I know. I mean, no offense.
Kim
He'd make quite an adversary.
Kim
The kind of adversary who'd find even the smallest crack in your defense. Going against him... you'd really want to make sure you've got all your "i"'s dotted and your "t"'s crossed. Nothing for him to find.
[Jimmy's eyes widen and he gets out of bed]
Kim
So, how's Chuck?
Crisis averted, I guess. I mean, he's back to being the same old Chuck, so...
Kim
Wanna talk about it?
Depends. It may or may not involve that thing you said you never, ever wanted to discuss.
Kim
Okay, then thanks. I gotta get back to it.
How about we call it a day? I'll buy you some dinner.
Kim
You're kidding, right? You realize how far behind I am; not to mention, now I've got eight entire wills to finish up.
What are you talking about? I'll do the wills.
Kim
No, you won't—
'Course I will... do the wills. They're my clients.
Kim
They're my clients. You and I aren't partners, remember? Once I take these people on, I can't just reassign them to you.
Aw, come on. Why are you getting all, like, legal on me, huh? Who cares?
Kim
Look, I told every single one the situation: that they'd be getting me instead of you. I tried to talk 'em all into coming back another day, six of them left. Maybe you'll get those back. Look, if this is about the money-
It's not about the money. You can keep the money.
Kim
Don't act like I wanted this! Jesus, like I need more on my plate? [Jimmy looks melancholy] Are you mad?
I'm not mad. I'm just, uh... thinking about things. For ten minutes today, Chuck didn't hate me. I forgot what that felt like.
[Kim and Jimmy interview their first potential secretary: Francesca]
Well, I for one, am not calling it the MVD. DMV all the way.
Kim
What do you think you learned the most, working there?
Patience. Diplomacy. You meet all sorts of people down there, and most are really great, really friendly, but you encounter some who are upset, belligerent—
What about old folks? You get your fair share of them?
Oh, lots of elderly drivers. After 75, they need to take their test again, so if they don't pass you have to explain why their license isn't being renewed, which is hard for them.
What do you say then? Do you ever... yell at them? I mean, geezers, right? How can you not?
...No. I would never, no.
...Nor should you, that was a trick question. You passed with flying colors, very good.
Kim
So, Jimmy and I have very different needs. His practice is mostly wills for senior citizens while I'm focused on a single client at the moment, Mesa Verde, with banking regulations that generate a ton of paperwork. So, I'm looking for someone with an eye for organization and detail.
Well, DMV's great for that. Tons of detail in those driver's licenses.
We did see hundreds of people every day, and you'd never want to let a mistake slip through on those forms. You'd just have a horrible cascade of problems.
Kim
So, why the law? I mean, why leave the DMV- er, MVD? I have to imagine you'll be giving up a good benefits package.
Good healthcare and retirement plans, but there's a bureaucracy to government work that ultimately became too frustrating. I guess- what'd you'd call it, too much red tape? I just wanna be somewhere I can make a difference.
Oh, that's us. We're all about making a difference.
Kim
And I see here both Word and Excel, you're comfortable with?
Excel and Word? Wow. Well, you had me at "old people!" Hey, here's a question: can you start today?
Kim
Now–Can you just give us a second, Francesca?
Absolutely, I, uh... Of course.
Kim
Thank you. [pause; to Jimmy after Francesca leaves] What are you doing?
Kim
"Can you start today?" Don't you think we should see more resumes? Like, a lot more? She is our first interview! We haven't even checked her references!
So we'll check 'em! Kim, you've been taking forever searching for a paralegal. Now, we need help here.
Kim
Haven't found the right fit.
Yeah, because you're searching for perfection, and perfection is the enemy of perfectly adequate.
Kim
So that's the bar here? Adequate?
She's more than adequate! She worked at the DMV, that's like the fifth circle of Hell! Look, she's overqualified; if it doesn't work out, we can fire her. It's no big deal.
Kim
Don't you think someone with actual legal experience would be better?
Look, I've got a commercial airing in eleven minutes, so the phones are gonna be ringing off the hook and I need help. Can we give her a test run, please? I got a good feeling about this! Come on, Kim!
[Kim learns about Chuck's tape from Ernesto, and goes to tell Jimmy]
Kim
Give me a dollar.
Kim
Hand me a dollar! Come on!
Okay... All I got's a twenty-
Kim
Fine, whatever. [holds up the dollar] Alright. I'm your lawyer now. If anyone asks me what I know, we have confidentiality.
Why do we need confidentiality?
Kim
Jimmy, what did you say to Chuck?
Oh, here it comes... Howard, right? Did Howard call? [Kim looks away] Relax! No, let me explain, please! Please. Kim, let me set the stage for you, okay? When I went to Chuck's place last week, it was like the inside of a Jiffy Pop wrapper, alright? There was Mylar on the walls. There was Mylar on the ceiling, the ceiling! He thought his brain wasn't working because of the Mesa Verde event and so... I kind of told him that he was right about everything. I had to! He- he- Kim, he was broken. He was a broken man, I couldn't leave him in crazy town like that! So I told him; you know, just to make him feel better. It doesn't matter what he says, it doesn't matter who he tells, because it's my word against his.
Kim
Jimmy, there's a tape.
Kim
There is a tape recording of you talking to Chuck.
What do you mean? Who? He–He taped me? How?
Kim
I don't know how, he just did! Okay? Ernie told me.
Kim
He said Chuck has a tape recorder, wrapped in a space blanket in his desk drawer. Ernie was putting new batteries in it for Chuck, and the tape rolled for a few seconds and he heard you... your voice saying something about switching 1261 to 1216. So clearly, it was this confession of yours.
Kim
[beat] Yes, Jimmy... but I'm not sure what he can do with it... legally, anyway. I'm gonna have to do some research. He made that tape for a reason, and now we have to figure out why. [notices Jimmy seething] Jimmy?
I gotta get back to it. The lobby's full of clients.
Kim
We'll figure this out.
I fucked up. Chuck bamboozled me, again. That tape? He made sure that Ernie heard it, right? 'Cause he knew Ernie, bless him, would tell me about it and I would come over, try to destroy it or steal it or whatever. Howard was there, and a P.I. if you can believe that. Just waiting for me to lose my shit and bust in. Chuck played me like a fiddle, and schmuck that I am, I fell for it! [quietly] Moron. I'm sorry. I didn't call you, which is stupid, and I'm sorry about that, too. But I didn't call you for a reason, okay? 'Cause this is my screw-up. I own it, okay? It's my responsibility to fix it. I know you wanna help, of course you do, 'cause you're wonderful! But you're up to your ears in Mesa Verde, and I can't—I won't—load this onto you too. We have worked too hard to let Chuck's bullshit vendetta threaten everything that we're building! I won't allow him to endanger our business! No! I will fix this! Myself, me, Jimmy McGill, okay? You have gotta let me do this on my own!
Kim
[beat] Okay.
I got a deal offer from the ADA today.
Kim
And?
It's not what I expected.
Kim
Bad "not what you expected"?
It's just that—it's different. She's offering me pre-prosecution diversion.
Kim
Seriously? A PPD? That's great, Jimmy!
Best I could hope for, right?
Kim
Right. What does she want you to confess to?
All of it. The felony B and E, misdemeanor petty assault and property damage—I never touched him, but they got assault in there.
Kim
Well, could be worse. As long as they never activate it, it doesn't matter, right? You gonna be able to keep your nose clean for a whole year? Keep Viktor with a K on lockdown?
It's not a problem, Giselle. And if I don't, it's instant jail, right?
Kim
Lucky break. She must not want the hassle of a trial.
Kim
Jimmy. This is good news, and Chuck is gonna be pissed. It's a big check in the pro column.
Actually, the PPD was Chuck's idea.
Kim
...Shit.
Kim
What's his game?
One condition of the PPD is, my written confession is immediately submitted to the New Mexico Bar Association.
Kim
Your written felony confession.
Mmhmm. I thought he wanted me in jail; he just wants my law license. [sighs]
Kim
What are you gonna do?
Well, I knew the bar was going to be an issue, right? So, I figured I'd plea the charges down to a couple misdemeanors, get a censure and maybe a little suspension, but... a confession to a felony?
Kim
Grounds for disbarment.
Yeah, and if I take it to trial and I lose, I face the bar anyways–and jail time, most likely. He's got me boxed in.
Kim
You can fight this. The disciplinary board listens to extenuating circumstances...
No, Chuck knows everybody at the bar. Hell, he made half of their careers; it's gonna be him and his cronies versus me. Alone.
Kim
...Not alone.
Kim
Come on, Jimmy. You need me. You can't argue this yourself. You and I both know that, and I'm not gonna let you fight this on your own.
Kim
Yeah.
'Cause I don't... Why would you... Come on. [points to himself] This guy? Seriously?
[After a moment, Kim takes his hand.]
Kim
Let's just call it the fallacy of sunk costs. So what now?
Now? Now we take that PPD and we shove it right up Chuck's ass.
[After the PPD meeting, Jimmy leaves while Kim stays behind to confront Chuck and Howard]
Kim
I’m putting you both on notice regarding the bar hearing. First thing, I’m filing a motion to suppress that tape.
The tape that Jimmy destroyed, you mean.
Kim
How about we stop with the games. There’s no way there isn’t a duplicate.
Kim
Of course there is. You knew Jimmy was gonna break in–you wanted him to. There’s no way you were gonna let him destroy the only copy of that tape, so you made a duplicate. It’s the first thing you did.
Kim, this is not how we do discovery.
Actually, Jimmy destroyed the duplicate. [Howard is about to say something] Oh, it’s fine, Howard. [to Kim] The original is under lock and key, and in due time it will be put into evidence for your review. So, of course, file whatever motions you’d like. It’s your privilege.
Kim
I will. Count on it.
But Kim, you should be aware–because I think this will be your first disciplinary hearing–the Bar Association standard of proof is far more lenient than what you’re used to. Motions aside, that tape will be played.
Chuck. [takes Chuck by the arm] See you, Kim.
[Chuck and Howard leave. Kim meets Jimmy by the elevators.]
Well? [walks in step with Kim] What?
Kim
[pause; smiles] Bingo.
Kim
What are we gonna do about Francesca?
[clears throat] Do about her? What?
Kim
Yeah, how much notice should we give her? Two weeks? [Jimmy turns to look at her] Well, we’re not doing her any favors by keeping her in the dark. She should start looking.
So, you wanna fire Francesca?
Kim
[shrugs] I don’t want to, but I don’t need her for more than filing and getting coffee, and I can do that myself.
We just hired her. I like her.
Kim
While we’re on the subject, we need to talk about the overhead on this place.
Kim
This office is set up for two legal practices, and now there’s only… one! I don’t need all this space; I only have one client!
Kim
I looked into it, and… breaking the lease will cost a hell of a lot less than ten months’ rent.
Look, we didn’t go through all of this just to give up everything after one day of suspension. One day!
Kim
It’s not everything. It’s an office. Four walls and a door. Why waste money on something we don’t need?
[pause] As far as I’m concerned, nothing’s changed, alright? I’ll hold up my end, you hold up yours. Fifty-fifty.
Kim
So you’re gonna keep paying for half a law office even though you’re not practicing law?
Call it aspirational thinking.
Kim
Okay, but how are you gonna pay for it?
[inhales deeply] The day I don’t show up with my half, that’s the day we’ll talk about closing this place.
Kim
…That’s fair, I guess.
[Jimmy plays a videotape of his first commercial using the Saul Goodman moniker]
JIJimmy [in ad]
What's that I see? Albuquerque's next TV star? It's you, small business owner! Struggling to make it in today's fast-paced economy? Thought television advertising was too expensive for you? Well you better think again! You can't afford not to be on TV! Look at you, you're a triple threat: great services, great products, and most of all, that face! You're a star! Wrap it all up in your natural charisma, and bam—you belong on TV! Better watch out for autograph hounds and paparazzi! And it gets better! I can have you on the air tomorrow! Yeah, you heard me right! Tomorrow! Better get ready to be famous, Albuquerque! I can make you a TV star for a price you can afford! Call me, Saul Goodman! The world needs to know about you and your business! Call me now!
[Jimmy and Kim finish watching the video of the "Saul Goodman Productions" commercial. Kim is taken aback.]
The guy at the station said he's never seen so many star wipes in a row. It's never been done.
Kim
"Saul Goodman."
Yeah. It's like, "S'all good, man."
Kim
That guy has a lot of energy.
Kim
[beat] ...Huh.
[Kim and Jimmy, drinking at a bar, spot a mark for Viktor and Giselle]
Kim
We are here to meet a celebrity who's donating to my charity.
Kevin Costner. I will go stand in that corner, you point me out—You're meeting Kevin Costner.
Kim
What? You don't look like Kevin Costner.
Uh, I look exactly like Kevin Costner. People are always coming up to me, saying they loved me in Bull Durham.
Kim
No, not once.
[Jimmy suddenly notices a blowhard abusing a waiter]
That guy. How de we get him?
Kim
What do you think? The—the trick with the coin you told me about, or the counterfeit bill?
No. That guy's a real asshole. He needs to go down hard. Here's what we're gonna do: We're gonna sell him a worthless credit card for $5000. Here's what you do: Make eye contact with him. It's all it'll take for him to think you're interested. I'll act good and drunk, and he'll... think I'm a loser and try to steal you away. He will persist. Tell him you can't leave me, not yet. Let him know you're trying to roll me. He'll want in. He'll help you ply me with booze. Now, you take my wallet, you lift the card... following this?
Kim
...We're not actually doing this, right? We're just talking.
...Yeah. Just talking. [beat] What?
Kim
It's... nothing.
Kim
I keep thinking... was there another way?
"Another way"? Chuck? Is that what you're talking about? Kim, he had us in a corner, okay? We did what we had to do.
Kim
But Rebecca—
Everything that happened was his own fault. Everything. You put him in the rearview mirror. He is not worth thinking about. Done.
[Kim gives Howard a check during his luncheon. He confronts her at the valet]
Kim
I think it's pretty self-explanatory. [beat] Look, Howard, you were very generous when I left HHM, but it never sat right with me that you covered my law school loans.
Seemed to sit right at the time!
Kim
I appreciate the gift, but now that I'm able to afford it, I wanna pay you back.
Well, you "appreciate the gift."
Kim
Yes, I do.
You know what I'm doing in there? Take a guess. I'm doing damage control, and I'm doing it three meals a day for the past two weeks with every one of our clients! I am busting my ass, trying to repair the reputation of the firm after you and Jimmy dragged it through the mud!
Kim
I did everything in my power to defend my client.
Oh, is that what you're calling it?
Kim
That's the job, Howard. And by the way, it was all very convenient for you to ignore Chuck's illness when it suited you.
So I take you out of the mailroom, put you through law school, mentor you, and then when you leave and stab me in the back, that's my fault? I'm not cashing this.
[Howard tears up the check. Kim starts getting into her car]
Kim! Your debt is forgiven, but anything else? That's on you.
Kim
All Jimmy and I did was show the situation for what it is, and if you are hiding that from your clients? Well, Howard, that's on you.
Better Call Saul · 283 quotes
