[Gus and Juan Bolsa meet with Nacho and Arturo at a Los Pollos Hermanos warehouse after Hector's stroke. The dialogue is in Spanish.]
[to Arturo] You I know. [to Nacho] You I don't.
Don Hector had a stroke. We don't know when he will be back. But listen to me: Salamanca territory stays Salamanca territory. Nothing changes. Collections continue as before. The count must be exact. Anyone crosses a line, you stop them. You have a delivery tomorrow night. You pick up, you package, you distribute. All as you've done before. Do you understand? [Nacho and Arturo both nod] You do this right, things could go very well for you. Go.
[Nacho and Arturo both leave the room]
The old bastard, he's always been trouble. But he keeps his house in order. Gustavo. What do you think?
Someone will move against the Salamancas. Which brings... war. Which brings... chaos. Which brings... the DEA.
[Mike is visiting a Madrigal break room when two employees enter, having a debate]
MEMadrigal Employee #1
Bruce had the speed. He could kick you before you saw him move.
MEMadrigal Employee #2
Yeah, but watch the Liston fight.
MEMadrigal Employee #1
We're talking about what, boxing? Because that's something else.
MEMadrigal Employee #2
No, we're talking about a street fight.
MEMadrigal Employee #1
Street fight? Great, so Bruce can kick!
MEMadrigal Employee #2
No, we're not talking about a movie fight. We're talking about weight, we're talking about reach.
MEMadrigal Employee #1
Boxing is a sport. Martial arts is life and death.
MEMadrigal Employee #2
Look, I don't care how fast you are, Muhammad Ali hits you, you going down. That's a fact.
MEMadrigal Employee #1
If he hits you. Bruce Lee – he knows the anatomy, he's got the moves, he's gonna find an opening.
MEMadrigal Employee #2
Without power, the–the opening doesn't mean squat. How much does he weigh?
MEMadrigal Employee #1
I dunno, maybe a buck thirty.
MEMadrigal Employee #2
Ali was the heavyweight champ. He's got at least a hundred pound on Lee.
MEMadrigal Employee #1
Bruce feints Ali's hit, but he goes low when he sweeps into the deck. Ali goes down hard, it's all over!
MEMadrigal Employee #2
[scoffs]
MEMadrigal Employee #1
I'm sorry?
Does Bruce Lee have a gun? Because if he doesn't, it's Ali in three minutes or less.
MEMadrigal Employee #2
See? That's what I'm saying.
I waltz through security with someone else's ID. Nobody gives me a second look. When the rightful owner shows up, there's no facility-wide badge check. I find access doors left unlocked or propped open, passwords written on Post-it notes. Warehouse workers are using pen and paper instead of electronic inventory devices, which leaves you wide open to pilfering. You got duplicate routing numbers on cargo, surveillance camera blind spots on the north and the east side of the floor, inventory documents that are going into the trash instead of being shredded, not to mention loading equipment being driven at unsafe speeds and crews disregarding safe—
MMMadrigal Manager
Wait, wait, hold on, hold on. Who are you, exactly?
Ehrmantraut. Security consultant.
MMMadrigal Manager
Well, all due respect, I don't know anything about a security consultant.
Well, you wouldn't, would you? Maybe you'd best call corporate. Try Lydia Rodarte-Quayle.
I-I think I owe you the truth about Chuck. Those lanterns. He was living in that house without electricity for the better part of two years. He knew how to use those lanterns. He was careful, I saw it, I know you did too. There was never a problem. I know it's a terrible thing to... [pause] I don't think what happened was an accident.
[Jimmy and Kim don't respond]
You probably heard Chuck was retiring from HHM. But that's not the truth. The truth is that we had a disagreement, and I pushed him out. I made him go.
Chuck was sick for years. And after the bar hearing—
The bar hearing had nothing to do with it.
The fact is, he started getting better after that. He took more of an interest in the firm, he came to work, we could leave the lights on. He was improving until the thing with the insurance, so i-it wasn't the bar hearing.
It was a ridiculous thing. I should have just let it go. I mean, God knows he's done enough for me. But he kept pushing, and I, um, I got my back up.
What about the insurance?
It was, uh, our malpractice insurance. They found out about Chuck's condition, raised our rates. Chuck went ballistic. He wanted to go to war. I drew a line. He wouldn't back down, so I forced him out. Never occurred to me that I could hurt him. He always seemed so strong. But he wasn't. I think he did what he did because of me.
[pause] Well, Howard, I guess that's your cross to bear.
[Dr. Goodman examines Hector and reports his condition to Gus]
He’s no longer in a coma, but he’s unresponsive. His condition is stable, they’re managing his blood pressure, but whether he will wake up and understand what’s going on around him... there’s no way of knowing.
Gustavo, he’s getting very good care here. There’s very little even the best hospitals could do. Now, might it be different if he was in the care of someplace like... Johns Hopkins? Perhaps. Or, it could make no difference at all. But in the end... in the end, I can think of no better judgment on this man. [Gus turns to glare at him] Isn’t this what he deserves?
I decide what he deserves. No one else.
[Jimmy leaves his job interview at Neff Copiers after being promised that he will be contacted in a week. Jimmy impulsively walks back to Mr. Neff's office.]
I'm sorry, could I just have another minute? I-I'll be real quick.
NMr. Neff
Uh, yeah, sure, Jimmy. What's on your mind?
Uh, look, I know you are gonna take some time to consider your options, but maybe we could settle this right now. There's a thing that we all know called opportunity cost—the time you spend looking for someone is time I could be out there working for you. And sure, there are salesmen out there with way more experience than me. But what are the chances one of them's going to come walking through that door in the next week? And is it worth the wait? Maybe. Maybe. But I could tell you this: none of them will have the connection to your machines that I do. None. I worked in the mail room. I know how important the copy machine is – deadlines, last minute changes. And I was in there. I was clearing paper jams, I was cleaning ink off gears and rollers trying to figure out where the mystery streaks were coming from. [chuckles] I was down on my hands and knees with my tie over my shoulder and ink-stained hands and a line of assistants out the door, and they're all worried that they're gonna lose their job if they don't get their document in the next five minutes. I know—I know better than anyone that the copier, it's the beating heart of any business. It goes down, it causes delays—that is lost money, that is frustrated employees, that's a negative work environment, that's a business on life support. But you plug one of your new machines into the system, that is a healthy, strong heartbeat—ka-chunk, ka-chunk, ka-chunk! That is a healthy business—ka-chunk, ka-chunk, ka-chunk! That is a successful business! And that's what we're selling.
[Jimmy walks to the other side of the room while Mr. Neff and Henry confer amongst themselves. After a few minutes, they approach Jimmy.]
NMr. Neff
Jimmy. Welcome to the team.
HHenry
Damn right! Congrats! We'll get you set up with Audrey in HR, fill out your paperwork, and hopefully you'll be all set by the end of the day.
NMr. Neff
Yep. Why wait when we can get you rolling?
You were gonna take some time though and consider your options, but, uh... I just come in and do that little song-and-dance and... I'm in?
NMr. Neff
Yeah. Right. That's right.
Wh—Are you out of your mind? You don't know me. I just came in off the street. You guys are like a couple of cats. I come in, wave a shiny object, you're like, "I want that!" No due diligence? No background check? No, just hire the guy that says them fancy words? I could be a serial killer! I could be a guy who pees in your coffee pot! I could be both!
HHenry
...So you're not taking the job?
No, I'm not taking the job! Suckers. I feel sorry for you.
[Jimmy takes his briefcase and leaves]
[Gus is cleaning trash in the parking lot when Lydia calls]
I'm in town. I can easily meet wherever is convenient.
Assume this is a secure line.
I spoke with your... "security contractor." I explained the situation, again, but he's going to keep doing what he's doing.
But what he's doing makes no sense.
They do if he's unreliable.
So I'm just supposed to let him keep stealing my employees' badges? [Gus is distracted by Tyrus pulling into the parking lot] I don't know where he's gonna turn up next, what disruption he's gonna cause, what mess I'm gonna have to clean up. This isn't something I want to spend my time worrying about.
Then I suggest you give the man a badge. [hangs up]
I just, uh... I just had to know—What were you thinking?
What were you thinking when you came to Jimmy on the day of his brother's funeral and laid that shit on him? That Chuck killed himself? What's wrong with you?
I-I thought... I thought I owed it to Jimmy, to tell him.
"Owed it to him?" Did you owe it to Rebecca? You tell her your theory? That Chuck intentionally set himself on fire? [pause; Howard doesn't answer] Well, I guess not. I guess you just saved that one for Jimmy.
Kim, I didn't do it to hurt Jimmy—
No, you did it to make yourself feel better.
That—That's not what I was trying to do—
To make yourself feel better by unloading your guilt. Who cares what it does to Jimmy, right? As long as Howard Hamlin is okay.
Kim, I don't think that's fair—
FAIR?! Let's talk about fair! "Hey, let's let Jimmy dig around the fire-damaged wreck where his brother died SCREAMING! And then, let's let him pick up a keepsake or two!" That is so, so fair! And did I hear you right? You want him to serve on the board of a scholarship committee?! A scholarship that Chuck never in a million years would've given to Jimmy! Never! It is just, I mean— [picks up an envelope containing a personal letter from Chuck to Jimmy] Oh, what's this too, Howard? What's in this? One last "screw you, little brother" from beyond the grave? Am I really supposed to do this to him?!
Alright, Kim. What can I do to make it better?
Nothing. There is nothing you can do. Just stay away.
[Jimmy and Mike are sitting at a booth at Loyola's diner. Jimmy places a Hummel figurine on the table]
What if I told you you could turn this piece of crap into four grand, for each of us, minimum? This little fella, he's called the "Merry Wanderer." He's not much to look at, he's pretty easy to find. I got this one at a pawn shop on 4th for twenty bucks. But, he has a cousin called "Bavarian Boy," almost identical—same umbrella, same swagger. That one is worth a boatload.
And I gather you know where to find a Bavarian Boy?
I do indeed. He's gathering dust on a shelf in an office up on San Mateo and he's been there for God knows how long and they have no idea what they've got. To them, it's not Bavarian Boy, it's just some piece of junk Grandma gave me that I feel too guilty to get rid of. And that's where you come in. Now, this place I'm talking about, they're not exactly what you call security-conscious. There's no cameras whatsoever. There's an alarm on the door that I could probably bridge. And past that, you just pick a lock and walk over to the shelf and swap this Wanderer for that Boy. It's five minutes, max.
[Fran, a waitress, approaches the table]
FFran
Warm-up, gentlemen?
FFran
[regarding the figurine] That's cute.
FFran
Yeah. Have your food out in a jiff, Mike.
[sighs] Look. They're not even going to know it's gone. They look over at the shelf, they just see the same dumb tchotchke staring at 'em they've been looking at for years. There's no serial number. These things are practically untraceable. You send Pryce or some other schlub down to Dallas, next week they're having a collectibles expo. Those people are hungry for Hummels. I mean, their eyes are gonna pop when they see what we've brung 'em. And they will pay through the nose, which we will split fifty-fifty. So? It's perfect, right? We make some nice Hummel-loving lady happy, and we make a bundle. Let's do something beautiful here.
And how did you come across this valuable wunderkind?
What difference does it make?
Guys in the office cross you? Done you wrong?
[scoffs] What? You're, uh, missing the point! It's free money! You walk by a twenty on the sidewalk? No, you pick it up.
Not for you? Is there some problem I'm not seeing, like, with the swap or something?
Plan's fine as far as it goes, it's just not for me. And I don't think it should be for you, either. [beat] I'm sorry about your brother.
Yeah, thanks. What, you're really not gonna do this?
[Jimmy speaks to Caldera's contact over the phone about the figurine job]
I have one question for you: Do you shit gold? It's a simple "yes" or "no." Do. You. Shit. Gold? No? Alright, then. Because unless you currently have a large gold nugget traversing your colon, this is the easiest money you're ever gonna make.
GGale
Oh, I tested your samples. They range from 39% to 58% pure. Except this one, which hovers around 67. Top of the glass, so to speak. You should tell the chemist to check his or her cookware. It's introducing contamination, which would be easy to avoid.
Well, thank you very much, Gale. That's very useful information. Well, I should let you get back to your work.
GGale
Mr. Fring, um... I—I don't want to cast aspersions, but I have to tell you, these samples aren't great. I-In fact, they're, um... They're—they're not even good. Basically, they're dreck. I could do much better...
GGale
...much higher-grade. I could make a kilo or more right here, no one would know. It wouldn't take more than a few days.
I wouldn't want to interfere with your studies.
GGale
These are my studies. Please, it's the least I can do. I wouldn't let you down.
[chuckles] Oh, I'm certain that you wouldn't. But I'm afraid I can't allow it. Not yet. You were meant for better things. I'll see you soon, Gale.
[Kim shows Jimmy some documents left over to him from Chuck's will, including a personal letter from Chuck in an unopened envelope]
Um, this is... It's from Chuck. Nobody knows for sure what's in it. You don't have to open it right now, but...
[Jimmy opens the envelope]
Let's see what the old boy has to say.
O-Okay. I'll give you minute, um...
No, no. Stay. It's fine. And, uh, you want to hear this, right?
It's undated. Okay, here it goes: "Dear Jimmy, I have left many things unsaid in our relationship through the years. Rather than allow—allow these unspoken thoughts to die with me, I've chosen to record them here for you. I hope you will take my words in the spirit in which they are intended." New paragraph. "I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You can't imagine the joy on Mom's face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. You brought a shine to her life that nothing else ever did, and I'm glad of that." New paragraph. "We have not always seen eye to eye. I expect it will continue to be so in the future. However, nothing will ever change the fact that we are brothers, flesh and blood. Although we are very different people, I want you to know how much I respect what you have made of yourself in these last few years. You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family. For all the problems in your past, I'm proud we share the name McGill. I sincerely admire your energy and resilience. I used to worry about you finding a place in the world, but I'm not worried about that anymore. I'm certain now that no matter what the future may bring you'll land on your feet, and I hope when you read this, you remember me not only as your brother, but a person you knew was always in your corner." Signed just "Chuck." Well, say what you want, the man could write a letter.
[Jimmy turns to see Kim on the verge of tears]
No, I did–I didn't mean to make it–
No, it's okay, it's okay. It's a nice letter. Hey...
No, just... just... just give me... just give me a minute...
[Kim breaks down crying and leaves the room]
[Judge Munsinger asks Kim to meet him in his office after she idles in his court]
MMunsinger
Are you researching something?
MMunsinger
Then you—you're working on your procedure?
MMunsinger
Hmm... uh, so Howard Hamlin's fine with one of his associates just sitting around my court all day, whiling away the billable hours?
Actually, I left HHM. I'm a solo practitioner now.
MMunsinger
No kidding? Field?
MMunsinger
How's business?
Pretty good. I'm outside counsel for Mesa Verde.
MMunsinger
Mesa Verde. [stares at Kim] You know, I heard about a case. I think you might be the right person for it... Interested?
MMunsinger
I can't share all the details just yet, but I can give you broad strokes. There's a young woman—into her early twenties, pregnant with her first child, nearing the end of term—healthy as a horse. She develops a complication. She goes to the hospital for delivery, and there's a mistake with the anesthesia. She aspirates vomitus into her oxygen mask, stops breathing. The baby's delivered fine, but the young mother suffers serious brain damage; she's left comatose on a respirator. The family is, naturally, devastated... and they're broke, so they have no way to pay for the young lady's care. And to make matters worse, the hospital refuses to take responsibility, and they've hired one of the most expensive firms in the state.
This is the plot of The Verdict.
MMunsinger
Yes, of course it is! Because movies are the only places where those once-in-a-lifetime cases exist! You know what I got coming up next? I got a janitor who threw his pee on his boss. The one after that, [checks papers] she stabbed her boyfriend over a grilled cheese sandwich. This is the real world, Ms. Wexler, and you won't find any save-the-broken-lawyer cases in it. Don't think that you are the first to try to rediscover their love of the law by trolling my court—You're not. The best thing you can do is stick to Mesa Verde: Make lots of money, give some to charity. [pause] Having said that, we've got perpetual PD overload. So beware: Next time I see you lurking in my court, I'm gonna put you to work.
MMunsinger
Good luck to you.
[At his grief group, Mike's anger builds as Henry talks about his fake wife]
HHenry
I keep trying to get there, you know, to live in the here and now. I know that's what Judy would have wanted, but it's... hard. This guy at work, I've been avoiding him for the past two weeks, ever since he got back from his vacation to Australia. [pause] She always wanted to go to Sydney, but money was tight. Finally, we were gonna go, for our 25th... and that's when she got her test results.
GLGroup Leader
Mike? You have something you want to add?
You don't wanna hear what I have to say.
GLGroup Leader
Well, we're ready if you are.
Yeah? This guy was never married.
HHenry
...What are you talking about?
GLGroup Leader
Mike, now, you know the rules-
Yeah, I know your rules. He's been coming in here for months, selling you a bill of goods, getting you all misty-eyed and loving every minute of it-
HHenry
That's just not true.
Yeah? Okay, so I'll go to the public library, and I'll get the papers from 1997 and I'll run a search on Judy DeVore, beloved wife of Henry DeVore. Tell me I'll find her obituary. She wanted to go to Australia? Well, last month it was Cuba. Come on, Henry. Let's look at the papers, see if the math works–
She's not there, is she? Go on...say it. You have no shame.
[After a moment, Henry gets up and leaves]
...Well. He came to the right place, didn't he? He knew you wouldn't notice, and you didn't. All wrapped up in your sad little stories, feeding off each other's misery. [beat] You wanted me to talk. I talked.
