Chicanery (Better Call Saul)

"Chicanery"
Better Call Saul episode
Chuck testifies at Jimmy's bar hearing.
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 5
Directed by	Daniel Sackheim
Written by	Gordon Smith
Editing by	Skip Macdonald
Original air date	May 8, 2017 (2017-05-08)
Running time	49 minutes
Guest appearances
Ann Cusack as Rebecca Bois Rex Linn as Kevin Wachtell Cara Pifko as Paige Novick Joe DeRosa as Dr. Caldera John Getz as the State Bar of New Mexico committee chairman Michael Chieffo as Commissioner Ughetta Tina Parker as Francesca Liddy Quinn VanAntwerp as Robert Alley Jackamoe Buzzell as PI Dave Brightbill Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux
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"Chicanery" is the fifth episode of the third season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on May 8, 2017 on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

Plot[]

Opening[]

In a flashback to 2001, Jimmy aids Chuck as he attempts to reconcile with Rebecca during dinner at Chuck's house. Rebecca does not know Chuck believes he suffers from EHS and answers a call on her cellular phone, which causes Chuck to panic and knock the phone out of her hands.

Main story[]

In 2003, Jimmy asks Dr. Caldera if he knows "someone with a light touch" who is willing to do a job. After a successful hearing before the banking board, Kim informs Paige and Kevin of Chuck's allegations that Jimmy tampered with Mesa Verde documents, which they dismiss as Chuck’s anger at making a mistake.

The bar association's attorney intends to use Jimmy's taped confession, and Kim knows Chuck will testify to its authenticity, allowing Kim and Jimmy to cross-examine Chuck and bring up his EHS. She suggests in her opening that the real story is not Jimmy's supposed crimes, but the feud between Jimmy and Chuck.

The hearing room is arranged to accommodate Chuck's EHS and Howard testifies that Chuck did not want to hire Jimmy as an attorney at HHM, supposedly to avoid the appearance of nepotism. Kim points out that HHM hired Howard even though he was the founding partner's son. Jimmy's confession is played for the committee.

Chuck arrives to testify and bumps into Huell. To Chuck's surprise, Jimmy arrives with Rebecca. She explains that Jimmy contacted her out of concern for Chuck's well-being but Chuck tells her Jimmy called her as a psychological tactic to disrupt Chuck's testimony.

During cross-examination, Jimmy raises Chuck's EHS and asks Chuck to identify the closest source of electricity. Chuck guesses Jimmy is attempting a trick and asks if Jimmy has something in his pocket. Jimmy reveals his cell phone and Chuck correctly guesses Jimmy has removed the battery. Jimmy then asks Chuck to reach into his own pocket and Chuck pulls out Jimmy’s phone battery. Jimmy reveals Huell planted the battery on Chuck when they bumped into each other. Though Chuck has carried it for nearly two hours, he has not been affected by his supposed EHS. When the bar association's attorney argues that Chuck's apparent mental illness is irrelevant in the context of the charges against Jimmy, Chuck rants angrily about Jimmy's dishonest behavior. He stops in mid-sentence, realizing his tirade has shocked everyone into silence.

Production[]

The episode is directed by Daniel Sackheim, a first time director on the show, and written by Gordon Smith, who previously wrote the season 2 episode "Inflatable".

This episode is the first time Jonathan Banks, who had appeared in every episode in the series so far, did not make an appearance as Mike. Lavell Crawford reprises his role as Huell Babineaux from Breaking Bad after last appearing in the season 5 episode "To'hajiilee".

Reception[]

Ratings[]

Upon airing, the episode received 1.76 million American viewers, and an 18–49 rating of 0.7.^[1] With Live+7 viewing factored in, the episode had an overall audience of 4.16 million viewers, and a 1.6 18–49 rating.^[2]

Critical reception[]

Michael McKean was praised for his performance in the final scene

The episode received universal acclaim from critics, with many considering it to be one of the best of the series. Terri Schwartz of IGN awarded the episode 10 out of 10, describing it as "the best episode of Better Call Saul to date".^[3] It currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average of 9.5/10 based on 14 reviews. The site consensus reads: "The war between Jimmy and Chuck comes to an unprecedented climax in the heartbreaking, sober, and defining 'Chicanery', an episode that clearly cements Better Call Saul as essential television."^[4]

TVLine named Michael McKean the "Performer of the Week" for his performance in this episode, writing it was the "finest showcase yet for his fascinatingly layered performance as Jimmy's brother Chuck McGill."^[5] Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club, who gave the episode an "A" rating, praised the courtroom scene, saying "it isn't just to give us the satisfaction of a courtroom drama, the neat ending where the truth comes out. The brilliance of this structure is to give us a slow-motion view of the heavens falling, an outcome methodically pursued by Kim and Jimmy, which nevertheless seems to give them no satisfaction."^[6]

At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, Gordon Smith was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for this episode, his second for the series. Smith was awarded the Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Drama. Many critics were disappointed when McKean, who was said to have given "one of the best performances by anyone in TV all year", failed to secure an Emmy nomination while his co-star Jonathan Banks did.^[7][8]

Analysis[]

The episode's final scene is an homage to the climactic courtroom scene in The Caine Mutiny, in which a suspicious, authoritarian, by-the-book Navy captain cracks under cross-examination. Uproxx noted that even the facial expressions of "Chicanery's" three committee members mirror those of three judges in Caine.^[9] (The film—which Vince Gilligan counts among his favorites—is also referenced in the Breaking Bad episode "Madrigal", in which Mike can be seen watching it.)^[9]

References[]

External links[]

• "Chicanery" at AMC
• "Chicanery" at IMDb