Off Brand

"Off Brand"
Better Call Saul episode
Jimmy offers to shoot a commercial for a local carpet store.
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 6
Directed by	Keith Gordon
Written by	Ann Cherkis
Original air date	May 15, 2017 (2017-05-15)
Running time	47 minutes
Guest appearances
Kerry Condon as Stacey Ehrmantraut Max Arciniega as Domingo Molina Ann Cusack as Rebecca Bois Josh Fadem as Joey Dixon Tamara Tunie as Anita John Getz as the State Bar of New Mexico committee chairman Tina Parker as Francesca Liddy Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt Juan Carlos Cantu as Manuel Varga Hayley Holmes as Make-Up Girl Carol Herman as Geraldine Strauss Quinn VanAntwerp as Robert Alley Vincent Fuentes as Arturo Colon Julian Bonfiglio as Sound Guy Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
Episode chronology
← Previous "Chicanery" Next → "Expenses"
Better Call Saul (season 3)
List of episodes

"Off Brand" is the sixth episode of the third season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on May 15, 2017 on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

Plot[]

Nacho collects weekly street dealer payments. Domingo's payment is short, so Hector prompts Nacho to administer a beating as a warning not to do it again.

Kim makes her closing argument to the bar association’s disciplinary committee. Rebecca tries to see Chuck at his house, but he does not answer the door. The committee suspends Jimmy's license for a year but does not disbar him.

Mike accompanies Stacey to a support group meeting, where she talks about how she and Kaylee are dealing with Matt's death. Stacey tells Mike she volunteered him to help build a playground for the church.

Chuck lets Howard into his house. Howard says Chuck should consider Jimmy's suspension a victory and tries to dissuade him from continuing the vendetta. Chuck seemingly agrees and after Howard leaves, Chuck is revealed to be holding a battery in an attempt to overcome his EHS symptoms.

Realizing he will lose money if the TV ads for which he has pre-paid air as scheduled, Jimmy rushes to cancel them. The early cancellation will cost him $4,000 plus penalties so he tries to find a use for the time slots. Make-Up Girl suggests he shoot a commercial for himself, pitching his ability to produce ads for other businesses.

At the Los Pollos Hermanos farm, Nacho and Arturo inspect cocaine bricks and choose the Salamancas' portion, but Nacho attempts to take six instead of the agreed-upon five. Tyrus calls Gus, who says to give Nacho the sixth kilo. Gus and Lydia inspect an industrial laundry facility that is for sale.

Chuck attempts to defeat his EHS by walking through downtown Albuquerque. He begins to panic and uses a pay phone to contact his therapist but is told she is unavailable.

Hector tells Nacho he plans to use Manuel’s upholstery shop as a new front business, which concerns Nacho. Hector is outraged to learn Tuco’s prison term will be lengthened because he stabbed another inmate. His anger causes a coughing fit and Hector spills his angina medication. After Hector picks them up Nacho notices that one capsule was inadvertently left behind, which he secretly picks up.

Jimmy explains to Kim his intent to offer his services as producer and spokesman in ads for local businesses and shows Kim a videotape in which he wears a disguise and uses the alias "Saul Goodman".

Production[]

The episode was directed by Keith Gordon and written by Ann Cherkis, who previously wrote the season 2 episode "Rebecca".

Laura Fraser briefly reprises her Breaking Bad role as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, Gus's business associate. In a Q&A with AMC, Fraser distinguished the Better Call Saul version of Lydia from that of Breaking Bad's remarking, "She hasn't started unraveling. She feels really secure and confident in her place in the world, and she even experiences moments of happiness and contentment. She's ambitious and enjoying her profession. She still has this air of irritability that betrays her genuine comfort levels, but she hasn't yet started to fray."^[1]

Reception[]

Ratings[]

Upon airing, this episode was watched by 1.72 million American viewers and received an 18–49 rating of 0.6 dipping one tenth from a 0.7 in the previous week.^[2] With Live+7 viewing factored in, the episode had an overall audience of 4.19 million viewers, and a 1.7 18–49 rating.^[3]

Critical reception[]

The episode received critical acclaim. On the site Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 100% rating with an average score of 8.35/10 based on 13 reviews. The site consensus reads "Off Brand" adds another well-written, solidly crafted chapter to Better Call Saul's terrific third season—as well as a reminder that even the show's transitional episodes are compelling."^[4]

References[]

External links[]

• "Off Brand" at AMC
• "Off Brand" at IMDb