Between all the death threats, gun-pointing and 65-foot billboard plights to save people's lives, it's easy to forget Better Call Saul is not meant to carry the same thrill-a-second intensity of its predecessor series, Breaking Bad. With all the events to come unfolded and the moral fates of many already determined, however, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould's new show has been more a reflexive piece than an action-centric showcase of wits and moral stakes.
More so than any episode thus far, "Alpine Shepherd Boy" is the most concentrated on the characters at hand rather than what dilemmas they face. And while this fifth episode is a tad all-over-the-place in terms of focus — with narrative direction shifted between Chuck (Michael McKean) to Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) to Chuck & Jimmy to Mike (Jonathan Banks) for a hot second — it's a staple of what the creators most likely have in mind for their freshman program. Instead of witnessing how one continues to break bad, we meant to see how a semi-good man goes back to bad.
There are a few notable points to make with this week's episode, at the very least. For one, "Alpine Shepherd Boy" is the first Better Call Saul episode to not start with either a flashforward or a flashback. Rather, we enter this installment right where we left off last week, with a space blanket cloaked Chuck stealing his neighbor paper when he gets paranoid after Jimmy doesn't give him his. As a result, the police are called and, insensitive to his Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), break into his house and drive the poor ex-lawyer to the hospital, where he's surrounded by electricity galore. As a result, this new episode is the first to address Chuck's condition head-on and not simply flirt with his mental and/or physical condition.
It's unclear exactly where Chuck will go in Better Call Saul. Although considering how he's not in the picture in Breaking Bad — as far as we knew — at all, one would has to believe there's some tragedy afoot for the McGill family. He could have a tumor. Maybe he can't take the pain and ends his own life? Or perhaps this plays into why Jimmy changes his name publicly to Saul Goodman, for all we know?
Which leads to the second point: "Alpine Shepherd Boy" continues Gilligan's signature love to take his time and process moments as they are, whether for comedic or dramatic purposes. While, of course, he's not involved in the teleplay or direction of this episode directly, Jimmy's less-than-stellar interactions with potential clients showcases the filmmaker's love of drawn-out takes and dispelling reveals in a timely fashion, often for cynical or sometimes cheap gaffs here. Still, there's a more somber, quiet notes of reflection and character dynamics to this installment which suggest a more subdued emotional meatiness to come.
"Alpine Shepherd Boy," written by Bradley Paul, is the first penned by a non-Breaking Bad alum. This variety to the cooking pot adds some interesting dynamics to the prequel series. His writing plays more into the emotions of the future opposed to the emotions of the moment, especially when it comes to Chuck's decisions on his brother's condition with his doctor (guest star Clea DuVall). Aided by direction by Nicole Kassell's (The Woodsman) — another newbie without a Breaking Bad credit to her name — and you get one of the most refreshingly humble episodes ever in the Bad universe.
As a more mature, down-key episode, it ultimately makes sense Jimmy's transformation in "Alpine Shepherd Boy" is a discovered desire to become an elder lawyer. Compacted by his well-graced moxie and charm, which appeals to the elder community around him, Jimmy decides to buy a suit to mimic Spencer Tracy, put his name on the bottom of Jell-O cartons and change his slogan to "Need a will? Call McGill!" How this goes to down the tubes shall be determined in the episodes to come, as we all know, but it's certainly interesting to see the many tailored suits Jimmy gains before he fits himself into Saul's signature attire.
A more thoughtful and soul-searching episode than your average Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad affair, "Alpine Shepherd Boy" will not please everyone. No matter, however, for this is the direction the series needs to take, should it ever differentiate itself from its predecessor program. There may not be a lot of legs in Jimmy/Saul's origins, but there' clearly a sense of skill, craftsmanship and charm apparent which can carry it through. As Jimmy notes "I've always prided myself on my moxie." That most certainly is true here.
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