History Recap / BetterCallSaulS3E6OffBrand

Kim makes her closing argument at the [[Recap/BetterCallSaulS3E5Chicanery bar association hearing]], arguing mitigating circumstances for Jimmy's [[Recap/BetterCallSaulS3E2Witness break-in]] and [[Recap/BetterCallSaulS2E10Klick confession]]. Rebecca goes to see Chuck after his humiliating testimony, but he won't answer the door: he's slumped on the floor in shock and disbelief. The bar rules that disbarment is too much for Jimmy [=McGill=], but his law license will be suspended for one year. Jimmy and Kim are celebrating at Wexler-[=McGill=] when Rebecca arrives to ask Jimmy to talk things over with Chuck. Jimmy refuses, leading Rebecca to realize that Chuck was right: Jimmy ''did'' only bring her in to make Chuck vulnerable. She tells him off for abandoning a mentally-ill man.

Wrapped in a space blanket, Chuck walks through downtown Albuquerque at night, braving the neon signs and traffic lights. Although his vision is bleary, he manages to make it to a payphone to call Dr. Cruz, who previously "treated" his EHS.

Nacho tells Hector about his standoff. Arturo takes a sudden phone call, prompting Hector to privately ask Nacho where his father gets his upholstery. When he warily replies with Jalisco, Hector tells him that he wants to circumvent Gus by using the upholstery shop as his new front business. Nacho explains that his father has no involvement with crime, but Hector bluntly commands to educate him about his compensation. Arturo comes back in to report that Tuco got in a fight with a guard and another inmate and extended [[Recap/BetterCallSaulS2E4GlovesOff his prison sentence]], provoking Hector to flip a table and break out in a coughing fit. Arturo brings him some pills that he spills in his rage. Nacho makes sure to cover an unnoticed pill with his foot as Hector leaves.

Jimmy proudly tells Kim about his commercial for his new advertising business, selling his services to film commercials that he can run on the remaining airtime that "Gimme Jimmy" would've before. Jimmy plays the commercial for her: dressed like Steven Spielburg, he explains with tacky props and aggressive editing that business owners can use their "natural charisma" on his commercials to attract customers normally glued to their TVs. With a promise that he can have their commercials on the air tomorrow, he signs off: "Call me, Saul Goodman!" A stunned Kim can only note: "That guy has a lot of energy." "It's just a name," Jimmy replies.

Hector holds court at El Michoacáno while Nacho collects from dealers. When Domingo can't come up with his quota, Nacho lets him off with a warning. "Who works for who," comments Hector as Domingo leaves. Resigned, Nacho drags Domingo into the back for a beating. Later, his guilt causes him to injure himself while working at a sewing machine at the upholstery shop.

Jimmy and Francesca call all of his clientele to inform him of his "sabbatical". The last client on his list asks about his [[Recap/BetterCallSaulS2E8Fifi Fifi commercial]] specifically; Jimmy realizes he can't advertise his practice while he's suspended. Jimmy quickly calls a TV station to pull his commercials off the air, receiving a $4,000 fine for premature termination of his contract. Kim considers closing down the office and letting Francesca go, now that Jimmy can't hold up his half while he's suspended. Jimmy refuses, but knows that he has to find some way to pay the bills.

Jimmy pitches a commercial to the owners of a carpet store, produced for cheap and broadcasted for free. While interested, they balk when he explains that they must film immediately as the air time is an hour away. Jimmy gives his film crew the bad news. When the make-up girl suggests they make a commercial for himself, he gets an idea. He drives to the TV station (specifically, a satellite dish array) to film his ad, but falters when he realizes that his plan seems "off brand." He asks for the make-up artist's satchel; he's going to "Karloff this shit."

At the Los Pollos Hermanos chicken farm, Victor and Tyrus get cocaine from the false bottom of a supply truck. Nacho and Arturo arrive to collect Hector's share, but Nacho gets a gun pulled on him when he takes six kilos: Hector promised five. Nacho explains that Hector expects him to return with six kilos. Tyrus calls Gus, who approves the deal; he's got bigger plans in mind then Hector's petty games, as it is revealed that he's standing in an industrial laundromat for sale. He gets in a car parked out front, driven by Lydia. "So?" "It could work," he responds.

Nacho tells Hector about his standoff. Arturo takes a sudden phone call, prompting Hector to privately ask where his father gets his upholstery. When Nacho warily replies with Jalisco, Hector tells him that he wants to circumvent Gus by using the upholstery shop as his new front business. Nacho tries to tell him that his father has no involvement with crime, but Hector tells him to teach him how and that he'll be well compensated. Arturo comes back in to report that Tuco got in a fight with a guard and another inmate and extended [[Recap/BetterCallSaulS2E4GlovesOff his prison sentence]], triggering Hector to flip a table in anger and break out in a coughing fit. Arturo brings him some pills that he spills in his rage. Nacho makes sure to cover an unnoticed pill with his foot as Hector leaves.

Jimmy proudly tells Kim about his commercial for his new advertising business, selling the services of himself and his film crew to film commercials that he can run on the remaining airtime that "Gimme Jimmy" would've before. Jimmy plays the commercial for her: dressed like Steven Spielburg, he explains with tacky props and aggressive editing that business owners can use their "natural charisma" on his commercials to attract customers. With a promise that he can have their commercials on the air tomorrow, he signs off: "Call me, Saul Goodman!" A stunned Kim can only note: "That guy has a lot of energy." "It's just a name," Jimmy replies.

Jimmy embarks on a new endeavor. Chuck pushes himself to the limit. Nacho finds himself ensnared in a power struggle.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: When Jimmy disowns Chuck and refuses to help him, Rebecca replies that Chuck was right about him all along.

* {{Jerkass}}: Tyrus shows to be true to his Breaking Bad self when stopping Nacho from getting the sixth chunk of money is a blunt, sarcastic manner.

** Gus inspects the industrial laundry that will eventually become the site of the superlab - and specifically has bought it for that purpose, instead of starting it as a legitimate business and then repurposing it later. He is also in contact with Lydia, and probably setting in motion the roots for his partnership with Madrigal.

* {{Troll}}: Hector's willing to move the financial goalposts to piss off Gus.

** In the extended clip of the episode, we see Nacho and Domingo "Krazy-8" conducting business. Domingo tries to pass the time with idle chitchat as Nacho counts the money, to which Nacho points out that he has come up short for the week. Domingo tries to explain why it happened and pleads with Nacho to give him some time; Nacho thinks for a moment, then tells him to just make it up next week. As Domingo exits the restaurant, Hector simply says to Nacho "Who is the boss of who?" and Nacho sighs before the scene cuts to black. This would appear to show that Hector is making fun of him, thinking that Nacho is going soft on his crew. However... the full scene shows that Hector is actually "reminding" Nacho that ''he'' is the boss, and he wants Domingo to be punished. This results in Nacho dragging Domingo back into the kitchen, and giving him a ''[[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown vicious beatdown]]'' as he begs Nacho for mercy.

** In the extended clip of the episode, we see Nacho and Domingo "Krazy-8" conducting business. Domingo tries to pass the time with idle chitchat as Nacho counts the money, to which Nacho points out that he has come up short for the week. Domingo tries to explain why it happened and pleads with Nacho to give him some time; Nacho thinks for a moment, then tells him to just make it up next week. As Domingo exits the restaurant, Hector simply says to Nacho "Who is the boss of who?" and Nacho sighs before the scene cuts to black. This would appear to show that Hector is making fun of him, thinking that Nacho is going soft on his crew. However... the full scene shows that Hector is actually "reminding" Nacho that ''he'' is the boss, and he wants Domingo to be punished. This results in Nacho dragging Domingo back into the kitchen, and giving him a ''[[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown viscious beatdown]]'' as he begs Nacho for mercy.

* WhamLine: Call me, [[spoiler: Saul Goodman]]!

* {{Squick}}: Nacho, feeling trauma after having to beat Krazy-8 for being short on his payments, is not concentrating on his work when using a sewing machine to create car upholstery and puts the needle though the skin between his thumb and forefinger. The episode shows this close-up.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Implied to be coming with Nacho. Hector makes him beat Krazy-8 for being late with a payment, uses him as a pawn in his rivalry with Gus (and doesn't seem to care that he almost gets shot by Victor and Tyrus), then expects him to turn his father's business into a front for drug-running. The way he studies the pill that Hector dropped is revealing, as if he was thinking of swapping them out for placebos after finding out what they are for.
* MovingTheGoalPosts: Hector asks Nacho to take six pallets of drugs instead of the original five solely to piss off Gus. It doesn't work as Gus simply let him have it while working on bigger project.

* TitleDrop: Jimmy when he expressed reluctance to switch gears with his commercials.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Implied to be coming with Nacho. Hector makes him beat Krazy-8 for being late with a payment, uses him as a pawn in his rivalry with Gus (and doesn't seem to care that he almost gets shot by Tyrus), then expects him to turn his father's business into a front for drug-running. The way he studies the pill that Hector dropped is revealing, as if he was thinking of swapping them out for placebos after finding out what they are for.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Implied to be coming with Nacho. Hector makes him beat Krazy-8 for being late with a payment, uses him as a pawn in his rivalry with Gus (and doesn't seem to care that he almost gets shot), then expects him to turn his father's business into a front for drug-running. The way he studies the pill that Hector dropped is revealing, as if he was thinking of swapping them out for placebos after finding out what they are for.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Implied to be coming with Nacho. Hector has him beat Krazy-8 and then wants him to turn his father's business into a front for drug-running. The way he studies the pill that Hector dropped is revealing, as if he was thinking of swapping them out for placebos after finding out what they are for.

* MovingTheGoalPosts: Hector asks Nacho to take six pallets of drugs instead of the original five solely to piss off Gus. It backfires.

** Jimmy makes a commercial for his commercial-filming business as "Saul Goodman". The commercial also shows the begginings of the StylisticSuck Saul will employ to appear as nothing more than an over-the-top AmbulanceChaser.
* {{Fingore}}: Nacho ends up cutting the area between his thumb and index finger with the sewing machine.
* ForeShadowing: Once again Hector takes pills and looks unwell, this time after the news Tuco has just increased his prison sentence with a prison attack - especially as one of the victims was a guard. Closer and closer does he approach to [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport what we all know is coming]].

* MovingTheGoalPosts: Hector asks Nacho to take six pallets of drugs instead of the original five solely to piss off Gus. It doesn't work.

* AmbiguousSituation: We have no idea in this episode why Chuck decided to go out to a payphone to try and get in contact with the doctor that treated him before.

* TheBusCameBack: Lydia Rodarte-Quayle makes a reappearance, and is shown assisting Gus in scouring the industrial laundry.

* HardWorkMontage: Jimmy, as he is now suspended for a year from practicing law, has to phone round all his clients and tell them this - and these phone calls are shown as this.

* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Nacho shows little if any response to impaling his hand with the sewing machine.

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Nacho does this to Krazy-8 in response to Hector's comments. He feels pretty guilty over it.

* WoundedGazelleGambit: Averted by Jimmy, who just plain doesn't want to help Chuck when Rebecca asks him to. Chuck had pretended to go off the deep end before to entrap him. Although quite what Rebecca thought Jimmy could achieve, after hearing Chuck's rant, is unclear, it ''is'' clear that Chuck certainly won't be opening the door for Jimmy if Rebecca tried for an hour and failed.

* AllForNothing: Despite Hector getting Mike to say that the gun was his in order for him to have a shorter prison sentence, Tuco just had to up and attack several prisoners and a guard, thus extending it.

** Subverted tough, the question falls flat on the audience that knows quite well how justified Jimmy's resentment is and that Chuckhas been doing that before his mental illness showed up, although he is seen very hurt for the whole situation (either his brother's suffering or his backstabbing).

* MovingTheGoalPosts: Hector asks Nacho to take six pack of drugs instead of the original five solely to piss off Gus, it doesn't work.