History Recap / BreakingBadS2E8BetterCallSaul

* ConMan: Saul has Jesse and Walt pay him $80,000 as both his and Jimmy's fee for taking the fall as "Heisenberg". Except Saul later mentions that he can guarantee that the prosecution's case will develop some unexpected problems, and WordOfGod states that Saul got Jimmy OffOnATechnicality. ''Maybe'' some of that went towards bail for Jimmy after he was arrested, but Saul framed the fee as being for Jimmy going to jail for them, only Jimmy isn't actually going to jail at all! Saul just swindled his way into a nice little bonus.

* [[FakeNationality Fake Ethnicity]]: [InUniverse] Saul claims that the Jewish name is just for his business, as crooks are big into the [[GreedyJew Jewish]] lawyer thing, and he's really of Irish descent. This is confirmed in... Series/BetterCallSaul.

** Likewise, while young Detective Getz goes NaiveNewcomer, proud of capturing the fake Heisenberg, Hank is quickly suspicious. After all, Jimmy even put his hands up before the cops had even to arrest him.

* TooDumbToLive: Badger, dear god, Badger.

** Likewise, while young Detective Getz goes NaiveNewcomer, proud of capturing the fake Heisenberg, Hank is quickly suspicious. After all, Jimmy even put his hands up before the cops had even to arrest him

* ContinuityNod: Krazy 8 is mentioned, as Jesse details how he was seemingly caught red handed on charges only for Saul to get him off. Also, Saul knows that Spooge's Lady killed him, not any gangster, in part because he used to represent Spooge.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: for Saul Goodman.
* [[FakeNationality Fake Ethnicity]]: [InUniverse] Saul claims that the Jewish name is just for his business, as crooks are big into the Jewish lawyer thing, and he's really of Irish descent. This is confirmed in... Series/BetterCallSaul.

* GenreSavvy: Badger correctly susses that a customer looking to buy meth is a [[AgentProvocateur police officer]], and also spots the two conspicuously inconspicuous vans parked nearby. However, it's immediately subverted when Badger falls for the old "a police officer can't deny he's one if you ask him directly" urban legend.

* [[FakeNationality Fake Ethnicity]]: [InUniverse] Saul claims that the Jewish name is just for his business, as crooks are big into the Jewish lawyer thing, and he's really of Irish descent. This is confirmed in BetterCallSaul.

The episode begins with Badger sitting on a park bench, waiting for customers. One approaches him, but Badger almost immediately laughs him off, telling the customer that he's obviously a cop, and to add on to things, Badger starts pointing out the multiple vans "inconspiciously" parked nearby and guessing that it's backup. The customer shows that he's not wearing a wire as Badger suspects, and almost starts to walk away before Badger apologizes. Still, Badger says that he won't sell to the guy, because there's no way to be sure that he isn't a cop. The customer then mentions the old urban legend that a cop can't deny that he's a cop if you ask him directly, saying "it's in the Constitution or something." Delighted, Badger asks him if he's a cop, the customer says no, the two make a deal for some blue meth...and then the customer immediately busts Badger and his backup comes running from the vans nearby.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: Saul's commercial.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Saul mentions his PI[=/=]fixer (who we'll later come to know as [[ProfessionalKiller Mike]] [[TheDragon Ehrmantraut]]) talks about connections to the Cartel, (even possibly mentioning Don Eladio when he's begging for his life) and mentions networking with other criminals (like, say, Gus) to Walt. The early parts of the episode also foreshadows events and people that will come into play later in the episode: Badger deals drugs while sitting on a bench with a "Better call Saul!" advertisement, and one of Saul's commercials comes on in Jesse's home shortly afterward.

* RefugeInAudacity: Saul's reaction to two guys marching him out to the desert and sitting him in front of an open grave? After he figures out they're not after him personally and are amateurs, get them to put a dollar in his pocket as a "retainer," claim that they're now under attorney-client privilege, and offer them advice on better ways to handle their problems. This isn't remotely how attorney-client privilege works, but savvy Saul guesses - correctly - that these guys wouldn't know that.

* [[FakeNationality Fake Ethnicity]]: Saul claims that the Jewish name is just for his business, as crooks are big into the Jewish lawyer thing, and he's really of Irish descent. This is confirmed in BetterCallSaul.

* SchmuckBait: Badger getting busted by the Narc. The ColdOpening is one OverlyLongGag of Badger being suspicious that a guy is a undercover cop. [[SmartBall Badger even points out how the vans surrounding the park is dead giveaway.]] Despite all of this, Badger still falls for his trick and gets himself busted.

-->You don't want a criminal attorney, you want a ''criminal'' attorney.

* [[FakeNationality Fake Ethniticty]]: Saul claims that the Jewish name is just for his business, as crooks are big into the Jewish lawyer thing, and he's really of Irish descent. While this is probably true, there's also a chance he was lying to establish a connection with Walt, who was claiming to be Irish at the time.

* GenreSavvy: Badger correctly susses that a customer looking to buy meth is a [[AgentProvocateur police officer]], and also spots the two conspicuously inconspicuous vans parked nearby. However, it's immediately subverted when Badger falls for the old "A police officer can't deny he's one if you ask him directly" urban legend.

* RefugeInAudacity: Saul's reaction to two guys marching him out to the desert and sitting him in front of an open grave? After he figures out they're not after him personally and are amateurs, get them to put a dollar in his pocket as a "retainer", claim that they're now under attorney-client privilege, and offer them advice on better ways to handle their problems. This isn't remotely how attorney-client privilege works, but savvy Saul guesses - correctly - that these guys wouldn't know that.
* SchmuckBait: Badger getting busted by the Narc. The ColdOpening is one OverlyLongGag of Badger being suspicious that a guy is a undercover cop. [[SmartBall Badger even points out how the vans surrounding the park is dead give away.]] Despite all of this, Badger still fall for his trick and gets himself busted.

The episode begins with Badger sitting on a park bench, waiting for customers. One approaches him, but Badger almost immediately laughs him off, telling the customer that he's obviously a cop, and to add on to things, Badger starts pointing out the multiple vans "inconspiciously" parked nearby and guessing that it's backup. The customer shows that he's not wearing a wire as Badger suspects, and almost starts to walk away before Badger apologizes. Still, Badger says that he won't sell to the guy, because there's no way to be sure that he isn't a cop. The customer then mentions the old urban legend that a cop can't deny that he's a cop if you ask him directly, saying "It's in the Constitution or something." Delighted, Badger asks him if he's a cop, the customer says no, the two make a deal for some blue meth... and then the customer immediately busts Badger and his backup comes running from the vans nearby.

Goodman quickly brow beats the detective into leaving, much to the confusion of Badger, who certainly hasn't retained Goodman. It turns out Goodman actually went to the wrong room, as he was supposed to be going to another interrogation room to advise a client from another case, butt he doesn't mind picking up an extra fee from Badger. And when Hank and Gomez arrive to question Badger, Goodman smells an easy opportunity for a quick deal, as after all the DEA would never bother with a two-bit small timer like Badger... unless they were looking to bust someone higher up the chain and thus need the cooperation of someone like Badger.

Afterward we see Walt at Jesse's house, where the two are counting the latest rewards of their business, $45,000 each. Walt notices that this is short of where it should be, and Jesse says that Badger hasn't turned in his full share yet, but it's nothing. Walt makes Jesse crack the whip to get Badger going, but Jesse's calls to Badger go straight to voicemail. Jesse then checks in with Combo and gets a shock; after using his the ATM incident to inspire fear as Walt had suggested in the previous episode, the guys had been too scared to come to Jesse with the news that Badger had been arrested.

-->'''Saul:''' [Imitates the sound of a buzzer as he enter the room] What are you doing, detective? What are you doing talking to my client without me present? You sneaky Pete! [Looks at how young the detective is] What, did the Academy hire you right out of the womb?! You guys get younger every- [To Badger] What'd you say to baby face? Did you say anything stupid? By anything stupid, I mean anything at all.\\

Hank is still dealing with PTSD issues, but goes into work, putting on his usual facade of blustery confidence. He learns that Gomez has been keeping track of any sightings of blue meth, and when they see the report on Badger being busted, the two quickly decide to go over and follow the lead. The same cop who arrested Badger is now trying to get him to talk, but the process is interrupted by the larger than life arrival of Saul Goodman, who quickly brow beats the detective into leaving, much to the confusion of Badger, who certainly hasn't retained Goodman. It turns out Goodman actually went to the wrong room, as he was supposed to be going to another interrogation room to advise a client from another case, butt he certainly doesn't mind picking up an extra fee from Badger. And when Hank and Gomez arrive to question Badger, Goodman smells an easy opportunity for a quick deal, as after all the DEA would never bother with a two-bit small timer like Badger... unless they were looking to bust someone higher up the chain and thus need the cooperation of someone like Badger.

Hank is still dealing with PTSD issues, but goes into work, putting on his usual facade of blustery confidence. He learns that Gomez has been keeping track of any sightings of blue meth, and when they see the report on Badger being busted, the two quickly decide to go over and follow the lead. The same cop who arrested Badger is now trying to get him to talk, but the process is interrupted by the larger than life arrival of Saul Goodman, who quickly brow beats the detective into leaving, much to the confusion of Badger, who certainly hasn't retained Goodman. It turns out Goodman actually went to the wrong room, as he was supposed to be there to advise a client from another case, not that he minds picking up an extra fee from Badger. And when Hank and Gomez arrive to question Badger himself, Goodman smells an easy opportunity for a quick deal, as after all the DEA would never bother with a two-bit small timer like Badger... unless they were looking to bust someone higher up the chain.

After Walter loses a coin toss with Jesse, he goes into Saul's office with the fee for Saul's services, posing as Badger's uncle. While Jesse had tried to cheer Walter up about the fact that as a small, first time offender Badger would probably get little to no time, most likely nothing but probation, Goodman quickly disabuses Walt of that notion, revealing that the DEA is determined to find the source of the blue meth, and they will come down on Badger like a ton of bricks unless he talks. In desperation Walt tries to bribe Goodman into not making a deal, but gets thrown out of the law office for his trouble, much to the shock of Jesse.

With the bribe turned down, Jesse and Walt have to play hardball, and that night abduct Goodman, drive him out into the desert, then sit him on his knees in front of an open grave. Goodman panics, begins pleading for his life in Spanish, saying he's a friend to the Cartel and it's Ignacio that they want. He's obviously relieved when they reveal that they have no idea what he's going on about, and Goodman soon recognizes Walt by his cough. Goodman gets them to put him on "retainer" and gives them advice about how to deal with the Badger situation. When Jesse vetoes, (multiple times) the notion of simple killing Badger to keep him silent, Goodman suggests an audacious scheme instead: have Badger appear to give up Heisenberg, with it actually being an associate of Goodman's who prefers being in prison, ("The outside world hasn't been too kind to Jimmy") and all this for a mere $80,000, or nearly all of the profits that Walt and Jesse were counting earlier in the episode. [[AnAesop Crime doesn't pay, kids]].

Thanks to some last minute heroics from Jesse and Walt, the plan goes through and the police seem to buy it, although it's immediately apparent that Hank smells a rat and doesn't think this is really their guy. The episode closes with a brief bit with our two leads: Jesse going home to discover a bed he ordered has arrived. He is soon celebrating his narrow escape from the law by testing it out with Jane. Meanwhile and more importantly, Saul Goodman shows up at Walt's high school after hours, where he has a talk with Walt about both how easy it is for Walt to be tracked, ("My PI billed me for three hours, so I seriously doubt it took him more than one to find you") along with Saul's offer to keep working with Walt. He's going to need a lawyer if his guys continue to get busted after all, and it's only a matter of time before that happens, plus Saul briefly alludes to other services he can offer Walt, such as money laundering, networking, expanding his empire, etc. Looks like things have gotten more complicated and Walt will be taking on another partner... and like more of Walt and Jesse's profits will be going into simply keeping their operation going.

* AmoralAttorney: It doesn't take long to establish Saul as this.
* ConMan: Saul has Jesse and Walt pay him $80,000 as both his and Jimmy's fee for taking the fall as "Heisenberg". Except Saul later mentions that he can guarantee that the prosecution's case will develop some unexpected problems, and WordOfGod states that Saul got Jimmy OffOnATechnicality. ''Maybe'' some of that went towards bail for Jimmy after he was arrested, but Saul framed the fee as being for Jimmy going to jail for them, only Jimmy isn't actually going to jail at all! Saul just helped himself to a little bonus here.

* NoodleIncident: Whatever Saul did to think the Cartel would be willing to kill him and whoever Ignacio is, it's never brought up again.

* ConMan: Saul has Jesse and Walt pay him $80,000 as both his and Jimmy's fee for taking the fall as "Heisenberg". Except Saul later mentions that he can guarantee that the prosectuion's case will develop some unexpected problems, and WordOfGod states that Saul got Jimmy OffOnATechnicality. ''Maybe'' some of that went towards bail for Jimmy after he was arrested, but Saul framed the fee as being for Jimmy going to jail for them, only Jimmy isn't actually going to jail at all! Saul just helped himself to a little bonus here.

* PragmaticVillainy: Saul exokained thay he turned down a bribe not due to having anything against bribes, but because he doesn't take bribes from people he doesn't know. What if they're part of some sort of effort to bust him after all?
* RefugeInAudacity: Saul's reaction to two guys marching him out to the desert and sitting him in front of an open grave? After he figures out they're not after him personally and are amateurs, get them to put a dollar in his pocket as a "retainer", claim that they're now under attorney-client privilege, and offer them advice on better ways to handle their problems. This isn't remotely how attorney-client privilege works, but Saul is probably guessing that these guys wouldn't know that.

When Badger finds himself in trouble with the law, Walt and Jesse seek the legal advice of a shady attorney, Saul Goodman. The DEA believe they may have finally caught up with the elusive 'Heisenberg.' Hank returns to Albuquerque, but his troubled mental state and demeanor cause Marie to worry.

* YourMom: In "Better Call Saul":