Hero (''Better Call Saul'')

"Hero"
Better Call Saul episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 4
Directed by Colin Bucksey
Written by Gennifer Hutchison
Original air date February 23, 2015 (2015-02-23)
Running time 47 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

"Hero" is the fourth episode of the first season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on February 23, 2015 on AMC in the United States.

Plot

Opening

In a flashback, Jimmy and an unidentified companion leave a bar. In an alley, they discover a wallet with cash next to a barely conscious drunk man. The companion takes the cash, and Jimmy takes the man's Rolex watch. He estimates it to be worth more than the wallet, leading his companion to trade the found money plus some additional cash of his own in exchange for the watch. After the companion runs away with the watch, a cheap counterfeit, Jimmy and the "unconscious" man return to Jimmy's residence to congratulate each other and split the proceeds of their scam.

Main story

The Kettlemans offer Jimmy a bribe if he does not reveal they stole the $1.6 million. Jimmy gives them the option of hiring him as their lawyer, but the Kettlemans refuse. The next day, Jimmy thanks Mike for his assistance in helping solve the Kettlemans' disappearance. Nacho is released from police custody and accuses Jimmy of warning the Kettlemans, for which Nacho says Jimmy will face "consequences." Jimmy says he warned the family only for the sake of the children, and that Nacho should be grateful that the warning prevented Nacho from committing kidnapping or murder, for which he probably would have been charged.

In his office at the nail salon, Jimmy cooks his books to make it look like the bribe he took from the Kettlemans is legitimate payment for his services. He spends the money on a personal makeover and a billboard advertisement which shares obvious similarities with Hamlin Hamlin & McGill. Kim confronts Jimmy over the imitation, and Howard Hamlin sues him for trademark infringement. The court finds in HHM's favor, and Jimmy is ordered to remove the billboard within 48 hours.

After failing to convince any news outlets to cover his predicament as a human interest story, Jimmy hires a freelance media team to record his video plea for sympathy. During filming, the worker removing the billboard slips and falls, and is held up only by his safety harness. Jimmy pulls the worker to safety while the public watches and records. It is revealed that the accident was staged by Jimmy as a publicity stunt, which Howard and Kim see through when they watch it on the television news. The stunt works, and Jimmy acquires numerous new clients.

Jimmy visits Chuck, but hides the newspaper that reported the "rescue". Chuck is oblivious to Jimmy's trickery, and congratulates him on his newfound success. Chuck notices one of his daily newspapers is missing, which Jimmy dismisses as meaningless. After Jimmy leaves, a suspicious Chuck braves exposure to electricity to run to his neighbor's house to steal their newspaper, which leads to his discovery of Jimmy's publicity stunt.

Production

The episode was written by supervising producer Gennifer Hutchison, who was also a writer and producer on Breaking Bad.[1][2] It was directed by Colin Bucksey, who directed four episodes of Breaking Bad.[3]

Reception

Upon airing, the episode received 2.87 million American viewers, and an 18-49 rating of 1.4.[4]

The episode received positive reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews, it received a 95% approval rating with an average score of 8.2 out of 10. The site's consensus reads, "'Hero' marks the essential early evolution of Saul's conning skills, beginning his amusing transformation into the well-known Breaking Bad personality."[5]

References

  1. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (December 20, 2013). "'Breaking Bad' Writers Join 'Better Call Saul' Staff". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ Couch, Aaron (February 23, 2015). "'Better Call Saul' Writer on Jimmy's "Terrifying" Plan, Saul Goodman "Reveal"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ Hibberd, James (July 11, 2014). "'Better Call Saul': New photos, details from 'Breaking Bad' spin-off". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 24, 2015). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Monday Night RAW' Tops Night + 'Love & Hip Hop', 'Better Call Saul', 'Black Ink Crew' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Hero". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
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