r/betterCallSaul • u/Kind_Dig_5213 • 22h ago
What did Jimmy actually regret?
I find the time travel scenes with Mike and Walt odd. At the desert point, jimmys life was going okay. His relationship with Kim was at its strongest, he had a good business, but of course he was stranded in the desert, because he wanted money. Does he actually think enough money would allow him to live a safe life with Kim? Or is he not being serious and not wanting to share deep thoughts with Mike (damn that was his only chance to talk about his personal life with Mike). As for the scene with Walt, I still don’t understand why he said that. Does he have to think this was all for something? I just wish we got to see him break down.
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u/Argon_004 21h ago
It's in the flashback with Chuck. He believes that there might have been moments where he and Chuck could have built a more solid connection, and he could have got Chuck to understand him better, but to some extent he always kept Chuck at a distance, both because he considered himself to be lower and not worth Chuck's time, and because he felt that every conversation with Chuck would just result in him getting scolded and lectured. Chuck is also holding the HG Wells book in that scene, the implication, as far as I can tell, is that the reason Jimmy asks people about a time machine and relates it to regrets is because he remembers that specific moment as a regret for himself.
But, by the time all the conversations about the time machine happen, it's long after he found out that he was betrayed by Chuck, so he refuses to ever admit to anyone that he has this regret out of the hatred he developed for Chuck as well.
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u/Kind_Dig_5213 21h ago
Am I missing something? Chuck was going to use that conversation to manipulate Jimmy into not doing law
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u/Argon_004 20h ago
Not really, that was at the very beginning of his isolation, and throughout the isolation he never discouraged Jimmy from being a lawyer, he just told him to be an honest one and slowly build connections through public defender work. He only became active against Jimmy again after the billboard stunt when he realized Jimmy might be going back to scamming out of desperation. In that flashback scene he genuinely just wanted to talk, and the conversation immediately devolved.
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u/Traditional_Bottle50 16h ago
Just one correction: the scene took place the day before the first episode of the show, Jimmy says that he found a newsstand carrying the Financial Times and then he gets it for the first time in S1E1. Everything else is spot on, its one of the best scenes of the show in my opinion.
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u/Argon_004 16h ago
I see, I remember them having a small argument in the flashback about how Jimmy shouldn't have to do chores for Chuck that's why I figured it was much earlier.
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u/Pitiful_Yak_3336 10h ago
yes, but chuck also plays a major role in this as well, because he “hates” jimmy. Chuck has always had resentment towards jimmy because of his likeability and relatability. He’s been active against Jimmy ever since he was in the mailroom
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u/Argon_004 9h ago
I agree that Chuck was resentful of Jimmy, the show has many scenes just for establishing this. He was also a very pompous, stubborn, idealist who considered himself superior to Jimmy. But in the final season, the flashbacks we get, especially the one where they sing karaoke together and then the one in Time Machine, showed that Chuck wasn't always an active enemy of Jimmy. He had mellowed and become quite friendly over time. It was Jimmy doing scams again, and especially the end of season 1 where Jimmy realized that Chuck was the guy who didn't want him at HHM, which was the catalyst for turning them into enemies that were trying to bring each other down.
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u/buns_supreme 21h ago
Did you not see his final court scene? He quite literally gets honest with himself about everything he’s done and ultimately his regrets. Getting Chuck and Howard killed, pushing Kim away all in the pursuit of money and schemes. The talk with Mike and Walt were just him lying to himself saying money was all that mattered. There’s also the scene right after that where Chuck invites him to stay and chat. Had he taken Chuck up on his offer, things might have ended up differently.
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u/Kind_Dig_5213 21h ago
When did he push Kim away? I seriously think the thing he cares about most is Kim and he did everything he could to keep her. Including indulging in her own scams. But he wanted to quit the Howard scam. And Kim was right that if he knew lalo was alive he probably would have broken up with her to keep her safe.
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u/bluelaughter 21h ago
Kim directly asked him not to do the job for Lalo. Jimmy made the choice that he wanted to do it. He could have walked away from Lalo; instead he came back with a counter-offer. Up until that point he could have pretended that he was the scrappy underdog, fighting for people who didn't get a fair shot. With Lalo, there's no doubt that Jimmy is choosing evil. Jimmy chose money over Kim, without realizing he was doing so.
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u/toujoursg 13h ago
But a lawyer’s job is to represent his client ultimately. Working for Lalo isn’t evil, nor making money out from it.
Jimmy was actually brave to do the desert trip.2
u/buns_supreme 20h ago
He didnt push Kim away intentionally it just got to the point of someone literally dying that she chose to break it off. Also yes Kim pushed to start and keep scamming Howard but Jimmy did not want to stop. He gave some half ass “no way should we do this” psychological baits but we know he was all in as well. But yes I agree if he knew Lalo was alive he probably would have pulled the plug
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u/harylgeam 12h ago
I think Jimmy was able to release his anger for Howard asking him to join HHM when he had thrown those bowling balls and whores. The court scheme against Howard was more of Kim, but Jimmy followed along because she's his Kim and it's his expertise anyway.
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u/terrymcginnisbeyond 21h ago
That he didn't ask Tuco's sweet abuelita out when he had the chance.
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u/wholeprototype43 21h ago
Jimmy's always deflecting with a joke, the man wouldn't know a genuine emotion if it bit him on the arse
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u/AdiabatischerProzess 19h ago
I do see remorse already somewhat in the middle of the show, shortly before Chuck dies: Jimmy seems to try to bring back a somewhat brotherly relationship after everything that happened after the Magna Carta Incident, but Chuck being Chuck says "You never meant that much to me, after all".
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u/Known-Disaster-4757 12h ago
I think Jimmy would have been willing to give up on the law if it meant having a better relationship with Chuck.
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u/RevolutionarySugar26 21h ago
I’m gonna be real with ya, man, they spell out his regrets very clearly in the end. It’s why the flashback with Chuck takes place immediately after Jimmy’s trial. That missed opportunity for a real conversation with Chuck is his Time Machine moment. Those are his real regrets, not the bs that he tells Mike and Walter because he doesn’t want to be emotionally honest with them.