Better Call Saul Episode 1.08 Rico

In a flashback, Jimmy pushes a mail cart through the bustling halls of HHM. He rolls along, cheerfully distributing packages and making small talk; he fits in well with the law firm that he will one day despise. Jimmy's smile fades as he reaches Kim's office and holds up an envelope. He's too nervous to open it. Kim takes the envelope from him, reads the letter inside, and kisses him. Apparently it's good news for Jimmy! He heads to Chuck's office next. Chuck is the picture of health, sitting in his corner office amidst various forms of electricity. He's even using a Dictaphone to compose a letter. Jimmy timidly interrupts and reveals: he passed the New Mexico Bar Exam. He asks if he can come work at HHM once he is sworn in. Chuck tells him that he has to confer with the other partners, but suggests "How can they say no?" Later that day, Jimmy celebrates with his fellow mailroom employees and Kim. Howard stops by the party and informs Jimmy that HHM will not be hiring him.

Back in the present: Kim unpacks in her old office. After salvaging the Kettleman case last episode, she is back in the good graces of HHM and has been allowed to return from exile in the dreaded "East Wing." Howard knocks on her door and convinces her to attend the firm's press conference. Come bask in the glow! She agrees and stands demurely in the background as Howard announces the settlement of the Kettleman case. To Jimmy's chagrin, the televised press conference is currently being broadcast at the reception desk of Sandpiper Crossing, an assisted living center where he has come to visit a client.

Jimmy wraps up his meeting with Mrs. Landry. When it comes time to pay the bill, she realizes that she doesn't have enough money left from her monthly allowance to cover it. Jimmy is about to leave with an IOU when he considers her predicament. Monthly allowance? His interest piqued, Jimmy does a little investigating. He compares the bills of several Sandpiper Crossing residents and uncovers multiple cases of gross overcharging: the groundwork for a killer lawsuit. He convenes a group of seniors to point out the errors in their monthly statements -- a meeting that does not go unnoticed by Sandpiper Crossings' facility manager.

Jimmy heads over to Chuck's house to consult the files of some of his other Sandpiper Crossing clients. He shares his discovery with Chuck, who has been unable to resist processing the paperwork that Jimmy asked him to store. Chuck is shocked that he missed such egregious errors but begrudgingly agrees that a class action lawsuit could be brought against the facility if Jimmy can establish a pattern of over-billing.

Jimmy returns to Sandpiper Crossing but is banned from the premises. They've enacted a new policy in order to protect their residents from unwanted "legal solicitation." As Jimmy argues with the facility manager, he hears the unmistakable sound of shredding from the adjacent office. Spoliation, he cries! Jimmy manages to talk his way into being allowed to use the restroom, where he furiously scribbles a "demand letter" on toilet paper, informing Sandpiper Crossing of pending litigation against them. He thrusts the "document" at the facility manager before he is tossed out.

Jimmy returns to the assisted living facility later that night to search their dumpster for the shredded documents. As he digs through the garbage, he receives a call from Rich Schweikart, Sandpiper Crossing's attorney. Schweikart also happens to be an old acquaintance of Chuck's and asserts that he's calling Jimmy out of professional courtesy to Chuck. He warns Jimmy not to pursue legal action against Sandpiper Crossing. But as Jimmy climbs out of the dumpster, he discovers the shredded documents deposited neatly in a nearby recycling bin.

Jimmy arrives at Chuck's house, bags of shredded paper in hand, ready to get to work. He spends the entire night trying to piece the documents back together. The next morning, Chuck finds an exhausted Jimmy, still up from the night before. Chuck steps away to make coffee and returns to find Jimmy asleep. Impressed by Jimmy's commitment, Chuck decides to pick up where Jimmy left off, and by the time Jimmy wakes up, Chuck has assembled the "smoking gun" -- an invoice for syringes from a medical supply company in Lincoln, Nebraska. Energized by the work, Chuck gives Jimmy a long list of case law to pull for research. Jimmy, ecstatic to be working with his brother, hugs Chuck.

Outside, Jimmy calls Kim at HHM and asks her to print the case law Chuck requested and to bill it to Chuck's account. Kim proceeds, but worries that Chuck's involvement with Jimmy's case could violate Chuck's contract with HHM -- and, more importantly, endanger his mental health.