Uno (Better Call Saul)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Episode 1
- Vince Gilligan
- Peter Gould
| "Uno" | |
|---|---|
| Better Call Saul episode | |
 Jimmy McGill argues with parking attendant Mike Ehrmantraut. The actors who play them, Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks, reprise their roles from Breaking Bad. | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Vince Gilligan |
| Written by |
|
| Featured music | "Address Unknown" by The Ink Spots |
| Cinematography by | Arthur Albert |
| Editing by | Skip Macdonald |
| Original air date | February 8, 2015 |
| Running time | 53 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Uno" is the series premiere of the television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode was written by series creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, and directed by Gilligan. In the United States, the episode aired on February 8, 2015 and lasted 50 minutes and 55 seconds, on AMC. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.
The series mainly takes place in 2002, approximately six years prior to the title character Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) meeting Walter White (Bryan Cranston). In "Uno", Jimmy McGill (Saul), is a struggling lawyer living in and working out of a makeshift office at the back of a nail salon. Jonathan Banks reprises his role as Mike Ehrmantraut, a retired cop working as a parking lot security guard, as does Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca, a high-ranking Mexican drug dealer. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, and at the time, it became the most-watched series premiere for a scripted series in U.S. cable history, with 6.9 million viewers.[1]
Opening
In Omaha, Nebraska, a balding, mustached Saul Goodman, now living under the pseudonym "Gene Takavic", works as the manager of a shopping mall Cinnabon, wary of being recognized. In his apartment that night, he tearfully watches a VHS tape of his old television commercials.
Main story
In May 2002, Jimmy McGill is a struggling Albuquerque attorney. After representing three teenagers as a public defender, he is frustrated to be paid only $700. On his way out of the courthouse parking lot to meet a prospective client, Jimmy is stopped by attendant Mike Ehrmantraut. Mike refuses to let him exit until he pays cash or provides a court-supplied parking sticker.
Jimmy meets with Betsy and Craig Kettleman, who are being investigated for embezzlement. They are hesitant to hire him and when Jimmy later tries to order them flowers while driving, he hits a man on a skateboard. The skateboarder's twin brother videotapes the incident and threatens to call the police unless Jimmy pays them. Recognizing their ruse, Jimmy refuses. Afterward, he returns to his "office" – the boiler room of a Vietnamese beauty salon – where he finds a check from Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM). Jimmy tears up the check and later accuses the partners of offering a token payment to cheat his brother Chuck McGill out of his partnership. On his way out of HHM, he sees the Kettlemans entering, which causes him to angrily and repeatedly kick a trash can.
Jimmy visits Chuck, who is housebound and believes he has electromagnetic hypersensitivity. He has no electricity and works by lantern light on a manual typewriter. Chuck refuses to accept a buyout from HHM and also suggests that Jimmy stop using the McGill name for his law practice.
Jimmy tracks down the skateboarders, Cal and Lars, and tells them he got the nickname "Slippin' Jimmy" as a young man by faking "slip and fall" accidents for easy money. He arranges for one of them to be struck by Betsy's car, which will enable him to make another pitch to defend the Kettlemans. However, after the accident the motorist drives off without checking on Cal. Cal and Lars give chase, but when the car stops, an elderly woman exits. They try to make her pay and follow her into her house. Jimmy arrives moments later and begins to search, but is pulled into the house at gunpoint by Tuco Salamanca.
Production
Development
A spin-off series to Breaking Bad was first discussed during the airing of the show's fifth season.[2] In July 2012, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan hinted at a possible spin-off series focusing on Goodman.[3] In April 2013, the series was confirmed to be in development by Gilligan and Gould; the latter wrote the Breaking Bad episode that introduced the character.[4] In a July 2012 interview, Gilligan said he liked "the idea of a lawyer show in which the main lawyer will do anything it takes to stay out of a court of law" including settling on the courthouse steps.[5]
Filming
The show is filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Breaking Bad was also shot.[6] As filming began on June 2, 2014,[7] concerns were expressed regarding the possible disappointment from the series' turnout, in terms of audience reception.[8][9] On June 19, 2014, AMC announced it had renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes to premiere in early 2016, with the first season to consist of 10 episodes, and that the series premiere had been delayed to early 2015.[10] The first teaser trailer debuted on AMC on August 10, 2014, and confirmed its premiere date of February 2015.[11]
In the cold open, Saul (now hiding his real identity under the alias Gene), is working at a shopping mall Cinnabon. This scene is set in Omaha, Nebraska, but it was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Cottonwood Mall.[12] The cold open is predominantly shown in black and white, except for a brief moment where a Saul Goodman commercial in color reflects on Gene's glasses.[13]
Cultural references
As Jimmy barges into a partner's meeting at HHM, he shouts "You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Hamlin, and I won't have it!", paraphrasing a quote from the film Network.[14] As Jimmy exits HHM's offices after arguing with the partners, he shouts "You Will Atone!" When no one understands the reference, he says "It's Ned Beatty from Network. For Christ's sake, guys."[14]
