Better Call Saul: Uno

February 9, 2015 6:53 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

In part one of the series premiere, Jimmy works his magic in the courtroom. Unexpected inspiration leads him to an unconventional pursuit of potential clients.

AMC episode page with additional content, including video extras and interviews.

posted by Room 641-A (66 comments total)

Miiiii-jo!

I'm very excited about what I've seen already. The gorgeous cinematography, the use of music... it seems like VG and crew are really aiming high here and not just counting on a cushy spin-off gig. They packed a lot into this episode but I think it worked well. And even though I'd seen Mike's scene in the previews I was so delighted to see him again! I assume at some point I'll stop being impressed that Bob Odenkirk can act and just be impressed by Bob Odenkirk's acting (if that makes sense.)

I'm not sure that the show will end up lending itself to the weekly podcast format the same way Breaking Bad did, but I wanted to acknowledge that podcast anyway; I appreciated the passion and generosity of the creative team as much as the insight they provided. I have high expectations that the same passion will at least show up on the screen now.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:13 AM on February 9, 2015 [6 favorites]

(PS: I just wanted to get the ball rolling here since part two airs tonight. I'm in PST so I assume others will come along and be the primary posters of new episodes.)
posted by Room 641-A at 7:13 AM on February 9, 2015

This was a non-pilot pilot, with none of the usual exposition that is used to bring the audience up to speed. I liked it, but it presents a steep learning curve to a new viewer who hasn't seen Breaking Bad. Vince Gilligan has that kind of pull in TV circles now, that they will give him free reign and trust him to deliver the audience.

Those opening arguments were a thing of beauty, with little flourishes like "almost honor students" by (Saul), and the wheeling out and setting up of the tv by the prosecutor which unfolded with such deliberate and forboding slowness, in the same style of Gus Fring putting on his hazmat suit in "Box Cutter".
posted by cardboard at 7:17 AM on February 9, 2015 [14 favorites]

I know it's just a pilot and whatnot, but I think I'm going to like this show a lot. Gilligan's camera work has a lot to offer, and this show seems to take the black comedy that made up some of the best parts of BB and turn it up even higher.

I read a review somewhere or other that contained a line like 'David Chase would have rather stabbed himself in the eye than followed up The Sopranos with The Adventures of Paulie Walnuts.' Vince Gilligan, though, seems to be enjoying this.
posted by box at 7:21 AM on February 9, 2015 [2 favorites]

You knew the cockamamie scheme would fail, but no way did you anticipate how. So far, BCS has the BB magic in spades.
posted by whuppy at 7:25 AM on February 9, 2015 [2 favorites]

The premiere totally exceeded my expectations, which were already pretty high. Gilligan and his team do as good a job as anyone out there of planting seeds for later episodes, and even after just an hour, much of which was devoted to setting up the Jimmy/Saul character for people who hadn't seen him before, there are already a season's worth of threads to pull on.

I really don't see any reason why this show can't rival its progenitor in terms of longevity and critical acclaim. That's a lot to say after just one episode, but with so many of the same creative people involved, why not?
posted by tonycpsu at 7:27 AM on February 9, 2015 [5 favorites]

I usually try to avoid spoilers, but I wasn't on high alert here at all. I am so glad they managed to keep Tuco under wraps because that was one of the best tv surprises in recent memeory. (I'm assuming they were trying to keep it quiet because for once I don't seem to be the only one who didn't see it coming.)
posted by Room 641-A at 7:40 AM on February 9, 2015 [6 favorites]

Loved the flash-forward at the beginning. As for the ending, I knew something was going to be in that house, but I didn't see that coming.

I find myself looking for Breaking Bad references. Was that restaurant one they ate at in BB? Was that Walt's neighborhood they were driving through? I assume both answers are "no" but I suspect I'll be doing that a lot.

It's nice to anticipate something as much as I did Breaking Bad.
posted by bondcliff at 7:40 AM on February 9, 2015 [3 favorites]

You knew the cockamamie scheme would fail, but no way did you anticipate how.

Yeah, that's what I'm liking about it so far.

Also, at one point I thought "am I missing something about this whole law firm thread? Did I zone out?"

Oh no, not at all. I loved the way they unwrapped what the deal was with Michael McKean's character.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:53 AM on February 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

For most of the episode, I was cheerfully spell bound. I can't wait for them to dig into the guts of Jimmy's relationship with his brother, and how his brother got to be... how he is.

I'm not sure I'd agree that there's a steep curve here, but then I am so far out the other side of "has seen Breaking Bad" that I'm possibly not the best judge. I'd guess that the opening would have to get by on its gorgeous cinematography and "intrigue" than anything else. Once you're into that first scene with Odenkirk, you're fine, I think even if you don't know who this person is or will become. You get everything in that court room and the scene after.

I like that they didn't make a big deal of pretty much any of the already known characters showing up. I wondered how the ending would play to someone who didn't know who Tuco is, but I have to think just from the literal events that you've got a great place to leave people hanging without that knowledge.

Can't wait for tonight's episode!
posted by sparkletone at 7:57 AM on February 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

This was a non-pilot pilot, with none of the usual exposition that is used to bring the audience up to speed. I liked it, but it presents a steep learning curve to a new viewer who hasn't seen Breaking Bad.

What's great, though, is that for those of us with solid Breaking Bad knowledge, the new stuff wasn't spelled out either. Information is meted out little bit by little bit, with each little bit piquing curiosity as much as -- actually, no, more than -- it clues us in.

The irony of the masterful show-don't-say here is that in Breaking Bad, Saul was pretty much only ever a fount of straight-up exposition.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:01 AM on February 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

Tuco! That was a great surprise.

The Metafilter thread, for those like me who were avoiding it in case of spoilers; although I think I'll wait for the second episode.

Todd VanDerWerff, Vox: Better Call Saul's brilliant first episode, explained in 9 shots.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:36 AM on February 9, 2015 [7 favorites]

From that shot of the boardroom, what are those curved objects on the table?
posted by cardboard at 8:47 AM on February 9, 2015

IIRC he refers to them as lights. I initially thought they were fancy videoconferencing microphones.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:53 AM on February 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yay, more BCS discussions! I posted a link over here.

Speaking of spoilers, how does that work when referring to Breaking Bad? Or is it a non-issue? I've seen both so I'm happy to do whatever the norm is for FanFare or whatever. (And if there's a better place to discuss it that's fine.)
posted by Room 641-A at 8:53 AM on February 9, 2015

I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to enjoy this show as much as Breaking Bad, but it's off to an excellent start. I was hooked from the word go.

I find myself looking for Breaking Bad references.

Not quite a reference (more like foreshadowing), but as he leaves the court house for the first time and gets into his yellow beater of a car, he walks right past the Cadillac model that he drives in Breaking Bad. It's shot to look like he's going to get into it for a second.

And I would bet money that the court bailiff was Huell's cousin.
posted by SpacemanStix at 9:01 AM on February 9, 2015 [6 favorites]

That flash-forward was genius. The tension when Saul thought the meathead guy was looking at him was palpable. I'm wondering if Saul thinks it was all worth it in the end.

It was reminiscent of the flash-forwards in Breaking Bad that'd leave you thinking "How on earth is the story going to get from where it is now to that point they just showed us?" But it always did, and it always made sense. Well, we know how he got to a Cinnabon in Nebraska, but I'm fairly certain I'm really going to enjoy seeing the rest of the journey Jimmy McGill goes on to end up as Saul Goodman.

Mike and Tuco were such great additions to this episode. I didn't realise until I watched this just how very much I miss Breaking Bad. And that one day I must go to Albuquerque.
posted by essexjan at 11:51 AM on February 9, 2015 [2 favorites]

This was really, really great.

As a lawyer who's read a bunch of the stuff from despairing lawyers at the bottom of the totem pole, I have to say - Episode 1 might be the most honest and unglamorous depiction of the legal profession I've seen on TV. In those circles it's called "toilet law", and I couldn't help but feel like Jimmy declaiming to the set of urinals in that early scene was a sly reference.

This may very well be Breaking Bad's equal, judging by what we've seen, but there's so much that went perfect in the former show that I'm still keeping my expectations in check. For one thing, Walter White alone didn't carry the show. The dynamic between Walter and Jesse was so important, and the dynamic between Walter and Skylar. And later, the dynamic between Gus and everyone else. I'm excited to see what other main characters get introduced that can play off of Jimmy's personality and provide friction. I'm sure we're in for something special.
posted by naju at 12:14 PM on February 9, 2015 [7 favorites]

I hope that somehow this story comes back full circle and redeems him from his current Cinnabon hell. I hope what's happening here is that reflecting on his past somehow gives him the impetus to change his current situation, even in the witness protection program. Because boy howdy, did his life look bleak, and that's not the life I'd hope for him.
posted by SpacemanStix at 5:37 PM on February 9, 2015 [3 favorites]

He's in self-imposed and self-provided exile, not witness protection. Hence his fear of random people.
Also, I can't imagine Slippin' Jimmy walking the straight and narrow for all that long.
posted by Seamus at 6:13 PM on February 9, 2015 [3 favorites]

Two things struck me about this excellent episode. First, the opening sequence in black and white was utterly gorgeous. It felt cinematic, and downright loving. It didn't give in to tropes of "look how awful this job is"; it just... was. Nice and slow and subtle, and then that moment of sheer terror. Nice touch with the camera panning back via the mall's up escalator.

I also thought the courtroom scene was BRILLIANT. It was all about sound: the buzzing electricity in the background, creaking chairs, the aforementioned slide of the TV, the painful silence. It was just so damn good.

And then the sweet, sweet deliciousness of shouting "TUCOOOOO" in my living room at the very end? Sigh. Happy. Relieved. Excited.

Also, Michael McKean is just fabulous, and it's great seeing him play someone with more depth than his usual spoof characters.
posted by flyingsquirrel at 6:34 PM on February 9, 2015 [5 favorites]

I wonder why he has to actually work at a Cinnabon. Seems like it increases his exposure. Wouldn't he have enough money to just hide? Maybe he lost his stash?
posted by isthmus at 6:36 PM on February 9, 2015

This is a stretch, I guess, but something about Saul and his brother reminded me of Charles Crumb and his more famous brother, Robert. I presume Chuck was functional much further along into adulthood, but there seems to be a similar dynamic, where perhaps Chuck is the "purer" practitioner, but Jimmy is the one who can bear to live in this world.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:40 PM on February 9, 2015 [6 favorites]

I also thought the courtroom scene was BRILLIANT. It was all about sound: the buzzing electricity in the background, creaking chairs, the aforementioned slide of the TV, the painful silence. It was just so damn good.

I agree, it was the little things. How freaking bored everyone looked. The almost imperceptible exchange between the judge and the bailiff that communicated exactly what needed to happen to get court rolling. The prosecutor who didn't say a word the whole time and just played the tape. The way that the extension cords caught on the corner as the TV was dragged inconveniently from its location to the center of the court room. And the way that when tape started, someone VERY CONSPICUOUSLY left the courtroom before he hit play. That guy knew what was going to be on the tape, and I think the implication was that he was involved, probably a friend of the boys being prosecuted.

This show is going to be brilliant, no doubt about it.
posted by SpacemanStix at 6:43 PM on February 9, 2015 [7 favorites]

I wonder why he has to actually work at a Cinnabon. Seems like it increases his exposure. Wouldn't he have enough money to just hide? Maybe he lost his stash?

I wonder if it ends up being a front for something, like Los Pollo Hermanos or a vaccuum repair shot. He gives the vibe of perhaps a very depressed version of Gus Fring.
posted by SpacemanStix at 6:46 PM on February 9, 2015

someone VERY CONSPICUOUSLY left the courtroom before he hit play.

I thought that person was just the first in the flood of people who moved from the side that couldn't see the TV to stand in the back of the courtroom so as to not miss the video of the three youths fucking the throat holes . . . as people would definitely do in a real-life court room.
posted by Seamus at 6:56 PM on February 9, 2015 [2 favorites]

I wonder why he has to actually work at a Cinnabon.

I was happy to see one of Saul's all time phrases come to fruition.
posted by juiceCake at 6:57 PM on February 9, 2015 [6 favorites]

I don't think he's "Slippin' Jimmy."

I figured Slippin' Jimmy is a total figment created to get those two kids to buy in. Cicero, Illinois? Might as well have called that place Lawyer, Illinois. (Cicero being, like, the most famous lawyer of all time.)

That guy knew what was going to be on the tape, and I think the implication was that he was involved, probably a friend of the boys being prosecuted.

Or that all the prosecutor did was show that tape over and over again to any and all attempt at mounting a defense. How many times would someone in the audience have seen that tape already?
posted by absalom at 6:58 PM on February 9, 2015

I thought that person was just the first in the flood of people who moved from the side that couldn't see the TV to stand in the back of the courtroom...

Oh yeah, you are right. I checked and you can see him standing off to the right to get a better view.
posted by SpacemanStix at 7:04 PM on February 9, 2015

Oh yeah, I thought the people were leaving too, but there they are.

Hey, the video timestamp was October 2001. I had wondered what year we were in.
posted by isthmus at 7:33 PM on February 9, 2015

Ok, and his paycheck shows May 13, 2002.
posted by isthmus at 7:34 PM on February 9, 2015 [2 favorites]

I figured Slippin' Jimmy is a total figment created to get those two kids to buy in. Cicero, Illinois? Might as well have called that place Lawyer, Illinois. (Cicero being, like, the most famous lawyer of all time.)

Cicero is the real name of a working-class suburb southwest of Chicago. Bob Odenkirk grew up in Naperville, which is a couple of towns further out. I don't think it's unreasonable to think that he really came from there, even if the Slippin Jimmy stuff is embellished.
posted by theodolite at 8:38 PM on February 9, 2015 [2 favorites]

I suspect if Slippin' Jimmy wasn't based on the the character's own experience, the writers wouldn't have given him a name so close to the main characters (and perhaps close in nature).I mean...Generally when a character tells a story like this it's a given it's anecdotal. Characters may not overtly acknowledge that out of polite pretense.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:04 PM on February 9, 2015

I wonder why he has to actually work at a Cinnabon.

Oh!! I'm watching it right now. It's his lab!

I don't think he's "Slippin' Jimmy."

Last night I nicknamed him "Slip & Fall Saul."
posted by Room 641-A at 9:04 PM on February 9, 2015 [2 favorites]

So Michael McKean is his brother? I missed whatever small clue or outright statement indicated this. Having watched both episodes I'm still not sure what's going on with McKean's character. He seems to have his mental faculties in working order, but then he doesn't.
posted by GrapeApiary at 8:11 AM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

So Michael McKean is his brother?

It's made very clear that the "McGill" in "Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill" is McKean's character, not Jimmy. Hence all the talk of the firm buying him out rather than leaving him on sabbatical and what not.

How Chuck got like he is isn't clear yet, but it looks like he suffers (or at least would very much claim to) from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, which is not an accepted medical diagnosis or anything, but his behavior is in keeping with that. There was an interesting thread over on the blue a while back about people who say they suffer from it moving to an area of the US that's been designated a "Radio Quiet Zone" by the government because of radio astronomy stuff that is done there.
posted by sparkletone at 8:28 AM on February 10, 2015 [4 favorites]

Thanks, sparkletone. I knew he was that McGill from the firm, but I had assumed he was his father.
posted by GrapeApiary at 9:00 AM on February 10, 2015

Ah. I'm pretty sure the references to a "Chuck" as "my/your brother" are in the conference room scene ... But there's so much else being dumped out in that one that I completely understand missing it.

I kept getting hung up on whether or not they'd say what happened to Chuck (pretty sure they don't). I'm glad they didn't "as you know" that info despite that being one of the things in the backstory for this show that I'm super curious about currently.
posted by sparkletone at 9:16 AM on February 10, 2015

I don't think they explicitly said what the relationship was. He could be an uncle.
posted by bq at 9:30 AM on February 10, 2015

For those who wish to know, AMC's web site has a character profile that specifies Jimmy and Chuck's relationship.
posted by isthmus at 10:14 AM on February 10, 2015

Loved it, and the main takeaway for me was: Bob Odenkirk can carry a show on his own. That - and of course the writers/directors - gives me much hope for many rabbit holes.
posted by digitalprimate at 1:05 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

I had to watch the episode twice to pick up on some things. Wasn't clear on the Jimmy-Chuck relationship (yep, brother). Also had no idea who the woman smoking outside of the law firm was. Chuck mentions that she's "your friend Kim" who's an up-and-coming lawyer with the firm, and I don't think it's clear who she is, or what her history is with Jimmy. (In case that helps anyone.)
posted by naju at 2:18 PM on February 10, 2015

My goodness, he does desperate so well.
posted by unliteral at 2:43 PM on February 10, 2015 [5 favorites]

Mostly, I loved it. So much genius packed into one little hour.

But -- I'm disappointed that they didn't even try to come anywhere near passing Bechdel. I can't think of a legitimate reason why they wouldn't. Would it be so hard for them to include women-people in their imagined world as more than props? Is their vision so limited that they don't see the problem? Do these writers not have enough talent to manage it? Is it that they don't think it matters enough to be worth the effort? Or maybe they keep doing it this way on purpose? I'm sad.

(But so happy) (and I'm holding out hope that this comment will look silly after a few more episodes.)
posted by Corvid at 4:45 PM on February 10, 2015 [3 favorites]

It was late & I wasn't completely sober so in my first viewing I missed that the B&W opening was a flash-forward to post-Walt present day. Now that I get it, yeah pretty cool. But last night I was pretty confused at the start. Anyway. Carry on.
posted by scalefree at 6:00 PM on February 10, 2015

I don't think there were any scenes where Jimmy witnessed dialogue between two other people who weren't him (or Craig and Betsy). The only way they could have passed Bechdel would have been by making Cal and Lars female. Even in the law firm.

Or they could have written the script differently, heh, yeah that.
posted by bq at 6:51 PM on February 10, 2015

I know The Bechdel Test isn't exclusively for movies, but can you even apply it (or its general principles) to a tv show when only one, two-part episode has aired?
posted by Room 641-A at 9:08 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

Scalefree, you weren't the only one confused about the opening. Once Craig Kettleman was introduced, I thought it was him because he had similar glasses. (Why would Craig be watching Better Call Saul adverts? I have no idea.)

I was sure that the skater who took the falls was going to bite it when he was hit by Betsy Kettleman's car. I was glad my expected bad thing was taken in another, worse (Tuco!) direction.
posted by minsies at 9:43 AM on February 11, 2015

When applying Bechdel to a TV series, you can focus on either the series overall (or seasons of it), or individual episodes. Most episodes of Breaking Bad were not Bechdel-positive, but a few were (uh, Skyler and Marie talking about the baby tiara!). Yet every episode of BB was effortlessly, automatically "reverse-Bechdel" positive (two or more named male characters talking about something other than a woman). The female characters didn't drive the story, but they were complex and significant. That was enough for me to enjoy the show a lot. So far, BCS is doing less well, though I realize it's too early to make an overall judgment.

Given that the people working on this show are demonstrably some of the most gifted makers of TV ever, my expectations are high. I have to believe that it's possible to craft a great show that doesn't require me to overlook the fact that my half of humanity is still (again, again, again) being overlooked, diminished, distorted, insulted? I'm just really tired of it, and I expect better.
posted by Corvid at 11:05 AM on February 11, 2015 [3 favorites]

I'm guessing (and hoping) we'll eventually bump into Lydia, though maybe not for a couple years yet. She has a history with Mike, right? Seems to be a whole lot of story potential there. *fingers crossed*
posted by Sys Rq at 11:25 AM on February 11, 2015

Yes, but I think in the Breaking Bad universe Saul initially knows of Gus only by reputation and only through Mike -- "a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy" -- rather than directly. Saul's not involved in the whole Madrigal/Pollos conspiracy until Walt drags him into it.

But then again you don't cast Jonathan Banks and then have him be a bit player...
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:50 AM on February 11, 2015

Given that the people working on this show are demonstrably some of the most gifted makers of TV ever, my expectations are high.

We share the same expectations and frustrations.

I do think there's an interesting discussion to be had about the creative process in episodic drama, and whether it's more important to let the story tell itself at its own pace (while hopefully passing the Bechdel Test in the end) or to force the story through the test episode by episode but that's probably a discussion for another time and place.

(In your Breaking Bad example, I also agree that it can be informative to review a series episode-by-episode after the show's run, but that's a different lens and expectation than doing it in real time.)
posted by Room 641-A at 2:40 PM on February 11, 2015

But then again you don't cast Jonathan Banks and then have him be a bit player...

My hope is that this holds the potential for lots of Ehrmantrautian shenanigans that weren't even hinted at in BB. Or, rather, Ehrmantraut bailing Jimmy out from some shenanigans, if post-BCS Mike is any indicator.

These things he will likely do with a world-weary sigh and an eyeroll toward the heavens.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:05 PM on February 11, 2015 [3 favorites]

Apropos of that: the AMC site is showing this comic, Client Development, as an interstitial between eps 1 and 2. Set in the timeline of the Breaking Bad Better Call Saul episode; retells the events of that episode from Saul and Mike's POV.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 3:26 PM on February 11, 2015 [8 favorites]

essexjan: ... one day I must go to Albuquerque.

After watching the first two episodes of BCS, my wife would like y'all to know that New Mexico isn't a land of desert, drugs and death. Sure, you can see Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies on patrol in a new season of COPS to highlight local crime for entertainment purposes once again, but that's not who we are! There's so much history here.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:23 AM on February 17, 2015

New Mexico isn't a land of desert

But some of the desert shots in both BB and BCS really sell the place. It looks stunning to me.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:31 AM on February 17, 2015

Corvid: But -- I'm disappointed that they didn't even try to come anywhere near passing Bechdel. I can't think of a legitimate reason why they wouldn't. Would it be so hard for them to include women-people in their imagined world as more than props?

Room 641-A: I know The Bechdel Test isn't exclusively for movies, but can you even apply it (or its general principles) to a tv show when only one, two-part episode has aired?

I think the test is simply a catchy way of saying "are there at least two female characters who exist beyond being someone's (in)significant other/trophy?" On one side, you have the male-focused mainstream media, and on the other, the reality where there are about as many women as men, who exist on their own. The Bechdel Test simply asks "has anyone made a half-assed effort to shift perspective from All Dudes All The Time?"

(I realize this upsets me because I can't un-see how mainstream media is focused on people like me, a young-ish, straight, white male, but the world is so much more diverse and interesting. For me, it is now like that picture that is clearly hanging at a slight angle, but you can't touch it, so you just stare at it and want to nudge it, just a little.)
posted by filthy light thief at 11:55 AM on February 17, 2015 [4 favorites]

mandolin conspiracy: But some of the desert shots in both BB and BCS really sell the place.

Oh, completely. There's more to life here than violence and drugs. Like tons of delicious food, and so much more to do and see.

Because there's so much open space in the state, enjoy browsing the Wikipedia category: Geography of New Mexico.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:04 PM on February 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

FWIW, the AMC Better Call Saul Insider podcast for this episode (iTunes link from the episode page; unclear how to get a regular RSS feed for it) is REALLY GOOD. Lots of Bob Odenkirk talking about acting and process.

Also, a tidbit: to keep Tuco a surprise, Raymond Cruz agreed to take a credit in the end titles rather than spoiling the surprise with an opening-titles billing.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:44 PM on February 23, 2015

Also interesting in the podcast: Gilligan talking about pilots and how studio/network pressure often forces them to be closed-ended with a self-contained arc rather than an open-ended setup for season- or series-long arcs. The deal with AMC/Sony allowed them to do a pilot which leaves lots of dangling questions.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:04 PM on February 23, 2015

Also, a tidbit: to keep Tuco a surprise, Raymond Cruz agreed to take a credit in the end titles rather than spoiling the surprise with an opening-titles billing.

I actually meant to ask about this because I know there are very precise rules about credits, and I even went back to see if I'd missed his name in the opening credits. But if anyone has more insight into this, like if it required a SAG waiver, that would be interesting to hear.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:21 AM on February 24, 2015

They mentioned "SAG rules" in the podcast but didn't go into any further technical detail: it was presented more as Cruz being gracious and/or accommodating.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:25 AM on February 24, 2015

I'm not an expert, nor even the least bit qualified, but from what I can find on the SAG website, it would appear that this is the key bit:

A "major role" performer is one who, as a part of his or her contractual arrangement for that employment, negotiates credit at the front of the show or negotiates credit on a separate card, or its equivalent in a crawl, at the back of the show or who negotiates credit in any of the following forms: "Guest Star;" "Special Guest Star;" "Starring;" or "Special Appearance By."

If that is indeed the relevant passage (it may well not be), then the (minimum) pay's the same regardless of where the credits end up, so it'd just be a matter of convincing ($$$) the actor and/or his representatives to go with the end credits.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:43 AM on February 24, 2015

D'oh! It looks like I stopped the episode right before they went into it. Luckily I fat fingered it to continue episode one instead of going to episode two. Thanks for finding that info, Sys Rq!
posted by Room 641-A at 12:10 PM on February 24, 2015

Nature channel: "One of the few exceptions is the African pancake tortoise, which has a flat, flexible shell. It allows it to hide in rock crevasses." Great metaphor!
posted by isthmus at 11:18 PM on April 3, 2015

I just watched this again, and I love it that there are things which are funny the second time through and not the first--Jimmy says that the important thing to remember about the incident is that no one got hurt, and in an aside to the 19-year-olds stresses that the incident is "never to be repeated." If you don't know what the incident is, what he says just seems like a bit of obvious playing to the jury--trying to win them over with some faux stern admonishment--but if you know what they've done it's darkly hilarious.
posted by johnofjack at 6:16 PM on January 7, 2016