Alpine Shepherd Boy
| "Alpine Shepherd Boy" | |
|---|---|
| Better Call Saulepisode | |
| Episodeno. | Season 1 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Nicole Kassell |
| Written by | Bradley Paul |
| Featured music | "The Third Man Theme"by theMalcolm Lockyer Orchestra |
| Editing by | Skip Macdonald |
| Original air date | March 2, 2015 |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Alpine Shepherd Boy"is the fifth episode of thefirst seasonof theAMCtelevision seriesBetter Call Saul,aspin-offseries ofBreaking Bad.The episode aired on March 2, 2015, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on thestreaming serviceNetflixin several countries.
In the episode,Chuck McGill(Michael McKean) is arrested and hospitalized after stealing his neighbor's newspaper. In the hospital, he is interviewed regarding his alleged condition ofelectromagnetic hypersensitivity.Meanwhile, Chuck's brother,Jimmy(Bob Odenkirk), meets potential legal clients and eventually finds business soliciting from anassisted living facility.
Plot[edit]
Police arrive atChuck McGill's house after his neighbor reports the stolen newspaper.[a]Chuck's living conditions cause the officers to believe he is producingmethamphetamine,so they kick in his door and tase him.
The publicity fromJimmy McGill's billboard rescue results in several new prospective clients, most of whom are not viable because of their eccentricities. After a fruitless day, Jimmy visits Mrs. Strauss, an elderly woman who collectsHummel figurines,one of which is a rare and valuable Alpine Shepherd Boy. He assists her with estate planning, which consists mostly of allocating her Hummels to friends and relatives. Mrs. Strauss finds Jimmy's personality charming. He offers to take half his fee in advance and half after her will is completed, but she pays the full amount up front in cash.
That evening,Kim Wexlersuggests Jimmy's success with his older clients might lend itself to a career in elder law. Jimmy considers it, but is interrupted when Kim takes a call fromHoward Hamlin.After hanging up, she tells Jimmy that Chuck has been hospitalized.
A doctor proves Chuck'selectromagnetic hypersensitivityis psychosomatic by turning on his hospital bed's control panel without him noticing. She recommends Chuck be committed to a mental institution, but Chuck wants to go home and Jimmy supports his decision. Howard then arrives and Jimmy concludes that Howard does not want Chuck committed because Jimmy would obtain guardianship and negotiate for Chuck to receive the full value of his partnership in a buyout. Jimmy then threatens to have Chuck committed, but tells Kim he said it only to scare Howard. Jimmy brings Chuck home and discovers Chuck has learned of his billboard rescue. Jimmy promises a skeptical Chuck he will follow the rules in the future.
After mimickingAndy Griffith's clothing and mannerisms from the TV seriesMatlock,Jimmy promotes his new elder law specialty at anassisted living facility.Exiting the courthouse parking lot, Jimmy givesMike Ehrmantrauta business card with his new "Need a Will? Call McGill!" slogan printed on it.
Mike is parked outside a woman's house. She comes out, gets in her car, and stares at Mike uncomfortably for several moments before they drive away in opposite directions. Mike is later visited at home by several police officers, one of whom he recognizes from his own tenure as an officer in Philadelphia.
Production[edit]
"Alpine Shepherd Boy" is the firstBetter Call Saulepisode not to be written or directed by someone who wrote or directed forBreaking Bad.It was directed byNicole Kasselland written byBradley Paul.[1]The episode was originally titled "Jello", referring to the advertisements Jimmy had for his law practice on the bottom of the Jello lids that were given to the elderly.[2]The showrunners intended each episode title to end in the letter "o" but were unable to obtain permission to use the trademarked gelatin brand name "Jell-O".[3][4][5]
Reception[edit]
Upon airing, the episode received 2.71 million American viewers, and an 18-49 rating of 1.2.[6]
The episode received critical acclaim. OnRotten Tomatoes,based on 20 reviews, it received a 95% approval rating with an average score of 6.80 out of 10. The site's consensus reads, "With 'Alpine Shepherd Boy',Better Call Saulcontinues to forge its own identity while establishing its characters and their journeys in surprising ways.[7]IGNgave the episode a 9.0 rating.[8]The Telegraphrated the episode 4 out of 5 stars.[9]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Kondolojy, Amanda (June 19, 2014)."'Better Call Saul' Renewed for Second Season by AMC; First Season Pushed Back to 2015 ".TV by the Numbers.Archived fromthe originalon June 22, 2014.RetrievedJune 19,2014.
- ^Bowman, Donna (March 2, 2015)."Better Call Saul:" Alpine Shepherd Boy "".The A.V. Club.RetrievedMarch 3,2015.
- ^Gilligan, Vince (March 2, 2015).Insider Podcast[105 Better Call Saul] (podcast). Albuquerque:iTunes.RetrievedApril 5,2015.
- ^Bojalad, Alec (February 10, 2016)."An Appreciation of Better Call Saul Season 1 Episode Names".Den of Geek.RetrievedDecember 10,2020.
- ^"Better Call Saul: How Jello Ruined Season 1's Episode Titles".ScreenRant.January 21, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 23,2022.
- ^Bibel, Sara (March 3, 2015)."Monday Cable Ratings: 'Love & Hip Hop' Wins Night, 'WWE Raw', 'Better Call Saul', 'Vanderpump Rules', 'The Fosters' & More".TV by the Numbers.Archived fromthe originalon March 6, 2015.RetrievedMarch 3,2015.
- ^"Alpine Shepherd Boy".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedJune 24,2020.
- ^Cornet, Roth (March 2, 2015)."Better Call Saul:" Alpine Shepherd Boy "Review".IGN.RetrievedMarch 3,2015.
- ^Power, Ed (March 3, 2015)."Better Call Saul: Alpine Shepherd Boy, episode five, review: 'Jimmy slips away'".The Telegraph.RetrievedMarch 3,2015.
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