"Alpine Shepherd Boy"
Better Call Saul episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed byNicole Kassell
Written byBradley Paul
Featured music"The Third Man Theme" by the Malcolm Lockyer Orchestra
Editing bySkip Macdonald
Original air dateMarch 2, 2015 (2015-03-02)
Running time44 minutes
Guest appearances

"Alpine Shepherd Boy" is the fifth episode of the first season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on March 2, 2015, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

Plot

Police arrive at Chuck McGill's house after his neighbor reports the stolen newspaper.[lower-alpha 1] Chuck's living conditions cause the officers to believe he is producing methamphetamine, so they kick in his door and tase him.

The publicity from Jimmy 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 collects Hummel 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 Wexler suggests 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 from Howard Hamlin. After hanging up, she tells Jimmy that Chuck has been hospitalized.

A doctor proves Chuck's electromagnetic hypersensitivity is 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 mimicking Andy Griffith's clothing and mannerisms from the TV series Matlock, Jimmy promotes his new elder law specialty at a nursing home. Exiting the courthouse parking lot, Jimmy gives Mike Ehrmantraut a 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

"Alpine Shepherd Boy" is the first Better Call Saul episode not to be written or directed by someone who wrote or directed for Breaking Bad. It was directed by Nicole Kassell and written by Bradley 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

Upon airing, the episode received 2.71 million American viewers, and an 18-49 rating of 1.2.[6]

The episode received critical acclaim. On Rotten 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 Saul continues to forge its own identity while establishing its characters and their journeys in surprising ways.[7] IGN gave the episode a 9.0 rating.[8] The Telegraph rated the episode 4 out of 5 stars.[9]

Notes

  1. ↑ As seen in "Hero".

References

  1. ↑ 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 from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  2. ↑ Bowman, Donna (March 2, 2015). "Better Call Saul: "Alpine Shepherd Boy"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ Gilligan, Vince (March 2, 2015). Insider Podcast [105 Better Call Saul] (podcast). Albuquerque: iTunes. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ Bojalad, Alec (February 10, 2016). "An Appreciation of Better Call Saul Season 1 Episode Names". Den of Geek. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Better Call Saul: How Jello Ruined Season 1's Episode Titles". ScreenRant. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  6. ↑ 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 from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Alpine Shepherd Boy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  8. ↑ Cornet, Roth (March 2, 2015). "Better Call Saul: "Alpine Shepherd Boy" Review". IGN. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  9. ↑ Power, Ed (March 3, 2015). "Better Call Saul: Alpine Shepherd Boy, episode five, review: 'Jimmy slips away'". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
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