Better Call Saul review: S1/E4 "Hero"

Warning: spoiler alerts below

If Kim Wexler can't resist Jimmy McGill's charm, how is the audience supposed to dislike him, even if he takes the bride he says he can't take?

Episode 4 of Better Call Saul was Jimmy at his scheming best, flashing back to the early 1990s for a scam to get money for beer and bong hits, trying to steal the Kettleman's back with a "retainer" fee disguised as a bribe, reasoning with Nacho that a "good Samaritan" actually saved him despite the impending consequences promised, treating himself to a makeover, drawing the ire of Howard Hamlin by dressing like his twin and posting a billboard that looks like his rivals, lobbying the local TV stations to broadcast a story about the big bad law firm in town out to get him, and staging the publicity stunt of all publicity stunts to make himself look like a hero and get new clients.

Entertaining as the final 55 minutes of this week's episode was, the initial five-minute "flashback" scene was the highlight for a second consecutive week. We learn that Saul Goodman was the alter-ego of Jimmy McGill at least a decade earlier. The name Saul is short for "it's all good." [Seriously, how long have the writers been waiting to use that line?]

What we don't know, as Vince Gilligan and his writers so deftly maneuver in non-linear storytelling fashion, is whether this week's scam came before or after last week's flashback that landed Jimmy in jail. [The guess here is this week's flashback was around 1991 and last week's was sometime in 1992.]

Previewing the 2015 Isotopes: Relief pitchers

This is the final installment in our previews of the 2015 Isotopes. Previously, we examined the catchers, first baseman, middle infielders, third baseman, outfielders and starting pitchers.


The sheer quantity of possible relief pitchers makes compiling this list a bit daunting. We always start by trying to predict the major-league roster and then examine the remaining players for the triple-A roster. This is harder than any position because so few of the bullpen spots for the Rockies are locks as they begin spring training.

Utilizing the recent piece by the Denver Post's Nick Grote and the depth chart on Rockies.com, let's throw these seven names against the wall: LaTroy Hawkins as closer, Boone Logan, Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Rex Brothers, Brooks Brown and Christian Friedrich (who is out of minor league options).

Next comes the usual qualifier about injuries, disaster performances in Arizona, and overwhelming performances that will surely change things.

Now comes the list of those fighting for a job with the Rockies and could be with the Isotopes. Let's break them into categories, shall we?

Better Call Saul review: S1/E3 "Nacho"

Warning: spoiler alerts below

'Better Call Saul' is already one giant flashback, an explanation of how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman, so why not have a flashback within a flashback?

That's how Episode 3 begins. It's no longer 2003. It's now 1992. Jimmy has more hair and he's handcuffed. His older brother Charles McGill is not only able to leave the house, but he's badass lawyer able to help out a brother he hasn't seen in five years. Jimmy is facing property damage and assault charges, plus he's at risk for being a sex offender. Charles reluctantly agrees to help, but only after telling Jimmy, "everything that you're involve with, it's over."

That's the backdrop that helps us understand Jimmy's dilemma in 2003. He knows that Nacho Varga wants to steal the money from the Kettleman's that the Kettleman's stole from Bernalillo County taxpayers. He knows that Nacho isn't averse to using violence to make it happen. Jimmy is no hero, as he told his once-upon-a-time or still-upon-a-time phone sex buddy Kim Wexler. Jimmy still has a conscious though. We're led to believe it all dates back to what he promised his big bro 11 years earlier.

Added bonus: this scene was shot down the
street from where I live

It's a fascinating opening 10 minutes and sets the stage for another enjoyable episode. Fifty minutes later, Jimmy discovers the Kettleman's are missing, Nacho was arrested as the lead suspect, Nacho maintains his innocent, Nacho thinks Jimmy set him up, Nacho is going to kill Jimmy if he doesn't get him out of jail, Jimmy thinks the Kettleman's staged their own appearance, Jimmy's crazy theory is shared by parking lot attendant Mike Ehrmantraut because it's more logical than the detectives, Mike's sage advice leads Jimmy in the right direction, and Jimmy finds the Kettleman's "hiding" in a tent not too far from their own backyard.

"Nobody wants to leave home," Mike tells Jimmy.

Yet it was Mike who was once on the force in Philadelphia, and left for reasons unknown to come out to Albuquerque. Why? We'll known when creator Vince Gilligan decides it's best for us to know.

Previewing the 2015 Isotopes: Starting Pitchers

We're in the home stretch of our preview of possible members of the 2015 Isotopes. If you missed the position player recaps, we looked at catcher, first base, middle infield, third base, and outfielders.

The recent signing of free-agent pitcher Kyle Kendrick was a clear sign the Rockies don't want to rush young pitching prospects Jon Gray and Eddie Butler. It's a good indication both will start the season in the Isotopes starting rotation. Before we dive into who joins them, let's examine the overall depth of starting pitchers in the Rockies organization, beginning with the majors.

Entering spring training, the Rockies rotation looks like this on paper:
LHP Jorge De La Rosa
RHP Jhoulys Chacin (returning from a shoulder injury after electing to not have surgery)
RHP Kyle Kendrick
LHP Tyler Matzek
RHP Jordan Lyles

It's never that simple though. Injuries, performance and maneuvering the 25-man roster based on off-day always influences the composition. Especially injuries. The next wave of starting pitcher candidates could end up in the Rockies bullpen as a long reliever, or in the Isotopes rotation.

Previewing the 2015 Isotopes -- Outfield

It's now time for the fifth part of our preview of likely members of the 2015 Isotopes, a focus on the outfielders. Earlier previews: Catcher, First Base, Middle Infield and Third Base.

The Rockies enter spring training settled with their outfield situation. Barring injuries, it's Corey Dickerson in left field, Charlie Blackmon in center field and Carlos Gonzalez in right field. All three are left-handed hitters, and reserve outfielders Drew Stubbs (no options remaining) and Barndon Barnes (three options left) are both right-handed. It's a balanced fivesome with power, speed and defensive versatility.

The biggest question is if Kyle Parker wins a reserve spot. The Rockies might prefer to have Parker get regular at-bats in the minors, no matter what, over sporadic playing time in the major leagues. So we'll project Parker in the minors, the five from the previous paragraph in the major leagues, and analyze who comes to the Isotopes.

Better Call Saul review: S1/E2 "Mijo"

Warning: spoiler alerts below

Now we know why critics were raving about the first two episodes of "Better Call Saul."

AMC spoiled us with back-to-back opening episodes of the highly-anticipated prequel to "Breaking Bad" on Sunday and Monday, opting to give us that quick fix to satisfy our urges, and now making us wait like junkies over the next six days before we see episode three.

It's been a thrill-ride so far, high on action and tense drama for the cast we already knew, easing into the back story of the new characters, and planting the seeds for the story lines over the next two months.

Because we know what becomes of Saul Goodman, still Jimmy McGill at this point, we know that he will be "in the game" sooner than later. The best characters on TV are filled with moral ambiguity. The drama is how they straddle the line, the tipping point that makes them cross the line, and how soon they forget the line ever existed. Just how fast Saul caves to the almighty dollar is a test for the patience of Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould and the rest of the writing cast.

The writers had to get our attention right away. They did that. They've proven this show can stand on its own legs and won't cheapen the legacy of Breaking Bad.

Hopefully, Saul/Jimmy continues to waver for more episodes on the moral ambiguity he's facing, and finds clever gaps within the lanes to justify his actions. Because once Jimmy becomes Saul, the journey is over. All that remains is deciding who lives, clever ways for people to die, Saul one-liners, and syncing up the plot from the original episodes of Bad.

Episode two gave us walking-stick violence, stunning cloud porn in the desert as Jimmy does his best negotiating to save three lives, a window into Jimmy's pathetic world, an artfully crafted montage scene of Jimmy at work, and the emergence of Nacho (played by Michael Mando) as a prime character that sets the stage for Jimmy to become Saul.

Better Call Saul review: S1/E1 "Uno"

(Warning: Spoiler Alerts are below)

For the highly-anticipated premiere of "Better Call Saul," my aunt Janet and cousin Geoff joined me at the former law offices of Saul Goodman for a Watch Party. It wasn't the real office. The outside "establishing shot" of Saul's office is a strip mall at 9800 Montgomery in northeast Albuquerque. It used to be Hooligan's. Now it's a new bar called the Local Brewhouse.

Watching a TV show inside a bar, surrounded by 50+ diehards of "Breaking Bad," has its advantages and disadvantages.

The disadvantages start with the dude who thinks he's cool because he yells out the name of actual establishments in Albuquerque that are seen on the show. Or the annoying buzzing noise from the sound system the first 20 minutes, or the really loud air conditioning inexplicably coming on and drowning out the volume for a minute.

Previewing the 2015 Isotopes -- Third base

Our previews of the likely 2015 Isotopes rosters continues with a look at third base. We've already looked at catcher, first base and middle infield.

The Rockies believe they have a franchise third baseman in Nolan Arenado. He's not just one of the best "young" third baseman in baseball. He's in the top-10 period, evidence by a 4.1 WAR that ranked eighth among all third baseman in the majors. Arenado is under team-control for another four years, won Gold Gloves in his first two years in the majors, and improved his slash line to .287/.328/.500 last year. 

Arenado was limited to 111 games though. He was placed on the disabled list in late-May with a mallet fracture on his left middle finger, after sliding headfirst into second base. The final two weeks, with the Rockies eliminated, Arenado was shutdown due to a chest contusion and pneumonia. If he stays healthy, Arenado could play over 140 games. The reserves are Daniel Descalso and Charlie Culberson.

As for the Isotopes, the third-base preview is a little anticlimactic because most of the candidates are also middle infielders who we previously profiled: Cristhian Adames, Rafael Ynoa, Omar Quintanilla and Angelys Nina.

This will be different than what we saw at Isotopes Park in 2013 and 2014. We saw a lot more "corner infielder" types on those teams: Jamie Romak, Alex Liddi, Brian Barden, Rusty Ryal, Ian Stewart.

The 2015 Isotopes team could be similar to a month-long stretch in 2013, when then-manager Lorenzo Bundy rotated Dee Gordon, Justin Sellers and Elian Herrera between third base, shortstop and second base on a regular basis.

Previewing the 2015 Isotopes -- Middle Infield

Our preview of likely members of the 2015 Isotopes continues with a look at the middle infielders. Previously, we looked at catcher and first base.

The Rockies middle infield looks set. Troy Tulowitzki is the best shortstop in the majors, when healthy, and new general manager Jeff Bridich told our season tickets holders that he wasn't shopping Tulowitzki in a trade this offseason, as much as he was listening and building relationships with the other 29 GMs. DJ LeMahieu won a Gold Glove at second base, and while you'd like to have more offense than his .267/.315/.348 slash line, the Rockies will take it.

For the reserves, the Rockies signed playoff veteran Daniel Descalso to a two-year, $3.6 million free agent contract, after the Cardinals non-tendered him. Descalso essentially takes the place of Josh Rutledge, who was traded to the Angels for Jairo Diaz on Dec. 11. Descalso is similar to holdover Charlie Culberson as a reserve known for versatility and solid gloves, although Descalso has better offensive numbers in the majors.

Cristhian Adames

The next wave of middle infielders in the Rockies system, which we'll see in Albuquerque, is a mixture of young prospects and a notable veteran. They'll all get a look at big-league camp.

Cristhian Adames (kris-tee-YAHN ad-dah-MAZE) was promoted from double-A Tulsa to triple-A Colorado Springs in mid-July, and responded with a .338/.392/.441 slash line in 163 plate appearances. Adames then hit .353 for Toros del Este to win the batting title in the Dominican Winter League. Adames was Baseball America's #21 prospect entering the 2014 season and he'll be knocking on the door at Coors Field soon. But since he went 1-for-15 in his September callup last year and only has six weeks at triple-A, I'm projecting him to be the Isotopes starting shortstop and No.2 hitter on Opening Night. Adames can also play second base and third base, which is important when Tulowitzki is the shortstop in the majors, and I'd expect him to move around the infield.

Props bets to make your Super Bowl more interesting

A friend of mine wrote the following email to me this week: "Hey is it possible to dislike 2 teams more than NE & Sea?"

My response: "I'm rooting for Marshawn Lynch to win MVP ... just for the post game interview with Dan Patrick. Root for your Props Bets." Attached was my seventh annual Props Bets pool sheet.

Squares have become such a staple of Super Bowl parties, the International Business Times did a story, complete with printable boxes. 

But for real fun, create a Props Bets pool. You don't have to go to Vegas and wager money against the house on any specific bet. Just pick a bunch of them, throw in five bucks each, and have fun rooting for ridiculous items to make your Super Bowl viewing more fun.

The best part is creating your own Props Bets. To get you started, here's the list that I made for my party. Enjoy.

Prop Bets for Super Bowl 49

(1 pt) Length of the national anthem?                   Under 2 min              Over 2 min

(1 pt) Result of the first coaches challenge?          Overturned                Call stands

(1 pt) Total rushing yds for Marshawn Lynch?    1-92 yards                 93+ yards

(1 pt) Total receiving yds for Rob Gronkowski?    1-72 yards                 73+ yards

(1 pt) Who has more passing yards in the game?   Russell Wilson           Tom Brady

(1 pt) Either team score in final 2 min of 1^st half?           Yes                              No

(1 pt) Will team that scores first win the game?  Yes                              No

(1 pt) Will there be defensive/special teams TD?            Yes                              No

(1 pt) Will Lenny Kravitz wear a scarf?                 Yes                              No

(1 pt) Will Katie Perry kiss a girl on stage?                       Yes                              No

(1 pt) Will any TD get overturned by replay?       Yes                              No

(1 pt) Will there be a 2-pt try attempted?                        Yes                              No

(1 pt) Which team attempts the first trick play?  Seattle                 New England

(1 pt) What will be the higher point total?        Lobos Hoops Sat        NE-Sea total

(3 pt) What will be the first penalty called? _______

(3 pt) What quarter will Al Michaels make the first gambling reference? _______

(3 pt) How many lead changes will take place in the game? _______

(3 pt) What color will the postgame Gatorade shower be? _______

(3 pt) What player scores the first touchdown?   _______

(3 pt) What song will Katie Perry play first at halftime? _______

(3 pt) Who will the MVP thank first? _______

(Tiebreaker) Total beers drank by Geoff and Josh by end of game? _______