Entertainment

Jimmy Gets His Fake Degree on 'Better Call Saul'

by Rachel Paige

It's assumed that every episode of Better Call Saul will throw out a few Breaking Bad references each time. I mean, we're expecting it, after all. For us die-hard Breaking Bad fans, we eagerly tune into Better Call Saul each week, trying to find those little call backs to a show actually set in the future. It's exciting to try and figure out what's being referenced and how — like a giant puzzle, not unlike Jimmy trying to piece together all those shredded documents. Tonight's episode of Better Call Saul, "Rico," had a few nicely placed Breaking Bad shout-outs. Let's dive right in, shall we?

First one out of the bat, an eerily placed tarantula. It shows up in the opening title scroll — and seriously, how great is the changing scroll each week? — and this week featured a beach and two vibrantly colored ties. Oh, and also a crawling tarantula. Remember the last tarantula we saw in Albuquerque? Drew Sharp's tarantula. The tarantula that evil (and annoying) Todd kept after he shot Drew in cold blood out in the desert. Probably not the same giant spider, but it still sent a shiver down my spine.

Secondly, there's a lot of document shredding in this episode, all because of Jimmy's Lawyer'ed Case of the Week. He demands that the assisted living facility, Sandpiper, stop their shredding, which is a far cry from what we remember the Law Offices of Saul Goodman doing later on. In the future, Saul's going to be known for his document shredding practices, and his receptionist, Francesca, is nothing short of a pro at it.

But now, the biggest Breaking Bad shout-out. Doubling back to the beginning of the episode, which also serves as a little flashback, we see that Jimmy's received word from the University of American Samoa that he's passed the bar. He's now a full fledged lawyer, and Kim's so excited she plants a big wet one right on him — it's sweet, considering how hot and cold their relationship is right now. Jimmy's so excited about this news, and reassures his brother, Chuck, that the University of American Samoa is accredited, and his law degree is a real thing.

Only thing is, though, it's not a real thing. The University of American Samoa is not a real university. We get a glimpse of Saul's degree in his office waaaay later on down the road. For starters, it says, "Saul Goodman." Saul also makes some jokes about his degree, and the fact that it's nothing more than a piece of paper hanging on his wall. This is a pretty long con, Jimmy/Future Saul.

With only two more episodes left of Better Call Saul's first season, they better start sparing no expense for these Breaking Bad Easter eggs. Might still be too early to hope that he goes through the A1 car was, thought.

Images: Ursula Coyote/AMC; AMC