"Alpine Shepherd Boy" is the fifth episode of the first season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff 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 streaming service Netflix in several countries.
Plot
Two police officers arrive at Chuck's house after his neighbor calls 911 to report the stolen newspaper. Chuck refuses to open the door because of his electromagnetic hypersensitivity. One officer walks around to the basement door, where he finds that the electric lines to the circuit breaker panel have been cut, and there are several empty camping fuel cans from Chuck's lanterns and cook stove laying about. Combining this with Chuck's ramblings about probable causecase law, the two officers mistakenly conclude that Chuck is producing methamphetamine, kick down his front door, and taser him. Tycoon Big Ricky Sipes offers Jimmy $1 million in cash to help him secede from the United States. Jimmy's excitement at the windfall quickly dissipates when the wealthy eccentric reveals he plans to pay him using his custom printed currency. He visits another prospective client, Roland Jaycocks, who asks him to help patent an invention called "Tony the Toilet Buddy", a training toilet that plays recordings of what are supposed to be encouraging phrases to children as they use it. All the phrases are sexual innuendos and when Jimmy points this out, an incensed Roland chases him out of the house. Finally, Jimmy visits Mrs. Strauss, an elderly woman who collects porcelain 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 various friends and relatives. Mrs. Strauss finds Jimmy's personality charming, and he offers to take half his fee in advance and half after the will is completed, but she pays the full amount upfront in cash. That evening, Jimmy entertains Kim with tales of his eventful day. With two wills and a living trust to his credit, she suggests a career in elder law. Jimmy considers, but is interrupted when Kim takes a call from Howard, who tells her Chuck is in the hospital. In Chuck's hospital room, Jimmy and Kim explain Chuck's condition to a skeptical doctor. She proves Chuck's electromagnetic hypersensitivity is not genuine by turning on the bed's control panel without Chuck noticing. She recommends Chuck be committed to a mental institution, but Chuck wants to go home. Jimmy initially decides to comply with Chuck's wishes, but Howard arrives and tells Jimmy he convinced the DA to make sure Chuck is not committed. Jimmy believes Howard is putting the firm's needs ahead of Chuck's, knowing that if Chuck is committed, Jimmy will become his guardian and have authority to accept HHM's severance offer on Chuck's behalf. Although he scares Howard by threatening to commit Chuck, severing Howard's connection to his "cash cow", Jimmy tells Kim he is not really going todo it, only saying so to irritate Howard. Jimmy leaves the hospital with Chuck and brings him home. At Chuck's house, Jimmy discovers that Chuck has learned of his billboard rescue. Jimmy promises Chuck that he will play by the rules going forward, but Chuck is skeptical. After mimicking Andy Griffith's clothing and mannerisms from Matlock, Jimmy promotes his new specialty at a nursing home by printing a slogan on the bottom of Jell-O containers: "Need a will? Call McGill." Exiting the courthouse parking lot, Jimmy gives Mike a business card that has the same slogan printed on it. After his shift, Mike parks outside a woman's house. She comes out of the house, gets in her car, and stares at Mike uncomfortably for several moments before they each drive away in opposite directions. At his home, Mike is visited by several police officers. He recognizes one detective and asks, "Long way from home, aren't you?", to which the detective replies, "You and me both."
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. The episode was originally titled "Jello" as 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".
Reception
Upon airing, the episode received 2.71 million American viewers, and an 18-49 rating of 1.2. The episode received critical acclaim from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews, it received a 95% approval rating with an average score of 6.75 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. IGN gave the episode a 9.0 rating. The Telegraph rated the episode 4 out of 5 stars.
