Better Call Saul, Season 2

[Jimmy sits with Chuck in his living room, which has been covered in Mylar tarps and duct tape]

Jimmy:
Howard tells me you quit HHM.

Chuck:
I didn't quit. I retired.

Jimmy:
That's not what it sounded like. Regardless, it's kinda out of the blue, don't you think? He's worried about you!

Chuck:
He should be relieved.

Jimmy:
Relieved? Why would he be relieved? You're his number one guy; without you, that whole place goes down the drain. [beat] So, you—you retired, not just from HHM, but the law? That's not good, Chuck. The- the law needs you.

Chuck:
Just stop it.

Jimmy:
And you need it. What brought this on exactly, Chuck? Huh? Because I don't know what you are, if you're not a lawyer. [Chuck looks distraught] Hey, how are you gonna retire before you get me disbarred, before you run me out of town on a rail? I'll be the only McGill carrying the family name, you can't have that! Heh, is this because you lost Mesa Verde? So what? Who cares? And hey, if you truly do think that I ratfucked you on that thing—which I did not, but whatever—well, you know what? You get mad! Take action! Don't just hide out in your Faraday whatever, your cage thing here. No, no retirement for you! When you're 99, you can drop dead giving closing arguments to Judgebot 3000—which will run on electricity, by the way—that's your future, okay? So—

Chuck:
[distressed] I—I can't do the job anymore.

Jimmy:
What do you mean? Of course you can do the job.

Chuck:
I made a mistake.

Jimmy:
What mistake?

Chuck:
A simple, nothing, little bank address! 1216 instead of 1261! I screwed it up, I hurt the client! I blew it, completely and utterly... and then I blamed- and then I blamed you. It's this goddamn electricity! It's wearing me down, it's wearing down my faculties! My brain, my mind, it used to be- you know, it used to work, and now it doesn't anymore! People got hurt because of me. Time to end it.

Jimmy:
[beat] What if I told you you didn't make a mistake?

Chuck:
For Christ's sakes, Jimmy. Stop humoring me. Stop trying to talk everything right.

Jimmy:
Mmm... I ratfucked you. It was me. I would have made Nixon proud. I changed 1261 to 1216. It was me. It all went down exactly like you said. I mean, exactly. I doctored the copies, I paid the kid at the shop to lie for me. It is insane how you got every detail exactly right. So you can relax, okay? 'Cause that brain of yours is chugging along at a thousand percent efficiency.

Chuck:
Are you telling the truth? Or are you just trying to make me feel better?

Jimmy:
I am saying it to make you feel better, sure as shit wouldn't be telling you otherwise! But yes, it's the truth.

Chuck:
[angry] You'd go to such lengths to humiliate me?

Jimmy:
I did it for Kim! Wha—She worked her butt off to get Mesa Verde while you and Howard sat around sipping scotch and chortling! Hamlin Hamlin McGill? More like Scrooge and Marley! Kim deserves Mesa Verde, not you, not HHM! She earned it and she needs it! I did it to help her. But I honestly didn't think it would hurt you so bad. I thought you'd just say, "Oh crap, I made a mistake," and go on with your life like a normal person! But oh no, wishful thinking! [long pause] So can I, uh, tell Howard you're not quitting or retiring or whatever? [Chuck nods] And can we take all this shit down off the walls?

[Chuck doesn't respond. Jimmy starts to leave.]

Jimmy:
I'm going to go call Howard.

Chuck:
Jimmy. [Jimmy stops] You do realize you just confessed to a felony?

Jimmy:
I guess. But you feel better, right? Besides, it's your word against mine.

[Jimmy leaves the room, after which Chuck uses a pair of tongs to uncover and shut off an audiotape recorder.]