Better Call Saul was one of the best TV surprises of last year. Rather than exhaustively recap each episode, though, we thought we’d chart Jimmy McGill’s moral journey by paying attention to his various decisions and assigning him a Dungeons & Dragons-style alignment. Chaotic good? Lawful evil? Neutral…neutral? Depends what the writers decide to do with him. For now, we’re just happy to be along for the ride.
“Gloves Off” mostly focuses on Mike, who makes an ominous decision in favor of half measures. And while Jimmy will almost certainly get caught up in the consequences of that choice, for the moment he’s in freefall.
Narrowly avoiding the axe at Davis and Main because of Clifford Main’s stern kindness, Jimmy continues to act like a child after airing that commercial without asking his bosses. Clinging to the ploy's success without acknowledging his trespass is one of the most thick-headed things Jimmy has done on the series. (Not for nothing does he keep using the word “experiment” to refer to his actions, as if it’s an isolated test that can be replicated in a lab.)
Besides, his commercial did have repercussions, like Kim's demotion—she stuck her neck out for Jimmy, and he unequivocally betrayed that trust. Their relationship is hanging by a thread, which perhaps explains why Jimmy tries to bully Chuck into blackmailing him in exchange for Kim’s job. (It’s complicated.) Jimmy’s intentions are good—they always are—but he knows he messed up, and his tendency to lash out in response to that knowledge plays right into Chuck’s cold, superior hands. In fact, Jimmy’s willingness to take care of Chuck during an “episode” and stay at his brother’s house overnight keeps him from being on time to work. For the moment, he’s trying to be good, but as his life crumbles, it’s anyone’s guess what he’ll do.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
