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I am not crazy! I know he swapped those numbers, I knew it was 1216! One after Magna Carta, as if I could ever make such a mistake! Never! Never! I justā€“I just couldn't prove it! Heā€“heā€“he covered his tracks, he got that idiot at the copy shop to lie for him... (...) You think this is something? You think this is bad, thisā€“this chicanery? He's done worse. That billboard! Are you telling me that a man just happens to fall like that? No, he orchestrated it! Jimmy! He defecated through a sunroof, and I saved him! I shouldn't have! I took him into my own firm! What was I thinking? He'll never change. He'll never change! Ever since he was nine, always the same! Couldn't keep his hands out of the cash drawer! "But not our Jimmy! Couldn't be precious Jimmy!" Stealing them blind! And he gets to be a lawyer?! What a sick joke! I should have stopped him when I had the chance! And you, you have to stop him! Youā€“
― Chuck imploding into a rant about his brother Jimmy while in court.[src]

Charles Lindbergh "Chuck" McGill, Jr. is an American commercial lawyer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the co-founder and named partner of Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM), one of Albuquerque's most prestigious law firms. He is the older brother of criminal defence lawyer and convicted criminal Jimmy McGill, and the ex-husband of Rebecca Bois.

Chuck is a highly intelligent and dedicated lawyer who views the law as being sacred, and is very determined in helping his clients in any way possible. He founded HHM with George Hamlin and George's son Howard, and is well respected by his colleagues at HHM and other prestigious law firms. However, by 2001, Chuck began to claim to suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), essentially an adverse physical reaction to electrical devices, which make it challenging for him to lead a normal life. After Chuck steps away from HHM due to his claim of electromagnetic hypersensitivity, Howard enables him to work from home while Jimmy takes care of Chuck's personal needs.

Despite Jimmy admiring his older brother and initially believing him to be supportive of him as a lawyer, Chuck reveals to greatly resent his brother for his past actions as a conman, and believes him to be completely unfit to be a lawyer. Chuck prevents Jimmy from being hired by HHM and proceeded to create a majority of the obstacles he faces early on in his career. Chuck has a tumultuous and complicated relationship with Jimmy, with the two brothers often not seeing eye to eye and Chuck having conflicting views on how he feels about Jimmy, and he is unintentionally largely responsible for turning Jimmy into the criminally-inclined lawyer Saul Goodman that he later becomes.


Warning, the following may contain spoilers.
Unbeknownst to Jimmy, Chuck uses Howard to block Jimmy from advancing in the legal profession. Jimmy believes Howard is the one inhibiting his career progression, causing him to become resentful of Howard. When Jimmy's girlfriend Kim Wexler quits HHM, Mesa Verde Bank and Trust agrees to hire her as outside counsel, but Chuck and Howard succeed at bringing Mesa Verde back to HHM. Jimmy then alters paperwork in one of Chuck's Mesa Verde filings, causing him to appear incompetent, so Mesa Verde returns to Kim.


Chuck is certain Jimmy sabotaged him and plans to get revenge. He secretly records Jimmy's admission to tampering with the Mesa Verde documents, then makes Jimmy aware of the recording. When Jimmy breaks in to destroy it, Howard is present and serves as Chuck's corroborating witness. Chuck presents the confession to the state bar association in hopes of having Jimmy disbarred, but Jimmy and Kim minimize Chuck's argument by exposing his alleged electromagnetic hypersensitivity as a psychosomatic ailment. Jimmy's law license is suspended but he is not disbarred. Howard counsels Chuck to consider this a win, but Chuck remains unsatisfied.

After Jimmy's law license is suspended, he "accidentally" informs HHM's malpractice insurer of Chuck's condition, causing the insurer to demand that Chuck be constantly supervised by another attorney or that HHM pay a substantial premium increase. Chuck wants to fight the insurance company, but Howard pays Chuck the first of three installments to buy out his share of the firm, thereby forcing Chuck into retirement. Chuck subsequently commits suicide by setting fire to his house. The fire department, however, officially rules it as an accident and it is mentioned as such on Chuckā€™s obituary. His betrayal of and opposition to Jimmy and his subsequent death serve as a catalyst for Jimmy's transformation into Saul. Chuck's influence also deeply affects Howard and Kim, and continues to affect Jimmy as well.

History

Background information

BCS 310 01

Chuck reads The Adventures of Mabel to his younger brother, Jimmy.

Charles McGill was born in 1944 in Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and was the eldest son of Ruth and Charles McGill. Chuck seemed to have had a decent childhood and a good relationship with his parents, though it appears they frequently favored his younger brother Jimmy over him despite his accomplishments. Chuck once helped with the finances for his father's store and assumed that Jimmy had stolen $14,000 over the years, not knowing his father was also giving money to scammers. Six months after the bankruptcy of the store, their father died. ("Rebecca") Chuck would secretly blame Jimmy for this incident. ("Chicanery")

Chuck graduated valedictorian from Francis Xavier High School at the age of 14, making him the youngest graduate in the history of that school. He later attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. After clerking at both the Delaware Court of Chancery and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, he joined George Hamlin's solo practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over the next twenty-three years, the two men, along with George's son Howard, whom Chuck tutored for the bar exam, built up their law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM), turning it into one of the largest and most prominent law firms in the American Southwest. Early in his career, Chuck excelled in criminal law, famously arguing and winning the precedent-setting case of State v. Gonzalez . ("Smoke")

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Chuck talking to Jimmy in jail. ("Nacho")

In 1992, after having not seen Jimmy for almost five years, Chuck traveled to Cicero to visit him in jail at his request through their mother. Jimmy, who was facing serious charges including property damage, assault, and a possible sex offense, begged for Chuck to use his knowledge of legal loopholes to make the charges disappear. Although originally reluctant, Chuck agreed to help him under the condition that Jimmy leave Cicero permanently and move to Albuquerque to pursue a legitimate career path. Chuck warned Jimmy not to make a fool of him if he got back out, but Jimmy promised to change. ("Nacho") Chuck would later express regret for having gotten Jimmy out of this situation. ("Chicanery")

True to his word, Chuck brought Jimmy to Albuquerque and gave him a job as a mailroom clerk at HHM, a job that Jimmy performed well in. Chuck would later reveal that he was very proud of Jimmy when he straightened out and acknowledged this in a letter he wrote to Jimmy in the event of his passing. ("Pimento",  "Something Beautiful") In 1993, Jimmy is delivering mail at HHM and talks to his co-workers about a betting pool for the Academy Awards he has organized. He crosses paths with Kim Wexler, who is also doing mail rounds. Chuck enters the office to a big round of applause, having just won a big inheritance lawsuit using his knowledge of obscure case law. When Chuck approaches the pair, he answers Kim's questions on case law, but is annoyed by Jimmy. After Howard collects Chuck, Kim continues her rounds, and Jimmy walks past HHM's law library. He turns around and steps inside, deciding to become a lawyer like Chuck and Kim. ("PiƱata")

Chuck-Jimmy RICO

Chuck finds out Jimmy is becoming a lawyer. ("RICO")

However, when Jimmy secretly put himself through school and passed the bar exam, Chuck, secretly outraged at the thought of his ex-conman brother practicing law, instructed Howard not to hire Jimmy, completely sabotaging his chances of getting a job with the firm. Jimmy wrongfully blamed Howard, never suspecting that Chuck had betrayed him ("RICO",  "Pimento") In order to feign support for Jimmy becoming a lawyer, Chuck personally vouched for his younger brother before a bar committee and reluctantly took part in Jimmy's celebrations afterwards. ("Winner") He attends Jimmy's celebration party but decides to leave early, citing early meetings. Chuck reluctantly agrees to stay to watch Jimmy do karaoke and gets sucked into a duet, singing "The Winner Takes It All" before taking it as a solo from Jimmy. Afterwards, Chuck escorts a drunken Jimmy home and listens to his ramblings in which Jimmy is excited about joining HHM. Lying beside each other in bed, the brothers happily continue their duet as they fall asleep.

BCS 210 01

Chuck and Jimmy at their mother Ruth's bedside before she dies.

Chuck and Jimmy returned to Cicero in 1999, seven years after their reunion, when their mother Ruth was in failing health. ("Marco") When she was hospitalized, the brothers sat for three days at her bedside. Eventually, Jimmy decided to step out for some hoagies, only to be devastated when, upon returning to the hospital, Chuck told him Ruth had died. When Jimmy asked if she had said anything before passing, Chuck lied and said she hadn't; in reality, she had briefly awoken and called for Jimmy, and Jimmy would never know the truth about this. ("Klick")

BCS 205 01

Chuck and his ex-wife, Rebecca Bois, before Chuck becomes intolerant to electricity.

Around this time, Chuck was married to Rebecca Bois, a famous violinist with whom he seemed to have a loving marriage. ("Rebecca") However, at some point in 2001, the couple separated, after which Chuck began developing apparent electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). To accommodate this, Chuck had all his electronics removed from his house. When he later invited Rebecca over for dinner in an attempt to reconcile with her, he created an elaborate lie with Jimmy's help to explain the lack of power and hide his condition from her. Though the dinner was initially a success, Chuck's behavior betrayed him when Rebecca answered a call on her cell phone, eventually driving him to smack it out her hand. He compounded his mistake by refusing to be honest about his condition and chastising an irate Rebecca over "cell phone etiquette," prompting her to immediately leave in a cab. Shortly after this, the two officially divorced. ("Chicanery")

Chuck's condition caused him to have to take an extended leave from HHM in early 2001. He started living in an electricity-free home, relying on gas lanterns for light. Before entering his house, visitors would have to place all of their electronics in his mailbox and "ground themselves" (remove the static charge from their body). Chuck was sometimes seen wearing what Jimmy called a "space blanket," to shield himself against static electricity. ("Uno") Sometime in his extended leave, Jimmy delivers groceries to Chuck's house. Chuck expresses interest in hearing about Jimmy's fledgling solo practice; Jimmy clearly finds his clients distasteful, but Chuck tells him that even they deserve a good legal defense. Chuck seemingly wants a genuine conversation with Jimmy, saying that it is not too late for him to change his path, but Jimmy assumes that his brother is criticizing him and rebuffs the attempt. After Jimmy leaves, Chuck, taking his gas lantern and a copy of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, retreats into his study. ("Saul Gone")

Better Call Saul

Season 1

1x01 - Uno 6

Chuck and Jimmy discussing the buyout. ("Uno")

After being house-ridden for a year and a half, Chuck begins receiving checks for $26,000 from HHM. Jimmy thinks it is in Chuck's best interest to buy out his part of the firm ($17 million), as he believes that Chuck will not be returning to work due to his illness. However, Howard wants to continue paying Chuck long term, saying that it is an "extended sabbatical". On his way out, Jimmy is followed by Howard, who tries to pass along some documents for Chuck, which Jimmy declines. ("Uno")

Jimmy goes to visit Chuck, who insists heā€™s going to get better and return to HHM. Chuck rejects Jimmyā€™s pleas to demand a buyout from his partners, objecting that the firm would probably have to liquidate to raise that much cash, putting more than a hundred people out of work. Jimmy states his public defender work isn't enough to keep both of them afloat, which results in a lecture from Chuck about how the experience of helping people is more important than money. Chuck reassures Jimmy that he does not have to provide for him since Howard had stopped by to deliver a check over $857, the first of a new weekly stipend. He also relates Howard's concern about Jimmy using his name in his law practice and suggests that he change it so as not to confuse potential clients. An infuriated Jimmy leaves. ("Uno")

1x02 - Mijo 4

Chuck wearing his "space blanket". ("Mijo")

When a drunken Jimmy returns to the house and crashes on the couch, Chuck is disturbed to see that he didn't leave his cell phone in the mailbox, which he does normally. Chuck picks up the phone with tongs and throws it out of the house to feel better. Chuck also sees that Jimmy has with him a hospital bill he paid for broken legs of identical twin skateboarders, Lars and Cal Lindholm. The next morning, Jimmy awakes to see Chuck sitting near him in his space blanket. Realizing that his Chuck has seen the hospital bill, Jimmy promises that he isn't returning any criminal habits from his past. Jimmy asks for Chuck to take off the space blanket; Chuck reluctantly does, only to put it back on when Jimmy leaves the room. ("Mijo")

Better-call-saul-episode-104-chuck-mckean-sized-935

Chuck painstakingly running to his neighbor's house to collect their copy of the Albuquerque Journal to read about Jimmy's billboard stunt.

Jimmy arranges a publicity stunt in which he pretends to save a worker from falling off his own billboard. As planned, he is regarded as a hero and becomes the subject of a story in the Albuquerque Journal. Jimmy visits Chuck but hides the newspaper that reported the "rescue" to keep him from seeing it. Chuck congratulates Jimmy on his new success but is oblivious to the stunt. He notices that one of his daily newspapers is missing, which Jimmy dismisses. After Jimmy leaves, a suspicious Chuck painstakingly runs to his neighbor's house and collects their copy of the Journal, in which he reads about the stunt, greatly upsetting him. ("Hero")

Chuck's theft of the newspaper does not go unnoticed, leading the police to lay siege to Chuck's house. Due to his condition, he insists they leave behind all electrical equipment, to which they knock down his door and taser him. Chuck is taken to the hospital and panics when he wakes up surrounded by electrical equipment. Jimmy arrives and disables the surrounding equipment to restore him to full consciousness. Chuck tries to explain his EHS to his physician, Dr. Lara Cruz, but she privately tells Jimmy that his condition is more than likely a mental problem, which she is able to prove by activating Chuck's hospital bed which does not affect him at all. However, Jimmy refuses to commit him.

Better-call-saul-episode-105-jimmy-odenkirk-7-sized-935

Jimmy visiting Chuck in hospital.

After Jimmy brings Chuck home, he catches sight of the Albuquerque Journal on the floor - still open to the article about the billboard stunt. He confronts Chuck, pointing out that his symptoms always seem to worsen when he thinks Jimmy has been up to no good. Chuck denies this, but Jimmy continues to plead his case: the billboard was just a bit of showmanship to grab attention. Now he's ready to embrace the straight-and-narrow, even thinking of specializing in elder law. Chuck remains skeptical, but Jimmy vows sincerely that the stunt was a one-time thing. ("Alpine Shepherd Boy")

Better-call-saul-episode-107-chuck-mckean-sized-935

Chuck in his yard.

A few days later, Jimmy stops by Chuck's house and is surprised to find Chuck standing in the yard. Chuck counts aloud, struggling to remain outside surrounded by sources of electricity; he manages to last for two minutes, then races back inside. He explains to a bewildered Jimmy that he has been exposing himself to electromagnetic fields for short amounts of time in an attempt to build up a tolerance, the same way that some people build up tolerance to poisons. Chuck is eager to overcome his supposed malady and go back to work. Hearing this, Jimmy remembers that he has a couple of boxes of unfinished paperwork that he was hoping to store at the house. Before Chuck can protest, Jimmy wheels the boxes in and promises that heā€™ll be back to claim them soon. On the way to his car, Jimmy peers through a window and sees Chuck sifting through the paperwork, just as Jimmy hoped he would ("Bingo")

Better-call-saul-episode-108-jimmy-odenkirk-sized-935

Chuck and Jimmy analyzing documents relating to the Sandpiper Crossing class-action lawsuit.

After discovering evidence that an assisted living facility, Sandpiper Crossing, has been systematically overcharging its elderly residents, Jimmy heads over to Chuck's house to consult the files of some of his Sandpiper clients. He shares his evidence with Chuck, who has been unable to resist processing the paperwork that Jimmy asked him to store. Chuck is shocked that he missed such egregious errors, but begrudgingly agrees that a class action lawsuit can be brought against Sandpiper if Jimmy can establish a pattern of over-billing. Jimmy returns to Sandpiper but is banned from the premises as they have enacted a new policy to protect their residents from unwanted "legal solicitation" and are attempting to destroy evidence by shredding a large amount of paperwork.

After stealing shredded documents from Sandpiper's recycling bin, Jimmy spends the night piecing them back together. The next morning, Chuck finds an exhausted Jimmy, still up from the night before. Chuck is initially angered that Jimmy stole the garbage but agrees that it was within legal boundaries. He agrees to let Jimmy work in the dining room, appreciating his company. Chuck steps away to make coffee and returns to find Jimmy asleep. Impressed by his commitment, Chuck decides to pick up where Jimmy left off; when Jimmy wakes up, Chuck has assembled the "smoking gun" - an invoice for syringes from a medical supply company in Nebraska. Energized by the work, Chuck gives Jimmy a long list of case law to pull for research. Jimmy, ecstatic to be working with his brother, hugs him. Outside, Jimmy calls his girlfriend, HHM attorney Kim Wexler, and asks her to print the list and to bill it to his account. Although worried that Chuck's involvement with Jimmy's case could violate his contract with HHM and endanger his mental health, Kim agrees.

BCS 1x9 7

Chuck talking with Jimmy.

Sandpiper's counsel, Richard Schweikart, receives a demand letter from Jimmy and Chuck, along with copies of reassembled Sandpiper billing statements. Schweikart and his team arrive at Chuck's house to negotiate with the brothers. After assembling them in the dining room, Jimmy finds Chuck in his kitchen, disheveled and in a state of anxiety. Jimmy restores Chuck's confidence and helps him into his jacket. At their meeting, Schweikart concedes that some Sandpiper residents were over-billed and offers $100,000 to reimburse them and cover legal fees, with the caveat that Sandpiper admits no wrongdoing. Jimmy responds by referencing the syringe invoice, declaring pointedly that the inclusion of interstate commerce elevates the matter to a federal fraud case and entitles his clients to much higher damages. After a moment of intense private discussion with his team, Schweikart asks Jimmy what number he's got in mind. Chuck, thus far silent, demands, "$20 million, or we'll see you in court". After Schweikart and his team leave, Jimmy panics over Chuck's demand. He calmly assures Jimmy that it's actually a conservative estimate for a multi-state federal class action lawsuit. Chuck emphatically lists their next steps; Jimmy's ready to dive in.

Later, Jimmy stops by Chuck's house with boxes of new paperwork and legal documents. He leaves a box in the car, but is too tired to go and get it himself. Engrossed in a file and impatient to get the code provision documents he needs, Chuck marches out the door, grabs Jimmy's car keys from the mailbox, and retrieves the box of files from his trunk. He's out of the house - and not in pain. Jimmy watches from the doorway, amazed. Chuck suddenly realizes where he is, and the box falls from Chuck's stunned hands to the ground. ("RICO") Shortly afterward, the brothers sit quietly on a nearby park bench. Chuck tries to relax and enjoy the sunshine, but keeps glancing nervously at power lines overhead. Jimmy redirects his attention to the soft grass, encouraging Chuck to take off his shoes. Finally reaching his limit, Chuck tells Jimmy that he's ready to go inside and get back to work. He walks gingerly back toward his house, buoyant Jimmy at his side.

Schweikart seeks a restraining order against Jimmy on the grounds that his "loud and flamboyant" nature disturbs the routine of the Sandpiper residents. The judge instead rules in Jimmy's favor. Jimmy rides high on his victory on his way to Chuck's house, but finds that Schweikart has sent over boxes and boxes of documents, trying to drown the brothers in paperwork. Chuck tells Jimmy that the case is quickly becoming too big for them to handle alone and insists they partner with HHM. Jimmy argues vehemently against it, but Chuck eventually convinces him that it's the only way to win the case. Jimmy crashes on Chuck's couch that night, exhausted from work. Retrieving a pencil and an oven mitt and wrapped in his space blanket, Chuck sneaks outside and collects Jimmy's cell phone from the mailbox. Grimacing, he turns it on and uses the eraser end of the pencil to dial and call someone.

BCS 1x9 5

Chuck and Jimmy attending a HHM meeting to discuss the Sandpiper case.

At HHM, Howard arranges for everything electric to be deactivated in preparation for Chuck's arrival. HHM's employees gather in the lobby and shower Chuck with applause when he enters with Jimmy. Howard embraces Chuck and guides him upstairs, leaving Jimmy behind to balance a tall stack of files. In the conference room, Jimmy and Chuck bring Howard and his associates up to speed on the Sandpiper case. Howard guarantees Jimmy 20% of the common fund share of the final settlement, as well as an immediate "of counsel" fee (as high as $20,000) for the referral. Everything is going well until Jimmy implies that he'll be joining HHM as an attorney. Clearing the room, Howard tries to break the news gently to Jimmy: HHM wants the case, but "the partners" aren't interested in hiring him. Shocked and hurt, Jimmy lashes out at Howard and quashes the deal.

Chuck Pimento

Chuck reveals his true feelings about his brother after Jimmy deduces he was the one preventing Jimmy from being hired at HHM.

The next morning, Jimmy visits Chuck and tells him that he changed his mind and gave the Sandpiper case to HHM. Chuck agrees that this is for the best and offers to put a good word in with Howard. Jimmy points out that Chuck could threaten to leave HHM; with the way the staff applauded his arrival, there's no way the partners would risk his departure. When Chuck hesitates, Jimmy reveals that he already knows that Chuck is not remotely interested in bringing Jimmy into the fold. Since Jimmy always turns off his phone when he puts it in Chuck's mailbox, he became suspicious when he found the battery dead. A call to the phone company revealed a deleted call to Howard two nights prior, while Jimmy was asleep on the couch. Only Chuck could have made that call. Jimmy accuses Chuck of telling Howard not to let him work on the case, and to not hire him after he passed the bar years prior. He demands to know why Chuck has been working against him. Chuck angrily replies that Jimmy is "not a real lawyer", having taken shortcuts like online courses and diploma mills. He believes that his brother hasn't changed from his former habits as a con artist, and that Jimmy poses a danger if he practices law. Realizing what his brother really thinks of him, Jimmy explains that he's brought over enough supplies to last Chuck a few days - after that, Chuck will have to fend for himself. He walks out of the house despite Chuck begging him to come back inside. ("Pimento")

Chuck is last seen being delivered groceries from an HHM employee and giving up a large box of case files. Chuck sees Jimmy sitting outside in his car, and slowly prepares to open the door to go out and speak with him. Jimmy drives away before this can occur, leaving Chuck disappointed. ("Marco")

Season 2

Upon being informed that Jimmy has been hired by the Santa Fe-based law firm of Davis & Main (D&M), Chuck feigns excitement. During a meeting between HHM and D&M concerning the Sandpiper case, Chuck sits in to "bear witness" as Jimmy argues on behalf of his clients. ("Cobbler") In a later meeting, Chuck questions whether Jimmy used illegal methods to solicit new clients in the case, though Jimmy denies it and is able to hide the fact that he actually did. ("Amarillo")

Chuck telling Kim the McGill family history

Chuck gives Kim some insight on his father and Jimmy.

When Jimmy gets in trouble at D&M for broadcasting a tacky television commercial without the firm's approval, Kim, who had vouched for Jimmy on behalf of HHM, is demoted to document review, a.k.a. the "corn field." Jimmy promises to quit law in exchange for Kim being reinstated, but Chuck doesn't take the bait. ("Gloves Off") During a meeting with Kim, Chuck explains how he feels that Jimmy's childhood theft led to the demise of the family store in Cicero and the death of their father. Chuck allows for Kim to be reinstated. ("Rebecca")

Kim resigns from HHM to launch twin solo firms with Jimmy, and secures Mesa Verde Bank and Trust as her exclusive client. Alarmed, Chuck summons Mesa Verde's legal team to HHM without turning off the office's power beforehand. Though he manages to persuade Mesa Verde to keep HHM, he collapses from the EHS exposure. Wanting to get back at Chuck, Jimmy visits his brother and, while he is asleep, photocopies his Mesa Verde files and doctors the address information for its proposed bank branch in Scottsdale, Arizona. ("Fifi")

BCS 209 04

Chuck is humiliated during the hearing for appearing to have made an extremely basic error in the paperwork he submitted.

Chuck spends the next week writing Mesa Verde's submission to the state regulator, unaware he is using falsified address information. During a hearing before the New Mexico Banking Board, confusion over the address leads to a six-week delay for the opening of Mesa Verde's Scottsdale branch. Chuck's insistence on deflecting blame for what seems to be his mistake makes him appear arrogant and condescending, which leads Mesa Verde to fire HHM and return to Kim. Chuck correctly suspects that Jimmy is behind the fiasco, and summons both Jimmy and Kim to lay out his allegations. Although she knows that Chuck is telling the truth, Kim decides to reject his claims and instead charges that his lack of faith in Jimmy caused his pattern of misbehavior in the first place. Chuck later visits the copy shop where Jimmy photocopied the files and becomes increasingly angry when the clerk (who Jimmy bribed) denies any wrongdoing. Overwhelmed by his emotions and his EHS, Chuck hits his head on a counter and loses consciousness. ("Nailed")

Jimmy blows his cover by barging into the copy shop to come to Chuck's aid. At the hospital, Chuck asks Jimmy why he was there, but Ernesto, an HHM employee who is working as Chuck's personal assistant, covers for him. When Jimmy later asks why, Ernesto remarks that Chuck is obsessed with taking Jimmy down. Chuck is overwhelmed by the electricity as he is examined at the hospital, leading him to go through a self-induced catatonic state.

BCS 210 20

Chuck traps Jimmy in turn by recording his confession on an audio tape.

When Chuck returns home, he covers the entirety of his living room in space blankets, ostensibly to keep out more electromagnetic signals. Chuck also expresses disillusionment with himself for his "mistake" with the Mesa Verde files. Feeling guilty about Chuck's low self-esteem and worsening condition, Jimmy admits all of Chuck's accusations about the Mesa Verde files were true. However, unbeknownst to Jimmy, Chuck has faked his behavior to induce Jimmy into confessing, which he has recorded on an audio tape. ("Klick")

Season 3

Immediately after Jimmy makes his confession, Chuck begins removing the foil from his living room walls. While Jimmy is helping him, he comes across an old copy of The Adventures of Mabel, a children's book which was read to him by Chuck when he was little. The two brothers engage in brief childhood nostalgia before Chuck cuts it short, stating that he will never forgive nor forget what Jimmy has done, promising that he will pay.

Later, Chuck plays the tape of Jimmy's confession to Howard. While angered by Jimmy's actions, Howard explains that the tape can't be used as evidence, nor can it be used to win back Mesa Verde. Chuck suggests that he has something else in mind. Later, when Ernesto drops off groceries and changes the batteries to the tape recorder, Chuck makes it so that he "accidentally" overhears the recording of Jimmy's confession. Chuck pressures Ernesto to not tell anyone what he heard on the premise of confidentiality. ("Mabel")

BCS 302 11

Chuck sets a trap for Jimmy to make him pay for his shenanigans.

Predicting that Ernesto will tip off Jimmy about the tape, Chuck hires a private investigator named Dave Brightbill to wait for Jimmy to break into the house and steal it "under cover of darkness." However, after Jimmy learns about the tape from Kim, he angrily drives to the house in broad daylight, breaks down the door, pries open Chuck's desk drawer, and rips apart the tape in Chuck's face. However, Chuck comes out with the upper hand as Howard and Dave make their presence known, having just witnessed Jimmy committing a crime. ("Witness") While they are waiting on the curb outside for the police to arrive, Chuck tells Jimmy that he will be pressing charges but that he hopes Jimmy will come out of the experience as a better person. In response, Jimmy coldly predicts that with no one else to care for him, Chuck will eventually become overwhelmed by his EHS and die alone.

After Jimmy's arrest, Chuck suggests to DDA Kyra Hay that Jimmy be offered a pre-prosecution diversion (PPD) agreement where in exchange for confessing to his crimes, he avoids jail time. However, one condition for the deal is that Jimmy's confession goes straight to the New Mexico Bar Association, which would almost certainly result in Jimmy getting disbarredā€”Chuck's true goal all along. After Kim promises to support him, Jimmy decides to "take that PPD and shove it up Chuck's ass." ("Sunk Costs")

BCS 304 09

The only encounter between Chuck and Mike, during which Mike poses as a repairman to steal information for Jimmy.

Jimmy has a criminal acquaintance, Mike Ehrmantraut, visit Chuck's house posing a repairman for the door; Mike repels Chuck with an electric drill, then takes photos of the house's interior and copies Rebecca's contact information from his address book. Later, while meeting with Jimmy, Kim, Howard and Hay, Chuck disputes the wording of Jimmy's confession and raises Jimmy's restitution by a few dollars to pay for the destroyed tape. When Kim informs Chuck and Howard that she will move to suppress the tape from Jimmy's upcoming bar hearing, Chuck admits that Jimmy destroyed a duplicate and that the real tape is under "lock and key" and will be played in court. However, Kim anticipated this move. ("Sabrosito")

Jimmy has Rebecca flown to Albuquerque to attend his bar hearing and informs her of Chuck's purported EHS, which draws her sympathy. While cross-examining Chuck, Jimmy claims that he lied about doctoring the Mesa Verde files because he was worried enough about Chuck's state of mind to tell him what he wanted to hear. He presents Chuck's EHS as a mental illness, illustrating his point using Mike's pictures of Chuck's house.

BCS 305 Chicanery

Chuck and Jimmy in court during the bar hearing.

Jimmy questions Chuck about the range of his EHS, revealing he has had his cell phone in his pocket all along. Chuck recognizes that Jimmy removed the battery. However, Jimmy has Chuck check his breast pocket, where he discovers the fully-charged battery, planted by Huell Babineaux in the stairwell of the courthouse nearly two hours earlier. In all this time, Chuck has displayed no symptoms despite the battery's proximity to his body. Chuck snaps and delivers a blistering rant revealing the level of his resentment towards Jimmy and his desperation to have him disbarred. After Chuck regains his composure, Jimmy dismisses him from the witness stand, having elicited the reaction that he wanted. ("Chicanery")

BCS 305 18

Chuck blistering rants about Jimmy during his bar hearing.

Following his meltdown in court, Chuck ignores Rebecca's attempts to talk to him as he broods over the results of his scheme. Howard later sits down with Chuck over a bottle of liquor and tells him that Jimmy's license has been suspended for a year and that Chuck should let his vendetta go as it is doing him no good. Chuck resolves to work through his EHS delusion, contacting Dr. Cruz and making an unaccompanied trip to a supermarket to buy groceries. He is eager to cure himself and return to living a normal life, but Dr. Cruz warns him against pushing himself too hard. ("Off Brand",  "Slip")

BCS 306 06

Chuck forcing himself to hold a battery.

Unbeknownst to Chuck, however, after learning that his malpractice policy premium will go up by 150%, Jimmy has leaked to the insurance company holding Chuck's malpractice policy his mental condition and breakdown in court. As a result, the insurance company seeks to double the premiums of every lawyer at HHM. Howard makes a diplomatic suggestion to Chuck that he retire for the good of the firm, but Chuck assails Howard and storms out. He then announces his intention to sue HHM for breach of contract, determined to protect his legal career even at the risk of dragging his firm into a lawsuit it can't afford. ("Expenses",  "Fall")

Better-call-saul-episode-309-chuck-mckean-935

Chuck talking to Howard.

Chuck is prepared to follow through with his threat to take HHM to court, but gives Howard the chance to put their disputes aside. Instead, Howard criticizes Chuck for putting his personal vendettas before the good of HHM, and calls him out for his vindictive willingness to put the firm at risk in order to settle scores. He hands Chuck a check for $3 million of his own money and promises two more installments per the partnership agreement, depriving Chuck of his leverage over HHM. Chuck is forced to watch as Howard announces his immediate departure in front of HHM's assembled staff. Chuck is given farewell greetings by everyone but Howard as he leaves.

BCS 310 Lantern

Chuck and Jimmy's final conversation.

After Kim is injured in a car accident, Jimmy reconsiders his feud with Chuck and reluctantly drives to his house to reach out to his brother. Jimmy tells Chuck that he regrets certain actions he took which escalated their quarrel but signals a willingness to make amends. In response, Chuck says that Jimmy's overture is pointless because it is in his inherent nature to hurt the people around him, and asserts that he'll never change. In a final vicious jab, Chuck tells Jimmy that he never really mattered to him. Jimmy is left crushed by Chuck's statement and leaves.

BCS 310 21

Chuck commits suicide by setting fire to his house while he is inside.

That night, Chuck begins a major relapse into his EHS delusion, pulling all of the breakers in his house. When he notices that his meter is running, he tests the switches, removes the light bulbs, and disconnects the phone. When he sees that the meter is still running, he begins tearing apart every wall in his house looking for any hidden source of electrical current. He finds some wiring behind the wall, but realizes the meter remains running; he is driven to destroy the meter with a baseball bat in anger. Finally, that night, with his interior completely destroyed, Chuck purposefully tests fate by repeatedly kicking his table, knocking over one of his gas lanterns, setting his house on fire and killing himself in an act of suicide. ("Lantern")

Legacy

Season 4

Bcs-401-2

Kim and Jimmy in the aftermath of Chuck's suicide.

Chuck is revealed to have died rather quickly due to the flames spreading all around his house, and is mourned by Howard (who blames himself for Chuck's death), Rebecca (who cried the hardest during Chuck's funeral) and his many colleagues from the Albuquerque legal community. Jimmy, after a period of depression brought on by Chuck's death, happily allows Howard to shoulder all the guilt after he correctly theorizes Chuck's suicide was due to being forced out of HHM ("Smoke"), despite Jimmy's own culpability.

BCS 401 09

Chuck's funeral service.

Kim remains oblivious to Jimmy's role in Chuck's demise and accuses Howard of trying to shoulder his guilt onto Jimmy, telling him to stay away. ("Breathe") Jimmy later receives from Kim a personal letter Chuck wrote to him in the event of his passing, which he reads aloud. In the letter (written before Jimmy became a lawyer and was still in HHM's mail room) Chuck praises Jimmy for turning his life around and says he is proud of him as a brother, albeit in a condescending tone. Jimmy is not emotionally impacted by the letter given Chuck's disdain of him, though Kim breaks down crying over it ("Something Beautiful")

Better-call-saul-episode-410-jimmy-odenkirk-6-935

Jimmy at Chuck's tombstone.

Chuck's actions still have strong repercussions for Jimmy nearly a year later when he is denied reinstatement as a lawyer due to a lack of "sincerity" in his statements before the bar committee and his failure to show remorse for what he did to Chuck that led to his suspension. Jimmy is outraged when Kim points this out to him, stating that he does not think about nor miss his older brother in the least. ("Wiedersehen")

As part of his plan to regain his license and seem remorseful for Chuck's death, Jimmy anonymously donates a library in Chuck's name and takes part in a scholarship committee set up by his estate. In a final effort to impress the committee, Jimmy begins reading Chuck's letter to them, but stops himself. Instead, Jimmy speaks from the heart about Chuck and how he tried so hard to live up to his standards. Jimmy accepts that he can never be the man Chuck was, but promises to try if they give him a chance. However, he gleefully admits to Kim after being reinstated that his whole speech was a lie and that he did not mean a single word about his late brother and mocks the panel for believing him. This leaves Kim stunned and upset. ("Winner")

Season 5

Chuck is mentioned by Jimmy during the celebration of his reinstatement. Jimmy contemplates throwing a promotional event selling his remaining drop phones and considers offering a 50% discount for non-violent offenders. Kim is concerned that what Jimmy is planning will encourage his clients to continue their criminal behavior and will reflect badly on Jimmy himself. He tells her that he can't go back to being regarded as "Chuck McGill's loser brother" and insists that his new identity as Saul Goodman will give him a fresh start, implying he has changed his name in order to escape from his late brother completely. ("Magic Man")

Jimmy mentions his brother when Howard confronts him for harassing him after offering Jimmy a job at HHM. Howard acknowledges he knows Jimmy is in pain and an infuriated Jimmy openly blames Howard for killing Chuck and shouts he has grown too big for the constraints of an HHM job. ("JMM")

Chuck is mentioned by Howard after he informs Kim of Jimmy's harassment towards him to which she finds amusing. Before leaving Howard tells her that the person that knew Jimmy best was Chuck. ("Something Unforgivable")

Season 6

Chuck McGill portrait

The portrait of Chuck on the HHM boardroom wall.

Howard demonstrates a technique that Chuck had taught him to avoid exploding sodas to young new associate Cary Anderson. Gesturing to a portrait of Chuck on the HHM boardroom wall, Howard explains that Chuck had used to do all of the time out of habit almost unconsciously. When Howard had asked him about it once, Chuck had told him that it was just his way of being prepared for anything "accidental or otherwise." Having joined the firm after Chuck's death, Cary asks who he is and Howard identifies Chuck and tells Cary that he's the M in HHM. Howard calls Chuck the greatest legal mind that he ever knew and an impressed Cary expresses hope that someone says the same thing about him some day.

Chuck is mentioned a few times by Howard during his final moments before being murdered while confronting Kim and Jimmy for their actions towards him. He first offers the pair an expensive bottle of Macallan scotch whisky as a mocking gift for their successful conning of him and reminisces that he and Chuck always used to celebrate a success with a bottle. He then questions whether one of the reasons the two use to justify their harassment and scamming of him is because he sided with Chuck too much against Jimmy. Howard then acknowledges that Chuck was correct in classifying Jimmy as conman his entire life and that he cannot help himself from hurting others as a result. ("Plan and Execution")

Chuck is mentioned by his brother during Howard's memorial service at HHM whilst talking to Howard's widow, Cheryl. After confronting Jimmy for his harassment of Howard, he admits to Cheryl that he left HHM on bad terms and as a result could have been more considerate to Howard rather than disrespecting him at every opportunity. Jimmy then claims there was a certain amount of jealousy on his part due to Howard being well respected by Chuck while Jimmy in contrast never had the respect of his older brother. ("Fun and Games")

In a flashback to May 2002, Jimmy arrives at Chuck's house late at night, preparing to take care of his brother following the recent onset of Chuck's illness. Chuck asks about Jimmy's clients and suggests that there is no shame in going back and changing his path if Jimmy isn't sure of himself. Chuck notes that they always seem to be having the same conversation and Jimmy promises to be back the next day with the Financial Times. Taking his lantern and H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, Chuck heads back into his living room. ("Saul Gone")

After Better Call Saul

After his brother Jimmy (under his professional alias Saul Goodman) disappeared and was outed as a major player on Walter White's Drug Empire, Chuck and his relationship with Jimmy was covered in a documentary that was released about Jimmy, with Chuck being mentioned frequently throughout.

The narrator of the documentary mentions that Chuck "was known far and wide as a brilliant attorney" and said he was "highly esteemed" and that "his reputation for honesty and legal acumen was second to none." Bill Oakley states that Chuck was "like a God around these parts" and was "like the second coming of Clarence Darrow", and gave justification as to why Chuck felt the way he did about Jimmy becoming a lawyer. Craig Kettleman says later in the documentary that he believed Chuck "was everything Jimmy wanted to be but wasn't", and that he maybe lived his life in Chuck's shadow. Craig was about to say that, when he thinks about Jimmy like that, he kind of feels sorry for him before being interrupted by his wife Betsy, who said they don't feel sorry for him as he "made his bed, now he has to sleep in it." ("American Greed: James McGill")

Chuck is mentioned by his brother (under the undercover alias Gene Takavic) when he mentions to Frank Danielsen that his brother is dead. ("Nippy")

At his plea hearing, Jimmy publicly confesses to his role in Chuck's suicide, showing remorse for his actions and for not being there for his brother as much as he should've been. Although Bill Oakley tells Jimmy that it wasn't a crime, Jimmy tells him that "yes, it was." ("Saul Gone")

Personality and traits

Chuck McGill portrait
"Chuck is a name partner at one of Albuquerque's most prestigious law firms. A brilliant man of high ideals, Chuck believes that doing the right thing is the true and proper route to success. Unfortunately, an unusual illness makes it difficult for him to live a normal life."
―Information about Chuck[src]

Chuck McGill was a brilliant man of high ideals; he believed that doing the right thing is the true and proper route to success. He was an extremely intelligent and dedicated lawyer who viewed the law as being sacred and was very determined in helping his clients in any way possible. He was well respected by his colleagues at HHM and also other prestigious law firms.

Relationship with Jimmy

"My brother is not a bad person. He has a good heart. It's just... He can't help himself. And everyone's left picking up the pieces."
―Chuck to Kim Wexler about Jimmy.[src]
Chuck and Jimmy

Chuck with his younger brother, Jimmy. The relationship between the two brothers was one of the primary catalysts for Jimmy's transformation into his criminal ego, Saul Goodman.

In contrast to his younger brother Jimmy, however, Chuck appears to be a less likable individual and is not as humorous as Jimmy, tending to be uptight and serious. Despite this, Chuck appears to view himself as being superior to his brother and that he does not deserve to be a lawyer due to the simple steps he took to become one and his past delinquent behavior. Although Chuck does care for his brother somewhat, it is very apparent that he loathes him for many reasons. He views him as being nothing more than a conman who has not changed at all since his "Slippin Jimmy" days and that the way he obtained a law degree was a joke. He also resents how Jimmy is able to win people over so easily, such as his ex-wife and even their own parents. It is hinted that Chuck is jealous of Jimmy to a degree which may be another contributing factor to why he always tries to cut him down in order to prevent him from surpassing himself at feats that he worked hard at to accomplish. Chuck firmly establishes the reasons for why he hates his brother in the episode "Chicanery" and later claims to Jimmy that he never mattered to him at all. ("Lantern")

Even though Jimmy himself took care of Chuck for almost a year and a half while suffering from his condition, Chuck has not changed his opinions on him at all and went to extreme lengths to prevent him from working at his law firm, even after Jimmy found and built a strong legal case against Sandpiper Crossing. This incident also shows that Chuck would rather sacrifice a potential multi-million dollar case for HHM than to have Jimmy work at his law firm. Chuck also does not appear to care much for the well-being of others who are affected by his attempts to cut Jimmy down, noticeably Kim. Chuck firmly believes that he is protecting people from getting hurt by sabotaging Jimmy's attempts to be a successful lawyer as he claims people will get hurt if the power of law is abused.

Better-call-saul-episode-305-chuck-mckean-3-936

Chuck at Jimmy's bar hearing.

Chuck is also shown to be rather cold toward his younger brother on many occasions such as lying to him about their mother not speaking any last words before her death (she called for Jimmy) and brutally telling him of how he is not a real lawyer and that "Slippin Jimmy" with a law degree is nothing short of dangerous. Chuck is also shown to be a hypocrite to a degree as seen when he snaps at Jimmy for stabbing him in the back, all the while completely ignoring that he has stabbed Jimmy in the back and betrayed him numerous times.

After Chuck correctly deduces that Jimmy sabotaged his Mesa Verde files in order for the case to be returned to Kim, and was completely humiliated as a result, he embarks on a warpath against him to bring him down once and for all. Chuck has been shown to possess a rather ruthless side to a degree as he cunningly gets Jimmy to confess to the deed in private while pretending to feel remorse for his "mistake" and overcoming his electricity condition to record it on tape, showing that Chuck will go to extreme lengths to succeed at his goal. ("Pimento")

When he feels that he has been crossed, Chuck becomes vindictive towards that person above all else. This is seen with both his actions towards Jimmy and Howard Hamlin following Howard suggesting that he retire. When following his personal vendettas, Chuck is seen to be willing to do anything to win, even if it means destroying the law firm he helped build when his actions caused Howard to lose faith in him. Even Howard, who had supported Chuck against Jimmy, noted that Chuck went too far with his vendettas and caused serious collateral damage to everything around him in the process. Chuck has also shown a willingness to use and even sacrifice his own employees in pursuit of his vendettas, notably manipulating Ernesto into revealing the existence of his tape recording of Jimmy's confession to Jimmy as part of his scheme, and later firing him for unknown reasons, being completely remorseless about his actions showing that he also possesses a hypocrite and machiavellian side of himself.

Chuck is also very stubborn and self-righteous, refusing to accept that his actions have caused damage to those around him and often shields himself saying that he does it due to being an "executor of justice". He is a prideful individual and can get greatly offended when his capacity as a lawyer is put in doubt, such as when the insurance company suggested that another senior partner should supervise him daily at work, something that he did not tolerate and even threatened the members of that company.

Despite these traits, Chuck can show compassion especially with people who've had to pay the consequences of his brother's act. When Kim is placed in document review as punishment for being aware of Jimmy's unauthorized TV commercial for the Sandpiper's case and not telling Howard, Chuck shows up at HHM, tells her that he will talk to Howard to reconsider his decision to have her transferred to document review and even congratulates her for getting Mesa Verde bank as a client, feeling proud of her work. Chuck also goes as far as telling to Kim about their father and how the actions of Jimmy inevitably led to their father's death to make her understand why something like that happened to her despite being innocent of Jimmy's acts.

Jimmy later publicly expresses remorse over his role in Chuck's suicide and not being there for his brother as he should've been even though, as Bill Oakley points out, what he did to Chuck wasn't illegal.

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

"It's not a situation, it's a condition. Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. For reasons unknown, my nervous system has become sensitized to certain frequencies of electromagnetic radiation."
―Chuck explaining his condition[src]
Space Blanket

Chuck wearing his space blanket at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill.

It's highly indicated that Chuck's electromagnetic hypersensitivity is, in fact, a mental illness, not an actual allergy despite Chuck's beliefs. In one case, Dr. Cruz activated Chuck's hospital bed without his knowledge and he was unaffected, using it as proof to Jimmy that Chuck is in fact mentally ill rather than physically. ("Alpine Shepherd Boy") On another occasion, Huell Babineaux planted a fully-charged cell phone battery in Chuck's pectoral pocket, essentially putting it right up against Chuck's skin. Chuck remained completely unaffected and despite his claims that he could sense when an electronic object was close to him due to its effect on him, did not sense the battery. Chuck was completely unaware and unaffected for an hour and forty-three minutes, right until Jimmy revealed the battery's presence to him, further pointing to Chuck being mentally ill rather than physically sick. During the time this happens, Jimmy suggests that Chuck developed his condition in response to his divorce from his wife. ("Chicanery") Chuck later states that this incident caused him to reevaluate his condition and realize that perhaps everyone is right and was left to wonder if he was wrong about the condition, what else he was wrong about. ("Slip")

Chuck promo

Chuck wearing his space blanket at his electricity-free home.

Following his courtroom breakdown, Chuck reevaluated his life and finally sought help for his EHS delusion. He expressed hope of returning to a normal life and was eager to move forward. He also appeared to regret some of his choices. After finally seeking help, Chuck was able to do grocery shopping for himself with some help, turn his power back on and even cook for himself over a regular stove for the first time in years. While still haunted by his EHS, Chuck had developed coping mechanisms with the help of Dr. Cruz that appeared to involve him naming what he could see and focusing on that. However, Chuck's behavior did not change in any other way following this and he retained the vindictive parts of his personality, as seen with his interactions with Howard following the meeting with the malpractice insurance company.

Suicide, letter, and impact

Chuck's death

Chuck moments before his suicide, getting the lantern to fall to the ground, setting fire to himself and his house.

At the end of his life, Chuck suffered a major relapse of his EHS following his being forced from HHM and his vindictive last conversation with his brother. In this state, Chuck was compelled to destroy his own house in search of a single source of electricity still running and ultimately the power meter. This relapse appeared to be worse than Chuck's original onset of the delusion as he never went to such an extreme except when he wrapped his house in Mylar which was part of his plot to trick Jimmy. This major relapse, coupled with losing everything important in his life ultimately drove Chuck to commit suicide.

Better-call-Saul-Jimmy-Kim-Chuck-Letter

Jimmy reading Chuck's letter. ("Something Beautiful")

In Chuck's letter to Jimmy, he revealed that, despite often not seeing eye to eye with his brother, Chuck was proud he and Jimmy shared the name McGill, said that he admired Jimmy's energy and resilience, and respected what Jimmy made of himself in the mailroom of HHM. Below is Chuck's letter in full:

Dear Jimmy,

I have left many things unsaid in our relationship through the years. Rather than allow these unspoken thoughts to die with me, Iā€™ve chosen to record them here for you. I hope you will take my words in the spirit in which they are intended.

I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You canā€™t imagine the joy on momā€™s face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. You brought a shine to our life that nothing else ever did and Iā€™m glad of that.

We have not always seen eye to eye. I expect that will continue to be so in the future, however, nothing will ever change the fact that we are brothers ā€“ flesh and blood. And though we are very different people, I want you to know how much I respect what you have made of yourself in these last few years. You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family. For all the problems in your past, Iā€™m proud we share the name McGill. I sincerely admire your energy and resilience. I used to worry about you finding a place in the world, but Iā€™m not worried about that anymore. Iā€™m certain now that no matter what the future may bring, youā€™ll land on your feet and I hope when you read this, you remember me not only as your brother, but as a person you knew was always in your corner.

Chuck

In 2010, after being caught by the authorities and facing an impending jail sentence, Jimmy finally took accountability for the role he played in Chuck's suicide, deeply regretting his role in it and saying it was a crime. He also started going by the name Jimmy McGill again, abandoning his Saul and Gene aliases completely. ("Saul Gone")

Deaths committed by Chuck

  • Himself: Committed suicide by kicking over a gas lantern and setting his home on fire after suffering a major relapse of his EHS following the destruction of his friendship with Howard and being forced to retire from HHM, causing himself to die by smoke inhalation. ("Lantern")

Quotes

Quotes by Chuck

Chuck: "Jimmy, if you don't like where you're heading, there's no shame in going back and changing your path."
Jimmy: "Uh, when have you ever changed your path? Hey. Think on it."
Chuck: "We always end up having the same conversation, don't we?"
―Chuck and Jimmy having a conversation.[src]

"It's not a situation, it's a condition. Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. For reasons unknown, my nervous system has become sensitized to certain frequencies of electromagnetic radiation."
―Chuck explaining his condition[src]

Jimmy: "I'm your brother! We're supposed to look out for each other! Why were you working against me, Chuck?!"
Chuck: "You're not a real lawyer."
Jimmy: "I'm what?"
Chuck: "You're not a real lawyer! University of American Samoa, for Christ's sake? An online course?! What a joke! I worked my ass off to get where I am, and you take these shortcuts and you think suddenly you're my peer?! You do what I do because you're funny and you can make people laugh?! I committed my life to this! You don't slide into it like a cheap pair of slippers and then reap all the rewards!"
Jimmy: "I thought you were proud of me."
Chuck: "I was! When you straightened out and got a job in the mailroom, I was very proud."
Jimmy: "So that's it then, right? Keep old Jimmy down in the mailroom, 'cause he's not good enough to be a lawyer."
Chuck: "I know you. I know what you were, what you are. People don't change. You're Slippin' Jimmy! And Slippin' Jimmy I can handle just fine, but Slippin' Jimmy with a law degree is like a chimp with a machine gun! The law is sacred! If you abuse that power, people get hurt! This is not a game. You have to know on some level, I know you know I'm right. You know I'm right!"
Jimmy: "I...I got ya a 20-pound bag of ice, and some bacon and some eggs and a couple of those steaks that you like. Some fuel canisters, it's enough for three or four days. After that... you're on your own. I am done."
―Jimmy brutally discovering what Chuck actually thinks of him as a lawyer.[src]

Chuck: "You have to admit that shows a lack of judgment on her [Kim's] part. She knows you. She should have known better."
Jimmy: "You are such an asshole."
Chuck: "Why? For pointing out that her one mistake was believing in you?"
Jimmy: "For Christ's sake, could we get some perspective here? It was a simple little commercial, it aired once, that's all. And can I remind you it worked ā€“ it worked like a dream?"
Chuck: "See, that's your problem, Jimmy. Thinking that the ends justify the means. And you're forever shocked when it all blows up in your face."
Jimmy: "What did I do that was so wrong?"
Chuck: "You broke the rules. [Jimmy scoffs] You turned Kim into your accessory. You embarrassed Howard who, God help him, inexplicably vouched for you with Cliff Main. You made Cliff and his partners look like schmucks. Shall I go on? How he hasn't fired you for this positively mystifies me. "Perspective." You want perspective? I'll give you mine. You're my brother, and I love you, but you're like an alcoholic who refuses to admit he's got a problem. Now someone's given you the keys to the school bus and I am not going to let you drive it off a cliff."
―Chuck trying to make Jimmy aware of the consequences of his actions, especially on his personal and professional environment.[src]

"My dad... our dad, he was... well, the personification of good. I'm not sure he could even see sin in any form. He was born without the gene. He ran a little corner store in Cicero. Cigarettes behind the counter, penny candy--nothing special, but it kept food on the table. And the neighborhood loved dad. He knew everybody's name, what was going on in their lives... This little corner, he made it better. I was named after him. Before that, he worked for a lot of people over the years, and his dream was to be his own boss. Put everything he had into that place. I was away at college when he put Jimmy to work there. Jimmy grew up in that store, watching our father. But dad was not the world's greatest businessman, and eventually ran into money troubles. I, um, had a clerkship at the time, but I came home to help him get his books in order, set the ship straight. Now, I'm no accountant, but I discovered $14 000 was just... gone. Vanished over the years. Turns out Jimmy had pilfered it in gribs and grabs. Just took it out of the till. My dad wouldn't hear it. Nope. Not his Jimmy. He ended up having to sell. Six months later he was dead. At the funeral, no one cried harder than Jimmy. My brother is not a bad person. He has a good heart. It's just... He can't help himself. And everyone's left picking up the pieces."
―Chuck to Kim Wexler about his father and Jimmy.[src]

"Jimmy, don't think I'll ever forget what happened here today. And you WILL pay."
―Chuck threatening Jimmy.[src]

"Here's what's going to happen. The police will arrest you and I'm sorry, but I will be pressing charges. I told you there would be consequences. But I have to believe you'll face those consequences and you'll come out the other side a better man. I know it's hard to see right now. But Jimmy, this is an opportunity. That's why I'm doing this. Not to punish you. To show you... truly show you, that you have to make a change. Before it's too late. Before you destroy yourself. Or someone else. And I believe you can change. You'll find your path. And when you're ready... I will be there to help you walk that path."
―Chuck to Jimmy before getting him arrested.[src]

Mike: "Good thing I charged my battery. I'd be going at it like Fred Flintstone, otherwise."
Chuck: "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! - [Whirring stops] I understood there would be no power tools of any kind."
Mike: "What? A screwdriver and a hammer? Turns a morning job into two days with me, myself, and Bengay. But it's your call."
―Mike disguised as a handyman to sneak into Chuck's house to gather evidence for Jimmy.[src]

"Let justice be done, though the heavens fall."
―Chuck on his will that justice punish Jimmy.[src]

Chuck: "God, Jimmy! Don't you know by now this is real? I feel this: it's a physical response to stimuli, it's not a quirk. What do I have to do to prove it to you?"
Jimmy: "I don't know, Chuck. Could you reach into your breast pocket and tell me what's there?"
Chuck: "What now?"
Jimmy: "Can you tell the court what that was?"
Chuck: "A battery."
―Jimmy demonstrating to the court that Chuck's disease is probably not physical.[src]

"I am not crazy! I know he swapped those numbers, I knew it was 1216! One after Magna Carta, as if I could ever make such a mistake! Never! Never! I justā€“I just couldn't prove it! Heā€“heā€“he covered his tracks, he got that idiot at the copy shop to lie for him... (...) You think this is something? You think this is bad, thisā€“this chicanery? He's done worse. That billboard! Are you telling me that a man just happens to fall like that? No, he orchestrated it! Jimmy! He defecated through a sunroof, and I saved him! I shouldn't have! I took him into my own firm! What was I thinking? He'll never change. He'll never change! Ever since he was nine, always the same! Couldn't keep his hands out of the cash drawer! "But not our Jimmy! Couldn't be precious Jimmy!" Stealing them blind! And he gets to be a lawyer?! What a sick joke! I should have stopped him when I had the chance! And you, you have to stop him! Youā€“"
―Chuck imploding in front of his relatives and the New Mexico Bar Association.[src]

"This condition, to me it's as real as that chair - it's as real as this house, as real as you. But what if it's not? What if it's all in my head? And if that's true, if it's not real, then what have I done?"
―Chuck to Dr. Cruz about his condition.[src]

Chuck: "Oh, so this is about my condition? Look! Look! You see? See? Iā€™m better! Howard, Iā€™m fine!"
Howard: "This is not what 'fine' looks like. Chuck, youā€™re one of the best legal minds Iā€™ve ever known, hands down, but your decision making has become unpredictable. I canā€™t be partners with someone whose judgment I donā€™t trust."
―Chuck and Howard about Chuck's condition.[src]

Chuck: "Yes, I'm suing HHM for breach of contract."
Howard: "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Chuck: "I believe I do. I'm calling your bluff. This is MY firm. I built it. Your father was working in a 2 room office when I joined him, and you, I tutored for the bar exam. You're not kicking me out. If you can't trust my judgement then, as you say, so be it. But you're going to have to pay me for my share. I believe it comes to around 8 million dollars. We both know the firm doesn't have the money."
Howard: "You'd rather tear down HHM than retire?"
Chuck: "You think I'm trouble now, as your partner? Imagine me as your enemy."
―Chuck and Howard arguing after Chuck decided to sue HHM.[src]

Howard: "17 years. 18 in July, actually. All those years we built this place together. And all that time I've supported you. Looked up to you, deferred to you. Because I always thought you had the best interests of the firm in mind."
Chuck: "I have."
Howard: "You did. For a long time. But you've let personal vendettas turn your focus away from what's best for HHM. You've put your needs first. To our detriment."
Chuck: "I don't think that's accurate."
Howard: "And the moment that I mildly suggest, with empathy and concern, that maybe it's time for you to consider retirement the first instinct you have is to sue me?! To sue the firm? Well, I I-I don't even know I-In what world is that anything but the deepest betrayal of everything we worked so hard to accomplish? In what world is that anything but the deepest betrayal of our friendship?"
―Howard confronting Chuck.[src]

Chuck: "Three million dollars?"
Howard: "The first of three payments, as per the partnership agreement."
Chuck: "The firm can't afford this. Are you... ? You're not shutting down, are you?"
Howard: "I would never endanger the firm. This is mostly from my personal funds... and a few loans."
Chuck: "You're paying me out of your own pocket?"
Howard: "You won."
―Howard eliminating Chuck's leverage over HHM.[src]

Jimmy: "'Cause I wanted to tell you..."
Chuck: "That you have regrets. And I'm telling you: don't bother. What's the point? You're just gonna keep hurting people."
Jimmy: "That's not true."
Chuck: "Jimmy, this is what you do. You hurt people, over and over and over. And then there's this show of remorse."
Jimmy: "It's not a "show"."
Chuck: "I know you don't think it's a show. I don't doubt your emotions are real. But what's the point of all the sad faces and the gnashing of teeth? If you're not going to change your behavior, and you won't..."
Jimmy: "I can change."
Chuck: "Why don't you skip the whole exercise? In the end, you're going to hurt everyone around you. You can't help it. So stop apologizing and accept it. Embrace it. Frankly, I'd have more respect for you if you did."
―Part of Chuck's and Jimmy's final conversation[src]

"Let me put your mind at ease, Jimmy. You don't have to make up with me. We don't have to understand each other. Things are fine the way they are. Hey. I don't want to hurt your feelings... but the truth is you've never mattered all that much to me."
―Chuck's last words to Jimmy, refusing to forgive him.[src]

"Dear Jimmy, I have left many things unsaid in our relationship through the years. Rather than allow these unspoken thoughts to die with me, Iā€™ve chosen to record them here for you. I hope you will take my words in the spirit in which they are intended. I remember quite clearly the day you came home from the hospital. You canā€™t imagine the joy on momā€™s face. I can honestly say I never saw her happier than she was on that day. You brought a shine to our life that nothing else ever did and Iā€™m glad of that. We have not always seen eye to eye. I expect that will continue to be so in the future, however, nothing will ever change the fact that we are brothers - flesh and blood. And though we are very different people, I want you to know how much I respect what you have made of yourself in these last few years. You have taken the opportunity I gave you in the mailroom and you have run with it, becoming a valued member of the HHM family. For all the problems in your past, Iā€™m proud we share the name McGill. I sincerely admire your energy and resilience. I used to worry about you finding a place in the world, but Iā€™m not worried about that anymore. Iā€™m certain now that no matter what the future may bring, youā€™ll land on your feet and I hope when you read this, you remember me not only as your brother, but as a person you knew was always in your corner. Chuck."
―Chuck's letter to Jimmy, written at an unspecified point in time.[src]

Quotes about Chuck

"You taped me?! You asshole! (...) You pulled that heartstrings con job on me?! You piece of shit! "Oh, my brain used to work, I'm sick, I don't know what to do!" Asshole! No wonder Rebecca left you! What took her so long?! There it is! Here we go! Here we go! Here we go! Oh, is this it? Is this it? Is this it? Huh? For this, you destroyed our family? Are you happy now?! For what?! For nothing! Is that all there is, Chuck? Is that all thereā€“all there is, or did you make copies? Huh, Chuck? Huh?! You tell me or I'll burn this whole goddamn house to the ground!"
―Jimmy confronting Chuck over the cassette tape.[src]

"I fucked up. Chuck bamboozled me again. That tape? He made sure that Ernie heard it, right? Because he knew Ernie, bless him, would tell me about it and I would come over to try to destroy it or steal it or whatever. Howard was there, and a P.I., if you can believe that, just waiting for me to lose my shit and bust in. Chuck played me like a fiddle! And schmuck that I am, I fell for it! Moron. [Breathes sharply] I'm sorry. And then, I didn't call you, which is stupid, and I'm sorry about that, too. But I didn't call you for a reason, okay? 'Cause this is my screw-up. I own it, okay? It's my responsibility to fix it. And I know you want to help. Of course you do, 'cause you're wonderful. But y-you're up to your ears in Mesa Verde. And I can't, I won't load this onto you, too. We have worked too hard to let Chuck's bullshit vendetta threaten everything that we're building! I won't allow him to endanger our business! No! I will fix this. Myself. Me. Jimmy McGill. Okay? You have gotta let me do this on my own."
―Jimmy to Kim about the cassette tape incident.[src]

"It comes down to this In order to understand what I was thinking, you need to see Chuck through my eyes. You need to know if I believed that tape was evidence. And I say it was evidence of only one thing: My brother hates me. Now, he claims that he lied to me to get me to tell the truth. And I'm telling you: I lied to my brother to make him feel better. Which of us you believe depends on how we all understand the mind of Charles McGill."
―Jimmy at his bar hearing examining Chuck's testimony.[src]

"Look, full disclosureā€” when you told us about the disciplinary hearing, I admit it I had concerns. So, just so you know, I had to do my due diligence. I read the transcripts. All of them. It was amazing. What you did to Charlesā€” you and James set him up perfectly. You destroyed him! Oh, my God! I couldn't believe some of it. "I'm not crazy. It's 1216, - "one after Magna Carta." The Magna Carta? It was perfect. "You think this chicanery is bad?" Who talks like that?"
Paige Novick compliments Kim on her work at Jimmy's bar disciplinary hearing.[src]

Rebecca: "You got what you wanted. Now it's time to do what's right."
Jimmy: "Yeah... no."
Rebecca: "Jimmy, he's still your brother."
Jimmy: "Not anymore, he's not."
Rebecca: "Chuck was right about you all along. He's mentally ill, what's your excuse? Enjoy your champagne."
―Rebecca asking help to Jimmy about Chuck.[src]

"Did you see the backyard? His microwave, his stereo, his lights... dishwasher, all the kitchen stuff... everything eletric is back there. The firemen didn't do that. He did that. I saw him five days ago. He was listening to jazz. All the lights worked. He was himself. Someting must've happened. Something made him relapse."
―Jimmy to Kim about Chuck's death.[src]

Kim: "What were you thinking when you came to Jimmy on the day of his brother's funeral and laid that shit on him? That Chuck killed himself? What's wrong with you?"
Howard: "I thought... I thought I owed it to Jimmy, to tell him."
Kim: "Owed it to him? Did you owe it to Rebecca? You tell her your theory? That Chuck intentionally set himself on fire? I guess not. I guess you just saved that one for Jimmy."
Howard: "Kim, I didn't do it to hurt Jimmy--"
Kim: "No you did it to make yourself feel better. To make yourself feel better by unloading your guilt. Who cares what it does to Jimmy, right? As long as Howard Hamlin is okay."
Howard: "Kim, I don't think that's fair--"
Kim: "Fair? Let's talk about fair. "Hey let's let Jimmy dig around the fire-damaged wreck where his brother died screaming. And then let's let him pick up a keepsake or two." That is so, so fair. And did I hear you right? You want him to serve on the board of a scholarship committee? A scholarship that Chuck never in a million years would've given to Jimmy. Never! It is just, I mean... Oh what's this too, Howard? What's in this? One last "screw you, little brother" from beyond the grave? Am I really supposed to do this to him?"
Howard: "All right, Kim. What can I do to make it better?"
Kim: "Nothing. There is nothing you can do. Just stay away."
―Kim and Howard arguing about Howard's revelation to Jimmy about Chuck's death.

Kim: "You wanna know why the committee called you insincere? Because you didn't mention Chuck!"
Jimmy: "What does that have to..."
Kim: "They read the transcripts! They know what happened, Jimmy! They were waiting for you to say something about him!"
Jimmy: "So I'm supposed to make a big, hairy deal about my dead brother at my reinstatement hearing? How is that sincere?! I don't think about Chuck, okay?! I don't miss Chuck! Chuck was alive, and now he's dead, and that's that! Finito! Life goes on, so sue me!"
―Kim and Jimmy arguing about Chuck.

"I was just gonnaā€“I was gonna try to move you all with my brother's eloquent words. You know, pull on your heartstrings. But it's not right. This letter is between me and him, and it should stay that way. Listen, my brother Chuck...youā€“you knew him. He loved me in his own way. He loved me as a brother. He did not love me as a lawyer. Big reason I became a lawyer was Chuck. He was the most brilliant man I ever knew, and an incredible lawyer, you know? And he knew exactly who he was. Exactly. And all my life, I wanted to make him proud, and he was not an easy man to make proud. You know, like climbing Everest without supplies: if you were one of the lucky few who reached that peak, even for a moment, if you made him proud ā€“ wow, what a feeling. And he let you know it, too. But if you weren't one of those people... Heā€“he was polite enough, but he did not suffer fools, you know? And he could be judgmental and difficult, and he knew how to get under your skin. Hmm... could be a real son of a bitch. Chuck was the one who was always right, always. And usually he was, you know? So for a guy like me ā€“ I did lousy in school, I lacked ambition, I always cut corners ā€“ I mean, for me to live up to the standards of Charles McGill... I mean, look at me. I'll never be as moral as him, I'll never be as smart, I'll never be as respected. I'll never be as good as Chuck. [sniffs] But I can try. I can try. If you decide I get to be a lawyer, I'll do everything in my power to be worthy of the name McGill. And if you decide I'm not a lawyer...doesn't matter. I'll still try to be the best man that I can be. I'm lucky I got this letter. I never had a chance to write him a letter, and to tell him all the things that I should have. But I gotta believe that somehow... somehow he knows. Well, that's... that'll have to do it for me. Sorry... thank you."
―Jimmy talking about Chuck in court.[src]

Kim: "I knew you could do it! I knew you had it in you!"
Jimmy: "That was so great!"
Kim: "I mean, yes! Theyā€“they have to reinstate you now! They just have to!"
Jimmy: "Uh, yeah! Did you see those suckers? [Kim is stunned] That one asshole was crying, he had actual tears! Jesus, Kim! Listen, I started reading the letter, and I just knew it wasn't... I could tell by their faces it wasn't gonna be enough, right? So I just went off on this flow, you know? I had this energy going through me. It was like improv or jazz and then boom! Sunk the hook in! "I'm so lucky I have this letter." God! I could see the Matrix, you know! I was invincible! I could dodge bullets, baby! And you were right, you were right ā€“ it was all about Chuck! The whole time!"
Clerk: "Oh, Mr. McGill, you're still here. There's some good news."
Jimmy: "Believe me, I already know."
Clerk: "Oh good. Then if you want to come with me to the office, there's some paperwork for you to sign."
Jimmy: "Absolutely! Let's do this thing! Oh, and sweetheart, I'm gonna need one more form: a DBA. Y'see, I'm not gonna be practicing under the name "McGill", so..."
Clerk: "Shouldn't be a problem. Just down the hall. We have all the forms."
Jimmy: "Great! Great!"
Kim: "W-w-wait, Jimmy, Jimmyā€“what?!"
Jimmy: "S'all good, man!"
―Jimmy and Kim after the bar committee.

"I canā€™t go back to being Jimmy McGill. Jimmy McGill the lawyer is always gonna be Chuck McGillā€™s loser brother. Iā€™m done with that. That name is burned."
―Jimmy telling Kim why he's practicing law under the name Saul Goodman.[src]

Howard: "No person in their right mind would behave the way Jimmy has. We are talking about someone whoā€™s not in control of himself. You and I both know it makes no sense to drop a client like Mesa Verde, and I gotta think Jimmy had something to do with that."
Kim: "Do you have any idea how insulting that is? I make my own decisions for my own reasons."
Howard: "You gotta listen to me, the man needs help."
Kim: "Howard, I know Jimmy and youā€™re wrong."
Howard: "You know who really knew Jimmy? Chuck."
―Howard trying warn Kim about Jimmy, later mentioning that Chuck knew Jimmy best.[src]

Howard: "Here. Let me show you a little trick. Something about the centrifugal force. It pulls the bubbles from the inside of the can, stops it from exploding. Don't want our clients to get a surprise, now, do we?"
Cary: "That works? Oh. Alright."
Howard: "You know who taught me that trick? He used to do it, out of habit. Any time he opened a can, almost unconsciously. I asked him about it once. Just his way of being prepared for anything, accidental or otherwise."
Cary: "Um. I'm sorry, I'm kinda new here. I have to ask... who... who is that?"
Howard: "Charles McGill. The "M" in HHM. The greatest legal mind I ever knew."
Cary: "Wow. (Breathes sharply) I hope someone says that about me someday."
Howard: "Well... maybe there are more important things."
―Howard's conversation with HHM employee Cary Anderson, during which Chuck is mentioned.[src]

"You two are soulless. Jimmy, you can't help yourself. Chuck knew it. You were born that way. But you? One of the smartest and most promising human beings I've ever known... and this is the life you choose."
―The part of Howard's angry rant at Jimmy and Kim which mentions Chuck.[src]

"You... You have a wife, right, Frank? (...) And she's waiting for you. Look at me. I got... I got no one. My parents are dead. My brother... My brother is dead. I, uh... I got no wife... No kids. No friends. If I died tonight... no one would care. What difference would it make? (...) If I died tonight, my landlord would pack up my stuff. It'd take him three hours. And Cinnabon would just hire a new manager. Gene who? Poof! I'd be gone. I'd be... a... a ghost. Less than a ghost. I'd be a... a sha... shadow. I'd just be... nothing. I mean, Frank... What's the point, Frank?"
―Jimmy (under the Gene Takavic alias) distracting Frank by discussing his tragic backstory, partly based on real events including the death of his brother.[src]

Jimmy: "What happened to Howard Hamlin, it was... it was... (Jimmy's voice breaks) I can't even... After that, Kim had the guts to start over, she left town. But... I'm the one who ran away. And my brother Chuck - Charles McGill. Y--You may have known him. He was, uh, an incredible lawyer. The most brilliant guy I ever met. But he was limited. I tried. I could've tried harder. I should've. Instead..."
Bill Oakley: "Your Honor...."
Jimmy: "Bill, please! Just let me get through this. (to the court) Instead, when I saw a chance to hurt him, I took it. I got his malpractice insurance cancelled. I took away the one thing he lived for, the law. After that, he killed himself. And I'll live with that. (sits down)"
Bill Oakley: "What was all that? That thing with your brother, that wasn't even a crime."
Jimmy: "Yeah, it was."
―Jimmy finally takes accountability for what he did to Chuck.[src]

Appearances

Better Call Saul

Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Chuck McGill BCS finale

Trivia

  • Chuck, Jimmy, Mike, and Kim are the only main characters featured in the pilot episode "Uno" that also appear in the series finale "Saul Gone".
  • Chuck never meets Nacho Varga, Gustavo Fring or Lalo Salamanca, due to Chuck not meeting either Nacho or Gus and Lalo not arriving in Albuquerque, New Mexico until after Chuck's death.
    • It also makes Chuck the only Better Call Saul main character to never meet Lalo, since all of the main cast have met him.
  • Chuck is the first main character in Better Call Saul to die, and the first overall in the Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul universe.
  • When filming of Better Call Saul started in 2014, Michael McKean had to initially split his time between playing Chuck and performing in All the Way, a Broadway play that coincidentally also starred Bryan Cranston who had played Walter White in Breaking Bad. When McKean's casting was announced in April 2014, his character was deliberately misnamed as "Dr. Thurber," which McKean says was based on humorist James Thurber. Chuck's real name, Charles Lindbergh McGill, was inspired by the aviator Charles Lindbergh.
  • In interviews, McKean has stated that while Chuck did make efforts to foil Jimmy's attempts to get ahead as a lawyer, it wasn't always planned that Chuck would resort to underhanded tricks. He described Chuck as a person who, until the onset of his belief that he suffered from electromagnetic sensitivity, had "followed all the rules" and who suddenly saw all he had slip away. For this reason, Chuck could not understand how, in contrast, someone like Jimmy who didn't follow the rules could be thriving.
  • To aid in their portrayals of the characters, McKean and Odenkirk discussed Chuck and Jimmy's relationships with their parents and the way their parents would have treated them.
  • McKean stated that Gilligan and Gould told actors at the start of the season where generally they would like to see the characters go. Eventually, with little notice, Gilligan and Gould would give more specific direction to actors. Despite the short notice, McKean trusted that the showrunners were doing the right thing with the character.
  • Around the time of filming the third season's seventh episode "Expenses," McKean received Chuck's "death call." Gilligan and Gould informed him that Chuck would die in that season's finale, the tenth episode, "Lantern." McKean had been expecting the call based on the character's arc and had no regrets or issues with it. He said, "Chuck did not belong in Jimmyā€™s universe by the time he becomes Saul Goodman, so I knew that it was very possible [Chuck would die before that]."
  • Chuck shares some similarities with Hank Schrader: Both men are dedicated servants of the law in different ways, and are directly related to the shows protagonists, Jimmy and Walt. While loyal in the beginning, Chuck's/Hank's relationship with Jimmy/Walt dissolves upon knowing about their crimes. They later die after obsessively pursuing them.
  • Season 5 is the only season where Chuck doesn't appear, making him the only main character to not appear for a full season after their introduction.
  • Chuck's final scene is in the final episode of the series. The scene takes place in the same room as his debut in the first episode of the show.
  • In the flashbacks in "Saul Gone", Jimmy's conversations with Mike and Walt about time travel and regrets are possibly tied to his buying The Time Machine for Chuck near the beginning of his illness, foreshadowing Jimmy's deeply hidden regret over what he did to Chuck and his wish to change it

Videos

Notes

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