When I first saw this character, I thought to myself "Oh here's the stereotypical Prince Charming who is actually a conniving arrogant asshole that the audience is supposed to hate". Oh how wrong I was. He was actually a tragic character that didn't deserve his fate.
Even by the end of season 1 I really liked Howard. When he comes clean to Jimmy in the finale and learns of all the chores Jimmy was doing for Chuck everyday, he felt bad for Jimmy and even got him another job at another firm. Chuck and Jimmy both treated Howard awfully
Howard Hamlin deserved so much more. On paper he's a guy that a lot of young men would WANT to be when they grow up. He's decent looking, in decent shape (for his age), he's very successful, even-tempered and respected in his profession. But the reality was that he was quite a lonely and unhappy man. His wife was very cold to him, he slept out in a separate little house (and he didn't cheat on her, despite ample reason and ability to do so), his boss was a jerk and made him be a jerk to employees who deserved better, he believed he was at fault for said mentor/idols death and had to face depression, and in the end his whole life and reputation were destroyed by a pair of people he had previously stuck up for which ultimately led to his death when he went to give them a piece of his mind. It's hard to think that half-way through Season 1 this guy would end up being one of the most sympathetic characters fans feel really bad for and who had a tragic arc whose end he didn't deserve.
But this is exactly why we hate him. He has no soul. While Jimmy is not always morally right, but everyone can see that he has heart. "Just doing my job" was said a lot in the Nuremberg trials.
@@g00ts in one side you have a lawyer who, from what was shown to us, never undertook immoral activities during his career. In the other side you have people begging for forgiveness for committing crimes against humanity. And in your mind that’s an honest take. My guess? You moral compass requires maintenance.
I’ll never stop screaming it- Howard deserved better! He was surrounded by psychos and in the end he paid for all of their sins. Dude was just a stand up guy, doing his best. By the end, I found myself loathing Saul and Kim so much. It most certainly is not all good, man. 😒
I really appreciated how Gilligan & Co wrote this character. It would’ve been the easy option to have had him fill the antagonist role of authoritative arrogant boss but they fleshed him out much deeper. He was a fundamentally decent man who had his flaws and didn’t always do what was morally correct. In other words he was very human and probably the closest thing to a moral compass in the Better Call Saul universe.
I just realized that Howard's NAMAST3 plate is potentially also a play on "Nah, I'ma stay" since he got it right after he got out of his downward spiral, and the fans thought he might be gone soon. It's in the same vein as the "Saul Goodman" pun. However I won't go into detail on why they used a "3" instead of an "E" at the end of the word "namaste" on Howard's license plate. I can all but assure you that the "3" wasn't chosen in order to add some realism in that Howard would be unlikely able to get a plate in a major city with the word "namaste" spelled correctly--being that it's probably already taken. Suffice it to say that you wouldn't believe me if I told you why they chose the "3" but on the off chance someone else out there knows what I'm talking about: **high five** 👋
I love howard hamlins outfits albeit being the same outfit every episode. Theres literally nothing wrong with dressing up by the way, especially if you're the CEO. The guy says almost as if its a bad thing.
This is morbid I know but I appreciated the symbolism of Howard’s jaw breaking after being shot. Everything about Howard is carefully crafted by him; his tone of voice, his vocal cadence, his hand movements, his suits, his hair, his tan, you even see that in the latte he makes his wife, he is incredibly meticulous about his image both physically and his reputation. His image is EVERYTHING to him. Saul & Kim had ruined his reputation, but becoming disfigured on the way to the ground (after already being dead), they’d destroyed the whole image of Howard.
Howard didn't in the slightest deserve what happened to him. His kindness was taken for weakness through his entirety on the show. He was played by both Chuck as well as Jimmy, and it killed him.
No actually Lalo and Kim alone are truly responsible for Howard's demise. Jimmy to much lesser extent and Mikes knowledge given to Jimmy verses Kim could have saved Howard. Easiest way to get to this is simply by that very day Jimmy phones Kim in her car to postpone the "Howard scheme" stating we will do it the next day or soon and Kim responds, "This happens today" As she spun around in her car, this than placed Howard directly in their living room that same evening when Lalo arrives. Only I guess many may prefer blaming Howard for not leaving immediately after he was told to go by either Jimmy or Kim. I mean Howard had 30 seconds there to get out of dodge, if only Howard was to have listened, he'd still be alive, only no because, actually the writers killed Howard in order to have their Kimmy's character any reason to leave. How's that for great writing and great character assassination?
@@christinem894 Howard wasn't sober enough to realise the danger, and he would never have made it out the door. Poor howard. i wish his body had been found.
I find it funny when Jimmy called Howard "Lord Vader" or "Darth Vader". Despite initially being a offhand joke, Darth Vader is a perfect analogy to Howard, where as Chuck is his Palpatine. A One-sided Mentor-student relationship, where the Mentor only uses the Student as a tool for his own selfish gain and the Student is a suffering person with no agency. The said Mentor is also a two faced villain who tried to act like a good senator/brother, when really he is a petty elitist who hates his own Brother. In the end , even Howard is forced to go against Chuck just as Vader tossed Palpatine down the Death Star Core
Howard was actually pretty patient with Chuck! Howard and Chuck are better people than Jimmy and KIm! Jimmy and Kim got Howard killed, so your analysis is a little perverted! Howards the most innocent person on the show.
@@5rings16 Chuck is no better than Jimmy but I wasn't Howard and Chuck being the better isn't the point. I just point out a toxic mentor-student relationship between the two. And the analogy of Darth Vader and Palpatine. The student with little to no agency against a manipulative mentor, who eventually was forced to go against him.
@@5rings16 Woah I never intended anything about Class warfare, even through I see nothing wrong with it. Although Chuck was canonically elitist and elitism doesn't necessarily meant wealth or social status. Elitism here refers where one feel themselves superior than a lower other. In video games like League of Legends a more skilled player may look down on a lower skilled player and in a anime fandom , somebody may feel superior simply because they read the novel. All of the cases above are cases of Elitism, it doesn't always necessarily need to be about money. In the McGill case it is more naunced. For Chuck's case, it's his education, sibling seniority and his self precieved moral superiority. But the most prevalent one is his law degree. I remember a lawyer commenting a Better Call Saul video once said he despised two types of lawyers that are in the Legal trade that were perfectly represented by the two McGill brothers. The first type is your common sleazy seedy bastards and borderline con man that manipulates people with garbage ads aka Saul Goodman/James McGill. Chuck is the second type, the elitist gatekeeping type, where because he went to a better school and earnt a degree that make him thinks he can treat others lesser or badly. This is evident from his quote "University of Samao , what a joke!" And "The law is sacred!" (Hence scum like Slippin Jimmy is not allowed) and the "Chimp with a machine gun" line Regardless whether Chuck earn't it out of hardwork or regardless of his background, treating it as a liscence to disregard others especially his own brother is uncalled for, which results in the creation of Saul Goodman. Other than the elitism in the legal trade, there are other naunced version of elitism . Like his self precieved moral superiority where he view his own brother as a dirty con man with a addiction to conning . Hence as the better brother, the world should treat him better than his brother. As seen with his interactions with both his parents and wife. These elitism caused both himself, Jimmy and those around them especially with Howard and Kim a untold amount of grief. And it showed that Elitism exists in many forms, other than the typical class warfare.
Jesse being isolated in Alaska is the happiest ending he could get. After being a slave both to his addiction and to Todd and his Uncle being in an open area alone is the happiest of endings for Jesse.
@@StarmenRock when it comes to family with the exception of Brock, Badger and Skinny Pete everyone really close to Jesse is dead. Walt, Emilio, Jane, Andrea, Combo. And as far as being on the run the idea of him being able to be by himself doing what he wants maybe he would build another one of those wooden boxes and not sell it for weed this time.
In Jimmy's testimony in the last episode, at least he kept his mouth shut about that guy who gave them new identities, that could have still even fucked Jesse
The best ending belongs to Kim. She is the one who destroyed Howard. Jimmy took the blames for her and in the end she gets away with it while a stable job, family and friends are all intact and everyone in the fanbase is so happy that she got away scott free.
Howard was the man. Tried to prop everyone up around him. Always put the firm first. He’s the only one that handles everything he’s dealing with in a healthy way and yet he’s the one whose character was defamed in the end
Up until what they did to Howard, I was rooting for Saul and Kim. From that point on I was happy kim stopped being a lawyer and even happier she left Saul. What ever dark future Saul has coming to him, he deserves it.
It really makes me sad that Howard’s body was never found. Something about that just is wrong. To be gone without any sort of resolution to those who knew him. Just “dude disappeared on a drug binge”
@@denske1272 yeah that’s one good thing, still though, for years when hearing the name “Howard Hamlin” the people of Albuquerque will think of cocaine and drugs and suicide in the ocean, however untrue it is. Drama sells.
Everyone who knows where the bodies are is dead. It may be found during the investigation into Fring's estate. Or it may not be. But at least his body is respectfully buried and not burned/melted/left to dry out and get eaten by wildlife in the desert.
One of the greatest characters ever put in a show. So tragic. The actor is amazing, I believe patrick fabian is his name. I hope we see him in other shows cause he was masterful. I felt bad for him after hating him so much
What I really love about Howard is how most people would look at him and just think he’s a prude stuck up rich guy who is selfish and a stereotypical businessman/lawyer, but when you get a deep look at him it really shows his character to be the exact opposite.
Howard is morally grey. Howards actions although they may come across as superficial or phony, are just a reflection of his character, and it only comes across that way, because we are standing in Jimmy's and Kims perspective. If you take a moment to analyze his character throughout the series, he is one of the more morally correct characters, even if that signifies passivity. He stands on the sideline with Chucks and Jimmys conflict, because he sees it as personal and does not wish to create a crack between them by telling jimmy the truth. Later, it is the fact that Howard has been able to heal off his trauma, that pisses jimmy off, because he himself is pushing down these emotions about Chucks death, instead of confronting them. Kim's reason for hating him is because to her, howard got all of his success handed to him, and the fact that hes her superior, and controls her professional life deeply enrages her. Even then, when she cuts ties professionally with Howard, he still feels entitled to give an opinion on Kims personal life, pointing out how jimmy is no good for her. And although (i think) he does this out of genuine concern for her, its evident Kim sees it as another instance of Howard thinking hes Kim's authority. In this case morally. Which is the detonating factor on her misguided revenge plan, that culminates in his death. In my opinion his death feels so crude and shocking, because he was one of the characters who didnt actually act out of malicious intent. Even when his actions were not right, he was not motivated by spite, resentment, etc. Unlike jimmy's bowling balls, or Kims plan to humiliate him, when howard errs, he seems to do so more out of neglect of his own surroundings, not understanding how his actions affect others, or even more importantly, the colder mistakes he makes imo, are almost always in the line of keeping his company and professional life working. It is the only life hes ever known, and as such is the most important thing to him. Keeping up appearances, having the biggest clients, making the company money, rewarding success and punishing failure, are all things he does in order to protect his lifestyle, because in my opinion, this is the only world hes ever known. Albeit a little small and protected bubble, in the rougher scope of Kim or Jimmys life.
He did have some flaws. I noticed in the last episode or two that he started taking some tips from Slip'n Jimmy McGill when it came to twisting sympathy in the court of law.
Completely agree. Everything that people attribute to him being bad, was a reaction to them trying to destroy him. And they say that he tried to keep Jimmy down which was actually Chuck and with Chuck being a partner someone had to be the bad guy and Howard took the fall for him. He wasn't perfect but was absolutely a good person. I see people that feel sorry for Gail because of his innocence when he begged to be a meth cook for a kingpin. Deserved what you got. Kim wexler is almost as bad as anyone else. And she's not a murderer but she is a thief and a liar and not a good person at all. And pretty much everyone else is a liar cheater murderer drug cook drug mule drug kingpin etc. Howard is by far the most moral featured character in the show.
The thing is I didn't see Howard as a Snotty Boss at the Beginning. When Jimmy was in the Mailroom Howard Nicknamed him "Charlie Hustle" Out of Admiration cause Jimmy was working during the day school at night and passed the bar. Howard liked Jimmy he really did, and was proud of him because becoming a Lawyer of any kind is hard work. He was only painted as the bad guy because people like to "Shoot the Messenger" no Pun intended (Poor Howard) Chuck used Howard to tell Jimmy he didn't want him working at HHM. Much like Chuck used everyone around him because he was a spoiled selfish man who seeming felt like people were only around to do his bidding. Mean while Howard who looked up to Chuck as a Mentor ended up caught up in the crossfire of Chuck and Jimmy's family feud. Then after Chuck committed suicide Howard blamed himself undeservingly. Jimmy let him believe it was his fault just utterly crushing the man and then Howard had to take on a Shit load of shit to keep HHM going, a bitch of a wife that very much reminds me of Jada and Will. Poor guy just the BB universes Punching bag. Than to be killed like a roach for no reason.
Howard's character makes me so sad... He didn't deserve any of this. Like the title says, he was a fine man, the FINEST man in this universe, and was done dirty. I honestly don't like that Kim got away with it, but whatever. Another thing I don't have clear is if his reputation got fixed or not. I felt they left it kinda open, maybe I missed something. But it's really sad if I did not.
Same, but i think keeping in mind their character, its a worse fate for Kim to have to live with the regret in this bland world, that she escaped to at the waterworks, with a husband that is dissatisfying to her, than being caught and punished like Jimmy. Only because her whole persona was built either around professional and personal excellence through the help of others. Now shes forever unable to achieve either of them.
I absolutely LOATH how Kim got away with it and how everyone celebrates her suffering no consequences just because “she did the right thing by leaving Jimmy”.
@@ThisisGlorious Still have a family, job, house and friends intact. And the truth about Howard never blew up to her face. She chose to quit the law. She didn’t suffer anything. Her life is way better than most of middle income people and in Breaking Bad standard, it’s literally a heaven.
@@nont18411 hmm i dunno if id call that intact, cause the way its portrayed is meant to contrast all of the satisfaction she got out of being a lawyer. Her friends have no real connection to her, and she doesnt connect with her husband. Yeah it might seem like a desirable life, but keeping in mind who Kim has been built up to be in the series, shes in her own personal hell. this is all just my opinion tho.
Such great writing about and around Howard. We start the series by hating him, we then see him as straight up guy albeit a douchebag, and at the end he is revealed as a decent man that was drawn into the Sliiping Jimmy Black Hole of death
Would a decent man be complicit in being an agent for other people suffering unfairly? "I was just following orders" doesn't remove partial responsibility
Howard seemed like a jerk initially. It comes out he was actually a standup guy, with a lot of complexity. He deserved so much better. Hamlin was actually Hamlet. It was cringy the way Jimmy and Kim plotted against him.
19:40 To be fair it's implied that there'd been no love in Howard and Cheryl's marriage for years and that they only stayed together for appearances. Cheryl probably regretted their distance after Kim told the truth about her and Jimmy ruining Howard and him being killed by Lalo.
Their marriage is so realistic… It’s not any underlying hatred or anomoisty towards each other but Cheryl simply fell out of love with him and they were married for appearances… Neither person was the “bad guy” and it wasn’t a “hollywood” marriage where they were hating on each other but simply they were glorified roommates Cheryl was the more dominant so Howard moved into the small annexe outside of the house and lived lonley…. When she poured his carefully made coffee into a cup without a thank you… We ALL felt that!
They’re wrong about the photo of the judge scam: The detective switched the photos. Howard did not hallucinate, he just looked high and couldn’t explain his way out of the situation because he was flustered by the drug.
Howard was actually my favorite character in BCS. I hated him from the start but after we found out Chuck was the one who did the gaslighting, I started to like him gradually. I started to despise Jimmy and Kim from the Wendy prank. Lalo too was my favorite character, but after 'Plan & Execution' I hated him too. I really want Howard to get justice before the show ends.
During the series, Jimmy and Kim send a shady guy to search for compromising information about the owner of the Mesa Verde bank. The guy finds absolutely nothing compromising and Kim and Jimmy are left in disbelief. In reality, however, if we are to see most of the characters belonging to the upper-class caste represented in the series, they are all exactly like this. From this point of view, the series is disarmingly flat. Howard is the same exemplification, the same perfect representation of this bland character drawing style. In Gould's imaginative representation of the American upper class, its representatives are devoted body and soul to work, always dress the same, have no double lives, no secrets, at best like Howard, play golf at the club and go by the analyst because it is fashionable. The sports photos at his funeral are of the actor who plays him, do not be under any illusions. In the end, almost nothing is revealed to us about Howard, apart from a marriage crisis, where his wife has forced him to sleep out of bed for a year and he prepares insipid huge cappuccinos, drawing on the sign of peace, trying to rebuild a relationship. with her. If we asked his wife Cherryl what problem they had, she would answer that the problem with Howard was boredom. The truth, which would have made Cherryl much happier, if he had really taken drugs, had dated prostitutes, tried to seduce colleagues and maybe, maybe, occasionally remembered to fuck her too. When they reveal that she had a double life, she remains skeptical and with reason. Let's say if Kim's problem was that she was having too much fun with Jimmy, Cherryl had the tragic opposite problem...
no matter how hard i try, I still feel so bad for disliking howard at the start, seeing how things would turn out for him thanks to slippin kimmy and slippin jimmy, I have never felt so bad about disliking a character at first. also side note: I love the nick name slippin kimmy so much
I didn't like how they went at this man. I kept watching believing that Jimmy would see the error of his ways and make peace with Howard as I felt Howard was the only redeemable person on the show. After Howard's death, I can no longer watch this show because there is no longer any character I care about. Jimmy is awful and way worse a personality than the one portrayed in Breaking Bad. The lead character Jimmy could have got shot and I wouldn't have cared.
The people trying to say Howard was bad are ridiculous. Howard was easily the most genuinely good people in the entire show out of the main ish characters. Yeah he made it look like he was the bad guy when Chuck didn't want Jimmy to know that he was keeping him from getting the job but when you have someone who has been a business partner for 30 years you are obviously going to step up to bat for them. Nothing that he did was immoral. Not hiring jimmy didn't make him a bad guy lol. Anytime that he threatened or did anything it was when they were literally trying to destroy his life and career. The dude was honest and loyal and was trying to better himself for his relationship with his wife and while I wouldn't say he was perfect because no one is, so many people defend characters in the show because they like them like Kim wexler. Kim wexler is a lying corrupt p.o.s just like Jimmy. And most of the other characters are lying cheating murdering drug cooking drug muling drug dealing scum. Yes Howard is a good-looking dude and he cares about dressing nice and has confidence borderline cockiness but that doesn't make you a bad person lol. He busted his ass for what he got and has every right to have self-confidence even if it is a front for his depression. Dude in no way shape or form deserved what he got. He didn't deserve to be cheated out of his job he didn't deserve to be framed for being a drug addict. I love this show and I love Kim and Jimmy because they are fun characters but people let that blind them to the fact that they were horrible human beings and someone like Howard a good hard-working guy
I admit, I never understood why people hated Howard. Everything he did was justified and we knew that Chuck was the problem. As a boss he was always professional and fair, aside from the Kim Doc Review instance. Aside from that, I could never fault him for any wrongdoing.
It’s funny you say he first came off to audiences as a “villain”. I as a professional business owner, just saw him as a level headed businessman running a large law firm. He was a businessman as well as an attorney, and he dressed the part. I never had issues with him.
Because of his inflection and unfamiliarity with the content, I can tell the announcer didn’t write what he’s saying. As for my small click, when you settle on an effective voice I just may. I quite like the point of view, but it seems like you are hiring people online instead of using voice actors. This is holding you back (and the gas lamp-lit room was a stretch). Worthy analysis.
2:49 I wouldn't say businessman, I'd say corporate/commercial lawyer (the lawyers who are only out to make big businesses richer) than, say, a divorce attorney or personal injury etc...
Seeing this just now, Jimmy got 80 something years (basically life) in prision and Kim is basically IMO methaphorictly dead. You can see her 9-5, day to day, dead inside as she seems numb either by trauma or the boring mundanity of life
Your observations are really poor. You are painting Howard as someone who didn't want Jimmy at HHM when it clearly came out that it was Chuck who didn't want Jimmy and it was Chuck who manipulated Howard into being the bad guy who had to tell Jimmy that he wasn't going to be hired as a lawyer.
Before becoming a lawyer, Howard Hamlin was a professor at UC Berkley where he was fired after it was revealed he was having an affair with a student named Kelly Kapowski. He soon recovered from that and rebuilt his life as one of the top lawyers in New Mexico.
It really gets under my skin when people talk about chuck like he actually had that electromagnetic shit. He was clearly suffering from delusions and some severe anxiety. Like cmon man! Did u Even watch the show???
Even thi Jesse lost everything and everyone he cared about, at least he got a new start. A nee start to try meeting new people he will care about, new things he can work towards. So my point is that a happy ending no matter how tragic and painful the road to that ending is, is still a happy ending.
Howard is the most tragic character of the entire BrBa saga, even more so than Andrea. I had a lump in my throat watching Mike's goons stuff his corpse in a fridge and then into a shallow grave. At least Mike told them to go easy handling him and seemed to express remorse when burying the poor guy next to his killer and also ruining his reputation.
it really made me upset what happened to Howard, he didn't deserve it at all , not just they'll never find his body , he also had to share the same grave with the one who killed him , it was so depressing
When I first saw this character, I thought to myself "Oh here's the stereotypical Prince Charming who is actually a conniving arrogant asshole that the audience is supposed to hate". Oh how wrong I was. He was actually a tragic character that didn't deserve his fate.
Even by the end of season 1 I really liked Howard. When he comes clean to Jimmy in the finale and learns of all the chores Jimmy was doing for Chuck everyday, he felt bad for Jimmy and even got him another job at another firm. Chuck and Jimmy both treated Howard awfully
Howard Hamlin deserved so much more. On paper he's a guy that a lot of young men would WANT to be when they grow up. He's decent looking, in decent shape (for his age), he's very successful, even-tempered and respected in his profession.
But the reality was that he was quite a lonely and unhappy man. His wife was very cold to him, he slept out in a separate little house (and he didn't cheat on her, despite ample reason and ability to do so), his boss was a jerk and made him be a jerk to employees who deserved better, he believed he was at fault for said mentor/idols death and had to face depression, and in the end his whole life and reputation were destroyed by a pair of people he had previously stuck up for which ultimately led to his death when he went to give them a piece of his mind.
It's hard to think that half-way through Season 1 this guy would end up being one of the most sympathetic characters fans feel really bad for and who had a tragic arc whose end he didn't deserve.
Howard broke good.
Goes to show how immense the character development can get in BCS/BB
This was actually one of the best written dissections and assessments of the Howard Hamlin character I've ever read.
But this is exactly why we hate him. He has no soul. While Jimmy is not always morally right, but everyone can see that he has heart. "Just doing my job" was said a lot in the Nuremberg trials.
@@g00ts in one side you have a lawyer who, from what was shown to us, never undertook immoral activities during his career. In the other side you have people begging for forgiveness for committing crimes against humanity. And in your mind that’s an honest take.
My guess? You moral compass requires maintenance.
I’ll never stop screaming it- Howard deserved better! He was surrounded by psychos and in the end he paid for all of their sins. Dude was just a stand up guy, doing his best. By the end, I found myself loathing Saul and Kim so much. It most certainly is not all good, man. 😒
Same here
Chuck, Saul and Kim both ruined him
Agree
True
Even his wife was neglecting him. Real shame.
I really appreciated how Gilligan & Co wrote this character. It would’ve been the easy option to have had him fill the antagonist role of authoritative arrogant boss but they fleshed him out much deeper. He was a fundamentally decent man who had his flaws and didn’t always do what was morally correct. In other words he was very human and probably the closest thing to a moral compass in the Better Call Saul universe.
I completely agree👍
I just realized that Chuck used gaslights in the house with Jimmy and was actually gas lighting him figuratively as well. Genius writing.
No, he used gas lights because of his electromagnetic sensitivity, as simple as that, no hidden meaning there
@@janrecina9878 are you really that opposed to them using symbolism? Come on!
I just realized that Howard's NAMAST3 plate is potentially also a play on "Nah, I'ma stay" since he got it right after he got out of his downward spiral, and the fans thought he might be gone soon. It's in the same vein as the "Saul Goodman" pun.
However I won't go into detail on why they used a "3" instead of an "E" at the end of the word "namaste" on Howard's license plate. I can all but assure you that the "3" wasn't chosen in order to add some realism in that Howard would be unlikely able to get a plate in a major city with the word "namaste" spelled correctly--being that it's probably already taken.
Suffice it to say that you wouldn't believe me if I told you why they chose the "3" but on the off chance someone else out there knows what I'm talking about:
**high five** 👋
Brilliant!!🎉
@@janrecina9878 I think the double meaning was there too.
Huell was the only character to get a happy ending it's shown he is back with his family back in New Orleans
I love howard hamlins outfits albeit being the same outfit every episode. Theres literally nothing wrong with dressing up by the way, especially if you're the CEO. The guy says almost as if its a bad thing.
Really liked your Charlie Hustle observation - I hadn't thought of that, but it makes perfect sense when you point it out. Thanks!
This is morbid I know but I appreciated the symbolism of Howard’s jaw breaking after being shot. Everything about Howard is carefully crafted by him; his tone of voice, his vocal cadence, his hand movements, his suits, his hair, his tan, you even see that in the latte he makes his wife, he is incredibly meticulous about his image both physically and his reputation. His image is EVERYTHING to him.
Saul & Kim had ruined his reputation, but becoming disfigured on the way to the ground (after already being dead), they’d destroyed the whole image of Howard.
Howard didn't in the slightest deserve what happened to him. His kindness was taken for weakness through his entirety on the show. He was played by both Chuck as well as Jimmy, and it killed him.
No actually Lalo and Kim alone are truly responsible for Howard's demise. Jimmy to much lesser extent and Mikes knowledge given to Jimmy verses Kim could have saved Howard. Easiest way to get to this is simply by that very day Jimmy phones Kim in her car to postpone the "Howard scheme" stating we will do it the next day or soon and Kim responds, "This happens today" As she spun around in her car, this than placed Howard directly in their living room that same evening when Lalo arrives. Only I guess many may prefer blaming Howard for not leaving immediately after he was told to go by either Jimmy or Kim. I mean Howard had 30 seconds there to get out of dodge, if only Howard was to have listened, he'd still be alive, only no because, actually the writers killed Howard in order to have their Kimmy's character any reason to leave. How's that for great writing and great character assassination?
@@christinem894 Howard wasn't sober enough to realise the danger, and he would never have made it out the door. Poor howard. i wish his body had been found.
I find it funny when Jimmy called Howard "Lord Vader" or "Darth Vader". Despite initially being a offhand joke, Darth Vader is a perfect analogy to Howard, where as Chuck is his Palpatine. A One-sided Mentor-student relationship, where the Mentor only uses the Student as a tool for his own selfish gain and the Student is a suffering person with no agency. The said Mentor is also a two faced villain who tried to act like a good senator/brother, when really he is a petty elitist who hates his own Brother. In the end , even Howard is forced to go against Chuck just as Vader tossed Palpatine down the Death Star Core
Howard was actually pretty patient with Chuck! Howard and Chuck are better people than Jimmy and KIm! Jimmy and Kim got Howard killed, so your analysis is a little perverted! Howards the most innocent person on the show.
@@5rings16
Chuck is no better than Jimmy but I wasn't Howard and Chuck being the better isn't the point.
I just point out a toxic mentor-student relationship between the two. And the analogy of Darth Vader and Palpatine. The student with little to no agency against a manipulative mentor, who eventually was forced to go against him.
@@bosunbill9059 Yes but there shouldnt be a class warfare thing here with the elitist comment. Chuck and Howard outworked Jimmy to be great!
@@bosunbill9059 Chuck didn't kill thousands of people with crystal meth! He's much better than Jimmy! Jimmy's a monster!!
@@5rings16
Woah I never intended anything about Class warfare, even through I see nothing wrong with it. Although Chuck was canonically elitist and elitism doesn't necessarily meant wealth or social status. Elitism here refers where one feel themselves superior than a lower other. In video games like League of Legends a more skilled player may look down on a lower skilled player and in a anime fandom , somebody may feel superior simply because they read the novel. All of the cases above are cases of Elitism, it doesn't always necessarily need to be about money. In the McGill case it is more naunced.
For Chuck's case, it's his education, sibling seniority and his self precieved moral superiority. But the most prevalent one is his law degree. I remember a lawyer commenting a Better Call Saul video once said he despised two types of lawyers that are in the Legal trade that were perfectly represented by the two McGill brothers.
The first type is your common sleazy seedy bastards and borderline con man that manipulates people with garbage ads aka Saul Goodman/James McGill.
Chuck is the second type, the elitist gatekeeping type, where because he went to a better school and earnt a degree that make him thinks he can treat others lesser or badly. This is evident from his quote "University of Samao , what a joke!" And "The law is sacred!" (Hence scum like Slippin Jimmy is not allowed) and the "Chimp with a machine gun" line Regardless whether Chuck earn't it out of hardwork or regardless of his background, treating it as a liscence to disregard others especially his own brother is uncalled for, which results in the creation of Saul Goodman.
Other than the elitism in the legal trade, there are other naunced version of elitism . Like his self precieved moral superiority where he view his own brother as a dirty con man with a addiction to conning . Hence as the better brother, the world should treat him better than his brother. As seen with his interactions with both his parents and wife.
These elitism caused both himself, Jimmy and those around them especially with Howard and Kim a untold amount of grief. And it showed that Elitism exists in many forms, other than the typical class warfare.
Jesse being isolated in Alaska is the happiest ending he could get. After being a slave both to his addiction and to Todd and his Uncle being in an open area alone is the happiest of endings for Jesse.
what about having a family and not needing to have to hide forever? i bet that would be much better for him...
@@StarmenRock when it comes to family with the exception of Brock, Badger and Skinny Pete everyone really close to Jesse is dead. Walt, Emilio, Jane, Andrea, Combo. And as far as being on the run the idea of him being able to be by himself doing what he wants maybe he would build another one of those wooden boxes and not sell it for weed this time.
In Jimmy's testimony in the last episode, at least he kept his mouth shut about that guy who gave them new identities, that could have still even fucked Jesse
The best ending belongs to Kim.
She is the one who destroyed Howard. Jimmy took the blames for her and in the end she gets away with it while a stable job, family and friends are all intact and everyone in the fanbase is so happy that she got away scott free.
@@nont18411she is getting that civil suit against her, though. We just never see what comes out of it
Howard was the man. Tried to prop everyone up around him. Always put the firm first. He’s the only one that handles everything he’s dealing with in a healthy way and yet he’s the one whose character was defamed in the end
"always put the firm first." That's why I hate him. He is a capitalist corporate asshole.
@@n6rt9s Incel's tend to hate real men.
"You've mistaken my kindness for weakness" Howard's quoting Al Capone
All he did wrong was just, he had a douchebag face... He didnt deserved it. He was one of the best kind hearted people in the breaking bad universe
Up until what they did to Howard, I was rooting for Saul and Kim. From that point on I was happy kim stopped being a lawyer and even happier she left Saul. What ever dark future Saul has coming to him, he deserves it.
Patrick Fabian has the most “id have a beer with that guy” energy ive ever seen from an actor.
It takes Howard dying for his wife to care. No way she wasn’t stepping out on him, no doubt part of why she feels so bad.
Howard's wife was gorgeous, but you are probably right about her mindset.
She was on screen for like 2 minutes. How in the fuck did you get any of that from this. Pure misogyny
It really makes me sad that Howard’s body was never found. Something about that just is wrong. To be gone without any sort of resolution to those who knew him. Just “dude disappeared on a drug binge”
At least kim told his wife in the end that he wasn't on drugs and didn't kill himself...the last season has been tough to watch I must admit
@@denske1272 yeah that’s one good thing, still though, for years when hearing the name “Howard Hamlin” the people of Albuquerque will think of cocaine and drugs and suicide in the ocean, however untrue it is.
Drama sells.
Also pisses me off, that Lalos body never is found. Hector was the only one who knew he was still alive, before he actually got killed.
Everyone who knows where the bodies are is dead. It may be found during the investigation into Fring's estate. Or it may not be. But at least his body is respectfully buried and not burned/melted/left to dry out and get eaten by wildlife in the desert.
@@princejohn8245 I think it's good Lalo was disrespected tho, he deserved it. sad some idiot teacher had to come in and destroy Gus Fring's operation
One of the greatest characters ever put in a show. So tragic. The actor is amazing, I believe patrick fabian is his name.
I hope we see him in other shows cause he was masterful. I felt bad for him after hating him so much
Howard is a name partner of HHM. He's basically a CEO. They HAVE to be overdressed to for their image.
2:49 “You’re a shitty lawyer Howard, but you’re a great salesman. So get out there and Sell!” “Fuck you Jimmy.” “There you go, use that.”
What I really love about Howard is how most people would look at him and just think he’s a prude stuck up rich guy who is selfish and a stereotypical businessman/lawyer, but when you get a deep look at him it really shows his character to be the exact opposite.
He IS more of a businessman than an attorney. He’s the face of the company. His suits are beautiful.
Yeah, Jimmy was right.
Howard is morally grey. Howards actions although they may come across as superficial or phony, are just a reflection of his character, and it only comes across that way, because we are standing in Jimmy's and Kims perspective.
If you take a moment to analyze his character throughout the series, he is one of the more morally correct characters, even if that signifies passivity. He stands on the sideline with Chucks and Jimmys conflict, because he sees it as personal and does not wish to create a crack between them by telling jimmy the truth. Later, it is the fact that Howard has been able to heal off his trauma, that pisses jimmy off, because he himself is pushing down these emotions about Chucks death, instead of confronting them.
Kim's reason for hating him is because to her, howard got all of his success handed to him, and the fact that hes her superior, and controls her professional life deeply enrages her. Even then, when she cuts ties professionally with Howard, he still feels entitled to give an opinion on Kims personal life, pointing out how jimmy is no good for her. And although (i think) he does this out of genuine concern for her, its evident Kim sees it as another instance of Howard thinking hes Kim's authority. In this case morally. Which is the detonating factor on her misguided revenge plan, that culminates in his death.
In my opinion his death feels so crude and shocking, because he was one of the characters who didnt actually act out of malicious intent. Even when his actions were not right, he was not motivated by spite, resentment, etc. Unlike jimmy's bowling balls, or Kims plan to humiliate him, when howard errs, he seems to do so more out of neglect of his own surroundings, not understanding how his actions affect others, or even more importantly, the colder mistakes he makes imo, are almost always in the line of keeping his company and professional life working. It is the only life hes ever known, and as such is the most important thing to him. Keeping up appearances, having the biggest clients, making the company money, rewarding success and punishing failure, are all things he does in order to protect his lifestyle, because in my opinion, this is the only world hes ever known. Albeit a little small and protected bubble, in the rougher scope of Kim or Jimmys life.
He did have some flaws. I noticed in the last episode or two that he started taking some tips from Slip'n Jimmy McGill when it came to twisting sympathy in the court of law.
Howard is one of the very few actually good people in the show.
I disagree. He messed with Kim's career and bullied her way too much to be called a good person.
@@lloydau3610 I dunno. That seemed reactionary to me.
Completely agree. Everything that people attribute to him being bad, was a reaction to them trying to destroy him. And they say that he tried to keep Jimmy down which was actually Chuck and with Chuck being a partner someone had to be the bad guy and Howard took the fall for him. He wasn't perfect but was absolutely a good person. I see people that feel sorry for Gail because of his innocence when he begged to be a meth cook for a kingpin. Deserved what you got. Kim wexler is almost as bad as anyone else. And she's not a murderer but she is a thief and a liar and not a good person at all. And pretty much everyone else is a liar cheater murderer drug cook drug mule drug kingpin etc. Howard is by far the most moral featured character in the show.
Chuck is the reason why Jimmy became Saul Goodman.
The thing is I didn't see Howard as a Snotty Boss at the Beginning. When Jimmy was in the Mailroom Howard Nicknamed him "Charlie Hustle" Out of Admiration cause Jimmy was working during the day school at night and passed the bar. Howard liked Jimmy he really did, and was proud of him because becoming a Lawyer of any kind is hard work. He was only painted as the bad guy because people like to "Shoot the Messenger" no Pun intended (Poor Howard) Chuck used Howard to tell Jimmy he didn't want him working at HHM. Much like Chuck used everyone around him because he was a spoiled selfish man who seeming felt like people were only around to do his bidding. Mean while Howard who looked up to Chuck as a Mentor ended up caught up in the crossfire of Chuck and Jimmy's family feud.
Then after Chuck committed suicide Howard blamed himself undeservingly. Jimmy let him believe it was his fault just utterly crushing the man and then Howard had to take on a Shit load of shit to keep HHM going, a bitch of a wife that very much reminds me of Jada and Will. Poor guy just the BB universes Punching bag. Than to be killed like a roach for no reason.
Howard's character makes me so sad... He didn't deserve any of this. Like the title says, he was a fine man, the FINEST man in this universe, and was done dirty. I honestly don't like that Kim got away with it, but whatever. Another thing I don't have clear is if his reputation got fixed or not. I felt they left it kinda open, maybe I missed something. But it's really sad if I did not.
women like into todays society are never held accountable for their actions
Same, but i think keeping in mind their character, its a worse fate for Kim to have to live with the regret in this bland world, that she escaped to at the waterworks, with a husband that is dissatisfying to her, than being caught and punished like Jimmy.
Only because her whole persona was built either around professional and personal excellence through the help of others. Now shes forever unable to achieve either of them.
I absolutely LOATH how Kim got away with it and how everyone celebrates her suffering no consequences just because “she did the right thing by leaving Jimmy”.
@@ThisisGlorious Still have a family, job, house and friends intact. And the truth about Howard never blew up to her face. She chose to quit the law. She didn’t suffer anything. Her life is way better than most of middle income people and in Breaking Bad standard, it’s literally a heaven.
@@nont18411 hmm i dunno if id call that intact, cause the way its portrayed is meant to contrast all of the satisfaction she got out of being a lawyer. Her friends have no real connection to her, and she doesnt connect with her husband. Yeah it might seem like a desirable life, but keeping in mind who Kim has been built up to be in the series, shes in her own personal hell. this is all just my opinion tho.
Such great writing about and around Howard. We start the series by hating him, we then see him as straight up guy albeit a douchebag, and at the end he is revealed as a decent man that was drawn into the Sliiping Jimmy Black Hole of death
Would a decent man be complicit in being an agent for other people suffering unfairly? "I was just following orders" doesn't remove partial responsibility
Patrick Fabian looks like he is related to Michael Douglas.
Howard seemed like a jerk initially. It comes out he was actually a standup guy, with a lot of complexity. He deserved so much better. Hamlin was actually Hamlet. It was cringy the way Jimmy and Kim plotted against him.
19:40 To be fair it's implied that there'd been no love in Howard and Cheryl's marriage for years and that they only stayed together for appearances. Cheryl probably regretted their distance after Kim told the truth about her and Jimmy ruining Howard and him being killed by Lalo.
Their marriage is so realistic… It’s not any underlying hatred or anomoisty towards each other but Cheryl simply fell out of love with him and they were married for appearances…
Neither person was the “bad guy” and it wasn’t a “hollywood” marriage where they were hating on each other but simply they were glorified roommates
Cheryl was the more dominant so Howard moved into the small annexe outside of the house and lived lonley….
When she poured his carefully made coffee into a cup without a thank you… We ALL felt that!
They’re wrong about the photo of the judge scam: The detective switched the photos. Howard did not hallucinate, he just looked high and couldn’t explain his way out of the situation because he was flustered by the drug.
They specifically stated in the video that the photos were "doctored."
One of the saddest deaths in tv history.
He did not deserve any of the nonsense that happened to him
The boxing match was brilliant. So he could legally kick his ass. Damn, did he pay for that one.
Howard was actually my favorite character in BCS. I hated him from the start but after we found out Chuck was the one who did the gaslighting, I started to like him gradually. I started to despise Jimmy and Kim from the Wendy prank. Lalo too was my favorite character, but after 'Plan & Execution' I hated him too. I really want Howard to get justice before the show ends.
Man, it's still painful 😞
Exactly this
@@fearless6947 😔😔😭
@@Flippityflap 😔😭
I liked Howard, but there were -- for me -- many richer, better characters. Mike, Nacho, Lalo, Gus, Jesse ....
12:25 "Howard LITERALLY felt the knife twist in his back."
How fkn dumb can you bet? Metaphors are not literal!
And "be" and "bet" are different words!
spoiler
His death shocked me and sent me into a bout of depression for days. he was killed by my least favourite character too.
Howards story is so sad.
During the series, Jimmy and Kim send a shady guy to search for compromising information about the owner of the Mesa Verde bank. The guy finds absolutely nothing compromising and Kim and Jimmy are left in disbelief. In reality, however, if we are to see most of the characters belonging to the upper-class caste represented in the series, they are all exactly like this. From this point of view, the series is disarmingly flat. Howard is the same exemplification, the same perfect representation of this bland character drawing style.
In Gould's imaginative representation of the American upper class, its representatives are devoted body and soul to work, always dress the same, have no double lives, no secrets, at best like Howard, play golf at the club and go by the analyst because it is fashionable. The sports photos at his funeral are of the actor who plays him, do not be under any illusions.
In the end, almost nothing is revealed to us about Howard, apart from a marriage crisis, where his wife has forced him to sleep out of bed for a year and he prepares insipid huge cappuccinos, drawing on the sign of peace, trying to rebuild a relationship. with her.
If we asked his wife Cherryl what problem they had, she would answer that the problem with Howard was boredom. The truth, which would have made Cherryl much happier, if he had really taken drugs, had dated prostitutes, tried to seduce colleagues and maybe, maybe, occasionally remembered to fuck her too. When they reveal that she had a double life, she remains skeptical and with reason.
Let's say if Kim's problem was that she was having too much fun with Jimmy, Cherryl had the tragic opposite problem...
Fabrizio Arvat -- That sounds right. Thanks for the analyses.
That pop up sound sounds like a dog. A few times I had to pause to see if it was my dog
12:42 Any respect Howard had for Chuck ended there.
At least Bill Oakley managed to get a happy ending… for now
I never caught that double meaning of Charlie Hustle. That just hits different now!
I’ll say that in the end, Jimmy paid for his sins, voluntarily. He wasn’t a great guy but he’s not as bad a man as we originally thought.
Poor Howard.. He just really needed a hug and some love after chuck died and basically any time after that
Give us a video about Pryce played by the inimitable Mark Proksch.
Agreed
Excellent analysis on BCS's most tragic character. One small nit pick, a baseball field is a diamond, not a pitch.
The story is even sadder than nacho's
😞
I ended up feeling really bad for Howard
Great content, I love the analysis
underrated video, keep up the great vids mate
Dude did everything he could to be a good person who plays by the rules, yet in the end he still ended up in a grave beside Lalo
Isn't ironic Patrick Fabian is in a movie called "Jimmy" lol
no matter how hard i try, I still feel so bad for disliking howard at the start, seeing how things would turn out for him thanks to slippin kimmy and slippin jimmy, I have never felt so bad about disliking a character at first.
also side note: I love the nick name slippin kimmy so much
Great video!
I didn't like how they went at this man. I kept watching believing that Jimmy would see the error of his ways and make peace with Howard as I felt Howard was the only redeemable person on the show. After Howard's death, I can no longer watch this show because there is no longer any character I care about. Jimmy is awful and way worse a personality than the one portrayed in Breaking Bad. The lead character Jimmy could have got shot and I wouldn't have cared.
Jimmy is still more likable than Walt.
The people trying to say Howard was bad are ridiculous. Howard was easily the most genuinely good people in the entire show out of the main ish characters. Yeah he made it look like he was the bad guy when Chuck didn't want Jimmy to know that he was keeping him from getting the job but when you have someone who has been a business partner for 30 years you are obviously going to step up to bat for them. Nothing that he did was immoral. Not hiring jimmy didn't make him a bad guy lol. Anytime that he threatened or did anything it was when they were literally trying to destroy his life and career. The dude was honest and loyal and was trying to better himself for his relationship with his wife and while I wouldn't say he was perfect because no one is, so many people defend characters in the show because they like them like Kim wexler. Kim wexler is a lying corrupt p.o.s just like Jimmy. And most of the other characters are lying cheating murdering drug cooking drug muling drug dealing scum. Yes Howard is a good-looking dude and he cares about dressing nice and has confidence borderline cockiness but that doesn't make you a bad person lol. He busted his ass for what he got and has every right to have self-confidence even if it is a front for his depression. Dude in no way shape or form deserved what he got. He didn't deserve to be cheated out of his job he didn't deserve to be framed for being a drug addict. I love this show and I love Kim and Jimmy because they are fun characters but people let that blind them to the fact that they were horrible human beings and someone like Howard a good hard-working guy
I can listen to Patrick Fabian on a podcast or radio for days
I admit, I never understood why people hated Howard. Everything he did was justified and we knew that Chuck was the problem. As a boss he was always professional and fair, aside from the Kim Doc Review instance. Aside from that, I could never fault him for any wrongdoing.
They shouldn't have fucking killed Howard.
Yea they did a good job the end will be epic
Jessie does have a happy ending. He was in a dark spot that progressively got worse and worse and got out of it with his sobriety and a fresh start.
Chuck built Hamlin his empire then Jimmy took it all away also his life while he was at it. McGill is the nemesis
Okay trademarking a color and then wearing that color on your suits is kinda sick though
His end is so dark he did nor diserved that death
It’s funny you say he first came off to audiences as a “villain”. I as a professional business owner, just saw him as a level headed businessman running a large law firm. He was a businessman as well as an attorney, and he dressed the part. I never had issues with him.
He is the stereotypical lawyer. A perfect fit for the role.
I wonder if anyone ever found Howard and Lalo’s bodies after the super lab was destroyed?
the DEA discovered two bodies in breaking bad after the lab fire
@@sebastianmadrigal1854 I thought those were the guards that were watching Jesse,
I could be wrong.
I’ll just have to watch it again
All of it
@@TreborPaulson you are correct. The 2 bodies were the men guarding Jesse.
I still do not understand why the two of them (Kim/ Jim) were so cold in the last moments of their time with Howard.
There really was no need to-
The Killing of Howard Hamlin was The Making of Howard Hamlin.
Because of his inflection and unfamiliarity with the content, I can tell the announcer didn’t write what he’s saying. As for my small click, when you settle on an effective voice I just may. I quite like the point of view, but it seems like you are hiring people online instead of using voice actors. This is holding you back (and the gas lamp-lit room was a stretch). Worthy analysis.
2:49 I wouldn't say businessman, I'd say corporate/commercial lawyer (the lawyers who are only out to make big businesses richer) than, say, a divorce attorney or personal injury etc...
Seeing this just now, Jimmy got 80 something years (basically life) in prision and Kim is basically IMO methaphorictly dead. You can see her 9-5, day to day, dead inside as she seems numb either by trauma or the boring mundanity of life
Kim going into volunteer at a legal clinic and then visiting Jimmy seems like the first steps in her moving on.
Jimmy deserved it.
This is not an analysis, this is a dictation of events.
Hamlindingo blue 😂
2:52 You meant to say "entrepreneur"
The car was found near Malibu in California.
Your observations are really poor. You are painting Howard as someone who didn't want Jimmy at HHM when it clearly came out that it was Chuck who didn't want Jimmy and it was Chuck who manipulated Howard into being the bad guy who had to tell Jimmy that he wasn't going to be hired as a lawyer.
Before becoming a lawyer, Howard Hamlin was a professor at UC Berkley where he was fired after it was revealed he was having an affair with a student named Kelly Kapowski.
He soon recovered from that and rebuilt his life as one of the top lawyers in New Mexico.
HH & KK
It really gets under my skin when people talk about chuck like he actually had that electromagnetic shit. He was clearly suffering from delusions and some severe anxiety. Like cmon man! Did u Even watch the show???
*indignities. The indignities Howard's marriage suffers.
Several states away, not miles.
HE DEFECATED THROUGH A SUNROOF
Chuck was getting $26k/week allowance?
Even thi Jesse lost everything and everyone he cared about, at least he got a new start. A nee start to try meeting new people he will care about, new things he can work towards. So my point is that a happy ending no matter how tragic and painful the road to that ending is, is still a happy ending.
I'm liking this without seeing because I believe it's probably true.
Howard is the most tragic character of the entire BrBa saga, even more so than Andrea. I had a lump in my throat watching Mike's goons stuff his corpse in a fridge and then into a shallow grave. At least Mike told them to go easy handling him and seemed to express remorse when burying the poor guy next to his killer and also ruining his reputation.
It wasnt howard. It was chuck
Ok. the 180 by Howard makes sense now.
Is this Fabian related to the surfer Fabian of surfer movies?
Hmm yes lore of better call saul momentum 100
Whoa whoa whoa....
Its pronounces Hamlindigo, not Ham-lan-dee-go
it really made me upset what happened to Howard, he didn't deserve it at all , not just they'll never find his body , he also had to share the same grave with the one who killed him , it was so depressing
Ha! On the pitch? This ain’t cricket or soccer.
At least you tried