Reliving the last words of Better Call Saul season one

With Better Call Saul returning to television for its highly anticipated second season, let’s relive the last two minutes and 37 seconds of the Season 1 finale.

“Yeah, well, I know what stopped me,” Jimmy McGill said to Mike Ehrmantraut, in reference to the $1.6million that they had in their hands and didn’t run away with. “And you know what? It’s never stopping me again.”

Then he slammed on his gas pedal, revealed a cynical smile slowly, and begun to hum the bad ass tune “Seven Nations Army” by The White Stripes. (If you don’t know the name, I promise you’ve heard the song.)

The episode aired April 6, 2015.

I remember what I was doing on April 6, 2015 because of Better Call Saul. I distinctly remember that moment, too. I was in dorm room, sitting in my mildly uncomfortable computer chair behind my unimpressive desk, eyes wide open and ears taking in Jimmy’s every word.

When he let out that last line, I screamed “OH MY GOD,” and some other things that were likely indecipherable to human ears. Then, as the final credits rolled, I sprinted to Google to see if they could give me any information as to when Season 2 would start.

There was nothing then, but Better Call Saul returns to TV on February 15, 2016, exactly one year and one week after the series premiere first aired.

Season finales are bittersweet. That moment was everything the audience had been waiting for. It was the crescendo that’d been built up to for nine episodes; ten, really, as that was the last thing Jimmy said in Season 1.

Jimmy’s “eureka!” moment happened moments before that. He was in a parking lot, about to have a meeting with a law firm that was very interested in his services. He was striding towards the door, sounding out how his name might sound in the partnership, when he touched a ring on his finger.

It wasn’t a wedding ring, but a pinky ring that belonged to his recently fallen best friend Marco. He stopped. Jimmy and Marco had just spent a week reliving their devious glory days, culminating with the rotund Marco dying of a heart attack. Marco told Jimmy with his last words that it had been the best week of his life.

As Jimmy thought about this, he turned around, blew off the meeting and got back in his car to have that conversation with Mike. Jimmy asked Mike why they didn’t take the money, and Mike reminded Jimmy that it was the lawyer who was so adamant on “doing the right thing.”

That wasn’t sufficient for Jimmy. So Mike went a step further, saying he didn’t take the money because he was asked to do a job, he did a job, and it ended there. That’s when Jimmy dropped that bone-chilling line. “I know what stopped me. And you know what? It’s never stopping me again.”

That’s the moment Jimmy turns away from being a legitimate, good lawyer whose clients depend on him. Season 2 is when the show will accelerate. Season 1 laid the groundwork, and explained who Jimmy McGill was. Season 2 will explain how Jimmy turns into Saul Goodman.

I can’t wait. Can we fast forward to February 15, please? Who needs Valentine’s Day, anyway?