"It's all good, man!"
The heroic optimism of Jimmy McGill.
I am about halfway through the fifth season of AMC’s Better Call Saul. The show recounts the tragic backstory of Walter White’s lawyer, Saul Goodman, a fan favorite from Breaking Bad. One of the best live-action television series I’ve ever seen, I am going to do my utmost to not spoil it for my uninitiated readers. Though, as my brother will tell you, I’m terrible at not spoiling series, movies, and pretty much anything with a narrative element. That said, I’m officially issuing a SPOILER ALERT.
As the image I included suggests, rather didactically and none too subtly, Jimmy McGill always presents a happy face to the world. Many people nowadays would identify this affected, forced optimism as “toxic positivity.” While not a psychologist or psychiatrist, I think much of this debate is philosophical and, therefore, open to anyone who is willing to think—no medical training required.12
I am have thought about this, so I am going to offer my two cents on the matter. Here it goes.
Jimmy McGill is from humble origins and, through honest and dishonest means, has dragged himself from his fraudulent Slippin’ Jimmy days into a law career by the time the show begins. Though Jimmy has a morally ambiguous past, he has devoted himself to honest but menial work, studied for LSAT, nocturnally attended virtual law school while working tirelessly and thanklessly in the mail-room of his brother’s law firm. In short, he picked himself up by the bootstraps and did so with a smile.3
In so doing, Jimmy demonstrates the awful virtues of discipline, self-command, and frugality—he drives a barely functional Suzuki Esteem and lives in the back of a nail salon for much of the show. Even more impressively, he also demonstrates mastery of the amiable virtues.
Despite being continuously disrespected, denigrated, and tyrannized by his schizophrenic brother, Chuck, Jimmy goes to extreme lengths to take care of him emotionally and materially. Jimmy is also an incredibly loving partner to his girlfriend Kim: another mail-room worker who earned her J.D. alongside Jimmy. In fact, Jimmy’s most cherished dream is to open up a law firm with Kim and practice together.
Tragically, despite his best intentions to pursue an honest living as a lawyer, Chuck’s declaration that he will always be “Slippin’ Jimmy” haunts Jimmy and sets him down the path of becoming Saul Goodman.
Throughout the show, Jimmy takes more than his fair share of slings and arrows. And yet, for the benefit of those around him, and Kim in particular, Jimmy rarely lets his despair, sorrow, or frustration overcome his optimism, happiness, and kindness. At least, not outwardly.
In the midst of adversity, bad luck, trials and tribulations, Jimmy’s quixotic, devil-may-care demeanor is not toxically positive, but nobly stoic. Jimmy does not want to diminish others’ happiness by eliciting their sympathy with his sorrow.
To the credit of those who warn of toxic positivity, it can be persuasively argued that Jimmy’s inability to process some of the worst things that happen to him set him down the path to Saul Goodman. “It’s [not] all good man.” By failing to privately integrate his negative emotions, Jimmy’s outward demeanor becomes increasingly counterfeit rather than admirably considerate.
Jimmy McGill shows that shadow work must be done but, while wrestling with one’s demons, there’s much to be said for greeting the world with a salesman’s smile.
If you’re struggling with mental health, consider calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 24/7 hotline: 1-800-662-4357
If you are in crisis, please call the suicide prevention hotline: 988.
Yes, I’m aware that this phrase was originally intended to make fun of libertarians, individualists, etc. I’m reclaiming it.