I want to see some form of repentance/acceptance too. In the latest episode he says "trust me you'll just forget about it and move on" when the based guy with the good doggy refused to rip off the cancerman. He said something similar to Kim after what happened to Howard. After Chuck he just kind of convinces himself it's Howard's fault and moves on immediately (in contrast to Howard who grieves and comes out better for it). I guess the theme is he never really seems to acknowledge his wrong doings, not in actuality. He just tries to forget and move on.
He has to mentally block out his misdeeds because his entire career is essentially covering them up for other criminals. His job is to facilitate crime or avoid the consequences of being a criminal. So he has to have a strong mental ability to either excuse his immoral lifestyle, block it out, or in a warped way justify it. Like Walt saying that people are going to use meth anyways....they might as well get a clean high with safe pure drugs that are not poison. Walt needed something to give himself a clear conscience over his drug manufacturing. Jimmy can justify giving criminals representation because he did not commit the crimes with them, and they had their own free will, and they did the deed. They sold drugs, murdered, whatever. Jimmy is just a lawyer. The money laundering can be justified as well because Jimmy works hard and deserves to be paid but the money is dirty so he washes it first. Should he work for free?
This has been his mindset for the entire time he was Saul basically.
He sees criminal do their crimes and gets them off of the hook. And he also wants the same for himself. Why should he be the only one go to down for crimes? Cartels are going to sell drugs and commit murders no matter what. Jimmy is just getting a cut. And part of it is that he is dead to the world and has no joy. His entire family is dead and buried. His brother was a suicide in brutal fashion. His wife left him forever. He has no kids. Everyone in the legal profession hates him after the whole Lalo event is known to the public. He works alone with a secretary that despises him. He has nothing left but his work and his scams.
And secretly he likes mocking the law. Chuck took the law in an academic way. Chuck took the law seriously in his own way and hated Jimm's way of doing things. Jimmy mocks that by taking the law to the streets in an extreme level where representing obviously guilty murderers under false names is acceptable. Mocking the law with his Saul Goodman practice is just another insult to Chuck and people like him. A big scam on society.
Jimmy basically repents over nothing on the show. When is he sorry in the long term? His facade over being sorry for Chuck fools the law board and even Kim. But it wasn't real. Slow descent to madness. Him repenting in the end would be out of character. It would make more sense that he goes even darker. Like murders Marion or Jeff if they threaten to turn him in. Or he snaps and kills himself like Chuck did and dies alone with nothing.
I see nothing to show him repenting at least on his own. It would make more sense if he crossed more lines including murders. I am not really anticipating Vince Gillian having Jimmy murder Marion or go crazy and murder-suicide Kim. But to me it would make more sense based on his criminal life than him standing in a courtroom, admitting all of his crimes, and repenting his misdeeds.
Maybe it's just not in him. Maybe he's Slippin' Jimmy and he's going to be slippin until the day he dies. I wouldn't mind that either if handled right.
He is beyond slipping and falling for store credit. In BB he is advocating murders. And helping Walt cover up murders or excusing them. In the Gene timeline he has a stash of diamonds yet is robbing cancer patients and drugging people. He has lost his mind clearly and has no ability to stop himself. Someone else, police likely, will need to stop him.
I felt the same, felt like they just wanted to get rid of Jeff and show that Slippin' Jimmy is still in Gene but it turned out it was just build up for the latest episode which was basically him relapsing and spiraling. Gotta say, I like the direction they took with Gene and Jeff despite initial misgivings.
Jeff and Marion are likely part of his downfall.
