This week on Better Call Saul, shots are fired and trust is tested. My thoughts on "Amarillo" are after the jump.
This episode is what I classify as a "tension-builder" episode. No huge scenes or events, but plenty of meat to chew on. It is an episode that promises that things are going down very soon and it is going to get very rocky for all of our favorite Better Call Saul-ians.
Let's start things off with Mike. He did not have any interactions with Jimmy this week, but his material still remains some of my favorite aspects of the show as it is the element of the show that feels more in line with the dangerous tone of Breaking Bad and I am sure will ultimately introduce Jimmy/Saul to that side of the world. I do not think the gunshots outside of his daughter-in-law's house are real, but are a sad figment of her paranoia, considering what happened to her husband, but that is enough for Mike to do something drastic. He needs to feel the security of knowing that the rest of his family is safe. I love this depiction of Mike, as he is not just the cold unfeeling character he was in a lot of Breaking Bad here. He is complicated. There is genuine love emanating from him that is a foundation for the constant sadness that is prevalent in his character. He cannot lose another family member. His heart has already been destroyed. He will stop at nothing to protect his family, no matter the cost. As far as character motivations go, it may not be the most original, but here it is depicted honestly and raw. It is a great counter part to Jimmy's side of the show.
As for that cliffhanger, the slow burn of the show is paying off in spades with the reappearance of Nacho once again. I was confused as to why he did not show up as much in season 1 in the middle act, but the slow induction of his character is working very well for these last couple of episodes. As for who this person that he needs "taken care of" is, I doubt it is our "squat cobbler" buddy from before. It is not clear who else it could be either, but I do not think that is the point. I am predicting that Mike will fulfill this job successfully but there will be fallout from it involving the law. That is where Jimmy is going to come in and help Mike get out of it, most likely using his "Slipping Jimmy" skills of coercion and con artistry. Not only would this set up the relationship that we know Saul and Mike have in Breaking Bad, but it could also be the final thing that alienates Jimmy from his new career and his relationships and be the thing that really jump starts his transformation into Saul.
Though Jimmy is not doing himself any favors either. As is evident through the opening scene when he pays off the bus driver and is shown later when he runs the ad without running it by his boss, he cannot help but go off the beaten path as far as his methods go when doing his job. He cannot shake his slippery side. Sadly, Chuck knows this all too well. As much as I am not in Chuck's corner, I cannot deny that he is ultimately right when it comes to his suspicions of his younger brother. The subtle stand off between him and Jimmy in the board room was tense and very telling of the current state of their relationship. I thought that was a stand out scene this week.
So, this is where we are. Our characters are at the pike in the crossroads, about to make choices that will dictate their ultimate fates. It does not help that he got more lovely time between Jimmy and Kim. I still love their chemistry together and it going to be so sad to see it come to its inevitable and painful end. We got a little bit closer to that this week. As Jimmy asks Kim during their movie: "Anything blow up yet?"
Not yet Jimmy. But they will.
Grade: B.
Better Call Saul airs every Monday night on AMC.
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