Better Call Saul: Season 203 recap: ‘Amarillo’

Better Call Saul: Season 2, Episode 3 “Amarillo” recap.

Before the new episode of Better Call Saul can begin, let’s just quickly recap what happened in episode 2: “Cobbler.”

Mike Ehrmantraut took a more alpha stance on how to deal with the Yellow Nerd, the JV-caliber criminal he was working security for. He also name-dropped Breaking Bad character Tuco Salamanca (might this have relevance in this third episode?), and forced the Yellow Nerd to get rid of his horrific yellow Hummer, which Nacho delivered straight to the chop shop. Maybe his yellow shoes and watch will be next, if we ever hear from him again.

My best guess: his next appearance comes as a hostage or in a body bag. Oh or as a narc for the police. That could work.

So the police stumbled upon some incriminating evidence in the Yellow Nerd’s house after he ignorantly called them about his missing baseball cards. When defending the Nerd, Jimmy McGill began turning into the Saul Goodman we know and love from Breaking Bad. It still hurts that he’s the first criminal Jimmy/Saul represents. Jimmy got him off by fabricating a story that implied the Yellow Nerd made erotic videos for a “lover” that involved him sitting in pie.

Never looking at pie the same way again.

Jimmy triumphantly told this all to Kim Wexler while the two ate leftover pie together, and Kim didn’t like that he fabricated evidence. So she’s not going to be down for whatever he does when he turns into Saul. This sets up a potential speed bump in the coming episodes.

Well then, onto episode 3: “Amarillo!” Spoilers ahead!

Okay. The hour starts with Jimmy in a white suit complimented by a white cowboy hat in front of a wall painted with the Texas flag. I already love this episode.

A Sandpiper bus pulls up, Jimmy slips the driver a few bucks, and is told “you got five minutes.” This feels illegal. So I’m down with that.

Jimmy is working the crowd on the bus, showing off terrific charisma. THIS IS SAUL GOODMAN IN FINE FORM. THIS IS LIKE FLASHING BACK TO MICHAEL JORDAN’S ROOKIE YEAR. WE’RE WATCHING THE GOAT IN HIS NASCENT FORM. I want his rookie card. Maybe Yellow Nerd has it?

We are thrust into a meeting between the lawyers, where they boast about how great Jimmy has done with “client outreach” based on his bus stunt. I wonder if it actually was legal or not? I’ll shut up—hopefully we’ll find out.

Jimmy’s brother Chuck the Snake is poking holes in Jimmy’s performance, sounding super-duper jealous. Is this what getting old is like? I never want to get old.

Chuck is accusing Jimmy of solicitation. Man. Shut up and enjoy success. In any case, Jimmy slips through a loophole—so typical.

We agree.

Man, this really is Jordan as a rookie. Who does that make Chuck? Actually, different NBA reference: this makes Chuck Tyronn Lue and Jimmy Allen Iverson in the finals.

OH NO! JIMMY IS STEPPING OVER CHUCK’S CORPSE AND TRIES TO PLAY FOOTSIE WITH KIM, BUT SHE DOESN’T RECIPROCATE! Oh, no. No bueno. C’mon Kim: who’s team are you on anyway?! Now she’s curving him.

Jimmy goes and tries to get answers as Kim is acting as Jimmy’s moral compass. She says that she put her job on the line for Jimmy and that Jimmy can’t do shady things. But this is Saul Goodman in the making, so Kim’s protestations of moral rectitude seem futile.

We shift away to an atypically cute scene from Mike. This is the same cold-blooded killer who is head of security for drug lords, but he’s able to play with his granddaughter like he’s on cloud nine? What a well-rounded man.

Mike’s daughter-in-law says she’s had trouble getting sleep because she’s heard gunshots the last few nights. The territorial Mike says he’ll stay over tonight, which probably means he’s going to kill whoever is bothering his family. But she won’t let him, and you know that won’t fly with him.

We’re 18 minutes in and this episode is shaping up beautifully.

When we return from commercial, Jimmy gives the whole “legitimate lawyer” thing another crack by asking for a commercial to induce Sandpiper clients to join the case. Of course, Jimmy thinks to do something with pizzazz. “Whatever happened to showmanship?” he asks. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Jimmy consults some student filmmakers and one snarky kid is proving especially uncooperative. “Does anybody like you?” Jimmy asks him. HAHAHA.

We cut away from this masterpiece to find Mike staking out at his family’s house, because his daughter-in-law wouldn’t let him sleep on the couch. He hears the gunshots and grabs his gun. Mike is about to get some.

Oh. Damnit. That noise she hears is just the newspapers hitting the driveway in the night. That’s anticlimactic. Mike drives away, probably disappointed that he couldn’t regulate anything/anybody. He leaves in the morning, but then his daughter-in-law gives him an urgent call to find what she believes to be a bullet marking on the exterior of her house, though Mike is skeptical now.

Kim is enjoying a glass of wine at Jimmy’s new apartment, where he’s happily about to give her the first viewing of his Sandpiper commercial. Jimmy does the voice-over. That’s fantastic. Kim, surprisingly based on her run of form, is all about it and impressed. Okay, Kim!

We move away to where Mike is visiting a veterinarian for his dog, which is ultra cute. Until the veterinarian starts talking shady business, that is. But it’s also ultra dope. Mike visits a veterinarian to coordinate his security job? That’s pretty G. “You want next level pay, you got to do next level work,” says the evil veterinarian, who then seamlessly transitions into talking about the dog.

We come back to Jimmy pummeling poor Omar with detailed instructions which Omar follows perfectly because he’s the man. For what it’s worth, Omar seems like the greatest law assistant in the world. This guy is top class. Jimmy is worried that his commercial is bombing. He’s waiting for calls. Drake voice: “You used to call me on my cellphone…”

THE PHONES START BLOWING UP! DAVIS & MANE: WHERE AMAZING HAPPENS.

Fair play, Jimmy.

The next night features another scene at Jimmy’s apartment, with Jimmy and Kim.

Jimmy does get a call on his cellphone.

Oh, the Mane from Davis & Mane calls Jimmy to castrate him over the phone. He angrily schedules a meeting at 8:00 a.m. with the partners. Not exactly what Jimmy (or Drake) had in mind.

With two minutes left on the clock, we shift to Mike, who responds to an employer who specifically asked for his services. Who could it be? Nacho? Tuco? Gus Frings? Sorry. I’ll shutup again and watch.

It’s Nacho! Who has a “problem” that he “can’t solve himself.” Nacho continues to say: “it’s a guy, and I need him to go away.” YEAH WELL YOU CALLED THE RIGHT GUY, NACHO.

End scene. Who could Nacho be alluding to? I am thoroughly looking forward to next Monday night at 10:00 p.m. EST. As usual.