Amarillo (Better Call Saul)

"Amarillo"
Better Call Saul episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 3
Directed by	Scott Winant
Written by	Jonathan Glatzer
Original air date	February 29, 2016 (2016-02-29)
Running time	42 minutes
Guest actors
Ed Begley, Jr. as Clifford Main Kerry Condon as Stacey Ehrmantraut Jessie Enis as Erin Joe DeRosa as Veterinarian Josh Fadem as Camera Guy Carol Herman as Mrs. Strauss Omar Maskati as Omar

"Amarillo" is the third episode of the second season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on February 29, 2016.

Plot

Teaser

In Amarillo, Texas, Jimmy bribes a Sandpiper bus driver to have his bus "break down," allowing him to solicit Sandpiper residents on their way to lunch. On returning to Albuquerque Jimmy presents his client outreach report at a joint HHM-Davis & Main strategy conference, proudly announcing he had obtained twenty-four more clients. Chuck expresses his suspicion about the legality of Jimmy's methods, pointing out how their records show only one response to their mailed ads, and wonders if Jimmy had illegally solicited the new clients. Jimmy manages to deflect the issue by explaining that retirement homes are tight knit communities and information spreads fast by word of mouth. While this satisfies the other lawyers, Kim is wary and warns Jimmy to keep his methods legitimate, since she recommended him to Davis & Main and his actions will reflect on her reputation.

Plot

Jimmy tries to use the standard mailing strategy with little success, due to the elderly clients either ignoring the letters or Sandpiper intercepting their mail. Instead, Jimmy comes up with the idea of filming a targeted television ad, since the Sandpiper residents set aside one hour of free time to watch television. Cliff Main is intrigued by Jimmy's idea and promises to talk to him more about it when he returns from a week-long business trip. Jimmy then views D&M's previous television ad (a mesothelioma ad), but finds it dull and lacking "showmanship." Instead, Jimmy independently films his own ad, hiring the camera crew he previously used for the billboard stunt to depict one of his elderly clients as a poor old woman being victimized by Sandpiper Crossing and urging Sandpiper Crossing residents viewing the commercial to call D&M. Kim is impressed with Jimmy's work, and Jimmy decides to run the ad without the firm's approval. It is a massive success, with D&M gaining over a hundred clients in a single day. However, Main is furious upon finding out that Jimmy released the ad without consulting him or the partners first and demands an explanation from him. Jimmy then lies to Kim about the setback.

Meanwhile, Stacey voices her concerns to Mike about gunshots she has heard over the past two nights, and that the police have done nothing about them. Mike does over-night surveillance without Stacey's knowledge. He later finds out that the "gunshots" were apparently the sound of newspapers hitting the sidewalk as they were being delivered. With the case apparently closed, Mike decides to leave. At work the following morning, Mike is called back by Stacey. At the house, she says there were three more gunshots the night before and points out a hole in her siding that she tearfully insists is from a bullet. Despite knowing that there were no gunshots, Mike tells Stacey what she wants to hear - that he will help her get out of the neighborhood. Mike then meets the vet, who offers Mike a lucrative job as an enforcer for a loan shark, which pays better than bodyguard jobs. Mike declines, as he is not interested in performing any more illegal work, especially work that requires him to hurt or kill others. The vet then points out to Mike that if he wants "next level pay", he must be willing to do "next level work." Mike later receives a call from the vet, who tells him about a job offer whose client specifically requested Mike. Mike goes to meet the client, who is revealed to be Nacho, and they discuss what seems like a "hit" on some "guy".

Reception

Ratings

Upon airing, the episode received 2.20 million American viewers, and an 18-49 rating of 1.0.

Critical reception

The episode received positive reviews from critics. It holds a 100% positive rating with an average score of 7.5 out of 10 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus reads: "'Amarillo' finds Better Call Saul's talented leads settling into their characters while laying the groundwork for subsequent plot points."

Terri Schwartz of IGN gave the episode an 8.5 rating, writing "Better Call Saul is right for leaning into the sense of dread its existence creates, and it does a great job of using that to its advantage in 'Amarillo'." Nicholas Parco of the New York Daily News wrote, "'Amarillo' sets up two important scenarios moving forward: McGill will deal with the fallout of his cleverness, for the first time at Davis & Main, while Ehrmantraut is about to enter the underworld of Albuquerque, on Nacho's behalf."

Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A- rating, writing, "as season 2 hits its stride, Gilligan and Gould are doubling down on their radical narrative strategy of simplicity. Characters pause before they make decisions. The small and finite set of contexts and causes impinging on them is clearly delineated. Consequences proceed directly from actions. And at the end of every episode, Jimmy and Mike, the protagonists of the only two plotlines, have moved a few spaces along a game board whose finish line is already set, and we know exactly what to anticipate the next time we see them."

External links

• "Amarilo" at AMC
• "Amarillo" at IMDb