Amarillo

Amarillo is a strong episode that feels like it's setting up bigger events to come later.

I love the hilarious opening scene of solicitation with sandpiper residents. This is classic Bob Odenkirk on great form as Jimmy in sell mode.

The early scene at the meeting is also excellent, particularly the brilliantly conveyed undercurrent between Chuck and Jimmy.

Jimmy's TV commercial plot is excellent. It is compelling, amusing and works well with his fairly self destructive arc. It follows on well from the previous episodes showing him trying and failing to be something he is not. You dread what is coming, but even though you know he ends up as Saul Goodman, you wonder how his relationship with Kim will suffer.

Mike scenes are slightly less interesting, but they are clearly laying foundations for what is to come in his association with the drug cartels.

The episode opens with a scene of Jimmy reaching out to elderly clients. It's great to see him working his wiles, and it reminds us why the old folks love him. Bob Odenkirk is almost hypnotizing in this scene. As you watch it, you don't even notice what he's doing is morally ambiguous. When others begin pointing it out, at first you feel outraged. You feel that Jimmy has done nothing wrong. But you gradually realize that they're right. This is exactly what you would expect from Slippin' Jimmy with a law degree.

When that first season twist was revealed, I hated Chuck. But after re-watching the first season and starting this season, Inhave to admit that he's kind of right. Jimmy is a little unorthodox to be a lawyer. This is the true brilliance of Gilligan and Gould's writing; even the "surprise villain reveal" is actually a sympathetic and understandable character. I've found every scene between Bob Odenkirk and Michael McKean this season to be utterly enrapturing, and this episode was no exception.

Until now, all we've seen of Jimmy is him being forced by others to stay down. It seemed that the crushing force of the world would force him into becoming Saul Goodman. Instead, he's got his promotion, and for the first time in a while, we see Jimmy failing because of flaws in his own character. This episode is the beginning of a deeper and more complex arc for the show. We get to see that Chuck's worst fears may have been true, that the combination of Slippin' Jimmy and James McGill will create Saul Goodman.

The episode also had a good setup for some stories with Mike, although I do wonder if it will ever tie back into Saul. This was a pretty great episode.

Jimmy is feeling his oats. He is treated like royalty by his new firm. Unfortunately, what he sold out was his spontaneity. He is answerable to the big boss. He decides to make a video to entice victims to come forward. But he doesn't run it past the partners first. So what he have is a highly successful ploy that is rejected, not because of what it accomplished, but out of pique. Good old brother Chuck is at the center of this. We know that trouble lies ahead for Jimmy. HIs naive being is, on the one hand a strength, on the other, a liability. Cut to Mike who is getting into the deep stuff again. It's only a matter of time before the "Breaking Bad" syndrome will rear its head.