The preview for Better Call Saul Season 2 episode 3 “Amarillo” shows Mike looking for “next-level work” to make more money for his daughter-in-law, Stacey Ehrmantraut, and his granddaughter Kaylee. Can Better Call Saul make this boring relationship interesting at last?
Skyler and Walter Jr. were essential to what made Breaking Bad work. Not only was it a propulsive drug thriller, but Breaking Bad was also about the corruption and dissolution of the family unit, as Walter drags his family down into his megalomaniacal pit. They even drag in Hank and Marie!
When it comes to Jimmy McGill, Better Call Saul understands the importance of family drama. His relationship with Chuck is absolutely essential to the show’s identity. But why hasn’t the show figured out how to dump Mike’s personal life in the same hurricane?
Since Mike was a secondary character in Breaking Bad, it was okay that he was driven by an adorable, mostly off-screen, nothing-child. But now that Mike is front-and-center, Better Call Saul needs to step up Mike’s family life. Are Kaylee and Stacey forever doomed to their one-dimensional “this is why Mike needs money” status? The preview for tonight’s episode doesn’t shed much light on the question:
But the longer sneak peek for episode 3 suggests that Mike’s family life may be a more substantial part of the plot:
This could go two ways:
The preview scene—in which Stacey tells Mike about violence in the neighborhood—could be the motivation for Mike to need even more money. This would be narratively inert, simply demanding more and more of Mike but maintaining the existing formula.
Or, it could be an opening for Mike to reveal his violent side. Perhaps he quells the local violence with his typical brutality, only to have his monstrousness witnessed by the people he loves. It could open up new dimensions in relationships in desperate need of depth.
We’ll see which path the show takes when Season 2 episode 3 “Amarillo” airs on AMC, Monday at 10 p.m.
