TV Review: Better Call Saul – Season Two – Episode 2

This recap/review of Better Call Saul is written with the expectation that everyone who reads this and comments below will have seen the episode already. Thus, if you've yet to see the episode in question, DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER. SPOILERS!

EPISODE: Season 2, Episode 2: Cobbler

PLOT: Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) settles into his new, presumably respectable career. Meanwhile, Mike (Jonathan Banks) ties-up loose ends.

REVIEW: And so, Jimmy's slide in murky moral waters continues. Picking-up right where last week's left off, this second episode of Better Call Saul's second season continues Jimmy's descent, with it becoming clearer and clearer that it's Jimmy's relationship his big brother, Chuck (Michael McKean) that put him on his eventual collision with Walter White.

While the episode picks up with Jimmy on a roll at his new job under the gentle, guitar playing Clifford Main (Ed Begley Jr.) and getting serious with Kim (Rhea Seehorn), it's the tension with Chuck that gets Jimmy's blood-boiling. It's clear from Chuck's appearance at a Sandpiper meeting that no matter how good Jimmy is playing on the straight-and-narrow, he'll never get Chuck's respect.

As such, it's Jimmy's need to show-up his brother that's the root of his problems, even if by playing ball with Mike and coming to the aid of wannabe drug dealer Pryce (Mark Proksch) that he's making Chuck's direst predictions come true. Through all of this, Better Call Saul's second season is putting it closer-in-line to what Breaking Bad was, which is the tragedy of one man's slow descent into criminality.

While the first season was heavy on laughs and heists, the emotional stakes are getting really high, with it achingly sad to see how Jimmy's promising career is going to go into the toilet, presumably along with his relationship with Kim, who's about as appealing as can be. It's tragic to watch him and her together, with their plans for the future and her lending him support in the face of Chuck's derision. The betrayal between the brothers is likely going to be a big part of the season, with McKean's Chuck getting more venal by the week, with his cringe-worthy reaction to the idea that Jimmy's on the partner-track at Main's firm.

Still, it's not all heavy-drama, with Mike's interactions with the dumb-as-can-be Pryce leading to Jimmy's invention of the disgusting “Hoboken Squat Cobbler/Simple Simon the Assman” leading to a video we've yet to see (and hopefully won't) – but at least Jimmy gets some extra pies left over. Even still, Jimmy faked evidence to get the guy off, leading to big troubles with Kim. Poor Jimmy just can't leave his old ways behind.

Overall, this is another excellent episode and it's worth saying that Better Call Saul's on an amazing roll getting into season two. By contrast, think back to where Breaking Bad was two episodes into season two. It was great, but it wasn't until about halfway through the season that it became the dramatic juggernaut we remember. In that way, Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad are almost running neck-and-neck with how good they were in their individual runs. I wonder where this will be a season from now?

Breaking Bad Crossover: Jimmy's suits are getting a little more flamboyant, but otherwise I didn't spot anything. However, I missed a bunch last week so can anyone help me out? Strikeback below!