‘Better Call Saul’ season 2, episode 4 review: Mike takes on Tuco

For those of you who were hoping to have a little more of Tuco in your life on “Better Call Saul” Monday night, we have a feeling that this episode may have made you smile … even if most of the installment was wrapped around a conflict with a very predictable finish.

The thing here is that Nacho wanted to have Tuco offed, where as Mike wanted to figure out a way to end this conflict non-violently. Given that Tuco makes it until we get around to “Breaking Bad,” it was easy to chart to a certain extent where this episode was going to go and how it was going to end. Mike did resolve it thanks to the police showing up (he made a call in advance), but he gotten himself beaten up pretty badly in the process. He’s an interesting character that way, given that he went through so much just to ensure that he didn’t kill a guy. Maybe there is too much death in his past that he does not want to face this again.

Given all that took place with Mike this week, seeing Jimmy lobby for Kim in the aftermath of commercial-gate really could not hold a candle. He did manage to spare his job, but she is now on the hot seat for not telling anyone of his plans, and really for helping him get the Davis & Main job in the first place.

For the sake of nostalgia, we’d say that this was an excellent episode of “Better Call Saul” that reminded us of so many great things. When it comes to something that stands on its own, we’d say it was solid, if not spectacular. We went a long way with Mike for a conclusion that is only temporary, given where we see Tuco later. Still, he got the money he needed, and Jimmy is realizing further how his actions hurt other people. Grade: B.

(Photo: AMC.)