Better Call Saul goes back to the future
Gene schemes in the tempo-changing, black-and-white "Nippy"
TV Reviews Better Call Saul
Gene, Gene, the scamming machine. Our mustachioed, Dockers-wearin’, sweets-bakin’ version of Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman has, at last, made an appearance in Better Call Saul this season. And he’s a changed man.
Well, changed from the meek sad-sack we knew, frosting cinnamon rolls and supervising his fellow Cinnabonians at the Cottonwood Mall. When we last saw Gene, in season five, he was outed as the man who’d made a name for himself as Albuquerque’s most infamous criminal attorney. As we learn in the much-anticipated “Nippy,” his run-in with Jeff has had a profound impact on him. The menacing cabbie confronted Gene, forcing him to admit he had been Saul back in the ABQ. And though Gene’s initial reaction was to make a 911 call to Ed for another disappearing act, he changed his mind, telling the vacuum-cleaner repairman he’d take care of matters himself. And that’s where we pick up in this tempo-change of an episode, in which Gene musters up all the Slippin’ Jimmy and Saul Goodman he has in him and takes care of the matter of Jeff. For now, anyway.
As is the mark of a patented Saul Goodman scam/act of vengeance—the likes of which we saw unfold in slow, beautifully intricate detail across the first half of the season—Gene’s plot is an elaborate one, involving Cottonwood security, that season-four fainting attack that brought him into Jeff’s orbit to begin with, a department store, and some real knowledge of the law. Fresh Cinnabons and scam knowhow factor in, too, as do cleverly shot scenes by favorite Saul/Breaking Bad director Michelle MacLaren, who creates a cheeky caper vibe complete with split screens and Lalo Schifrin’s “Jim On The Move” music from Mission: Impossible.
Gene (Jimmy, Saul…all of those guys who live in this head) was not going to let this aggression from Jeff stand, man. So he goes so deep on shutting down Jeff that he scouts out and also scams his mother, Marion (the legendary Carol Burnett), as part of his overall, episode-length plan.
The all-black-and-white outing’s pace may seem rather abrupt, given the breakneck speed—for BCS, anyway—at which shockers and reveals have been served since this second half of season six began. But I think it’s intentional, giving us a chance to stop and continue to digest the death, destruction, break-up, and official-Saul-Goodman-introduction of it all, not to mention anticipate what lies ahead. Now we’re left with just three episode left, and Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s arrivals are imminent.
But it feels right and potentially very satisfying that Saul would tie all these characters (along with Mike and Gus and hopefully Kim in some way) together to end the saga that began with Breaking Bad. Now that Jeff has sparked the unleashing of the Saul Goodman-ness that has just been waiting inside Gene to grift again, there’s no putting the cork back in the hustler bottle. The Gene who used to sit alone on a mall bench, eating a brown-bag lunch and hoping not to be noticed, is born again as the Saul of old, frosting buns with panache and running up escalator steps to get to his new con, which might ultimately be his one true love.
It might also be his ultimate downfall. Jimmy loved Kim, and the end of that relationship will remain one of the great heartbreaks of the Bad/Saul universe. But Gene sure looked lovingly at that Goodman-esque paisley shirt and graphic tie combination in the department store. Like he couldn’t wait to put that suit on again.
Stray observations
- This season’s key art could have been interpreted as either a black-and-white shot of Gene taking off a bright red Saul sportcoat or putting one on. This episode hints that it’s the latter, right?
- Speaking of outfitting, Gene has also put on Marco’s ring and everything it symbolizes.
- Great callback: the return of the security guard (who we now know in named Nick) from the season-three premiere. He’s the one who’s helping the Omaha police take away the young shoplifter Gene helps them find, when Gene yells out to the kid to say nothing and hire an attorney. Nick isn’t happy about Gene’s advice, and he reminds him about that when Gene shows up at the security office in “Nippy.” Nothing a few well-frosted buns couldn’t smooth over, though.
- The Schnauz Farms extra sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese has to be a nod to Saul writer/director/co-executive producer Thomas Schnauz. Too bad Marion was not a fan.
- Gene is at the top of his Saul game when he’s thrown into emergency action to keep Frank the security guard (guest star Jim O’Heir) from seeing Jeff wipe out during his shoplifting run around the department store. On the fly, Gene concocts a woe-is-me story that ties in true heartbreaks from his past, including the death of Chuck and the loss of Kim.
- No, you were not mistaken: That was a new actor playing Jeff, or Jeffy, as his mom calls him. Don Harvey played the cabbie in seasons four and five. EW notes that Harvey was tied up with his role in HBO’s We Own This City and was unavailable to return for Saul, so actor Pat Healy is now playing the role. Given that Burnett also previously confirmed she will be in multiple episodes, it seems like a safe bet that, despite Gene’s efforts, he may not be done with Jeff. Or maybe Jeff and Marion are not done with him.
- Marion appears to be a nice lady who can be a little salty when she wants to be, like when she rudely responds to a fellow shopper’s offer to help her get something off a high shelf and when she chastises the deli guy for giving her a quarter of a pound too much pastrami on a previous grocery trip. What if there’s a lot more to Marion than meets the eye? And what if she finds out that Gene, who she thinks is such a good influence on her Jeffy, has not only scammed and blackmailed him into crime, but also conned her into thinking he’s just a kind man she met while he was looking for a lost pet? She, at the least, is a pretty sharp lady. Jeff is a boob, but Marion might not be too happy with Gene—and she might not be too inclined to let him get away with it.
356 Comments
LOL, Jimmy is such a scumbag. All that just to steal a couple of suits and some clothes. I get the feeling the only reason he did it was because he’s bored.Always loved the cinematography of this show, from that brilliant scene in court when Chuck was exposed by Jimmy, to something as simple as slipping on the floor and knocking yourself out, done perfectly.Also, whatever Cinnabon is paying for this placement, its not enough. I suddenly have the urge to wake up extra early tomorrow and get some cinnamon buns.
It wasn’t for the clothes, he doesn’t even keep any of them. Gene needed blackmail bait against Jeff.
See, this is why I don’t automatically discount my bewildered conclusions of the latest Westworld episode—-obvious things like this tend to go right over my head.Was Jeffy the one who made him in the mall all those episodes ago?
yeah dude, of course he was, it’s even mentioned in this review. No offense but did you think he just…snagged a random guy for this role? Or forget about the cab driver making him say ‘better call Saul’?
No, I knew he knew Jeffy, but I didn’t remember that he ran into him earlier and would look to prevent Jeffy from outing him. That he would willingly go to the house and contact him confused me at the beginning unless he was just looking for a dumb guy (he knew) who would do his bidding for the heist.
Different actor had me confused.
not to mention it seems like the current promo for the show is the audio of the taxi guy telling “gene” to “say it.. just say it!”
Yup. Even though they recast Jeffy, the Albuquerque Isotopes air freshener dangling from his rear view mirror re-established him as the same character. He recognized Saul from the ads back home and kind of threatened Gene with exposure, without making any specific demands. Jimmy/Saul/Gene intuited that if he just wanted to call the cops, he’d have done it. If he wanted to blackmail him for money, he’d have named a price. Jeffy wanted to be part of the story. The heist was a way to give Jeffy a taste of danger, while also giving Gene leverage to prevent his exposure. I don’t think the plan went off as smoothly as Gene seems to believe, though.
“ Even though they recast Jeffy”Oh, well, that would be one reason I didn’t recognize him, but I probably wouldn’t have gotten it anyways—-I wasn’t even thinking of that scene when they both confronted him in the mall.I guess those “last week on…” leaders are made for dumbasses with short memories like myself.
I only remembered it because I stumbled upon an article about the recasting. And even while reading that article I could barely remember the character. But it’s not a short memory; he last showed up more than two years ago.
I had completely forgotten about the mall confrontation scene TBH, so the recasting didn’t affect me any I guess.
Yeah, I didn’t recognize the actor (since it wasn’t the same actor), but the cab detail clued me in that we were revisiting this guy.
I didn’t remember the cab drivers face (did they really show it?), so when I saw New Jeffy, I thought the mall guy and the cab driver had to be different guys, and I was waiting for mall guy to show up somehow.It wasn’t making sense, but it was the only thing that made sense until I found out they switched actors.It kinda ruined the episode for me.
He was wearing the same striped sweater too.
Yes. Different actor. But it was him.
Yes. The same cab driver, new actor.
Yes, except that it was a different actor with a different personality.
Apparently, yes. But what had me confused was that guy was a different actor than this Jeffy.
Psh. None of the above. Slippin’ Jimmy pulled off this whole stunt as proof of his ability to construct stunning, slant-rhymed mnemonic devices.Seriously, learning that “One, Armani suits and run” went all the way up to “Twenty, Uggs look funny” was my favorite twist/reveal of the whole episode. Maybe the whole season.
He did it for leverage on Jeffy. Although he does love the action.
Dammit, didn’t even think of that.
He pretty much laid it out to them at the end of the episode. Aside, nice touch getting them to go to Council Bluffs (Iowa, I think?) for the truck rental so the felony becomes interstate.
Yes, I know, but I still thought he was only referring to that heist. I missed the obvious callbacks.
And not particularly difficult considering Omaha is across the river from Iowa.
Admittedly I don’t know much about the geography of Nebraska, but I figured it couldn’t have been that far if the guys didn’t object.
Gene said it to Jeff at the end.
OG Jeff, I be like “ Holy shit! is this another Salamanca?”S6 Jeff, I be like “is this even that same dude? Oh, he is? Then why he a complete punk, all of a sudden?”
I thought the same. This is top notch product placement and I somehow don’t remotely care. Brilliant.
Watch K-Dramas if you want top notch product placement. Signal is one of my favorite shows, think of it like a darker Frequency. There was one episode where this sweet grandmother buys Subway for a lead character and he enjoys it so much he goes to Subway again in a later episode.
Gene definitely got a rush out of it, but the main goal was to get Jeff and his pal to commit to a conspiracy across state lines to steal just enough goods to make it a felony. As Gene so eloquently put it, he set up a state of mutually assured destruction. Mission accomplished in that regard.Marion is a loose end. She likes Gene and will wonder why he doesn’t come around anymore. I don’t think she’s going to let him quit her and Jeff so easily. Wouldn’t it be funny if it turns out she was a grifter before she was a grandmother? Maybe she wants in on the action?How about that teaser for next week? It’s in B&W, so we can assume at least that scene is in Gene’s present. It also looked like the same crossroads that Tom Hanks stopped at in Castaway.
I wonder if that’s the end of the pre-BB (color) episodes?
They still have to fit in the Walt and Jesse appearance, so there has to be at least one more pre BB scene.
We still haven’t seen Mike going to work for Saul.
I wonder if he tracks down Kim’s mom in Omaha (if she’s still alive; she was a 30-something alcoholic thief last we saw of her, so maybe not) in the next episode.
I would love it if she was an old con who has also been hiding from her past in the town.
And that she knew he was Saul Goodman all along. Jeffy noticed him when he recognized his commercial while Gramma Marion was watching her show. Then a few nights later Saul ended up in his cab.
I heard Terry Gross interview Bob Odenkirk and Peter Gould today. Gould said Cinnabon has been enthusiastic since Saul told Walter he’d be lucky if he ended running a Cinnabon in Omaha.https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/
I almost went for one thats by the starbucks i go to daily, but have not yet.
Bob Odenkirk was on Fresh Air this week. He said Cinnabon has been VERY supportive
Confirmed: Odenkirk put on 20-30 pounds when filming the final season.
I’m considering it even though closest one to me is 50-miles away in another state.
i don’t know, all the close-ups of Jerry eating cinnamon buns made them look pretty gross imo. but of course irl they are delicious
My heart was racing just as much if not more for this than any of the thrilling heights of Breaking Bad. BCS somehow keeps finding ways to prove to everyone that its fucking phenomenal.
I was sucking air through my teeth the whole time he was doing the Dirty Dozen rhyming plan. The fact they set up the slip with the manager telling someone to clean a spot is just fantastic.
The manager seems very observant. If she still has time to notice something before they cycle the tapes, she still might.They should’ve put a ski mask on Jeff, just in case.
Hopefully there won’t be a tape to cycle through but since there’s 3 episodes… something will go wrong.
She pointed out the skidmark the burglar would soon slip on! She will noticed a display out of whack. Somehow, she will figure it out. Maybe some completely random accident or situation happens the next day in the store, and the security goes back to night footage. Maybe someone slips in the same spot again?#imhigh
After being told in no uncertain terms that he should only take three of anything, wasn’t there one item that Jeff took four of?
Yea, now that you mention it.
Chekhov’s Sweater
We will see more of her, they made a real point to emphasize just how on point she is. (Dialog, framing, performance). The way she is presented, is definitely the way you’d present a character with a key role to play plotwise.
Almost Gus Fring-like in her attention to detail.
Ooh, if she comes back it could be as an analog to the woman from the German company in BB who helped them with that melamine (I think?) chemical they needed. They were similarly fastidious.
Lydia
You mean Lydia
Same. The haphazard way he was rearranging the merchandise. Eagle-eyed Kathy seems like she’d spot that easily. Either she’ll know they were robbed, or she’s going to fire her closers for being sloppy.
I was expecting the boot mark to set up the Zamboni driver showing up in the store unscheduled.Slippin’ Jimmy, almost undone by a slip that could have been a lawsuit if it wasn’t during a robbery. Shoot, if the tapes don’t get erased, Saul could *still* sue the mall on Jeffie’s behalf.
Most obvious set up ever in this universe. One of the few things i saw coming from miles away.
Same. And I think part of the thrilling aspect is that this is the first real episode that takes place past the events of both BCS and BB. We’re in uncharted territory now so the “anything can happen” factor is back, making the heist extra exciting.
Really? I was a bit bored with this episode and the caper itself. It’s just another Slippin Jimmy deal, like we’ve seen a dozen times before. Personally if Jeff had gotten caught I would have been happy.Other than Carol Burnett I didn’t really get that enthused about this episode. Maybe I have to watch again, but this close to the finish line a department store ripoff is pretty low stakes. Now if we saw the authorities closing in on Jimmy/Saul/Gene, that would be terrific.
I sort of agree with you. I had mixed feelings about this episode. I kept thinking where Jimmy/Gene was going to go after last time we saw him and the long-delayed answer was……an extremely small-scale scam?Even if you read it as a con designed only to prevent him from outed by Jeff, it still felt low stakes. As the fourth episode from the end, I would have preferred something with much greater weight…even if things do end up spiraling out of control for Gene before the final fade out.
I looked at it as “the largest con saul CAN do while still hiding as a most wanted man ” job. Like he’s so desperate to do something shady and criminal but he’s limited due to being one of the top 10 most wanted criminals in America? But still can not help himself
I’m bored by people constantly comparing BCS to BB, rather than assessing it on its own terms. I don’t even blame viewers because BCS seems determined to not stand alone. But, geez, let the show be its own thing.
Not sure what you’re talking about here. At no point did I compare BB to BCS, that wasn’t my complaint at all.
I’m kind of surprised at the rave reviews this episode is getting. Really, we have four episodes left and one of them is devoted to Jeff, Marion, Frank, Nick, and Kathy? A friend of mine summed it up well – this would have been a great episode two seasons ago, but right now it just feels odd.
It’s not like the clock started last week and they had to come up with how they were going to wrap it up in 4 episodes and 25% ended up devoted to this. The timing is their choice—they planned out the story for the entire season at once (if not most of the series) and knew how much running time they had and made a decision to tell certain stories before this one. It seems like they are basically wrapping up the past and future timelines at once and I think the change of pace and different type of tension delivered work well in this respect.
It’s kinda insane that my heart was beating just as much at the episode of Breaking Bad where they heist off a freaking train. And this one was just in some mall.
The head of mall security isn’t as depressed as Gene because he gets to go home to Christie Brinkley.
To be fair, he has the largest penis most doctors have ever seen. They didn’t even bother checking him when they did the mall mumps check because they were so distracted.
The one man Justin Theroux is scared of.
He also just came back from a vacation in Muncie. That’ll cheer anyone up.
Based on many of the sports references between Gene and the security guy, this episode would seem to be set in late 2013. I had always assumed the Omaha story was set in present day, but it’s apparently only about three years after the events of Breaking Bad.
I loved the Dirty Dozen homage with Gene making rhymes for each part of Jeff’s “mission”.
I noticed that too! 12 steps if I recall, same as the Dirty Dozen. Feels good knowing Vince Gilligan also watches TCM.
Gene/Saul has been shown to have a love of classic movies, especially ones from the 60s.
He really liked Ice Station Zebra, he even named his holding company after it.
Over 20 steps.
TWENTY STEPS. 18, Kate Spade is queen. 19, Calvin Klein leather on the scene. Twenty, Uggs look funny.Or something to that effect. Best part of the episode.
I dont think TCM was around when Vince watched it the first time.
Correction: more research indicates that the episode is actually set in 2010. I’m not a college football fan and assumed the Brandon Weeden thumb reference was from when he was a pro in 2013.
Yes definitely 2010. Jerry references losing to an unranked Texas – that happened on 10/17/2010. Nebraska has not played Texas since that 2010 game because they left the Big Twelve and joined the Big Ten after that. And all of their previous losses to Texas came either during or before the events of Breaking Bad or when Texas was ranked.
nice work
Ahh, I didn’t even look up the details of the games, I just knew when Brandon Weeden was in college. Brandon Weeden, Bo Pelini, nice set of name drops there.
Except they questioned whether they thought Nebraska would actually leave for the Big 10 – that was officially announced in June 2010. Shows like this always get a little timeline-wonky when referencing things that occurred IRL on specific dates.
Pretty easy to accept that the security guard likes football but is not so into it that he’s reading articles or tracking the team outside of watching games and maybe listening to a bit of radio. So he may not know the Big 10 move is official or may also just making conversation.I think there is plenty of evidence that the episode takes place in 2010. Someone on Reddit identified the Air Jordans that Jeff steals as the 2010 version as well.
Loved Gene’s initially noncommittal and clueless responses to the sports talk. Studying up made sense for later when he got the chance, but he was able to get the ball rolling, so to speak, without even needing to know what sport was being discussed.
“Did you see that ludicrous display last night?”
Nebraska […] left the Big Twelve and joined the Big Ten after that.Ironically expanding the Big 10 to 12 teams.
No, they’re talking University of Nebraska football– Weeden was Oklahoma State’s starter in 2010 and ‘11, and Bo Pelini (also gets a name drop) was the coach then.
No, i caught it too and looked up if maybe he was a transfer from Nebraska to OSU, but he wasnt.
It would be 2010. Nebraska lost to an unranked Texas early that year, and Brandon Weeden is mentioned.
Mnemonics work!
2010 to be exact based of the names and conversations they had. Unranked Texas beat #5 Nebraska on Oct 16th 2010. I will give the redditors credit for figuring this out
The sticker on Gene’s license plate is 2012. Every Gene scene shows it’s snowing so the mall heist either happened in 2012 or 2013.
I have no idea about Nebraska but some states renew license plates early so just because the sticker says 2012 doesn’t mean that is the year. If it’s a one year renewal, it could be 2011 or 2012. If it’s a 2 year renewal (I can do that in FL) it could be 2010.
It was 2010 or 2011. Taylor Martinez was a QB that played a lot as a freshman and that was 2010 I recall.
Someone else pointed out that the Nebraska-Texas game Frank talks about was in October 2010. Of course, they talked football a while after that, so depending on how long Gene took to plan the heist it could have been early 2011.
Yeah, what was with Gene talking about a chemistry teacher with a ton of money if not referencing his past life? So if BCS is a prequel to BB, Gene in Omaha is the title of this review i.e. back to the future…or am i missing something? Am I not getting that these episodes are Saul post-BB?
HOW, in God’s name, did that Security Guard not get sick of Cinnabon’s every day?
Yeah, I thought it might be once a week or something, but that’d be too long.
Not necessarily. There isn’t any real rush to do the caper, so they could take a while to set it up. They are talking about different college football games constantly which only happen once a week. It could have been multiple successive weeks up to a couple months to get it all down pat.
Yes, its clear it over a great amount of time. Saul finally gets comfortable with the names and games and players as the season passes along. Whereas he couldnt connect anything in the first convo.
It is definitely weekly. Jerry and Gene are always talking about Nebraska football and college football is played once a week on Saturdays. Plus Gene is shown training Jeff to quickly navigate to twenty different sections of a store – that is something that isn’t going to happen in the course of a week either.
This wasn’t the longest con Jimmy/Saul/Gene ever pulled, but it still took some time to set up.
Really safe from his involvement too. His hands where 100% clean. No possible proven connection whatsoever. Literally all he did was talk sports for a month.
Exactly. He has both mall cops as witnesses who will vouch for his being in the security office should anyone look at the tapes before they get recorded over. “Gene Gene, the cinnamon roll machine? No way he’d be involved in something like that. He’s a stand up guy. And boy, does he love the Huskers!”
Exactly 💯 about the football time-line. Probably a month at least. Say, every Sunday night. I liked how the loot count eventually ended up in the 20s. Also, Jeff is too stupid to properly fence all that shit without getting busted.
Oh that was a smart way of the show to set up the timeline! Didn’t factor in dummies like me who don’t follow sports, but smart nonetheless. lol
It was something like once a week based on all of their college football small talk. They only play games once a week, and the two of them build a report while discussing at least several more weeks worth of games. So yea, at least a month or so of prep time.
Even once a week is kind of a lot of free Cinnabon. Remember, most of his excursions to visit Frank included a goodbye to his employees. Should the cops come a’calling, they’re likely to remember that Gene started taking Cinnabons with him once a week – a habit he hadn’t had before.
I was waiting for Gene to go into the security office the day of the crime, only to find out the security guy had a heart attack from all the sugar
You me a fart attack
Ha, I was expecting that too. I was so ready for all that planning to go to waste because of a different guard.
.
Garry Gergich loves doing the same thing over and over again every day. It just makes sense to him.
omg I was sick just looking at it. I thought with the first one that Jimmy was paying such close attention to each bite because he had hidden a pill or something in there, and I was thinking there’s no way this dude can eat that entire thing and he won’t get the drug. But lo and behold, he ate all of that one and all of every other one. In 3 minutes!
Fat people and sugar, not that far of a stretch.
Because that would be like getting sick of Heaven.
I KNEW that was a different actor playing “Jeff”!
Well shit, I spent the whole episode wondering if the bully mall guy was somebody else.I don’t get it, didn’t they know they were going to need Jeff again?Were they thinking they’d get cancelled, or was Jeff #1 in so much demand they couldn’t afford to lock him in?Then again, I don’t see Gene pushing that guy around the way he did Jeff #2.
He was already cast in another show and couldn’t commit. Thus, we got New Jeffy.
Jeff #1 was fucking scary. Jeff#2 is a total dipshit.
Jeff #1 was fucking scary. Jeff#2 is a total dipshit. Yeah. It seems more like they recast the actor cause they changed the story.Jeff #1 ain’t gonna lay in that fucking box all day.
It’s both. The first actor wasn’t available anymore. He’s on “we own this city” HBO. They definitely changed the story too! Cuz I guarantee you that nobody on the show intending for Carol Fucking Burnett to be the ‘Final Bad’ when s5 was made.
You really think Carol’s going to be the big bad? I agree that she’s going to play some sort of key role given her star power/reputation, but I’m a bit skeptical her role is going to be final boss level.All due respect to Mrs. Hannigan and all.
Yea misleading how I phrased it. By ‘Big Bad’, I mean ironically. She will be his final downfall for sure, but not bc she’s an evil pychopath hell bent on his destruction. Rather, bc she’s just a clever old lady in right place/time. So, yea, an ironic final boss.
Also fitting bc Saul started out with little ol ladies!
Also fitting bc Saul started out with little ol ladies! I thought she might be suspicious he knew so much about her scooter.I didn’t know there was a clutch down there.
Rewatched Jeff#1 in s5. It’s obvious the writers at that time where setting him up to be a serious looming threat. Establishing a new big bad for the Gene time-line. It’s the only way that scene reads. But plans change. The forced recasting apparently lead to a total rewrite of the character as well.
I also feel like once you establish that the mysterious stranger *isn’t* a cartel hitmen or Nazi prison gang associate, and is instead just some guy who remembers the Better Call Saul! ads from back home in Albuquerque, the element of physical danger goes away. So while they might have arranged the details of the mall heist differently if the original Jeffy actor had been available, this was always going to be a story about Gene trying to outsmart Jeffy and prevent his exposure using the con artist tactics he perfected as Jimmy. It just became less necessary for his mark to be a physical threat, but perhaps the writers found it more believable with the less intimidating Jeffy 2.
i considered this kinda of super fan/cya specualation myself.. only as a refection tho. But yea….nope… they clearly went out of their way tho establish a scary s5 jeff, but changed their minds to do the total opposite with him after the nearly 3 yrs of real time to reconsicer, recast, rewrite, & stunt cast carroll burnet.
bingo
Jeff #1 was on We Own This City so he couldn’t film BCS.
Totally confused the hell outta me for the entire episode. Did Gene run afoul of yet another cabbie?!
I WAS SO CONFUSED. I was like, “Wait; who’s this guy?!”
I just rewatched OG Jeff’s confrontation with Gene from s5 premiere. He’s terrifying and Gene is practically pissing himself. He came across as a mafia type, or some kinda bounty hunter (perhaps the final big bad). Of course, that scene was written and filmed several years ago, and the role had to be recast. But with that recasting, it seems the showrunners have decided to ‘debuff’ Jeff into Jeffy. No longer intimidating, just incompetent comic relief chump.
I think it works from Jimmy’s perspective, though. He was so rattled that someone made him, that this guy seemed like a creepy, intimidating, scary figure to him. Once Jimmy decided to handle it himself, he realized this guy isn’t scary at all because if he wanted to turn him in or blackmail Jimmy, he would’ve done so now. So now Jimmy sees him as a meek, pathetic guy that Jimmy can manipulate for his own fun.
ditto.
yeah i know it was out of their hands but i really had to force myself to look past it, pretty distracting
I was trying to figure it out too. Very confused at first. Who is this 2md random cabbie showing up in the timeline?
In the split screen montage there is a very quick shot of “SG WAS HERE” carved into something. Maybe near the dumpsters. Have to believe that comes back to haunt him.
I believe he carved that when he got locked out while throwing out garbage a couple season ago.
Correct, I rewatched all the B&W flashforwards ahead of this season’s premiere.
Its carved in the hall he got stuck in I think season 2?
Maybe Soundgarden played a show there, once?
Jim will always be a Jerry, even as a mall cop, he jerryed up security for sure.
Dammit Jerry!
garry <3
Was that the last printed issue? Looks like it.
That’s an amazing cover, lol
And Frank, just like Jerry, is such a nice guy! Unlike with Jerry, “Gene” uses that against him rather than inexplicably hating him.
Frank’s not even his real name.They just started calling him Frank, so he went along with it.
“My real name is Grenk.”
His real name is Stank.
Yeah he seems like a swell guy. Didn’t know how to respond to an emotional meltdown but wasn’t an asshole about it. Nicest guy named Frank I’ve ever seen.
I thought his name was Terry, or Larry..maybe Garry?
He was even Jerry before Parks and Rec. He was on Friends and he screwed up the adoption process for Chandler and Monica. Anna Faris chose a completely different couple but he contacted the Bings instead. Damn it, Jerry!!
I was absurdly delighted to see Jim O’Heir on TV again.
Gene must have bought Biff Tannen’s sports almanac.
He probably has had far more free time to actually watch sports in the Gene timeline.
Yes, but Slipp’n Jimmy can’t help taking shortcuts. He was just reading the box scores.
That, and I believe at one point they flash to Gene studying the sports section of the local paper and jotting down meticulous notes during work.
He went from 100% ignorant about Nebraska Football, to a super fan! Definitely bored, the Macys caper got him outta his rut tho. And he made a friend, sorta.
I…did not take remotely the same thing from this episode- particularly Gene leaving the shirt behind on the rack- as you did. I took all of this to be a very scared, very angry attempt to tie up the X factor that could rouse him from his life as Gene Takovic for the last time. I don’t think, outside of some college kids strung upside down, that we’ve ever seen Jimmy or Saul threaten anyone the way he clearly did with Jeff at the end. This was like…a kind of swan song, of sorts, for him. At least that’s my take. Maybe I’m missing something.
Surprised they jumped to Gene so early. Wonder if they’ll jump back in time or if we’re largely done with the past now. We know Walt and Jesse are coming so assume there will be at least one scene in the past.Did anyone else think Gene took an awful lot of risks to gain blackmail material on Jeff? Maybe speaks a bit to where his mind is but seemed a bit odd considering how jumpy he had been in other flashforwards.It does seem like Marion is going to be a pest for him. You can tell by the opening sequence that she is someone who is both stubborn and has attention to detail. She could find the stolen goods. She could check up on Gene and notice he doesn’t have a dog named Nippy and then think about how her motorized wheelchair just happened to have a line cut when she met him. She could watch the American Greed episode about Saul (a cut of it was released on Youtube ahead of S6) and realize he looks and sounds like Gene. Or maybe something else entirely. But I doubt her role is done yet.
We know we’ll see more of the pre-BrBa timeline solely because Cranston and Paul have been confirmed to appear and, well, Walter White kind of can’t pop into any Omaha Cinnabons at this point in the story.But aside from the novelty of seeing those two in their iconic roles, isn’t everything in the primary BCS timeline pretty much wrapped up? Every character who didn’t appear in BrBa is now either dead, or dead to Jimmy. They answered every question fans asked, like why is ABQ Tuco’s territory but simultaneously Gus’s base of operations?, as well as many questions fans didn’t ask, like what ever happened to the wife of the engineer of the underground meth lab? We kind of know exactly how and why Jimmy became Saul, and why the cartel never found out about the underground meth lab, and why Gus doesn’t have a boyfriend, and why Mike is always grumpy and resigned. The Gene timeline seems to be where all the resolution is needed, because there’s no way he can keep erasing himself to different Cinnabon locations given his proximity to the (in-universe) most famous true crime story of the 21st century.
I personally want to see some of the events of Breaking Bad reframed now that we know Saul’s history and his relationship with Mike a bit more. And I also want to know Kim’s fate and maybe even see her reaction to the events of Breaking Bad and Saul’s downfall – perhaps more than I want to see Gene’s fate even.
I’m okay if Kim doesn’t get a happy ending rather than them forcing her back into the flash forward. Maybe she just breaks up with Jimmy and that’s that. I feel like her story could be done now and it would be fine but she’s a popular character so I’m sure they’ll bring her back.
I don’t think it has to be a happy ending for Kim and I’m not assuming she gets one. She gave up her career and is likely permanently scarred from watching Howard get killed due largely in part to her actions. I do want to see an actual ending for her that isn’t just about her relationship with Saul. Her character was more than just a romantic interest for him.
I wouldn’t be surprised if one episode is completely about Kim post-resignation with no Jimmy at all.
How is Kim’s story done? I get how Skylar’s is – she works menial jobs and stays out of jail and lives her life as a pariah. Walt Jr gets the “scholarship money” from his dad and never knows where it comes from. The Schwartzes spend the rest of their lives scared. Kim, what? Is she a lawyer? Is she living under her real name? Remember the shot in the premiere of her looking at Ed Galbraith’s business card. Obviously she can’t go see him but I’m sure that’s intended to play out somewhere. I don’t think Gene’s story is done either. He’s back to committing cons. The first episode of Better Call Saul was Jimmy getting tired of being pushed around by everyone and starting to do cons again.
Yes. And Bob Odenkirk said there is another persona for Jimmy still to come. I think it’s the red sports jacket.
I think they would have to do a lot over the next three episodes for Kim to get a happy ending. I don’t think it’s deserved at this point.
I think I said this last week, but since Cranston and Paul are confirmed, I’d love to see Walt and Jesse from Saul’s perspective. Just constantly complaining that these two guys are sitting on a potential gold mine but they’re just such stupid amateurs that keep screwing everything up, or something like that.
Same. Also, I feel like we haven’t seen the last of Skyler, Huell, Bill Burr, or even Ted Beneke…
My guess is that with the time jump at the end of the last episode we are now going to see things immediately preceeding Breaking Bad leading to events occurring during the course of Breaking Bad from Saul’s perspective that we hadn’t seen before to add new context, and see what happens in the Gene timeline. Likely, given how good these writers are, these two timelines are going to inform or be mirrors of each other.
Given the leaked cameos, I can only imagine we’ll get at least a little bit of that.
I wouldn’t even be mad if they did an off screen speedrun through all of the events of Breaking Bad with some judicious usage of old and new clips. Like I need to see Walt and Jessie’s first meeting with Saul when he’s freaking out about Lalo and Gus and Hector’s final showdown. whole lot of stuff in BCS pays off in BB which I love the show but for resolution in the show of Better Call Saul you kinda need to see it happen again.
“…there’s no way he can keep erasing himself to different Cinnabon locations given his proximity to the (in-universe) most famous true crime story of the 21st century.”I’ve often wondered why he didn’t get a fake passport as part of his vacuum cleaner maintenance deal and go to Belize or somewhere else where they’re not likely to be throwing up roadblocks for Saul Goodman.Of course, there wouldnt be much of a show if he did that. Besides, I think he hopes to somehow cross paths with Kim again.
I agree. Last week felt like a series ender. This week feels like it could work as a finish to the Gene scenes (he’ll never give up longing for that style – but he’s literally hung it up). Everything to come feels like Epilogue.I mean, okay if there’s more Gene esp if Kim shows up… great even. But each ep is ending on a “The End” such that my satisfaction level is already very high and grateful for this show. It’s like a great novel is closing out, and you know there’s fifteen more pages, but you’re not sure how many of those are blanks and “thank you’s” and you don’t want to peek ahead to spoil the surprise.
I see your point, but I look at it as a positive. I think we’ll look back on these five final episodes when all is said and done and consider it a huge accomplishment that each felt like they could have worked as possible series finales.
My two thoughts for a possible ending:(1) We either see Saul or Kim watching each other from afar go about their new livesor (2) Mall Security Frank decides to cheer up his new friend Gene by introducing him to his cousin who now goes by her middle name to escape the old ‘Kim’ persona. 🙂
WE ARE watching the epilogue! I hadn’t realized it, but that’s what it is. Nice call!
Plus, there’s only so much erasing J/S/G can do on his own. While perhaps the vacuum cleaner repairman is a living character, the actor who played him has left us. And I don’t want to see anyone else in the role.
I think the main thing left is how Saul presumably gets the vet’s little black book including the Vacuum Repair business card.
We’ve wrapped up everything except one thing. What happens to Kim? That needs to be resolved and I bet Gene carrying a KC Royals lunchbox is to remind the audience that Kim’s story is still out there.
Thank you!! I have been saying this to my husband for weeks now. Monday’s episode prominently displayed the Kansas City Royals lunch bag so I know there is more with Kim. Also the preview was another vague voice over and had Jimmy talking to Kim very briefly.
Remind what Royals have to do with Kim?
Doesn’t have to be pre-Breaking Bad (in fact, I doubt it would be considering Saul hadn’t met Walt until Breaking Bad began), it’s gonna take place at some point within the Breaking Bad timeline.
I imagine in one of the upcoming episodes they’re going to do something fun like recreate the entire story of Breaking Bad from Saul’s point of view, in a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead kind of way, so it’ll more take place alongside the events of the original series.One shocking thing about the time jump in the previous episode is that in the early seasons, fans would say things like “*that* was the moment Jimmy became Saul!” every time Jimmy did something mean to mess with Chuck — but really after all that prequel-ing a lot of the movement from romantic Jimmy to sleazy Saul occurred offscreen in that time jump. I don’t think they’re going to revisit the space within that time jump. We have the answers (Jimmy was traumatized by his experiences with the cartel and his role in Howard’s death, and lost his compass in Kim), but we won’t actually see the transition to the Saul we originally met, even though it seemed like we were signing up for that when the series was announced.
I watched Gus with the guy at the wine bar but didn’t quite get all of what are saying…about why he can’t have a boyfriend. What do you mean?
We know that the pain of losing Max was enough for Gus to spend the next 20 years plotting an extremely elaborate revenge against the cartel (and the Salamancas in particular), which ultimately results in the grisly death of nearly the entire cartel and the eradication of the Salamanca bloodline. Gus has a heart-shaped pool dedicated to Max’s honor and I believe Gale’s scholarship is also named after Max. Gus has big feelings! He’s not a pure sociopath. He can’t bear the thought of falling in love again, and having his partner executed due to his line of work.The cartel is not especially progressive on LGBTQ issues in 2005. Anyone Gus dates is a target for cartel violence, both because Gus is constantly courting personal retaliation by moving against the cartel, and also because the cartel members view homophobic violence as justifiable on its own merits. It’s implied that Hector felt sadistic glee at killing Max specifically because he was gay. The Salamancas would do the same to David, if they became romantically involved.After their flirtation at the wine bar, Gus reflects on what it would mean to enter a new relationship, and decides that for David’s safety he must remain alone.
i felt like in that moment he was also struck with inspiration for his later plan to use a toast to poison Don Eladio, but i’m probably reading way too much into it. as you say, the scene was much more about why Gus doesn’t indulge in romance
Women her age are in the target demo for true crime stories.
Nippy’s gonna be a problem.Gene should’ve killed Nippy.
Should’ve killed him right there in the kitchen.
The moment he found Nippy with that other family.Should’ve done it right there in front of them.You don’t betray Gene.Not even Nippy.
Should have nipped him in the bud.
He should have just said, “he was found by a family and the little kids bonded with him so much I decided he was better off with them.”End of problem. Jimmy should be better at lying than me.
End of problem. Jimmy should be better at lying than me. True. He should’ve known what happened to Nippy before he even met Marion.It must be at least a month later, and he invents a stupid lie on the spot.
Yeah. He’s usually much better about that. As he was with Jerry when he needed to distract him from the cameras.
As he was with Jerry when he needed to distract him from the cameras. Most of that wasn’t a lie.His employees love him, but until recently, nobody else’d even notice if he died.His landlord might get a big surprise when they cleaned out his place, or they might just throw everything in a dumpster without even looking.
THERE IS NO NIPPY.
Exactly! Like Jimmy the gold fish guy is going to have a yappy Pomeranian as a pet. Could you imagine how much attention a dog like that would garner? Someone with a new identity and hiding from the law is not going to get a dog unless it’s a stuffed one.
Don’t forget, the plan against Howard was more elaborate with more risk, more possible snags, and honestly a lot of it reminded me of the kind of thing Wile E Coyote would do. Saul Goodman has no aversion to overelaborate plots with many possible snags, but making sure he’s timed everything just right. And now that he’s what I call “The Ghost of Saul Goodman’s Future”, he has all the time to take his time.
As much as I love Burnett, I really hope that the last episodes don’t focus on her character and Jeff. There is too much to resolve from the last 5 seasons.
Yea that would suck. Initial take from tonights show was, “Really, an entire final 4 episode about a ridiculous, low stakes robbery?”. Soo much left to resolve and dont wanna see much of these two. My theory is that Jeff was originally intended to be Gene’s final big bad (based on his s5 introduction)…but since then, they decided to make that guy’s elderly mother into his arch enemy.
Marion is obviously gunna play more of a pivotal role based entirely from her casting. I dont think she suspects anything yet. the true crime angle is a good theory, but her son already knows about Saul anyways bc of true crime/media.
Its worth mentioning that Omaha is Kim’s home town. Hell maybe she has a connection with Marion too.
How did I not know this existed. Very well done.
Not sure how Jimmy -Saul conversation got recorded since that was an atty – client conversation.
There was a teaser at the end of the episode with Saul sitting in a car at a stop sign out in farm country and it was shot in black and white, so looks like there is still some current-day Saul story left to tell.
The tracking number of the “sprayer” crate is 1968-AE35, which is a fun “2001″ in-jokey reference.
Yeah,that is really fun.
Good catch! That pesky AE-35 unit was the start of all their problems!
Hah, thought I was the only one who’d notice that! 😉
No shit?! Good spot man!
Jim O’Heir’s spit bucket must have looked like Fat Bastard’s toilet
thought the same thing, i was ready to vomit knowing how many takes you have to do.
“So, after all that… a happy ending.”
So I guess that was a red herring.Or maybe a shaggy dog story.
Good catch, but the story’s not over yet.
I felt so duped when he said that line at last.
Marion did mention that Jeff was in with a bad crowd back in ABQ. Chekov’s Gun? Jeff seemed like a naive fall-guy in this episode, but I get the feeling based on Marion saying he was in with a bad crowd that Jeff might be playing Gene as we speak. Part of me hopes that crowd was Salamanca/Cartel related. That would be too artificial. But I think there’s more to Jeff, and perhaps Marion, than meets the eye.
Jeff seems too naive to be involved with the cartel.
What if he is in with the neo-nazi gang (Jack Welker and Todd Alquist) that held Jesse captive? He and his bro have that look to me.
Playing him how? If he was playing him why would he agree to commit an interstate felony? If he’s that savvy why is he back in Omaha living with his mother and not making moves in Albuquerque?Sometimes things are what they appear to be. Jeff appears to be kind of a dipshit who got involved in low-level crime and drugs in ABQ and then got out and lives with his mother now.
Jeffy was hanging out with Badger and Skinny Pete.
I have a feeling that Marion may already know who Gene really is, but she’s biding her time and holding onto the secret until she can use it to her advantage.Like someone said, women are the main audience for true crime and there’s no way that the entire Walter White saga and everyone involved wasn’t squeezed dry by every podcast in the country that sells mattresses named after ghosts and fresh food delivery (which translates to all of them).
It’s about 2010 though, so there wouldn’t be as much media exposure as now.Still enough exposure for her to know though.
Yea, i mean, Jeffy already figured it out wo the benefit of being an old lady that only watches true crime, lol. I dont think Marion has a clue. She will most likely figure it out via Jeffy spilling the beans or simply being overheard. She’s nosey.
But Marion can’t rat out Saul without sending Jeffy to jail for decades.If she cares at all about Jeffey, it’s still Mutual Assured Destruction.
MAD is a bluff. Decades in jail, for stealing some clothes in a completely non violent ridiculous crime, that was masterminded by one of the country’s most wanted fugitives? Jeffy only needs to cooperate and do a little community service.
NM
Jeffy figured it out because he lived in Albuquerque and remembered the BCS commercials. I’m sure it made national news, but there’s no reason to assume that Marion would know who he is based on voice and vague physical resemblance alone.
Yeah, Serial was kind of the first major true crime podcast, and it was 2014.Besides, my parents still don’t get the concept of a podcast, never mind seeking out a specific genre of them.
Do they not understand radio shows either?
There’d be plenty of exposure in 2010, especially for older women whose technological skills may not go farther than watching cable TV and reading books. I don’t quite remember what year Walter White died, so this may be invalid. But in the aftermath of his story, I daresay TV probably went nuts with televised docs, and there would be many books written about him.
Marion definitely watches Nancy Grace, who was at the peak of her powers circa 2010 or so
There’d be tons of exposure in 2010. Podcasts would hardly be on Marion’s radar in any time period.
Biding time for what? Just call the cops. Otherwise it’s just sets up a complete retread of what we all just saw happen to her son. (Discover Saul, try to blackmail him, get scammed into a stalemate). I wouldn’t enjoy watching all that play out again.
Actually laughed out loud when I got to “mattresses named after ghosts.”
Actually, I kind of missed that. What’s up with that?
i mean i think based on what we saw from the character she’s not the podcast type.
Y’all are thinking like young people, forgetting that old folks like her still probably have cable TV as their main entertainment. The whole Saul Goodman/Water White saga would be perfect low budget crime drama fodder for Investigation Discovery, or A&E’s Crime & Investigation channel, both of which were around in 2010 and fairly widely available.
There’s a ghost named Purple?
Yeah and he is NOT friendly.
Hear me out… Marion IS Kim. It’s the future.
I thought that for a minute, but then… nah.
I like the totally random nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey with the part number 1-9-6-8-AE-35.
Absolutely no way was this episode an A, this is getting ridiculous. Love this show but these newer episodes aren’t it sadly.
I don’t remember if it was there in the previous Gene scenes, but I liked the detail of his lunch bag having a Royals logo. You can tell that Kim was still on his mind.
It’s always been there.
No one’s going to mention Slippin’ Jimmy nearly being brought down by an actual slip and fall?
I have an awful feeling there was a little high roof top shot in the last episode that was a nod to Kims ultimate fate. I don’t think she can live with herself. She’s going for a high dive onto something very firm. No ambiguity.
NGL, the new Jeff confused the hell outta me and screwed up my first viewing a bit (actually convinced myself this must be another cab driver, lol). I mean not only was he recast, but he seems to be an entirely differently written character now. OG Jeff was extremely menacing and a clear threat. ‘Jeffy’ is a witless dumbass. I wish new Jeff at least acted like the character was originally written. Deducting points.
I feel like it’s appeared before and probably others pointed it out, but I like that Gene has a Kansas City Royals lunchbox. Makes sense as the closest Major League team, but more specifically, as a connection to Kim’s Royals shirt she used to wear around their house.
Omaha Storm Chasers are the AAA farm team for the Royals. Could be that.
The lunchbox had a “KC” on it, and while I don’t know what the Omaha AAA team’s logo is, I would be a bit surprised if it involved the initials from another city.
Generally the fans of minor league baseball teams root for or have some connection to the big league affiliate of their team, if for no other reason than many of the players they root for end up on that team. Omaha Storm Chasers players will go on to be Kansas City Royals. That’s the connection. That’s what he’s saying.
They even went so far as to film the “previously on” scenes with the new Jeff actor. Nice to see them just do a swap like that rather than let losing an actor totally screw up their story.
Wait, really? I didn’t get any Previously On. It felt very deliberate that they didn’t want you to know where this episode would be going.
Yes. There was no previously-on this week. The first thing we see is Marion reaching for the canned goods with her claw device.
I think that would also have just caused mass confusion due to the recasting, so they kinda had no choice.
Its like when they replaced Daario in GoT. Which pisses me off, cause the orignal was perfect for the character, whereas they didnt even make up the guy to look like the original. Also, Tom Cruise who i love, killed the Dark Knight for me. Since i assume he made Katie pass on Part 2, which would have been emotionally draining to watch her die, as opposed to joy when they killed maggie.
I wish I got a ‘previously on’, because that really would have helped my confusion, heh
Seriously. I had absolutely no recollection of the taxi driver character.
Was Gene channeling Mike in his “Say it. We’re done.” routine?
I saw that more as Walter White — say my name — reference
Found it – it’s from Mike’s first appearance when he does the clean up when Jane dies. He keeps telling Jesse to say back to him the story he gives him.
Also Walt. “We’re done when I say we’re done.” Walt then tried to intimidate Saul the last time they saw each other in Ed the Vacuum Guy’s shop, “It’s over when I say it’s over…” *intense coughing fit* Saul: “It’s over.”
Mike says it.
I think he was channeling when Jeff did that to him. Well, “other Jeff” I guess.
The tapes don’t get erased. Jeffie gets arrested. Saul to the rescue with a slip-and-fall suit.
Episode should have been titled, “Slippin’ Jeffey”
I couldn’t figure out why Jeff didn’t just turn Jimmy/Saul/Gene(Bob Odenkirk) in for the reward money. Then Marion says Jeff fell in with a bad crowd in New Mexico. He apparently didn’t get disappeared by Ed Galbraith/the vacuum guy (Robert Forrester), because he just went home to live with his mom. I am thinking Jeff has enough NM state warrants out on him, or owes money to Todd Alquist(Jesse Plemons) or something, so that he does not want attention from law enforcement or the news. OR he was worried that Jimmy/Saul/Gene still had enough underworld power to have him killed. It is possible that Marion and Jeff BOTH got disappeared to Nebraska and those are not their real names but then neither Marion or Jeff would be talking about Albuquerque. Jeff has the damn Albuquerque trinket in his cab!
I wonder whether there’s life after the end of BCS :’-) (nudging the showrunners and the production company to considering a Kim spin–off or maybe – ooh! – a Gus Fring prequel dealing with how former Chilenian military intelligence officer wound up as local businessman turned drug king pin in the ABQ; because it was the only safe exit in order not to be found out as a gay man? Something like that?)
I’m a little surprised people are so eager for a second spin-off, since it’s already enough of a miracle that BCS has been such a success. I don’t exactly see what people want in a Kim spin-off where Jimmy is out of the picture entirely, and a show about Gus would undoubtedly involve recasting the part since Giancarlo is unfortunately aging out of the role.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Giancarlo is now just lazily cast as “coolly intelligent villain” due to Fring (The Boys, Star Wars, etc.) Guy deserves more.
I guess that’s kind of inevitable when you play such a popular breakout character, but I’m sure being in Star Wars is fun for Giancarlo.Jon Hamm was offered many Don Draper-like roles after Mad Men ended and chose to turn them all down to try something new, so I have to assume these guys are able to be more selective with their roles when they get to a certain stage of success.
Let’s go MCU casting him as Charlies Xavier. Let’s fucking gooooooooooo
I’ll buy it. But I also like him as Luthor in “Harley Quinn” and think he’d be great as a live action version. But that, of course, would be another villain role which is what I was complaining about in the first place.
This is just such a great idea and Marvel is stupid if they don’t take it
Giancarlo is fantastic in everything. His one scene cameo in Westworld was amazing.
He plays a rather manic character in a single episode of The Practice. I almost didn’t recognize him, despite his very recognizable voice.
agreed, he is getting a bit typecast, altho admittedly i haven’t seen much of his work lately outside of genre shows and BCSI did see someone suggesting he play the new Prof X and thought that seemed cool, although i think lance reddick would also be good if they chose to race swap the character. jeffrey wright as well (who cares if he already voiced Uatu)
Ugh, let them be free. As much as people like Vince Gilligan I’m sure loved working on BB and BCS, it should be up to him whether he wants to spend another decade of his life in ABQ. Don’t be a greedy fan.
You wanting this entertainment equals years of work from these people… That’s a little bit entitled.
you go make a Kim spinoff.
Do you want a spinoff about roof pizza too? c’mon
Please no.
I guess I’m the only person who didn’t particularly like this episode.While I’m sure it was intended to lighten the mood after the last couple of episodes I found the somewhat slapstick nature just jarring and I was longing for the high stakes and tension filled hour of television we’ve come accustomed to.While BCS has been a wonderful television series this final season has only cemented in my mind why BB still remains better and how when the focus of the BCS story has moved away from tying the two shows together (by incorporating members of BB world) it doesn’t provide the same edge of your seat viewing experience.P.S- It was pretty obvious that Jeff was going to slip on the floor the moment the manager made mention of it earlier in the episode. It didn’t subvert my expectations if that was ever the intention.
One of the better episodes of the season. The show is at its best when its not dealing with cartel nonsense, just Jimmy’s scams
Jimmy’s scams never disappoint. Well, there was that one that went a little too far…
i hated it as much, okay not AS much as the FLY episode in BrBa.
I admit, I was also disappointed. Almost a free-standing episode. It was quality, But felt like a waste of the last three episodes.
I liked the episode, but I know what you mean. The scams are always fun to watch unfold, because BCS has such impeccable attention to detail. But sometimes that means more drawn out storytelling, compared to BB’s escalation style. This grift was the kind of small-scale thing we might have gotten in early seasons. I understand its purpose for its characters at this point in the timeline, but at this point in the season (only 3 episodes left!) it’s awkward momentum. Consider at this time in BB we got “To Hjiilee”, where Jesse and Hank finally trick and catch Walt- and the next episode is “Ozymandias”…The other thing is, the Gene material has been dolled out in such tiny increments over such a spread out period of time, it’s impossible for me to appreciate what I’m supposed to have remembered without having binged everything recently for homework, or help from other recaps and reviews. What was happening with this Jeff guy again? I forgot about that. The security guard was skeptical because Gene told a thief to get a lawyer? I forgot about that. The ring he puts on belonged to his old partner, Marco?? I forgot completely about him lol. Maybe that’s on me, but it really has been a long a time
It’s funny how much everyone thought the idea for a show where Saul Goodman represents crappy criminals and pulls a bunch of shady shenanigans in court would be good, and the BCS writers have done everything in their power to make sure we never get to see that.
I agree. I thought it was a well-done episode of suspense. However, I think almost all of the callbacks were lost of me. The reviewer references episodes from season 5 (aired two years ago), 3 (five years ago), and apparently the first season – I didn’t remember the ring and had to look up Marco (seven years ago!!). Given that they pretty much dropped the Gene scenes a while ago I wonder if a more contained couple of episodes here would have worked better. I appreciate they have tried to connect stuff over the seasons, but the Gene stuff is so spread out, it lessens the impact for me.
I enjoyed it well enough, but it does feel weird with so little left in the show to be focusing on some small-time Gene scam.For all that this show “slow burns” stuff, it feels like the pacing is really wonky in some ways– crazy slow sometimes, rushing through story aspects other times, lacking a sense of urgency exactly when you’d expect it to be time for the tension to turn up, etc. And they’re so determined to never give us Saul being Saul and doing shady lawyer stuff.
Jim O’Heir seems like the sort of actor who could randomly surprise us by playing a serial killer.
or one in real life.
Jim O’Heir seems like the sort of actor who could randomly surprise us by playing a serial killer.
Or he could surprise us by BEING a serial killer.
Although… we would all say we suspected.
I wouldn’t want to ruin Parks & Rec’s delightful final run, but imagine if they had made Gaearrrry an equivalent of the Scranton Strangler…
Then again, they did that to Buster Bluth in S5 of Arrested Development, and it was stupid.
Cast him in a Heavy Rain adaptation
Like he couldn’t wait to put that suit on againBut he puts it back. My impression of the end was more that he let Saul out, but knew well enough to put him back away, so to speak. Maybe something in the next episodes will change his mind more permanently, but I got a far more bittersweet “one last job,” feel from that ending.
My feeling wasn’t “one last job.” It was “not just yet.”
Exactly. He has no place to wear the outfit. Yet.
I did get a wistful nostalgia from Odenkirk’s acting in this scene. It feels more like a “not anymore” than “someday soon.” It would be a way more interesting ending, IMO, if Jimmy decided to find joy in his new life (without scamming), but I don’t see that happening.
“Nippy”? Clickbait title, man. No Rhea Seehorn.“Jeff is a boob.” Not the same, man.
Anyone else find themself fantasizing about how much better this episode would’ve been with the original Jeff? Still good though
Do leaves not fall off the trees in the late fall in Nebraska?
“Jeff is a boob, but Marion might not be too happy with Gene—and she might not be too inclined to let him get away with it.”Am I misremembering or did they say she had only a single-episode arc?
IMDb lists Burnett in the next episode as well.
Well hooray indeed.
Solid write-up. Mixed feelings about this episode – felt like we were spending precious end times watching Gene interact with a bunch of characters we don’t know/care about. That said, the intensity was certainly palpable and I definitely found myself rooting for his grift to succeed.
A rare slip of verisimilitude in the BCS/BB universe—how the mall was a ghost town at 9:20. I worked in the mall for several years in high school and college and 20 minutes after close there were always still people milling around, and the lights were still on in most of the stores because I did a food place and a clothes place and neither one was fully closed in 20 minutes. Not saying no store closes in 20 minutes, but that would be the exception, not the rule.
Nah, I worked in the mall for a decade up until ~2001 ish (at which point they were definitely on their last legs). Depending on how busy it was and the day of the week, even our sometimes complex computer store could be locked up as quick as 10 after if we got started closing early. The food places always closed before 9:00 too, giving time for cleaning and such, they were almost always completely locked up by then.
Yah well guess what I am a mall, and you’re both wrong!
AND I work at a mall infinity. So I win.
That was not the norm at my mall at all. But oh well, apparently he worked at one like yours. We were never allowed to close before 9. It was a rule of the mall as part of the leases.
That mall gave me Dawn of the Dead vibes.When there’s no more room in Hell,
The Dead will walk the mall.
Marion is definitely giving me the yips. First, they show us she’s not a nice old lady right from jump. Then the way she was talking to her son really had a “we’re all just playing our part” undertone. Then she brings back up Jimmy’s lost pet which he almost fumbles, then she makes a point to bring back up ABQ and to note how significant she finds Jimmy interaction with her son with a tone that was just south of innocuous.
It reminds me of a turn she did on L&O … either CI or SVI, and she played that part to a tee of this older rich celeb of yesteryear who had a fawning assistant. I won’t spoil the episode beyond saying she gave a great performance.
I’d lost track of what a good actor Carol Burnett can be. Putting her into the show doesn’t seem like stunt casting, as I’d thought it might. Rather, they had a part for an old woman and what the heck, put her in there. Burnett is way past having to audition for such a part, but if she had she would have nailed it.I think Marion is going to play into things some more, with some consequences for Gene. (They might not be BAD consequences – but Marion is probably not what she seems so who knows?)
Maybe she’s Kim’s mom.
Apparently she’s a huge BCS fan and jumped at the chance to be in it, which is nice.
Apparently she’s a huge BCS fan and jumped at the chance to be in it, which is nice.
Well, for some reason that’s the coolest thing I’ve heard in weeks. Thanks.
I don’t think Marion was portrayed as “not nice,” at all. The instances people have mentioned are just her being an independent, maybe slightly-fed-up, and slightly frustrated elderly person. Mentioning the messed up order to the butcher is very much in keeping with elder folks who keep track of their money, and who have less and less going on in their lives – so smaller day-to-day interactions loom larger in their perspective. And, I work in the disability field, and Marion’s “no thanks, I got it” is VERY common; lots of people offer help – imagine that this is the nth time that day someone has stepped in, offered help, and messed up her concentration, not to mention made her feel her limited capabilities. And those who offer help and then get even a polite “no thank you, I got it” will often feel offended that their offer of help was not needed.
you could be right, it will be interesting to see what plays out next week. I just know I have some unease about her.
Oh yo that is a very interesting point.
I find it very interesting to imagine older peoples perspective on life by trying to somehow relate to their experience knowing full well it’ll be me one day. One thing I’ve noticed is that younger people tend to ignore older people at times and so at work all the older staff love me cuz I talk to them often. But yaaah come to think of it, in that position I too would become frustrated by people constantly offering me help I dont feel I need.
This is a fucking lame comment. Get the fuck over yourself.
“The yips” is a golf term where your mind and body are in disagreement and you get psyched out.
I was a little disappointed by this episode after the thrills of the recent BCSs and while I appreciated the goal being to see that Jimmy/Saul is still inside mild mannered and boring Gene, it was a long caper without any of our other beloved characters. I hoped Kim or even Jesse turning up in the mall would have set up something to look forward to.Yes, boldly shot in b/w, crafted beautifully, but this was a bit too deliberate for me. With so few eps left, a setting up episode seems a bit of a waste of valuable BCS hours.If Kim doesn’t appear again, we riot!
I feel like Fun and Games was the best episode in the series to date. Not to quibble over grades but no way was Nippy better than that.
This episode is like FLY from Br Ba, i will never watch it again. It was brutal for the most part although not as bad as said Fly episode. I also heard this was the episode where Cranston and Paul were supposed to show up. Needless to say a real dissappointment. I also didnt pick up on what the meaning of the robbery was at first glance. I must admit i was a little tired.
So glad you noted that it’s a different actor playing Jeffy! I thought “this must be the guy who remembers Saul from Albuquerque, but why didn’t I know that right off?”This was a great episode. So far they’re all great episodes, but I loved 1) the patient way Gene sets up the robbery, including the roped off mall store mockup and 2) the way we can tell that Gene really really likes this slide back into his old ways. Might come with some danger, or… might just get him paired up with Kim, who could for all we know be somewhere in the midwest looking for a partner in whatever her new con is… I can dream. Three more eps, I think?
No putting the cork back in the bottle? Lol did you miss the last minute of the episode? That gigantic dose of symbolism about just that very thing?
Jim on the Move. By Lalo Schifrin. Jimmy and Lalo. And the music was a perfect fit. That killed me. I’m dead now.
If only…
I though it was the score finally showing some real personality. I’m not sad tbat they neddle-dropped classic Lalo Shifrin, but that they needle-dropped at all.
I’m thinking Marion was a former Sandpiper resident.
That’s a definite possibility. While Jimmy got a big payday from the settlement, the individual plaintiffs in a class action suit don’t get much. I’m sure it wasn’t even close to what Sandpiper fleeced them for in the first place.If that’s the case, Marion would have good reason to be really, really pissed at Saul Goodman.
Why?
At the end we saw him really want to jump back into that Saul life again when he was holding up those clothes, I think this episode is also supposed to signify some sort of reawakening in Jimmy, but not that of Saul, because he put the clothes back. I think it’s signifying a reawakening of Jimmy himself. Something that will lead him back to Kim to get a happy ending, which was also teased in the end of this episode: “After all that… a happy ending” (in regard to Nippy being found).
This was a fun episode, but I don’t know why the tense and heart shattering Fun and Games gets an A-, while this tonal reset caper gets the top grade. It was good, but it’s not the best the show has to offer, that’s why we have A grades.
I find it mildly hilarious they couldn’t even be bothered to change the mall name from their filming location
New Jeff was very confusing for me, but I liked him. I rarely laugh at prat falls, but him slipping and knocking himself out will probably be the funniest damn thing I see all season. Merch all over the floor and him not moving…lol. The comedy and the suspense of it was gold. Outside of that, the episode was just ok though. We know what BCS looks like when it fires on all cylinders. This was small-time.
loved the gravity of SG the deeper gene got into the shoplifting scheme. only a matter of time before SG comes out to play. very surprised to see carol burnett. it’s strange, that show pre-dates me, but i must’ve watched a ton of re-runs when i was younger and i loved the combination of her and tim conway.i am still rooting for some sort of jimmy/kim reunion at the end of the season. like, kim is a manager of the auntie anne’s at the other end of the mall and they run into each other while handing out samples.
Last night before going to bed, I suddenly saw the light: Jimmy/Saul is in such trouble in the Gene-timeline that he has to appear in court: he gets a pro bono lawyer… The best Nebraska: Kim Wexler who has picked up where she left off after a few years of reflection.
I like this!
Don’t know if that will happen specifically, but this story starts in a courtroom and I would be shocked if it didn’t end in one.
Although this was set up a season or more ago, it still feels a little like Star Wars:Solo (spending a lot of time to explain ‘parsec’, or some other small thing).But Gould and Gilligan could make a compelling caper out of the phone book. So even with 3 eps left, we get Carol Burnett, Jim O’Heir, and a nail-biting shopliftimg caper. I’m not sad.And in the end, Jimmy/Saul/Gene will never stop being Jimmy/Saul/Gene- It’s a rush for him and he knows how good he is at it.
Gene ultimately left that shirt where he found it. Why so certain that intro shot is him symbolically putting ‘on’ the coat?
I thought this stupid show was done weeks ago.
I had no clue who Jeff was at first, the new actor didn’t exude the kind of intimidating but stupid menace that the first guy did.
No mention in this review of the sports talk between Gene and Frank about college football and the Nebraska Cornhuskers
I partially agree with your Marion take but there’s nothing rude about setting boundaries such as refusing someone assuming you need help or insisting that you don’t want extra deli meat