S06.E10: Nippy

[SimplexFish]

19 minutes ago, Starchild said:

The way I see it, this elaborate scheme was just about protecting himself from Jeff

Maybe the intimidating, in your face original Jeff that scared the bejesus out of Gene in the mall but not this wussy mama's boy Jeffie. Not only was new Jeff a bad actor but it was like the writers completely changed his entire persona...

Edited July 26, 2022 by SimplexFish

[Chaos Theory]

People like to say “show don’t tell” when it comes to tv.  And BCS has repeated through characters told  that Jimmy was never going to change.   And we know as Saul Goodman he only gets worse,  but what happens after?  Does he have a “Come to Jesus” Epiphany and change his ways as Gene?    For a split second it looks like that when he meets Carol Burnett that Gene is a nice guy doing nice guy stuff but there is always Jimmy and worse Saul trying to break free.   I think that is why this was an important Episode.  This wasn’t like that Jessie Pinkman movie thing where he gets his happy ending because he is ultimately a good guy and we are all happy for him.  Yay Jessie.     Chuck was right about him seasons ago….. he just can’t help himself.  

Edited July 26, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[PeterPirate]

I suppose this could be considered the start of a redemption arc.

Jimmy didn't use his powers for good, but at least he chose not to continue to use them for bad.  He could have, after all, started a whole new campaign with Jeff as the new Marco.     

Edited July 26, 2022 by PeterPirate

[Constantinople]

22 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

But the main point, to me, wasn't about the scheme but how empty Gene's life is. His only friends are the guys he's pretending to be friends with from the scheme, and thinking about his past life--his BCS life, not the BB life, is painful

In last week's episode they got the same point across with Gus in one 5-6 minute scene. Here it's an entire episode, and it didn't tell us anything new about Saul that wasn't conveyed in last week's episode as he's speaking to Francesca and the very first episode of BCS when Gene gets home and watches Saul's old television ads on videotape.

[peeayebee]

22 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

What was the shirt and tie about that Gene left hanging in the store?

He misses Saul.

17 minutes ago, Kristi800 said:

Jimmy *Ji" Saul "au" Gene "ne". 

Oy. Not the smoothest portmanteau.

Re the reference to BB's 'Fly' ep: I loved that episode. I don't love this episode. Maybe it'll grow on me.

I can see that Gene is missing the Saul lifestyle. He's getting back into it with his elaborate shoplifting/setting-up-Jeff plan.

I get his actually speaking the truth with his "I got no one. My parents are dead. My brother is dead. I got no wife. No kids. No friends. If I die tonight no one would care" speech, but I didn't think this bit was written very creatively. 

[Constantinople]

36 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

Honestly, they now seem like two totally different characters. The guy who confronted Saul at the mall doesn’t seem one bit like the loser doofus in tonight’s episode. Both were well-acted. But they were not the same character.

I agree which is why I feel it was a huge continuity problem. Original Jeff seemed too savvy to steal goods that can only be sold for pennies on the dollar, especially when we're never shown how they'll be fenced. At the point I think Original Jeff would sense something is wrong, and call the cops on Saul for the reward, and maybe even offer to nail Saul by wearing a wire (particularly if Jeff still had some unresolved legal issues).

New Jeff was just a moron.

I don't know if this the last we've seen of Jeff, but so far his character arc is not satisfactory.

[Penman61]

10 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

I get his actually speaking the truth with his "I got no one. My parents are dead. My brother is dead. I got no wife. No kids. No friends. If I die tonight no one would care" speech, but I didn't think this bit was written very creatively. 

I agree. But I’d also add it’s a deliberate echo of when Jimmy did the same thing at his law license hearing, making everyone—including Kim and us—believe he was baring his soul about Chuck, but he was just scamming us all.

Or was he?

[sistermagpie]

10 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

In last week's episode they got the same point across with Gus in one 5-6 minute scene. Here it's an entire episode, and it didn't tell us anything new about Saul that wasn't conveyed in last week's episode as he's speaking to Francesca and the very first episode of BCS when Gene gets home and watches Saul's old television ads on videotape.

But this ep seems like it's setting up something actually happening because of it. Because he just gave himself a reason why he had to pull an elaborate con just this once. He refused to run and to fight back started to maybe for the first time truly embrace who he is. And that's not exactly Saul, imo, because Saul contained a lot of misdirected anger and numbness, being what people who judged him said he was. That, imo, could be an important distinction.

1 minute ago, Penman61 said:

I agree. But I’d also add it’s a deliberate echo of when Jimmy did the same thing at his law license hearing, making everyone—including Kim and us—believe he was baring his soul about Chuck, but he was just scamming us all.

Or was he?

But then, in that case he had to deal with his real biography. Here he could have said anything.

[Starchild]

18 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

But this ep seems like it's setting up something actually happening because of it.

I was wondering the same thing. On this show, everything happens for a reason. Jeff hit his head hard, he was out for several minutes. Maybe he later has an epidural hematoma, like Natasha Richardson. She died two days after hitting her head.

So Carol Burnett's son is dead and suddenly Gene's not around anymore. She's shrewd after all, and she keeps herself to herself. Maybe she starts digging around. Maybe she's eventually Saul's downfall.

Sometimes there's a reason to bring in an actor of her stature. 

[peeayebee]

15 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

I agree. But I’d also add it’s a deliberate echo of when Jimmy did the same thing at his law license hearing, making everyone—including Kim and us—believe he was baring his soul about Chuck, but he was just scamming us all.

Or was he?

Jimmy/Saul/Gene shares truth from his life not to bare his soul, but to get something from someone or pull one over on someone. He's cannibalizing his self to win the game. Like sistermagpie said, here he could have made something up. So what if he pulled from his own life. It shows that he's still the same, but that didn't strike me as all that interesting or surprising. 

I mean, in this moment he was desperate. He needed to say something to distract Frank, and the most expedient thing was to share his own real sob story. In that moment, he wasn't connecting emotionally to his past. He was using it in a callous, calculated way. By the end of the ep, he was longing for the old Saul Goodman and his flashy shirts, so... I don't know. He's still the same?

[Dev F]

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

We know that Gene misses his days as a big shot con artist, so it wasn't necessary to hit us over the head with that. That was already quite clear from when he wrote the "SG was here" graffiti.

I mean, that wasn't the only thing that season 2 flash-forward was about. It was also about how Gene got locked in the trash room in the first place: because on the one hand he blundered forward through a fire door without thinking about how it was going to lock behind him, and on the other hand he was too afraid of blowing his cover to go through the door on the other side that was wired to notify the police. Which sets up Jimmy's entire arc for season 2, how he's constantly stumbling into some wild scheme but then timidly retreating to the straight and narrow when things get too hot. To me, that's what "SG was here" means—that Saul Goodman was born from that metronomic swing between temptation and respectability.

And the Gene in this new episode was emphatically not the same Gene from those earlier scenes, nor the Gene who impulsively shouted at the shoplifter, "Get a lawyer!" As suggested by the scenes of him methodically navigating the trash room day after day, this is a Gene who's starting to come to terms with both his timidity and his impulsivity. He plans an elaborate scheme that involves the sort of patience and precise timing that Jimmy frequently seemed incapable of, much to the chagrin of more tooth-achingly precise characters like Chuck or Mike. And to me that's interesting, the idea that Gene is reaching back to his Saul persona for something Saul never really had—a sense of control.

So I see as being somewhat more complicated than Jimmy just looking for a way to return to his old life as a big-shot con artist. On some level he's actually looking for a way to exorcise that history, to be Saul but to do it differently, to get it right this time. That's echoed in his kiss-off scene with Jeff and his buddy. He strong-arms them into telling him "We're done," which is something he was never able to do with Walt: "We're done when I say we're done."

Edited July 26, 2022 by Dev F

[sistermagpie]

12 minutes ago, Dev F said:

I mean, that wasn't the only thing that season 2 flash-forward was about. It was also about how Gene got locked in the trash room in the first place: because on the one hand he blundered forward through a fire door without thinking about how it was going to lock behind him, and on the other hand he was too afraid of blowing his cover to go through the door on the other side that was wired to notify the police. Which sets up Jimmy's entire arc for season 2, how he's constantly stumbling into some wild scheme but then timidly retreating to the straight and narrow when things get too hot. To me, that's what "SG was here" means—that Saul Goodman was born from that metronomic swing between temptation and respectability.

And the Gene in this new episode was emphatically not the same Gene from those earlier scenes, nor the Gene who impulsively shouted at the shoplifter, "Get a lawyer!" As suggested by the scenes of him methodically navigating the trash room day after day, this is a Gene who's starting to come to terms with both his timidity and his impulsivity. He plans an elaborate scheme that involves the sort of patience and precise timing that Jimmy frequently seemed incapable of, much to the chagrin of more tooth-achingly precise characters like Chuck or Mike. And to me that's interesting, the idea that Gene is reaching back to his Saul persona for something Saul never really had—a sense of control.

So I see as being somewhat more complicated than Jimmy just looking for a way to return to his old life as a big-shot con artist. On some level he's actually looking for a way to exorcise that history, to be Saul but to do it differently, to get it right this time. That's echoed in his kiss-off scene with Jeff and his buddy. He strong-arms them into telling him "We're done," which is something he was never able to do with Walt: "We're done when I say we're done."

Yes! That's something more along the lines I was thinking in saying I thought this ep was setting up something to come. I don't mean plotwise, althought that could be a factor, of course. But that this was a step forward in the personal evolution of Jimmy/Saul. Because I don't think Saul was who he was literally. He was too tied up in other people telling him who he was. Chuck saying he's a terrible person so should just embrace it and stop pretending he has a conscience, Howard saying Chuck was right etc. It just seems like Saul was a defense mechanism in some ways, even if it was a self-destructive one. But this ep seemed like it laid out the possibility of a different kind of Saul who wasn't Jimmy who was desperate to be liked or Saul who was in your face about not caring. Someone, as you say, more in control of deciding who he was, not somebody he fell into. Maybe, in a way, being completely on his own is part of how he's able to do that.

[Cotypubby]

I did laugh at how the “After all that, a happy ending” tag from the end of Plan and Execution actually meant nothing and was just part of the lie with Nippy. 😆 

[BeckyThatcher]

Could it be that OriginalJeff  transforms into NewLameJeff  through Gene’s eyes once Gene dispenses with his own fear?

Jeff was seen through Fearful Gene’s eyes as menacing and a potential threat. Now that Gene has devised a Saul/Jimmy plan, OJ becomes NewLessThanJeff. It’s just in how Gene viewed him?

[PeterPirate]

1 hour ago, Constantinople said:

I agree which is why I feel it was a huge continuity problem. Original Jeff seemed too savvy to steal goods that can only be sold for pennies on the dollar, especially when we're never shown how they'll be fenced. At the point I think Original Jeff would sense something is wrong, and call the cops on Saul for the reward, and maybe even offer to nail Saul by wearing a wire (particularly if Jeff still had some unresolved legal issues).

New Jeff was just a moron.

I don't know if this the last we've seen of Jeff, but so far his character arc is not satisfactory.

OldJeff was also a moron for not going to the authorities right away and cashing in on the reward.  But at least he was likeable and he was happy about meeting Saul Goodman.  OldJeff would have enjoyed every moment he spent with Gene setting up the theft.  NewJeff was just sullen.  

[Starchild]

Forgot to mention the title cards! Now that was unexpected.

Combined with Gene walking away from the shirt and tie, and what seemed like real regret in his voice during his distraction of the guard, could it be signifying that Saul is gone?

Edited July 26, 2022 by Starchild

[OutOfTheQuestion]

I had no idea what to expect from tonight's episode, and now have no idea what to expect from the remaining three episodes.  Is it possible the writers will make the bold choice to just stick in the Gene-verse from now on, skipping over the entirety of Breaking Bad?  (With the logic of "we've already seen Saul as SAUL" on that show?)

I also thought Carol Burnett was going to reveal she knew JMSGGT's identity, maybe that's another twist still to come if the remaining episodes are all in Omaha?

[Dev F]

1 hour ago, Cotypubby said:

I did laugh at how the “After all that, a happy ending” tag from the end of Plan and Execution actually meant nothing and was just part of the lie with Nippy. 😆 

It's not just about Nippy, though. It's also about Gene contemplating the possibility that his own drama is at an end, and whether he really wants it to be.

Was I the only one for whom the combination of "little runaway dog" and "dreary black-and-white world contrasting with a wonderland of color" brought to mind a particular ambiguous happy ending, The Wizard of Oz? "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with."

[saul fan]

After watching all episodes of Breaking Bad, I believe this is a set-up for a later episode. I loved Carol Burnett. She must be a big fan to appear in this episode. Didn’t like her son though. 

[thuganomics85]

Definitely wasn't expecting to spend an entire episode focused on Gene and his wacky schemes in Omaha!

Not surprised that this seems to be getting a diverse "Fly"-like response, and I can see both the good and bad about it.  I do think the general idea behind it is a bit by the numbers and simple (no matter where he is or what identity he is maintaining, Jimmy just can't help being Jimmy), but I do like seeing how much the loneliness is clearly getting to him and how even amongst his schemes, he actually does seem to enjoy the human interactions.  Sure, the bottom line for him is to pull off his scheme, but I generally got the sense he did enjoy the company of the likes of the security officer (Jerry!) and Carol Burnett's character.  He can still talk a good game and worm his way out of almost every situation, but he really is broken on so many levels.

I also continue to like how we see that he is legitimately good at his job as a Cinnabon manager.  It's kind of similar to how Gus seem to really be an excellent manager as well at Los Pollos Hermanos.  Both of them are clearly capable at being legit... you know, if it wasn't for the whole criminal aspects of their lives...

While this and Breaking Bad's style has been done well by so many, I do feel like I'm at the point where I can tell when it's a Michelle MacLaren episode.  A few shots here just reminded me of her previous episodes and so forth.

Hmm, that chemistry teacher Gene was talking about sounds like an interesting fellow.  I wonder what his deal is! 

Edited July 26, 2022 by thuganomics85

[gallimaufry]

I'm a little surprised by the negativity around this one although I guess it is a departure from the norm.  (Though I actually think "Fly" is pretty overrated).

Although it was the complete opposite of what I expected from a Michelle MacLaren episode, I liked that they took the time to show how Gene deals with Jeff.  The recast was unfortunate but actually I thought the new guy fitted the role really well and I soon forgot it was a recast.  It was also enjoyable to watch while constantly trying to figure out what was going on.

I assumed casting Carol Burnett would lead to more than this and it still might - I can imagine her seeing some documentary about Saul Goodman (perhaps even the "American Greed" episode) and realising it's Gene.  At that point, Jimmy would have to hurt (or corrupt) an old lady to preserve his cover and as that's been the tell of where he is on the Jimmy/Saul spectrum in the past, it makes sense to factor into the endgame.

I figured the credits would clunk to snow but blue makes sense as well.  I was surprised that even the closing credits were black and white though.  I was expecting near the end a burst of colour to come in from the clothes.  Are they really going to persist with black and white through all the Gene scenes?

This episode takes me back to the early seasons - very small, character-centric and it was great.  I don't feel like I necessarily need to see more of the Saul-era (and it plays against their strengths as Odenkirk has aged so noticeably that asking him to play 18 years younger looks wrong) although I'm sure there will be some kind of Walt and Jesse stuff - though between "American Greed" style material and police tapes, I feel like they could probably feature them in sneaky ways perhaps alongside one mega-montage of the BB years.  It's true that I do want to see a lot more about Mike although in many respects, I'm not sure there's a great deal more to say about his character before the BB era - although I hope we do get close for Kayleigh and Stacey.  As for Gus, he's been hugely underserved on this show to be honest but with 3 episodes to go I feel like it's frankly too late to give him the kind of exposition he deserves.  As great as this show has been, I think he's the weak link.  They could slip back in time again but Occam's Razor says it's time to really understand how Gene goes from here.  I hope they don't wait too long to get to the Kim of it.

Although this was a quiet, transitional episode, I think it was a really important one and well-told.  I'm, as ever, intrigued to see how they land this.

ETA: Two random thoughts.

1. This was really a love letter to Cinnabon and deserved after they were such good sports about hosting an escaped convict.

2. I'm really glad after Bob's heart attack that their heist plan didn't involve him eating all those Cinnabons!

Edited July 26, 2022 by gallimaufry

[OutOfTheQuestion]

3 hours ago, Dev F said:

Was I the only one for whom the combination of "little runaway dog" and "dreary black-and-white world contrasting with a wonderland of color" brought to mind a particular ambiguous happy ending, The Wizard of Oz? "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with."

Gene isn't in Kansas any more......but the Kansas City Royals are.

[Cinnabon]

5 hours ago, OutOfTheQuestion said:

I had no idea what to expect from tonight's episode, and now have no idea what to expect from the remaining three episodes.  Is it possible the writers will make the bold choice to just stick in the Gene-verse from now on, skipping over the entirety of Breaking Bad?  (With the logic of "we've already seen Saul as SAUL" on that show?)

I also thought Carol Burnett was going to reveal she knew JMSGGT's identity, maybe that's another twist still to come if the remaining episodes are all in Omaha?

Its true - we’ve already seen Saul in Breaking Bad. No need to show us anything there.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leave it to G&G, realizing they had an extremely fine amount of time left, chose to be utterly indulgent.  I get why so many are not happy about it.  But, for me, I love that a showrunner has the juice to tell things his own way.  Bringing in a galactic superstar like Carol Burnett to help burnish it?  Wonderful.

I, too, saw the titles switch as a signal that this ep was not about Saul.

I have a strong feeling that Gene's letting Jeffie off lightly is gonna cost him huge.  Jeffie really needed killing if Gene was to remain safe.  It would have been ever so much easier, to boot.  I know that a big piece of this choice was to indulge in a long con.  But, the timid Gene we knew would never in a gazillion years choose this.  Then again, spots on a leopard can't be changed, eh?

I was fine with the new actor as Jeffie.  I think part of Gene's motivation was to take a menacing piece of trash like him down to a simpering shell of himself.  That first scene in Marion's house showed us that angry guy who was not gonna take Saul's crap.  After some humiliating "practices,"  coach Gene got him to realize just what a weakling weasel he really is.  "We're done." was Jeffie swallowing all vestige of pride.  The actor sold me that Jeffie would react as he did.

A smallish thing, but a detail I treasure, was that the "snowbank" Gene built on the sidewalk to "trap" Marion showed absolutely zero evidence that it had been freshly assembled.  It sat perfectly as though it had been there all along.  Marion had a sharp eye for detail.  She totally missed  the construct.  Or did she?  ;)

I do not see how Gene gets out of his new buddy buddy relationships at the mall, unless he plans on quitting Cinnabon.  If he stops visiting, he will only bring suspicion from resentful security.  Oh, the discussion of the '95 Big Red football team and Tommie Frazier was no exaggeration.  That team was the best I've ever seen, and I covered college football for a living back then.  Frazier was a wonder.

I can suspend disbelief that Gene's Cinnabon is the last store to lock up, but the darker night time lighting kicking in at 9:00 PM?   There are never any stores that, for example, do some setup after hours to prepare for a sale?  Also, if I were the young ladies, I would not be thrilled about always being stuck when any and all of their mall friends have been freed.  Not to mention the inherent dangers of walking unescorted to their cars in relative darkness.

Was there a special significance to the flicking to the open hands (Magic!) by Gene when he looked into the mirror immediately after he realized his con worked even with the major vamping he had to do?  Did Saul use that gesture in BB?

I loved the split screen action montage with the Lalo Schifrin music.  It does not get more 60s than that!  Hmmm.  Lalo?  Where have I seen that name recently?

More later.  

I do want to say I would be perfectly content if this had been the final ep.  G&G answered the core issue of Jimmy's humanity/nature.  Kim's too, for that matter.  

Edited July 26, 2022 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Cinnabon]

10 minutes ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Also, if I were the young ladies, I would not be thrilled about always being stuck when any and all of their mall friends have been freed.  Not to mention the inherent dangers of walking unescorted to their cars in relative darkness.

No need for concern; we women can handle this just as well as men can.

I also loved the 60s music. That segment was perfect.
 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Cinnabon

[JudyObscure]

3 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

I also continue to like how we see that he is legitimately good at his job as a Cinnabon manager.  It's kind of similar to how Gus seem to really be an excellent manager as well at Los Pollos Hermanos.  Both of them are clearly capable at being legit... you know, if it was for the whole criminal aspects of their lives...

It makes me so sad.  Gus is the perfect small local businessman, running a clean family restaurant and serving as a mentor to his young employees.  Jimmy was absolutely perfect at elder law, patient with their slowness, understanding their interests, best Bingo caller ever.  Why?

And I kept asking that why, during this episode when it seemed like so much energy for the small payoff of some designer clothes.  That was before I understood the need to have federal charges hanging over Jeff's head.  Once again I muttered to myself, "No one ever called Jimmy lazy." Maybe working that scheme was the first time Gene felt alive since he got there.  

[EtheltoTillie]

I thought the danger to Jimmy/Gene is from cartel retribution, not from law enforcement.  Can anyone clarify?  

[ShadowFacts]

18 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I thought the danger to Jimmy/Gene is from cartel retribution, not from law enforcement.  Can anyone clarify?  

The way his tacky home was being dismantled looks like the government's hand.  He probably has fears about both.

[nodorothyparker]

The more I think about this episode, the more I wonder exactly how long it's been since the end of Breaking Bad. Carol Burnett's character alluded to Jeffy getting into some trouble in Albuquerque in a way that suggested to me he might have been to jail there and then moved back home to his mother's in the same way that Chuck moved Jimmy to Albuquerque after the Chicago sunroof incident. Maybe a couple of years? It's obviously still recent enough that Jeffy could recognize Saul even in the very unassuming Gene guise. 

As always with this show, I try to reserve judgement on how much something matters or whether it was worth the amount of time spent on it until I see how it plays out. Sure, right now it feels a little self indulgent to spend an entire episode on Gene's long con even if it's the longest we've ever spent with this version of Jimmy/Saul/Gene up to this point, especially with only three episodes to go. But how many of us thought the amount of time spent on the building of the superlab was self-indulgent fan service until we saw it figure into the final fate of two characters? So I'll wait and see. Again, what really struck me about this episode was the amount of effort Gene was putting into this con, which both suggested just how devoid his Omaha life is of anything to really engage him and perhaps that part of himself waking up again after however long dutifully making Cinnabon and taking out the trash before going home to an empty house to watch old commercials of himself. There were points you could really see how fully caught up he was in planning out every exacting detail of the con, compared to how timid and drawn all of our early looks at Gene's life since BB have been.

[Lalo Lives]

ETA

etc.?

I’m confused about the use of ETA.

I’ve seen it used a number of times on this forum.

Is it supposed to mean something like what the web slang dictionary says:

”edited to add?”

Or is it something else?

Old guy voice:  ‘Back in MY day….’ it meant, or rather E.T.A. meant, estimated time of arrival. So it can’t be that.

What does it, ETA, mean or indicate?

Seeing how it is used on this forum it cannot be the same as etc.

Please help an oldster.

[EtheltoTillie]

7 minutes ago, Lalo Lives said:

ETA

etc.?

I’m confused about the use of ETA.

I’ve seen it used a number of times on this forum.

Is it supposed to mean something like what the web slang dictionary says:

”edited to add?”

Or is it something else?

Old guy voice:  ‘Back in MY day….’ it meant, or rather E.T.A. meant, estimated time of arrival. So it can’t be that.

What does it, ETA, mean or indicate?

Seeing how it is used on this forum it cannot be the same as etc.

Please help an oldster.

In this forum it’s edited to add. 

38 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

The way his tacky home was being dismantled looks like the government's hand.  He probably has fears about both.

Thanks for that reminder. Makes sense. 

[Chaos Theory]

I know people want to see Saul Goodman again but everyone complaining we are getting nothing new with Gene what exactly can we get new with Saul?   We saw how he started his criminal law.    Maybe watch him take on a few cases as Saul Goodman but how much fun could that be?  The only reason to do that would be pure nostalgia or maybe have him make one last attempt to get Kim Back or possibly after a really bad day walk into his office and walk past Walt and Jessie.   But that is an episode tops.   The real story is can Jimmy repent and be something else as Gene?  Even with a fake friend in the security guard and Carol Burnett which he can turn into the real thing will he go back to being Slippin Jimmy because that is who he truly is? 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[Lalo Lives]

EtheltoTillie,

Thank you for clearing up the ETA thing.

[suzeecat]

9 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Saul got Jeff to commit both federal and state crimes.  He's basically telling Jeff that if he is caught for any crimes of Saul, Jimmy or Gene, he's going to take Jeff with him.  Now he doesn't have to wait and wonder if Jeff will go to the cops. Jeff is sufficiently trapped that he can't go to the cops. (Although I bet he could probably get immunity if he played his cards correctly.)

Also, Gene reeled Jeff in with his potentially menacing relationship with Jeff's mom, a very "cartel" thing to do (the way they threatened Nacho re his dad and Mike with his DIL and granddaughter). 

Hey, did anyone else jump when they heard Hector's wheelchair bell when the kitchen timer went off?  Nice touch!

As for Marion recognizing Gene as Saul, Saul was more of a local ABQ celebrity that Jeff recognized from his time in ABQ.  Chances are quite slim Marion would've seen the "Better Call Saul" late-nite commercials in Omaha. 

[JudyObscure]

17 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

 Even with a fake friend in the security guard and Carol Burnett which he can turn into the real thing will he go back to being Slippin Jimmy because that is who he truly is? 

I don't think he will ever go see Carol Burnett again after the, "We're done," moment with her son and he has nothing at all in common with the security guard, he wouldn't want to have to study the sporting news every day to keep pretending he's a fan -- I personally thought that was the hardest part of the scam.  It's time he found a better, more interesting job.  Getting hired without references should be an easy trick for Jimmy.

[jww]

What is going to happen when the two get busted when they attempt to fence the merchandise?  And if they are able to fence the suits how happy will they be to get $.10 on the dollar?  Would a mall departement store be selling  top self designer suits?  Texas last played Nebraska on 10/16/10, Texas won 20-13. They have only played 14 times in 80+ years as they have always been in different conferences.

[Constantinople]

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

The more I think about this episode, the more I wonder exactly how long it's been since the end of Breaking Bad.

Texas beat Nebraska on October 16, 2010

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska–Texas_football_rivalry

Quote

You know, Texas wasn't even ranked - Frank the Security Guard

According to the timeline on Breaking Bad Wiki, Breaking Bad ended in early September 2010, though I don't know how they calculated it (off of Walt's birthday?)

https://breakingbad.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline

Edited July 26, 2022 by Constantinople

[PeterPirate]

2 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

I do want to say I would be perfectly content if this had been the final ep.  G&G answered the core issue of Jimmy's humanity/nature.  Kim's too, for that matter.  

There's still the phone call to be dealt with.  I like to think they will re-unite but as reformed characters.  

[peeayebee]

9 hours ago, Dev F said:

And the Gene in this new episode was emphatically not the same Gene from those earlier scenes, nor the Gene who impulsively shouted at the shoplifter, "Get a lawyer!" As suggested by the scenes of him methodically navigating the trash room day after day, this is a Gene who's starting to come to terms with both his timidity and his impulsivity. He plans an elaborate scheme that involves the sort of patience and precise timing that Jimmy frequently seemed incapable of, much to the chagrin of more tooth-achingly precise characters like Chuck or Mike.

Didn't Jimmy do a methodical scheme in setting up Howard? Of course he did it with Kim, but he played a major role there. I don't see how he's more controlled as Gene than he was back then.

2 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Was there a special significance to the flicking to the open hands (Magic!) by Gene when he looked into the mirror immediately after he realized his con worked even with the major vamping he had to do?  Did Saul use that gesture in BB?

I believe Jimmy at some point did that and said, "It's show time."

[anoninrva]

7 hours ago, OutOfTheQuestion said:

I had no idea what to expect from tonight's episode, and now have no idea what to expect from the remaining three episodes.  Is it possible the writers will make the bold choice to just stick in the Gene-verse from now on, skipping over the entirety of Breaking Bad?  (With the logic of "we've already seen Saul as SAUL" on that show?)

I also thought Carol Burnett was going to reveal she knew JMSGGT's identity, maybe that's another twist still to come if the remaining episodes are all in Omaha?

I had a similar fear - it seems like Saul just snaps into place after Kim left last episode - but it still feels like there are arcs to resolve with Gus and Mike.

[PeterPirate]

10 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

Texas beat Nebraska on October 16, 2010

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska–Texas_football_rivalry

According to the timeline on Breaking Bad Wiki, Breaking Bad ended in early September 2010, though I don't know how they calculated it (off of Walt's birthday?)

https://breakingbad.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline

Interesting.  Walt and Saul disappeared in March 2010.  Jimmy's birthday is November 12, so Francesca still hasn't taken that phone call.  

[peeayebee]

In this interview with the ep's writer, the interviewer says:

Quote

In 201, the mall janitor was listening to the Rich Eisen Show from Oct. 21, 2010, and in 610, Jim O’Heir’s character referenced a college football game from the night before, which was Oct. 16, 2010’s Texas vs. Nebraska matchup. This detail reaffirms that we’ve been following Gene roughly five weeks after Walter White’s M60 massacre on Sept. 7, 2010. Will we eventually learn why you’ve kept Gene within arm’s reach of Breaking Bad’s conclusion?

[anoninrva]

18 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

Texas beat Nebraska on October 16, 2010

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska–Texas_football_rivalry

According to the timeline on Breaking Bad Wiki, Breaking Bad ended in early September 2010, though I don't know how they calculated it (off of Walt's birthday?)

https://breakingbad.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline

Walt has birthday bacon right before the nazi massacre, doesn't he?  He and Saul started the vacuum protection plan at the same time, and Walt had been in for a few weeks before he went back, so the Gene scenes could be happening concurrently.  I think your times add up.

[Ellaria]

Regarding the timeline, this is from Alan Sepinwall’s episode review for Rolling Stone:

”Saul Goodman met Walter White in 2008, and the entire plot of Breaking Bad spanned roughly two years. One of the few clues about the Gene timeline was that we saw that his car registration was good through 2012. This episode may have gotten more specific, as Frank goes on and on about Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini (who was the Cornhuskers’ head man from late 2007 through late 2014) and refers to Taylor Martinez, who was the Nebraska quarterback from 2010-2013. There are also references to Nebraska playing Texas and Oklahoma State, which they last did with that group in 2010. That means that Gene has been managing the Cinnabon for less than a year when we caught up to him in the Saul series premiere.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-recaps/better-call-saul-recap-nippy-black-white-1386524/

I’m surprised that the events of this episode are so close to the end of Breaking Bad. I imagined that Gene had been on his own much longer, years rather than months. 

[SimplexFish]

It never showed Saul getting the black book from the Veterinarian, I hope that still comes up

[peeayebee]

14 minutes ago, Ellaria Sand said:

I’m surprised that the events of this episode are so close to the end of Breaking Bad. I imagined that Gene had been on his own much longer, years rather than months. 

Right. Seems everyone just assumed that lots of time had passed, but it is more interesting and dramatic that it's actually such a short period of time. And Breaking Bad took place only for 2 years?! That's wild.

[ahmerali]

29 minutes ago, SimplexFish said:

It never showed Saul getting the black book from the Veterinarian, I hope that still comes up

Actually they did towards the beginning of Season 6, he and Kim looked at the coded book briefly.

[Constantinople]

44 minutes ago, Ellaria Sand said:

I’m surprised that the events of this episode are so close to the end of Breaking Bad. I imagined that Gene had been on his own much longer, years rather than months. 

Think how Lyle would feel. He's been an assistant manager of a fast food restaurant for how long? And "Gene" goes from regular employee at Cinnabon to manager in a few months.

[Ellaria]

18 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Right. Seems everyone just assumed that lots of time had passed, but it is more interesting and dramatic that it's actually such a short period of time. And Breaking Bad took place only for 2 years?! That's wild.

Agree. it is much more dramatic knowing that Jimmy is less than 12 months into his lonely existence as Gene. My wild (and usually incorrect) guess is that he will continue to embrace his Saul/Slippin' Jimmy ways. His cover has already been blown, even if its only Jeff. He knows what he has to lose and may not care. What is his life now anyway?

[Cinnabon]

12 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Didn't like this episode and it reminded me of a very poor, wannabe knockoff of Fargo.   

Jimmy. Saul. Gene.  Doesn't matter what you call him, he's a turd.  I hope Carol Burnett isn't wasted and she fucks him up.

I'm just glad the fat security guard didn't keel over and die from eating the Cinnabons.  

It’s an homage/callback to the 2013 movie “Nebraska,” which predates the Fargo tv series. The movie was also shot in black and white and has some similar themes to BCS. What do you expect Carol Burnett to do and why?

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/nebraska-2013