In “Nippy”, we see the events of “Smokes”. Saul (now Gene Takovic) suffers a heart attack while working at the Cinnabon store in the Cottonwood Mall. He is rushed to the hospital. But when he is brought back, the cabbie (whom we see in this episode as well), recognizes him as Saul from the billboards. He attempts to meet with him at the mall the next day and the police even get involved.
Jeff is the only one who can see that Gene is not human. Jeff has to figure out how to deal with this and figure out what he wants from life.
Jeff is introduced to Gene, the man who visited his house unannounced. Gene offers Jeff the opportunity to wash his hands in dirty money in return for keeping his mouth shut. This is a payback for Jeff’s silence and leverage over him if he chooses to do otherwise.
Gene: Hey Nic, how’s it going? Nic: It’s good, how are you? Gene: I’m good. Just wanted to stop by and say bye. I’m leaving the mall. Nic: Okay, have a good day. ..
Frank, the older one, called out from the inside and Gene entered the room. He offered them the buns as a gesture of goodwill for calling the medics for him that day. It was really just a ruse for his plan, but they had no idea: he was so good at doing this. Nic left and Frank sat down with Gene. Frank’s back was to the screens - while he ate the bun, that is the play. Gene surreptitiously timed him eating the bun, which came about 3 minutes. Gene’s confidence and camaraderie with Frank grew over the next few days as he repeated the cycle for days to come. He was regular like clockwork in order to ensure there were no surprises come the day of his plan. ..
He walks around the store, taking in the different items on display and noting down the details of their design. This will help him to create a mental image of what he wants to buy and make sure that he doesn’t miss any important deals.
Rick wheeled a consignment into the loading dock behind the store. That crate had Jeff in it. Kathy, the manager of the departmental store, immediately called the supervisor to confirm the shipment. Gene picked up and he was off with his gift of the gab. The smooth-talking lawyer got himself “in” this one quite easily (the irony is intended). ..
Jeff is waiting for Gene’s mark when he sees the slip on the floor. This makes things interesting because Gene knows about the rhyme and he goes up to Frank to talk about it. Jeff is respectful of the rhyme and it goes smoothly.
Until the very last part where he slips on the mark and falls on the floor, unconscious. Frank’s bun is almost finished and he is about to turn. Cue: sobbing. Gene shows his flair at deceiving others by giving an almost convincing glimpse of his made-up (and party real) existential crisis. He has no one (he literally doesn’t) and feels worthless. But as Jeff starts to get up slowly, Gene begins to get more hopeful and shameful of his confession. Frank doesn’t mind, himself a satisfied and happy family man. He in fact looks at him with pity. Jeff is able to get up again, plough the loot in the crate, and hide in the bathroom
Rick and Marion go to the store and the store won’t know about the theft until they do inventory next. Rick and Marion celebrate but Gene warns them never to contact him again. He has “paid his dues” and is now in a new reality.
The Episode Review
The first emotion I felt upon finishing the episode was pity. I mean, is it really the same Saul Goodman we cheered for to overcome difficult circumstances? I do not even recognize this man – I am not sure he does either. Gilligan and co. play around with this irony for quite a while in the episode.
Gene has seen himself in a mirror many times, but the most memorable one was when he saw himself as a criminal. He enjoyed the con and felt no guilt because it was for his own gain. The man who sees himself in a mirror is different from the man who sees society as an enemy. The man who enjoys the con is more likely to be successful than the man who feels guilty.
The first episode of “The 100” is a surprise that builds on a theme from the show. The perception of the world around the characters is constantly changing, and this is brought out in fleeting moments that you must pay attention to.
These finer details, like the ten fingers Gene holds up when he dupes Kathy, are what make the show great. I have kept saying how finely tuned Gilligan’s sense of observation is. It is his insight into the universe he has so painstakingly made that there are no corners hidden for him. He knows every inch of that world and knows where to pull our eyes. His neat presentation has remained consistent from the Breaking Bad days. But he has elevated it even further in Better Call Saul.
