hdtv00

"throw me off as much as the outdoor scenes in the "Nebraska winter" did. That may have been snow but clearly wasn't winter since all the trees still had a full canopy of leaves."

Could've been Oct and an early dusting of snow. Some tree's did have missing leaves.

maxfisher

I'm still chewing on this episode and trying to figure out what I thought of it. While I was watching, the heist seemed absurd to me. As in, it felt like the show was being intentionally farcical. I mean, it was a shitty, risky, overly complicated plan, all for some clothes, which have to be close to the bottom of the list in terms of what fences are looking to move. I guess I can buy the two dipshits being taken in and I know there have been some pretty stupid burglaries in real life, but it all just felt well below Gene/Saul/Jimmy. Surely there were ways for him to put the two dumbasses on the hook for a major crime that would be both simpler and have less a chance of failure. I guess maybe the intent was to show that Gene/Saul/Jimmy has lost his mojo, but it sure felt like the 'show's' position was that he'd orchestrated and pulled off a pretty clever plan and I just didn't buy it at all. Honestly, I think this was the first episode of BB or BCS that I finished and thought that it was kind of dumb. Hopefully it bounces back next week, as I think the show's rarely been less than brilliant before this week's episode.

New Lurker

Ehhh I get it tho. It was dumb, but it was also minor and in the wheelhouse of things Gene could control without raising flags or bringing too much attention. He mapped out the security routine and had it down to a science. He's just sitting there BSing about football. Jeff does all the risky stuff. Yes Gene goes down if Jeff gets caught, but Gene was pretty sure he could control security if anything came up. And he did.

What else could he really get them into where flags wouldn't raise? He can't get in on the real game in Nebraska or he loses his cover. He came up with a dumb but controllable plan to fool some small time yokels into thinking they were in the game. It wasn't brilliant. But it was effective and fit the story.

Bill Needle

The episode was worth watching for that line alone.

Bill Needle

Based on the college football talk this episode took place in October 2010.

bunkaroo

I have to imagine this episode is going to have a payoff. We didn’t need a full episode just to show us Jimmy still has it. Somehow this is going to expose him I think.

Neil M.

Maybe his public defender will be....Kim!!!

windom

It's been so long since I watched Breaking Bad that I can't remember what Saul is actually wanted for. Was it just laundering money for Walt and Jessie?

Josh-da-man

I wonder if that was a paid promotion, because they really made Cinnabons look repulsive.

DJariya

I just finished this. It was interesting seeing more of present day "Gene" to an extent and his exploits. But, honestly for me, I thought this episode was kind of boring and a little of slog to get through.

Decker

It was definitely a different change of pace episode, but I did like getting to spend some time with Gene and see how Jimmy can still pull off an elaborate scheme if he's motivated enough. The crime was stupid and risky, but the payoff was pretty smart.
Agree that the recast was a big whiff. Will be interesting to listen to the Insider Podcast of this one and hear what they were thinking.
Now to see if Alan liked it....

Dan

Obviously not intentional* but i saw a comment elsewhere that the recasting actually works pretty well if you think of it from Jimmy's changed perspective between the scenes.

In the earlier clips (in the cab, and then being approached by the guy in the mail, making him say the slogan) Jimmy is far more paranoid and defensive... He perceives the cab driver as a threat to his safety... He's intimidated by him, and thinks he was a guy who was sent to find him.

But instead, in Nippy, Jimmy sees that the guy is actually just kind of a doofus. Turns out he's not a real threat at all, and wasn't sent by anyone more nefarious to track him down.
So in that regard, the recasting kind of works... because Jeffie is NOT the tough guy he seemed to be before. He's just a dork that Jimmy can take advantage of.
​​​​​
it's reaching, sure, but I like it

*or was it????

Josh-da-man

I suspect that since the original actor only appeared in one scene in the previous season that they didn't have under contract and he was unavailable for his larger appearance this season when it came time to film it.

Game of Thrones had a similar issue where minor characters were frequently recast (Dickon Tarly, The Mountain, Beric Dondarrian, Rickard Karstark).

Jason

It almost looked like infrared photography for a minute, which would have been a very interesting artistic choice.

Jason

I don't think we're done with this storyline.

On the surface it looks like Saul got one over on the cabbie, but I think there's more to Carol Burnett's character than meets the eye. She's not fooled by Gene's act. This episode may seem anticlimactic and out of place, but when it's all over it's going to all fit together.

Decker

That's almost exactly what Alan Sepinwall said in his recap. There's no contractual obligation to return and commitments were made presumably with We Own The City.
I get it. It's a bummer though - - for a show with so many returnees from two different series, having our first recasting, especially in a pivotal role, and so close to the finish line, is a major bummer. Compiled by the fact that the new actor has a totally different vibe.
That's a really interesting take. Alan (and I) felt that this episode was a tidy bow on the Gene character. Never occurred to me that there's more story to tell there. But who knows? I wouldn't mind more Carol Burnett, she was great.

windom

I think you're forgetting Kaylee.

Decker

Kaylee never counts!

Jason

And it could be the end of it. The best part of these shows (Saul and BB) is they kept you guessing right up till the very end. The only thing that would disappoint me would be going through the next episodes only to have Jeff come to the Cinamon out of nowhere and shoot Gene. That would be a cheap shot (no pun intended).

And it would be a shame to not have any more Carol Burnett, as she was great in this episode.

devilshalo

I think it establishes that Jimmy is still known as Saul by some people and not just as Gene in Nebraska. And since this is the Gene timeline, I have a feeling (and this is pure speculation) that during Walt's trip from New Hampshire back to New Mexico, he might have made a detour to Nebraska.

uteotw

Yeah this, exactly. Other than showing he can't really change, this was awfully boring and I could not fast forward through all those chewing scenes fast enough. Just frustrating with so few eps left.

Coral

But the Gene timeline takes place long after Walt's death. It looks like Gene's been established in Nebraska for a while, and Walt was only in NH for a few months.

devilshalo

Not saying it couldn't have happened while Jimmy was getting settled in as Gene. Jimmy went to Nebraska before Walt went to New Hampshire and maybe one of the other things Walt bought from Gilbraith was info on Jimmy's new identity and location. Walt was looking to tie up loose ends at that point, maybe he figured Saul was one of them? Just trying to think how Walt and Jesse would fit into the story.

It's not known if Walt and Jesse are appearing in this together or as individuals.

jpcamb

Well, Jeff was from Albuquerque and recognized Saul from the TV ads in Albuquerque, so it was not part of his identity in Nebraska, just that his cover was blown by someone that he crossed paths with. He was on the run and his cover was blown but he decided to create a way he could stay by framing Jeff for the interstate crimes.

I suspect we get at least one if not all remaining full-color episodes that take place in the pre-BB timeline for the finale and we see him meet Walt / Jessee

Bill Needle

Based on some timeline checking, Walt is dead during the time of this episode, but only for a month or so. Also, "Gene" has only been in Omaha for about 6-7 months.