Better Call Saul takes a black and white detour back to Omaha that grants Gene Takovic his first big heist.
The following article contains spoilers for Better Call Saul season 6.
It’s practically a given that even the greatest shows out will have filler episodes, yet Better Call Saul continues to prove its worth by delivering a black and white adventure that sees Gene Takovic channel back his inner Jimmy McGill or Saul Goodman as he tries to get his con game back to take care of rather urgent business.
That is because “Nitty” sees Gene do exactly what he told Ed Galbraith a while ago, as the protagonist revives his former personas to get rid of his nosy cab driver problem with a scheme that’s only missing Kim for it to be like any other in Better Call Saul. Speaking of which, as many fans have theorized, episode 10 is the first in season 6 with a single-word title, hinting perhaps that the two-word combinations were perhaps a nod to Kim’s presence, who’s now gone for good (apparently).
RELATED: Better Call Saul: 10 Best Saul Quotes
Overall, “Nitty” is a heist episode, an Omaha mall heist with a much smaller loot than what Jimmy may have been used to in his former life, one planned from a Cinnabon instead of his old apartment or gaudy office, but a heist nonetheless. The initial setup involves Jeff the taxi driver’s mother, Marion (played by Carol Burnett), who Gene tracks down to offer some help after obstructing her way back home and carefully painting himself as an innocent old man looking for his dog, all quite normal given Jimmy's quite comfortable around elderly folks.
This gets him an invitation back to her house, where he ends up staying for dinner and sitting in front of his newfound threat who now seems less menacing than he did at first, something Saul picks up on right away as he devises a master plan to get him off his back. Whether this trail will come back to bite him remains to be seen, and it bears saying that Gene is still a very paranoid individual who’s constantly watching his back, even tuning in to police radio broadcasts.
Once Saul puts on his signature pinky ring, it’s on because then the episode really gets the ball rolling with some Ocean’s Eleven type of transitions thrown in to drive home the idea that this is a heist. His first approach toward the mall’s security is not quite Slippin’ Jimmy at his best, nevertheless, like anything who’s mastered their craft Gene has no problem entering Saul Goodman's levels of flow.
Instead of the lonely and defeated Gene Takovic, throughout these few minutes, fans get to see the Jimmy that thrived on hustling, the very thrill he and Kim gave one another that ultimately caused her to bail on the relationship. As it turns out Gene can be just as charming as Jimmy, learning the ins and outs of the college football scene in Nebraska to get closer to the mall’s security guards, but especially to Frank whose plump figure reveals a sweet tooth and a particular fondness for cinnamon rolls.
Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have always featured plenty of heists, however, this episode tackles that theme with a renovated approach that’s largely distinguished by its colorless world. 3 minutes is all Jeff has to steal some pricey items from a department store, and Gene sure drives home that idea even recurring to the familiar story of a once broke chemistry teacher turned millionaire.
Execution is an entirely different matter, and it turns out Jeff’s time in the Albuquerque crime scene was not the best school as he’s still visibly nervous when carrying out the plan. An unfortunate slip ensures this “Nitty” is not tension free as Gene has to fake a nervous breakdown with Frank to save Jeff from being seen in the security cameras, yet that very moment is what leaves Jimmy’s true emotional state to be seen by the audience.
If Saul Goodman was a facade created to hide the pain left in Jimmy by his brother’s death and Kim leaving him, then Gene has to carry that burden along with the yearning for Saul’s life, a hollow existence but one that, at least in materialistic terms, certainly gave him a good life. The last scene of Gene putting together a flashy shirt and tie combination is evidence of this.
Better Call Saul’s latest heist proves to be a success, though not quite for Jeff and his friend, who now have a valid reason not to ever snitch on Gene/Saul as they are now accomplices to a surprisingly long list of crimes. “Nitty” resets the show all the way back to the future, although the show is not the same without Better Call Saul's new characters and this entry will make some wonder if the black and white veneer in Gene's life will finally come off, beyond another Breaking Bad flashback for Walt and Jesse.
MORE: Stray Makes the Best use of the DualSense on PS5
Raul is an attorney and writer with a fervent passion for all things culture, gaming, tech, finance, and languages. He firmly believes Marvel's Saturday morning cartoons led him to Game Rant. Find him on Twitter @RaulTweet