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"Nippy" is the third ''[[Better Call Saul]]'' episode to be directed by [[Michelle MacLaren]] after the [[Better Call Saul (season 1)|first season]]'s "[[Mijo (Better Call Saul)|Mijo]]" and [[Better Call Saul (season 4)|fourth season]]'s "[[Breathe (Better Call Saul)|Breathe]]".<ref name="THRMacLaren">{{Cite web |last=Fienberg |first=Daniel |date=July 26, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Director Michelle MacLaren on 'Icon' Carol Burnett and Visiting Gene From Omaha |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-nippy-michelle-maclaren-interview-1235185972/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727040254/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-nippy-michelle-maclaren-interview-1235185972/ |archive-date=July 27, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> It was written by executive producer Alison Tatlock. [[Bob Odenkirk]], who plays Jimmy, is the only actor listed in the starring credits.<ref name="THRTatlock">{{Cite web |last=Davids |first=Brian |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Writer-EP Alison Tatlock Discusses Going Back to the Post-''Breaking Bad'' Future |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-interview-1235186002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726170344/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-interview-1235186002/ |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> The cab driver Jeff, who had previously been portrayed by [[Don Harvey (actor, born 1960)|Don Harvey]], was recast to [[Pat Healy (actor)|Pat Healy]] due to a work conflict by Harvey.<ref name="EWSnierson">{{Cite web |last=Snierson |first=Dan |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' producer breaks down Gene's 'dangerous' move in 'Nippy' |url=https://ew.com/tv/better-call-saul-producer-on-gene-dangerous-move-nippy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726180208/https://ew.com/tv/better-call-saul-producer-on-gene-dangerous-move-nippy/ |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> Healy had originally auditioned for the role of Jeff during the production of the [[Better Call Saul (season 4)|fourth season]] in March 2018, but was not hired. He was notified of Harvey's departure after he finished shooting his scenes for [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[Killers of the Flower Moon (film)|Killers of the Flower Moon]]''. Healy emphasized that the recast was not due to Odenkirk's heart attack during [[Point_and_Shoot_(Better_Call_Saul)#Production|the production of a previous episode in the sixth season]], as he was cast before that.{{r|BCS Podcast|p=11:07–14:34}} [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] released several teasers to inform viewers of Jeff's recast weeks prior to the episode's airing. The promotional material featured clips of Healy in the role along with lines of Jeff's character from previous seasons that Healy had rerecorded in a sound booth in Los Angeles.<ref name="BCS Podcast">{{Cite podcast |url=http://movietouch.sony.com.edgesuite.net/podcasts/better_call_saul_v1/610_PODCAST_FINAL.mp3 |title=610 ''Better Call Saul'' Insider |publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] |
"Nippy" is the third ''[[Better Call Saul]]'' episode to be directed by [[Michelle MacLaren]] after the [[Better Call Saul (season 1)|first season]]'s "[[Mijo (Better Call Saul)|Mijo]]" and [[Better Call Saul (season 4)|fourth season]]'s "[[Breathe (Better Call Saul)|Breathe]]".<ref name="THRMacLaren">{{Cite web |last=Fienberg |first=Daniel |date=July 26, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Director Michelle MacLaren on 'Icon' Carol Burnett and Visiting Gene From Omaha |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-nippy-michelle-maclaren-interview-1235185972/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727040254/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-nippy-michelle-maclaren-interview-1235185972/ |archive-date=July 27, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> It was written by executive producer Alison Tatlock. [[Bob Odenkirk]], who plays Jimmy, is the only actor listed in the starring credits.<ref name="THRTatlock">{{Cite web |last=Davids |first=Brian |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Writer-EP Alison Tatlock Discusses Going Back to the Post-''Breaking Bad'' Future |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-interview-1235186002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726170344/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-interview-1235186002/ |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> The cab driver Jeff, who had previously been portrayed by [[Don Harvey (actor, born 1960)|Don Harvey]], was recast to [[Pat Healy (actor)|Pat Healy]] due to a work conflict by Harvey.<ref name="EWSnierson">{{Cite web |last=Snierson |first=Dan |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' producer breaks down Gene's 'dangerous' move in 'Nippy' |url=https://ew.com/tv/better-call-saul-producer-on-gene-dangerous-move-nippy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726180208/https://ew.com/tv/better-call-saul-producer-on-gene-dangerous-move-nippy/ |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> Healy had originally auditioned for the role of Jeff during the production of the [[Better Call Saul (season 4)|fourth season]] in March 2018, but was not hired. He was notified of Harvey's departure after he finished shooting his scenes for [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[Killers of the Flower Moon (film)|Killers of the Flower Moon]]''. Healy emphasized that the recast was not due to Odenkirk's heart attack during [[Point_and_Shoot_(Better_Call_Saul)#Production|the production of a previous episode in the sixth season]], as he was cast before that.{{r|BCS Podcast|p=11:07–14:34}} [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] released several teasers to inform viewers of Jeff's recast weeks prior to the episode's airing. The promotional material featured clips of Healy in the role along with lines of Jeff's character from previous seasons that Healy had rerecorded in a sound booth in Los Angeles.<ref name="BCS Podcast">{{Cite podcast |url=http://movietouch.sony.com.edgesuite.net/podcasts/better_call_saul_v1/610_PODCAST_FINAL.mp3 |title=610 ''Better Call Saul'' Insider |publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] |last2=Dixon |first2=Kelley |last3=Gould |first3=Peter |last4=Healy |first4=Pat |last5=MacLaren |first5=Michelle |date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730193813/http://movietouch.sony.com.edgesuite.net/podcasts/better_call_saul_v1/610_PODCAST_FINAL.mp3 |archive-date=July 30, 2022 |url-status=live |last1=McCaleb |first1=Chris |author-link1=Chris McCaleb |author-link3=Peter Gould |author-link4=Pat Healy (actor) |author-link5=Michelle MacLaren |last6=Tatlock |first6=Alison |last7=Palmer |first7=Phillip W.}}</ref>{{rp|4:46–5:01}} [[Carol Burnett]], who played Jeff's mother Marion, was the episode's "special guest star". She was a fan of both ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' and ''Better Call Saul'', and had appeared on ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'' with Odenkirk, but the two did not share any scenes in that series.<ref name="RollingStoneReview">{{Cite web |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Sepinwall |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Recap: Gene Takovic and the Great Cinnabon Heist |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-recaps/better-call-saul-recap-nippy-black-white-1386524/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726021956/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-recaps/better-call-saul-recap-nippy-black-white-1386524/ |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref><ref name="EWSnierson" /> |
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"Nippy" was filmed in October 2021.<ref>{{ |
"Nippy" was filmed in October 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 15, 2021 |title=10/11/21 – Michelle MacLaren directing, episode 10 |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CVEwD1VLJ-j/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730193816/https://www.instagram.com/p/CVEwD1VLJ-j/ |archive-date=July 30, 2022 |access-date=July 29, 2022 |via=[[Instagram]]}}</ref> Though the story takes place in Omaha, Nebraska, the mall scenes were shot at the [[Cottonwood Mall (Albuquerque, New Mexico)|Cottonwood Mall]] in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The department store where the heist takes place was an empty space in the mall. The production designer and art department built the interior and every item in the store was created, purchased, or brought in.<ref name="EWSnierson" /> The first scene that Healy filmed for the episode was Jeff's nervous exit from the store bathroom. MacLaren jokingly directed Healy in that scene to "walk like you've got [[hemorrhoid]]s." Healy said filming the heist scene, which sometimes meant he had to run for ten hours in a day, was exhausting. MacLaren described the work as both complicated and joyous,{{r|BCS Podcast|p=15:34–19:20}} praising Burnett for striking a balance between comedy and drama in her performance. She said of the heist scene, "when we were shooting it, I turned to everybody as I was practically falling out of my chair because I was laughing so hard."<ref name="THRMacLaren" /> |
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"Nippy" marks a number of firsts for ''Better Call Saul''. It is the first episode set entirely after ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' and the first to take place entirely in Gene's black-and-white timeline,<ref name="THRTatlock" /> an idea co-creator [[Peter Gould]] mentioned in February 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Topel |first=Fred |date=February 19, 2020 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Showrunner Peter Gould on Season 5 Flashforwards, ''Breaking Bad'' Cameos, and the Looming Ending [Interview] |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/better-call-saul-showrunner-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200420153939/https://www.slashfilm.com/better-call-saul-showrunner-interview/ |archive-date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2022 |website=[[/Film]]}}</ref> It is also the first of the [[Better Call Saul (season 6)|sixth season]] to not follow the "X and Y" naming scheme, and marked a change in the title credits. Traditionally, the title credits of each season's tenth episode featured Saul Goodman's "World's Greatest Lawyer" mug falling off his desk and shattering on the floor. However, in this episode, the title image prematurely stops and is replaced by a blue screen, recreating the effects of a home video recording on a [[VCR]]. The music piece "Jim on the Move" by [[Lalo Schifrin]], from the 1966 television series ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'', is included in the episode's score.<ref name="RollingStoneReview" /> Editing was completed by [[Chris McCaleb]] and Joey Liew.{{r|BCS Podcast|p=19:20–20:14}} |
"Nippy" marks a number of firsts for ''Better Call Saul''. It is the first episode set entirely after ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' and the first to take place entirely in Gene's black-and-white timeline,<ref name="THRTatlock" /> an idea co-creator [[Peter Gould]] mentioned in February 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Topel |first=Fred |date=February 19, 2020 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Showrunner Peter Gould on Season 5 Flashforwards, ''Breaking Bad'' Cameos, and the Looming Ending [Interview] |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/better-call-saul-showrunner-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200420153939/https://www.slashfilm.com/better-call-saul-showrunner-interview/ |archive-date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2022 |website=[[/Film]]}}</ref> It is also the first of the [[Better Call Saul (season 6)|sixth season]] to not follow the "X and Y" naming scheme, and marked a change in the title credits. Traditionally, the title credits of each season's tenth episode featured Saul Goodman's "World's Greatest Lawyer" mug falling off his desk and shattering on the floor. However, in this episode, the title image prematurely stops and is replaced by a blue screen, recreating the effects of a home video recording on a [[VCR]]. The music piece "Jim on the Move" by [[Lalo Schifrin]], from the 1966 television series ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'', is included in the episode's score.<ref name="RollingStoneReview" /> Editing was completed by [[Chris McCaleb]] and Joey Liew.{{r|BCS Podcast|p=19:20–20:14}} |
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The episode was met with critical acclaim. On the review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 100% of nine reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.5/10.<ref>{{cite Rotten Tomatoes|type=tv|id=better_call_saul|season=6|episode=10|title={{PAGENAMEBASE}}|access-date=July 26, 2022}}</ref> Crew members that were recognized for their work on "Nippy" included writer Alison Tatlock and director Michelle MacLaren.<ref name="IndieWireReview" /> Bob Odenkirk also received praise for his performance as Jimmy McGill/Gene Takavic, particularly in the scene where he feigns a breakdown.<ref name="RollingStoneReview" /><ref name="IndieWireReview" /> [[Alan Sepinwall]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described the episode as an unpredictable [[epilogue]] to ''Better Call Saul'' that "brings emotional color, thrills, and fun".<ref name="RollingStoneReview" /> Steve Greene of ''[[IndieWire]]'' thought "Nippy" was a reminder that the series did not need high stakes to be entertaining.<ref name="IndieWireReview">{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Steve |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Review: 'Nippy' Says a Bitter Hello to the Future and the Past at the Same Time |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy-spoilers-1234745056/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726021912/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy-spoilers-1234745056/ |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref> |
The episode was met with critical acclaim. On the review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 100% of nine reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.5/10.<ref>{{cite Rotten Tomatoes|type=tv|id=better_call_saul|season=6|episode=10|title={{PAGENAMEBASE}}|access-date=July 26, 2022}}</ref> Crew members that were recognized for their work on "Nippy" included writer Alison Tatlock and director Michelle MacLaren.<ref name="IndieWireReview" /> Bob Odenkirk also received praise for his performance as Jimmy McGill/Gene Takavic, particularly in the scene where he feigns a breakdown.<ref name="RollingStoneReview" /><ref name="IndieWireReview" /> [[Alan Sepinwall]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described the episode as an unpredictable [[epilogue]] to ''Better Call Saul'' that "brings emotional color, thrills, and fun".<ref name="RollingStoneReview" /> Steve Greene of ''[[IndieWire]]'' thought "Nippy" was a reminder that the series did not need high stakes to be entertaining.<ref name="IndieWireReview">{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Steve |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Review: 'Nippy' Says a Bitter Hello to the Future and the Past at the Same Time |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy-spoilers-1234745056/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726021912/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy-spoilers-1234745056/ |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref> |
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel of ''Tell-Tale TV'' said she enjoyed the humor and watching the heist play out on screen. "Even though the tone is more somber," she wrote, "it's still great fun".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sumerel |first=Ashley Bissette |date=July 26, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Season 6 Episode 10 Review: Nippy |url=https://telltaletv.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727040323/https://telltaletv.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy/ |archive-date=July 27, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=Tell-Tale TV}}</ref> Scott Tobias of ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' called it a "brilliant and wholly unexpected stand-alone episode".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tobias |first=Scott |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Recap: Breaking Gene |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/better-call-saul-recap-season-6-episode-10-nippy.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727040255/https://www.vulture.com/article/better-call-saul-recap-season-6-episode-10-nippy.html |archive-date=July 27, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]''{{'}}s Mike Hogan labeled it a [[bottle episode]] that he believed would set the stage for the rest of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hogan |first=Mike |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Season 6, Episode 10 Recap: Gene Takes Out the Trash |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/07/better-call-saul-recap-610-nippy-gene-carol-burnett |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726035831/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/07/better-call-saul-recap-610-nippy-gene-carol-burnett |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref> In a mixed review, [[David Segal (reporter)|David Segal]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' "found much of [the episode] unsatisfying", experienced some confusion over the recasting of Jeff, and said "it felt low-stakes and a bit broad". However, he concluded on a positive note, saying that he "would bet that the best episodes of this show are ahead of it."<ref>{{ |
Ashley Bissette Sumerel of ''Tell-Tale TV'' said she enjoyed the humor and watching the heist play out on screen. "Even though the tone is more somber," she wrote, "it's still great fun".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sumerel |first=Ashley Bissette |date=July 26, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Season 6 Episode 10 Review: Nippy |url=https://telltaletv.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727040323/https://telltaletv.com/2022/07/better-call-saul-season-6-episode-10-review-nippy/ |archive-date=July 27, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=Tell-Tale TV}}</ref> Scott Tobias of ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' called it a "brilliant and wholly unexpected stand-alone episode".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tobias |first=Scott |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Recap: Breaking Gene |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/better-call-saul-recap-season-6-episode-10-nippy.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727040255/https://www.vulture.com/article/better-call-saul-recap-season-6-episode-10-nippy.html |archive-date=July 27, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]''{{'}}s Mike Hogan labeled it a [[bottle episode]] that he believed would set the stage for the rest of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hogan |first=Mike |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Season 6, Episode 10 Recap: Gene Takes Out the Trash |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/07/better-call-saul-recap-610-nippy-gene-carol-burnett |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726035831/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/07/better-call-saul-recap-610-nippy-gene-carol-burnett |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |access-date=July 26, 2022 |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref> In a mixed review, [[David Segal (reporter)|David Segal]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' "found much of [the episode] unsatisfying", experienced some confusion over the recasting of Jeff, and said "it felt low-stakes and a bit broad". However, he concluded on a positive note, saying that he "would bet that the best episodes of this show are ahead of it."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Segal |first=David |author-link=David Segal (reporter) |date=July 25, 2022 |title=''Better Call Saul'' Season 6, Episode 10 Recap: Sweet Revenge |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/arts/television/better-call-saul-recap-episode-10-cinnabon.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729152731/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/arts/television/better-call-saul-recap-episode-10-cinnabon.html |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |access-date=July 29, 2022 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> |
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=== Ratings === |
=== Ratings === |
Revision as of 07:40, 31 July 2022
"Nippy" | |
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Better Call Saul episode | |
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Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 10 |
Directed by | Michelle MacLaren |
Written by | Alison Tatlock |
Featured music |
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Cinematography by | Paul Donachie |
Editing by |
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Original air date | July 25, 2022 |
Running time | 51 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"Nippy" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul, the spin-off television series of Breaking Bad. It was directed by Michelle MacLaren and written by Alison Tatlock. The episode aired on AMC and AMC+ on July 25, 2022, before debuting online in certain territories on Netflix the following day. "Nippy" continues the story of Jimmy McGill, portrayed by Bob Odenkirk, after he changed his identity and relocated to Omaha. In the episode, Jimmy confronts the taxi driver who recognized him as Saul Goodman.
"Nippy" was met with critical acclaim, particularly for Tatlock's screenplay, MacLaren's direction, and Odenkirk's performance. An estimated 1.20 million viewers saw the episode during its first broadcast on AMC.
Plot
In a flashforward to 2010,[1] in Omaha, Nebraska, the motorized chair of an elderly woman named Marion gets stuck in the snow. Jimmy McGill, under the guise of Gene Takavic, appears and offers his assistance, stealthily snipping the chair's power cables, and subsequently offering to push her to her home. He befriends her with stories of his nonexistent lost dog Nippy. Marion is revealed to be the mother of Jeff, the cab driver who recognized Gene as Saul Goodman.[a] Jeff arrives home and questions Gene's motives. Gene offers Jeff a chance to enter "the game" by burglarizing a department store in the mall where Gene works in exchange for Jeff's silence about Gene's true identity. Gene returns home and retrieves Marco's pinky ring he used as "Slippin' Jimmy",[b] and begins to prepare.
Over several days, he befriends security guard Frank by bringing him Cinnabon rolls and talking about Nebraska Cornhuskers football, tracking how long it takes for Frank to eat a roll while sitting with his back to the security camera screens. He then recreates the dimensions of the department store and choreographs an efficient way for Jeff to maximize his takings. Finally, he has a box containing Jeff delivered to the loading dock to get him into the mall after hours and to stash the loot. During the burglary, Jeff accidentally trips and falls on a slippery floor, disrupting the timing of the scheme. However, Gene buys time by feigning a depressive episode to divert Frank's attention. The burglary ends up being successful, and Jeff hides in the bathroom overnight. Later, as they relish the burglary's success, Gene warns that if Jeff ever reveals Gene's true identity, Gene will report him as well as a form of "mutual assured destruction", and makes Jeff promise never to cross paths with him again. When Gene returns to the mall, he finds a Saul Goodman-style dress shirt in the department store, but leaves without purchasing it.
Production
"Nippy" is the third Better Call Saul episode to be directed by Michelle MacLaren after the first season's "Mijo" and fourth season's "Breathe".[3] It was written by executive producer Alison Tatlock. Bob Odenkirk, who plays Jimmy, is the only actor listed in the starring credits.[1] The cab driver Jeff, who had previously been portrayed by Don Harvey, was recast to Pat Healy due to a work conflict by Harvey.[4] Healy had originally auditioned for the role of Jeff during the production of the fourth season in March 2018, but was not hired. He was notified of Harvey's departure after he finished shooting his scenes for Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Healy emphasized that the recast was not due to Odenkirk's heart attack during the production of a previous episode in the sixth season, as he was cast before that.[5]: 11:07–14:34 AMC released several teasers to inform viewers of Jeff's recast weeks prior to the episode's airing. The promotional material featured clips of Healy in the role along with lines of Jeff's character from previous seasons that Healy had rerecorded in a sound booth in Los Angeles.[5]: 4:46–5:01 Carol Burnett, who played Jeff's mother Marion, was the episode's "special guest star". She was a fan of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and had appeared on The Larry Sanders Show with Odenkirk, but the two did not share any scenes in that series.[6][4]
"Nippy" was filmed in October 2021.[7] Though the story takes place in Omaha, Nebraska, the mall scenes were shot at the Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The department store where the heist takes place was an empty space in the mall. The production designer and art department built the interior and every item in the store was created, purchased, or brought in.[4] The first scene that Healy filmed for the episode was Jeff's nervous exit from the store bathroom. MacLaren jokingly directed Healy in that scene to "walk like you've got hemorrhoids." Healy said filming the heist scene, which sometimes meant he had to run for ten hours in a day, was exhausting. MacLaren described the work as both complicated and joyous,[5]: 15:34–19:20 praising Burnett for striking a balance between comedy and drama in her performance. She said of the heist scene, "when we were shooting it, I turned to everybody as I was practically falling out of my chair because I was laughing so hard."[3]
"Nippy" marks a number of firsts for Better Call Saul. It is the first episode set entirely after Breaking Bad and the first to take place entirely in Gene's black-and-white timeline,[1] an idea co-creator Peter Gould mentioned in February 2020.[8] It is also the first of the sixth season to not follow the "X and Y" naming scheme, and marked a change in the title credits. Traditionally, the title credits of each season's tenth episode featured Saul Goodman's "World's Greatest Lawyer" mug falling off his desk and shattering on the floor. However, in this episode, the title image prematurely stops and is replaced by a blue screen, recreating the effects of a home video recording on a VCR. The music piece "Jim on the Move" by Lalo Schifrin, from the 1966 television series Mission: Impossible, is included in the episode's score.[6] Editing was completed by Chris McCaleb and Joey Liew.[5]: 19:20–20:14
Reception
Critical response
![Bob Odenkirk at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Bob_Odenkirk_%2828715270007%29.jpg/220px-Bob_Odenkirk_%2828715270007%29.jpg)
The episode was met with critical acclaim. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of nine reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.5/10.[9] Crew members that were recognized for their work on "Nippy" included writer Alison Tatlock and director Michelle MacLaren.[10] Bob Odenkirk also received praise for his performance as Jimmy McGill/Gene Takavic, particularly in the scene where he feigns a breakdown.[6][10] Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone described the episode as an unpredictable epilogue to Better Call Saul that "brings emotional color, thrills, and fun".[6] Steve Greene of IndieWire thought "Nippy" was a reminder that the series did not need high stakes to be entertaining.[10]
Ashley Bissette Sumerel of Tell-Tale TV said she enjoyed the humor and watching the heist play out on screen. "Even though the tone is more somber," she wrote, "it's still great fun".[11] Scott Tobias of Vulture called it a "brilliant and wholly unexpected stand-alone episode".[12] Vanity Fair's Mike Hogan labeled it a bottle episode that he believed would set the stage for the rest of the season.[13] In a mixed review, David Segal of The New York Times "found much of [the episode] unsatisfying", experienced some confusion over the recasting of Jeff, and said "it felt low-stakes and a bit broad". However, he concluded on a positive note, saying that he "would bet that the best episodes of this show are ahead of it."[14]
Ratings
An estimated 1.20 million viewers watched "Nippy" during its first broadcast on AMC on July 25, 2022.[15]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Davids, Brian (July 25, 2022). "Better Call Saul Writer-EP Alison Tatlock Discusses Going Back to the Post-Breaking Bad Future". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ Kurp, Josh (July 26, 2022). "Every Better Call Saul Fan Is Craving Cinnabon After The Latest Episode". Uproxx. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ a b Fienberg, Daniel (July 26, 2022). "Better Call Saul Director Michelle MacLaren on 'Icon' Carol Burnett and Visiting Gene From Omaha". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ a b c Snierson, Dan (July 25, 2022). "Better Call Saul producer breaks down Gene's 'dangerous' move in 'Nippy'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ a b c d McCaleb, Chris; Dixon, Kelley; Gould, Peter; Healy, Pat; MacLaren, Michelle; Tatlock, Alison; Palmer, Phillip W. (July 26, 2022). "610 Better Call Saul Insider" (Podcast). AMC. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Sepinwall, Alan (July 25, 2022). "Better Call Saul Recap: Gene Takovic and the Great Cinnabon Heist". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ "10/11/21 – Michelle MacLaren directing, episode 10". October 15, 2021. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Instagram.
- ^ Topel, Fred (February 19, 2020). "Better Call Saul Showrunner Peter Gould on Season 5 Flashforwards, Breaking Bad Cameos, and the Looming Ending [Interview]". /Film. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ "Nippy". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ a b c Greene, Steve (July 25, 2022). "Better Call Saul Review: 'Nippy' Says a Bitter Hello to the Future and the Past at the Same Time". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ Sumerel, Ashley Bissette (July 26, 2022). "Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 10 Review: Nippy". Tell-Tale TV. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ Tobias, Scott (July 25, 2022). "Better Call Saul Recap: Breaking Gene". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ Hogan, Mike (July 25, 2022). "Better Call Saul Season 6, Episode 10 Recap: Gene Takes Out the Trash". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ Segal, David (July 25, 2022). "Better Call Saul Season 6, Episode 10 Recap: Sweet Revenge". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (July 26, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Monday 7.25.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.