The following article contains spoilers for Better Call Saul season 6.
Better Call Saul finally brings back its Breaking Bad flavor in an episode that does wonders to advance Gene Takovic’s story, while also giving fans the Walt and Jesse cameos they’d been waiting for without the two characters’ appearance coming off as mere fan service
Nevertheless, the episode’s title “Breaking Bad” is not necessarily derived from Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s return, because it seems like Gene’s desperation and overall lack of satisfaction with his life is causing him to turn to the dark side with his new crew. See, while it’s nice to see those Albuquerque flashbacks, Better Call Saul is still about Jimmy McGill’s fate, and getting that special look at the original series’ events from Saul’s point-of-view should act as more of a bonus, something writer and director Thomas Schnauz never forgets.
The episode kicks off back in the good old Breaking Bad days, now seen from Saul's perspective as he’s kidnaped in the back of Walt and Jesse’s makeshift RV meth lab, a scene that the show has alluded to previously. In it, Saul’s constantly screaming and tossing random Spanish words like “dinero” as he’s almost certain this has to be Lalo or the cartel’s work, however, this reworked version eventually ties up nicely with some things the showrunners might be trying to tell the audience.
Better Call Saul’s intro is a bit worn out by now, and if they are indeed meant to be old tapes Gene watches in his late-night TV sessions, it makes sense that the show’s opening credits now quickly skip to a blue screen with the show’s title — a nice touch that might pack in a surprise in the finale. In the black and white world, Gene calls the world’s best secretary, Francesca, who sets off to the cryptic location Saul gave her back in season four’s “Quite a Ride” in order to brief him on the aftermath of his disappearance.
Francesca is visibly annoyed throughout the entire journey, she seems fed up with her life, and is still being surveilled by authorities; she also informs Jimmy that all his money is basically gone, but that a certain Kim called asking for him after he made the national news. This is perhaps modern Gene’s “Breaking Bad” Moment, as even when he gets to talk to Kim, the muted conversation reveals a frustrating moment for the character.
Kim’s fate is one of Better Call Saul’s biggest mysteries, and now that she’s working down in Florida, probably not wanting anything to do with Jimmy, the theory that had the couple reuniting in the future is probably out, especially since the entire moment is what sends Gene spiraling down into running more cons. Better Call Saul’s showrunners have said fans will get to see the other side of this conversation, but whether Rhea Seehorn gets some color on her during her next appearance remains to be seen.
And then there’s that extra Breaking Bad scene featuring Walt and Jesse, which focuses on the ride home after Saul gets kidnaped by the pair. It’s truly amazing to see these two actors slot in seamlessly as if it was 2009 when the series “Better Call Saul” episode aired, however, here fans get to see just what sparked Saul’s curiosity about the duo, some early Walt and Jesse banter from more innocent times, and how he eventually recruited them to work for Gus.
Mike also gets a blast from the past as he provides Saul with his usual intel report, now with a full profile of a certain high school chemistry teacher and his former student, with the attorney's due diligence warning him to stay away from these two amateurs. He even mentions Gus’ lack of interest in the matter, but -of course- it’s not like Jimmy would ever take no for an answer as the episode shows Saul entering J.P. Wynne High School’s science fair and strolling past Walt’s old Pontiac Aztec.
Staying true to character, Gene decides to hit up Jeff to continue running cons, now using the bar encounter play he used to run so well with Kim, a decision that probably comes down partly due to his conversation with her and partly because of his newly realized money problem. Funnily enough, Walt’s cameo does serve a clear purpose, as he later reminds Jeff’s friend that a guy having cancer is no excuse to back down on their current con.
Better Call Saul pulls off Cranston and Paul’s cameos to great effect, and the shot where the camera transitions from the hole dug up as a potential grave for Saul and Gene lying in bed might be a metaphor for either the latter dying soon or Saul/Jimmy rising back from the dead to his old ways. One thing is for sure, Kim sent Gene towards a path of bad decision-making that’s bound to get Marion, Jeff, or anyone else on his tail, especially if the police teaser for next week's episode is anything to go by.