Better Call Saul: "Nippy"

The final season of Better Call Saul has been a delightful subversion of expectations. Nacho, Howard and Lalo were all killed in the span of eight episodes and Kim ended up leaving Jimmy just the episode prior. With "Fun and Games" seemingly leaving the Jimmy timeline for good and picking up the Breaking Bad timeline, it was easy to assume that this episode would finally give us our long-awaited Walt and Jesse appearances. Instead, "Nippy" brings us back to the Gene timeline for a fantastic episode that once again subverts expectations.

Where the Gene timeline previously left off, Gene was harassed by a cab driver named Jeff who knew who he was. This led to Gene nearly relocating himself before he decided he'd deal with the problem himself. He quickly turns the tables on Jeff by befriending his elderly mother Marion (played by a delightful Carol Burnett) and offering to teach Jeff "the game" in exchange for his silence.

What follows is a relatively low-stakes (in the overall tapestry of the show) but no less exciting heist sequence, with Gene going through steps including casing the department store, timing how long it takes for the slovenly security guard to consume a cinnamon bun away from the security cameras and creating an obstacle course for Jeff to practice his sweeping of the place. It's the first time we've seen Gene truly alive and reminiscent of the Jimmy McGill we know and love from the previous episodes.

The plan hits a last-minute snag when Jeff slips on the store's floor and knocks himself out, forcing Gene to improvise with a teary-eyed story about how alone he is to the security guard. The scene is very similar to Walt's phone call to Skylar in "Ozymandias", as we are unaware of which parts of the performance is a fabrication and which parts are genuine. In particular, Gene mentions his brother's passing and having no wife, both of which we know are true and seems like Jimmy is grieving for the first time in his life.

The heist is ultimately a success, with Gene blackmailing Jeff into staying away from him by threatening to turn him into the police for the theft. Upon returning to the scene of the crime, he comes across a suit and tie that look like something he would wear back in his Saul days. Gene stares wistfully at the reminder of his former life before leaving it on the rack. He might have gotten a rush reliving his glory days, but those days are over.

Notes and observations:

* Despite being one of Breaking Bad's most prolific directors, Michelle Maclaren has only directed two episodes of Better Call Saul prior to this one. She adds series-best work to what was already an impressive resume of episodes, particularly the montage of Gene delivering cinnamon buns to Jim O'Heir's security guard to the tune of Mission Impossible's "Jim on the Move".

* Much has been made over the recasting of Jeff, due to Don Harvey's scheduling conflicts with Season 6. For what it's worth, Pat Healy gives a stellar performance.

* The intro for the episode, which has steadily been turning black and white throughout the course of the seasons, goes completely blue.

* We didn't get the Walt and Jesse sighting we thought we would, but Gene brings up Walt obliquely while coaching Jeff on running through the store.

* A lot of great details throughout this episode, from Gene putting on Marco's ring, to the reappearance of the security guard that busted the shoplifter from Season 3.

* The previews for the final episodes have been interesting, showing shots of desolated places (Saul's office, the desert, etc.) while