This week’s episode of Better Call Saul, “Inflatable,” inched us ever closer to Saul Goodman as Jimmy McGill had his first taste of the loud Saul Goodman suits in the episode. The episode may have also gotten us closer to a Saul Goodman connection to Kim Wexler after the events of Breaking Bad.
Let’s take a look at some of this week’s better Easter Eggs and other cool details.
Omaha, Somewhere in Middle America
Last week, a reader suggested that the Kansas City Royals T-shirt Kim Wexler was wearing tied her to Omaha because Omaha was the Triple-A team of the Royals, and that’s why Saul Goodman went to Omaha after the events of Breaking Bad. That reader, Steve P., may have been on the right track, actually, because this week we learned that Kim Wexler is from somewhere on the Kansas/Nebraska border, which potentially puts her within 100 miles of Omaha. Moreover, Kim said she thought she’d one day end up as a cashier at the Hinky Dinky grocery store in her hometown. Hinky Dinky was an actual grocery-store chain (that has since gone out of business), and wouldn’t you know it, the chain was originally started in Omaha.
What I’m saying is: It’s looking more and more likely that Saul Goodman ended up in Omaha for a reason very much associated with Kim Wexler, and there may be a happy ending for those two yet. Maybe they’ll shack up in that small Kansas/Nebraska border town, practice small-town law and adopt Jesse Pinkman.
And yes, I know that Ed selected Saul’s whereabouts for him after the events of Breaking Bad, but that doesn’t mean that Kim’s potential proximity to Jimmy doesn’t bring them back together.
A Wolf or a Sheep
The opening teaser in this episode was originally a teaser on a first-season episode, but it had to be cut for time. It’s interesting that it now comes after Chuck’s story to Kim about Jimmy stealing money from his dad’s register because, at the time, we didn’t know if Chuck was lying or not. Now we know he was telling the truth, but we also know that some of the money that went missing may have actually been given to grifters.
Also, that Playboy cover timestamps this scene in August 1973.
A somewhat interesting side note on that scene from the Better Call Saul podcast: A post-production producer had to get clearance for every single can, magazine cover, or product in that store in order to be able to use it on the show. Can you imagine how frustrated the people who had to get clearances were after they found out the scene was originally cut?
One final note on the teaser: The con man was played by Stephen Snedden, who first worked with Vince Gilligan as a regular on The X-Files spin-off, The Lone Gunmen, which Gilligan co-created.
Jennifer Hasty
That real-estate agent that sold Stacey her house was played by Jennifer Hasty, who played the same real-estate agent in Breaking Bad. As you might recall, she’s the one who confronted Betsy Brandt’s Marie about stealing silverware at an open house. (Her character’s name is Stephanie Drose, which can barely be seen on the real-estate sign. Stephanie Drose is a real-life friend of Vince Gilligan’s from Richmond.)
Al Newman
The teaser featured a shot of the Mad Magazine mascot, Alfred Neuman. The first client that Jimmy met during the loud suit montage was a man named Al Newman.
The founder of the Hinky Dinky grocery chain was a man named Al Newman.
Now, that’s just fun writing. (via Redditor Professor Doom)
Full Measure
The house that Stacey bought in this episode was, indeed, the same house (at least, the same exterior house) that Mike visited in Breaking Bad season three episode, “Full Measure.” (The character playing Stacey, obviously, is different.)
