‘Better Call Saul’ Fans Can Call Gene Takavic’s Cell Phone: What the Outgoing Message Says
Gene Takavic (Bob Odenkirk) is looking for his fictitious dog Nippy in Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 10. In reality, he’s laying the groundwork for a con he’ll later pull off with Jeff (Pat Healy), but first he has to befriend his mother Marion (Carol Burnett). Gene catches Marion’s attention with flyers he’s posting in search of the “missing dog.” After seeing it in the episode, some Better Call Saul fans dialed the number — here’s what they heard.
The department store con in ‘Better Call Saul’ episode ‘Nippy’
As Odenkirk teased ahead of the episode, “another iteration of Jimmy” would appear in the final season of Better Call Saul. That version was the Gene/Jimmy hybrid that appeared in episode 10.
After Jeff recognized Gene as Saul Goodman, Gene had to do something to protect his new identity. So, he convinced Jeff to participate in a con complete with a “mutually assured destruction” fail-safe.
Gene measured the layout of the department store, mapped out where products were, befriended the mall security, and came up with an elaborate rhyme — “One, Armani suits and run. Two, Air Jordan shoes for you” — so Jeff could efficiently complete the con. Only one small snag occurred when Jeff slipped on the newly-waxed floor. Leave it to Gene to quickly recover from the minor mishap. He kept Frank (Parks and Rec’s Jim O’Heir) distracted by telling him about the very-real loss he had been through.
Gene Takavic’s cell phone voicemail is about Nippy the dog
In Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 10, Gene hangs flyers with details about his missing dog when he conveniently runs into Marion, who gets stuck in the snow. Eagle-eyed fans noticed the cell phone number on the flyers — 402-342-9288.
When you dial the number, you get Gene’s voicemail. “You’ve reached Gene Takavic,” the outgoing message begins. “If you’re calling this number, you may have come across my flyer or, better yet, a very friendly fluff-ball named Nippy.”
Gene continues describing the fake dog: “He’s a Pomeranian, four years old on Halloween, light-brown with a big white chest and little white paws. Oh, six pounds. Well, seven after having his way with a peanut butter jar. He was last seen on Clementine and South 35th, probably going after an alley cat or a squeaky ball. He can be a tad shy at first, but he warms up fast, especially if you have a T-R-E-A-T. When he gets excited, he makes these tiny snorting noises, almost like a sneeze. At the end of the day, he’s just a cuddle-bug who loves to snuggle on the couch underneath his favorite blankie.”
The voicemail concludes: “It breaks my heart to think of sweet Nippy wandering the street hungry and cold. If you have any leads — any at all — please share at the beep. And spread the word if you can. Nippy and I would be fur-ever grateful.”
‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6 only has three episodes left
Episode 11 “Breaking Bad” will air on Aug. 1, 2022. The titles of the final two episodes of Better Call Saul have not been announced yet, but they’ll air Aug. 8 and Aug. 15.
Tune in to see how the rest of Jimmy/Saul/Gene’s story plays out. Watch Better Call Saul on AMC Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
