*Warning: Spoilers await the best Call Saul*
Better Call Saul is notorious for not holding the audience’s hands by allowing them to piece together the events of the series themselves.
Throughout the series, this took the form of a returning character or details from a conversation three seasons ago that appeared without any fanfare or explanation.
However, while the show should be commended for giving credit to its fan base, some references can sometimes escape the network.
In Episode 10 of Better Call Saul Season 6, one of these references puzzled some viewers, with many asking which episode Jane put in in the early moments of the episode.
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The ring belongs to Marco, Jimmy’s old friend
In Episode 10 of Better Call Saul Season 6, we see Gene Takavitch (Jimmy’s nickname after Breaking Bad) rummaging through a box of souvenirs and pulling out a ring with a large black stone in the center.
The ring belonged to Marco Pasternak, Jimmy’s friend before he moved to Albuquerque when he was living in Cicero, Illinois.
Together, Marco and Jimmy used to collect tricks together, such as exchanging fake Rolex watches for cash.
Husband Jimmy’s exploits earned him the name Slippin’ Jimmy and eventually led to him serving time in prison before his brother, Chuck, secured his release.
Jamie broke off his friendship with Marco when he moved to Albuquerque to work as a mailroom clerk at HHM, and later became a lawyer himself.
However, at the end of Season 1, Jimmy takes time off from his job as a lawyer and visits his old friend, Marco, and the pair spend a week together pulling off more scams until Marco dies of a sudden heart attack.
The importance of Marco’s ring in Better Call Saul
After Marco’s death, his mother gifted the ring to Jimmy, and despite not being a ring-wearing man, he continued to wear the piece of jewelry in memory of his friend.
The ring was also a reminder of his days as Slippin’ Jimmy and the tricks he and Marco used together.
In the Season 1 finale, Jimmy is about to attend a job interview at Davis & Main, an opportunity that will see him see a real and successful lawyer, but at the last minute, while rubbing the ring, he decides not to take the job as he realizes that life on the straight and narrow is not his.
Throughout Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, Jimmy can be seen touching the ring whenever he has a tough decision to make, as if asking his mischievous friend, Marco, what he should do.
After being forced to disappear at the end of Breaking Bad and live as Gene Takavitch, he removes the episode and keeps it hidden because he knows he should stay under the radar.
However, that’s until Episode 10 of Season 6 when Jane decides to embark on another Slippin’ Jimmy caper after the taxi driver Jeff identifies him as Saul Goodman.
Fans react to Marko’s signal
The unveiling of Marco’s episode is an important moment in Episode 10 of Better Call Saul Season 6 and many fans have taken to social media to offer their thoughts.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “Marco’s ring, doesn’t it? Looks like Slippin’ Jimmy’s back.”
“I’m not going to lie, seeing Marco’s ring made me a little sad,” said this fan.
As this fan joked: “I see. Once Slippin’ Jimmy, always Slippin’ Jimmy. As shown when he put Marco’s pinky ring back on. But…I feel sick just watching this much Cinnabon consumption.”
This nervous fan commented, “The moment Jane pulls Marco’s ring out of his memory box, I feel like his fate is doomed. He’ll never stop because he can’t help himself. So excited to see how the final episodes of #BetterCallSaul will go.”
“Is it the ring he got from Marco? He always touched that guy when he was about to do a scam. The fact that he took it off probably means something,” another Twitter user wrote.
Finally, this fan said, “Jin Takavich definitely wears Marco’s ring well.”
Season 6 of Better Call Saul runs Monday on AMC in the US and Tuesday on Netflix internationally until the finale on August 15 and 16, respectively.
In other news, why did Better Call Saul recast Jeff and who is the new actor?