Over the course of three seasons, Better Call Saul has proven itself to be not only one of the most engrossing dramas on TV right now, but also one of the highest-quality TV spinoffs of all time. Co-creator Vince Gilligan is more familiar with this universe than almost anyone else on the planet, and he has revealed the Saul story arc that's still holding his interest the most as the show heads into Season 4 and beyond. In his words:
There is the possibility for redemption with Gene. The whole thing could end sadly instead of happily. But to me, that's one of the more potentially hopeful things.
Considering Vince Gilligan is the storytelling maestro behind Breaking Bad, he already knows where Jimmy McGill is going to end up after all the events of Better Call Saul are wrapped up. (As does the massive fanbase.) And while there are obviously different and unexpected places to go with Jimmy's story before that transition, there's still a melancholy feeling attached to it all, with Saul Goodman's cynical and virtue-free existence showing us what's left after all of Jimmy's inherent qualities were stripped away by his (now late) brother Chuck, New Mexico law, and various elements of Gun Fring's burgeoning criminal operation. But Gene disrupts that flow.
Gene's Cinnabon-centered reality was set up after Walter White's final arc forced Saul Goodman out of town and out of that particular identity. As Vince Gilligan put it, Gene's mostly untapped story does provide some hope within the largely downbeat Better Call Saul universe, even if the Omaha mall setting is only positive due to the lack of involvement from crystal meth kingpins. We've already seen that Gene still has some of the Jimmy-Saul fire still burning somewhere inside him, so perhaps he'll still be able to forge a proper and enjoyable final act for himself that ends happily. Even if it doesn't fully make it to TV.
Vince Gilligan shared his opinions about Better Call Saul's most interesting storyline while taking part in the show's panel at this year's ATX Television Festival (via Variety), where he also talked about how Better Call Saul actually started its existence as a comedic sitcom before the structure was more firmly planned out. He also talked about how helpful it was to have kicked of Saul's production immediately after Breaking Bad was finished, saying that he was afraid his creative juices would freeze up if he left those characters alone for too long. He also said this about that somewhat unique spinoff approach.
That was healthy. I feel silly saying this, because I could not be more proud of Better Call Saul now. We took it seriously, but if I had known how good it was going to be...it was good to not take it too seriously, because that way leads to creative paralysis.
I hope I'm not alone in wishing for a future Better Call Saul scene in which Gene walks into a room where a bunch of people have gathered to surprise him, just to hear a lot of people joyously and excitedly calling out, "Gene!" (Akin to the trademark Norm welcome on Cheers.) Although upon further reflection, I suppose Gene would probably revert to paranoid panic if a bunch of people suddenly yelled his name out when he wasn't ready for it, which might not go well for everyone.
Better Call Saul Season 4 is set to debut on AMC on Monday, August 6, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Check out what Bob Odenkirk says fans can expect to see in the new season, and then hit up our summer premiere schedule to see when all the other new and returning shows will be hitting primetime.
