For many Better Call Saul fans, the news of Bob Odenkirk’s heart attack was shocking to hear. Since it was initially made known, many have sent well wishes to the actor as he recovers. While Season 6 doesn’t premiere until 2022, some major questions have emerged since Odenkirk’s on-set collapse, including whether the final season will be pushed back and how things would progress production-wise in the immediate aftermath of the event. Now, there are some possible answers to those questions, as one of the show's executive producers revealed that Season 6 is continuing on as the Breaking Bad vet recovers from his medical emergency.
Of course, veteran producer Thomas Schnauz would be in the know regarding how filming is continuing in Bob Odenkirk’s absence. Schnauz spoke to Den of Geek about the state of things on the set and where he currently is with his own duties as a director on the show:
I don’t know. Because of the COVID delays, and then Bob’s heart attack and recovery, I have zero idea when or how the episodes will be aired. Everything with production is moving forward, steady but slow. We’re filming scenes that don’t involve Bob right now. I just finished editing my director’s cut of episode 607, and I addressed some notes on my script for 611. I’m still waiting to hear the dates of when I’ll prep and direct 611.
If Thomas Schnauz’s words are anything to go by, then he and his colleagues have found ways to make things work well enough, given the circumstances. And in the process, it seems the cast and crew have been working hard to keep the final season on schedule. While it's great to hear that things are still moving, it's better to know AMC and the producers are allowing Bob Odenkirk to recover on his timeline. While the producer couldn't give any details on a potential release date, his mention of his recent director's cut on episode seven means the team is almost halfway to the finish line. Saul's final season is set to have 13 episodes and, since Schnauz has already received notes for the eleventh episode, that episode order likely isn't being reduced in light of the recent situation.
As Better Call Saul works around Bob Odenkirk’s recovery, the actor seems to be on the mend. Since his heart attack, he's been occasionally updated fans on his progress. He even received praises from the series’ home AMC as the head of the network gave shareholders an update on his health. Hopefully, the Breaking Bad alum gives himself the proper time to recover before heading back to work.
One still has to wonder if Better Call Saul Season 6 will air in a single run, or if it'll be split into multiple parts, which was done for its parent show. But whatever the case, the cast and crew will likely make things comfortable for Bob Odenkirk when he finally makes his return to set. At this time, the AMC drama’s final season is scheduled to air in early 2022.
