When it comes to some of those most legendary shows you can imagine, what is one of the first ones that comes to your mind? For me, it’s always been Breaking Bad, with its incredible episodes, impeccable acting, and so much more. When it was announced that a spinoff about Saul Goodman was going to come out after Breaking Bad ended, my reaction was mixed, as I didn’t know whether this was going to be a great idea or not.
Year laters, watching the end of Season 6 (the last season) of Better Call Saul, I find myself standing very corrected, as the show has not only proved itself a worthy successor of Breaking Bad’s glory, but an amazing TV show all on its own.
With the Better Call Saul series finale now wrapped up -- and my tears all dried -- I'm taking the time now to think about everything that went through my mind while watching this show I love so much come to an end. And here are feelings that I’m sure you felt as well.
Nostalgic
I have to admit, watching this episode made me really want to re-watch Breaking Bad or shows like Breaking Bad or just watch this whole entire Breaking Bad universe all over again.
While we didn’t get every single character that was featured in Better Call Saul in the series finale -- as expected since some of them have unfortunately passed on, such a Howard, Lalo and Nacho -- it still felt amazing to see Mike (who is arguably one of the best characters) alongside Saul (played by the talented Bob Odenkirk) again in that desert, or the flashbacks to Saul’s past, or anything else involved. You just can’t help but feel nostalgic for those times.
Surprise
While I knew ahead of time that there was going to be at least one more appearance by Walter White -- played by the amazing Bryan Cranston -- before the show’s end, I had no idea that the series finale would include so many familiar faces from both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Like I said, seeing Jonathan Banks again was always a pleasure, but what really had me on my feet and pointing at the TV like that Leonardo DiCaprio meme was Betsy Brandt coming back as Marie.
Yeah, Marie ended up getting the short-end of the stick in the Breaking Bad finale, so it was a relief to see her come back to this show and have her get some sort of justice for Hank (Dean Norris) after his unfortunate demise in Breaking Bad. Her acting was impeccable (as always).
Also, who would have thought that Bill Oakley (Peter Diseth) would have ended up being Saul’s advisory council? Now that was a twist I didn’t see coming.
And lastly, Chuck showing up! I didn't think we'd ever get to see Michael McKean again as Jimmy's brother. Good times.
Frustration - And Then Realization
Was anyone else smacking their heads in confusion when Saul kept trying to push his deal that he made with the prosecutors during this finale? It almost made me want to try to have Blue Bell mint chocolate chip ice cream that Saul so desperately wanted in the finale, but I couldn’t believe he was willing to go this far at first as to have a whole new testimony about Howard Hamlin’s death in order to just get Kim -- played by the lovely Rhea Seehorn -- to come to the trial. I was so confused. How far was this man willing to go for this?
But then, I realized within seconds of that courtroom scene that it really was all a ruse, just so he could confess to everything he had done in front of Kim so she could see and hear that he was willing to give up everything. It shocked me but in that moment, I didn’t see Saul Goodman only, I saw Jimmy using the acting and manipulation skills of Saul, before letting that all go and becoming Jimmy once again in the end.
Content
I remember when I first heard about Better Call Saul, I didn’t know what they could do to make this wisecracking crooked lawyer an overall good character. But through six seasons, we’ve seen the rise and fall of Saul Goodman, otherwise known as Jimmy McGill and the complex story that follows him.
I’ve grown to like Jimmy, and I’ve also grown to despise Saul, who are essentially the same person in one body and that’s the telling of a great actor and character. But I have to admit I was feeling quite content when I found out that his ridiculous seven year plea deal was revoked after his confessions and he was given eighty-six years.
Don’t get me wrong, a part of me still loves Jimmy and I think that deep down, he does have morals. It’s why he ended up confessing in the first place. But I won’t lie and say I’m not content with the sentence he got, because to be honest, he deserved it. It’s the right ending.
Utter Relief
One of my biggest questions for Season 6 was how the heck is Better Call Saul going to handle Kim’s departure? My biggest theories were that she was either going to get killed by Lalo, or end up going to jail like Saul. Imagine my utter relief when I found out at the end of the series finale that she walks away without a damn crime to her name.
She ran away, built a life for herself, and in the end, reconciled in a way with Jimmy after he confesses, showing that amazing parallel between the first scene of them together and their last. And that shot of her walking out of the prison, with Jimmy staying behind bars, sent a shockwave of relief through me. I was so happy she wasn’t harmed, because even if Kim had done some pretty bad stuff too, she recognized when to stop, while Saul didn’t for a long time.
She deserves the world. And I hope to this day she’s living in Florida lounging in the sun.
Bittersweetness
I’m so sad yet so happy. I can only explain this as a bittersweet goodbye.
I wasn’t there when Breaking Bad originally aired back in 2008, but I was there for the second half of the series (starting in 2011), and for Better Call Saul when it premiered. I’ve watched this show time and time again, over and over. I rewatched Breaking Bad and El Camino more times than I can count. And I’m so sad it’s coming to an end.
It’s been a wild ride. Better Call Saul co-creator, Vince Gilligan, said there currently weren't plans for more spinoffs in the Breaking Bad universe anytime soon, but I’m content to just leave it as it is. I have had a journey watching these characters from beginning to end, seeing the acting evolutions of Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, heck, even Giancarlo Esposito as Gus, one of my favorite villains ever on TV. Admittedly, like Bob Odenkirk, I’m shattered to see this series end, but happy I got to watch it.
I’m going to miss it so much, but thank you to the creators of both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad (as well as El Camino) for giving me the best decade of television I’ve ever had the privilege of receiving.
Now that Better Call Saul is done, I suppose I’m going to have to prepare myself for another bittersweet ending coming up on AMC, which is The Walking Dead, but I have a feeling nothing is quite going to beat this. And remember, when everything feels like it’s falling apart, it’s s’all good, man!
