Better Call Saul fans have been anxiously awaiting the final season of the acclaimed show and, now, at long last, it’s nearly here. Development and production on Season 6 was challenging, especially since it was marred by COVID-related delays. But filming was also marked by a particularly scary situation last summer when lead actor Bob Odenkirk was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack on set. Odenkirk has since recovered and, in the time since the incident, more details on the ordeal have been divulged. Tidbits about the scene the actor was filming have now come from the show’s co-creator and executive producer, Vince Gilligan.
Both Better Call Saul and its predecessor, Breaking Bad, contain some very intense scenes, which could be tough for the stars to act out. Vince Gilligan has sat in the director’s chair for a number of those installments (and has churned out some amazing TV, in the process). When Deadline asked him and co-producer Peter Gould about Bob Odenkirk’s on-set heart attack at the BCS Season 6 premiere, Gilligan revealed that he was directing at the time and that the sequence was difficult to go back to after the medical emergency:
It was a hard scene to go back to. I was directing, I was there. We weren’t all the way through it. We were four-fifths of the way through it, so when he recovered, we had to finish shooting the scene. All of our amazing crew, make-up, wardrobe, hair, director of photography, everybody had to make sure that it looked exactly like the stuff we shot previous, so when it cuts together you can’t tell what’s the new stuff and what’s the old stuff.
I don’t know about all of you, but I’m very intrigued. Given the ambitious nature of the drama series, it’s not too surprising that such a moment would be tricky to jump back into. It sounds like Vince Gilligan and co. were able to get things finished with no problem, though. One would imagine they were happy to get it done – and even more pleased that the leading man was doing well and back on set to perform it.
There was a massive outpouring of support from fans and celebrities after Bob Odenkirk’s on-set collapse. Breaking Bad alum Bryan Cranston was one of the many who sent well wishes. Odenkirk also received praise from the executive team at AMC amid the situation. A few days after the heart attack, the star eventually provided an optimistic update on his condition. Months later, he’d celebrate his return to the set of the show, which continued filming Saul Goodman-less scenes in his absence.
Just a few weeks ago, the Nobody star opened up about the wild day. He recalled someone quickly giving him CPR until the ambulance arrived. During his recollection, he also expressed more gratitude for the support he received. The star doesn’t believe he deserves the kind sentiments but hopes he can show that he’s “worthy of” it.
One thing he absolutely doesn’t have to prove he’s worthy of, however, is the praise he’s received for his work on Better Call Saul. Alongside Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, Bob Odenkirk has crafted one of the greatest television characters of all time. It’s unclear as to how the final season will play out but, with everything the group has experienced, they’ve definitely earned the right to relish this moment. And I’m sure the scene they were filming when Odenkirk had the heart attack will be yet another great moment for the show.
Better Call Saul makes its return to AMC for its sixth and final season on Monday, April 18th at 9 p.m. ET. It’s one of the many returning shows on CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule.
