Bob Odenkirk opens up about making the final season of Better Call Saul. Before Breaking Bad, Odenkirk was mostly known as a writer for sketch comedy shows like Saturday Night Live and Mr. Show with Bob and David, the latter of which he co-created and starred in with David Cross. The success of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul has now led to more high-profile roles for Odenkirk in feature films such as The Post, Little Women, and Nobody.
Odenkirk was first introduced in season 2 of the AMC crime drama as Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman’s (Aaron Paul) unscrupulous lawyer, Saul Goodman. The character was such a hit that creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould (who wrote the episode “Better Call Saul”) decided to expand the character’s role. Before Breaking Bad was even over, the two began developing a prequel series for Odenkirk’s fan-favorite attorney. For five seasons, Better Call Saul has chronicled Jimmy McGill’s slow descent from an earnest lawyer and former con artist to the greedy criminal defense attorney who adopts the alias Saul Goodman. Now, the show is gearing up for its sixth and final season.
In a new interview with the Chicago Tribune, Odenkirk opened up about recently wrapping filming on Better Call Saul, which gave him an immense “feeling of completion and accomplishment.” The actor also discussed potentially being defined by the character for the rest of his career. Read what he had to say below:
I think being allowed by providence and the universe to finish (“Better Call Saul”), that feeling of completion and accomplishment was a big thing for me going forward. If it hadn’t happened, for a variety of reasons, if I had not finished the story, no, I probably wouldn’t have this feeling that I could move on. Now that I have this notch under my belt, finishing — we finished a week ago — is part of the confidence.
Odenkirk clearly doesn’t take finishing the sixth and final season of the show for granted. This past summer, the actor suddenly collapsed on the Better Call Saul set in front of his co-stars Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian, who called for help and rushed him to the hospital. After what seemed like an eternity of uncertainty, Odenkirk’s son was the first to announce to the public that his father had suffered a small heart attack and was expected to make a full recovery. After a few months’ rest, Odenkirk was able to return to set and finish filming.
Season 6 already held special significance for the cast and fans as the final season of the beloved show. The unthinkable tragedy that nearly transpired on set surely adds another layer of meaning for everyone involved and helps put everything into perspective. The first half of Better Call Saul season 6 premieres on April 18 on AMC, followed by a 6-week hiatus before the final episodes begin airing on July 11.
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