Better Call Saul is a show full of compelling characters. Some, like Saul Goodman AKA Jimmy McGill, Gus Fring, and Mike, were iconic before the prequel series even began due to their appearances in Breaking Bad, while others are new creations. Kim Wexler, Jimmy's fellow lawyer and wife, might just be the most complex and interesting character Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have come up with.
Watching her develop over five and a half seasons has been a treat, transforming from a foil to Jimmy's hi-jinks into a fully realized character with her own slightly warped moral compass. While Jimmy's downfall has been preordained ever since Better Call Saul premiered, Kim's arch has always been unknown and fascinating to observe. While her writing has been consistently impressive, much of Kim Wexler's appeal lies in the fantastic performance of Rhea Seehorn.
The writing team behind Better Call Saul are excellent at their jobs, but they need talented actors to portray their multi-faceted characters with often conflicting motivations. Rhea Seehorn has excelled at giving Kim Wexler the depth she needs. Despite this, Seehorn has never even been nominated for an Emmy, let alone won one. With the final season of Better Call Saul currently airing, she has one more shot at getting the recognition she deserves. Before we discover Kim's ultimate fate, let's talk about Seehorn's incredible performance and if she will finally get the biggest award in television.
Who is Rhea Seehorn?
Rhea Seehorn has been working in film and television for over twenty years and even longer in the theater. An in-depth Rolling Stone profile reveals a lot about that time. Seehorn started her career on stage, where she received critical acclaim. She then moved into the sitcom world, appearing in shows like I'm With Her and Whitney. From there, much like how Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan initially hired Bob Odenkirk to play Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad despite him being known for his comedic roles, Seehorn was brought onto Better Call Saul to play Kim Wexler.
In his aforementioned profile of Seehorn, Alan Sepinwall says that "Seehorn’s performance unlocked the character — and, in many ways, the show" for Gilligan and Gould, with Seehorn quickly becoming essential to the prequel of one of television's greatest shows.
Why Rhea Seehorn Deserves It
Everything about Rhea Seehorn's portrayal of Kim Wexler is just breathtaking. Kim is the moral center of the show, its beating heart. Despite this, she still loves Jimmy and knows that you sometimes have to do bad things to achieve something good. Kim is both jaded and an idealist, trying to do the right thing while understanding how difficult it can be.
She stands out from the rest of the cast because she is a woman in a male-dominated show and wants the world to be a better place. While the other characters of Better Call Saul fight for power in the criminal underworld, Kim tries to use the law as a force for positive change.
In many ways, Kim is a contradiction. A lawyer married to a criminal, a pessimist who still believes things can get better. A character this complex is certainly a challenge to portray, but Seehorn makes it look easy, playing Kim with incredible finesse and nuance. It's impressive to watch Seehorn navigate this richly developed yet understated character. The amount of pathos she conveys with just a resigned look is astounding. Rhea Seehorn is not only one of the best actors in the wider Breaking Bad universe, her time as Kim should earn her a place among the pantheon of television greats.
Will Rhea Seehorn Finally Get an Emmy?
So Rhea Seehorn clearly deserves the recognition of the Emmys, but will they give it to her? Unlike Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul hasn't been super popular with Emmy voters. It's gotten its fair share of nominations, but nowhere near the amount Breaking Bad achieved. It hasn't wracked up any wins either. This doesn't bode super well for Seehorn.
Hollywood betting odds website Gold Derby currently has her in fifth place, behind the favorite Sarah Snook and the other excellent actresses Jung Ho-yeon, Julia Garner, and J. Smith-Cameron, with odds of thirteen to one. This seems to indicate that she has a good chance of getting nominated but not of winning. These numbers are more about gambling than talent, but they are a good indicator of where things are at.
Only time will tell whether Seehorn will receive an Emmy nomination or win for her portrayal of Kim Wexler. Truth be told, while it would be great if she did win, an Emmy only means so much. Award shows have never been less popular and often don't represent audiences in any meaningful way. What really matters is that we recognize the quality of Seehorn's powerful performance and give her the praise she deserves.
Seehorn's skill merits official recognition from the award show, and the nomination or win would likely result in more work for her, but we cannot rely on intuitions to always get it right. Sometimes, we just have to decide for ourselves who is doing the best work in film and television and give people like Rhea Seehorn the credit they have earned.