As a prequel to what is widely considered one of the greatest television shows of all time, Better Call Saul had a lot to prove. Thankfully, over its past five seasons, the show has more than proven to be a worthy successor to Breaking Bad. Jimmy McGill's journey into becoming Saul Goodman hasn't been as action-packed as Walter White's similar transformation into Heisenberg, but it's been just as compelling. It's been more than 14 years since Bryan Cranston driving an RV through the desert while wearing nothing but his underwear and a gas mask got viewers hooked on Vince Gilligan's wild crime epic. Now, on April 18th, that saga will begin to end with the premiere of the first episode of season six.
The last season of Better Call Saul has plenty of narrative work to do. Beyond finding out exactly how Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) becomes the Saul Goodman of Breaking Bad, there are plenty of questions about the fates of characters like Kim, Nacho, and Lalo. Will Gene Takavic, AKA Jimmy after the events of Breaking Bad, survive? Will Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston reprise their roles as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman? Will the film students who make Jimmy's commercials ever graduate?
Let's break down a few of the things we hope to see in the last season of Better Call Saul.
The Tragic Fate of Jimmy McGill
This season will have to answer two big questions about Jimmy McGill. The main one that the series has been leading to is how Jimmy becomes the Saul Goodman of Breaking Bad. While Jimmy has already taken on the pseudonym he is most famous for, he's still not the amoral strip-mall lawyer that shows Walt and Jesse how to launder money. Something has to happen to Jimmy that makes him lose his few remaining scruples, and it's likely not going to be very pretty.
There's a reasonable chance that it will have to do with the loss of the main ethical guide in his life, Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). However, the end of season five indicated that Kim is willing to do what it takes to support Jimmy, even if it means being a less than upstanding member of society.
The fate of Jimmy McGill after the events of Breaking Bad is also up in the air. When we last saw Jimmy, now going by Gene Takovic, his cover as a Cinnabon manager had been blown. Having already gone on the run once, he decides to handle the situation himself instead of starting over yet again. Gene's story has been exclusively told through flashbacks in the first episode of each season, so we might not have to wait very long to see his story come to a close.
Considering what happens when seemingly irredeemable characters in the Breaking Bad universe try to fix things, there is a good chance that he won't make it out alive, but maybe his silver tongue will save him yet again.
Let Kim Wexler Live
The survival of both cartel members, Nacho Varga and Lalo Salamanca, seems unlikely due to a throwaway line from Breaking Bad, but one of them could definitely survive. What's much less clear is the fate of Kim Wexler. Due to complex characterization from the writers and a powerhouse performance from Rhea Seehorn, Kim has become a fan favorite over the past few years. Since Kim is never seen or mentioned in all of Breaking Bad, the obvious assumption would be that she won't make it past the end of Better Call Saul. Her death would also make sense as the final event that makes Jimmy McGill fully commit to being Saul Goodman.
Despite this, killing her character would be the wrong choice. Kim has struggled harder than any of her male counterparts in the show, and it would be a waste to use the death of the most resilient character in the series as the motivation for Jimmy to become Saul. Plus, Kim's just too smart to get killed. If Jimmy can talk himself out of getting murdered multiple times, so can Kim. There might be a way for the writers to have her character die without it feeling cheap, but Kim deserves to live if for no other reason than her death would be too devastating to watch.
Heisenberg's Return
Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston have previously shown that they would have no problem reprising their respective roles as Jesse Pinkman and Walter White; both actors already did in the Breaking Bad sequel movie, El Camino. At this point, it's up to the writers whether these two iconic characters will come back. Many fans would love to see them again in any context, but their stories were already told in a series and film. Maybe it'd be for the best if the last season of Better Call Saul was allowed to be its own thing.
There are already plenty of scenes with Jesse, Walt, and Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad. Do we really need more? However, if they are brought back, both Better Call Saul and El Camino have shown how skillful Vince Gilligan and company are at expanding their universe, so don't expect any fan-service cameos from the meth-making duo.
The last season of Better Call Saul is the end of an era that started with Breaking Bad more than a decade ago. The expectations are high, but Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, and the rest of the team behind the show have proven themselves capable of incredible storytelling. They will almost certainly deliver a memorable farewell.