There hasn’t been much spoken about the upcoming fifth season of Better Call Saul since season four wrapped up outside of its potential to collide with the Breaking Bad movie in the works. Showrunner Peter Gould, however, recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly<?em> and offered a taste of what’s in store. As one might expect after the events of last season, what’s to come is more Saul Goodman and much less Jimmy McGill.
Logistically, however, Jimmy — now that he’s an attorney again — has to amass clients. As expected, that will entail recruiting people from the “world of selling drop phones.” In addition, Jimmy will likely call upon the veterinarian, Caldera, who Gould refers to as the “Craig’s List for the underworld in Albuquerque.” (This is great news for fans of actor Joe DeRosa, who plays Caldera, as it would portend an expanded role in the next season). In building a roster of clients, however, the “situations may require [Saul] to do things and turn a blind eye to things that Jimmy McGill would not be able to stomach.”
In other words, the character will be more Saul than Jimmy this year, and while the storyline may intersect with Walter White or Jesse Pinkman at some point, Saul is a show primarily about three characters, Jimmy McGill and Mike Ehrmantraut and Kim Wexler. Gould said he is “desperate” to cross streams, but would only dip into Breaking Bad if it advances the story of those three characters.
In the meantime, Gould suggests that the question viewers should ask themselves as the show heads into its fifth season is, “We know who Saul Goodman is, but who is Saul Goodman to Kim Wexler?” In other words, will Kim abandon Saul Goodman? Or adapt to Saul Goodman? We have witnessed Kim get caught up in a number of Slippin’ Jimmy schemes, but Wexler has, so far, drawn a line between Jimmy and Saul. Will she cross that line? Will it blur? Will the outsized presence of Saul pull Kim into his orbit? Is Kim more devoted to the law and her career or is she more devoted to Jimmy/Saul?
That expects to be the major thrust of season five, although Saul will not lose sight of Gene Takovic:
In some ways, Gene is very enigmatic. In some ways, he’s the opposite of Saul Goodman because he speaks so very little, he’s so afraid. But I’m fascinated by that situation and by the question of: is there still any chance of redemption or ray of light in this guy’s life after all the terrible things that he’s done, now that he’s run away and hidden himself in Omaha?”
As much as I might like to see Gene find his inner Jimmy and redeem himself, we can’t lose sight of the fact that real Jimmy is a grifter, too. He’s just not a grifter willing to put out a hit on a client, as he did with Jesse. The “real” Jimmy plays fast and loose with the law, and if Kim can’t stop him from becoming Saul Goodman, I’m not so sure she can mold the man she wants him to be out of Gene Takovic, either.
We will find out when Better Call Saul returns, and while season five is not likely the last for the series, “we are closer to the end than to the beginning,” Gould tells EW.
(Via EW)
