Remember the days when we thought the Saul Goodman spinoff would be a half-hour sitcom? 2013 was a simpler time. Better Call Saul has always been quietly devastating, but now it’s blatantly so, with Kim Wexler leaving her husband Jimmy McGill. Instead of seeing the events that follow Kim leaving Jimmy, the scene following their break-up does a little time jump to Saul Goodman the way we knew him on Breaking Bad.
Kim’s fate has always been up in the air considering her noted absence from Breaking Bad, but now that she’s no longer a lawyer and left Jimmy and their fish without any indication of where she’s going, her fate is even more up in that air, if that’s even possible.
My Better Call Saul theories are usually incredibly wrong because I always incorrectly assume that the writers are kinder than they are (no offense to them personally) and for some reason, I assume that I could be as smart, even smarter, than the show’s writers. I am not! Kim’s departure at the end of last week’s “Fun and Games” has left my mind spinning at night with possible outcomes for Kim Wexler. To ease our collective Kim Wexler anxiety (or to make it worse), here are some theories on Kim Wexler’s whereabouts and how she could return and see Jimmy again.
Optimist Theory
Considering Kim’s absence from Breaking Bad and Jimmy’s complete pivot into an entirely new, unhinged personality as a result of her departure, it’s safe to say that Kim has left Albuquerque entirely and is unreachable. Without the whole being adjacent to crime and the cartel thing, Kim can live her life in peace. This is more of a dream than a theory, but my dream for Kim Wexler is that free of Slippin’ Jimmy, she is now living her best life, somewhere with lots of plants and a replacement for those fish she left in the middle of the night. Maybe she has a house on the beach, maybe she’s perfected her iconic curled ponytail. Wherever she is, she is safe.
Cynical Theory
The cynical and therefore more probable theory because the Better Call Saul writers are trying to rip our hearts out with their cold, sharp hands is that Kim has disappeared and is living in isolation as a way to protect herself, but also as a way to punish herself. Kim feels responsible for Howard Hamlin’s death. The scheme to ruin his career and reputation was her passion project and inadvertently led to his death at the hands of Lalo Salamanca. If Kim is living in isolation, it would mirror Jimmy/Saul’s black-and-white future as Gene, the Cinnabon manager in Nebraska. If Kim is living a similar life, the story would end with some sad, but fitting symmetry for the star-crossed lovers.
Kim and Jimmy Reunite
Whether they like it or not, Kim and Jimmy are inevitable and are drawn to each despite themselves. Kim is great for Jimmy because he’s less Slippin’ Jimmy and more Jimmy McGill when he’s with her. Kim, on the other hand, becomes more of a Slippin’ Kim when she’s around Jimmy. They ironically bring out both the best and the worst in each other. At this point, the story is pulling them apart, making a reunion likely. Now, it’s just a matter of where, when, and who finds who. My little theory now that is probably not going to happen because it is quite optimistic is that one finds the other, but now I’m convinced Kim will somehow track Jimmy down in Nebraska. It’s also possible that Jimmy (as Gene) could crack and find her himself. Although we’ve only gotten small glimpses at Gene’s life, it is sad and lonely and has probably put a lot of things into perspective for the man formerly known as Jimmy McGill.
If Kim and Jimmy reunite, I would hope that they run off into the sunset, hands interlocked. But that’s unlikely given the brutality of this final season. Maybe in the metaverse?
Kim Never Returns
If Better Call Saul wanted to continue its incredibly cruel streak, we would never see Kim Wexler again. If Rhea Seehorn does not appear again, or only appears briefly, that could be an explanation for her running for an Emmy in the supporting category besides that it was the only way to beat Reese Witherspoon. Now that I’m writing this, never seeing Kim again is the most wicked thing Better Call Saul could do, and is, therefore, the most likely.
Kim D*es
Just kidding! If I don’t speculate that Kim Wexler could die, then she won’t. Kim Wexler will NOT die. There is no way. Goodbye!
