Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould faced a huge challenge as they brought their series Better Call Saul to an end. Not just because of the normal pressures that come with wrapping a critically acclaimed and beloved (by those who watched it) show. But also because of how they ended Breaking Bad, one of the best series endings of recent memory.
After thinking about Monday’s series finale for a few days, I am comfortable saying they absolutely met that challenge.
G&G have taken all kinds of risks over the 14 years they’ve been behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. They’ve certainly moved the art form forward, setting a standard that only a few programs have come close to meeting since.
One of their greatest accomplishments has to be the choices they made in ending BCS.
(A quick note for those who have not watched: “Saul Goodman” is a professional name taken on by Jimmy McGill, the show’s main character, played by Bob Odenkirk. The character took on a third name, Gene Takovic, in the part of the show that takes place after Breaking Bad. For our purposes, I will refer to this person only as Saul.)
For example, I mentioned in my July Media post that I watched up through episode nine and then decided to take a pause. That was partially to catch my breath after one of the most impactful episodes in the series’ history, one in which Saul and Kim Wexler’s elaborate gambit to discredit attorney Howard Hamlin came to a shocking end, their nemesis Lalo Salamanca met his demise, and Wexler finally caved under the pressure of life with Saul. It was also because I was nearly caught up and wanted a few episodes to stack up in the DVR so I could binge them leading into the finale. I had no idea that was the perfect spot to stop, as the world that BCS had occupied over its six seasons effectively ended when that episode faded to black.
What came next was a brilliant leap forward. G&G have hinted since the show’s opening moments of what happened to Saul after Breaking Bad. A few times a season we were treated to a cold open that featured him working in a Cinnabon in Omaha under the name Gene Takovic, always shot in black and white. Was he in witness protection? Hiding on his own? We were never told. But every season there were a few breadcrumbs to let us know the show would eventually land there.
And that was where most of the final four episodes took place. Episode ten was a fantastic dive into an elaborate caper that Saul/Gene was planning with two associates. The final three played out the ramifications of that caper, eventually leading to him being captured after a character played by CAROL FUCKING BURNETT turned him in.
From there we got the resolution of Saul’s story, complete with some flashbacks to the Breaking Bad world.
I had a hard time watching these last three episodes because of where they seemed to be going. By the early moments of episode 13, Saul seems like a horrible person that I suddenly did not want a happy ending for. He’s done all kinds of shady shit over six seasons. He always seemed to have a heart of gold, though, and while a soft landing was unlikely, there was still that hope that we would at least see some of that better side in the person he was at the show’s end. Not only did he seem lost, he seemed violent, desperate, reckless, and without any redeeming qualities.
Until G&G gave us one more twist. As Saul negotiates with the Feds to avoid hard time for the litany of crimes he committed while in the service of Walter White, he sacrifices it all to protect Wexler.
Finally the closing scene…man was that good. We see that Saul is doing alright in prison. His years of aiding the less fortunate and those who are probably headed to lockup earning him a measure of protection. His experience at Cinnabon seems to have landed him a solid job in the prison bakery. And then Wexler comes for a visit. They share a cigarette and a few words, but basically stand and look at each other, their affection for and loyalty to each other unspoken. They share a look from across the yard as she leaves. And our final image is of Saul disappearing from her site as she leaves.
You can throw a lot of over-analysis at a scene like that. I thought it was beautifully shot, perfectly understated, and honored everything those two characters were about. It was also emblematic how how BCS was different from Breaking Bad. BB ended with insane violence and death. BCS closes with Saul and Kim finding some sense of peace after all of it. Saul got what he deserved, 80 or so years in the slammer, maybe less with good behavior, but was able to protect the love of his life in the process. Wexler got a fresh start and an opening to make a difference as she discovered a legal aid office in her new home of Florida.
I don’t know if it was an absolutely perfect ending, but it felt right and earned.
Thus ends one of the great epics in TV history. Gilligan and Gould gave us so many great characters, stories, and scenes over the past 14 years and 11 seasons. I would rate BCS slightly ahead of BB, but that could just be recency bias. I certainly remember more scenes from Saul than BB, which helps in my ratings. The relationship between Saul and his brother Chuck, and all the drama there, carried the first half of the series. Their courtroom battle and Chuck’s stunning death were some of the series’ high points. I will forever hold Wexler dressing down Lalo Salamanca late in season five as one of my all time favorite scenes. Plus dozens more examples.
All pretty good for a show that A) seemed like a joke when first floated as a BB sequel, B) was originally supposed to be a 30 minute comedy rather than another hour-long drama. It carved out its own, unforgettable niche while also expanding the BB timeline on both sides of the original show.