The fifth season of the
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** AM ...
television series ''
Better Call Saul
''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...
'' premiered on February 23, 2020, in the United States, and concluded on April 20, 2020. The ten-episode season was broadcast on Mondays at 9:00pm (
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
) in the United States, except for the premiere which aired on a Sunday.
Bob Odenkirk
Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has re ...
,
Jonathan Banks
Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Chillum Heights, Maryland, while attending Indiana University Bloomington Banks did theatre. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles where he beg ...
,
Rhea Seehorn
Rhea may refer to:
* Rhea (bird), genus of flightless birds native to South America
* Rhea (mythology), a Titan in Greek mythology
It may also refer to:
People
* Rhea (name), list of people with this name
Mythology
* Rhea Silvia, in Roman myth ...
,
Patrick Fabian
Patrick Fabian (born December 7, 1964) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is known for his role as attorney Howard Hamlin in ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). His film roles include '' End Game'' (2006), ''The Last Exorcism' ...
,
Michael Mando
Michael Mando (born July 13, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He played Nacho Varga on the AMC series ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022), Vaas Montenegro in the video game franchise '' Far Cry'' (2012, 2021), Vic Schmidt in the sci-fi series ''Orph ...
, and
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (; born April 26, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'', from 2009 to 2011, and in its prequel series ''Better Ca ...
reprise their roles from previous seasons and are joined by
Tony Dalton
Álvaro Luis Bernat Dalton (born February 13, 1975), known professionally as Tony Dalton, is a Mexican-American actor and screenwriter. For much of his career, he acted in Mexican films, television shows, and stage plays. He is best known in the ...
, promoted to the main cast from his recurring role in the previous season. ''Better Call Saul'' is a
spin-off prequel of ''
Breaking Bad
''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hig ...
'' and was also created by
Vince Gilligan
George Vincent Gilligan Jr. (born February 10, 1967) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is known for his television work, specifically as creator, head writer, executive producer, and director of AMC's ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2 ...
; co-creator
Peter Gould
Peter Gould is an American television writer, director and producer. He worked on all five seasons of the AMC drama ''Breaking Bad''. He was nominated for four Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards for his work on the series. After ''Breaking B ...
also worked on the series.
The fifth season picks up where the
fourth left off, also taking place in 2004, four years before Jimmy McGill (Odenkirk) meets
Walter White Walter White most often refers to:
* Walter White (''Breaking Bad''), character in the television series ''Breaking Bad''
* Walter Francis White (1893–1955), American leader of the NAACP
Walter White may also refer to:
Fictional characters
...
(
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor and director who is best known for portraying Walter White in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and Hal in the Fox sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2 ...
) and
Jesse Pinkman
Jesse Bruce Pinkman is a main character in the American television series '' Breaking Bad'', played by Aaron Paul. He is a crystal meth cook and dealer and works with his former high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (Bryan Cranston). Jess ...
(
Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul (born Aaron Paul Sturtevant; August 27, 1979) is an American actor best known for portraying Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013), for which he won several awards, including the Critics' Choice Television ...
). The season shows the further evolution of Jimmy into the titular character, criminal defense lawyer "
Saul Goodman
James Morgan Jimmy McGill, better known by his trade name, business name Saul Goodman, is a character (arts), character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise ''Breaking Bad (franchi ...
", after regaining his law license, while fully rejecting the goodwill that
Howard Hamlin
Howard Hamlin is a fictional character who appears in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off prequel of '' Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Patrick Fabian and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Hamlin i ...
(Fabian) extends to him in the wake of his brother
Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* C ...
's death.
Kim Wexler
Kimberly Kim Wexler is a fictional Character (arts), character from the television series ''Better Call Saul'', a Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Breaking Bad''. Kim is primarily portrayed by Rhea Seehorn, and was created by Vince Gilligan and P ...
(Seehorn) is dismayed by Jimmy's secretive and sporadic nature as well as her own willingness to go along with Jimmy's morally-ambiguous motives to move ahead in her casework.
Lalo Salamanca
Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca is a fictional character on the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a prequel of '' Breaking Bad''. Introduced in the fourth season, he is portrayed by Tony Dalton and was created by Peter Gould and screenwriter ...
's (Dalton) presence in Albuquerque disrupts
Gus Fring
Gustavo "Gus" Fring is a fictional character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito in the crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' and its prequel ''Better Call Saul''. He is a Chilean-American businessman and major narcotics distributor in the Southwester ...
's (Esposito) legitimate restaurant business and his reputation with the
Juárez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel (Spanish: ''Cártel de Juárez''), also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, across the Mexico—U.S. border from El Paso, Texas. The cartel is one ...
. Both
Nacho Varga
Ignacio "Nacho" Varga is a fictional character who appears in the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a prequel spin-off of '' Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Michael Mando and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
Dialogue ...
(Mando), fearing for his father's safety, and
Mike Ehrmantraut
Michael Ehrmantraut () is a fictional character in '' Breaking Bad'' and its spinoff prequel ''Better Call Saul'', portrayed by Jonathan Banks. Mike is a former Philadelphia police officer who works for Gus Fring—and, on occasion, Saul Goodm ...
(Banks), who is struggling to cope with
his killing of
Werner Ziegler, are caught between Gus and Lalo's conflict, eventually drawing Jimmy and Kim in.
The fifth season received universal acclaim from critics, particularly for its performances and heightened tension compared to earlier seasons, and four nominations at the
72nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2019, until May 31, 2020, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was originally to be held at the Microso ...
, including for
Outstanding Drama Series.
Cast and characters
Main
*
Bob Odenkirk
Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has re ...
as
Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman, an attorney recently reinstated to the
New Mexico bar association
The State Bar of New Mexico (SBNM) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of New Mexico.
History
The State Bar of New Mexico first met on January 19, 1886 in Santa Fe, New Mexico as a voluntary professional organizati ...
who now practices
criminal defense law as Saul Goodman. In the present, he manages a
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is an American chain of baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in areas with high pedestrian traffic such as malls, airports and rest stops. The company's signature item is a cinnamon roll. As of December 2017, there are more th ...
store in
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
under the alias Gene Takavic.
*
Jonathan Banks
Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Chillum Heights, Maryland, while attending Indiana University Bloomington Banks did theatre. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles where he beg ...
as
Mike Ehrmantraut
Michael Ehrmantraut () is a fictional character in '' Breaking Bad'' and its spinoff prequel ''Better Call Saul'', portrayed by Jonathan Banks. Mike is a former Philadelphia police officer who works for Gus Fring—and, on occasion, Saul Goodm ...
, a Madrigal corporate security consultant and "
fixer" for Gus Fring's criminal ambitions.
*
Rhea Seehorn
Rhea may refer to:
* Rhea (bird), genus of flightless birds native to South America
* Rhea (mythology), a Titan in Greek mythology
It may also refer to:
People
* Rhea (name), list of people with this name
Mythology
* Rhea Silvia, in Roman myth ...
as
Kim Wexler
Kimberly Kim Wexler is a fictional Character (arts), character from the television series ''Better Call Saul'', a Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Breaking Bad''. Kim is primarily portrayed by Rhea Seehorn, and was created by Vince Gilligan and P ...
, primarily a corporate banking lawyer with a moral passion for
public defense
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
cases and Jimmy's girlfriend/wife and legal confidant.
** Katie Beth Hall portrays a young Kim in a flashback in "
Wexler v. Goodman
"Wexler v. Goodman" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off series of '' Breaking Bad''. The episode aired on March 23, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States ...
".
*
Patrick Fabian
Patrick Fabian (born December 7, 1964) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is known for his role as attorney Howard Hamlin in ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). His film roles include '' End Game'' (2006), ''The Last Exorcism' ...
as
Howard Hamlin
Howard Hamlin is a fictional character who appears in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off prequel of '' Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Patrick Fabian and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Hamlin i ...
, the sole managing partner of Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill following
Chuck McGill
Charles Lindbergh "Chuck" McGill Jr. is a fictional character who appears in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off prequel of ''Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Michael McKean and was created by Vince Gilligan and ...
's death in the
third season.
*
Michael Mando
Michael Mando (born July 13, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He played Nacho Varga on the AMC series ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022), Vaas Montenegro in the video game franchise '' Far Cry'' (2012, 2021), Vic Schmidt in the sci-fi series ''Orph ...
as
Nacho Varga
Ignacio "Nacho" Varga is a fictional character who appears in the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a prequel spin-off of '' Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Michael Mando and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
Dialogue ...
, a lieutenant in the
Juárez cartel
The Juárez Cartel (Spanish: ''Cártel de Juárez''), also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, across the Mexico—U.S. border from El Paso, Texas. The cartel is one ...
, now overseeing daily operations in Albuquerque; torn between the vicious Salamanca enforcers and Gus Fring's ambitions for removal of Don Eladio, his allegiance is co-opted by Fring, after trying to kill Hector Salamanca.
*
Tony Dalton
Álvaro Luis Bernat Dalton (born February 13, 1975), known professionally as Tony Dalton, is a Mexican-American actor and screenwriter. For much of his career, he acted in Mexican films, television shows, and stage plays. He is best known in the ...
as
Lalo Salamanca
Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca is a fictional character on the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a prequel of '' Breaking Bad''. Introduced in the fourth season, he is portrayed by Tony Dalton and was created by Peter Gould and screenwriter ...
, acting head of the brutal Salamanca family of (Juárez cartel) enforcers and a "fixer" for Don Eladio's Albuquerque distribution.
*
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (; born April 26, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'', from 2009 to 2011, and in its prequel series ''Better Ca ...
as
Gus Fring
Gustavo "Gus" Fring is a fictional character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito in the crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' and its prequel ''Better Call Saul''. He is a Chilean-American businessman and major narcotics distributor in the Southwester ...
, Chilean national, now Albuquerque narcotics distributor under Don Eladio's Juárez cartel; using his fried chicken chain,
Los Pollos Hermanos
Los Pollos Hermanos (; Spanish for The Chicken Brothers) is a fictional fast food restaurant chain specializing in chicken that was featured in the television series ''Breaking Bad'' and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul''. In the fictional u ...
, as a legitimate front.
Recurring
*
Mark Margolis
Mark Margolis (; born November 26, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for playing Alberto "The Shadow" in '' Scarface'', Antonio Nappa in '' Oz'', and Hector Salamanca in '' Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul''. His performance in ''Break ...
as
Hector Salamanca
''Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and ...
, a once brutal drug enforcer who, following a stroke, has been left unable to walk or speak.
*
Max Arciniega
Maximino Arciniega Jr. is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Domingo Gallardo "Krazy-8" Molina in the crime drama television series ''Breaking Bad'' and it's spin-off/prequel ''Better Call Saul''.
A native of the Northwest ...
as
Krazy-8 Molina
'' Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its ...
, a meth distributor working for Nacho.
* Sasha Feldman and Morgan Krantz as Sticky and Ron, a pair of drug users and petty criminals who become Jimmy's clients.
*
Josh Fadem
Josh Fadem (; born July 19, 1980) is an American actor, writer, and comedian.
Early life
Fadem was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended Booker T. Washington High School. He has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 2000.
Career ...
as Camera Guy, a
UNM film student who helps Jimmy on various projects and schemes.
* Hayley Holmes as Make-up Girl, a UNM film student.
* Julian Bonfiglio as Sound Guy, a UNM film student.
*
Kerry Condon
Kerry Condon (born 9 January 1983) is an Irish actress. She was the youngest actress to play Ophelia in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of ''Hamlet'' (2001–2002). She has since played Octavia of the Julii in ''Rome'' (2005–2007), St ...
as
Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike's widowed daughter-in-law and the mother of Kaylee Ehrmantraut.
*
Jeremiah Bitsui
Jeremiah Bitsui (born ) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Victor in the AMC series ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul''.
Early and personal life
Bitsui was born in Chinle, Arizona. He is of Navajo and Omaha descent, a ...
as
Victor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, one of Gus's henchmen.
* Ray Campbell as
Tyrus Kitt
''Breaking Bad (franchise), Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama Media franchise, franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, '' ...
, one of Gus's henchmen.
* Juan Carlos Cantu as
Manuel Varga
'' Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its ...
, Nacho's father and an owner of an upholstery shop.
*
Dean Norris
Dean Joseph Norris (born April 8, 1963) is an American actor. He is best known for playing DEA agent Hank Schrader on the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2020). He also portrayed town councilm ...
as
Hank Schrader
Henry R. Schrader ASAC is a fictional character in the AMC drama series '' Breaking Bad'' and its spin-off series ''Better Call Saul''. He is portrayed by Dean Norris and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan. Hank's character development ...
, a
DEA
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...
agent; reprising his role from ''Breaking Bad''.
*
Steven Michael Quezada
Steven Michael Quezada (); born February 15, 1963) is an American actor and politician. He played Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Steven Gomez in the AMC series ''Breaking Bad'' from 2008 to 2013 and 2 episodes of its spin-off, ''Be ...
as
Steven Gomez, an Albuquerque DEA agent; reprising his role from ''Breaking Bad''.
*
Dennis Boutsikaris
Dennis Boutsikaris (; born December 21, 1952) is an American character actor who has won the Obie Award twice. He is also a narrator of audiobooks, for which he has won 13 Golden Earphone Awards and 8 Audie Awards. He won Best Audiobook of the Y ...
as
Rich Schweikart
'' Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its ...
, founding partner of Schweikart & Cokely, Kim's boss.
*
Barry Corbin
Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award ...
as Everett Acker, the homeowner contesting eviction from property that Mesa Verde plans to use for a
call center
A call centre ( Commonwealth spelling) or call center (American spelling; see spelling differences) is a managed capability that can be centralised or remote that is used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of enquiries by telephone. ...
.
*
Rex Linn
Rex Maynard Linn (born November 13, 1956) is an American film and television actor. He is best known domestically for playing the role of Sgt. Frank Tripp in the CBS drama ''CSI: Miami'' and more recently for playing Kevin Wachtell in the televi ...
as
Kevin Wachtell
'' Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its s ...
, CEO of Mesa Verde Bank & Trust.
*
Cara Pifko
Cara Pifko (born March 15, 1976) is a Canadian actress known primarily for her work on television shows produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Life and career
Pifko was born in Toronto, Ontario. A graduate of the National Theatre Sch ...
as
Paige Novick
''Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its s ...
, senior counsel at Mesa Verde Bank & Trust.
*
Lavell Crawford
Lavell Crawford (born November 11, 1968) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Huell Babineaux in ''Breaking Bad'' (2011–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2017–2022). He also played the role of ...
as
Huell Babineaux
'' Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its ...
, professional pickpocket, Jimmy's security and fixer.
* Javier Grajeda as
Juan Bolsa
''Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its se ...
, a Juarez drug cartel underboss.
* Peter Diseth as
Bill Oakley
William Lloyd Oakley (born February 27, 1966) is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series ''The Simpsons''. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans Sc ...
, deputy
district attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...
.
*
Keiko Agena
Christine Keiko Agena (born October 3, 1973) is an American actress. She is mostly known for playing Lane Kim in ''Gilmore Girls'' and NYPD medical examiner Dr. Edrisa Tanaka on FOX's crime drama ''Prodigal Son'' (2019–2021).
Personal life
Ag ...
as Viola Gotto, Kim Wexler's
paralegal
A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...
.
Guests
*
Robert Forster
Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in ''Medium Cool'' (1969), Captain Dan Holland in ''The Black Hole'' (1979), Abdul Rafai in ''The Delta Force'' (1986), ...
as
Ed Galbraith
''Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its seq ...
, a vacuum cleaner repairman who creates new identities for fugitives; reprising his role from ''Breaking Bad'' and ''
El Camino''.
*
Stefan Kapičić as Casper, a member of
Werner Ziegler's construction crew.
*
Don Harvey as Jeff, the cab driver that recognized Gene as Saul Goodman.
* Ben Bela Böhm as Kai, the demolitions expert on Werner Ziegler's construction crew.
*
JB Blanc
Jean-Benoît Blanc is a French-British actor and director of film and television who has worked on animations and video games in Los Angeles.
Early life
Blanc was born in Paris, the son of an English people, English mother and a French people, ...
as
Barry Goodman
''Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its se ...
, a doctor on Gus Fring's payroll.
*
Steven Ogg
Steven Ogg is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Trevor Philips in the 2013 video game ''Grand Theft Auto V'' and Simon in '' The Walking Dead'', and has also appeared on ''Better Call Saul'', ''Westworld'', ''The Tick'', and ''Snow ...
as Sobchak / Mr. X, a criminal and private investigator.
*
Ed Begley Jr. as
Clifford Main
'' Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its ...
, founding partner of the Davis & Main law firm, who employs Jimmy in the
second season.
*
Norbert Weisser
Norbert Weisser (born July 9, 1946) is a German-born actor based in the US.
Based in Venice, California, he is a founding member of Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the ProVisional Theater, and the Padua Playwrights Festival. A long-time collaborator ...
as Peter Schuler, the CEO of Madrigal Electromotive, the parent company of Gus's
Los Pollos Hermanos
Los Pollos Hermanos (; Spanish for The Chicken Brothers) is a fictional fast food restaurant chain specializing in chicken that was featured in the television series ''Breaking Bad'' and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul''. In the fictional u ...
restaurants; reprising his role from ''Breaking Bad''.
*
Laura Fraser
Laura Fraser (born 24 July 1975) is a Scottish actress. She has played Door in the urban fantasy series ''Neverwhere'', Kate in the film ''A Knight's Tale'', Cat MacKenzie in the BBC Three drama series ''Lip Service'' and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle i ...
as
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
''Breaking Bad (franchise), Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama Media franchise, franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, '' ...
, a Madrigal Electromotive executive and a liaison to Gus Fring; reprising her role from ''Breaking Bad''.
*
Daniel Moncada
Daniel and Luis Moncada are Honduran-American actors and brothers known for their role as "The Cousins" Leonel and Marco Salamanca on the AMC crime drama series '' Breaking Bad'' (2010) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2016; 2018–2022) ...
and
Luis Moncada
Daniel and Luis Moncada are Honduran-American actors and brothers known for their role as "The Cousins" Leonel and Marco Salamanca on the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' (2010) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2016; 2018–2022). ...
as
Leonel and Marco Salamanca
''Breaking Bad (franchise), Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama Media franchise, franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, '' ...
(the Cousins), enforcers and hitmen for the Juárez Cartel.
*
Steven Bauer
Steven Bauer (born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson; December 2, 1956) is a Cuban-born American actor. Bauer began his career on PBS, portraying Joe Peña, the son of Cuban immigrants on '' ¿Qué Pasa, USA?'' (1977–1980) and is perhaps most ...
as
Don Eladio Vuente
''Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its seq ...
, the head of the Juarez drug cartel.
*
Roy Wood Jr.
Roy Norris Wood Jr. (born December 11, 1978) is an American humorist, stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, radio personality, actor, producer, podcaster, and writer best known for his correspondent appearances on ''The Daily Show with Trevor Noah ...
as Grant, an Albuquerque public defender.
Production
Development
On July 28, 2018,
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** AM ...
renewed ''
Better Call Saul
''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...
'' for a fifth season, just prior to the airing of the
fourth season. At the time of renewal, the number of episodes had yet to be specified, and even after the conclusion of the fourth season in October 2018, series co-creator
Peter Gould
Peter Gould is an American television writer, director and producer. He worked on all five seasons of the AMC drama ''Breaking Bad''. He was nominated for four Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards for his work on the series. After ''Breaking B ...
said they were still in discussions with
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...
for how long the fifth season would be, given that ''Better Call Saul'' had a finite amount of content. In November 2019, AMC confirmed that the fifth season would have ten episodes and would debut on February 23, 2020. On what to expect in the fifth season, Gould said that
Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman's first move is "to try to leverage all the contacts he has in the world of selling drop phones." He also posed a question about Saul's reputation "as not just a
criminal lawyer
A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ...
but a
lawyer?".
Casting
Main cast members
Bob Odenkirk
Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has re ...
,
Jonathan Banks
Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Chillum Heights, Maryland, while attending Indiana University Bloomington Banks did theatre. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles where he beg ...
,
Rhea Seehorn
Rhea may refer to:
* Rhea (bird), genus of flightless birds native to South America
* Rhea (mythology), a Titan in Greek mythology
It may also refer to:
People
* Rhea (name), list of people with this name
Mythology
* Rhea Silvia, in Roman myth ...
,
Patrick Fabian
Patrick Fabian (born December 7, 1964) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is known for his role as attorney Howard Hamlin in ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). His film roles include '' End Game'' (2006), ''The Last Exorcism' ...
,
Michael Mando
Michael Mando (born July 13, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He played Nacho Varga on the AMC series ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022), Vaas Montenegro in the video game franchise '' Far Cry'' (2012, 2021), Vic Schmidt in the sci-fi series ''Orph ...
, and
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (; born April 26, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'', from 2009 to 2011, and in its prequel series ''Better Ca ...
return from previous seasons as Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman,
Mike Ehrmantraut
Michael Ehrmantraut () is a fictional character in '' Breaking Bad'' and its spinoff prequel ''Better Call Saul'', portrayed by Jonathan Banks. Mike is a former Philadelphia police officer who works for Gus Fring—and, on occasion, Saul Goodm ...
,
Kim Wexler
Kimberly Kim Wexler is a fictional Character (arts), character from the television series ''Better Call Saul'', a Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Breaking Bad''. Kim is primarily portrayed by Rhea Seehorn, and was created by Vince Gilligan and P ...
,
Howard Hamlin
Howard Hamlin is a fictional character who appears in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off prequel of '' Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Patrick Fabian and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Hamlin i ...
,
Nacho Varga
Ignacio "Nacho" Varga is a fictional character who appears in the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a prequel spin-off of '' Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Michael Mando and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
Dialogue ...
, and
Gus Fring
Gustavo "Gus" Fring is a fictional character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito in the crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' and its prequel ''Better Call Saul''. He is a Chilean-American businessman and major narcotics distributor in the Southwester ...
, respectively.
Tony Dalton
Álvaro Luis Bernat Dalton (born February 13, 1975), known professionally as Tony Dalton, is a Mexican-American actor and screenwriter. For much of his career, he acted in Mexican films, television shows, and stage plays. He is best known in the ...
, who recurred in season four as
Lalo Salamanca
Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca is a fictional character on the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a prequel of '' Breaking Bad''. Introduced in the fourth season, he is portrayed by Tony Dalton and was created by Peter Gould and screenwriter ...
, was promoted to the main cast for the fifth season.
In January 2020, it was announced that ''Breaking Bad'' actors
Dean Norris
Dean Joseph Norris (born April 8, 1963) is an American actor. He is best known for playing DEA agent Hank Schrader on the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2020). He also portrayed town councilm ...
and
Steven Michael Quezada
Steven Michael Quezada (); born February 15, 1963) is an American actor and politician. He played Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Steven Gomez in the AMC series ''Breaking Bad'' from 2008 to 2013 and 2 episodes of its spin-off, ''Be ...
would reprise their roles as
Hank Schrader
Henry R. Schrader ASAC is a fictional character in the AMC drama series '' Breaking Bad'' and its spin-off series ''Better Call Saul''. He is portrayed by Dean Norris and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan. Hank's character development ...
and
Steven Gomez, along with actor
Robert Forster
Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in ''Medium Cool'' (1969), Captain Dan Holland in ''The Black Hole'' (1979), Abdul Rafai in ''The Delta Force'' (1986), ...
who appeared posthumously as
Ed Galbraith
''Breaking Bad'' is a neo-Western crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), its prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and its seq ...
.
The first episode of the season was dedicated to Forster.
Bill Burr
William Frederick Burr (born June 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, filmmaker, and podcaster. He has released multiple stand-up comedy specials, most notably ''Why Do I Do This?'' (2008), ''Let It Go'' (2010), '' You People Are ...
was set to return as
Patrick Kuby Patrick may refer to:
* Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name
* Patrick (surname), list of people with this name
People
* Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint
*Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
in "
Dedicado a Max", but scheduling fell through due to him needing to attend to a personal matter.
Filming
Filming for the fifth season began on April 10, 2019, in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, and ended in September 2019.
In the first scene of the season, Jimmy hides his real identity under his Gene Takavic alias while working at a
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is an American chain of baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in areas with high pedestrian traffic such as malls, airports and rest stops. The company's signature item is a cinnamon roll. As of December 2017, there are more th ...
in a shopping mall in
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
. The Cinnabon scenes in ''Better Call Saul'' are set in Omaha, but are filmed at the
Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque.
Series co-creator
Vince Gilligan
George Vincent Gilligan Jr. (born February 10, 1967) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is known for his television work, specifically as creator, head writer, executive producer, and director of AMC's ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2 ...
, who is also the creator of ''Breaking Bad'', said that the episode "
Bagman
The term bagman (or bag man) has different meanings in different countries.
One group of definitions centers on the idea of traveling. In British usage, "bagman" is a term for a traveling salesman, first known from 1808.
In Australian usage, ...
" was the most "challenging" episode he has had to direct so far.
Episodes
Broadcast
In the United States, the season debuted with a two-night premiere on Sunday, February 23, 2020, and Monday, February 24, where it returned to its regular timeslot.
In the weeks prior to the premiere, AMC had aired a ''Breaking Bad''
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
leading into the AMC premiere showing of ''
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie'' as lead-in to ''Better Call Saul''s fifth season. Regarding the decision to air the fifth season nearly a year and a half after the fourth, Sarah Barnett, the president of the entertainment networks group at
AMC Networks
AMC Networks Inc. is an American entertainment company headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York.
AMC Networks owns and operates the eponymous cable channel and its siblings, IFC, We TV, and Sundance TV; the art house movie theater IFC Cen ...
, said the long hiatus was "driven by talent needs, which we would not override if it would result in a worse show".
In certain international markets, like previous seasons, the fifth season was released on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
with episodes available the day after the episodes were broadcast on AMC.
Reception
Critical response
The fifth season of ''Better Call Saul'' received universal acclaim from
television critics. On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the season has an approval rating of 99% based on 184 reviews, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Grounded by Bob Odenkirk's endlessly nuanced, lived-in performance, ''Better Call Saul''s fifth season is a darkly funny, vividly realized master class in tragedy."
On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the season has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Kelly Connolly of ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' gave it 4.5/5 stars and wrote that ''Better Call Saul'' is better than other prequels, saying that the series "understands that the tragedy of fate is baked into the story." Writing for ''
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...
'', Adam Chitwood gave it a perfect 5/5 star review, stating that the series might have become even better than ''Breaking Bad'', and describing its execution as "unparalleled by anything on television right now". Daniel D'Addario of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' gave the first few episodes a positive review, saying "''Better Call Saul'', in the early going of its fifth and penultimate season, remains the picture of white-knuckled but real restraint." Jen Chaney of ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' said that Kim's development into a similar character as Jimmy made viewing the fifth season a more "nerve-wracking experience than usual, in the best, albeit still anxiety-provoking way."
The final few episodes of the season were highlighted by Alison Herman from ''
The Ringer'', as she mentioned that they finally had the two stories of ''Better Call Saul'', Jimmy's story involving legal work, and Mike's story involving the drug cartel, fully intersect after several seasons to a great effect. The episode "Bagman" received universal acclaim from critics and audiences, with some considering it to be the series' best episode. The following episode "
Bad Choice Road" received similar acclaim.
Rhea Seehorn's performance as Kim during the fifth season was seen by some critics as the stand-out performance of the season. Both from ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'',
Alan Sepinwall
Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He th ...
described her as the "MVP of ''Better Call Saul''", and Brian Tallerico referred to Seehorn's work as "one of the best performances on any show in the last decade".
Liz Shannon Miller of ''Collider'' wrote in regards to her Emmy snub, "Seehorn in particular hurts after turning in career-best work; Kim Wexler's journey in Season 5 was a heartbreaking, even chilling experience".
The final scene from "Bad Choice Road" in which Kim stands up to Lalo for Jimmy was highlighted by
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
's Brian Lowry, saying that it has "really been Seehorn's year, crystallizing what has drawn Kim to Jimmy" and that is showed the "character's strength". ''
TVLine
''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs.
History
In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
'' named Seehorn their "Performer of the Week" for her performance in "Bad Choice Road", particularity the final scene. They wrote that Seehorn was "delivering one of the best performances on TV" and "is the best thing that ever happened to ''Better Call Saul''."
Critics' top ten list
Ratings
Accolades
In response to the Emmy nominations, several critics felt that Odenkirk (who had been nominated for each previous season) and Seehorn were significant
snub
A snub, cut or slight is a refusal to recognise an acquaintance by ignoring them, avoiding them or pretending not to know them. For example, a failure to greet someone may be considered a snub.
In Awards and Lists
For awards, the term "snub" ...
s.
Home media
The fifth season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in
region 1 on November 24, 2020. The set contains all 10 episodes, plus cast and crew audio commentaries on every episode, deleted scenes, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Related media
''Ethics Training with Kim Wexler''
AMC released ten mini-episodes of ''Ethics Training with Kim Wexler'' alongside the fifth season of ''Better Call Saul'', which were presented on both
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
and AMC's social media sites. It follows similar series ''
Los Pollos Hermanos Employee Training w/ Gus Fring'' for season three and ''
Madrigal Electromotive Security Training'' presented by Mike Ehrmantraut for the fourth season. The ethics training videos are presented as
continuing education
Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United ...
videos mixing live-action segments of Kim with Jimmy filming her behind the scenes along with animated segments, and are a product of "Saul Goodman Productions". The animated segments include nods to both ''Better Call Saul'' and ''Breaking Bad''.
The web series won the award for
Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series at the
72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
The 72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards honored the best in artistic and technical achievement in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2019, until May 31, 2020, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. ...
.
Notes
References
External links
* – official site
*
*
{{Better Call Saul
2020 American television seasons
Season 5
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
Television series set in 2004