The sixth and final 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
*** ...
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 April 18, 2022, in the United States, and concluded on August 15, 2022. The thirteen-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 on AMC and its streaming service
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
*** ...
. Each episode 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 fi ...
the day after in certain international markets. The season was split into two parts; the first consisting of the first seven episodes concluded on May 23, 2022, before resuming with the second half consisting of the final six episodes on July 11.
Bob Odenkirk,
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 be ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, 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 ...
reprise their roles from previous seasons. ''Better Call Saul'' is a
spin-off,
prequel and
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
of ''
Breaking Bad'' 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– ...
and
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 ...
.
The sixth season picks up where the
fifth left off. The first nine episodes mainly take place in
Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2004, four years before
Jimmy McGill
James Morgan Jimmy McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise ''Breaking Bad''. He appears as a major character ...
(Odenkirk) begins his association with
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'' (2000–20 ...
) and
Jesse Pinkman (
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 eponymous character, criminal defense lawyer "
Saul Goodman
James Morgan Jimmy McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise ''Breaking Bad''. He appears as a major character i ...
", as he and his wife
Kim Wexler (Seehorn) execute their plan to ruin the career of
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) to force a resolution of the Sandpiper case. Simultaneously, it depicts the drug cartel's reactions to the assassination attempt on
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 ...
(Dalton). The remaining episodes mainly take place in 2010, after the events of ''Breaking Bad'', and show Saul living 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 ...
under the alias "Gene Takavic", hiding from the authorities after the demise of associate
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 ...
.
The sixth season was filmed over a period of eleven months in Albuquerque. Upon release, it received universal acclaim from critics, particularly for its performances, writing, visuals, emotional weight, and similarity to ''Breaking Bad'' compared to earlier seasons. The first half received four nominations at the
74th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2021, until May 31, 2022, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). The awards ceremony was held live on September 1 ...
, including for
Outstanding Drama Series while the second half is eligible for next year's Emmys.
Cast and characters
Main
*
Bob Odenkirk as
Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman, a criminal defense attorney practicing under the name Saul Goodman. In the post-''Breaking Bad'' timeline, he manages a
Cinnabon store in
Omaha 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 be ...
as
Mike Ehrmantraut, a
fixer in Gus Fring's criminal enterprise who is hunting down
Lalo after his attempted assassination.
*
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, a lawyer and Jimmy's wife and confidante.
*
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 ...
, managing partner of the Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill law firm.
*
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.
Dialog ...
, a lieutenant in the Salamanca organization who oversees daily operations in Albuquerque. He’s hiding in Mexico due to his involvement in the attempted assassination of Lalo 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 Salamancas, a family of drug dealers and enforcers for
Don Eladio's cartel. He is keeping surveillance of Gus' plans for a secret meth lab. For this reason, Gus orchestrated the assassination attempt with Nacho.
*
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 ...
as
Gus Fring, an Albuquerque narcotics distributor for Eladio's cartel who uses 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 ...
as a front.
Recurring
*
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 Davis & Main Attorneys at Law, who is working with Howard on the Sandpiper case.
*
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 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 ...
, a once-brutal drug dealer and cartel enforcer who suffered a stroke and is unable to walk or speak.
*
Daniel 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, '' ...
, twin hitmen for 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 of ...
and nephews of Hector.
* 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.
* 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 Juárez drug cartel underboss.
*
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.
* 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, who owns an upholstery shop.
* Peter Diseth as
Bill Oakley, a deputy district attorney.
* Harrison Thomas as
Lyle, the assistant manager of the Los Pollos Hermanos branch in Albuquerque.
* Jessie Ennis as
Erin Brill
''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 ...
, a lawyer at Davis & Main.
*
Tina Parker
Tina Parker is an American actress and director known for her role of Francesca Liddy, Saul Goodman's assistant on ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul
''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by ...
as
Francesca Liddy
'' 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 ...
, Saul's secretary.
* Lennie Loftin as Genidowski, a con man hired by Jimmy and Kim to pose as Howard's private investigator.
*
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 Joey Dixon/Marshall, a
UNM film teacher who helps Jimmy on various projects and schemes.
* Hayley Holmes as Make-up Girl/Drama Girl/Cheri, a UNM film student.
* Julian Bonfiglio as Sound Guy/Phil, a UNM film student.
*
Sandrine Holt as
Cheryl Hamlin, Howard's estranged wife.
*
John Posey as
Rand Casimiro
'' 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 retired judge who is mediating the Sandpiper case.
*
John Ennis as Lenny, a grocery store employee hired by Jimmy and Kim to impersonate Casimiro.
*
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 ...
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 the Scweikart and Cokely law firm.
*
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'' (2000–20 ...
as
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 ...
, a middle-aged high school chemistry teacher who, during the events of ''
Breaking Bad'', becomes involved with the drug trade and enlists Saul to help launder his money, appears in flashbacks.
*
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 ...
as
Jesse Pinkman, a former student of Walter's who, during the events of ''Breaking Bad'', works with him to produce and sell meth, appears in flashbacks.
*
Pat Healy as
Jeff
Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey.
Music
* DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes
* ...
, a cab driver who recognizes Gene as Saul Goodman. Healy replaced
Don Harvey, who was unable to reprise his role due to another filming commitment.
* Max Bickelhaup as Buddy, Jeff's friend and partner in crime.
*
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
as Marion, Jeff's mother who takes a liking to Gene.
Guests
*
Julie Ann Emery
Julie Ann Emery (born January 16, 1975) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series ''Better Call Saul'', ''Preacher'', and ''Five Days at Memorial''. She has appeared in films such as '' H ...
and
Jeremy Shamos
Jeremy Shamos (born February 22, 1970) is an American actor.
Early life
Shamos was born in New York City but raised in Denver, Colorado. He has a M.F.A. from New York University.
Career
Shamos is a character actor, his most notable roles are ...
as
Betsy and Craig Kettleman
''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 ...
, a married couple whom Jimmy, and later Kim, represented during an embezzlement case, and who attempted to extort Jimmy. Since Craig's release from prison they have operated a shady tax preparation service.
*
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, CEO of 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 and Jimmy's bodyguard and fixer.
* Julie Pearl as
Suzanne Ericsen, an assistant district attorney.
*
Eileen Fogarty as
Mrs. Nguyen, owner of a nail salon that houses Jimmy's law office in its utility room.
* Julia Minesci as
Wendy
Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries.
In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...
, a street prostitute working out of the Crossroads motel, reprising her role from ''
Breaking Bad''.
*
David Ury
David Brian Ury (born September 30, 1973) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, YouTuber, and Japanese translation specialist.
Early life and education
Ury was born and raised in Sonoma, California. He graduated from Sonoma Valley High Sch ...
as
Spooge, a small-time criminal, reprising his role from ''Breaking Bad''.
*
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 Goto
'' 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 ...
, Kim Wexler's former
paralegal.
* Andrea Sooch as
Margarethe Ziegler,
Werner Ziegler's widow.
*
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), Sta ...
as
Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike's widowed daughter-in-law and the mother of Kaylee Ehrmantraut.
*
Joe DeRosa as
Dr. Caldera
'' 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 veterinarian who serves as Mike and Jimmy's liaison to the criminal underworld.
*
Stefan Kapičić as
Casper
Casper may refer to:
People
* Casper (given name)
* Casper (surname)
* Casper (Maya ruler) (422–487?), ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque
* Tok Casper, first known king of Maya city-state Quiriguá in Guatemala, ruling beginning in 426
* David ...
, a member of Werner's construction crew.
*
Kirk Bovill
Kirk Bovill (born January 17, 1961) is an American actor, writer, voice-over artist and producer. His film credits include ''Vice'', ''20th Century Women'', ''Free State of Jones'', '' Get on Up'', ''Contraband'', ''Texas Killing Fields'', ''Whi ...
as Mr. Ryman, a seemingly innocent suburbanite who works for Gus Fring.
* Joni Bovill as Mrs. Ryman, a seemingly innocent suburbanite who works for Gus Fring.
* Jean Effron as Irene Landry, Jimmy's former
elder law
Elder rights are the rights of older adults (usually those in the seventh decade of life or older, although this definition is disputed), who in various countries are not recognized as a constitutionally protected class, yet face discrimination ...
client who represents the
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
in the Sandpiper lawsuit.
*
Steven Bauer 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 ...
, head of the cartel.
*
Reed Diamond
Reed Edward Diamond (born July 20, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Det. Mike Kellerman on '' Homicide: Life on the Street'', Jason Pillar in season 8 of '' 24'', and recurring character Laurence Dominic on ''Dollhouse' ...
as David, a
sommelier
A sommelier ( or or ; ), or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the wine steward in fin ...
at a prestigious restaurant and Fring's frequent confidante.
*
Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir (born February 4, 1962) is an American actor and comedian, perhaps best known for portraying Jerry Gergich on the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation''.
O'Heir first became active in Chicago theater and improv during the late 1980s ...
as Frank, a security guard at Cottonwood Mall whom Gene befriends.
*
Devin Ratray
Devin D. Ratray (born January 11, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Buzz McCallister in the ''Home Alone'' franchise, as well as the films ''Nebraska'', ''Blue Ruin'' and '' Kimi''. His television work includes '' The Tick' ...
as Alfred Hawthorne Hill, a boorish man who falls victim to Gene's identity theft scam.
*
Kevin Sussman as Mr. Lingk, a man with cancer who is targeted for a scam by Gene.
* John Koyama as Emilio Koyama, Jesse's future partner in the drug business during the events of ''Breaking Bad''.
*
Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt (born March 14, 1973) is an American actress. She portrayed Marie Schrader in ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spinoff show, ''Better Call Saul'' (2022) and played Heather Hughes in the CBS sitcom ''Life in Pieces'' (2015 ...
as
Marie Schrader
Marie Schrader (''née'' Lambert) is a fictional character in the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' and its spin-off series ''Better Call Saul.'' Portrayed by Betsy Brandt, she is Skyler White's sister, Hank's wife, and Walter White's sister-in- ...
,
Hank Schrader's widow. She appears as a witness against Saul Goodman when he is finally arrested and attends Saul's trial.
*
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in '' Laverne & Shirley'', David St. Hubbins in '' ...
as
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 ...
, Jimmy's deceased brother and partner at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, appears in a flashback.
Production
Development
![Vince Gilligan & Peter Gould](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Vince_Gilligan_%26_Peter_Gould.jpg)
In January 2020,
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
*** ...
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 sixth and final season. Showrunner
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 ...
and AMC representatives confirmed it would consist of 13 episodes,
higher than the usual 10. This brought the series' total episode count to 63, one more than its predecessor ''
Breaking Bad''. Gould stated, "From the beginning when we started this, I think all our hopes and dreams were to be able to tell the whole story... and make it to be a complete story from beginning to end... We're going to try like hell to stick the landing of these 63 episodes."
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 ...
had previously speculated in April 2019 that the series would end with a sixth season because it was the "comfortable way" to do so, similar to how ''Breaking Bad''
fifth and final season was split into two halves, giving the feeling that the latter half was the sixth season. Gould said he initially doubted how he could do 13 episodes because the 10-episode count of previous seasons proved physically exhausting for him, but executive producer and writer
Thomas Schnauz
Thomas Schnauz (born ) is an American television producer and television writer. His credits include '' The X-Files'', ''The Lone Gunmen'', '' Night Stalker'', '' Reaper'', '' Breaking Bad'', and '' Better Call Saul''.
Personal life
Schnauz was ...
convinced him to go for 13, saying, "You'll know it's the last 13 so you'll see the barn in the distance. You'll be like the horse that gallops down the last bit."
Writing
In February 2020, Gould suggested the sixth season would explore
Saul Goodman
James Morgan Jimmy McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise ''Breaking Bad''. He appears as a major character i ...
's flashforwards as Gene Takavic to a greater extent than previous seasons. By April 2020, scripting for the season had already begun. Gould did not want the season to be anticlimactic, so, to deliver a satisfactory conclusion to ''Better Call Saul'', he brought 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– ...
, who also created ''Breaking Bad'', back to the writer's room "for a good chunk of the season".
Gilligan had not been involved in the writers' room since early in
season three
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 pol ...
. By December 2020, scripting was still not complete, with Gould saying the writers having to communicate through
Zoom
Zoom may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Zoom (software), videoconferencing application
* Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display
* Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...
, rather than in person, was like "trying to dance in quick sand".
Gould later said the season would explore if there was any way for Saul to earn redemption after his criminal activities throughout the series. During filming of the season, series star
Bob Odenkirk said that Gould told him that "when ''Better Call Saul'' is done it will shed new light... you will see ''Breaking Bad'' and the story of ''Breaking Bad'' in a different way", comparing to its final season where Gilligan had "start
dknocking things down and start
dlighting fires and burning everything down".
Casting
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-Quay ...
, who portrayed
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, '' ...
in both ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul'', confirmed after the announcement of the premiere date that she was unable to reprise her role for the final season. This was due to
COVID-19 restrictions preventing travel between the United States and Scotland, where she lived when the final season began filming. Prior to the season premiere, it was announced that
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'' (2000–20 ...
and
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 ...
would reprise their roles from ''Breaking Bad'' for the final season as
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 ...
and
Jesse Pinkman, respectively.
During the mid-season break, it was announced that the latter half of the season would feature
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
in the role of Marion, although details about the character were not disclosed.
It was also revealed that the character of
Jeff
Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey.
Music
* DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes
* ...
, the cab driver who recognized Saul in Omaha, had been recast from
Don Harvey to
Pat Healy. Fans theorized this was due to Harvey's filming commitments on ''
We Own This City''.
Harvey later expressed disappointment in not being able to reprise the role due to scheduling conflicts, but praised Healy for making the character his own.
Filming
COVID-19 delays
In April 2020,
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
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 ...
separately said filming was scheduled to begin that September, but both were unsure if it would be delayed due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
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 ...
said in July that filming would not begin until it was safe to do so. In August, producer
Mark Johnson said the pandemic could limit where the series films by eschewing specific indoor locations: "Like a lot of other people, we're going to have to be very creative in where and how we shoot
..A lot of places just won't let you in
..We don't want everything to be a chamber piece". In the same month, Gould said filming was unlikely to start in 2020 due to the pandemic, adding that while
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 Entertainme ...
was doing "everything humanly" possible for the series to resume filming safely, "I think we are probably going to delay a little bit unfortunately." In October, Esposito said filming would begin in March 2021, which was echoed by Odenkirk in February 2021.
Filming officially began on March 10, 2021, in New Mexico. Each episode was expected to take about three weeks to film, a longer filming schedule compared to previous seasons, where a typical episode was filmed in nine days.
Cranston and Paul were flown in to Albuquerque and filmed their scenes in April 2021. Their roles were kept in absolutely secrecy, with both actors kept out of sight when not on set, similar to Cranston's cameo in ''
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie''. They stayed in Alburquerque for four days at an
Airbnb
Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 b ...
, with all wardrobe and makeup done in the home and only leaving to be taken on site to shoot. They appeared in one scene together as well as one individual scene each. The Cinnabon scenes in ''Better Call Saul'' are set in Omaha, but are filmed at the
Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Production was predicted to last roughly eight months, but filming instead
wrapped after eleven months on February 9, 2022.
Additional filming was done in March 2022, after principal photography for the series ended, for the opening teaser of "
Point and Shoot". With several crew members but no cast members on hand, the scene was filmed in
Leo Carrillo State Beach, California. This was the only time the series was filmed outside of New Mexico.
Odenkirk's on-set collapse
On July 27, 2021, after filming a "Point and Shoot" scene for twelve hours, Odenkirk was riding his exercise bike when he suffered a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
.
Seehorn, Fabian, and Dalton were nearby and immediately called for help upon seeing him collapse. The shows health safety supervisor Rosa Estrada and Assistant Director Angie Meyer administered
CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...
and deployed an automated
defibrillator
Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current (often called a ''coun ...
; it took three attempts for his pulse to return. Odenkirk was rushed to Presbyterian Hospital, where two
stent
In medicine, a stent is a metal or plastic tube inserted into the lumen of an anatomic vessel or duct to keep the passageway open, and stenting is the placement of a stent. A wide variety of stents are used for different purposes, from expandab ...
s were put in his body to relieve
plaque
Plaque may refer to:
Commemorations or awards
* Commemorative plaque, a plate or tablet fixed to a wall to mark an event, person, etc.
* Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military personnel after World War I
* Pl ...
buildup. Odenkirk was treated without further surgery and took a five-week break from filming, requiring production to make accommodating schedule changes.
In mid-August, Dalton said scenes not involving Odenkirk were being filmed, but Odenkirk had not yet been given clearance to return. Odenkirk confirmed by early September 2021 that he was back on set filming.
Averted IATSE strike
In October 2021, a
potential strike by the
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada, known as simply the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE or ...
(IATSE) would have resulted in all productions in the New Mexico film and television industry shutting down, including ''Better Call Saul''. Odenkirk, Gould, New Mexico Governor
Michelle Lujan Grisham
Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham (; born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the List of governors of New Mexico, 32nd governor of New Mexico since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
and several members of the New Mexico state legislature voiced their support for the IATSE and for creating better working conditions for the unionized crew members. On October 16, 2021, a tentative agreement was made before the deadline between the IATSE and the
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is a trade association based in Sherman Oaks, California, that represents over 350 American television and film production companies in collective bargaining negotiations with ente ...
, temporarily averting a strike. The contract was ratified by the IATSE members on November 15, 2021, ending all prospects of a strike and allowing production to continue without interruption.
Episodes
Broadcast
When the sixth season was ordered by AMC in January 2020, it was scheduled to premiere in 2021.
However, in April 2020, Gilligan said that would depend on whether the cast and crew would be able to film in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, AMC confirmed that the sixth season would likely premiere in the first quarter of 2022. Gould's preference was to have all 13 episodes of the sixth season aired weekly and not for the season to be split in any manner; however, he noted that only AMC would decide the scheduling.
''
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), ...
'' reported on November 4, 2021, that the season would air over two halves, which was confirmed on the official announcement date on February 10, 2022.
Gould said the writers did not know the season would be split into two parts until AMC announced it. The first seven episodes began airing on April 18, 2022, and the last six episodes aired starting July 11, 2022, with a seven-week break in between both halves.
The break between both halves was shorter compared to the
split final season of ''Breaking Bad'', where the two halves aired a year apart. Splitting the season in two allowed the show to nominate each half of the season for different
Emmy Awards ceremonies, as the first half was eligible for the
74th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2021, until May 31, 2022, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). The awards ceremony was held live on September 1 ...
in 2022, while eligibility for the next year's ceremony began in June.
The
season premiere
A season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a returning television show. In the United States, many season premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or late winter.
In countries such ...
screened early for fans who attended
PaleyFest
The Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Television & Radio (MT&R) and the Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, is an American cultural institution in New York with a branch office in Los Angeles, dedicated to ...
in Los Angeles on April 9, 2022. The
mid-season premiere received an early screening during
Tribeca Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was fo ...
in New York on June 18, 2022.
Each episode would air on AMC at 9:00 pm (ET) on Mondays, with the first two episodes premiering back-to-back on the same night. During the season's run, each episode would be available to stream the day they premiered on
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
*** ...
, AMC's streaming service which first launched in June 2020.
The season premiere resulted in the biggest day of new subscriber sign-ups for AMC+, and by the
mid-season finale
A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try t ...
episodic viewership on the streaming service rose by 61%.
During the release of the
series finale on AMC+, the app experienced an outage, causing many users to be logged out. AMC later reported that first-day viewing numbers for the finale on AMC+ was four times as big as the
season premiere
A season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a returning television show. In the United States, many season premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or late winter.
In countries such ...
, and called the series' final season the highest acquisition driver in the history of the streaming service.
In certain international markets, like previous seasons, episodes were 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 fi ...
and other streaming services the day after their broadcast on AMC.
Reception
Critical response
The sixth season of ''Better Call Saul'' has received universal acclaim. 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 175 reviews, with an average rating of 9.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Better Call Saul'' remains as masterfully in control as Jimmy McGill keeps insisting he is in this final season, where years of simmering storytelling come to a scintillating boil."
On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that 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 average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the season has a score of 94 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
After the airing of the series finale, Stuart Jeffries of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said that the series had surprisingly surpassed its predecessor in quality, saying: "Over six series, ''Better Call Saul'' evolved into a more profound and beautiful drama about human corruption than its predecessor. It mutated into something visually more sumptuous than ''
Breaking Bad'', while never, for a moment, losing its verbal dexterity and moral compass". Craig Elvy of ''
Screen Rant'' also opined that the series was better than its predecessor, saying: "Jimmy McGill's spinoff leaves a very familiar legacy – sustained and enthusiastic praise from audiences and critics, capped by an ending that satisfies across the board." He went on to say: "When ''Better Call Saul'' began, many would've hoped the spinoff could either escape ''Breaking Bad''s shadow, or somehow enhance Walt and Jesse's story with illuminating new details. Few dared dream ''Better Call Saul'' would achieve both, and the sheer ambition to create a spinoff that wholly embraces its predecessor whilst also existing in a totally different realm exemplifies why ''Better Call Saul'' has an ever-so-slight edge over ''Breaking Bad''." Jeremy Urquhart of ''
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 particl ...
'' made a comparison between the quality of both series’, saying: "''Breaking Bad'' succeeds as a crime-thriller tragedy with a fast-paced plot, and ''Better Call Saul'' works as a slower-paced, character-focused drama (with some dark comedy)". He said his list "doesn't aim to argue that one is better than the other. It's a matter of personal preference, but it's hard to deny that there are certain things ''Better Call Saul'' does better, but also some areas where it isn't quite as great as its parent show."
Part 1
The two-episode premiere "
Wine and Roses
"Wine and Roses" is the first episode of the sixth season of ''Better Call Saul'', the spin-off television series of '' Breaking Bad''. Michael Morris directed the episode written by Peter Gould. It aired back-to-back with "Carrot and Stick" ...
" and "
Carrot and Stick
The phrase "carrot and stick" is a metaphor for the use of a combination of reward and punishment to induce a desired behaviour.
In politics, "carrot or stick" sometimes refers to the realist concept of soft and hard power. The carrot in this ...
" received positive reviews from critics.
David Segal of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' described the first episode as "strong, twisty and gripping" and said the writing "must be hailed as a masterly curtain raiser, one that managed to pick up the story right where it was left, two years ago, and hurl it forward at a promising pace." Segal criticized Kim's con against Howard at the country club, calling it "dimmer and daffier than the rest of the show" and "pointlessly cruel". Reviewing both "Wine and Roses" and "Carrot and Stick" together, ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
''s Kimberly Potts graded them with an "A" and gave positive notes to Gould's screenplay and the performances of the cast, especially those of
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 and Michael Mando as Nacho. Steve Greene, writing for ''
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
'', said the first two episodes were "astonishingly short on false moves so far". He also noted
Ed Begley Jr.'s acting as Clifford Main and the symbolism in Kim throwing away the "World's 2nd Best Lawyer" coffee mug, calling it "a poetic bookend of sorts." David Segal of ''The New York Times'' described the second episode as "superb and stressful" and said it was a "study in damage control, overseen by a man
uswho seems uncharacteristically ruffled and uncertain about what to do." Segal also said the shootout scene was "expertly staged" by Gilligan and that Rhea Seehorn's performance as Kim provided an opportunity for her to "demonstrate an almost thuggish toughness." Scott Tobias, writing for ''
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 ...
'', compared the motel sequences to the
Spaghetti Westerns of
Sergio Leone, including ''
Once Upon a Time in the West
''Once Upon a Time in the West'' ( , "Once upon a time (there was) the West") is a 1968 epic Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, who co-wrote it with Sergio Donati based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Leone ...
'' (1968). He also gave positive notes to the level of detail in the episode's opening scene, calling it "one big reason ''Better Call Saul'' stands apart from other shows."
The third episode "
Rock and Hard Place", which concluded Nacho's arc, received acclaim by critics. Kaleena Rivera of ''Pajiba'' praised
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 ...
's display of rage and the episode's buildup to the ending. ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
''s Kimberly Potts said Mando's acting was deserving of an
Emmy nomination. She also compared Nacho's last words to
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 ...
's confession to
Jesse Pinkman in the ''
Breaking Bad'' episode "
Ozymandias
"Ozymandias" ( ) is a sonnet written by the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822). It was first published in the 11 January 1818 issue of '' The Examiner'' of London.
The poem was included the following year in Shelley's c ...
" and gave positive notes to the performances of
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 ...
and
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 ...
and the show's development of Nacho as a compelling character.
David Segal of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' saluted
Smith
Smith may refer to:
People
* Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals
* Smith (given name)
* Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland
** List of people wi ...
's screenplay and direction and the production design. He similarly compared Nacho's life to that of Jesse's—both criminals who made "some terrible life choices" and were "over-punished for them"—adding, "It would have been great to see more of this stellar actor, but if you must leave a show, a more dramatic and affecting end is hard to imagine."
The mid-season finale "
Plan and Execution
"Plan and Execution" is the seventh episode and mid-season finale of the sixth season of ''Better Call Saul'', the spin-off television series of '' Breaking Bad''. It was written and directed by Thomas Schnauz. It aired on May 23, 2022, on AM ...
", which showcased the culmination of Saul and Kim’s plot to ruin Howard’s career and reputation, received acclaim, particularly for
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' ...
's performance. Scott Tobias 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 ...
'' and Nick Harley of ''
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
'' shared five out of five ratings for the episode, while Kimberly Potts from ''The A.V. Club'' and Steve Greene from ''
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
'' both gave the episode an "A" grade.
Part 2
The mid-season premiere "
Point and Shoot", which concluded Lalo's arc, was met with critical acclaim. It received five out of five stars from ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''s Stuart Jeffries and ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
''s James Jackson, four out of five stars from Scott Tobias 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 ...
'', Nick Harley of ''Den of Geek'', and Ed Power of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'', and "A" grades from ''The A.V. Club''s Kimberly Potts, ''
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
''s Steve Greene, and ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
''s Darren Franich.
The series finale "
Saul Gone" received critical acclaim. Giving the episode an A grade, Kimberly Potts of ''The A.V. Club'' called it a "supremely satisfying sendoff" with "blasts from the past and one last twist". At ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'', Rafael Motamayor gave the episode a 10 out of 10 rating, describing it as a "subtler character study, exploring regrets and change in its protagonist". He also noted the episode title and complimented it for being "a thematic bookend on a show that was never really about Saul Goodman" and highlighted the motif of time machines. Similarly, ''Vulture''s Jen Chaney also discussed the motif of time machines in the episode, and commended it for offering more depth and context to ''Breaking Bad'', and felt the series was superior to ''Breaking Bad'', as it "dared to widen its scope and go bigger than ''Breaking Bad'' ever did". In addition, the website's Scott Tobias gave it a 5 out of 5 rating and wrote, "'Saul Gone'
..finds an ending for Jimmy that's hopeful and authentic without feeling rosy or unearned."
Critics' top ten list
Ratings
Accolades
Home media
The sixth season was released on
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in
region 1 on December 6, 2022; bonus features includes cast and crew audio commentaries on every episode, deleted scenes, outtakes, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Related media
''American Greed: James McGill''
On April 1, 2022, a few weeks before the season premiere, the
CNBC Prime YouTube account uploaded ''American Greed: James McGill''. Written by Peter Gould's assistant Valerie Chu, the ten-minute short is a
mockumentary
A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.
These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
done in the style of the documentary series ''
American Greed
''American Greed'' (also known as ''American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals'' and as ''American Greed: Scams, Schemes and Broken Dreams'') is an American documentary television series on CNBC. The series focuses on cases of Ponzi schemes, ...
'' and recaps the events of both ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul''. Narrated by
Stacy Keach
Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...
, the mockumentary has interviews of several recurring ''Better Call Saul'' characters, including DA
Suzanne Ericsen (Julie Pearl), Deputy DA
Bill Oakley (Peter Diseth), and Kim Wexler's former boss
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 ...
(
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 ...
). Also making reappearances are
Betsy and Craig Kettleman
''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 ...
(
Julie Ann Emery
Julie Ann Emery (born January 16, 1975) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series ''Better Call Saul'', ''Preacher'', and ''Five Days at Memorial''. She has appeared in films such as '' H ...
and
Jeremy Shamos
Jeremy Shamos (born February 22, 1970) is an American actor.
Early life
Shamos was born in New York City but raised in Denver, Colorado. He has a M.F.A. from New York University.
Career
Shamos is a character actor, his most notable roles are ...
, respectively), who had not appeared on the series since the
first season, but made additional canonical appearances in the short film ''
No Picnic
''No Picnic'' is a film written and directed by Philip Hartman. It was filmed in black and white at New York in 1985 and was released the next year, in the Sundance Film Festival, where it won Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic. Describe ...
'', which was released after the
third season, and on the ''Inside the Gilliverse'' podcast in 2020.
The short film was shot in Albuquerque in March 2022, a year after Emery and Shamos filmed the ''Better Call Saul'' episode "
Carrot and Stick
The phrase "carrot and stick" is a metaphor for the use of a combination of reward and punishment to induce a desired behaviour.
In politics, "carrot or stick" sometimes refers to the realist concept of soft and hard power. The carrot in this ...
".
''Talking Saul''
''
Talking Saul'' made its return for ''Better Call Saul''s sixth season, and aired following the
mid-season finale
A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try t ...
as well as for the series'
penultimate episode. Guests included Peter Gould, Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian for the first episode, and Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Bob Odenkirk; and Rhea Seehorn (via satellite) for the second episode. The show had been off the air since after ''Better Call Saul''s
third season.
''Slippin' Jimmy''
''Variety'' reported in March 2021 that AMC was developing an animated spinoff series, ''Slippin' Jimmy''. The series was later revealed as a short-form series; a six-part animated series to be released online during the sixth season of ''Better Call Saul''. Each episode is inspired by a specific film genre — from
spaghetti Westerns and
Buster Keaton to ''
The Exorcist
''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...
''. The series was produced by ''
Rick and Morty
{{Infobox television
, image = Rick and Morty title card (cropped).png
, alt =
, caption =
, genre = {{Plainlist,
* Animated sitcom
* Adult animation
* Science fiction
* Black comedy
* ...
'' animators Starburns and written by ''Better Call Saul'' writers Ariel Levine and Kathleen Williams-Foshee. Voice actors include
Chi McBride
Kenneth "Chi" McBride ( ; born September 23, 1961) is an American actor. He has appeared in films, where he is known primarily as a character actor, and in television, where he has had numerous starring roles.
In film, he has played prominent ro ...
,
Laraine Newman, and
Sean Giambrone as Jimmy.
Six episodes of ''Slippin' Jimmy'', each around 8–9 minutes in length, were released on
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
*** ...
on May 23, 2022.
The series received negative reviews from fans and critics for its stark drop in quality compared to its predecessors. Mark Donaldson from ''
Screen Rant'' criticized the concept, saying "the animated spinoff is being sold as a digital exclusive but this race to provide sellable content to audiences undermines storytelling ... the team behind both ''
Breaking Bad'' and ''
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 ...
'' have proven themselves to be savvy storytellers that respect the journeys of their characters over cheap cash-ins. It's this integrity that makes ''Slippin Jimmy'' feel like such a misstep."
''Filmmaker Training''
For the sixth season, new episodes of the ''Better Call Saul Employee Training Video'' series, which had begun with the show's third season, were announced.
The employee videos released during the season were titled ''Filmmaker Training'' and premiered on July 11, 2022. The series consists of six episodes and focuses on the film crew that worked with Jimmy on his advertisements.
Notes
References
External links
* – official site
*
*
{{authority control
2022 American television seasons
Season 6
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 productions postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Split television seasons