‘Better Call Saul’ Team on the ‘Pressure’ to Deliver a Satisfying Finale

The series finale of Better Call Saul is almost here and the cast and creatives are offering some insight into the closing chapter.

Gathering for a virtual panel at the Summer 2022 TCA session, co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould joined stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn for a conversation reflecting on the show and answering questions about what’s next for Jimmy (Odenkirk) and Kim (Seehorn) in the finale.

Following a successful Breaking Bad finale delivery in 2013, there’s certainly pressure on Gilligan and Gould to live up to that, and it’s something they’re both acutely aware of. “It’s a lot of pressure. It’s very scary. A lot of sweaty palms, a lot of sleepless nights,” Gould acknowledged during the panel.

“I think those of us on the show are very happy with where it ended,” he added. Ultimately, it’s up to the fans to receive the show and determine their own opinions but considering Gould and Gilligan’s penchant for delivering unexpected twists, it’s best to go into the finale the open eyes and hearts. “All we can do is hope,” Gould said of his desire to please fans with the closing episode.

(Credit: Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)

“It is awesome,” Gilligan said of the highly-anticipated episode. “I can’t wait for people to see it. It was such a delight.” While he was shooting Episode 12, “Waterworks,” which aired Monday, August 8, Gould was busy working on the finale.

In comparison to his counterpart, Gilligan is less anxious about the impending conclusion, and said, “I can’t wait to see how people are gonna react to this. I’m so proud of it. Peter did a fantastic job.” And likewise, star Odenkirk hasn’t been stressed either, ” since I read it,” he said.

“The writers have found a way to deliver on the heart of the show,” Odenkirk clarified. “The audience has been amazing,” he commented. “And they are dialed into what this show is about.”

“It’s a privilege to get to work with all these people,” Gould acknowledged. “I work with the best cast and crew in television. I mean, it’s the ideal situation for any director. And… I did write the script myself,” the showrunner stated, teasing his last hurrah. “So, hopefully, people like it the way we do. That’s all I can say.”

(Credit: Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)

As for where the story is heading, there’s no denying that Jimmy’s made some wrong moves in the final batch of episodes. In his post-Breaking Bad storyline as Gene Takovic, he’s gotten so caught up in the game that it got him found out by one of his marks, Marion (Carol Burnett).

“You wanna see somebody go deep into their craziness,” Odenkirk said of his character’s descent into concerning territory. While Saul was always a shifty character on Breaking Bad, fans have come to know a different character on Better Call Saul, and seeing him threaten an old lady in the penultimate episode was just downright terrifying.

“At a certain point, he was driven by self-destruction,” Odenkirk teased. “I thought a lot about that movie, Leaving Las Vegas, this most recent round of Jimmy’s scam that included Marion.” What started out as a simple robbery scam at the mall blossomed into something much darker.

“The crime regarding getting these rich guys drunk and stealing their private information. That was the round of Jimmy/Saul scamming that was just unhinged,” Odekirk acknowledged. “I feel bad that he made that choice, but I will say this. I feel wonderful and excited and thrilled about what the writers came up with regarding the finale.”

Don’t miss how it turns out, tune into the Better Call Saul series finale when it airs Monday, August 15 on AMC.

Better Call Saul, Series Finale, Monday, August 15, 9/8c, AMC and AMC+