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Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 9 was dedicated to Julia Clark Downs. The emotional episode, while not as action-packed, hit viewers hard. A team of talented writers, crew members, directors, and consultants, work to make Better Call Saul the highly praised show it is. Downs’ work on the series was an important contribution.

[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead regarding the Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 9 “Fun and Games.”]

Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 9 was dedicated to Julia Clark Downs. Saul Goodman stands in his apartment wearing a suit and tie and looking sad.
Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman ‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6 Episode 9 | Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

‘Better Call Saul’ director says season 6 episode 9 is about ‘endings’

Michael Morris directed Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 9. While speaking on the Better Call Saul Insider podcast, Morris explained, “This episode 609 for me was always very much about endings. Yes, there are lots of episodes left, and they’re all insane,” he continued. “But this one had a sense of an ending about so many of the characters, one after another.”

The episode certainly signified an ending in Kim Wexler and Jimmy McGill’s relationship. Kim finally admits that she and Jimmy together are poison. She leaves him, solidifying his transformation into Saul Goodman. At the same time, Gus gets away with killing Lalo Salamanca. He enjoys a brief conversation with David the sommelier at a wine bar, but quickly stows away that softer side of himself, perhaps also solidifying his transformation into the Gus fans know from Breaking Bad.

Julia Clark Downs worked as a consultant on ‘Better Call Saul’

At the end of Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 9, the words “Dedicated to our friend Julia Clark Downs” appear on the screen. According to ScreenRant, Downs was a lawyer in Albuquerque who acted as a consultant on Better Call Saul.

The Breaking Bad prequel features plenty of legal jargon and complicated cases. On the Better Call Saul Insider podcast, the creative minds behind the show have previously discussed the painstaking attention to detail used on the show. With the advent of more advanced cameras, even the legal documents had to be accurate and make sense.

It’s not clear the full extent of Downs’ work on Better Call Saul, but she certainly had a hand in the well-thought-out and detailed series. Sadly, Downs was killed in a motorist collision in October 2021. Before attending law school, Clark Downs was a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama, according to her obituary.

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‘Better Call Saul’ receives praise for its legal accuracy

Since the beginning, Better Call Saul has received praise as one of the best shows on television. Recently, the Breaking Bad prequel received 7 Emmy nominations. Thanks to people like Julia Clark Downs, Better Call Saul is also recognized for its accuracy regarding the law and life as a lawyer.

For example, in 2018, Rick Zou, a Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer, shared his thoughts on the series. “I think the show actually takes great pains to be accurate, to not just the individual legal issues, but life as a lawyer as a whole,” Zou told The Wrap.

“There’s definitely glamorous aspects, but this definitely balances both issues and shows, ‘Hey, it’s not just a glorified party all the time.’ There’s paperwork, there’s stress and depression with aspects of the profession that you don’t necessarily see on other TV shows.”

Watch the final episodes of Better Call Saul airing on AMC Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.

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