‘Better Call Saul’ Series Finale: Bob Odenkirk Pitched an Alternate Ending
The Better Call Saul series finale showed Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk)’s final fate. Now, Odenkirk is having second thoughts. After completing the finale, Odenkirk pitched co-creator Peter Gould a new ending.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Better Call Saul series finale.]
Odenkirk and Gould were guests on the Better Call Saul Insider podcast which aired Aug. 16, the day after the series finale. It was recorded weeks earlier, but having completed filming, Odenkirk was struck by a new idea for the Better Call Saul series finale.
Bob Odenkirk proposes a ‘Shawshank Redemption’ ending to the ‘Better Call Saul’ series finale
In the end, Jimmy went to jail. He blew a deal for a cushy seven year stint to confess to all his crimes and free Kim (Rhea Seehorn) of any burden. Kim visits him one last time and offers him a cigarette in the Better Call Saul series finale.
“It wouldn’t have been hard,” Odenkirk said on Better Call Saul Insider. “We could still go shoot. I have an idea. You got a cell phone. We could shoot this. Kim, in the cigarette scene which I’m assuming remains at the end, when she hands Jimmy the cigarette, with her other hand is a spoon, a metal spoon with a slightly serrated edge. And he takes that with his other hand. He takes the cigarette with this hand and then with the other hand takes the spoon and slides it into his prison jumpsuit and we know he’s going to dig out.”
Bob Odenirk’s ending sets up a sequel
Now fully riffing with improv, Odenkirk thought of one more scene that could finalize Jimmy’s escape.
Better ending, also easy to shoot. The yard where people behind me are shooting hoops, we go back there. All we need is those extras. We don’t need Rhea. We just need that prison yard. It’s Kim’s POV and behind Jimmy is a pommel horse. Some of the guys are jumping over the horse. And Jimmy, somebody calls out, ‘Jimmy!’ I go, ‘Yeah yeah, I’ll be right there.’ And I turn around with that spoon which we also have to shoot that scene. And I run over there and start doing that pommel horse which you know is from the movie, the WWII movie that was also referenced in our series once with the ball, bouncing the ball, the Steve McQueen movie The Great Escape. Now we’ve referenced that movie twice. We know they’re digging out under that pommel horse, they’re digging a tunnel and Kim gave him the spoon.”
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Insider, 8/16/22
The ‘Better Call Saul’ series finale ending stands
Odenkirk was only joking. He’s happy with the Better Call Saul series finale, but this was a pretty vivid joke.
“I don’t think AMC would say no to an epilogue,” Odenkirk said. “Let’s go back. This is so easy to shoot. We don’t even need Rhea. We just need those extras.”
