‘Better Call Saul’ Series Finale Worried Bob Odenkirk Over ‘Idiosyncratic’ Difference From ‘Breaking Bad’
Concluding any TV show must be nerve-wracking, but the Better Call Saul series finale was even more so for the creators. Not only did they have to do justice to Better Call Saul, but they were following the acclaimed finale of Breaking Bad, too. Star Bob Odenkirk worried the differences between the shows would lead to disappointment.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul series finales.]
Odenkirk appeared on the Better Call Saul Insider podcast on Aug. 16, the day after the Better Call Saul series finale aired. Recorded weeks earlier, Odenkirk shared his concerns with series co-creator Peter Gould on the podcast.
The ‘Better Call Saul’ series finale was not as explosive as the ‘Breaking Bad’ finale
In the Breaking Bad series finale, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) rigged a Gatling gun to take out his enemies. The Better Call Saul series finale mostly centered on plea bargaining and courtroom drama.
“I worry that some people will find it not as flashy as they want it to be,” Odenkirk said on Better Call Saul Insider. “Nobody wants Kim to die but secretly they want something big to happen. I think what happens is big but it’s more human, more real and more grounded than another death, another tragic, bloody ending. Anyway, I hope people appreciate that you guys in the writers room chose to restrain yourselves from the broader high concept choices.”
‘Better Call Saul’ was always a different show from ‘Breaking Bad’
Breaking Bad introduced Odenkirk’s character, Saul Goodman. Odenkirk noted that the prequel Better Call Saul, which explored how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman, was always different from its predecessor. That leads to two very different endings.
“I think it speaks to the ways in which the two shows are different,” Odenkirk said. “I think the attractions of Breaking Bad… were more universal, more easy to grasp and Better Call Saul is just a more idiosyncratic, offbeat, kind of dry and you went with an ending that on its own, it’s exactly right for the work you did.”
Gould acknowledged the difference between shows, and that Saul Goodman demanded a different Better Call Saul finale.
“Saul Goodman, Gene Takovic, Jimmy is not going to be the guy who builds a gun,” Gould said. “Walter White would do that. Walter White would poison a bunch of people to get what he wants but that’s not how Jimmy operates so we’re kind of stuck with the guy we’ve been working with. Hopefully, people like it.”
Bob Odenkirk approves
Now that the Better Call Saul series finale has aired, most fans and critics approve. Before they knew how it would go over, Odenkirk at least thanked his creators.
“That’s the credit you should own and Vince [Gilligan],” Odenkirk said. “You said, ‘No, we’re going to take this good will and this audience that we’ve grown and worked with and we’re going to go somewhere harder and maybe more challenging. And we’re going to take that good will and use it to dig a little deeper.’ There are people who watch Better Call Saul who didn’t watch Breaking Bad.’”
