‘Better Call Saul’: Some Fans Speculate Chuck Was Right About Jimmy All Along, Just Like Walt on ‘Breaking Bad’

Better Call Saul has become intriguing enough to exist as a standalone series. Some Breaking Bad fans originally started watching the show because they were hoping to see cameos from Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. But over time, they developed a newfound interest in the plight of Saul Goodman, whose real name is Jimmy McGill.

It’s clear that Jimmy is heading down a bad path that will eventually result in his becoming a shady criminal lawyer who assists the worst drug dealers with breaking the law. His journey mimics Walter White becoming Heisenberg, and unfortunately, this just means his older brother Chuck may have been right about his deeper nature.

Chuck and Jimmy had a complicated relationship on ‘Better Call Saul’

Sibling relationships in real life are often fraught with issues, and the dynamic between Chuck and Jimmy on Better Call Saul is no exception. The brothers both become lawyers but Chuck does not believe Jimmy deserves to have that title. He is jealous of Jimmy, but also disgusted by him and looks down on him for allegedly “cheating” his way into the prestigious Hamlin, Hamlin, McGill law firm.

Chuck attempts to hide his disdain for Jimmy but it comes out in a burst of honesty during the season 1 episode, “Pimento.” Chuck goes off on a rant and says, “You are not a real lawyer! University of American Samoa, for Christ’s sake? An online course? What a joke! … I know you. I know what you were, what you are. People don’t change! You’re Slippin’ Jimmy! And Slippin’ Jimmy, I can handle just fine, but Slippin’ Jimmy with a law degree is like a chimp with a machine gun!”

Chuck thinks Jimmy lies and cheats his way through life and doesn’t deserve respect. That low opinion eventually affects how Jimmy acts, and how he perceives himself.

Jimmy’s journey on ‘Better Call Saul’ is like Walt on ‘Breaking Bad’

Walter White on Breaking Bad has very different motivations compared to Jimmy McGill on Better Call Saul. But both characters wind up worse off than where they started. Walt starts manufacturing meth so he can provide for his family even after getting a terminal cancer diagnosis. But eventually, Walt’s reason for pursuing a life of crime changes.

By the end of the series, Walt and his estranged wife, Skyler, share an emotional moment when he final admits that he was doing it for himself and not his family. “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really – I was alive,” he told her.

In that last interaction before his death, Walt finally sees himself clearly. And it could be similar to what will happen to Jimmy McGill in season 6.

Jimmy will become Saul Goodman in ‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6

The final transformation from Jimmy to Saul will come to an end during the final season of the series, which is slated to launch in 2022. But it’s still up for debate whether that change was inevitable, meaning Chuck was right about Jimmy, or if he was driven to become bad because of circumstances he found himself facing. That includes the toxic relationship he had with Chuck.

At one point in the series, Howard Hamlin warns Kim Wexler that Chuck knew Jimmy better than anyone and that she should heed his warnings. Will Jimmy pull a Walter White in the end, finally admitting his faults? Will he admit Chuck was right about him like Skyler was right about Walt? Or, is Jimmy just a victim of an overly critical older brother?

We’ll find out soon enough when Better Call Saul Season 6 finally premieres.