‘Better Call Saul’: What Happens to Kim Wexler?
As Better Call Saul draws closer to its inevitable conclusion, fans are wondering what happens to Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) by the time Breaking Bad begins.
Better Call Saul has made it clear Kim is singlehandedly the most important thing in Jimmy’s life. It’s odd, then, that she is never mentioned at all in Breaking Bad.
Kim’s exit from Jimmy’s life has to happen at some point, and fans are curious as to how. Here’s what could happen to Kim Wexler by the time Heisenberg comes to town.
The evolution of Saul Goodman
Early in Better Call Saul, a young Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) worked to repair his past as a conman and follow in the footsteps of his successful older brother, Chuck. Despite being on a better path, Jimmy struggled to put his conman ways behind him completely.
Much like Walter White’s evolution into the drug kingpin Heisenberg, Jimmy McGill slowly starts to morph into Saul Goodman. As Jimmy loses touch with his ethics, Saul Goodman starts to emerge. This evolution is ultimately what starts to create tension in Jimmy and Kim’s relationship.
Jimmy and Kim’s relationship in ‘Better Call Saul’
At first, Kim served as a friend and a confidant to Jimmy. She wanted to see him succeed as a lawyer but understood the challenges his brother and the Hamlin, Hamlin and McGill law firm presented for Jimmy. Eventually, Kim became Jimmy’s business partner, then ultimately, his lover.
Kim has always represented fighting for what is right within the restrictions of the law. Jimmy, on the other hand, has made it clear that he’ll do whatever it takes to seek justice — even if it’s immoral.
Initially, Kim could deal with Jimmy’s unconventional lawyering style because he was using it for good. Now, after feeling conned by Jimmy/Saul’s play with Mesa Verde, she’s not so sure where his loyalties lie.
Kim Wexler is never mentioned in ‘Breaking Bad’
Better Call Saul didn’t exist when Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were creating Breaking Bad. As such, it makes sense that Kim was never mentioned in Saul’s original story because they hadn’t thought of her yet.
But Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul fans know how detailed the show-runners are. Gilligan and Gould have expertly created two stories that have come together seamlessly, so there has to be a way that Kim fits into the life of Saul Goodman as we know it in Breaking Bad — right?
What could have happened to Kim Wexler leading up to ‘Breaking Bad’
In the past, Odenkirk has teased that Kim “goes away,” and said that when she does, it will be the end of Jimmy McGill. There are several working theories as to what happens to Kim by the time Walter White’s story comes into play.
One theory is that Jimmy and Kim break up. As Jimmy starts to rapidly evolve into Saul Goodman, Kim begins to recoil and seemingly starts to reconsider whether or not she’s still in love with Jimmy.
This season has made it abundantly clear that as Jimmy becomes Saul Goodman, Kim isn’t sure if she can handle it. It’s possible that, just like any other relationship, Jimmy is no longer the man Kim fell in love with and she chooses to leave him.
If Kim leaves Jimmy, it would mean Jimmy chose to settle for less because he has already lost everything that ever mattered to him. However, Jimmy/Saul has never been one to settle. He’s a determined man who probably would convince Kim not to leave him, which means it’s more likely that Kim will meet her eventual demise. Now that Saul is mixed up with the Salamanca family, his criminal clients may threaten him with Kim’s life.
Jimmy has used Saul Goodman as a coping mechanism in the past — it would only make sense for him to use it again after suffering the ultimate loss of losing the woman he loves.
Either storyline would work, as they both give fans an explanation of how the Saul in Breaking Bad came to be. With a sixth and final season of Better Call Saul confirmed, fans are eager to see how Kim’s storyline will come to an end.
Related: ‘Better Call Saul’ Made Krazy-8’s Death in ‘Breaking Bad’ More Tragic
