Sinning like Saul

Jimmy’s skin is shedding as he changes into shady lawyer Saul Goodman.

Better Call Saul (2015- current) hits the ground running with lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) transforming “because it’s what fans have been waiting for,” says Bob. “They wanted the backstory of Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad (2008-2013) and that is what we’re exploring, how this character went from straight-laced Jimmy to conartist attorney Saul.”

NAME-CHANGE SURPRISE

Jimmy tells his on- off love interest Kim (Rhea

Seehorn) that ‘it [Saul] is just a name’, explains series co- creator Peter Gould. “But it’s clear that it means much more. I don’t think we had a clue that Jimmy would start using the name Saul Goodman professionally this season, but we just followed the logic of the situation.” In episode 6 (6 December), Jimmy’s law licence is suspended before his TV ads air. That’s a problem, so he comes up

with this persona that was mentioned in season 1 as a joke, “Although it’s serious now,” adds Bob. “But Saul is Jimmy with three- quarters of his humanity constricted.”

UNBROTHERLY LOVE

Chuck (Michael McKean) pushes his brother Jimmy to breaking point this season, using the tape recording of Jimmy’s fraud confession as blackmail. But Chuck isn’t going to the cops, the law bar or his ex-bosses for revenge – instead, “He toys with Jimmy and it’s this sick, twisted, psychological torture,” says Bob. “It takes Jimmy to places he doesn’t want to be – jail!”

BACK TO BAD

Plus, watch out for these Breaking Bad faces who’re popping up now…

Francesca Liddy ( Tina Parker) is Jimmy’s new receptionist who is hired in episode 7 (13 Dec).

Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) is a druglord who uses his fried chicken restaurant as a cover.

Don Eladio Vuente (Steven Bauer, Avi in Ray Donovan, 2013- current) is the head of the Juarez drug cartel who Gus works for.

Chuck (left) is going to be one of Jimmy’s biggest problems this season.

WHERE WE LEFT OFF: Jimmy and Chuck’s mom died while Jimmy was at the hospital vending machine, and Mike prepared to kill druglord Hector Salamanca. Jimmy’s lies also led to Chuck’s breakdown and obsession with covering everything in tinfoil.