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Better Call Saul producer teases Jimmy and Kim's next move, 'big, weird swings' to come

"We're going to take [fans] down some roads that they don't see coming," says executive producer Gordon Smith, who wrote the midseason premiere, "Point and Shoot."

By

Dan Snierson

Published on July 11, 2022 01:01PM EDT

Jimmy and Kim had a plan to take Howard down a few pegs. And then Lalo just… took him out.

When you last saw Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) in the midseason finale of Better Call Saul, they were standing in horror and shock over Howard's dead body, the slap-dastardly work of Lalo (Tony Dalton). What figurative and literal mess have the duo gotten themselves into? The picture gets both murkier and clearer when the first of the last six episodes, titled "Point and Shoot," is unveiled on Monday night.

"Their heads are completely blank," says Saul executive producer Gordon Smith. "I think they're at a point of trauma where there are certain times where you cannot believe you are anywhere in your body, and I think that's where they're at. They are as deep in shock as they could possibly be."

What exactly does Lalo — who is seeking revenge for that attempt on his life — need them for? "Jimmy and Kim are very worried about what Lalo might want," says Smith. "And they're going to have to figure out what they're willing to do with this guy who's willing to do anything in front of them, this guy with a gun. So the question for them is: 'What's going on in Lalo's head and how far am I willing to go to do it?'"

It's an episode that Smith describes as "surprisingly sad…. I feel like there's some sadness that I don't think people are going to expect. Or expect feeling, hopefully."

Expect the unexpected in these final episodes for AMC's Breaking Bad prequel, which are full of curveballs and change-ups. "I think we're going to surprise people and we're going to take them down some roads that they don't see coming," he says, choosing a different metaphor. "A lot of people have worries that they've got locked in their heads about various characters. Obviously, they're worried about Kim, but whatever they think that we're going to do, we're going to zig when they think we're going to zag, and take them to places that hopefully are fun and surprising.

"We have not exhausted our bag of tricks luckily, and we've come up with some structures and some stuff that I don't think anybody's really ever done on TV, or ever had to try in it the way that we're doing it," he continues. "So whether that works or not, I don't know, but we have not just some surprises, but some big, weird swings that we're taking at the story that I hope people like." (Okay, we're back to baseball analogies!)

That likely includes the saga of Cinnabon manager Gene, the alias that Saul Goodman is forced to take when Walt's empire goes sideways. "We've been putting out these teasers lately in black and white — if people were worried that they weren't going to see Gene, it should be pretty clear that we're going to see a chunk of Gene," says Smith. "We've said all along, we've done it for several years — that's an important part of the story that really needs to be paid off because that's where the future is. That's the future of Breaking Bad. The landing point for this character of Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman/Gene Takovic is in Gene's timetable." He pauses. "Unless there's yet another character that we haven't introduced."

One character that fans are eager to learn more about is "Marion," who will be played by Saul superfan Carol Burnett. "The only hint I can reveal is that I don't think people are going to expect to see Carol Burnett in the role in the way that we've got this character," he says.

Two more characters that are eagerly anticipated are familiar faces — in the form of Walt and Jesse. Co-creator Peter Gould told EW that he hasn't seen any fan theories that come close to figuring out how they'll factor into the story, and Smith adds, "I haven't seen one either, but I'm glad that people are theorizing about it. We're excited to see them again. I think people are going to be very surprised by — or at least there's going to be some nuances that they don't expect for both, and that we'll shed a little bit of light on the way that both their journeys and Jimmy's journey have gone."

Your journey to the End begins tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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Better Call Saul producer teases Jimmy and Kim's next move, 'big, weird swings' to come

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