Executive SummaryJames Morgan McGill, also known by his business name Saul Goodman and later known as Gene Takavic, is a fictional character who appears in the television series Breaking Bad and serves as the titular main character of its spin-off prequel series Better Call Saul. He is portrayed by Bob Odenkirk, and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.[1] The character is an Albuquerque-based lawyer who embraces his tendencies as a former scam artist and begins to represent criminals while himself becoming involved in the city's criminal world. Saul's name is a play on the phrase "[It]'s all good, man".[2]
DescriptionSaul Goodman went from the scuzzy lawyer of Breaking Bad to one of the most fascinatingly complex characters on TV in Better Call Saul, the spinoff origin story of how con man-turned-public defender Jimmy McGill became the go-to lawyer for the disaffected and deep-pocketed criminals alike with a corny-ass office and known for putting up tacky billboards and donning even tackier suits. Of course it's fun to watch Jimmy/Saul meet guys like Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) for the first time, knowing how deeply in it they were with each other by the time Walter White and Jesse Pinkman rolled around, but the reason Better Call Saul has arguably surpassed its predecessor is thanks to Bob Odenkirk's dramatic performance, vacillating between unscrupulous sleazebag opportunist and pitiable down-and-out man who lives in the back of a nail salon, takes care of his troubled brother and respected attorney Chuck (a very good Michael McKean), and hustles to dig up opportunities for himself despite subsequently botching practically each and every one.