Better Call Saul is back and better than ever. The Breaking Bad spinoff has returned to continue the tale of how the ambitious and good natured Jimmy McGill became the hardened, corrupt criminal lawyer we all know, Saul Goodman. With each week, new episodes of the saga of Slippin’ Jimmy arrive and thanks to the show creators, we the audience get to have a look into the inside world of Better Call Saul.
This week on the Better Call Saul Insider podcast features the return of the series in its second season. Co-hosts and show editors Kelly Dixon and Chris McCaleb sit down with creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, writer and director Tom Schnauz, actor Mark Proksch (Price) and Saul himself, actor Bob Odenkirk. Here’s the rundown of what they had to say about the season two premiere Switch.
Breaking Bad Tie-ins are Everywhere
Plenty of characters from the classic Walter White series have shown up in Better Call Saul, and this episode is no exception. Price returns from season one and attempts to hire Mike again for protection. When Nacho gets his home info and identification, the main subplot of Switch kicks off. Along the way, we see the return of Officer Saxton from the third season episode of Breaking Bad where Skyler almost tells the police that Walt is a drug dealer.
Some other great moments featuring callbacks include the infamous tequila Zafiro Añejo that we saw Gus use when he poisoned Don Eladio in the Breaking Bad episode Salud. The bottle of alcohol plays a major role in this episode of Saul when Jimmy and Kim pull off a con to get free $50 shots of tequila. The mark they run the scheme on just so happens to be the obnoxious “Ken Wins” from that time Walter blew up a BMW with a gas station squeegee.
Everyone Loves Kenny Strasser
Actor Mark Proksch has been making quite a name for himself in front of the camera for years now with his role as Price in the show, along with other appearances in The Office and Portlandia. Before hitting big as a comedic actor, he would book time on local Wisconsin news stations as Kenny “K-Strass” Strasser the Educational Yo-Yo Master. His appearances have become viral video legend, and Bob Odenkirk, Vince Gilligan and the gang love every bit of it.
Here’s a clip of K-Strass in action. It’s pretty amazing.
The Ending Scene of Season One
When Jimmy drives away from the courthouse at the end of season one, we see him humming Smoke On the Water as he almost seems to be leaving everything behind. Switch changes all that by showing us that Jimmy did in fact enter the courthouse and actually walked out on the offer to work for the Davis & Main law firm. We are introduced to Clifford Main, played by the great Ed Begley Jr. who we are hoping to see plenty more of in future episodes, and we get a quick moment where Kim asks Jimmy just what happened in Cicero.
Bob Odenkirk brings up a great point in the podcast by talking with Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould about why the scene isn’t a cheat on the audience. The whole encounter inside the courthouse hinges on the relationship between Jimmy and Kim. Showing us that the offer from Davis & Main was respectfully declined in person still works in context with Jimmy driving away feeling liberated. “It’s not about a plot twist. It’s about understanding Jimmy better.”
The Light Switch Challenge
At the end of Switch, Jimmy finds himself in a new nod comfortable environment that you would have to be crazy to hate. He is made to feel like his every want and need can be taken care of by the team at the Davis & Main law firm. In a moment of pure “Slippin’ Jimmy” form, he breaks the rules by flicking a light switch labeled “Do NOT Turn OFF!” The man is a rebel.
As they have done in the past, the show creators are reaching out to the fans. Vince Gillligan and Peter Gould want to see memes and gifs that show the consequences of Jimmy flipping that switch. “We want to see what that light switch does. You can cut somebody running through on fire or a building exploding; that’s an easy one.” As of right now, we know absolutely nothing about what that switch affected, so this is a fun chance for fans’ imaginations to run wild.
Each week, we will be watching Better Caul Saul and listening to the insider podcast to find out more in depth and behind the scenes info about the show. Keep coming back to follow along as we continue to watch Jimmy McGill become Saul Goodman.
