Saul Goodman

James Morgan McGill, better known by his alias Saul Goodman, is a fictional character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the Breaking Bad television franchise. He appears as a major character in Breaking Bad (2009–2013) and as the titular protagonist of its spin-offs Better Call Saul (2015–2022) and Slippin’ Jimmy (2022). Saul is an unscrupulous Albuquerque-based lawyer and con artist who becomes involved in the city's criminal underworld. In Breaking Bad, he acts as the consigliere for methamphetamine cooks Walter White and Jesse Pinkman and plays a crucial role in the development of their drug empire. Better Call Saul's main storyline depicts Saul's origins as the aspiring lawyer Jimmy McGill and his moral deterioration in the six years before the events of Breaking Bad; it also features a post-Breaking Bad storyline, where Saul is living under the assumed name Gene Takavic ( TAK-ə-vik) that explores the consequences of his actions in the franchise. Saul first appeared in "Better Call Saul" (2009), the eighth episode of Breaking Bad's second season. He was created to provide Walt and Jesse with a guide for their criminal activities and to replace Hank Schrader as Breaking Bad's comic relief. His name, "Saul Goodman", is a play on the phrase "it's all good, man". Although Odenkirk was initially cast for only four episodes as a guest actor, he became integral to the Breaking Bad narrative after Gilligan and Gould were impressed by his performance; Odenkirk subsequently joined the main cast in the third season and remained through to the fifth and final season of the show. Following Breaking Bad's conclusion, Gilligan and Gould began developing a Saul-focused spin-off depicting his origin story. Slippin' Jimmy is an animated short-form series which follows his childhood misadventures. Saul's characterization and Odenkirk's performance...