“ amused me. Ooh... big job at the illustrious too small! I don't care about it! It's nothing to me! It's a bacterium! I travel in worlds you can't even imagine! You can't conceive of what I'm capable of! I'm so far beyond you! I'm like a god in human clothing! Lightning bolts shoot from my fingertips! Ha, you're sorry? You're sorry? You kill my brother , and you say you're sorry? Let me tell you something. The job offer, it didn't upset me. Itme. Ooh... big job at the illustrious HHM . A chance to play at the palace! With little old me? (...) You have no idea what's going on! You're a teensy, tiny man in a teensy-weensy little bubble! (...) Oh, don't you fucking, "Oh, Jimmy," me! You look down on me, you pity me! Walk away. That's right, Howard! You know why I didn't take the job? 'Cause it'sI don't care about it!It's aI travel in worlds you can't even imagine! You can'tof what I'm capable of!I'm like a god in human clothing! „ ― Jimmy taunting Howard. [src]



James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill, better known by his professional alias Saul Goodman, ("Magic Man") is the former principal attorney of Saul Goodman & Associates and the husband of Kim Wexler. He operated out of a cheap strip mall office and ran over-the-top late night TV commercials advising potential clients that they'd "Better Call Saul" when in trouble with the law. While his ads seemed tacky and cheap, Saul was an effective lawyer, using illegal tactics and dirty schemes to get his clients released or acquitted.

Saul was born in Cicero, Illinois on November 12, 1960 as James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill. His older brother Chuck became a successful lawyer as one of the partners at an Albuquerque law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill. Jimmy became a scam artist in Cicero and soon gained the nickname "Slippin' Jimmy" for staging "slip and fall" accidents to make quick cash. Jimmy eventually runs into trouble with the police and Chuck returns to help but on the condition that Jimmy join him in Albuquerque and work a legitimate job in HHM's mail room. There, Jimmy befriends Kim Wexler, an HHM employee who is attending law school. Inspired by her success, Jimmy completes his college degree and attends a correspondence law school. He passes the bar exam and hopes to be hired at HHM, but at Chuck's secret instigation, senior partner Howard Hamlin denies Jimmy the opportunity. Jimmy then starts a solo practice in the utility room of a Vietnamese nail salon. He takes whatever cases he can get, including low paid public defender work. Jimmy frequently gets into altercations with the stoic Mike Ehrmantraut, a former police officer working as the clerk at the courthouse's parking lot.

Jimmy begins to use the alias "Saul Goodman", a play on the phrase "It's all good, man". He initially uses it as the alternate identity for the high-energy pitchman in TV ads he produces during the suspension of his law license, and later when he begins a business reselling prepaid cell phones on the street. Several years later, he becomes the lawyer and advisor for meth cooks Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, getting them out of several difficult situations. Often dressed in flashy suits, Saul boasts extensive connections within Albuquerque's criminal underworld, and serves as a go-between connecting drug distributors, evidence removers, impersonators, and other criminals-for-hire. He arranges for Walt to launder drug money through Walter White Jr.'s website (SaveWalterWhite.com) and dispatches Mike to coach Jesse and dispose of any incriminating evidence in his apartment after his girlfriend Jane overdoses.

Saul became a trusted consigliere to Walt, helping launder drug money for Walt and, later, his wife Skyler. Saul expanded Walt's profits by arranging for the latter to supply crystal meth in bulk to Albuquerque drug dealers via Mike, who was himself consigliere to local kingpin Gustavo Fring. Eventually, however, Walt's criminal secrets were discovered by his brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank Schrader, and despite attempts to protect him from arrest and Jesse's wrath after discovering Walt's poisoning of Brock, Saul was forced to abandon his life as a criminal lawyer. With the help of the criminal extractor, Ed Galbraith, Saul fled to Omaha, Nebraska, and began a new life as Gene Takavic, the manager of a Cinnabon restaurant, living in constant fear of exposure and arrest, as well as regret over losing his past life.

Contents show]

History

Background information

Jimmy was born to Ruth and Charles McGill, Sr in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, Illinois. His older brother, Chuck McGill, graduated college and became a successful lawyer in Albuquerque. When he was young, Jimmy worked for his father at his small corner store and watched as scam artists repeatedly fleeced his father. After one of them offered young Jimmy a life lesson about wolves and sheep, he began stealing money from the family till ("Inflatable") . Over the following years, Jimmy embezzled nearly $14,000 from the store, which eventually led to its closure. Six months later, Jimmy's father died, and according to Chuck, nobody cried harder than Jimmy at the funeral. ("Rebecca") Jimmy would eventually get over this however and he showed little remorse for his parents losing their store, blaming his father due to his over-excessive generosity, completely ignoring his own actions in its demise. ("Slip") Chuck would secretly blame his younger brother for the closure of the store and their father's death. ("Chicanery")

In his teenage years, Jimmy began to play his own scams to get quick money. In one of his most famous scams, Jimmy would find the most slippery patches of ice every winter, stage a fall, and earn himself a fair amount of money, which earned him the nickname "Slippin' Jimmy" ("Uno") . In another one of his scams, Jimmy (using his future alias "Saul Goodman") worked with his close friend Marco Pasternak to trick others into trading cash for fake Rolex watches ("Hero") . Jimmy also ran an illicit ID forgery business in high school ("Nailed") . He was married at one point, but divorced his wife when she cheated on him with a guy named Chet, who happened to owe Jimmy money. One day, Jimmy got drunk and encountered Chet at the local Dairy Queen, and decided to perform a "Chicago Sunroof" (defecating through the sunroof of a car) as revenge. Unbeknownst to him, however, Chet's children were in the back seat. Even worse, Chet had ties to the local prosecutors, and Jimmy was quickly brought in by the police on charges of property damage, assault, and sex offenses. Jimmy was booked and put in pre-trial detention.

Chuck traveled from Albuquerque to visit Jimmy at the request of their mother. Jimmy begged Chuck to make the charges disappear through legal loopholes. Although originally reluctant, Chuck agreed to help after Jimmy admitted that, if he didn't get out of his situation, his life would be over. Chuck agreed on the condition that Jimmy leave Cicero and find a legitimate job in Albuquerque, and warned him not to make a fool out of Chuck after getting out ("Nacho") . Jimmy reluctantly agreed and subsequently got off due to Chuck's intervention. After saying farewell to Marco, Jimmy went to live with Chuck in Albuquerque.

Jimmy returned to Cicero seven years later, for his mother's death and funeral ("Marco") . When Ruth had to be hospitalized, Jimmy and Chuck sat for three days at her bedside. Eventually, Jimmy decided to step out for some hoagies, only to be devastated when, upon returning to the hospital, Chuck told him their mother had died. All Jimmy could manage was a quivering, "Did she say anything?" and although his mother had briefly awoken before her death and called for Jimmy, Chuck told him that their mother had said nothing before her death. ("Klick")

In Albuquerque, Jimmy worked in the mail room at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM), where he befriended many people, including Chuck's wife Rebecca and Chuck's law partner Howard Hamlin. Most importantly, he met and began a semi-romantic relationship with Kim Wexler. Inspired by her achievement of passing the bar exam, Jimmy eventually pursued and earned his own law degree online from the University of American Samoa, to the delight of all. However, Chuck secretly rejected Jimmy's achievement, seeing it as yet another of his "shortcut" schemes. Refusing to view his younger brother as a real lawyer, and frustrated that he earned a law degree so easily while he had to work hard his entire life to build his own career, Chuck covertly blocked his brother from working at HHM. When Howard was forced to deliver the news, Jimmy mistakenly blamed him for the decision ("RICO", "Pimento") . Shortly thereafter, Jimmy quit HHM to become a solo practitioner.

Better Call Saul

Season 1

When the series begins, Jimmy works hard at his own law practice, but enjoys little success. He sleeps in his office, which is located in the back of a nail salon. He mostly works for the court as a public defender for $700 a case and struggles with debt. He also takes care of Chuck, who refuses to go outside due to his self-diagnosed electromagnetic hypersensitivity disorder, a disease widely accepted by medical professionals to be psychosomatic. It is in this capacity that he meets Mike Ehrmantraut, who mans the parking booth at the courthouse.

After a particularly grueling day in which he loses both a sex offense case (not only are his clients found guilty but they are tried as a group, shorting Jimmy $1400), loses potential clients Craig and Betsy Kettleman to HHM, and fends off an injury scam from Cal and Lars Lindholm, Jimmy decides to return to his shady techniques to level the playing field. ("Uno") He enlists the Lindholms in an attempt to win over the Kettlemans. The plan backfires, however, when the twins mistakenly target the grandmother of drug dealer Tuco Salamanca, who captures them along with Jimmy, intending to kill them all. Using his powers of persuasion, Jimmy persuades Tuco to spare the twins, but is unable to prevent him from breaking their legs. ("Mijo")

Shortly thereafter, Jimmy receives a visit from Nacho Varga, one of Tuco's lieutenants. Nacho, who overheard Jimmy's plan to strongarm the Kettlemans into business, wants to steal the money they embezzled from the county treasury. Realizing Nacho is very likely intending violence against the Kettlemans to achieve his goals, Jimmy attempts to warn off the family. When they disappear, he is brought in by the police— first as a suspect, then as the appointed attorney for Nacho himself, who has been marked as the prime suspect. A furious Nacho threatens Jimmy to correct the situation, or face deadly consequences. Stressed by the encounter, Jimmy inadvertently escalates the matter by getting into a confrontation with Mike over a validation dispute, but in the process figures out the Kettlemans staged their own abduction to evade further scrutiny. ("Nacho")

Tracking down the Kettlemans, Jimmy persuades them to return home, but accepts a $30,000 payment from them as both a "retainer" and a bribe for keeping quiet about their stolen money. Using this payoff, he stages a publicity stunt by creating a deliberately plagiarized version of HHM's billboard featuring himself made up to resemble Howard. When Howard files an injunction for copyright infringement, Jimmy allows himself to lose, using the incident to garner public support through the media. While filming a video about his billboard being forcibly taken down, a worker falls off the platform and dangles by a rope. While cameras are rolling, Jimmy climbs up to the platform and "rescues" the worker, who is revealed to be in on Jimmy's stunt. Jimmy appears heroic and gets the media exposure that he was aiming for. ("Hero") .

After several abortive consultations, Jimmy enjoys some small successes with some elderly clients, leading Kim to suggest he consider practicing elder law. However, Jimmy receives an urgent call from Howard, informing him that Chuck had an altercation with the police and has been hospitalized. Rushing to the hospital, Jimmy fends off doctors, security, and Howard himself in order to bring his brother home. At Chuck's residence, Jimmy sees a copy of the newspaper he hid from Chuck, with a story about his billboard stunt on the front page. Realizing his culpability in Chuck's collapse, Jimmy explains his actions as a "little bit of razzmatazz" and reassures Chuck that as he now has clients, the incident will not be repeated. ("Alpine Shepherd Boy") .

Jimmy eventually decides to go into elder law. He redesigns his image, donning a suit similar to Andy Griffith's on Matlock. He begins helping out at retirement homes, where he helps pass out meals (which are stamped with his contact information and ads), hosts bingo games, and slowly builds a growing clientele. ("Bingo")

When he visits the Sandpiper Crossing retirement home, Jimmy learns that the workers are grossly overcharging the residents. He searches Sandpiper's dumpsters and collects shredded documents as evidence ("RICO") . Chuck convinces a reluctant Jimmy to take the case to HHM, since they have more resources. At this point, Chuck begins to shrug off most of his illness and begins to go outside a little more. The night before Jimmy and Chuck head to HHM to deliver the case, Chuck secretly goes outside and uses Jimmy's phone to call Howard.

During the meeting, Howard agrees to take the case but refuses to hire Jimmy, who angrily turns down the deal and leaves. After seeing Kim, who urges him to accept, he confronts Chuck after realizing that his cell phone's battery had been drained after his brother used it to call Howard. Chuck confesses that it was he, not Howard, who blocked his career at HHM, telling Jimmy that he never considered him a real lawyer. Heartbroken, Jimmy storms out of the house, telling Chuck that he will not provide for him anymore. ("Pimento") He hands the case over to HHM, apologizing to Howard.

While hosting a bingo game at a nursing home, Jimmy suffers a breakdown and recollects the "Chicago Sunroof" incident before walking away in disgust. He travels back to Cicero and reconnects with Marco. Together, they start doing scams again. After a whole week, Jimmy says that he has to return to his clients, but Marco insists that they do one last scam together. Sadly, Marco dies of a heart attack in Jimmy's arms. At his funeral, Jimmy is given Marco's old ring by his mother. He then receives a phone call from Kim telling him that a Santa Fe law firm, Davis & Main, wants to hire him, as they are joining in the Sandpiper case and need a representative.

Back in Albuquerque, Jimmy goes to the meeting but declines the position. He then talks to Mike at his booth, wondering why they gave back the Kettlemans' money earlier. As Mike states that he was hired to do a job and simply did it, Jimmy declares that he knows what stopped him and swears that "it's never stopping me again." He drives off while humming "Smoke on the Water," as Marco did during their scam sprees together. ("Marco", "Switch")

Season 2

Jimmy openly agitates his landlady, Mrs. Nguyen, and tears down his door sign. He rents a room at a luxury hotel and begins running scams on the other guests. When confronted by Kim over his new lifestyle, Jimmy persuades her to try it out. Stunned at first, she is amused when Jimmy successfully puts the move on Ken, a loudmouthed broker. One thing leads to another, and the two spend the night together. The morning after, however, Kim admonishes Jimmy to return to reality, refusing to participate in further scams. Eventually, Jimmy decides to follow her advice, and returns to Davis & Main to accept their job offer. ("Switch")

Jimmy adjusts quickly to his new status and perks at D&M, including a private office (with a cocobolo desk), company car, and personal assistant named Omar. He also hits it off well with his new boss, Clifford Main, and considers establishing a live-in relationship with Kim. However, Chuck, having returned to work at HHM, attends the Sandpiper briefings— officially in his capacity as senior partner, but in reality to intimidate Jimmy. A further complication arises when Mike enlists Jimmy to represent his employer Daniel Wormald, who has implicated himself in a drug deal. Jimmy successfully gets Daniel off, but is forced to fabricate evidence of a pie fetish video to do so. When he lets the story slip to Kim, she furiously chastises him. ("Cobbler")

Jimmy embarks on a dubious recruitment campaign for the Sandpiper suit, convinced that the company is blocking traditional methods of contact with his prospects. His plan to engage a busload of Sandpiper residents is largely successful, but attracts undue attention from Chuck, Kim, and the other partners. Jimmy then proposes a TV commercial; specially timed to reach prospects during daytime hours—a point of access Sandpiper cannot block. While Cliff is open to the idea, seeing a previous ad run by D&M convinces Jimmy that the firm will never agree to the style or time of broadcast he needs.

Taking what he feels is the initiative, Jimmy compiles a video crew comprised of UNM students to film and air his own commercial advertising the Sandpiper suit. While a major windfall for the firm, the act immediately draws the ire of Cliff and his partners. ("Amarillo") Jimmy tries to soothe the waters with them, but is reprimanded for his actions. To his shock and disgust, he learns that Kim has also come under fire at HHM for allegedly approving of the tape, but in truth, for her association with him. She becomes furious with Jimmy, and refuses any offers of help in restoring her good graces with HHM. Jimmy confronts Chuck over Kim's demerit, only for Chuck to rebuff him, refusing even his offer of full responsibility for the incident. ("Gloves Off")

Jimmy's frustrations continue to mount at D&M after he is "paired" with legal assistant Erin Brill for help in the Sandpiper case— in truth, she has been assigned to monitor Jimmy and force him to adhere to D&M policy. Immediately chafing under Erin's constant prodding and corrections, Jimmy dodges her as soon as he can so that he can present Kim his latest offer: a letter of legal action against HHM for mistreatment. Kim steadfastly refuses, resolving to save herself. Jimmy begins to question his decision to take his position at D&M, as Erin continues to hamper his progress in court and at the clerk's office. Seeing his old colleagues talking about the recent changes only serve to fuel the dilemma. ("Rebecca")

D&M replaces Jimmy's original ad for a more sanitized one to be played during ineffective air times. Beginning to become fed up with D&M's enslavement to policy over productivity, he begins preparations for departure and begins sleeping in his old office at the nail salon, which he still has kept under lease. Jimmy mends fences with Kim after she is tempted into another con game at the hotel. ("Bali Ha'i") As he prepares his letter of resignation, Omar informs him that resigning or being fired for cause will result in a forfeit of his bonus. Thus, Jimmy decides to go for the outlandish track by dressing in gaudy suits, making horrible messes in the office, and becoming such a general nuisance to his co-workers that Cliff proceeds to fire him without cause, thus allowing Jimmy to keep his bonus. ("Inflatable")

Now that he's no longer with D&M, Jimmy proposes a joint partnership with Kim, sharing all expenses and costs, as well as profits. Kim is intrigued, but initially disagrees— she is not prepared to risk her career with Jimmy being the kind of lawyer he is. She does, however, offer a counter proposal: she will start a solo practice for herself and share an office with him. Jimmy is intrigued, but advises Kim to hang on to her new client, Mesa Verde Bank and Trust, knowing that HHM will attempt to keep them as soon as they realize Kim is resigning. Kim is hesitant at first, but upon overhearing Howard contacting Mesa Verde after delivering her resignation letter, quickly takes steps to retain Mesa Verde's services for herself. Meanwhile, Jimmy procures an old dentist's office for renovation into the joint venture. He begins producing his own personal ad, enlisting the aid of his former college video crew and some of his elder clients.

When Chuck and Howard outmaneuver Kim to retain Mesa Verde for themselves, an outraged Jimmy springs into action. Sneaking into Chuck's house under the cover of family ties, Jimmy carefully removes documents containing the address of Mesa Verde's proposed site for a new branch: 1261 Rosella Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona. He takes the records to a nearby copy shop, where he creates doctored copies with the street number transposed into 1216. He then substitutes the altered papers into in the Mesa Verde case work. Patiently waiting for Chuck to wake up, Jimmy confronts and chastises him over stealing Kim's laurels. Chuck brushes Jimmy off, not wanting to fight again, but in so doing, fails to truly question Jimmy's presence in his home. ("Fifi")

After waiting for Chuck to complete his legal preparation prior to the Mesa Verde hearing, Jimmy quietly restores the original documents after his brother departs to present the permit request. Jimmy's plan works perfectly—Chuck and HHM are caught in a massive clerical fiasco at the hearing, and Mesa Verde returns to Kim. However, Chuck deduces exactly what Jimmy has done and openly accuses him when Jimmy and Kim come to pick up the files. Kim defends Jimmy, criticizing Chuck for his cold and judgmental treatment of his brother. Once out of the house, however, Kim makes it clear that she knows Chuck was telling the truth. Later that evening, Kim strongly hints to Jimmy that he had best thoroughly cover his tracks. Quickly proceeding to the copy shop, Jimmy cuts a deal with the clerk to eliminate all evidence of his presence there from the other night— but not before Ernesto has questioned the clerk on Chuck's behalf. Hoping the clerk is capable of carrying out the cover-up, Jimmy watches as Chuck himself arrives and begins grilling the clerk about Jimmy's activities at the copy shop. Jimmy watches with pride as the clerk lives up to his word and adamantly denies having seen Jimmy, even in the face of Ernesto's statements. To his horror, however, Jimmy watches as Chuck has another spell, passing out and cracking his skull on the counter in the process. ("Nailed")

Choosing his brother's safety over his deniability, Jimmy rushes Chuck back to the hospital, where he anxiously sits in the waiting room, awaiting word. Once he hears that Chuck has stabilized, Jimmy goes to see his brother, who immediately calls Jimmy out on his proximity to the shop during his accident. However, Ernesto comes to Jimmy's aid, claiming that he called Jimmy before Chuck left the house to question the store clerk. A furious Chuck tells them both to get out. In the hall, Jimmy asks Ernesto why he lied on his behalf. Ernesto replies that Jimmy is his friend, and Chuck's vendetta against him is upsetting. Jimmy thanks his friend, who only will say that he simply misses being back in the mail room, before walking away.

Convinced against his better judgement to submit Chuck to a temporary emergency guardianship order, followed by a CAT scan and workup, Jimmy sits with Kim, worried about the obvious chilling effect the Mesa Verde incident is having on their relationship. When Jimmy's new ad airs on the television, he barely notices. Kim, however, is amazed that he was able to film such a professional-looking ad on a shoestring budget. With some of his confidence back, Jimmy turns to face the newly-arrived results: Chuck is not permanently injured, but is in a state of self-induced catatonia from the perceived "trauma" of the CAT scan. In frustration, Jimmy sits down by Chuck's bedside and angrily pronounces he is not moving until Chuck wakes up. When Chuck eventually does so, and mockingly asks Jimmy if his next move is to the asylum, Jimmy simply tells Chuck he is taking him back home. After doing just that, Jimmy is assured by Chuck that he will be fine.

Later on, Jimmy begins his first consultations at the new office, now finished and ready for business. Without warning, he is called by an irate Howard, who tells him Chuck has quit HHM and demands an explanation. Returning to Chuck's house, Jimmy is shocked to see his brother covering the walls in "space blanket" linings and insulation, and when he questions Chuck about it, Chuck calmly explains that he believes his "sensitivity" has become unmanageable and he cannot even remain indoors without protection. When Chuck breaks down and begins crying over his "failure" with Mesa Verde, Jimmy has a crisis of conscience, and he confesses his complicity in the incident. Chuck is stunned, and tells Jimmy he has just admitted to a felony. Jimmy retorts that it was to make Chuck feel better, and it would be merely one's word against the other. Jimmy leaves to phone Howard and reassure him that Chuck will not be quitting HHM, not seeing the tape recorder Chuck has concealed under a stack of foil. ("Klick")

Season 3

Confident that he has restored his brother's confidence, Jimmy begins helping Chuck to take down the space blanket wallpaper. He reminisces upon finding an old book he and his brother used to read, and Chuck seems to respond jokingly enough, but eventually, he stops Jimmy in mid-sentence and delivers an ominous warning: he will not forget what Jimmy has done, and he will see that Jimmy pays a price. Further hints of trouble await Jimmy at his office upon his return: Captain Bauer from the airbase has learned of Jimmy's ad and is furious. Trying to defuse a heated argument, Jimmy attempts to reason with Bauer, until his own anger builds, and he coldly advises the captain to let the matter go, resulting in Bauer storming out while making a violent public scene. ("Mabel")

While Jimmy and Kim work on hiring a new paralegal, Mike calls Jimmy and has him watch the man Mike tailed as he has breakfast in the restaurant. Jimmy notices nothing unusual and reports back to Mike as Gus Fring watches the two from a distance. Ernesto approaches Wexler-McGill but decides against entering, and speaks to Kim in the parking lot about the tape. Kim relays this information to Jimmy and she takes Jimmy on as her legal client, advising him that the tape is no legal threat to him. Jimmy suppresses his feelings of anger and betrayal in front of Kim, but later drives to Chuck's house, breaks in, berates him, and destroys the tape. However, this more or less happens all according to Chuck's plan, as he only used the tape as bait, and Hamlin and the private investigator are present to witness Jimmy's break-in. ("Witness")

Jimmy is arrested and jailed following a few harsh but hesitant words with Chuck, and chooses to represent himself in court (against Kim's wishes), pleads not guilty and posts bail. Jimmy later explains what happened during his break-in and tells Kim to focus on Mesa Verde while he works his own legal battle, to which she flatly agrees. The prosecutor in Jimmy's case, Assistant District Attorney Hay, meets with Chuck and tells him that she doesn't plan to let Jimmy off easy. Chuck wishes to seek a "better solution for everyone." Jimmy talks with Kim outside of Wexler-McGill and informs her that he can avoid jail time, but will have to confess to his felony break-in and submit his confession to the New Mexico Bar Association, which will likely result in disbarment. Kim convinces Jimmy to let her help him fight Chuck's plot. ("Sunk Costs")

Jimmy hires Mike to pose as a handyman, and Mike uses the repair of Chuck's door as cover to photograph the interior of Chuck's house in order to document the bizarre living conditions. Jimmy, Kim, Hamlin, Chuck, and ADA Hay meet in order to finalize Jimmy's confession, with Jimmy agreeing to have his confession reviewed by the New Mexico Bar Association. After the meeting, Kim confronts Chuck, telling him that she suspects he has a copy of the tape. Chuck confirms her suspicions and states that he plans to submit the tape as evidence in Jimmy's disciplinary hearing. Kim then relays the information to Jimmy, revealing that having Chuck admit the existence of the second tape was all according to their plan. ("Sabrosito")

Both sides gear up for Jimmy’s hearing in front of the New Mexico Bar Association after Jimmy meets with veterinarian Caldera to acquire the services of "someone with a light touch." At the hearing, things do not seem to go well for Jimmy as the tape is played before the committee. Rebecca enters the courtroom, much to Chuck’s surprise, though he believes it's some ploy by Jimmy to throw him off balance. Later, Jimmy cross-examines Chuck about the circumstances of the recording, Rebecca’s presence, and his illness. Though Chuck remains calm throughout most of it, Jimmy reveals that Chuck had been carrying a fully-charged cell phone battery planted by Huell for the entire hearing, contradicting the EHS symptoms Chuck claimed to have and suggesting he has a mental illness. This triggers a sudden and acidic tirade from Chuck as he vents all of his frustrations about Jimmy and how he never should have tried to help him. Chuck realizes, too late, that his outburst has shocked the entire courtroom, including the committee. ("Chicanery")

Jimmy is given only a year's suspension in the aftermath of his legal battle with Chuck. Afterwards, while he and Kim celebrate, Rebecca asks Jimmy to help with Chuck, who has shuttered himself in his home, but Jimmy refuses, no longer calling Chuck his brother. Jimmy must figure out how to recoup money spent on his remaining television commercial slots. With the help of his college film crew, he uses a loophole in his contract to sell the slots via a new series of commercials, in which Jimmy poses as a character named Saul Goodman. ("Off Brand")

Jimmy tries to fulfill his court-mandated community service while also trying to sell his commercials, but can't convince anybody to sign on for more than one or two spots, and more often, none at all. Cash in hand from the few spots Jimmy does secure rapidly nets deeper and deeper losses, but Jimmy papers over this careening towards poverty by bravely giving his film crew and Kim Wexler the very last of his money and insisting he is not maxing out his credit cards or emptying out his personal bank account. Finally, in a parking lot after yet another net-loss, Jimmy collapses on the ground and stays there, clearly exhausted, nearly penniless, and extremely depressed. While Kim was having a dinner with Jimmy, she wonders whether they did the right thing, and Jimmy replies what happened to Chuck was his own fault and that she should forget about him. Jimmy meets with an insurance agent to try and get a refund on his malpractice insurance policy. However, the agent is unable to grant the refund and mentions that due to his suspension, Jimmy's future premiums will rise by 150%. Jimmy is visibly shaken by this news and starts to cry. When the agent reacts sympathetically to his emotional breakdown, Jimmy seizes the opportunity to "accidentally" mention Chuck's mental illness before leaving, knowing that the insurance company will be forced to act on the information. ("Expenses")

Jimmy's guitar store clients become suspicious of his motives and refuse to pay him for their commercial spot. Jimmy stages a "slip and fall" con, intentionally slipping on a drum stick and injuring himself in the process. Kim returns to the office to find Jimmy lying on the floor, with his half of the rent, indicating he used the "slip and fall" to coerce the guitar shop into paying him off. Despite Jimmy's assurances, Kim still expresses doubts about Jimmy's ability to pay and considers taking on another client. Jimmy later is able to make $700 during his community service, helping a drug dealer "see his sick child" by threatening the supervisor with legal action. ("Slip")

Jimmy talks with the Sandpiper class action representative Irene to get an update on the Sandpiper case, and realizes that Sandpiper has already offered a settlement deal which if D&M and HHM accept, would give Jimmy over $1 million as his share of the settlement. Jimmy tries to convince Howard to accept the settlement, but Howard sees through Jimmy's motivations and refuses. In order to secure the Sandpiper settlement, Jimmy pulls a series of cons and social manipulations to trick Irene into thinking that holding out on the Sandpiper settlement is against the interests of her fellow elderly clients and she moves to accept it, giving Jimmy his much needed fee. He returns to the office to give the good news to Kim. ("Fall")

Jimmy, feeling partly responsible for Kim's exhaustion and resulting car accident, finally agrees to break their office lease and have Kim work out of her own home to save costs. Jimmy meanwhile tries to make amends with Chuck, but Chuck coldly cuts ties. Jimmy then tries to mend relations between Irene and her friends, but is unable to since Irene's friends remain suspicious of her. He finally outs himself as crooked in front of his elderly clients, which both vindicates Irene and cancels the Sandpiper settlement. After insulting Jimmy and forcing him away, Chuck commits suicide by pushing a gas lantern off a table and onto a pile of newspapers, leaving Jimmy as the sole living member of his family. ("Lantern")

Season 4

Jimmy learns about Chuck's death, racing to the house with Kim in time to see the coroners removing his brother's body from the fire-gutted house. Chuck's death sends Jimmy into a depressive mood, unable to even approve the obituary written by Howard's. At the funeral, Jimmy is given condolences by Chuck's partners and co-workers. Arriving home with Kim, they find Howard outside who reveals that he believed Chuck committed suicide. Howard blames himself for trying to force Chuck out of Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill. Even though he is responsible for revealing his brother's mental illness to the insurance company and igniting the feud between Chuck and Howard, Jimmy is satisfied that no one knows of his role and with someone else to take the blame, he happily tells Howard that it is his "cross to bear," stunning Howard and Kim. ("Smoke")

Jimmy approaches Mike with an offer to break into Neff Copiers to replace Mr. Neff's valuable Hummel figurine with a copy and then split the proceeds. Mike turns him down and offers condolences over Chuck's death. Jimmy then goes to see Caldera and is told that their contact is also not interested in the job. Angrily, Jimmy takes the phone and breaks protocol but manages to set up a meeting. His contact, Ira, breaks into Neff Copiers to steal the figure, but finds Mr. Neff living in the office. Hiding under the desk, Jimmy creates a distraction outside the store in order for Ira to complete the theft. At home the next morning, Kim gives Jimmy documents from a meeting with Howard, including a release stating that he will not contest the $5,000 inheritance, and a letter from Chuck. Jimmy reads the letter, in which Chuck expresses his approval about Jimmy turning his life around. Jimmy is apparently unaffected by the contents of the letter. ("Something Beautiful")

Jimmy is offered a job as a shift supervisor at CC Mobile, but he turns it down. After Kim gives him the contact information of a therapist, Jimmy lies that he took the job, When she leaves, Jimmy calls CC Mobile back to accept the position. Jimmy's new job is boring because of a lack of customers, and is told that he can't transfer to another store because of a lack of positions. Jimmy goes to meet Ira to collect his proceeds from the Hummel figurine sale, and is surprised that it is more than he expected. Ira tells him to contact him again using a new phone if he has another job. Jimmy becomes inspired and returns to CC Mobile where he starts an advertizing campaign by painting "IS THE MAN LISTENING? PRIVACY SOLD HERE" on the store windows. ("Talk")

Despite his new business idea, Jimmy struggles to increase trade at CC Mobile until the owner of a contracting business arrives. Asking if what Jimmy is offering will protect him from the IRS, the customer buys a large amount of drop phones to communicate without being eavesdropped on or even tracked. After trying to spend time with Kim that evening, Jimmy goes back to CC Mobile and takes a stack of phones with him. After trying to sell to three youths who call him a "narc," Jimmy then manages to sell the stack of phones to unsavory characters at the Dog House. Heading home, he is mugged and beaten by the three youths who steal all the money he made. Kim helps him tend to his wounds at home, and Jimmy finally agrees to see a therapist. The next day, Jimmy removes the advertizing sign from the front of CC Mobile. At the courthouse during his PPD check-in, Jimmy lies about associating with criminals and then decides that he will get his law license back and be a damn good lawyer. ("Quite a Ride")

Jimmy begins dreaming about reviving Wexler McGill, and admits to Kim that he is not going to see a therapist because he wants to move forward. Kim reluctantly accepts the decision. Jimmy heads to the Forque Kitchen and Bar for dinner with Kim, where she tells him that she has been hired at the head of Schweikart and Cokely's banking division. Jimmy wants to practice criminal law and reform Wexler McGill but Kim's plans do not coincide with Jimmy's. Although Jimmy realizes his dreams have been dashed, he wishes Kim well with her career. Jimmy goes to Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill to collect the $5,000 inheritance. Jimmy learns HHM is going through a bad spell, and admonishes Howard for wallowing and not fighting. Howard retorts with a "fuck you," and Jimmy tells him to use that rage to his advantage. Later, Jimmy takes deliver of a new set of phones at Day Spa and Nail, and has to bribe Mrs. Nguyen with one so he can keep them in the back room. At night, Jimmy finds the three youths who mugged him and offers to cut them in on his business in return for leaving him alone. Instead, they threaten him with a switchblade, causing Jimmy to run. The youths give chase, but find themselves in a trap where they are captured and hung up in a piñata store. Two masked men, one of whom is Huell Babineaux, bust the piñatas while Jimmy warns them about ripping him off again. Suitably terrified, Jimmy tells them they have had their warning and leaves them hanging. ("Piñata")

Over the course of several months, Jimmy continues to use his "Saul Goodman" alias to sell burner phones to Albuquerque's criminals while at the same time continuing his PPD. Jimmy tours a potential office site with Huell, laying out how each room would be used when his law license is reinstated. Jimmy is invited to a party with Kim at S&C where he takes over and becomes the life of the party. Kim and Richard appear to be uncomfortable, and it causes tension between Jimmy and Kim on the drive home. While selling phones, Jimmy is approached by a plainclothes cop, Platt. Platt has a Saul Goodman card he took from a drug dealer he busted and tells Jimmy to sell is phones to a different clientele elsewhere. Jimmy refuses, and the argument is broken up by Huell who knocks Platt over with a shopping bag. Huell is arrested and Jimmy tries to bargain his freedom for moving his business elsewhere. Platt refuses and arrests Huell. Charged with assault, Huell is facing two and half years in prison and threatens to skip bail. Jimmy talks him out of it, and finds out that Platt is an alcoholic. He asks Jimmy to engineer Platt's drunken breakdown in court in order to get the case dismissed. Kim is disturbed that Jimmy has been selling phones to criminals and agrees to look into Huell's case although he refuses to ruin Platt. ("Something Stupid")

Jimmy heads to Huell's hometown of Coushatta by bus, writing postcards in different handwriting and pens and even getting other other passengers to write messages. In Coushatta, Jimmy posts the messages and then gets on the bus back home. The letters are part of a plan to help Huell, since they all demand his release. Judge Munsinger demands the case be settled without a circus. When the prosecutor starts calling the letter writers, Jimmy sets up an elaborate con where he and members of a film crew pose as people Huell knew which convinces her that the letter-writing campaign is genuine. She begins negotiating with Kim. Jimmy and Kim reconcile and the next morning Kim compliments him on his genius idea with the phones, while Jimmy tells her that it was her idea in the first place. Their plan ends with Huell serving only four months' probation. Jimmy is surprised when Kim tells him that she wants to undertake similar schemes. ("Coushatta")

In Lubbock, Texas, Jimmy and Kim work a scam on the Department of Building Safety that results in them tricking the state into giving Mesa Verde a larger branch. Jimmy is planning for the future reinstatement of his law license, and intends to use the customers from his burner phone business as his new clients. The committee ultimately decides not to reinstate his license due to a lack of sincerity, causing Jimmy to fly into a rage. Talking with Kim, she realizes that the reason the committee ruled against him was because he did not mention Chuck – the victim of the crime that led to his suspension – once during the hearing. Jimmy is angry that he is expected to be sympathetic. Jimmy and Kim argue, with Jimmy later apologising and admitting he messed up. Kim asks him if he still wants to be a lawyer. When Jimmy answers yes, she says they will start with that. ("Wiedersehen")

As part of a scheme to seem sincere about Chuck's death, Jimmy makes a point of openly grieving at Chuck's grave on the one-year anniversary of his death. Howard dedicates a new law library at HHM in Chuck's name; the film crew hired by Jimmy and Kim spreads the rumor that Jimmy anonymously donated the money for the library. Jimmy is given an appeal hearing to reinstate his law license, and at Kim's suggestion reads the letter that Chuck left him. However, Jimmy senses that it will not work and tells a story about how Chuck influenced him to become a lawyer. Jimmy's speech moves Kim and some of the committee members to tears. Jimmy's law license is returned, but Kim is shocked to learn that Jimmy did not mean one word from the speech and meant it to sway the members of the committee into reinstating his license. Jimmy also reveals that he has no intention to practice law under his own name, and requests legal accreditation for a new identity to the clerk who asks him to sign some paperwork. When Kim asks what he is trying to do, Jimmy replies, "S'all good, man!" ("Winner")

Season 5

Jimmy officially changes his name to Saul Goodman and holds an event to advertise his new business. However, Kim is less than pleased when Saul offers her advice to scam one of her clients into accepting a deal, though she eventually goes through with it. ("Magic Man")

Saul and Kim get married in a small civil ceremony with Huell as a witness. At the same time, after Lalo Salamanca gets arrested for the murder of Fred Whalen, Saul is called in to represent him. Saul is eventually given information by Mike Ehrmantraut that allows him to get Lalo bail at seven million dollars. Lalo promises that he can come up with the money, but will need Saul to collect it. However, Saul becomes visibly conflicted at seeing how upset Fred's parents are and has an explosive confrontation with Howard Hamlin over his behavior in the courthouse. ("JMM")

Lalo gives Saul instructions on where to collect the money, but Saul refuses until Lalo agrees to pay him $100,000 in exchange. Saul informs Kim who is less than pleased by the danger Saul will put himself in, but reluctantly agrees. In the desert, Saul meets with the Cousins who silently hand over the money in two large duffle bags before taking off. However, on his way home, Saul is ambushed by a gang who are after the money. As they prepare to execute him, Saul is rescued by Mike who was tracking Saul and kills five of the six gangsters. However, one escapes and in the process, destroys Mike's truck and damages Saul's car, forcing the two men to strip it and push the car over a cliff.

Due to the danger of Tiburón returning, Saul and Mike are forced to trek through the desert with Saul carrying the heavy bags of money. Saul has a hard time adapting to the situation, only reluctantly filling his old Davis & Main water bottle with his own urine in lieu of water and resorting to dragging the bags when he gets tired, resulting in one ripping slightly and Saul injuring his foot on a cactus when he retrieves the lost money. Hunted relentlessly, exhausted and sunburned, Saul decides to give up, but Mike gives him a speech about how he is driven by protecting those he loves and ensuring they have a better life. With the Tiburón searching nearby, Saul is filled with renewed purpose, dons one of Mike's space blankets and begins walking down the road to draw the man out for Mike. Saul succeeds in drawing Tiburón's attention, allowing Mike to kill him with a sniper rifle. However, Tiburón's truck crashes and is wrecked in the process, leaving Saul and Mike without a car again and without water as Tiburón's water supply was also destroyed. Saul finally drinks his own urine as Mike had earlier attempted to get him to do and begins walking down the road with Mike back to civilization, the threat to them now gone. ("Bagman")

Continuing their arduous journey through the desert, Saul eventually gets a signal and calls a worried Kim. The two eventually make their way to a truck stop where Victor and Tyrus Kitt pick up Saul and Mike. The two reveal that Gus' men have recovered all of the bodies except for Tiburón who died out in the middle of nowhere and can't be found. Mike is satisfied and tells Saul that he must prepare his story for what took him so long. Arriving at the jail, Saul hands over the bags of money, drawing the suspicions of the DA and authorities that Lalo would have so much cash on hand for his bail. As he waits, Saul discovers that the Cousins included an extra $100,000 in the bags at Lalo's request to pay Saul for his services. Lalo is released and makes it clear that he intends to jump bail and flee to Mexico while Saul lies that it took him so long as his car broke down six or seven miles from the pickup spot and he had to walk back. Before departing with Nacho, Lalo reveals Kim's visit to a concerned Saul and compliments him on his wife.

Returning home, Saul's sunburn is treated by Kim and he continually refuses to go to the hospital. Saul lies to Kim about his experiences and directs her to the money, but she discovers the truth after finding his coffee mug in the bag with a bullet hole through it. Saul chastises Kim for talking to Lalo and they both take the next day off with Saul displaying signs of PTSD from his experience. Saul is eventually called in on an easy case, but his trauma causes him to botch the case. Saul subsequently seeks Mike's advice and is told that he will eventually get through it, but he has started down a road with his choices. Saul expresses anger at the idea that Lalo will get away with Fred's senseless murder, but Mike implies that there is a plan in play to deal with Lalo.

That night, Saul is shocked to learn that Kim has quit Schweikart and Cokely to focus solely on her public defender work and chastises her for her actions, ignoring multiple phone calls. As Kim answers a knock on the door, Saul finally answers his phone, only to have a frantic Mike order him to leave the line open and hide the phone so Mike can listen in. The visitor proves to be Lalo who refuses to let Kim leave and demands to know again what happened in the desert while Mike covers Saul and Kim with his sniper rifle from across the street. Saul continues telling variations of the same story before Lalo reveals that he found Saul's wrecked and shot-up car. Kim finally intervenes, claiming that a passerby must've found the broken-down car and wrecked it for fun. Kim berates Lalo for his lack of trust, in both Saul and his own people and Lalo leaves, apparently satisfied. ("Bad Choice Road")

After the confrontation, Lalo leaves Kim's apartment and drives away in Nacho's car. Jimmy picks up the phone and asks Mike what happens next. Mike just replies, "We'll see" and remarks that Kim saved his life. When he ends the call and Kim asks him who he was talking to, Jimmy tells her the truth about his desert trek with Mike. Jimmy and Kim feel the apartment isn't safe and immediately go to a hotel to wait out the situation for a few days. Kim later ignores Jimmy's request to remain at the hotel and visits the courthouse. She meets with a public defender named Grant and accepts twenty pending felony cases pro bono. While in an elevator, she unexpectedly encounters Howard and his associates from HHM. On her way out, Kim tells Howard she quit Schweikart and Cokely.

This intrigues Howard, and he attempts to find out what exactly happened. Kim tries to leave but Howard beckons her into an empty courtroom for privacy. Howard warns her about Jimmy's recent harassment and suggests Kim should stop following his lead. Kim laughs at Howard and says she is insulted by the notion that she cannot decide for herself. As she leaves, Howard tells her that Chuck best understood Jimmy.

Jimmy goes to Mike's house to question him about who he works for and about the situation with Lalo. Mike tells him he's not allowed to know this information, but still reveals that Lalo will be assassinated that night. Jimmy goes back to the hotel, packs their possessions, and informs Kim when he gets back. Kim, still angered by Howard's comments, proposes a forced resolution of the Sandpiper case by sabotaging Howard, which would enable Jimmy to receive his seven-figure share of the settlement. Jimmy counsels against it, but Kim makes use of a similar finger-pointing gesture Jimmy previously used after he was reinstated, indicating she is serious about undermining Howard, which stuns Jimmy. ("Something Unforgivable")

Prior to Breaking Bad

By the time of “Breaking Bad”, he opens a new office, this one far more gaudy and clichéd than his former offices. Taking his former style as Jimmy to a whole new level, the newly-anointed Saul practices far more aggressively than before, and quickly gains a reputation for his ability to acquit local criminals such as Emilio Koyama.

Breaking Bad

Season 2

When Badger is arrested for selling blue meth, Saul is sent to be his legal counsel. It comes to call his attention that Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez, two DEA agents, are trying to interrogate Badger. Deducing they were interested in his client, he made a deal with the DEA for Badger to testify against his dealer “Heisenberg.”

Later that day, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman decide to look for Saul Goodman in his office. Walt, posing as Badger’s uncle "Mr. Mayhew," hires Saul to keep Badger out of prison. Citing rumors that Heisenberg's associate crushed a man's head with an ATM, Walt asks if Badger should fear reprisals if he snitches. "The guy who got his head smooshed used to be a client of mine. His wife killed him," Saul replies. He plans to get Badger "singing like a canary." "Ten thousand dollars," Walt blurts out before succumbing to a coughing fit. He doesn't want Saul to throw the case, but "no talking to the DEA," he says. Saul then kicks Walt out of his office for trying to bribe him.

That night, Jesse and Walt don their ski masks, kidnap Saul, and haul him to a freshly dug shallow grave in a desert wasteland. Saul opines that it may be related to his past involvement with the Cartel, and spouts that "it wasn't me it was Ignacio, he's the one!" and assumes it was Lalo who had sent the two masked men to kill him, ironically breathing a sigh of relief when he realizes this isn't the case. "This afternoon, an associate of ours offered you ten thousand dollars," Jesse tells him. "You shoulda taken it." Saul informs them that he doesn't take bribes from strangers. Jesse, gun aimed at Saul, instructs him to give Badger "the best legal representation ever," but says that Saul is dead if anyone snitches to the DEA. "Why don't you just kill Badger?" Saul suggests, but Jesse insists that's not an option. Walt doubles over coughing and Saul recognizes him as the "Mr. Mayhew" from his office. Saul instructs Walt and Jesse to remove their masks and "put a dollar in my pocket - both of you." Now protected by attorney-client privilege, they hear Saul's assessment of their situation: "Somebody's going to prison. It's just a matter of who."

In an interview with Hank, Badger describes Heisenberg as an older bald man. Back in Saul's office, Saul hands Walt the dossier for a bald ex-convict known as "Jimmy In-'N-Out," who will go to jail as Heisenberg for a fee. "Conscience gets expensive, doesn't it?" Saul comments when he outlines the cost: $80,000 - $50,000 of which Saul takes as a finder's fee - plus a pound of meth. The next day, Albuquerque police and the DEA stake out the bus stop bench where Badger was busted. After some maneuvering to get Badger to sit next to the correct bald man, Jimmy's arrest goes down as planned.

Saul and his private detective track down the identity of the "Mr. Mayhew". The detective tracks the individual down at his residence, and later place of work, J. P. Wynne High School, by posing as the grandfather of a student. ("Better Call Saul: Client Development") With his information, Saul pays an unexpected visit to Walt in his classroom, chiding him for being so easy to locate. Walt asks if Saul is blackmailing him, but Saul says that he isn't. Referencing The Godfather, Saul offers to play Hagen to Walt's Corleone. "I'm no Vito Corleone," Walt says. "No shit," Saul replies. "Right now, you're Fredo." Walt has the right product but not the right connections and strategy, which Saul can provide. "If you want to make more money, and keep the money that you make," Saul says, adding his TV flourish, "Better Call Saul!" ("Better Call Saul")

Later on, Saul gives Walt a tutorial on money laundering. After all the costs associated with Badger’s arrest, he only has $16,000 left. "Congratulations," cracks Saul, "You've just left your family a second hand Subaru." Walt lets on that he might not have much longer to live, but he intends to cook a lot more. "Make hay while the sun is still shining," Saul agrees ("4 Days Out") . Some days later, Combo is shot dead while dealing in rival territory. Saul, Walt and Jesse have a meeting to decide what their next move is going to be. Walt reveals to Saul that they've got thirty-eight pounds of meth and no distribution. Saul tells them that "You're sitting on a gold mine!" Walt and Jesse "suck at peddling meth," he concludes, but he offers to put them in touch with a cautious, low profile businessman who'll buy their product in bulk ("Mandala") .

After successfully selling the thirty-eight pounds to Saul's contact, Walt complains that he cannot make use of the money. Luckily, Saul knows of a hacker in Belarus who could launder Walt's money through his son's "Save Walt White" website. It would look like thousands of people were donating to "Mr. Walter H. White… Cancer Saint," Saul explains. "I'm getting a warm and fuzzy feeling just thinking about it" ("Phoenix") . When Jane Margolis dies, Saul sends one of his associates, Mike Ehrmantraut, to clean up her apartment from any evidence linking her and Jesse with the use of drugs. Saul also informs Walt about Jesse living in a crack house nicknamed "The Shooting Gallery," and sends Mike to give Walt a lift to visit Jesse. ("ABQ")

Season 3

In the wake of the Wayfarer Flight 515 aerial disaster, Saul began organizing a class-action lawsuit for victims of the crash. At one point, Saul says, "Victims' families would be great, but I'll take anyone on the ground who suffered emotionally." It is possible that Saul gained a great deal of publicity from representing victims (under a very loose definition of the term). Saul also began wearing the Wayfarer 515 blue ribbon to show his support for the air crash victims.

Following the success of the large sale to Gus – which leads to Saul buying better suits – Saul pushes Walt to take Gus’s lucrative offer to continue cooking. He also accepts a job from Jesse, using Jesse’s half of the earnings to purchase his aunt’s house at a dramatically lowered price – strong-arming Jesse’s parents and attorney with a potential lawsuit over the undisclosed meth lab Jesse was running out of the basement.

After Walt reveals Skyler White has threatened to expose him, Saul hires Mike to bug the White house as insurance. Forced to leave early when Walt comes home, Mike witnesses the Cousins entering with an axe, and quickly places a call to Gus to call them off. Per Gus’s direction, Saul is not informed of this threat to Walt ("Caballo Sin Nombre") . Saul visits Jesse's house later on, asking Jesse to try to convince Walt into going back to cooking meth ("I.F.T.") .

Mike later brings Walt to Saul after Walt creates a disturbance at Skyler’s office, and attempts to talk Walt into cooking meth again. Admitting that he bugged Walt’s house and making an off-color comment about Skyler, Saul is attacked and subsequently fired by Walt. Furious, Saul shuts down the laundering of Walt’s drug money.

Jesse then approaches Saul with two bags of meth he has cooked himself using Walt’s procedure, and asks to set up a deal. He meets Victor under a bridge to make the exchange, only to see he has been given half of the money – the other half went to Walt ("Green Light") .

Saul sets up an intervention between Walt and Jesse, offering to give Walt a percentage of Jesse’s future deals. Walt returns Jesse’s half of the deal's money, coldly informing both of them that he has now accepted Gus’s offer and will be cutting Jesse out of the business. Quickly dumping Jesse in favor of the much higher profits Walt can produce, Saul is once again hired to launder money for Walt – this time for a dramatically-reduced fee of five percent ("Más") .

When Hank successfully deduces the existence of the RV, Walt calls Saul in a panic. Saul is at a loss, and scolds him for not having a "self-destruct" mechanism like the Starship Enterprise. After Hank locates the RV with Walt and Jesse trapped inside, Walt calls Saul for assistance. Saul has his secretary Francesca masquerade as a law enforcement official to make Hank believe his wife has been severely injured in a car accident. Saul appears regretful of his part in the cruel ruse and discards the phone used to make the call, while Francesca tells him she should be paid more for this sort of work ("Sunset") .

Saul visits Jesse at the hospital after the latter is brutally attacked by Hank in retaliation of their ruse to lure Hank away from the junkyard. Saul takes pictures of Jesse's injured face and jokes that Walt is now the "cute one of the group." Jesse plans to ruin Hank's life and maybe even give up Heisenberg's identity if he gets caught cooking again. Out of the hospital room, Walt tells Saul that Jesse will eventually calm down, to which Saul replies "If he doesn't, there may come a time to talk options" ("One Minute") . Saul later tries to convince Jesse into buying a property to launder his money earned selling drugs, but Jesse declines the offer ("Kafkaesque") .

Walt later introduces Skyler to Saul as they have a meeting in Saul's office trying to think in a scheme to launder their money. Saul suggests that they buy a laser tag franchise, but Skyler comments that Walt buying a laser tag arcade wouldn't make any sense. "Walt's a scientist," Saul replies, "scientists love lasers." They later drive to a car wash where Walt worked for four years. Skyler comments that since Walt has history with this car wash, it would make even more sense for him to buy it. Saul thinks otherwise, since they don't have an inside man, and it will be difficult to use the car wash for money laundering ("Abiquiú") . Later, Walter comes to Saul to inform him that Jesse found out that the men who killed his dealer and friend some weeks earlier are actually working for Gus, and Jesse is intent on killing them. They plan to get Jesse arrested, but Mike finds out about the plan and intervenes on Gus' orders ("Half Measures") .

Jesse eventually attacks the dealers against Gus' orders, and Walt saves Jesse's life by killing both dealers. Mike starts a manhunt for Jesse, but Saul helps Walt by hiding Jesse in the laser tag arcade. Mike forces Saul to give him information on Jesse's whereabouts, even threatening to severely injure Saul in case he doesn't collaborate. Saul gives Mike a fake address to keep him away for some hours and then drives Walt to meet Jesse at the arcade. He warns them that it's just a matter of time before Mike realizes that the address is fake, but he is dismissed by Walt ("Full Measure") .

Season 4

Following Gale Boetticher's murder, Walt and Jesse are taken to the superlab and held there by Mike and Victor until Gus Fring arrives to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, Saul searches his office for bugs, believing that Walt and Jesse were murdered by Gus and he would be next. He receives a call from Skyler asking where Walt is. Returning her call by payphone, Saul lies and assures her Walt is fine. He then tells his new bodyguard, Huell Babineaux, that they might need to leave town ("Box Cutter") .

Later, after Skyler's unsuccessful attempt to buy the car wash from Bogdan for money laundering purposes, Saul touts a nail salon as the best way to launder money as he meets with Walt and Skyler at the condo. "Ya bombed. It happens," Saul says about Skyler's attempt to purchase the car wash. Bogdan just needs an "attitude adjustment," contends Skyler, though she rules out instigating an IRS audit, INS raid, or any violence.

While watching the draining soap suds from washing Holly's baby bottles, Skyler is struck by an idea and calls Saul. Outside the car wash, a man wearing a Bluetooth headset who appears to be some kind of environmental inspector, who is actually a con-man, Saul's associate Patrick Kuby, shows water samples to Bogdan and declares they're full of contaminants. He tells Bogdan that he must replace his entire wastewater treatment system, and the state requires he cease operations until it's back up to code. Skyler, feeding lines to Kuby, is eventually successful and purchases the car wash ("Open House") . Meanwhile, Walt tells Saul he fears that Hank will connect Jesse to Gale's murder. Saul says there's nothing to worry about, but Walt catalogs his woes: Gus wants to kill him, Jesse is out of control, and Gus will eventually perceive Jesse as too big a risk. There's also "this stupid car wash" he's buying with Skyler, who naively thinks Walt can walk away after his contract with Gus expires. Saul mentions that as a last resort, Walt can pay to have a "disappearer" vanish his family off the grid and set them up with new identities. Walt rejects the idea, and they're stuck at an impasse ("Bullet Points") .

Later, when Walter learns Jesse is off somewhere with Mike, Walt races through Albuquerque, dodging traffic while shouting instructions to Saul on his cell phone. If Walt doesn't return within 24 hours, Saul is to deliver all of Walt's money to Skyler ("Shotgun") . On a later date, Walt slumps in a chair at Saul's office while Saul handles the fallout from his client's "little joy ride" (racing around recklessly, doing doughnuts with, and ultimately setting on fire the Dodge Challenger Skyler made him return). Walt admits that the pressure of knowing Gus wants to kill him is getting to him, and then inquires about hit men. "Wrong answer!" blurts Saul, pointing out that any for hire assailant would likely know Mike, and have to outmaneuver him. Walt tells Saul that he tried to kill Gus himself but couldn't get near him. "Why not ask your partner?" suggests Saul ("Problem Dog") . Saul visits Andrea Cantillo at a house she's just rented in a nice neighborhood and delivers cash from Jesse. Afterward, in Saul's car, a concerned Jesse asks about the house and Andrea's son, Brock Cantillo. Saul then prods Jesse to check on them himself ("Hermanos") .

In his office, Saul mumbles to himself, "This is a bad idea," before Ted enters. Saul then informs Ted that his long-lost "Great Aunt Birgit" from Luxembourg has left him $621,552.33—almost precisely the amount of his debt to the I.R.S., obstensibly a coincidence that Ted seemingly doesn't realize. Saul visits the car wash and shows Skyler a credit report indicating that Ted leased a Mercedes three hours after receiving Walt's money. He won't be able to pay the income tax bill in full—and clearly wasn't going to do so anyway ("Salud") . At his home, Ted returns Skyler's money to her because paying off the IRS with Walt's gambling winnings "feels wrong" and in any case won't solve Ted's other money woes. Skyler accuses Ted of blackmailing her for more cash. Stung by the charge, Ted emphatically denies it but still refuses to pay the IRS. After leaving Ted's house, Skyler calls Saul.

By phone, Saul informs Skyler that Ted doesn't own a gun or have a panic button on his alarm system. Skyler replies that she doesn't want anyone hurt, just for Ted to write the IRS a check. Saul tells Skyler that he'll assign his "A-team" to deal with Ted and sends Kuby and Huell. The two visit Ted at home, order him to write the check, and tell him they'll be staying until it clears. After signing the check, Ted tries to make a run for it but ends up tripping on a throw rug and knocking himself out on the island in his kitchen ("Crawl Space") .

In Saul's office, Huell is describing the mishap with Ted when Walt storms in, saying that he needs to contact Saul's connection who can "disappear" the White family and give them new identities. It'll cost at least half a million dollars, says Saul, and everyone must be packed and ready before Walt makes the call ("Crawl Space") . Walt asks Saul to inform the DEA that Gus has a hit out on Hank. "My brother-in-law doesn't deserve to die because of this," pleads Walt. Saul reluctantly agrees to alert the DEA about the hit but refuses to finger Gus. Walt tells Saul to make the call in an hour ("Crawl Space") .

After finishing a cook, a laundry truck drops off Jesse at his car, which he now parks in the desert to avoid arousing DEA suspicion. Jesse calls Walt, who doesn't answer, then listens to increasingly frantic messages on his own voicemail from Saul. One of which urges Jesse to come to the law office, pronto. When Jesse arrives he is aggressively patted down by Saul's bodyguard, Huell, until Saul interrupts. Saul declares, "They're here, the end times," and stuffs Jesse's meth money in a duffel bag for him. "I'm outta here," says Saul, at least until things cool down. Confused, Jesse asks what's going on and learns that Gus threatened to kill Walt and his family ("End Times") .

At the hospital where Brock is being treated, two Albuquerque Police Department detectives then approach Jesse and summon him to police headquarters to question him about his theory that Brock might have ricin poisoning, which the boy's doctors think might actually be the case. Jesse says that he must have seen it on TV. "Sometimes your brain makes these connections," he explains. When the detectives press him further, Jesse stops talking and demands his attorney, Saul Goodman. At the law office, Saul's secretary, Francesca, busy shredding documents, doesn't respond to Walt banging on the office door. He then shatters the glass door with a piece of cement and enters. Francesca, furious about the mess, refuses to provide Saul's whereabouts unless Walt pays her $25,000, well more than he has on him.

At police headquarters, Jesse stonewalls the detectives until Saul arrives. Privately, Saul tells Jesse that he'll have to remain in police custody pending a toxicology report on Brock, but that it might be just as well because someone tried to kill Walt in his own home. Following their meeting, Walt rendezvous with Saul, who relays information from Jesse about Gus' visits to Hector Salamanca, referred to as "Tio." Walt doesn't recognize their significance until Saul says that Gus gloated about Tio's family line ending and later told Jesse that Tio killed someone close to him. "They're enemies," Walt deduces. This information supplied by Jesse through Saul later becomes vital in Walt's plan on getting rid of Gustavo Fring ("Face Off") .

Season 5

Saul visits Skyler at the car wash and cryptically and solemnly warns her the police may call her about Ted. "Ted's dead?" she asks, tearing up. "No, he just woke up," Saul says. Later, at Saul's office, Walt scolds Saul for giving Skyler $622,000 to pay off Ted's tax debt. Saul reminds Walt that he put himself on the line by participating in Brock's poisoning (Saul had Huell lift the ricin cigarette from Jesse). Thrusting the ricin cigarette at him, Saul tells Walt that their business relationship is done. Walt bridles at that, backing Saul into a corner of the office. "We're done when I say we're done," he says

After deciding that they will continue to cook, Walt and Jesse visit Saul to discuss finding a new venue for the lab, preferably nearby and not in an RV. Saul says an in-town venue will be difficult, but Walt snaps, "If Gus can manage it, then so can we." Jesse reports that he was able to find all the precursor chemicals except for methylamine. Walt encourages Jesse to keep looking for methylamine, but Jesse doubts he'll be able to scare any up. When Saul advises they pull out of the meth business, Walt snaps back that he's broke. "Does that seem like an acceptable stopping point to you?" ("Madrigal") .

Mike waits outside Saul's office while Huell guards the door. Inside, Walt and Jesse assuage Saul's doubts about working with Mike again, who threatened to break Saul's legs. They let Mike in and he lays down ground rules: He runs the business, Walt and Jesse cover production. Saul privately asks Walt if he's okay with the arrangement, but Walt's unfazed: "He handles the business, and I handle him." Saul takes the team on a tour of potential new lab venues, but Walt, Jesse, and Mike nix them all, spotting logistical problems with each. Jesse and Mike are ready to dismiss the final venue, Vamanos Pests, but Walt demurs, declaring, "It's perfect." The next day, the four watch the pest-control team as it tents an infested home. Walt explains his plan: If they cook inside houses undergoing fumigation, no one will bother them or question strange smells. They can hide in plain sight. Saul says the pest crew, run by a man named Ira, runs a burglary operation on the side and knows how to keep secrets. Mike suggests a vote. "Why?" asks Walt: he's already convinced, and so is Jesse ("Hazard Pay") .

Later, tending to his errand, Mike visits the DEA offices with Saul. Saul tells Hank and Gomez that their ongoing surveillance of Mike is tantamount to stalking, and that he's filed for a Temporary Restraining Order with a sympathetic judge. Afterward, Saul tells Mike that the TRO won't hold up long, and Hank will be back on his tail with a vengeance within twenty-four hours. "It's enough," Mike says ("Buyout") . Even after Saul's efforts, Mike is eventually caught by the DEA and is on the run. In his office, Saul worries that Mike will flip if captured. "He won't flip," Jesse insists, but Walt worries that one of his nine men will. Mike then calls, asking Saul to fetch his go-bag. With the police watching Saul's movements, and Jesse out of the business, Walt volunteers to retrieve it ("Say My Name") . Later, Jesse admits that Saul told him that Walt "took care" of Mike's men in prison ("Gliding Over All") .

Jesse later visits Saul's office with the two bags of $5 million in cash - his pay for selling his share of the methylamine - given to him by Walt. Jesse, horrified by the "blood money," wants Saul to give the half the money to Kaylee Ehrmantraut (he fears the worst about Mike and wants his granddaughter to be looked after) and the other half to the parents of Drew Sharp, the young boy who was killed as a result of their methylamine train heist. Saul is quick to point out the flaws of this plan - how it will merely raise more questions - and Jesse leaves his office. Saul then calls Walt to inform him of the situation, and after a conversation with Walt, Jesse is saddened and guilt-ridden but nonetheless comes to terms with Saul's reasoning. Desperate to get rid of the money, he resorts to throwing stacks of money into peoples' yards as he drives by ("Blood Money") .

When Hank discovers that Walt was Heisenberg the entire time, Walt goes to Saul's office so they can discuss what to do with this problem. Saul later suggests that Walt send Hank on "a trip to Belize" like he did with Mike. Walt refuses and angrily rebukes Saul for even thinking of that. Saul has Huell and Kuby collect Walt's money from the storage bin, and Walt gives Saul a cut of the earnings, and a little extra that's meant for Walt as "insurance" in case Walt needs Saul later on. ("Buried") . Saul later bails Jesse out after Jesse gets arrested for throwing money out of his car window, and scolds him for not calling him sooner. He calls Walt, which leads to the three of them meeting in the desert, where Walt convinces Jesse to leave New Mexico, using the disappearer Saul mentioned to Walt earlier. While making the final preparations for Jesse's leave, Saul scolds him for smoking weed, and orders him to give him the rest of the drugs. When Jesse refuses, Saul has Huell pickpocket it from Jesse. Later, when Jesse discovers it missing, he realizes that Huell must have pickpocketed it from him, and realizes that Huell pickpocketed the ricin cigarette from him too. Walt is the one behind Brock being poisoned, and Saul helped him. Jesse returns to Saul's office, and brutally assaults him. Saul tries to grab a gun from his desk drawer, but Jesse grabs it first and points it at him, accusing him of having had Huell steal the ricin cigarette from him, and helped poison Brock. Saul admits that he helped, but tells Jesse that Walt didn't tell him of his motives, and that he wouldn't have done it if he knew what Walt was going to do. Jesse leaves, and Saul calls Walt to warn him ("Confessions") .

That evening, Saul and Kuby meet Walt in the parking lot of the hotel the White family are staying at to discuss their next move. Kuby says that he's doing everything he can to find Jesse. Saul suggests Walt 'put Jesse out to pasture' but Walt rules this out immediately, telling Saul to never hand out this idea again ("Rabid Dog") . The next day, Saul meets Walt at the car wash. He's concerned that Huell has gone missing and is wearing a bullet-proof vest. Walt assures him that Jesse is not on a killing spree and everything is going to be fine ("To'hajiilee") .

Several days later, after Heisenberg's real identity is finally exposed and Walt is on the run as one of the most wanted criminals in the country, Saul prepares to leave town and his life behind. Disposing of all the evidence he can find at Saul Goodman & Associates, he also retrieves a satchel full of cash from the ceiling while Francesca shreds documents. Saul tears open the "We the People" wallpaper behind his desk and takes out his shoe box, which he places inside his luggage. He instructs Francesca on how to dispose of the shredded documents, hands over two wads of cash and an unidentified business card to Francesca. Saul offers Francesca a hug before she leaves to dispose of the shredded documents, but she scoffs and walks out. He then takes out a disposable cell phone from his desk drawer and calls Ed, the disappearer ("Quite a Ride") .

After Breaking Bad

After picking Saul up, Ed starts the process of setting him up with a new identity in Nebraska, to Saul's obvious displeasure. Until he can be safely moved, he has to hole-up in the basement of the extractor's shop . To Saul's surprise, he shares the basement with Walt, who is also waiting to be extracted out of New Mexico. Walt tries to convince Saul that they need to stick together so they can plot their revenge on the the people that killed Hank, but Saul refuses, trying to explain that he is no longer a lawyer, only another civilian trying to make a living. He does offer Walt one last bit of legal advice, to turn himself in in order to save his wife from prosecution. However, Walt refuses. Walt even tries to intimidate Saul, but erupts into a severe coughing fit due to the cancer. "It's over," Saul says, and he sets off to Nebraska to start his new life

After being rescued from the White Supremacist Compound, Jesse Pinkman seeks out the services of Saul's "disappearer" Ed Galbraith again. Without Saul around to help him, Jesse is forced to figure out how to find Ed on his own using the scant information he learned when Saul called Ed for him. Ed tells Jesse that he thinks Jesse, Walt and Saul all made their own luck after Jesse tries to get Ed to help him by telling Ed about his captivity. ("El Camino")

Saul takes up the new identity as Gene Takavic, working behind the counter at a shopping-mall Cinnabon located in Omaha. He becomes tense when a customer seems to be staring at him, but is instantly relieved when the man passes by him to greet a friend. Later, inside a modest apartment, Gene pours himself a glass of liquor and watches TV, flipping through channels. He then rummages around for a VHS tape inside a shoebox, which plays his TV ads from back in the days when he was still a lawyer. Gene weeps, heartbroken at the reminder of the man he used to be and can never be again. ("Uno")

At the end of another work day, Gene sees off his co-workers before he takes out the garbage. In the garbage room, the door (only being able to open from the outside) shuts, locking Gene inside while he throws the garbage in the dumpster. Gene calls out for anyone for several minutes until he considers using the emergency exit. However, opening the door would trigger an alarm and alert the police, who could potentially recognize him. Still paranoid, Gene resumes kicking and yelling for someone to open the regular door. After several attempts, Gene sits against the wall and finds a rusty nail. A couple hours later, the custodian (who is also taking out garbage) finally opens the door and Gene walks out right past him. On the wall, Gene has carved the message "S.G. was here." ("Switch")

During another work day, Gene takes a lunch break on the second floor of the mall, he sees a young man ducking into a photo booth. Gene notices a couple of DVD cases falling from the boy's coat and immediately realizes the kid has been shoplifting. When a security guard and police officer arrive pursuing the kid, they ask Gene if he has seen him. Gene nods wordlessly in the direction of the photo booth. Watching helplessly as the kid is pulled out and arrested, Gene's old instincts flare up and he suddenly shouts at the boy to say nothing and hire a lawyer. Realizing he has just acted out of character, Gene returns to the Cinnabon and begins prepping more food before the shock overwhelms him and he passes out. ("Mabel")

After passing out, Gene is taken to the hospital where he undergoes tests to determine the cause of his collapse and if it was a heart attack. While at the hospital, Gene grows nervous at the sight of police officers nearby and his heart rate increases, but is visited by a doctor who confirms that it wasn't a heart attack and aside from a slightly elevated blood pressure, everything came back as normal. On Gene's way out, the nurse at the desk asks for another look at his driver's license, further worrying Gene. Due to the computer repeatedly kicking the driver's license back, she requests Gene's social security number and Gene grows more and more fearful of being discovered as time goes on. Fortunately, the nurse determines that she keeps making a simple typo and Gene is able to leave. Breathing heavily, Gene has a taxi take him back to the mall and spots an air freshener marked Albuquerque Isotopes in the rear-view mirror and the taxi driver appears to be staring at him as if he recognizes him. When the driver takes too long at a green light, a paranoid Gene decides to get out of the taxi early and heads towards a church, noticing that the taxi has not moved since he left it. ("Smoke")

Gene returns to his car in the now-closed mall parking lot and goes home. Panicked, Gene empties a container of diamonds, makes a call, changes his license plates to Missouri plates and drives off listening to a police scanner. At a truck stop diner, Gene refuses a waitress' offers of food and calls Molly to let her know that he's fine and won't be back until Thursday. Gene questions if anyone has been looking for him or hanging around and brushes off Holly's concerns. Gene is relieved to find out that no one was looking for him and spends the next few days hiding in his house listening to the police scanner and keeping watch while drinking.

Convinced no one is looking for him, Gene returns to work where while on break he is approached by Jeff the cab driver who excitedly recognizes him as Saul Goodman. Gene insists that Jeff, who has another man with him, has gotten him mixed up with someone else, but Jeff insists that they both know who Gene really is and pressures Gene to admit who he really is. Nervously looking at some nearby cops, Gene does his "Better Call Saul" catchphrase and Jeff introduces himself and states that if Gene ever needs a ride, to call the cab company and ask for him.

After Jeff and his friend leave, Gene calls Ed Galbraith from a payphone for another extraction. Ed recognizes Gene and warns him that it will be difficult and is double the price. Gene admits that he got made though there is no official involvement and promises that he has the money. Ed states that the pickup will be in the same place he got dropped off on Thursday at 7:00am and Gene remembers the location. However, after a moment of consideration, Gene changes his mind and decides to "fix it myself" before hanging up and walking away. ("Magic Man")

Personality and traits

"Saul Goodman is like a cockroach - even after the apocalypse hits, he's going to find a way to survive." ―Vince Gilligan

Jimmy McGill is a highly intelligent, cunning, manipulative person who is a dedicated criminal lawyer and also a complete conman at heart and overall is a person who will resort to whatever measures to achieve his own goals or protect his client's interests.

Better Call Saul overall charts Jimmy's transformation into a dedicated and effective criminal lawyer. Jimmy is introduced as a struggling attorney, often forced to defend clients in loser cases and overall barely makes ends meets, and to make matters worse, his highly successful lawyer brother Chuck, is mentally ill and Jimmy takes it upon himself to care for his brother. Despite this, when he first introduced Jimmy is nowhere near the person he will eventually become and is a kind and caring person who desperately wants to be successful and put his lawyer skills to good measure. He has good relations with most of the people he knows notably Kim and Chuck, and with the exception of Howard Hamlin whom he despises.

In spite of this, it is gradually revealed that Jimmy is truly more conman than a lawyer, and throughout the series, it is shown that Jimmy has been a crook from an early age, in which he stole from his kind father's corner store, eventually resulting in it's bankruptcy and his father's death and engaged in multiple con games in order to steal money from unsuspecting victims. It was only after being arrested for defecating through a sunroof and facing serious charges that Jimmy gave up his life as the master conman "Slippin Jimmy" and moved with his brother to Albuquerque. Jimmy has never expressed any signs of remorse for his con artist past, nor the damage he inflicted on others, notably his father and overall enjoys the thrill of tricking people and furthering his own interests.

Jimmy's relationship with his older brother Chuck was one of the primary catalysts for his transformation into a criminal lawyer as Chuck was shown to despise his brother for his manipulative and delinquent ways and took every opportunity to sabotage him in order to prevent him from becoming a successful lawyer as he knew that Jimmy would always be a conman and resort to unethical measures to get his way, though Chuck's attempts would only fuel the fire and would push Jimmy closer and closer to his true criminal nature.

Throughout Better Call Saul, Jimmy eventually transforms from a struggling attorney focused on doing the "right" things into a master manipulator and reverts back to his conman persona. He is shown to be willing to resort to whatever measures necessary in order to gain clients and to ensure that his clients, who are complete criminals, avoid arrest such as manipulating police, fabricating evidence and even stealing from his clients for blackmail purposes. Despite this, Jimmy still uses his manipulation skills for good as seen when he saved two of his comrades from being murdered by Tuco Salamanca by talking him down to breaking their legs instead and also sabotaging his brother Chuck's files in order for Kim to get her clients back. Regardless however, Jimmy is vain, arrogant and selfish. He is completely focused on his own interests and is willing to ruin people's lives in the pursuit of his interests. For example, he turned an old woman's friends against her just in order for her to settle on a large case and receive his cut. Mostly, he proves his brother's mental illness in court in order to get off easy following being arrested and charged as a result of Chuck's actions, even through he was truly guilty in the manner. Jimmy is also spiteful as well as seen when he deliberately revealed his brother's mental illness to an insurance company for revenge for his actions and this would eventually be the one of the primary catalysts leading to his brother's tragic suicide. Despite this, Jimmy felt enough remorse to repair his mistake with his client by purposefully exposing his actions in a way that repaired the woman's friendships and presumably destroyed all of his own credibility with his clients in the process. However by the fourth season of Better Call Saul, Jimmy is shown to be even more cruel and non-caring as he shows barely any remorse for his older brother's tragic suicide, despite the fact that he is partly responsible and happily allows Howard to feel all the guilt over the situation; in a way following his brother's advice to no longer feel remorse for his actions and embrace who he is. Jimmy is shown to be willing to resort to even more extreme measures to get his way such as threatening three teenage thieves with death if they interfere with his drop phone service and feigning remorse for his brother's death simply to get reinstated as a lawyer and gleefully mocking the panel afterwards to Kim.

By Season 5 of Better Call Saul Jimmy fully embraces his new identity as "Saul Goodman", performing illicit schemes to get his way without a second thought and scamming others along the way, notably by his defense of Everett Acker against Mesa Verde. He is shown to be even more cruel and sadistic as seen by him gleefully harassing Howard for offering him a job at HHM by destroying his car and humiliating him by sending prostitutes to his lunch. He has shown to have become even more arrogant as seen by his outburst at Howard after he confronts him for his harassment; claiming a job at HHM is too small for him and meaningless and that he is a god as Saul Goodman. Jimmy's involvement with Lalo Salamanca however shows that he is still capable of fear for his own life and the lives of those he cares about, such as Kim and even helps to kill a gang member while stranded in the desert with Mike in order to ensure he makes it back to Kim and to deliver Lalo's bail money to protect her. Despite his newfound shady nature as Saul Goodman, glimpses of Jimmy McGill can still be seen, exemplified by his genuine disgust for having to defend Lalo Salamanca for his brutal murder of the innocent Fred Whalen and his remorse for Fred's loved ones present in the courtroom. This overall is evidence of an internal struggle within him. Even though he refuses to admit it, it is also readily apparent that Jimmy is internally torn up over his brother's suicide which Howard is able to recognize and is thus the primary reason for why Jimmy chooses to harass Howard who has evidently moved on from Chuck's death while Jimmy hasn't. Regardless however Jimmy openly blames Howard solely for killing Chuck despite his own involvement, showing that he is extremely ignorant and unwilling to confront his own guilt.

Jimmy has even shown worry for Kim herself as seen by his reaction to some of her decisons that have likely been influenced by his own behavior such as quitting her job at Schweikart and Cokely and her confidently conspiring to embark on a warpath against Howard for insulting them both by destroying his legal career to obtain their share of the Sandpiper Crossing settlement. Despite his hatred of Howard and the likelihood they can pull such as scam off, Jimmy advocates against it out of concern for Howard and Kim and is shown to be visibly shocked that Kim is dead serious about doing it, a similar occurrence to his own behavior at the end of Season 4.

By Breaking Bad, Jimmy McGill is no more and Saul Goodman is all that remains. He is shown to be a complete criminal lawyer who maintains extensive connections within the criminal underworld, and serves as a go-between connecting drug distributors, evidence removers, impersonators, and other criminals-for-hire. Despite his flamboyant appearance and mannerisms — punctuated by his outrageous low-budget TV commercials — Saul is a highly competent lawyer who is able to solve problems and find loopholes in order to protect his clients. He is also not without integrity as he is shown to honor the ethical concerns of his profession, particularly the attorney–client privilege, and is reluctant to be associated with violence or murder unless absolute necessary. He has served as an adviser for Walter, Jesse, Mike, and even for Skyler, whom he also helped acquire a car wash in order to launder Walter's drug money. With a sleazy manner that is sometimes bordering on comical, he might seem disreputable to police and certain other lawyers. Despite his fantastically shady appearance, Saul is indeed a highly competent extra-legal operator, adept at sniffing out legal loopholes and able to negotiate cherry deals on the behalf of his clients

Saul is shown to have an extremely poor moral compass and is more than willing to destroy lives in order to help his clients, as seen when he blackmailed Jesse's parents to sell their property to Jesse at half price by threatening to disclose the meth lab that had been in the basement and even murder does not faze him as he suggested numerous times to Walt to permanently remove a threat, notably Jesse and his brother-in-law Hank Schrader. However, Saul's ethical limits are glimpsed when he tried to cut ties with Walt after learning that he had been used to send a young boy to the hospital. Saul is somewhat of a coward as well as he was intimidated numerous times by his primary client, Walt and likely feared death if he did not follow Walt's orders. Ultimately, allowing Walt to control him and helping him with his criminal activities would lead to Saul having to abandon his beloved life as a criminal lawyer and flee to Nebraska to living in hiding.

After abandoning his life in New Mexico and becoming a cinnabon manger in Omaha, Nebraska under the alias Gene Takavic, he is shown to be a shell of the man he once was, living in complete fear of being exposed and arrested for his many crimes and is shown to be devastated over the loss of his former life, often watching old videos of his commercials and weeping throughout them. He is also paranoid, becoming so frightened by anything that could expose him that he suffers a panic attack that sends Gene to the hospital. After being recognized by Jeff, Gene panicked to the point that he called Ed Galbraith to give him a new identity again, but decided at the last minute to fix it himself rather than going through with the extraction, indicating that he has retained some of his old self and has finally had enough of running and living in fear.

Deaths

Murders connected to Jimmy

Tiburón: Drawn out by Jimmy and lured into a trap so that Mike could shoot him with a sniper rifle. (" Bagman ")

Deaths connected to Jimmy

Charles McGill Sr : Jimmy's embezzlement of nearly $14,000 from his father's small corner store over the years contributed to its bankruptcy and closure and also his father's untimely death six months later as a result of his loss of the store. (" Rebecca ")

: Jimmy's embezzlement of nearly $14,000 from his father's small corner store over the years contributed to its bankruptcy and closure and also his father's untimely death six months later as a result of his loss of the store. Charles McGill Jr: After Jimmy deliberately revealed his brother's mental illness to an insurance company out of spite, a conflict between Chuck and Howard erupted which ended with Howard forcing Chuck out of HHM when he threatened to sue the firm's insurer for raising their rates over his mental illness and Howard himself for trying to get him to retire for the good of the firm. Losing his position at HHM would be a vital contributing factor to Chuck's mental relapse and eventual tragic suicide. (" Expenses ", " Lantern ")

Known Clients

Appearances

Quotes

"Actually, it's getting arrested that makes people look guilty, even the innocent ones, and innocent people get arrested every day. And they find themselves in a little room with a detective who acts like he's their best friend. 'Talk to me,' he says. Uh, 'help me clear this thing up. You don't need a lawyer, only guilty people need lawyers.' And boom! Hey, that's when it all goes south. That's when you want someone in your corner, someone who will fight tooth and nail. Lawyers, you know, we're like health insurance. You hope you never need it. But, man, oh, man, not having it, no." ―Jimmy during his pitch to the Kettlemans. [src]

Skateboarder: "You – you are – you are the worst lawyer – the worst lawyer ever!" Jimmy: "Hey, I just talked you down from a death sentence to six months probation. I'm the best lawyer ever." ―Jimmy driving the two brothers to the hospital.[src]

"No, not on your abuelita. Not on you! There's a woman named Betsy Kettleman. I mentioned her. She's married to Craig Kettleman — he's the treasurer of Bernalillo County. He stole $1.5 million from the county; he's going to be indicted any day now. This is a good case for me, a lot of publicity. I'll get my name out. Anyway, I thought if I had these two run their skateboard hustle on Mrs. Kettleman, I could rescue her, come in and throw some oil on troubled waters, and I'd get their business. That was the plan, but it turns out your lovely abuelita, she drives a car that's a whole lot like the Kettlemobile. So these two geniuses ran their little stunt on the wrong one. So joke's on me… ha! Simple as that." ―Jimmy attempting to reason with Tuco. [src]

"I'm not starting over! I'm busting my nut here every day for $700 a throw, inhaling your BM, which is straight from Satan's bunghole, and you can't tell one defendant from another? 90 days with good behavior, we're doing this! Yeah, okay?" ―Jimmy arguing with the assistand D.A. [src]

"Hey, if somebody warned the Kettlemans, it was probably somebody who was worried about those kids. You know how much trouble you caused me? You didn't need any help getting caught, okay? The neighbor IDed you. You were sloppy. Any trouble you might have: that's on you. Not to mention the blood in your van. Here's a thought: Ajax! Formula 409! You have no idea the tap-dance I had to give those cops to get you out of here. You gave them probable cause out the wazoo. Now, and whoever the somebody is who may have warned the Kettlemans, got them out of there before you did anything even more stupid. You should be thanking this good Samaritan. Because whoever he is, he did you a favor." ―Jimmy chastising Nacho over his attempt to abduct the Kettlemans. [src]

"Hey, you know what? I hope you do make a fortune, 'cause Chandler's gonna need it to help pay for his therapy!" ―Jimmy to Roland Jaycocks over "Tony the Toilet Buddy". [src]

"You want a good turn? Here's your good turn, okay? I'm gonna behave like an honest-to-God, law-abiding, licensed attorney, 'cause, clearly, you need one with whatever the hell is going on here. Now, those two jokers out in the hallway? I'm gonna make sure they dot their i's and cross their t's - everything square and above board. That's what I'm gonna do, and you're gonna be happy as hell that I'm here. But this little Juan Valdez bump-and-dump? No. Not gonna happen." ―Jimmy to Mike about his plan to acquire Detective Abbasi's police notes. [src]

"I - I can see how upset you are, and, even on a good day, you and logic are: [whistles]. But think about what you just said. Criminals have no recourse. And you two: you're criminals, big-time." ―Jimmy to the Kettlemans over their threat to have him arrested for theft. [src]

"This is a demand letter informing Sandpiper Crossing of pending litigation for defrauding my clients through systematic overcharging. You're shredding in there! I'm not deaf! I can hear you! Stop right now! This here, this makes it official, right? If you don't stop shredding right now, that's destruction of evidence - spoliation! That's what it's called, and it's a felony! So call your lawyers right now and tell them I said that! Me! James McGill, Esquire!" ―Jimmy serving Sandpiper Crossing with a summons written on toilet paper. [src]

"If you want us working together. You can make it happen easily. I mean, hey, that reception you got yesterday at HHM how about that, right? The whole lobby of HHM applauding for you. They love you! Now, you threaten to pull out, Hamlin would be insane to screw with you. You've got the nuclear option! Launch the doomsday device! Game over! If working with me is what you really want, RIGHT, Chuck? [a beat] YOU called him. You called Hamlin. I always turn my phone off before I put it in your mailbox. Two nights ago, it was left on. Battery drained. I was so damn sure that I turned it off, you know. Because I always do. It's a habit, right? So it was nagging me. It was nagging me. So I called the phone company. Turns out there was a deleted call at 2 a.m. when I was asleep right there. And you know whose number? Hamlin's. The only person who could have made that call and deleted it is you, Chuck. Boy, that phone, huh? Phone must have felt like a blowtorch in your ear. All that electricity. All those radio waves right up against the side of your head. My God. What was so important that you had to call Howard before our meeting? The only thing I can think The only thing that makes sense is you told him not to hire me. It was always you, right? Right back to when I passed the bar and tried to join the firm. You didn't want me. [a 