4 Important Life Lessons From The Characters Of ‘Better Call Saul’
We could all learn a little something from the Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul.
Better Call Saul was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould as a Breaking Bad spinoff. The series is primarily set several years before its predecessor, with a few flash forwards and the last four episodes of the final season taking place after the events of the flagship show. The story follows struggling lawyer Jimmy McGill, who eventually embraces his reputation as a con artist, adopts the brash Saul Goodman persona, and becomes Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s attorney.
But there is a lot more to the series than a generic origin story. Over six seasons, viewers are introduced to Kim Wexler, Mike Ehrmantraut, and Chuck McGill, each of whom played a role in Jimmy’s life. Each of their stories reminds us that life is made up of many small decisions and that every choice we make, no matter how insignificant, eventually shapes the person we become. And no matter how many times we convince ourselves that it’s s’all good, man, the truth will always prevail.
Sometimes the things we love aren’t good for us
When viewers meet Kim Wexler, she is an associate at Hamlin Hamlin & McGill (HHM). A little background on the character reveals that she worked in the law firm’s mail room with Jimmy while studying for her degree. During that time, the pair became fast friends. She is sympathetic to the fact that Jimmy’s brother Chuck is constantly putting him down and that he was not offered a job at the firm after completing his law degree.
As the series progresses, Kim and Jimmy become romantically involved (and marry), with the latter willing to do anything for the woman he loves – even if it means breaking the law. Kim, who is well aware of Jimmy’s tendency to skirt the rules, becomes more willing to go along with schemes and even seems to enjoy them. Kim reaches a breaking point after a tragedy makes her question her choices. She tells Jimmy she loves him, but they need to separate because they did too much damage as a couple.
Family loyalty can lead us down the wrong path
Mike Ehrmantraut is a study in loyalty and sacrifice. In Breaking Bad, viewers learn that he used to work in law enforcement with his son Matt. The entire department was corrupt, with cops frequently accepting pay-offs. While Mike went along with it, his son did not. When Matt died because of his choices, Mike blamed himself and vowed to provide for his daughter-in-law, Stacey, and his granddaughter, Kaylee, even if the means were questionable.
In Better Call Saul, Mike works as a parking attendant at the courthouse, where he frequently runs into Jimmy. Since Mike needs the money, he often takes shady jobs protecting criminals and breaking into places. Mike’s need to secure his family’s future eventually pushes him into the criminal underworld, where he chooses to work for drug lord Gus Fring and is forced to break his own no-killing rule. When Walter White enters the picture, Mike is eventually killed.
Pride and jealousy are a horrible combination
Jimmy’s older brother, Chuck McGill, is a complex character driven by pride and a profound fear of failure. He is a master of backhanded compliments and never misses a chance to make his brother feel unworthy. Although Chuck is a partner at HHM, viewers meet the recluse version of the character, who has convinced himself that he suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Still, his accomplishments as a lawyer are his identity, and he views his success as proof of his self-worth.
However, his pride becomes his downfall because of his unwillingness to recognize Jimmy as his peer. In the show’s first two seasons, viewers learn that Chuck told Howard not to hire his brother as an associate at the firm. Although Jimmy acts as his primary caregiver, Chuck resents his ability as a lawyer and sets a trap to discredit him in court. His actions cause Jimmy’s law license to get suspended, after which he creates the Saul Goodman persona.
Hurt feelings and moral ambiguity lead to the dark side
At the center of the series is Jimmy McGill, whose transformation into Saul Goodman serves as a cautionary tale. The saddest part about his eventual reputation as a criminal lawyer is that it was never his goal. Sure, Jimmy had a checkered past filled with various cons. But after Chuck offered to get him out of a jam on condition that he turned his life around, he did exactly that! Unfortunately, he always found himself at the losing end of every battle on the straight and narrow.
To make matters worse, Jimmy had no idea that Chuck was sabotaging his law career. By the time he opened a mildly successful practice focused on elder law, he already made some questionable choices to help Kim advance her solo career. Things never really improved for Jimmy, who became increasingly sad with each passing season. When Kim asked for a divorce, he let the Saul Goodman persona take over his life and eventually became known as the shady (albeit brilliant) lawyer of Walter White.
