Better Call Saul, the spin-off and prequel of sorts to AMC’s Breaking Bad, launched in 2015, just over a year after Breaking Bad ended. The series follows the story of Walter White’s shady lawyer Saul Goodman, a.k.a. Jimmy McGill.
To date, four seasons have aired with a fifth scheduled to premiere on February 23, 2020, followed by a sixth and final season in 2021.
There is still a lot of story to tell along with many unanswered questions. And fans have taken to the Internet to reveal their theories about what might happen. Here are some that are plausible and some that are unlikely to happen.
Makes Sense: Fire and Ice
This long-held theory isn’t so much about the plot as it is about the fashion. Wait, what? Similar to the Star Trek “red shirt” theory, which predicts that any character wearing red will likely die soon after being introduced, this theory suggests that the color of clothing characters are wearing indicates whether they’re a “good guy” or “bad guy.”
Jimmy, for example, wears bolder colors when he is about to run a con or doing something bad, while Kim goes from colder blues to more fiery colors as she falls in further with Jimmy. The Kettlemans, who were once thought to be innocent, wore cool colors at first then moved into a red tent with a red money bag once we knew their true story. Hmm…
Hilariously Bad: Kim Wrote the Letter
After Chuck’s death, Kim gives Jimmy a letter that Chuck presumably wrote for him. The letter is essentially a big middle finger to his little brother who he so despised and resented.
One theory suggests that Chuck never wrote that letter, but rather, Kim did, pretending it was from him. But this theory is unlikely, especially since Kim wouldn’t have a motive to do so other than trying to get Jimmy to respond in some way to his brother’s death. What’s more, even Bob Odenkirk, who plays Goodman, has publicly said he doesn’t believe this theory.
Makes Sense: The End Will Introduce Breaking Bad
The best way to end the series would be to show a crossover with Breaking Bad. One theory presents a perfect way to do this. Nacho, who continues to secretly work against The Cartel, forces Jimmy to work with him.
But once things start heating up, Jimmy is kidnapped and forced to give up Nacho’s name. Except who are the two masked men who take him to the desert and force him to fess up? None other than Walt and Jesse. End scene. It makes perfect sense. That said, we would really love to know what happens to “Gene” (Jimmy/Saul) at that Cinnabon!
Hilariously Bad: Mike is Jesse in the Future
This theory relates to both series, suggesting that in some weird, looping alternative universe, Mike Ehrmantraut is actually Jesse Pinkman from the future and he is trying to guide the young man on the right path. This would explain why Mike took such a liking to Jesse and tried to help him along the way.
But the idea is just totally weird and it doesn’t make sense with the genre nor focus of the show. What’s more, if this is the case for the Mike who exists in Breaking Bad, who is Mike in Better Call Saul before he has even met Jesse? It makes no sense.
Makes Sense: Walter White is Still Alive During the Cinnabon Scenes
This not only makes total sense, but writer Vince Gilligan has pretty much confirmed it. While people assume that Walter White has already died when we see Jimmy, er, Gene, managing a mall Cinnabon in the future, we forget that we don’t know when exactly in the future those scenes are from.
They could very well be just shortly after Saul got out of dodge. Or they could be years later. We don’t really know. Could the series end, then, with “Gene” learning of Walter’s death and finally coming out of hiding feeling safe? Or might we see a reunion before Walt dies?
Hilariously Bad: Kim is Dead
While it’s not completely ridiculous to consider a scenario where Kim might no longer be alive, it would be too big of a blow. We know from Breaking Bad that by the time Saul meets Walt, Kim is nowhere to be found. Was there a falling out? Did she go too far to the dark side or come to her senses and go back to her normal life of lawyering?
Or maybe she was in the picture and he left her high and dry. In any case, one scenario that sounds too sad to be true is that Kim is dead. It’s not so much hilariously bad as it is that we hope it isn’t true.
Makes Sense: Howard Hamlin Commits Suicide
When we last saw Howard, he was reeling from the death of his friend and mentor Chuck. Not just because he was close to him, but also because he was made to feel that he led Chuck to commit suicide. And Jimmy didn’t exactly fess up and tell him otherwise.
Interestingly, in one scene in Breaking Bad, Saul says to Walt “I’m not gonna find you hanging in the closet, am I?” It’s plausible that this comment comes from experience and it’s something that has happened to Saul before. Could it be that he finds Howard hanging in a closet, overcome with his guilt?
Hilariously Bad: Kim Is In Jail
Kim’s whereabouts are unknown since she never appears in Breaking Bad. One theory suggests that she went so far down the rabbit hole of crime that she ended up in jail. Even more ludicrous would be if Jimmy was the one who sold her out and sent her there.
While Kim remains a mystery in the Breaking Bad world, her being dead or locked up are the least likely scenarios. She’s either still working with Jimmy, running her own scams at home, or eventually lost her thrill for the game and went back to regular life.
Makes Sense: The Cab Driver is Someone of Importance
At the beginning of season 4, we see “Gene” get into a cab after narrowly escaping a potential cover blow at an unexpected hospital stay where he had to show his ID.
Just as he jumps in a cab and feels a twinge of relief that his fake ID checked out, he sees an air freshener from Albuquerque hanging from the rear-view mirror. Is “Gene” just being paranoid, reminded of Walt’s car wash business? Or is this something we have to worry about? Since the official Better Call Saul Twitter account said not to read too much into it, we’d like to think no. But then again, you never know.
Makes Sense: Kim Is Saul’s Silent Partner
One fan theory suggests that Kim is still a big part of Saul’s life, but that she is a silent partner, quietly helping him along as he does his dirty, criminal deeds. It is possible that she left her morally strong life to become a bad girl (or does bad deeds on the side, unbeknownst to everyone else). She seemed drawn to the thrills of that life.
We don’t see much of Saul’s personal life on Breaking Bad, after all, so it is possible that he and Kim are still in touch. It would make for a really interesting twist and a great way to kick-off a potential spin-off starring Kim!
