Posted in: AMC, Preview, TV | Tagged: amc, better call saul, breaking bad, peter gould, Season 6, Thomas Schnauz, vince gilligan

Better Call Saul Season 6 Prod Update & We Feel Thomas Schnauz's Pain

With so many shows either getting ready to return or elbow-deep into production, it feels like we here at BCTV wake up every morning and spin a huge The Price Is Right wheel to see which shows to cover that day. Well, we kinda did that today and it landed on Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould's Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn-starring Better Call Saul. Currently in production on its 13-episode final season, our last update came about a week ago from writer, producer, & director Thomas Schnauz letting folks know that the slate clapped on Episode 607. So it's only fitting that on the same day that our spinning wheel determined our fate that Schnauz would check in with another heads-up. This one is also short, sweet, and to the point- but also shows the sacrifices Schnauz is willing to make to get fans the intel they need.

First up, looks like the production is three days away from wrapping Episode 607, which would mean that filming on the season will be officially finished at that point. Beyond that, we feel for Schnauz re the tea/glass door incident. We had that happen with coffee and a white shirt as we were heading into a board of trustees meeting. So yeah, we feel your pain- and here's a look at his tweet update:

Checking in with his co-host Eric Broadbent during an April edition of Inside The Gilliverse, Schnauz revealed that the series was "deep in writing scripts and production." In addition, he noted that Gilligan was already in Albuquerque and that he was heading out "soon." From there, Schnauz showed off the entire 13-episode final season- kinda.

That said, right now those are some seriously valuable index cards- here's a look at how it all went down in real time:

Last month, AMC Networks revealed a line-up of original digital series content set for production through its in-house branded integration agency The Content Room (via AMCN Digital Originals) which will definitely catch the eye of fans of Better Call Saul. In Better Call Saul Employee Training, viewers are treated to a new season of the Emmy-winning series that features all-new characters from the show's universe. In the animated Slippin' Jimmy, the spotlight shines on the adventures of young Jimmy and Chuck McGill and friends back home in Cicero, IL. Created in the retro style of Fat Albert, each episode contains nods to everything from spaghetti Westerns to Buster Keaton to After Hours.

During an interview at the end of February, Odenkirk confirmed that he had seen the first two scripts, but that he only knows how things are going "script-by-script" and that the show's creators haven't told him how it's all going to end. The actor also says that he's heard the rumor of Bryan Cranston coming in to direct an episode but he didn't know if that was going to happen. As for the season itself, Odenkirk says that the "wheels come off" and it "explodes in a million directions" but couldn't confirm if that meant an ultra-violent final season or if that was more thematic. As for Jimmy's final fate, Odenkirk said he's interested to see if he could become the anti-Walter White (Cranston)- is it possible for Jimmy to be in " a better place in end in than he started in." The actor also credited Breaking Bad for preparing the audience to appreciate details- a skill that will be important as its spinoff series nears its end: "everything will pay off and matter."

Until recently, most of the talk about what's to come has focused on Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman (Odenkirk) and Kim Wexler (Seehorn)- and understandably so. But what about our favorite flash-forward character, "Gene Takovic" (Jimmy's new persona)? After having his cover blown at the beginning of the fifth season by a cabbie who would then make the mistake of making Jimmy feel like a performing monkey after tracking him to the Cinnabon he manages. Probably not a good move since this time, Jimmy's going to take matters into his own hands and "fix it myself."

"I'd like to think he learned something about how to manage yourself and your inspirations, your drives, in the course of all these adventures, including 'Breaking Bad,'" Odenkirk explained during a recent interview with The Wrap. "We'll see what Gene, how he behaves as a more experienced person having lost everything — at least one time. I wonder what Gene will do to protect himself, or to strike back at the world." Revealing that Jimmy will be in a "real delicate place" when the series returns, Odenkirk says that Jimmy isn't quite sure he's prepared to set up shop in a much darker and deadlier underworld. 'He's really got himself in serious, life-threatening danger. And he's kind of shaken by his incident in the desert. He's actually a little reticent, and more unsure of himself than he's ever been," the actor reveals. "Jimmy just sort of thought he can play with these scary guys. He's discovering that there are very serious and consequential consequences on what they do."

But since the series is a prequel to Breaking Bad, viewers know that the series' ending is also the beginning of a very different journey for Jimmy/Saul. But what is it that finally seals the deal that leaves Saul Goodman the alpha persona? Revealing that he's "one very bad move away," Odenkirk says that whatever does finally flip the switch inside of Jimmy's mind, it won't take much to do it. "He's pretty much close to there, I'd say. But something big still has to happen to trip him over into, I think, full Saul mode. I imagine it has a lot to do with Kim Wexler."

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