Posted in: AMC, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: amc, better call saul, bob odenkirk, breaking bad, HBO, Jimmy McGill, mr. show, opinion

Relax, Bob Odenkirk: Better Call Saul Fans Will Wait for Jimmy McGill

As most of you may have heard by now, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk suffered a "small heart attack" (his words) on Tuesday while filming the sixth and final season of Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould's "Breaking Bad" prequel series. After a tense 48 hours, we heard from Odenkirk's son as well as the actor's friend & Mr. Show partner David Cross that Odenkirk was doing better and in stable condition- news that Odenkirk himself confirmed via Twitter on Friday (more on that in a minute). So now that we can let out a cautious sigh of relief (again, "cautious"), we're hoping someone close to him is a fan of Bleeding Cool (it could happen) so they can pass along our one-word message to him.

Relax. Please.

Okay, that was two words and we also know that's a lot easier to say than do (I was half-jokingly called a hypocrite when I pitched writing this), but we just want Odenkirk to understand that being in a good place both physically and mentally is ten times more important than any role or show. From The Ben Stiller Show and Mr. Show with Bob and David through Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul (and a whole lot of impressive filmography stops along the way), Odenkirk doesn't have anything left to prove to anyone but himself. He definitely doesn't owe us anything, and yet the dude's been running as if he does.

From all of the training and work required for his action film Nobody to going right into production on Better Call Saul would be a strain on anyone. Add to that mix a production rolling along in a still-questionable COVID environment and in some pretty scorching heat conditions. Did we mention that Odenkirk was also working on a book about his career from Saturday Night Live through Better Call Saul? And then there's the pressure that comes from wrapping a series that has a ton of eyeballs on it, part of a franchise that's already wrapped up its run successfully twice.

That's a lot of plates to have spinning at the same time, but if nothing else we want Odenkirk to know this. Whether Better Call Saul lands its finale like a champ or a chump, time moves on and other opportunities present themselves. And as much as we're curious to know what happens to Jimmy aka Saul aka "Gene Takavic", we're much more interested in seeing what else Odenkirk has to offer. And if we could take a moment to pitch an idea? Odenkirk would be great for a new version of The Rockford Files (and don't think we haven't considered what his take on Columbo would be like).

"Hi. It's Bob. Thank you. To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It's overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much," Odenkirk began the first of the two tweet updates he shared on Friday. "I had a small heart attack. But I'm going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery. Also, AMC and Sony's support and help throughout this has been next-level. I'm going to take a beat to recover but I'll be back soon." But here's hoping he's not back too soon. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fans tend to be a patient lot- and a close-knit one, too. Because they realize that while it's nice to have Jimmy back for one final season, it's nothing compared to still having Odenkirk around for a lot longer.

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