A character study of Jimmy “Saul Goodman” McGill
This character must now be well-known to a large number of people. He appeared as Saul Goodman in the groundbreaking, hit television series Breaking Bad. Saul Goodman became a fan favorite and an integral part of the program because of the immense adoration the character received from viewers, forcing the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, to give him more screen time.
Bob Odenkirk, who featured as the genius Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad, received his own original show in 2015. A spin off to the original. For obvious reasons, the show was named “Better Call Saul,” which was Saul Goodman’s catchphrase for his poorly done but successful TV commercials and business cards.
The ascent of Jimmy McGill to his evil genius persona, Saul Goodman, is explored in Better Call Saul. Despite spending most of his life in his brother’s shadow and not being a particularly good student, Jimmy had street smarts. He knew his ways around getting a job done. He applies to a low-profile institute’s law program in an attempt to live up to his brother Chuck McGill’s expectations and ends up becoming a lawyer. From being employed in the record room of his brother’s and his partner’s esteemed legal practice, HHM, to becoming an independent lawyer.
Chuk always saw the negative in Jimmy because of his past. As a young guy Jimmy always found troubles chasing him as he was scamming people mostly with his friend. He would approach people under the pseudonym of “Saul Goodman,” enchant them with his talks, and then con them out of their money. Jimmy has always been a con artist. This was his second chance at making things right after becoming a lawyer. However, Jimmy being Jimmy, he would act morally superior in a way that is unpopular with society. A lawyer who is not afraid to break rules for the good.
It was his brother, the brother Jimmy loved so much, who despised him. However, Jimmy soon discovers that it was Chuck, not Howard Hamlin, who denied him from becoming a lawyer at HMM. This sets him off for another fraudulent scheme, and he starts to turn against his brother. making sure that he obliterates Chuck McGill’s career. After achieving success, he takes the only thing Cuck had ever truly loved away from him, law. Chuck is sent into a void from which there is no way to escape as a result. Chuck ends his own life.
This doesn’t make things better for Saul, he’s done everything, after becoming a lawyer, he tried everything to follow the law but was always pushed away from doing right. The biggest tragedy happening to this guy was he had no identity of his own. He was just James McGill, brother of Chuck McGill. Except for his girlfriend Kim, no one really understood the guy. A good heart was always overshadowed by his past. Not being given a chance to showcase how incredibly smart this guy is and how greatly he can help a lot of people in need of help.
Jimmy’s law license is revoked for a whole year. He tries a ton of different things for one year to maintain the stream of income. After all, one must pay his bills. However, he hustled this one year in many various ways, including selling disposable phones. He locates his intended audience, Albuquerque’s criminal underbelly, and returns to the scene as Saul Goodman after all those years.
Jimmy comes back after one year back to law. This time with ambition to find a place for himself. Find an identity of his own. He starts practicing law as Saul Goodman. This time he’s working as a criminal lawyer or more like a “Criminal” lawyer. He has the market already; low key criminals know him as Saul Goodman the guy who has been selling them disposable phones. He’s a lawyer now and can get them out of trouble if they are in any situation.
Jimmy was a hustler who wanted to get rich while remaining upright morally. Saul doesn’t care. He enters cartel’s sphere of influence. He is aware that it is perilous, but the money is incredible. He witnesses murders taking place right in front of him. However, he continues because this is all a part of the world, he is currently living in.
With the death of his brother and girlfriend leaving him, he is alone. He’s now known as Saul Goodman. Jumping forward in time, Saul finds himself in the world of Walter White from Breaking Bad. He helps Walter built his meth empire. Saul lives in a mansion; he has all the money in the world. Nothing is constant though, things go south. Walter and his meth empire crumbles down, and Saul goes with it. He’s on a run. Government couldn’t find him for years and finally he’s caught for something very stupid. However, after all that he has done, the prosecution is going to lay a heavy burden on him and sentence him to a sentence that would be equivalent to three lifetimes in prison. He talks prosecution out of it and puts them in a position that they have to agree on 7 years.
That demonstrates this man’s brilliance. But the time has come for him to act honorably now and do what’s right. He tells the truth and concedes that he has lost. Goes to prison for several hundred years, but everything he did was on his terms.
Saul Goodman may be a fictional character. But there’s people like him who really exist. As a society we need to be more accepting of one’s shortcomings. Giving people second chances. What Saul Goodman did, Jimmy McGill could do twice of that but for the good of society. Only if he was given a chance when he needed it the most.
Penned by: Tahir Hussain Shah