Better Call Saul began, and season 6's "Hit & Run" sees the shady lawyer take a major step toward that Breaking Bad persona. Looking back from Better Call Saul's current position, the days of Jimmy McGill charming old ladies at bingo feel awfully long ago. With each ing season, Jimmy's ethical line has shifted further back, and now risks vanishing completely in season 6. Not only is "Saul Goodman" the cartel's go-to man in a legal pinch, but he's (unwillingly) been playing both sides by cooperating with Gustavo Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut.
Jimmy's association with the mob finally catches up to him in Better Call Saul season 6, episode 4. Suzanne Ericsen, assistant to the district attorney, knows he defended the notorious gangster Lalo Salamanca under a fake name (Jorge de Guzman), and although she offered a squeal-deal, Jimmy hasn't accepted. Upon returning to his courthouse workplace, everyone from "Hannah Banana" to the toy-loving is giving Jimmy the coldest of shoulders in response to his criminal deception. Having Lalo as a top friend on MySpace isn't all bad, however - questionable folk of all shapes and sizes are now lining up to be represented by "Salamanca's guy." So, when Spooge asks whether he's found Lalo's famed lawyer, Jimmy replies, "Yeah... yeah, that's me."
Accepting this influx of criminal custom while simultaneously becoming a courtroom pariah represents a huge line-crossing moment for Better Call Saul's main character. Until now, Jimmy has successfully managed to keep one foot rooted in the legitimate realm. He might've become the cartel's guy, but Jimmy didn't stop practicing as a lawyer, and never completely gave up his dream of hitting the attorney big time alongside Kim. This double life was sustainable largely thanks to Jimmy's charismatic and affable nature. Everyone in the courtroom liked him (except maybe the judges, but that's to be expected), and happily looked the other way when he bent the rules. Now Jimmy's "friend of the cartel" status has become public knowledge, that is lost, replaced by a distinctly criminal-flavored client list.
Better Call Saul season 6, episode 4's courthouse attitude shift forces Jimmy to stop straddling the line between right and wrong, and pick a side. Is he "Jimmy McGill," the cheeky underdog lawyer who isn't afraid of a little chicanery? Or is he "Saul Goodman," the man who lies to ensure murderers walk free? Reluctantly, Jimmy chooses the latter, finally embracing his mucky (but lucrative) reputation. The last remaining glimmer of a legitimate career still burning in Better Call Saul season 6 has been snuffed out, and from this point forward, Saul Goodman & Associates will act as a refuge for Albuquerque's crooked, corrupt and criminal. In of bridging the gap between Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, this marks one of Jimmy's most crucial steps.
While Jimmy accepts his fate, he does so without a smile. Bob Odenkirk's protagonist is very obviously hurt by the courthouse's cold reception - not just because he can't bribe assistants with stuffed toys any longer, but because he's losing former friends. And when Jimmy later its to Spooge that he is indeed "Lalo Salamanca's guy," more than a hint of regret hides in his voice. Jimmy is painfully aware of how far he's fallen in Better Call Saul, and that makes his moral descent all the more tragic. After years of struggling at the bottom, Jimmy McGill finally boasts a queue of clients desperate for his services, and his renown extends all the way to the DA's office... but is this really the kind of success Jimmy wanted?
Better Call Saul continues Monday on AMC.