[WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS for Season 1 of Better Call Saul]
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Even though the acclaimed Breaking Bad ended its run in 2013, series creator Vince Gilligan was not done telling stories in his version of Albuquerque, New Mexico. In February 2015, AMC premiered the prequel/spinoff series Better Call Saul, which followed the exploits of small time lawyer James McGill (Bob Odenkirk) before he became the Saul Goodman viewers know and love.
Better Call Saul was a big hit with critics and viewers, becoming the season's #1 new cable series in the coveted 18-49 demographic and earning seven Primetime Emmy nominations (including Outstanding Drama Series). Fans have been eager to find out when the show will return for its anticipated second season, and now AMC has officially set a premiere date.
In a press release, AMC announced that Better Call Saul's new season will begin in February 2016, a little over a year after the series premiered last winter:
AMC announced today that the critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series “Better Call Saul” will return for its second season on Monday, February 15th at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. A prequel to the award-winning series “Breaking Bad,” the series follows down-on-his-luck Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) as he navigates the moral dilemmas of the legal world while trying to step out of his older brother’s shadow and make a name for himself. Season one found Jimmy stumble upon a large class-action lawsuit, which led to a promising job opportunity at a large firm. Having arrived at a fork in the road, will Jimmy take the straight and narrow path with a safe corporate job or will he fall back into his “Slippin’ Jimmy” con-artist ways?
Those who have seen the first season of the show probably know the answer to the question posed in the release. Last year's final episode, "Marco," saw Jimmy walk away from a potentially lucrative job offer to form his own path. As he said to Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), doing the so-called "right thing" is "never stopping" him again. From that, it's safe to assume that Season 2 will be all about Jimmy forming the Saul Goodman persona, completing the transformation that was only hinted at in the first season.
However, that transition may not be as clear-cut as one would think. The phrasing of the query makes it sound like Jimmy will be facing some moral quandaries as he looks for the next step to take. His close friend Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) will no doubt be serving as Jimmy's conscience, trying to steer him down the straight path following the crushing betrayal by Jimmy's brother Chuck (Michael McKean). Viewers know how this story ends, but Season 1 faced similar issues and still turned out fine.
One thing fans shouldn't expect to see are appearances by Saul's most infamous clients: Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Though Gilligan is keen on getting the fan-favorite characters to return, he has confirmed that neither will make cameos in the second season. His mantra all along has been ensuring any Breaking Bad callbacks fit organically into the Better Call Saul story, and since Gilligan has only just begun to explore Jimmy's compelling journey, it's best if the lawyer gets more time to develop before working with those nefarious meth dealers.
NEXT: Better Call Saul Season Two Promos
Better Call Saul Season 2 will premiere on AMC February 15th, 2016 at 10 p.m. Those interested in catching up on the series can now purchase the season one Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray set.
Source: AMC