After the pilot episode aired seven years ago, Better Call Saul is finally coming to an end, and the 13-episode bumper season is not only building to an epic conclusion, but it's still introducing fascinating new characters too. Better Call Saul, and its predecessor, Breaking Bad, have always done an incredible job and world-building, and that includes its unique and quirky characters.
It's almost a shame that the show is coming to an end, as season 6 has introduced some of the best characters yet. Between a jolly Cinnabon-loving security guard, a naive sommelier, and some familiar faces, season 6 is the gift that keeps on giving.
Margarethe Ziegler
One thing Better Call Saul is so great at is adding depth to characters that aren't even in the show anymore, and one of the best examples of that is with Margarethe Ziegler, the wife of Werner Ziegler who was killed by Mike two seasons ago. Werner was as wholesome as they come, and Margarethe is no different, as she struggles to meet new people after the death of her husband.
Viewers get a glimpse into Margarethe and Werner's home life in Germany, and it's one of the few times that the Breaking Bad universe has gone outside of the United States, let alone Alburquerque. But what makes the character so great is how relatable she is, and viewers immediately worry for her despite only having known her for 10 minutes. The final sequence of "Black and Blue" is one of the series' most intense yet.
The Rymans
Better Call Saul is the best-written show currently on TV, as every episode is like its own puzzle box. The cold opens of each episode create some kind of mystery, whether it's a flash-forward, a bizarre foreshadowing, or an unusual character introduction. It leaves viewers guessing how it could possibly be part of the criminal underworld of Alburquerque, and The Rymans are no different.
Mr. and Mrs. Ryman are introduced at the beginning of "Hit and Run" as an ordinary suburban couple gossiping about their neighbors and judging their houses. It is one of the most bemusing and nonsensical moments in the series, that's until it's revealed at the very end that they're actors hired by Gus to pretend to live in his safe house. As the couple only features in one episode, it's hopefully not the last time viewers have seen them.
David
Another insightful and creative writing technique that Better Call Saul pulls off that no other show does is that it brings into question things that fans never once thought about. One example is Saul's home life, as, of course, Saul would have a huge mansion blinged out with gold faucets, but nobody was ever thinking that while watching Breaking Bad. Another example is Gustavo Fring's relationship status and even his sexuality.
Nobody was ever thinking about a fierce drug lord's personal life when he was slitting his own employee's throat with a box cutter, but Better Call Saul delves into exactly that. David is a sommelier at a bar that Gus frequents, and they have a strange bond. What's interesting is that it almost seems like David has no idea that Gus has an almost schoolboy-like crush on him and that they're simply there to talk wine. It's hilarious in the way that David's passion for wine blurs his sight that a drug lord has a thing for him.
Mr. Lingk
The episode "Breaking Bad" is a host to a couple of new characters in the series, as Gene's new scheme sees him and Jeff drugging rich jerks, almost like depraved Robin Hoods. Mr. Lingk is one of those rich jerks, only he's way more three-dimensional than the other people that gene and Jeff drugged up to this point.
Mr. Lingk has cancer, which leads to an interesting moral dilemma over whether or not they should still rip him off. It also plants roots in Gene's head about how what he's doing relates to his role with his former Business Partner. Though he might be unconscious for a lot of his time on the show, it's still an important role.
Walt And Jesse
Better Call Saul's episode names have always been clever and often had double meanings, but the most obvious example of that is "Breaking Bad." The title is referring to how Gene is breaking bad himself, as he crossed the line by breaking into Mr. Lingk's house. But the more obvious reason is that it features two characters that viewers have been waiting seven years to see: Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.
Walt and Jesse may have been characters in Breaking Bad, but they're new characters introduced in Better Call Saul, and it's like viewers reuniting with their best friends after a decade, only they haven't changed at all. Admittedly, Walt and Jesse's appearances are unnecessary, but it's the greatest piece of fan service on TV. While there are still Breaking Bad characters yet to appear who would make more sense in the show, such as Kuby, Walt and Jesse's scenes were the ultimate payoff.
Jeff
Jeff was briefly in a couple of the flashforwards in seasons 4 and 5 of the series. However, he was not only played by a different actor, but he has a completely different personality too. Where pre-season 6 Jeff was outgoing and antagonizing, the new Jeff is quiet, introverted, and can hardly think for himself.
Jeff hardly deserves what's currently happening to him, as he's yet another pawn in Gene's much bigger game. But the character is responsible for some of the best action comedy in the series, such as inadvertently knocking himself out during the mall heist and speeding into a parked car after getting spooked by the police.
Marion
"Nippy" has quickly become one of the most memorable black and white TV episodes, and it's partly down to one of the biggest casting surprises. Stunt casting is getting more and more popular in the television industry, but AMC pulled out all the stops and brought in 89-year-old comedian Carol Burnett for the most important new character in season 6.
There were so many theories over who she could be playing when it was first announced that she was cast, such as Howard Hamlin's mother and even Mike's ex-wife. Instead, she plays Jeff the Cabbie's mother, and while she might be old, she's hardened, knows what she wants, and doesn't let her guard down for anyone, except for Gene, that is. However, she could very well be the one who brings Saul Goodman to justice in the final episode.
Cheryl Hamlin
Howard deserved better in Better Call Saul, and nobody knows that more than Cheryl. Viewers strangely weren't introduced to Cheryl Hamlin (Sandrine Holt) until season 6, as Howard was one of the main characters ever since the very first episode. But her introduction was enough of a hint for longtime Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul fans to know that something terrible was in store for the innocent lawyer.
While the series' action scenes are exciting and Gene's schemes are hilarious, Holt brings gravitas to the show and the scenes she has in the show are absolutely grueling. Whether it's Howard's memorial or Kim's confession to her, it comes as a shock that the actor hasn't had more work outside of her bit-part roles on TV.
Frank
Frank is the jolliest character in the entire universe, and in the one episode he was featured in, he stole the heart of every viewer watching. The character is the Cinnabon-loving security guard at Cottonwood mall where Gene works. Gene befriends him just so that he can pull off the mall heist in "Nippy," and while it's always fun seeing Jimmy/Saul/Gene's schemes, viewers almost feel sorry for Frank for being a pawn in the former lawyer's game.
Whether it's naively believing that Gene's a fan of football, awkwardly comforting Gene when he has a (fake) breakdown, or taking exactly three minutes and 17 seconds to eat a Cinnabon every single time, everything about the security guard is absolutely adorable. He's a last-minute instant classic character.