Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Better Call Saul season 6, episode 8.
A major death in Better Call Saul just occurred, and with five episodes left in the season, hopes are higher than ever for a focus on Gene. Gene is an alter-ego of Saul Goodman, and the identity he takes on while he is on the run after the events of Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul has only given glimpses of what Gene gets up to after Breaking Bad, but now that the show's main plot has almost been wrapped up, there's a chance Gene could end up being the primary focus of what's left of the award-winning series.
Better Call Saul follows criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (who later changes his name to Saul Goodman) before the events of Breaking Bad. However, several scenes have given glimpses into the future, showing the alter-ego Gene Takavic as he tries to lie low while working at a Cinnabon. Better Call Saul's Gene timeline hasn't had much screentime, but the few scenes it does show are definitely setting up something big.
Better Call Saul season 6, episode 8, "Point and Shoot," contains the death of the show's main antagonist: Lalo Salamanca. With Howard Hamlin having died in the previous episode and Lalo now gone, there isn't much ground left for Better Call Saul to cover. While the show does still have to explain Kim's absence from Breaking Bad, the only setup that hasn't really been paid off is now the Gene timeline. Although it won't be the entirety of the rest of the show, it can be expected that the Gene timeline will be a significant focus of the last five episodes of Better Call Saul - which is great news for those hoping to see more of the mysterious Gene .
Why Better Call Saul's Ending Needs To Be About Gene More Than Jimmy
Many of Better Call Saul's remaining fan theories involve Gene, as most of the show's other mysteries have been solved. While earlier seasons have only given glimpses into Gene's life after Breaking Bad, early episodes of Better Call Saul season 6 have heavily leaned into the mystery surrounding Gene. One scene involving the cleaning out of Saul's house has yet to be paid off and will likely reemerge in a later season 6 episode. Nearly everything about Jimmy has been set up now (with the exception of Kim's absence), so there isn't much left for the show to reveal before the events of Breaking Bad take place. There isn't really a reason to continue focusing on Jimmy for the last five episodes, and, conversely, there is so much more that the show could delve into if it focuses on Gene's life.
Better Call Saul has been a fantastic ride, putting all the pieces in place to set up Breaking Bad. However, with every story essentially wrapped up and not enough time to start anything new, Gene is the only logical thing that the show can focus on for the last five episodes. Better Call Saul has followed Jimmy's evolution into Saul, and now the show needs to similarly follow Saul's metamorphosis into Gene.
Better Call Saul continues Monday on AMC.