Does Kim Wexler's penchant for the color blue mean Better Call Saul has been signalling a tragic end for Rhea Seehorn's character all along? As Better Call Saul strides toward its final season, viewers are eagerly awaiting the climactic chapter of Jimmy McGill's backstory. More than Saul himself, however, speculation is rife as to the fate of his friend-turned-wife, Kim Wexler. Come Better Call Saul's season 5 finale, Kim is the most important person (probably the only important person) in Jimmy's world, and imagining the "criminal lawyer" without her as a motivational force is impossible... so why doesn't Kim feature in Breaking Bad?
Audiences have mined Better Call Saul for potential clues but, truthfully, season 6 could go either way for Kim Wexler. Will she die tragically to give Jimmy one last push toward becoming "Saul Goodman?" Or does Kim survive, but splits from Jimmy under acrimonious circumstances? Colors hold huge significance in Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad world. For example, Marie's purple wardrobe represents her "royal" pride, and Walter White started a business with Gretchen and Eliot Schwartz (the German word for black). A potential indicator of Kim Wexler's future is the color blue, which she wears repeatedly throughout Better Call Saul.
Though the meaning behind color in Breaking Bad is wide open to interpretation, one possible reading of blue tones is purity and innocence - but always with tragic consequences. Walter White's blue crystal meth was renowned for its chemical purity, but ultimately caused many a death, including that of its creator. Jane Margolis is wearing blue clothes during her final breaths and her burial, representing innocence and tragedy in death. The tribute ribbons to Flight 515 are blue - another dual depiction of innocence and tragedy - while Skyler White clothes herself with blue throughout Breaking Bad, showing how she's an innocent party in Walt's crimes before becoming corrupted by him and losing the life she knew.
Kim Wexler's blue fashion might hold a similar meaning in Better Call Saul. As a child, Kim was a studious young schoolgirl doing her best to survive a difficult upbringing. For most of her adult life, Kim has been a similarly studious adult working her way up the legal ladder and following the rules to advance her career. At several points along the way, however, Kim's morality has been called into question, whether due to her own inner "bad" trying to break free, Jimmy being a negative influence, or the ruthlessness of Albuquerque's law business. As it did with Jane, the plane crash, the meth, and Skyler (who survived, but lost much along the way), Better Call Saul's blue motif could suggest Kim is an innocent, pure character who meets a sticky ending after choosing the wrong path. For blue-toned characters in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, the price of purity seems to be death, and given Kim Wexler's already-suspicious absence from Jimmy's future, the prevalence of blue in her wardrobe might prove Rhea Seehorn's legal eagle stops flying in Better Call Saul season 6.
Or do Better Call Saul's "blue clues" foreshadow Kim's inner criminal tendencies, rather than her death? As well as signalling innocence, many Breaking Bad characters wear blue when they're trying to appear innocent - Lydia when questioned by Mike in Breaking Bad season 5, Jesse meeting Jane's father, Jesse when interrogated by Hank, etc. This pattern could apply to Better Call Saul's Kim, especially after season 5's finale, where she shockingly became a bad influence upon Jimmy McGill, flipping their usual roles. There's a question mark over whether the "real" Kim is the honest lawyer or Jimmy's maverick partner, and wearing blue could've played a part in deceiving Better Call Saul's audience, who largely associate the color with goodness. As Kim's persona (presumably) darkens in Better Call Saul's final episodes, perhaps her choice of clothing will shift also, dropping the facade.