Better Call Saul season 6, episode 10's intro sequence carries a deeper importance than you might think. The now-iconic Better Call Saul title sequence is famous for its dusty desert-rock guitar theme and flickering VHS aesthetic but, predictably, the opening carries a hidden meaning. The imagery changes depending on the episode number, but the order stays consistent across all seasons - i.e. episode 1 will always show the inflatable Statue of Liberty, and episode 10 will always have Saul Goodman's falling coffee mug. With each passing season, however, the VHS quality has degraded to visually reflect Jimmy McGill's slow moral downfall.
Better Call Saul's opening makes a surprising new change in season 6, episode 10. Following a colder than usual open, the "Nippy" intro begins as expected, with a very shaky VHS image of Saul Goodman's "World's Greatest Lawyer" mug falling to the ground. Suddenly, the noise of whirring tape can be heard, and the usual image is replaced by a blue screen bearing the title card in classic analogue font.
For those who consider DVDs an ancient relic from yesteryear, the ways of the VHS will seem mysterious and otherworldly. Essentially, the blue screen is what would happen when a VCR player wasn't reading the VHS, appearing at the start and end of a videotape, or if a fault occurred. Better Call Saul's "Nippy" title sequence can, therefore, be interpreted in two different ways. After slowly deteriorating through the seasons in line with Jimmy's descent, the Better Call Saul intro finally going kaput could represent the completion of his transformation into Saul Goodman, which happened at the end of season 6, episode 9. Just like Jimmy McGill himself, the tape has finally broken. Or does the VHS tape ending mark the end of Better Call Saul's prequel timeline? This mythical unseen tape represented Jimmy's pre-Breaking Bad story, and the blue screen brings down the curtain on that particular era. Better Call Saul must now be kind and rewind, or insert a new tape.
What Intro Sequence Will Better Call Saul's Final Episodes Have?
Better Call Saul's "Nippy" blue screen trick is cool, certainly, but probably not the title sequence we're getting for the grand finale. In fact, Better Call Saul season 6, episode 11 will enter totally uncharted territory in terms of openings. Every past Better Call Saul season has consisted of ten episodes, with season 6 the first to surpass that count. As mentioned above, the intro image typically changes depending on the episode number, which means only episodes 1-10 are actually assigned an opening. Because Better Call Saul episodes 11, 12 and 13 haven't happened before, there's no precedent for what those intros should look like - another possible motivation for stopping the VHS tape at episode 10.
Assuming audiences aren't greeted by a plain blue screen for the next three episodes, Better Call Saul season 6 will probably return with a completely fresh intro. Since the pre-Breaking Bad timeline was denoted by VHS footage, it'd be amusing if Better Call Saul's final episodes (set 6 years later) adopted the style of a DVD home menu. Not only would that honor the Gene timeline's era, but the restored picture quality could symbolize Jimmy's newfound clarity. In the final moments of "Nippy," Gene painstakingly deliberates over whether to buy a "Saul Goodman" suit, clearly tempted by a return to old habits. Instead, he puts down the garish garments and walks away. As Jimmy's morality slowly creeps back, will Better Call Saul's title sequence become bright and colorful once more?
Better Call Saul continues Monday on AMC.