Better Call Saul season 6 is expected to arrive in 2021, but could it be split into two parts like season 5 of Breaking Bad? Season 5, episode 10, "Something Unforgivable" brought an end to the latest season of Better Call Saul, and prompted the wait for season 6, which is set to be the show's last - one more season than its parent show Breaking Bad got. "Something Unforgivable" surprised viewers by having Kim Wexler suggest a plan to get her former boss Howard Hamlin disbarred (or worse), a move straight out of Slippin' Jimmy's playbook. The episode also spent a significant amount of time in Mexico, where Lalo Salamanca brought his lieutenant Nacho Varga so that he could meet the cartel boss Don Eladio.
However, unbeknownst to Lalo, his competitor Gus Fring called a hit on him, and Nacho opened the door (literally) for assassins to attempt to murder Lalo. Unfortunately for Gus and Nacho, though, Lalo survived, and the episode ended with his furious expression as he stalked away to seek revenge. It was a massive cliffhanger that sets the stage for even bigger things to come in Better Call Saul season 6, which will close the show out with 13 episodes. To help deliver the payoff needed, it's possible the final season could be split into two halves.
Breaking Bad famously split its final season into two parts - season "5A", which aired in the summer of 2012, and season "5B" which aired in the fall of 2013. According to series creator Vince Gilligan (via Breaking Bad Insider Podcast), the season was split into two to give the writers more time to come up with a satisfying ending, since the break in production meant almost an entire extra year to spend writing. As the final product shows, the decision to split the season was the right call - not only did it give the writers the time they needed to come up with the now-iconic ending in "Felina", but the year-long gap also created a massive amount of tension to further entice viewers. Splitting Better Call Saul's final season could have a similar effect - if season 6A were to end with a massive revelation or cliffhanger - say, Kim leaving Jimmy - it would increase the interest in season 6B tenfold.
Better Call Saul has never been shy about borrowing elements from Breaking Bad (season 5 alone saw multiple characters return), so it's possible that the sixth season could be split in two, just as Breaking Bad season 5 was. Splitting Better Call Saul season 6 into two halves would similarly give the writers quite a bit more time to come up with an ending, and considering that Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan have mentioned in the past that they don't tend to plan their stories far in advance, this could come in handy to create a finale worthy of such a critically-acclaimed show.
From a production standpoint, splitting Better Call Saul season 6 into two parts would make even more sense than it did for Breaking Bad, because it would likely ease the strain on the crew caused by COVID-19. Better Call Saul season 5 took longer than normal for the show to produce, and season 6 has three extra episodes, making it an even bigger shoot. If season 6 were to be divided in half, it would mean that the show could stay on track with the current schedule, and avoid any major Coronavirus-induced delays, because they would only need to work on six or seven episodes at a time as opposed to all 13. Season 6A having the first 6-7 episodes in 2021, and then season 6B closing it out with the remaining episodes in 2022, would be easier for viewers, too, rather than one lengthy wait.
The writers are currently working on Better Call Saul season 6's scripts even during the stay-at-home order, but only time will tell as to whether or not the final season arrives on-time. Although some fans may be disappointed to have to wait an extra year for the last 6-7 episodes, it would at least make it more likely the show returns to screens next year. And if season 6 being split in half has the same results for Better Call Saul as splitting season 5 did for Breaking Bad, then the finale for the former could be just as satisfying (if not more so) as it was for the latter.