What woes have befallen Jimmy McGill in the Better Call Saul Gene timeline that happens post-Breaking Bad? As Walter White’s meth empire comes unstuck towards the end of Breaking Bad, the various agents of the operation disband and go their separate ways, assuming they’re lucky enough to walk away alive. Walt’s lawyer, the sleazy, morally absent Saul Goodman who headlines Better Call Saul, employs the services of Ed Galbraith, an expert in arranging for someone to disappear and start a new life elsewhere.
The criminal lawyer is never seen again in Breaking Bad, but Saul’s story is expanded in the Better Call Saul spin-off series. Better Call Saul is predominantly set in the days when Saul was a younger, more wholesome aspiring lawyer going by his actual name, Jimmy McGill. The audience watches as Jimmy’s morality slowly decays and the character evolves into the shady figure first introduced in Breaking Bad‘s second season. But Better Call Saul also features sporadic black-and-white sequences showing Saul’s life after Walter White (as Gene Takavic).
In general, the Better Call Saul Gene timeline shows Jimmy living an unfulfilling existence in Omaha, working at a Cinnabon and constantly looking over his shoulder. As Better Call Saul‘s seasons have unfolded, each subsequent Gene scene has shown Jimmy getting right back into trouble after his escape at the end of Breaking Bad. Here’s everything that has happened in these scenes so far, and what the future might hold.
What Happens To Jimmy McGill After Breaking Bad?
Since making his escape, Saul has been relocated to Omaha and goes under the name Gene Takavic, a Cinnabon worker at the local mall. Jimmy has also opted for the Clark Kent-level disguise of a mustache and glasses – foolproof. It’s clear from the off that Jimmy is far from happy with his existence in Omaha as Cinnabon worker Gene and has become a shell of his former self, yearning for the glory days of “Saul Goodman” once again. With minimal possessions and an increasing reliance on alcohol, Jimmy has a police scanner to help keep him informed of any potential busts and stashes a big bag of diamonds in his band-aid tin. These rocks are presumably Jimmy’s accumulated criminal wealth converted into a more manageable form.
Paranoid, alone, and frustrated, the first true cracks begin to show when Jimmy helps the mall’s security guard locate a hidden young shoplifter. Despite providing the assistance, Jimmy has a sudden change of heart, and yells out, advising the apprehended thief to lawyer up. The stress of the situation causes Jimmy to collapse. Waking up in the hospital, Better Call Saul‘s “Gene” is still palpably fearful of the authorities, and desperate to avoid a police encounter at any cost. After receiving a clean bill of health from doctors, Jimmy has another close shave when the lady at the front desk struggles to process his information, and it appears that “Gene” might’ve been rumbled, but once again, Jimmy is able to walk away.
Unfortunately, alarm bells continue ringing for the former lawyer on his cab ride home, as Jimmy notices the driver is a fan of the Albuquerque Isotopes. Deducing that the cabbie might be from his old home state and recognize his face from the “better call Saul!” TV ads, Jimmy hurries out of the taxi to walk the rest of the way and is even more disturbed when the vehicle hangs around, watching suspiciously from afar. Alarmed by the taxi driver stalker, “Gene” goes into lockdown mode, changing his license plates and calling in sick to work. After a period of self-isolation that would serve Jimmy well if he made it to the year 2020, he returns to Cinnabon with no further close calls threatening to reveal his identity.
This proves to be a mistake, as Jimmy is almost immediately accosted by Jeff, the cab driver from before, who confirms that he does recognize Saul Goodman. As Jeff’s “friend” stands by ominously, Jimmy is made to deliver his trademark lawyer catchphrase and told to call any time if he needs a ride. Jeff is very likely either an undercover cop or a cartel member. Truly panicked by now, Jimmy immediately calls Ed for another getaway and finds out it’ll cost him double. Despite agreeing initially, Jimmy eventually decides to resolve the matter himself, and this is as far as the Better Call Saul Gene timeline has gotten.
At the beginning of Better Call Saul season 6, the customary black and white flash-forward Gene scene was significantly absent. Instead, season 6 episode 1 began with a full-color scene showing Saul Goodman’s possessions being confiscated from his mansion by the authorities, presumably before the rest of the Gene timeline has taken place. Jimmy isn’t present in the scene, but it still offers a noteworthy detail: a Zafiro Añejo bottle topper that Jimmy left behind. This fictitious brand of tequila from the Breaking Bad universe is of special significance to Jimmy and Kim’s relationship and highlights a key question at the core of Better Call Saul: what happened to Kim before Breaking Bad?
What Could Happen To Jimmy In His Gene Timeline During Season 6 Part 2?
There are a plethora of theories about how Better Call Saul‘s Omaha/Gene timeline will end when season 6 concludes, and many involve Jimmy and Kim’s relationship. Some of these are more positive, such as a reunion between Jimmy and Kim, who’s been alive but in hiding during Breaking Bad, or even Jimmy’s return to Albuquerque as a legitimate lawyer thanks to some string-pulling by Walter White before his death. Others are a bit more grimly realistic. It’s quite possible Jimmy could finally be arrested, tried for his crimes, and sent to prison, or he might even turn himself over to the authorities, motivated by remorse, a desire to help Kim, or sheer Cinnabon boredom. Alternatively, “Gene” might kill Jeff the cab driver and stay in Omaha, becoming a more seasoned criminal or even remaining undercover while working at the mall. Lastly, killing Jimmy off isn’t off the table for Better Call Saul season 6 part 2, either. Regardless of what happens, there are sure to be some shocking twists as Better Call Saul‘s slow-burning reveals come to a head.
Better Call Saul season 6 part 2 premieres on July 11.
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