Bob Odenkirk’s Top 10 Dramatic Performances In Better Call Saul

Bob Odenkirk showed off a surprising amount of dramatic range with his performance in Better Call Saul. Before being cast as Saul Goodman, Odenkirk was mainly known as a comedian. But with his turn in this role, he proved that he’s also a great actor. These Better Call Saul episodes exemplify the power and poignancy of Odenkirk’s performance.

10

Expenses

Season 3, Episode 7

The most impressive thing an actor can do is give a performance within a performance. If the character is lying or feigning an emotion, then the actor has to portray multiple layers. Bryan Cranston did this a lot in his performance as Walter White, and Odenkirk did a spectacular job with it in the season 3 episode “Expenses.”

At the end of the episode, Jimmy tries to get a refund on his malpractice insurance, since he’s unable to practice law for a year, but he’s denied the refund. He then becomes a blubbering mess and rambles about his brother’s mental illness — seemingly ingenuously. But as he leaves, we see him smirk, because he knows he’s just sabotaged Chuck.

9

Pimento

Season 1, Episode 9

The climactic sequence of the season 1 episode “Pimento” sees Jimmy finally confronting Chuck about why he’s been treating him so badly. Chuck erupts into a condescending spiel about how he never thought of Jimmy as a real lawyer. He calls his brother a chimp with a machine gun, and an embarrassment to the justice system.

Michael McKean does an incredible job with this monologue, leaning into Chuck’s worst qualities and making him more hateful and vindictive than ever. But Odenkirk makes the scene with Jimmy’s crushed, defeated delivery of the line, “I thought you were proud of me.” That’s one of the most heartbreaking line reads in the entire series; Odenkirk nailed Jimmy’s dejection.

8

Plan And Execution

Season 6, Episode 7

Right up until its final scene, “Plan and Execution” is a wacky caper about an elaborate prank coming together. Jimmy and Kim’s plot to destroy Howard’s reputation hits a few bumps in the road, but they manage to pull it off. And then, Howard comes to their apartment to confront them. During the ensuing argument, Lalo shows up.

Before too long, Lalo murders Howard in cold blood, and it’s one of the tensest, most terrifying moments in TV history. Odenkirk nails the intense emotions of this scene. He captures Jimmy’s bewilderment upon seeing Lalo, who he was assured had been killed, and he captures the shock and horror after the killing.

7

Chicanery

Season 3, Episode 5

Season 3’s “Chicanery” might just be Better Call Saul’s greatest episode. Chuck’s litigation against Jimmy finally goes to court as they all take the stand in front of representatives from the bar association. Jimmy hires Huell to slip a battery into Chuck’s pocket, so he can expose his mental illness on the stand and trigger a meltdown.

The plan works a treat, and Chuck does indeed have a meltdown in front of the board. This episode is really a showcase for McKean — his portrayal of Chuck’s angry tirade is vicious, disturbing, and heartbreaking all at the same time — but Odenkirk makes for a great scene partner. Jimmy clearly doesn’t feel good about doing this, despite it being a victory.

6

JMM

Season 5, Episode 7

The moral dilemma at the core of Better Call Saul is encapsulated in the season 5 episode “JMM,” in which Jimmy is torn between the two meanings of that acronym: Kim’s meaning, “Justice Matters Most,” and Lalo’s meaning, “Just Make Money.” As Jimmy represents Lalo at his arraignment, he comes face-to-face with the grieving family he’s denying justice and closure.

It all culminates in a jaw-dropping final scene in which Howard confronts Jimmy about all the pranks he’s been playing on him and rescinds his job offer. Jimmy furiously blames Howard for Chuck’s death and yells at him in front of the entire courthouse. This “lightning bolts” monologue could’ve come off as too broad, but Odenkirk makes it work.

5

Point And Shoot

Season 6, Episode 8

Odenkirk suffered a heart attack while filming this episode, and after taking a break to recover, he returned to shooting and resumed his performance without skipping a beat. His turn in this episode would be impressive no matter what, but the fact that he tracked Jimmy’s emotions so seamlessly despite having to recover from a heart attack is practically a superhuman feat.

“Point and Shoot” chronicles the aftermath of Howard’s death, as Lalo holds Jimmy and Kim hostage and tries to use them to assassinate Gus. We see Jimmy back in negotiation mode, as he talks Lalo into sending Kim away instead of him, but Odenkirk captures the undercurrent of shock and adrenaline after witnessing such brutality.

4

Bagman

Season 5, Episode 8

The season 5 episode “Bagman” is a standalone neo-western thriller in the vein of No Country for Old Men. Jimmy is sent into the desert to pick up a bag of cash and pay Lalo’s bail. But on his way back to the city, he’s run off the road by a convoy of mercenaries, then saved by Mike from afar.

The rest of the episode sees Jimmy and Mike traipsing through the desert, trying to get the money back to Albuquerque without dying along the way. Odenkirk really captures Jimmy’s exhaustion and desperation throughout the episode, and has some poignant heart-to-hearts with his scene partner Jonathan Banks. The episode is notable for its action, but it’s also beautifully acted.

3

Saul Gone

Season 6, Episode 13

Better Call Saul is a rare TV show with a perfect ending. In the series finale, “Saul Gone,” Jimmy is finally caught in Nebraska and brought back to New Mexico to face the music. The character undergoes a massive emotional transformation over the course of this supersized episode, and Odenkirk nails every step of that dramatic journey.

He’s scared when he gets caught, then he’s frustrated and self-flagellating in the holding cell, then he’s determined to get off scot-free by representing himself, then he has a crisis of conscience after talking himself down to a slap on the wrist. Eventually, he achieves some kind of peace. We get the full spectrum of Odenkirk’s range in one episode.

2

Fun And Games

Season 6, Episode 9

Jimmy completes his transformation into Saul Goodman in the season 6 episode “Fun and Games.” He and Kim deal with the aftermath of Howard’s murder in different ways. While Jimmy desperately tries to put it out of his mind, Kim can’t let go of the guilt she feels. At the end of the episode, she decides to leave Jimmy.

Kim realizes that she and Jimmy are bad for each other and wants to prevent any more collateral damage. Odenkirk captures the pain in Jimmy’s voice when he begs Kim to stay with heartbreaking authenticity. After the time jump, Odenkirk effortlessly slips back into his Breaking Bad persona with the added context of why he’s hiding behind a clown mask.

1

Winner

Season 4, Episode 10

Odenkirk gave his most powerful performance-within-a-performance in the season 4 finale, “Winner.” As Jimmy goes before the bar association to get his law license reinstated, the board doesn’t find him to be appropriately shaken up over Chuck’s death. So, he spends the whole episode pretending to care about losing his brother, and it works a treat.

At the end of the episode, Kim is heartened to see Jimmy give an impassioned speech about how much Chuck meant to him. Then, she’s horrified to learn that it was all an act. Jimmy didn’t just have Kim fooled; he had us fooled, too. Odenkirk exhibited fantastic acting in every episode of Better Call Saul, but in “Winner,” he put on a clinic.

Better Call Saul

10/10

Release Date

2015 – 2022-00-00

Showrunner

Peter Gould

Directors

Vince Gilligan, Thomas Schnauz, Peter Gould, Michael Morris, Adam Bernstein, Colin Bucksey, John Shiban, Michelle MacLaren, Melissa Bernstein, Larysa Kondracki, Terry McDonough, Gordon Smith, Minkie Spiro, Jim McKay, Daniel Sackheim, Andrew Stanton, Norberto Barba, Rhea Seehorn, Scott Winant, Michael Slovis, Keith Gordon, Deborah Chow, Giancarlo Esposito, Bronwen Hughes

Writers

Ann Cherkis, Marion Dayre, Ariel Levine, Jonathan Glatzer