History Recap / BetterCallSaulS6E13SaulGone

Wearing a flashy suit, Saul enters a courtroom in Albuquerque for his sentencing hearing; Oakley, Marie, Blanca Gomez, and Kim, the latter sitting in the back row, are also in attendance. While the lead prosecutor makes a statement to the judge defending the plea agreement, Saul asks to address the court. He initially repeats his speech from the DCDC, recounting his kidnapping by Walt and Jesse. However, he throws the hearing into disarray by confessing that, far from being a victim, he was a willing and indispensable participant in Walt's drug empire. In a breaking voice, he credits Kim for starting over legitimately after Howard's murder, admits to the role he played in his brother Chuck's suicide, and addresses himself as "James McGill" for the first time in years. His conscience cleared, Jimmy sits back at the defendant's table and looks at Kim while Oakley and the prosecution team begin arguing.

In 2010, Jimmy is transported by bus to ADX Montrose. One of the prisoners on the bus, sitting in front of Jimmy, initially threatens him but quickly recognizes him as Saul Goodman; despite Jimmy insisting that his name is "McGill," the other prisoners recognize him as the "Better Call Saul" guy one by one. Eventually, the prisoners use the "Better Call Saul" slogan as the basis of a chant. Jimmy smiles, amused.

** Walter's last appearance in ''Better Call Saul'', which takes place underneath Best Quality Vacuum, is the same as [[Recap/BreakingBadS5E15GraniteState Saul's last appearance]] in ''Breaking Bad''. His conversation with Saul over the [[MyGreatestFailure regrets]] each have had over their choices in the criminal life have Walt cast a MeaningfulLook at [[TragicKeepsake the watch]] Jesse gave him before claiming his greatest regret is selling his shares in Grey Matter, implying that his ''true'' greatest regret pertains to his pupil and partner. This informs his choice to remove the watch and leave it on a random payphone in the middle of nowhere when embarking on his return to Albuquerque, preparing to set his mistakes as right as he can and die with no regrets.

** Marie remembers Walter White as the heinous criminal who killed her husband with malice. The circumstances surrounding Hank's death is multi-faceted. Hank refused to let go of his vendetta against Heisenberg, despite knowing that Walter himself had no desire to kill off family. Jesse refused to let go of his resentment towards Walter and conspired with Hank to get Walter arrested. Walter when backed into a corner called upon his gang affiliates to come rescue him, but changed his mind at the last minute because he didn't have the heart to kill Hank. Walter gets saved by the Neo-Nazi gang and is forced to beg for Hank's life, even offering them his entire 80 million dollar fortune, but Jack kills Hank anyway. [[MyGreatestFailure Walter may have set the circumstances of Hank's death in motion]], but he tried his best to save him. Walter tried to atone for his mistake by successfully killing the Neo-Nazi gang that murdered Hank and Gomez, and paid for that revenge with his own life (the M60 threw a stray bullet at his lung). Walter may have been a drug kingpin and a murderer, and Marie has every right to hate him for that, but Hank's death is not something he wanted.
** In turn Marie's anger towards Saul is misplaced. Saul was the money launderer, Saul was the guy who represented the criminals that Gus and Heisenberg wanted to keep out of prison, and he was the guy that filed the paperwork for them. Saul was no kingpin, he was basically a pencil pusher inside the organization. He made a lot of money off of doing that, but he never pulled a trigger against any of Gus or Heisenberg's enemies -- they had their own enforcers who handled that stuff. Jesse arguably has more role in Hank's death than Saul does (trying to use Hank to get his revenge on Walter), and the people more chiefly responsible, Walter and Jack, are dead and gone. Marie comes off as feeling powerless for not being able to bring Walter to justice, so the blame has to land on someone even if it's unfair.

** During the second "Time Machine Discussion" flashback, Walt completely and unsurprisingly still blames Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz for "artfully manipulating" him out out of Gray Matter Technologies and causing his subsequent financial problems. He still refuses to acknowledge or accept that it was his own pride and feelings of inferiority that drove him out.
** Finally subverted by Jimmy. After spending the entire series burying all of his guilt over causing Chuck [=McGill=] and Howard Hamlin's deaths by embracing the persona of Saul Goodman, Jimmy drops all of his pretenses and fully confesses to everything he's done, taking all the guilt off of Kim and shouldering it onto himself.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: A very interesting variation. The only reason that Jimmy decides to throw away his incredibly and unjustly generous plea bargain and confess to everything he's done is because when he impulsively and cockily tries to trade information on what really happened to Howard Hamlin in exchange for more perks, he learns that Kim has beaten him to it, and realizes that it would have been because he goaded her into doing so. In a sense, the trope is played straight, in that his impulsive decision to try and get more out of the situation is ultimately what leads to him throwing it away and receiving a worse punishment. However, in doing so, he rediscovers the better part of his self and earns some small redemption and grace for all of his actions, meaning that in a way he 'fixed' himself for real.

** Someone finally faces the punishment for Heisenberg's Empire, and it's the lawyer that helped make it all happen. After so many years avoiding prison, Jimmy pays for his crimes with 86 years at a tough federal prison.

** Cheryl now has a chance to seek legal reparations for what Kim and Jimmy did to Howard, though what exactly happens is left ambiguous. The authorities and a number of the legal scene at last know the truth about Howard.

* NotWhatItLooksLike: While on the flight to New Mexico, Saul mentions to Bill that he had remembered some more information that would be "beneficial" for the government, and that it involves Kim heavily. Once the trial starts, and Jimmy starts confessing everything, he admits he actually ''lied'' about what he claimed about Kim; he only wanted her present at his trial so she would see him confess.
* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: When Jimmy said that Chuck would take care of him the same way he did for him, his brother briefly looked down uneasily while knowing what he did do to him.
* ObliviousToHisOwnDescription: Walter White gives Saul a succinct TheReasonYouSuckSpeech by telling him "you were always like this". This is despite the fact that one of the main themes in Breaking Bad is that Walter was always an arrogant, manipulative {{Jerkass}}, even before becoming a meth dealer.
* OffOnATechnicality: Saul [[InvokedTrope threatens]] the AUSA and prosecution with a hung jury. Since there's no evidence contradicting his claim of being threatened into complying with Walt's criminal escapades, Saul can bring just enough doubt into at least one juror's mind to prevent a verdict. This causes the prosecution to settle for a lenient sentencing instead.

** Bill Oakley drops his paperwork to the ground in shock when he recognizes Saul's voice calling him.

* PoorCommunicationKills: In the pre-series flashback, Chuck actually extends an olive branch, asking if Jimmy wants to stay and they can talk, but Jimmy doesn't trust him in the slightest and expects to be talked down on again. The show portrays this moment as Jimmy's answer to what he would do if he had a time machine.

* RebuiltPedestal: Kim intentionally broke the pedestal Jimmy had her on to stop him begging her to stay by telling him that she was just thinking of her own fun by not telling him about Lalo. He was crushed, intentionally cruel to her both as Saul and Gene, but hearing that she did actually confess and could be in trouble, and actually seeing her, brings all the respect back (though he's learned not to idolise her). She sees him too after worrying ThatManIsDead, as he confesses to all the damage - and choices he made after that - that she knows has been corroding him all his life.

** Marie's rant at Saul, reminding him that TheDeadHaveNames (specifically Hank and Steve) and that he bears some responsibility for all of the death and destruction caused by Walt's empire.
** After hearing Saul's supposedly biggest regret (injuring his leg during one of his slip-and-fall scams), Walter, who shared his own regrets with leaving Gray Matter technologies, retorts back at him.

** The only SplashOfColor is the light of the cigarette and the flame of the lighter, showing how now that Kim and Jimmy have reconciled, it's a RayOfHopeEnding, for her, for him, for them.
* RuleOfThree: There are three flashbacks in this episode that all show Jimmy conversing with a since-deceased character about regrets and what you would change if you could go back, in a manner that writer Peter Gould equated to the three ghosts in ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'':

** Next, during the events of "[[Recap/BreakingBadS5E15GraniteState Granite State]]" when he and Walter were bunking under Ed's vacuum repair shop together, Jimmy raises the same time machine question to Walt. Walt, after first deriding Saul because time travel isn't possible and makes clear Saul is just asking about regrets, declares he would've never left Grey Matter technologies.[[note]] Although it's implied by glancing at [[Recap/BreakingBadS5E4FiftyOne the watch Jesse gave him for his birthday]] that, like Saul, he's picking a lesser regret.[[/note]] Saul tries to tell a story about a slip and fall that happened in Chicago, which just makes Walt walk away after concluding that this means Saul was ''always'' a criminal.

** The shoplifter from season three. If he didn't decide to steal, Gene would have continued living as a Cinnabon manager with no one else knowing who he really is.

** Saul fails to barter Howard's fate for more accommodations, since the AUSA reveals that Kim already confessed days before. This stuns Saul to his core, forcing Bill to speak in his place and accept their current deal before they push things too far.

* TakingYouWithMe: By fully confessing that he was an active willing participant in Walt's empire, Jimmy decided to tarnish Oakley's career as well with Oakley pleading for a withdrawal but is denied. Desperate for a last-resort, Oakley tries stopping Jimmy from giving away too much in his testimony by arguing that Jimmy is over-reliant on speculation and future case scenarios only ruining his own legal career even further since he already requested a withdrawal.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: ADX stands for administrative maximum, meaning Jimmy got sent to a supermax prison for 86 years. While the show's depiction of the prison is way lighter it still means the state considers Jimmy dangerous enough to require the maximum amount of security. Justified in that Heisenberg's empire was global (thanks to Lydia's distribution), has killed ten inmates in different prisons thanks to Aryan Brotherhood connections and Jimmy admits his involvement in the organisation was crucial making him a serious threat on paper.

** Jimmy finally admits what he did to his brother, inducing his suicide by cancelling his insurance behind his back, even though it's not even a crime.

* WhatTheHellHero: Thanks to Saul's threats of a deadlocked jury, the prosecuting team believe they have no choice but to discuss a lighter deal with Saul. Both Marie and Judge Small cannot believe the government is willing to give Saul only 7 years.

In 2004, [[Recap/Recap/BetterCallSaulS5E8Bagman during their trek through the desert]], Jimmy and Mike find some relief when they come across a cistern full of fresh water. While they rest, Jimmy jokingly suggests they steal Lalo's bail money and flee town. This leads to a discussion of what they would do if they had a time machine. Mike says he would use it to go back to 1984 and not take his first bribe, then go 5-10 years into the future to check up on people he cares about. Jimmy says that he would go back to 1965, invest in Berkshire Hathaway on the day it was taken over by Warren Buffett, and come back a billionaire. Mike chides Jimmy for focusing exclusively on money. The two then resume their journey.

The story reaches its conclusion as justice catches up with Jimmy/Saul.

*** It's worth noting that Kim has moved to Florida, a state which has a strong protections against creditors, e.g. the homestead law. She may well have chosen to move to that particular state as part of a plan to ensure that she was protected before coming clean to Cheryl.

** Jimmy is facing 86 years in federal prison, though mentions getting out earlier on good behavior. With him in his 50's, realistic conclusions range from spending the rest of his days behind bars to being released in his twilight years. His time in prison is also very briefly seen, so anything he might be up to while inside is left to the imagination. For what it's worth, Gould/Gilligan and actors think he'll serve a pretty short time from both behaving and Jimmy/Kim using their lawyer skills for good, even if he'll be seen as "Saul Goodman" forever.

* ButtMonkey: Bill Oakley still doesn't have it easy even after opening his own private practice. He accepts the Saul Goodman case under the impression that it would be a boost for his career, spends most of the time sitting and letting Jimmy talk, and ultimately sees the case blow up in his face thanks to Jimmy's self-sabatoge. He even tries to withdraw from the case once he realizes what's happening, but the judge orders him to stay.

** Kim decides to volunteer at a law office to answer phones and review documents, the kind of lowly work that she used to resent doing at HHM (especially the couple of times Howard sent her to doc review as punishment) but is now actively seeking out as the only chance to regain some feeling of her old life again.
** Like his little speech in "Inflatable" about how he'd do anything for Chuck and Kim, but it's not their fault it's his choice, Jimmy goes back to that little glean of self-awareness, realising that no matter what Chuck or Walt did to him, he still made terrible terrible choices in ruining Chuck's career and furthering Walt's.

* InformedKindness: Although it’s obviously justified since Marie is a grieving widow, she describes Hank as someone who had bottomless kindness and a willingness to help any troubled person out when talking down Saul in her meeting with him. While Hank was kind to those close to him, he was really something of a sleazy {{Jerkass}}: he had a sarcastic streak, little empathy for addicts, and frequently went through bouts of moodiness from near-death experiences and SanitySlippage when he discovered the truth about Walt.

* PunctuatedForEmphasis: The prison bus chant, complete with fist-bangs and foot-stomps on the metal seats and flooring.

** Chuck in the last flashback is revealed to have had his own moment of regret. He wanted to start conversation with Jimmy over the latter's pro-bono clients, but Jimmy [[HeelFaceDoorSlam couldn't trust him enough and thought it would just be another lecture]]. After Jimmy makes his leave, Chuck takes his copy of H.G. Wells' ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'' and walks off into the distance, unaware of how their relationship [[ForegoneConclusion will further deteriorate]].

* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: When Jimmy said that Chuck would take care of him the same way he did for him, his brother briefly looked down uneasily while knowing he did do to him.

* AllForNothing: Saul, Bill, and the team of prosecutors spend a significant amount of time hammering out a plea deal for Jimmy, working the initial offer of a 30-year sentence down to seven and a half in a cushy, white-collar prison, with numerous perks to make the stay as comfortable as possible. Jimmy then proceeds to destroy the deal at the last possible second, confessing to being a willing participant in Walter White's meth empire, winding up with a sentence nearly three times longer than the initial offer, and functionally no different than the sentence the prosecutors were threatening him with if the case went to court (life + 190 years). All of this is, of course, [[EnforcedTrope exactly what Jimmy wanted]]. By having Kim (whom he had requested be present in the courtroom under false pretenses) witness Jimmy confess to all his crimes as Saul Goodman, Jimmy is able to show her that he is able to change as a person.

* TakingYouWithMe: By fully confessing that he was an active willing participant in Walt's empire, Jimmy decided to tarnish Oakley's career as well with Oakley pleading for a withdrawal but is denied.

The story reaches its conclusion as Jimmy/Saul's trial reaches the final verdict.

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The prison Montrose is based on has twenty three hours in solitary confinement, [[https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/supermax-the-faces-of-a-prisons-mentally-ill/258429/ is hell for mentally-ill prisoners]] and would kill someone like Jimmy's spirit for good. So it's probably for the best that while it's depicted as a very hard place, Kim is allowed to visit as his "lawyer", he bakes bread and the other criminals like him.

** Jeff's fate after Gene flees Omaha is not known, with chances that he'll simply do time in prison, get out with [[OffOnATechnicality no physical evidence against him]], or bailed out by Marion.

*** It's worth noting that Kim has moved to Florida, a state which has a strong protections against creditors, e.g. the homestead law. She may well have protected herself as part of her plan to eventually come clean to Cheryl.

** It's unclear if Jimmy was convicted of the charge of being an accessory after the fact to the murders of Hank and Gomez, considering that while it's still believed Walt killed them, there's no evidence Jimmy and Walt ever met with each other following the murders and Jimmy is aware it was Jack Welker and his gang who killed them, so there's no reason beyond wanting to punish himself to plead guilty to a crime he's innocent of.

** Saul excuses himself from the government's charges by arguing duress, in that he was simply forced into participating and aiding Walter White. The show portrays his defense as rather bulletproof, when in reality, still leave the government a fighting chance at placing him behind bars, given how they've previously prosecuted other syndicates like TheMafia. Giving credit where it's due, [[DownplayedTrope it's a pretty strong argument that would cause a headache for government officials]], combined with [[ShownTheirWork Saul's knowledge]] of what the AUSA's no-loss record ''really'' means. Saul even says it would not work under law but he just needs one person in the jury to be moved and he wins.

* AscendedExtra: Having been a minor RecurringCharacter throughout the 6 seasons, Bill Oakley returns to the GrandFinale with a much larger screentime as he gets to represent Jimmy as a co-counsel during the Saul Goodman trial.

** Saul requests for Marie to be present for when he confesses to his first encounter with Walt and Jesse. His speech alleging he was forced to conspire with them gets delivered under a lens of fake remorse and fear over the consequences of being a loose end like with Mike's guys and their lawyer Dan Wachsberger. While the audience most likely won't buy it and the leading prosecution clearly doesn't, his spiel ends up convincing enough to make half the legal team shift in their seats and even give ''Marie'' pause. Just in case there were any viewers that were willing to somehow give him the benefit of the doubt and believe he had a breakthrough here, this is immediately followed by Saul's plan to cause a deadlock.

* BatmanGambit: Saul's plan to give himself the best possible outcome of getting caught relies on two things: the impartial nature of juries and the US Attorneys never having lost a case.

** Regarding the latter, a prosecutor that boasts an undefeated record typically keeps said record by avoiding something as risky as going to trial, usually preferring deals. Thanks to Bill telling him this, Saul now feels confident about never having to take things to trial in the first place if he can win a game of "legal chicken" with AUSA George.

** Bill Oakley becoming a defense attorney with a private practice of associates was pretty funny to see, especially since he's recently taken up Saul's old advertising spots. It also comes into play when Saul decides to use his services.

** Saul asks Walt if the company he left became successful and worth a lot of money, not seeing how Walt is bristling at this line of questioning.

* InsufferableGenius: Walt can't allow himself to just engage with the time travel thought experiment that Saul poses without pompously informing him of all the reasons why time travel is almost certainly impossible.

* IronicEcho: In what the creators called “Saul at his Sauliest”, Saul recounts being kidnapped by Walt and plays the victim card, using real trauma as cynical as possible and telling Marie all he needs is one person on the jury to believe it. When he’s actually on the stand, Jimmy admits that it was true, that he ''was'' terrified… but that it also doesn’t excuse what he did next, which was to help create a meth empire.

** This time, it's Saul that needs to call a lawyer.

** Like Chuck telling Jimmy [[Recap/BetterCallSaulS1E9Pimento he's not a real lawyer]], Walt makes Saul shrink by telling him he'd have been the last lawyer he would have gone to.

* ScrewDestiny: Chuck told him "this is what you are", and Walt told him "so you've always been like this", but Jimmy decides he's going to do the right thing and that he doesn't ''have'' to stay the "chimp with a machine gun".