What will it take for ‘Better Call Saul’ to finally win an Emmy? As we all know, this is the very last chance for the show to score an award – any award. Thanks to AMC’s decision to split the show’s final season into two halves, we still have the show’s last six episodes for consideration — and even though we said goodbye to “Saul” almost a year ago, it still deserves attention.
And of course, at the top of that list is star Bob Odenkirk, who turned what started out as a guest star on “Breaking Bad” into one of the most iconic characters in TV history. Last year, we finally got an Emmy nomination for Rhea Seehorn, and the show has garnered 46 nominations over the years. But that is not enough.
I don’t hide my love for “Saul”. I’ve been a fan of the show from the very beginning – which wasn’t hard, I know, since we were all “Breaking Bad” obsessives before that. But I’ve felt a special connection to the Vince Gilligan iverse since I had the honor of moderating the first “Breaking Bad” panel at Comic-Con in 2012, and I’ve moderated “Saul” panels from the very beginning.
So yes, I am biased. No bones about it. But don’t listen to me. Instead, listen to American treasure Carol Burnett. The iconic superstar landed a pivotal role in those final six episodes of “Saul” as Marion, an elderly woman who ends up dropping a dime on Saul Goodman — by then going under the alias Gene Takavic — after he betrayed her son in a number of crime.
“I was a big fan of ‘Breaking Bad’ and I knew Vince Gilligan, he’s a friend and a friend,” Burnett told me recently. “When they started ‘Better Call Saul’, I got hooked on it. We were having dinner one night and he said, “You know, maybe I’ll write you something for Saul.” I said, I don’t care if it’s just one sentence. I’ll be there. Because I just love their writing. I spent two and a half months in New Mexico doing that and it was just a joy.
Burnett is also a huge fan of Odenkirk, which makes perfect sense: two comedians who changed the game for sketch comedy – “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Mr. Show” one of the most influential in history. Burnett says that if if she had a show today, Odenkirk would be at the top of her wish list.
That’s no surprise. Odenkirk can do it all. His memoir even escapes that in the title: “Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama.” Odenkirk’s transition from sketch comedian to acclaimed dramatic actor to… action hero (“Nobody”) is now legendary. And by the way, Odenkirk’s physical transformation for “Nobody” – which gave him the best shape of his life – probably also saved his life, as he survived a serious heart attack on the set of “Saul”.
We are lucky that Bob Odenkirk is still with us. And luckily, he even has another series for us to enjoy. And it’s even aptly named “Lucky Hank.”
But back to “Better call Saul.” Because voting for an Emmy is a bit of a mess, sometimes the award misses out on recognition from a landmark show or actor before that series ends. Steve Carell never won an Emmy for “The Office” and “Parks & Recreation” never won an Emmy (including for star Amy Poehler) – just two examples of Emmy injustices. I’m afraid we’re going to see another one. In any case, Odenkirk already has two Emmys – both written for a variety or music program, via “Saturday Night Live” in 1989 and “The Ben Stiller Show” in 1993. That was 30 years ago – and it’s time. Somehow Emmy better off assigning “Saul” somewhere.