Better Call Saul‘s Final Season has reached its midseason finale, which left fans reeling in the final minutes of the episode. (MAJOR SPOILERS Follow!) All throughout Better Call Saul, Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman has been locked in a friendly (at times heated) rivalry with his brother’s best friend and law partner, Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian). Well that six-season game came to a horrific end, as Howard made an ill-timed visit to Jimmy and Kim Wexler’s home on the night that the psychotic Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) reappeared after his alleged death.
Howard only had seconds to realize he had stepped into the cursed world of “Saul Goodman” before Lalo blew his brains out all over the wall. Howard’s death was so gruesome and sudden that fans can’t help but compare this moment to the other shocking character death moment, in the final season of Breaking Bad!
No spoilers, but this moment in #BetterCallSaul tonight rivals anything in Breaking Bad. This show is truly next level. pic.twitter.com/f1IQdTwiaf
Hank’s death in Breaking Bad is nothing compared to what they did tonight.
A character has never been done as dirty as what they did to Howard Hamlin. #BetterCallSaul
The debate of “Is Better Call Saul > Breaking Bad” just gave a big point to #TeamSaul. Hank was a soldier – Howard was a civilian, and arguably a noble man.
howard to kim and jimmy: you two are soulless sociopaths
lalo, an actual soulless sociopath walking in: ANY BAD BITCHES IN HERE?
Poor Howard. He really thought humanity couldn’t get more amoral or depraved than Jimmy and Kim. Then he (briefly) met Lalo…
BETTER CALL SAUL twisted the knife tonight. Jimmy’s transformation into Saul is complete, and Howard Hamlin has become the show’s most root-able and redeemable character. @PatrickFabian you play him beautifully and brilliantly.
We all knew it was coming. We all knew that something dark and terrible had to happen to truly make “Jimmy McGill” into the “Saul Goodman” from Breaking Bad. This was definitely that “turn” moment. No going back now.
That was actually perfect. If they didn’t pull the scam then Howard wouldn’t have been there. Shows the unintended consequence of their actions, and how dark their plan really was #bettercallsaulseason6 #bettercallsaul #BettercallsaulDay
Walter White’s story in Breaking Bad is lauded for being one of best “descent into the abyss” stories on television. With Better Call Saul, Vince Gilligan has gone even deeper to deconstruct the “good man turns evil” myth, instead examining how our own nature – and the choices we make to feed or resist it – shape who we become in life. The scene of Howard’s death hammer’s that point home harder than Breaking Bad’s final moment of Walter White’s self-denial (Hank’s death).
can’t believe jimmy kept playing games and scamming people after what happened to howard in front of him oh my god he’s so fucked up
Even more horrific than this dark turn in Jimmy’s character is the larger knowledge that it did NOTHING to avert him from the path of becoming Saul Goodman, and doing everything we saw in Breaking Bad.
being howard hamlin is insane. imagine offering a young woman a scholarship and hiring your boss’s brother to your firm. a decade later your boss kills himself and the other two are conspiring to ruin your life and possibly kill u accidentally. abq changes people. pic.twitter.com/bMHwDRqxlf
If Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad have taught us nothing else, it’s that the Albuquerque, New Mexico life hits really different.
howard hamlin did not, in fact, land on his feet.
he landed on the side of his head.
Guys, should we ALREADY be making Howard death jokes? Really?
And here I thought the most tragic storyline of the whole BB universe was Mike’s… What a shocking and completely unfair ending was this for Howard?!?! #BetterCallSaul
Breaking Bad fans like: “Mike’s story is so sad.”
Better Call Saul‘s Howard Hamlin like: “Hold my brains.”
“You know who really knew Jimmy?” “Chuck.” – Howard Hamlin pic.twitter.com/EnjUIadell
The Better Call Saul re-watch experience is going to be crazy profound.
Patrick Fabian’s Howard Hamlin is one hell of a character. pic.twitter.com/tnFDxNBcdM
Patrick Fabian’s performance as Howard Hamlin is phenomenal. I never expected his character to have as much range and nuance as he has throughout the entire run, this week’s episode was especially well-done.
Actor Patrick Fabian is getting all the love right now. One of the rare times someone can log into Twitter and get nothing but good returns.
Better Call Saul returns for the final episodes of the Final Season on July 11th.
