Bob Odenkirk has returned to work at Better Call Saul after suffering a small heart attack on the set back in July. On Aug. 7, eleven days after the incident, Odenkirk had given his fans an update by announcing he was “doing great” and would be back soon. Tweeting a new photo of himself in the makeup chair on the set on Wednesday, the actor revealed that he’s now officially back to work on the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul.
Back to work on Better Call Saul! So happy to be here and living this specific life surrounded by such good people. BTW this is makeup pro Cheri Montesanto making me not ugly for shooting! pic.twitter.com/lTAfPg7dDp
— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) September 8, 2021
In the tweet, Bob Odenkirk writes: “Back to work on Better Call Saul! So happy to be here and living this specific life surrounded by such good people. BTW this is makeup pro Cheri Montesanto making me not ugly for shooting!”
This photo also gives us our first look at Odenkirk’s return as Jimmy “Saul Goodman” McGill in Better Call Saul season 6, complete with the character’s signature comb-over hairstyle. It’s exciting to see our first glimpse at Jimmy in the new episodes, but it’s also bittersweet knowing it’s going to be his last hurrah. The final season will bring closure to the character, both by completing his transition into the Saul Goodman we know from Breaking Bad, and by letting us know what happens with Cinnabon manager “Gene Takavic” in the present day timeline.
Odenkirk has been consistently nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy Award for his work on the show, and though he hasn’t yet gotten a win for his acting, there’s no question that he very much deserves it. Following such a hit series like Breaking Bad meant Better Call Saul was going to be an uphill battle to find success, but the spinoff prequel series has become an acclaimed hit of its own. Part of that is owed to the amazing cast with Odenkirk in the lead.
Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould created Better Call Saul. Along with Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, the series brings back many fan favorites from Breaking Bad, including Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux, and Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca. Also featured in the show in new roles are Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca, and Michael Mando as Nacho Varga.
The series is also known for bringing in other classic characters for special guest appearances. In the last season, Dean Norris and Steven Michael Quezada appeared as Hank Schrader and his DEA partner Steven Gomez, respectively. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have yet to appear on the show, but it seems more likely than not both will somehow be factored into the final season in one way or another.
Better Call Saul doesn’t have a set release date at this time, but it’s expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2022. It’s unclear to what extent Odenkirk’s absence has affected production, but the cast and crew had been working around it by filming the scenes that don’t involve him. The news of his return to set comes to us straight from Bob Odenkirk on Twitter.