Better Call Saul’s producers have already stated that the sixth and final season of the Breaking Bad spinoff will feature two of the most notable cameos in the form of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul).
While we don’t know when Walt and Jesse will visit Saul Goodman’s Albuquerque (or perhaps Gene Takovic’s Omaha), the season’s first two episodes show that there’s still room for non-Walt or Jesse-sized guests. In fact, “Carrot and Stick,” the second episode of this final season, goes all the way back to Season 1 of Better Call Saul to reintroduce some (sort of) familiar old faces.
As Saul (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) plan the details of their scheme to frame Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) for “something unforgivable,” they realize they’ll need a very specific type of patsy. They need to persuade Clifford Main (Ed Begley Jr.) that Howard is addicted to cocaine by requesting his legal counsel. Obviously, that person cannot be Saul or Kim, as Cliff would be aware of their deception. It also can’t be someone too trustworthy, or Cliff might be tempted to take the case and discover that Howard doesn’t actually snort cocaine. Fortunately, Saul and Kim know who to contact: Betsy and Craig Kettleman (Julie Ann Emery and Jeremy Shamos).
It’s understandable if you can’t quite recall who the Kettlemans are. The married couple first appeared in Better Call Saul’s season one premiere “Uno” and were last seen in “Bingo” in season one. Better Call Saul viewers will see Jimmy McGill represent them for the first time…sort of. The clearly guilty Kettlemans don’t want Jimmy to represent them because he’s an inexperienced, slimy lawyer, but Jimmy can’t seem to say no. Here’s everything you need to know about Jimmy and the Kettlemans’ first season.
Craig Kettleman, the Bernalillo County treasurer, is accused of stealing $1.6 million from the county. Craig and his domineering wife Betsy look for a lawyer to help them fight the case. They are on the verge of signing with Jimmy McGill when Betsy vetoes the deal, citing Jimmy as “the type of lawyer guilty people hire.” Despite their best efforts, the Kettlemans are unable to keep Jimmy and the rest of the Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill law firm out of their lives.
Jimmy devises a series of outlandish schemes to persuade the Kettlemans to hire him. The first entails paying some skaters to be hit by Betsy’s car, but they are instead hit by Tuco Salamanca’s abuelita’s car. Later, Jimmy sends the Kettlemans an anonymous tip in order to persuade them to flee. He follows them to a campsite in their own backyard. Jimmy and Betsy wrestle over a duffel bag that tears open to reveal a stack of cash that looks suspiciously like $1.6 million after failing to persuade them to hire him again. Jimmy is offered a cash bribe by Betsy, which he tries to refuse but ultimately accepts.
Clearly, the Kettlemans, particularly Betsy, have not forgotten their history with Jimmy McGill, the lawyer. Saul, on the other hand, is able to take advantage of this by pushing the Kettlemans right into Cliff Main’s path and convincing them that it was their idea. The Kettlemans eventually figure out Saul’s ruse, but having a bulldog like Kim helps a lot.