Does Jimmy change his name?
As an avid fan who has followed Jimmy‘s evolution across the acclaimed AMC shows Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, I can definitively say – yes, Jimmy undergoes a dramatic identity change over the course of the story arcs. He starts as the small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill, transitions into corrupt attorney Saul Goodman, and ends up as the paranoid Cinnabon manager Gene Takavic. Read on for a deep dive analysis into Jimmy‘s continual identity crisis.
The significance of adopting "Saul Goodman"
Jimmy‘s choice to legally become Saul Goodman signifies the completion of his moral about-face. As the below table shows, Jimmy starts off determined to do right and desperately wants acknowledgement as a legitimate lawyer from his brother Chuck.
| Name | Motivation | Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy McGill | Seeking Chuck‘s approval | Legal shortcuts |
| Saul Goodman | Wealth through illegal activity | Embracing "Slippin‘ Jimmy" persona |
However, after losing Chuck and getting his law license suspended, Jimmy fully transforms into his alter-ego "Slippin‘ Jimmy" from his conman days. As Saul Goodman, he revels in enabling Walter White‘s drug empire through creative illegal solutions.
According to Vince Gilligan, Saul Goodman represents Jimmy sinking to new moral lows and "setting up shop as a crooked lawyer." The flashy Goodman persona lets Jimmy escape his own personal failures and find success, regardless of ethical lines crossed.
The birth of Gene Takavic
With the DEA closing in on Walter White‘s drug ring towards the finale of Breaking Bad, Saul contacts disappearance specialist Ed Galbraith. Assuming the identity of Gene Takavic, he escapes to Omaha, Nebraska to manage a Cinnabon outlet going through the same mundane routine day in and day out.
As seen in the debut season of Better Call Saul, despite having escaped detention, Gene continues looking over his shoulder every day, fearing his identity will be unveiled. Critics have analyzed Takavic‘s perpetual tension as symbolic of the karmic burden of Saul‘s past finally catching up with him.
The cyclic twist of fate in the finale
In the final episode, Gene lets down his guard and calls Kim Wexler, his ex-wife who was his moral compass. Apparently desperate to reconcile with the last remaining person who knew him as Jimmy McGill, this impulsive decision leads to his arrest soon after.
With his fate sealed, Jimmy re-adopts his Saul Goodman moniker one last time to negotiate a plea deal. But in one final twist, instead of deceit he admits honestly in court to every single one crimes committed as Walter White‘s lawyer. The series comes full circle with Jimmy finally reconciling his identities and facing justice as himself – James McGill.
