It didn’t take long after Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” faded out that most Breaking Bad fans longed for more.  More dynamic personalities.  More intricate plans attached with impossibly high-stakes.  More gripping and well-developed character arcs.  More of what was just lost as Walter White spent his final moments on the floor of a meth-lab.

Words of a possible spin-off started soon after, but it long remained vague as to what question this new show would answer.  Some fan-favorites included: What happens to Jessie after he escapes?  How does Gus get his start in the meth-trafficking business?  How do Hank and Gomez become partners? 

Ultimately, the decision was to feature Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill in a Breaking Bad prequel titled, “Better Call Saul.” Less than two years after Breaking Bad’s final shot, the next question was official, “How does Jimmy McGill become Saul Goodman?” 

Attempts to answer that question were the primary focal point as we already knew what happened to Gus, Mike and Saul from Breaking Bad.  However, we were soon introduced to a brand-new character, one who was a Free Agent in the Breaking Bad Destiny Draft.

Kim Wexler.

And after last night’s Season Six premiere, it was revealed that we have been asking the wrong question all this time. 

The real conundrum Better Call Saul is answering is “How does Kim Wexler become Saul Goodman?”

In all actuality, “Slippin” Jimmy McGill was always Saul Goodman.  Jimmy built a home-town legacy based around the ability to slip on ice and collect quick payments from unassuming marks.  Jimmy has also shown us time and time again that he was willing to bend rules, cross lines and even defecate through sunroofs to accomplish his goals – before Saul Goodman was born.  Kim Wexler on the other hand started out on the most straight and narrow of lines.  Even at a young age, Kim showed us she would rather walk five miles home by herself than get in a car with a slightly inebriated mother. 

At first, Kim is intrigued by Jimmy’s energy and talent to play short-cons with the general citizenry but vows never to bring that line-of-thinking to work.  Slowly – but surely – Kim realizes the value Jimmy could bring in help solving harder issues such as the one in Season Five with Mesa Verde’s call center.  Even there she doesn’t go the full distance, as she stops Jimmy potential smear campaign of Mesa Verde’s president.  But when Jimmy goes behind her back and follows through with the threats, her response is not to run away but to lean-in and marry Jimmy McGill. 

Make no mistake about it, Kim Wexler has turned full Saul Goodman. 

Kim is talking down cartel leaders, quitting her prestigious law job, and fueling speculation that her former boss and employer, Howard Hamlin, has a cocaine habit.  On top of this, she crafts Saul’s mission-statement and future over dinner by describing his next office as a “cathedral of justice” and suggesting Saul drive a flashier car. 

We all thought Kim would eventually play the final – and most tragic – victim of Jimmy’s shenanigans. Somehow, this brilliant show may be portraying the exact opposite and will leave us feeling actual empathy for Saul Goodman.

Jimmy McGill may have introduced Kim Wexler to the dark side, but Kim has not only completely embraced this artform, but she has also mastered it. 

The next question is simply, “where does the show go from here?” 

Some possible plotlines:

• Howard Hamlin catches whiff of the acquisitions and assumes Saul is behind all of it leading to a countersuit.
• Kim and Lalo reconnect leading Kim to become Lalo’s attorney (or under the umbrella of Saul Goodman and Associates).
• Kim and Saul either fall in love forever, or Saul has a sudden change of heart – leading to Kim’s ultimate demise.
• If the lawyer thing doesn’t work out for Kim, she has a nice fallback career as a professional Cornhole player.  That trashcan toss of Saul’s “2^nd-Best Lawyer Again” mug was impressive.
• Mike will keep Nacho alive as long as possible, but he certainly has his hands full. Protecting him from the wrath of Lalo and Gus will be one of Mike’s more difficult tasks.
• Future black-and-white Saul decides to take care of the two guys who recognized him in the Omaha, Nebraska mall.  We all thought Kim would die at the end of Better Call Saul, but what if she has spent all this post-Better Call Saul time looking for him and their reunion is the closing shot/scene?
• If Kim isn’t involved with Saul in Omaha, could Jesse Pinkman? We know Walter White and Jesse return (in some capacity), and seeing Jesse reunite with Saul outside of the Cinnabon store would be a huge twist.  

Things I loved about the first two episodes:

• Getting the old fake-out of the initial shot in black-and-white (which has become custom in Better Call Saul new seasons as it shows what Saul is up to post-Breaking Bad), but it quickly transitioned to color.  We never got a glimpse of Saul’s home in Breaking Bad, but it appears he made a lot of money. Enough to buy a golden toilet throne!
• “Our kids go to a public school!” – It was nice to see The Kettleman’s again, even if Betsy is still an all-around awful human being.
• The shot of Saul looking inside the restaurant when Kim is discussing strategy with one of her pro-bono clients.  He fell in love with that version of Kim and is either scared of what she has now become, or depressed that he feels responsible.  Maybe both?
• Hector Salamanca’s smile when shaking hands with Gus. Surprising that Gus knows from the look on Hector’s face that Lalo is still alive, especially considering how Gus exits Breaking Bad.

Things I could have done without:

• Watching Nacho watch out.  Completely understand the importance of the buildup, but this is the final season, and we are on borrowed time.
• The business with Nacho’s safe was difficult to follow.  It appeared that Mike put up a dummy safe in Nacho’s apartment with fake wire transfers to try and prevent any Gus-Nacho connection.  It was one of the rare occasions where the no-dialogue scenes were a hindrance.
• The giant inflatable Statue of Liberty. 

A terrific start to Season Six.  Only 11 more episodes remain.