"Better Call Saul": Bob Odenkirk spills on the premiere's shocking "Breaking Bad" twist
The wait is almost over.
The premiere of "Better Call Saul" -- the highly anticipated prequel series to "Breaking Bad" -- is almost here, and only ET has the exclusive scoop straight from the cast. We sat down with star Bob Odenkirk, aka Saul Goodman, everyone's favorite slimy lawyer, and he promised that fans are in for a jaw-dropping treat with the series debuts Sunday, Feb. 8, on AMC.
"I think [fans] are going to be shocked at how it takes them to a new place so fast," Odenkirk said to ET at the TCA Winter Press Tour. "It hits the ground running."
So should a viewer be armed with the knowledge of all five "Breaking Bad" seasons before tuning in? Not necessarily. However Odenkirk promised ET that if you are a fan of the smash AMC drama, you're experience during "Better Call Saul" will be much more rewarding.
"If you've watched 'Breaking Bad' and you know it, this show will be that much richer for you," Odenkirk explained. "You're going to see things, and notice things, and it's going to be like you're in on it."
Many fans are keeping their fingers crossed that they'll see a pre-meth-making Walter White (Bryan Cranston), or a young Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) walking around in the background on the series. "It is the kind of thing that could happen because they are in the same town," Odenkirk teased.
However, Jonathan Banks is concerned that since "Better Call Saul" is a prequel, and none of the "Breaking Bad" characters have formed a bond just yet, that a crossover will not be a happy one. "The great thing is that none of these characters that people are excited about, none of these characters liked each other," Banks said. "So what's the pass by going to be? 'F--k you!'"
We've already seen the very first episode of "Better Call Saul" and trust us when we tell you, you're jaw will be on the ground when [spoiler!] make in appearance in the very last scene. " The last five seconds of the first episode, when I read it, I was like, [gasps!]" Odenkirk said. "I was like, 'How did you do that to me in one episode? How did you get me to that place as a viewer where my heart drops?' And they do it in the first episode."
In fact, the twist in "Better Call Saul"'s premiere was so shocking that star Michael Mando didn't even know it was coming. "It's such a big deal that when we got the script for the first episode, they actually blacked out almost half the page," Mando said. "So when I flew into New Mexico, I had no idea what the big thing at the end of the first episode was until I was there."
So who from the "Breaking Bad" realm will first appear in "Better Call Saul"? "Does it help if I say it's a bad guy?" Odenkirk teased. "No it doesn't because everyone was a bad guy. Everyone in 'Breaking Bad' was a bad guys at some point." To which Banks slyly added, "Even that damn baby."
Aww, poor baby Holly!
Catch the premiere of "Better Call Saul" with a special two-night event on Sunday, Feb. 8 and Monday, Feb. 9 at 10 p.m. on AMC.