Masked singer
You’ll get one last chance to see the Disappearer on the upcoming season of Better Call Saul.
Robert Forster, who played Ed on Breaking Bad, will reprise his role in an episode of AMC’s Bad prequel, the show’s producers revealed Thursday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. The beloved character actor, who died in October at the age of 78 following a battle with brain cancer, popped up in a significant role in the Breaking Bad movie El Camino, refusing to help fugitive Jesse (Aaron Paul) escape from Albuquerque before having a change of heart and setting him up with a new life in Alaska.
Forster was a fan favorite, and appeared in only one episode of Breaking Bad, the second-to-last episode, in which he relocated Walt (Bryan Cranston) to New Hampshire. Ed also helped Walter’s shady lawyer, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) — and the focal point of Better Call Saul — relocate to Omaha.
The Forster scene was shot during the production of El Camino, according to co-creator Peter Gould, who noted that there was specific plan involving his participation moving forward. “I was so excited to get him into the episode,” he said.
Also set to re-emerge in Albuquerque: Hank Schrader, Dean Norris’ proud DEA agent, who met his death in the final season thanks to the misdeeds and crimes of Walt. Norris, who currently stars on Claws, is slated to appear in two episodes. In addition, Hank’s also-deceased law-enforcement partner, Gomez (Steven Michael Quezada), will guest-star in two episodes this season.
Breaking Bad creator and Better Call Saul co-creator Vince Gilligan praised Forster in the wake of his death, explaining, “He’s the guy you count on. I think Robert was that person in real life, and what he brings to the character of Ed — the character we call the Disappearer; originally, he didn’t even have a name — but you just innately believe this guy will be able to help you. You believe he is competent to the point of mastery, that he’s going to pull this thing off, this very difficult disappearing act that Walter White and Saul Goodman and then Jesse Pinkman need to avail themselves of. With Robert, I can’t think of many who were at his level as an actor. And he always made it look so easy.”
Fans have been waiting an awfully long time for Saul’s return; the season 4 finale aired in October 2018, with Jimmy McGill revealing that he was assuming the name of Saul Goodman when his law license was reinstated. Gould broke down the big moves of the season 4 finale with EW over here, and dropped this tease for season 5: “We know who Saul Goodman is, but who is Saul Goodman to Kim Wexler?”
The season 5 premiere of Better Call Saul airs Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and the following night, the second episode will debut in the show’s regular Monday-at-9 p.m. slot. It was also revealed today that AMC has renewed the series for a sixth and final season, which you can read about here.
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- See first photos of Better Call Saul season 5
