Better Call Saul's Jimmy McGill, AKA Saul Goodman, is a lawyer who is constantly trying to get his life in order while fighting the urge to play by his own rules. An experienced hustler and con-man, he always seeks the thrills of living on the edge and can't stay put and work a normal job for more than a minute.
In the first season, Jimmy is still trying to win his brother's approval and struggles to make it as an honest lawyer. He resorts to seemingly innocent schemes to get himself ahead, but more often than not, his actions backfire in the most unfortunate ways. By season 5, he has almost fully embraced his sleazy, immoral persona of Saul Goodman. The butterfly effect of his mistakes changes the fates of almost everyone in the series, as well as characters in Breaking Bad.
10 The Scheme He Tried To Pull With The Skateboarders
In season 1, Jimmy is trying to trick Mrs. Kettleman into hiring him as her lawyer. He makes use of two skateboarders who just tried to scam Jimmy: the plan was to make it seem like Betsy ran one of them over while the other catches it all on tape and threatens to sue her. Unfortunately, the skateboarding duo pulled the scheme on the wrong car, which resulted in a hit-and-run. What is even worse: the woman driving was Tuco's beloved grandma who doesn't speak a word of English.
The kids follow her home, which ultimately results in Tuco breaking their legs and Jimmy coming face to face with the Salamancas for the first time, which was definitely a huge mistake.
9 Trusting Chuck With The Sandpiper Case
Unlike his older brother Chuck, Jimmy is financially not in the best place when the series begins. He is struggling to make his way out of living in the back of a nail salon and rise up above the ranks of the public defenders. He wisely decides to get into elder law and starts making rounds in a retirement home, Sandpiper Crossing. He was on a lucky streak: he won over some clients and even started building a huge case against the establishment, as it was overcharging its residents.
As the job was too big for him alone, he told Chuck all about it and the two started working together. However, since Chuck was a partner at HHM, the case ultimately went to the big law firm. Jimmy had no choice but to give in and let the case be handled by the big law firms.
8 Quitting Davis & Main
The above-mentioned mistake brought Jimmy a new opportunity: to work at a respectable law firm Davis & Main. He got his own office with a cocobolo desk that he asked for, an assistant, a company car and residence. What else could he wish for? Well, he couldn't stand the authority and wanted to continue working on his own terms. Some might consider that resilient, but it's actually just outright immature.
Jimmy sees himself as an underdog who never got the chance to make it by doing the right thing, but that's simply not true. He wanted to be a better man, yet wasted a great opportunity to make an honest man out of himself for good.
7 Taking Marco's Ring
The ring of his late friend Marco serves symbolizes the hustling life and the criminal schemes the two used to run together in Cicero. Jimmy took the ring after Marco died and started wearing it without ever taking it off. Throughout the series, there are several scenes of Jimmy fiddling with the ring, obviously contemplating the thing it represents: a lack of a moral compass.
Taking Marco's ring didn't help Jimmy become a law-abiding citizen that he strived to be in season 1. In season finale, he hums Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water", signifying he is done trying to live by the books. In honor of Marco, he decided to slip back into his Slippin' Jimmy persona.
6 Manipulating Irene And Her Friends
Not only was Jimmy's manipulation of Irene and other naive senior residents of Sandpiper Crossing one of the most shameless things he has ever done, it was also very bad for his business. He did right by Irene and made sure she wasn't a social outcast anymore, but he lost all those potential clients who would otherwise entrusted him with their wills.
Even though it was a lucrative idea, Jimmy had to leave the idea of practicing elder law behind for good. His intentions were noble: he just wanted the case to be closed, so the residents (and he) would get their money before they all die. Unfortunately, his scheming cost him more than just his pride and the seemingly unconditional love of the elderly.
5 Refusing To Go See A Therapist
In "Quite A Ride", Kim gives Jimmy a number of a therapist and encourages him to seek professional help. He has been through a lot: his brother just died, he was disbarred, and was currently selling burner phones on the street behind Kim's back. Jimmy doesn't call and offers the number to Howard instead.
"Winner" is one of the greatest episodes of season 4 and it showcases that Jimmy is definitely in dire need of a therapist. When talking to Kristy Esposito, he projects his own story onto her and goes on rambling about how she needs to cut corners to get ahead in life and that she will make it in life on her own terms.
4 Offering A 50% Discount
Just like the incident with the skateboarders snowballed into Jimmy meeting the Salamancas, so did his burner phone business and the 50% discount on his services. If it wasn't for his promotion, the two junkies who ultimately need his help wouldn't have bought drugs at that house where Krazy-8 gets busted. As a result of that incident, Krazy-8 becomes an informant, and by a series of events kick-starts Walter White's career as a meth cook in Breaking Bad.
Jimmy's actions as never as innocent as they seem. His mistakes always spiral out of control and assume a life of their own. Sometimes, he isn't even aware of the consequences.
3 Gas-Lighting His Mentally Ill Brother
Chuck was a horrendous brother who wanted to take Jimmy down for good. When Jimmy commits a felony, Chuck thinks he finally won. To some extent, he had it coming when Jimmy publicly humiliated him in court. All that Jimmy wanted was to get his brother's stamp of approval, yet the venerable lawyer despised him more than anyone else.
Chuck suffered from a psychosomatic disease and Jimmy went to great lengths to prove it. He made his brother feel as if he was insane and made sure his ex-wife Rebecca is there to see it. The incident was probably a huge part of the reason why Chuck decided to commit suicide.
2 He Didn't Bury The Hatchet With Howard
Howard felt incredibly guilty about Chuck's suicide, as he pretty much forced Chuck into retiring in the lieu of the breakdown at the hearing. Afterwards, he is nothing but nice to Jimmy. He invites him for lunch, offers him a job and speaks frankly about how much he always admired him, recalling how he used to call him "Charlie Hustle". Not only does Jimmy refuse the job, he also smashes Howard's car and embarrasses him by sending prostitutes his way while in a restaurant.
It's not like Howard will seek revenge in the final season; this is predominantly one of Jimmy's biggest mistakes because it shows that he is unable to process his emotions in a healthy way and that he simply will not settle for a normal, stable life.
1 Bringing Kim In The Game
Bringing Kim in the so-called game was a mistake for several reasons. Not only is she now also on the radar of some pretty dangerous criminals, she is also even better at working with them as Jimmy is. When Lalo confronts Jimmy about what had happened in the desert, it's Kim who puts Lalo in place and dominates the whole situation. She now understands that she is far more powerful, brave and calculating than Jimmy.
At first, it seemed as if Jimmy is a bad influence on Kim, but by season 5, the tables start turning. Kim has always been on his side and she is an amazing ally to have. But what happens if she starts dictating the rules? Their interpersonal drama has to be resolved in the final season, since Kim doesn't appear in Breaking Bad at all.
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