Vince Gilligan, the co-creator of Better Call Saul, says shooting the episode ‘Bagman’ was the biggest challenge of his career.
The latest episode of Better Call Saul season five was a huge one and the most ambitious episode of the show to date. Perhaps its most Breaking Bad-like episode so far, we see Jimmy being rescued by Mike from certain death during a shootout in the desert and then an epic trek home to society with both their lives on the line.
Co-creator and Breaking Bad showrunner Vince Gilligan directed the episode and admitted to Variety what a challenge it was. Speaking about the sun-soaked shootout in particular, he said:
“It was something I was very much looking forward to, although I was nervous about pulling it off. So much happens. I think it was probably the most complicated single scene I’ve ever directed, and that’s counting the movie [‘El Camino’] and everything I’ve ever done. Going back to the ‘X-Files.’ It’s enormous.”
Elaborating on the challenges of shooting what he admitted was his ‘Lawrence of Arabia‘ moment, Gilligan said: “A typical schedule is a nine-day schedule, but we knew right from the get-go that this would be more than nine days. I think our original thought was maybe it would be 11 days. Ultimately it was one episode for the price of two. I think we wound up going somewhere around 17 or 18 days. I was a Megillah, it was something else.”
SEE ALSO: Better Call Saul creators don’t tell cast any spoilers according to star
Better Call Saul season five has just two episodes remaining and all signs point to an incredibly tense conclusion.
Better Call Saul airs each Tuesday in the UK on Netflix.
