Better Call Saul, which for my money is the best show still on television, is just a few episodes from its conclusion. In this week’s episode, the series introduced a character played by Carol Burnett. Without spoiling anything of consequence, it proved a skillful use of stunt casting, which Vince Gilligan has used sparingly in the run of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and it tells us something about his artistry, as well as being a small reminder of Burnett’s enduring talents.
This kind of stunt casting — filling a supporting role with an instantly recognizable figure (and Carol Burnett remains instantly recognizable at 89) — could be perilous for a series that is bringing to a climactic boil all the accumulated dramatic tensions of six seasons, plus the five seasons of Breaking Bad. But it works, for two main reasons. The first is patience. Gilligan is the absolute master of patience, at bringing the audience along gradually to where he wants them to end up, and trusting that they will not lose interest along the way. Better Call Saul has been a slow show; its early seasons featured lots of small-stakes law-office scenes that were much beloved by people (such as myself) who worked in large law firms, but could be tedious for others. It often took well into episodes for anything much to happen. That has accelerated with a series of payoffs as the show has run through its final two seasons, rewarding those who remained committed. In the case of Burnett’s character, we get a leisurely introductory scene in the grocery store that gives the viewer ample time to process “hey, that’s Carol Burnett!” and then get on with the plot. The other reason it works is that Burnett still has the gift to make her character sympathetic and three-dimensional before we get into the business of finding out what will come of her encounter with Saul’s latest alias.