Vince Gilligan Talks 'Better Call Saul' Season 2, 'X-Files' Reboot, and More
Writer/producer Vince Gilligan has pulled off the seemingly impossible -- twice!
First, he managed to craft a "Breaking Bad" finale that somehow left every member of the show's rabid fanbase completely satisfied. Then, he found an unorthodox way back into the world he created, scoring yet again with the prequel series "Better Call Saul."
As awards and nominations for the latter series begin to rack up in the walk-up to the The X-Files" (the series that gave him his big break), and his reaction to that other massive AMC series finale, "Mad Men."
Moviefone: Congratulations for all the nominations coming in for "Better Call Saul." What has it meant to you that the audience has embraced the show and how different its left-of-center take on the "Breaking Bad" world is?
Vince Gilligan: It's wonderful because we didn't know if it would succeed at all! We thought it might be something that people would say, "Ah, I've seen enough of this world." Maybe it's just me, but I always expect failure, not success -- so the fact that people seem to be embracing the show and liking it, and certainly Bob Odenkirk's work and Jonathan Banks's work, all the wonderful actors we have, I think, merits that. But I'm too close to it. I'm biased. But I'm so happy to hear the people are loving it. I couldn't be happier.
Can you put anything out into the universe about what you're thinking for the second season?
Well, it continues to be Jimmy's journey for Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman. What to say about it? We have found Jimmy is just as interesting to us in the writers' room as Saul ever was. And so I'll say this: I'll be a little coy here, but we're in no particular hurry to get rid of Jimmy and go strictly to Saul. So maybe that's a little handout.
"The X-Files," your old home base, is coming back. Are you just like the rest of us, waiting to see what they do with the revival, or do you have an inside track?
I know nothing about what they're doing. I would love to be a part of it. I was very generously offered to be a part of it by my wonderful former employer, Chris Carter, and it broke my heart to say I wasn't able to do it because I'm so busy on "Better Call Saul." I really can't do more than one thing at once. I am very sorry I won't be a part of it, but you better believe I'll be watching it as a fan because I was a fan of the "X-Files" before I ever was a part of it! I was a huge fan. I watched it from the very first episode, in 1993. And I couldn't be happier that they're rebooting. I can't wait to see it.
As someone who played a huge part in one of the most acclaimed and universally loved series finales of all time, what did you think of the last episode of "Mad Men"? Did you watch it?
"Mad Men" was great! I definitely watched it. Matt Weiner just did a wonderful job. I love all those actors -- I know pretty much all of them. They're all great people. I know a lot of the crew on that show. And of course, I know Matt very well, and he really crushed it. I thought that ending was fantastic, going to the classic Coca Cola commercial that everybody knows and loves; I thought they really brought it. And it was a fitting and wonderful end to a history-making TV series.