Before AMC's "Better Call Saul" debuted in 2015, its star, Bob Odenkirk, spent a lot of time wandering around Albuquerque, asking himself why he had signed on for a circa 2002 prequel to "Breaking Bad," the hit series that collected a slew of Emmy Awards.
"We were pretty far out on a limb," said Odenkirk, the sketch comic who plays Jimmy McGill, the wheedling lawyer and low-grade schemer who ultimately becomes the criminal underworld lawyer Saul Goodman from "Breaking Bad." "Even if we did a great job, we could have been dismissed and hated for even trying." Instead of the crushing he anticipated, he was reintroduced to the world as a gifted dramatic actor.
Season 3, which began Monday, found Jimmy compulsively running small cons while still yearning to win the respect and affection of his rules-obsessed older brother, Chuck (Michael McKean). Soon he will encounter Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), the meth kingpin and fast-food chicken magnate, last seen on the receiving end of a wheelchair bomb in Season 4 of "Breaking Bad." "Having Giancarlo return is a jolt of energy for all of us on set," he said, "reminding us of this bigger world of 'Breaking Bad' characters who will, it seems, be gathering like horsemen before an apocalypse." And, he added, Gus isn't the only character from that universe who will be "reanimating." These are edited excerpts from a recent interview.
Q: Jimmy McGill. Is there much you can relate to about him?
A: Well I don't think I'd be a very good scam artist. But the way I relate to him is that I have enthusiasm for show ideas, sketch ideas, and I can easily get carried away in selling or pitching them. I think Jimmy is the same way with his schemes.
Q: Will we see his alter ego Saul Goodman this year?
A: Here's what I can tell you, and I'm sorry to be cute about it - but you will see Saul Goodman this season, but not in the way you expect. It's the first time he uses the name on this show - outside of a flashback. And he takes on the persona somewhat. But far more important, he internally makes some choices that made me call [the "Saul" creators] Vince [Gilligan] and Peter [Gould] and say, "I guess all we have left to do is buy the suit and the lime-green socks." They were like, "What do you mean?" And I said: "Well, if he's going to start shutting down like this, then he's not going to be Jimmy. He's going to be Saul." When Jimmy hurts people, it's inadvertently. Saul has always been like: "I'm here to use you. I'll tell you to your face I'm going to do that, and if you don't like that you should walk away." This is the first time we see Jimmy do that in a very conscious way. And it made me really sad. It felt like a loss.
Q: When Jimmy and Gus first meet, is Gus already a villain?
A: I don't completely know Gus' back story. We will see Gus assembling his criminal enterprise. But he's already a bad guy with a drug trade going on. He's not in it for the chicken, that's for sure.
Q: For your scenes as a Cinnabon manager, you were coached by a Cinnabon exec on how to properly slather that icing.
A: I'm telling you, Cinnabon is not about skimping on any ingredients. They weigh everything out, but I think they also put extra in. They are unabashedly putting everything your mouth loves into one hot lump - and they make no bones about it. So don't skimp on frosting.
Q: Are you surprised that you're the lead in a dramatic series?
A: I always thought that I belonged in a dramatic scenario. I have a complicated energy. You don't see me enter a scene and think, "Oh, this is going to be a laugh riot" like many of the people I've performed with - David Cross, Chris Farley, Jay Johnston - performers who I think have a presence with a comic energy. I look like I have more questionable motives when I enter a scene.
Q: Are you going to do more "W/ Bob & David," your sketch show on Netflix?
A: I think we will. We don't live in the same city - [David Cross] is in New York or in England. He and Amber Tamblyn just had their first baby. But David and I love working together. It's a lot like a really good marriage. We fill the blanks in for each other.
Q: The series is shot in Albuquerque. Sing the praises of New Mexico.
A: This has been a slow acclimation to the beauties of the desert. I'm more of a Midwest guy who likes the trees and the green. But there's 400 miles of bike trails in Albuquerque, and the landscapes and big sky are amazing. So I ride my bike around for hours and hours, and there's just a magical vibe. I know I sound like a child, but it's really stunning.