title: The Cure

text: After winning a talent competition, Easy Cure signed a recording contract with German record label Ariola-Hansa on 18 May 1977. In September 1977, Peter O'Toole (no relation to the actor), who had been the group's vocalist for several months, left the group to live on a kibbutz in Israel. Both Malice and Easy Cure auditioned several vocalists that month before Smith assumed the role. The new four-piece of Dempsey, Smith, Thompson, and Tolhurst recorded their first studio demo sessions as Easy Cure for Hansa at "SAV Studios" in London between October and November 1977. None were ever released.


title: The Cure

text: The band continued to perform regularly around Crawley (including The Rocket, St Edward's, and Queen's Square in particular) throughout 1977 and 1978. On 19 February 1978 they were joined at The Rocket for the first time by a support band from Horley called Lockjaw, featuring bassist Simon Gallup. Hansa, dissatisfied with the group's demos, did not wish to release "Killing an Arab". The label suggested that the band attempt cover versions instead. They refused, and by March 1978 Easy Cure's contract with the label had been dissolved. Smith later recalled, "We were very young. They just thought they could turn us into a teen group. They actually wanted us to do cover versions and we always refused."


title: The Cure

text: On 22 April 1978 Easy Cure played their last gig at the Montefiore Institute Hall (in the Three Bridges neighbourhood of Crawley) before guitarist Porl Thompson was dropped from the lineup because his lead-guitar style was at odds with Smith's growing preference for minimalist songwriting. Smith soon renamed the remaining trio the Cure. Later that month the band recorded their first sessions as a trio at Chestnut Studios in Sussex, producing a demo tape for distribution to a dozen major record-labels. The demo found its way to Polydor Records scout Chris Parry, who signed the Cure to his newly-formed Fiction label—distributed by Polydor—in September 1978. The Cure released their debut single "Killing an Arab" in December 1978 on the Small Wonder label as a stopgap until Fiction finalised distribution arrangements with Polydor. "Killing an Arab" garnered both acclaim and controversy: while the single's provocative title led to accusations of racism, the song is actually based on French existentialist Albert Camus's novel "The Stranger". The band placed a sticker label that denied the racist connotations on the single's 1979 reissue on Fiction. An early "NME" article on the band wrote that the Cure "are like a breath of fresh suburban air on the capital's smog-ridden pub-and-club circuit", and noted: "With a John Peel session and more extensive London gigging on their immediate agenda, it remains to be seen whether the Cure can retain their refreshing joie de vivre."


title: The Cure

text: The Cure released their debut album "Three Imaginary Boys" in May 1979. Because of the band's inexperience in the studio, Parry and engineer Mike Hedges took control of the recording. The band, particularly Smith, were unhappy with the album; in a 1987 interview, he admitted: "a lot of it was very superficial – I didn't even like it at the time. There were criticisms made that it was very lightweight, and I thought they were justified. Even when we'd made it, I wanted to do something that I thought had more substance to it." The band's second single, "Boys Don't Cry", was released in June. The Cure then embarked as the support band for Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Join Hands" promotional tour of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales between August and October. The tour saw Smith pull double-duty each night by performing with the Cure and as the guitarist with the Banshees when John McKay quit the group in Aberdeen.


title: The Cure

text: That musical experience had a strong impact on him: "On stage that first night with the Banshees, I was blown away by how powerful I felt playing that kind of music. It was so different to what we were doing with the Cure. Before that, I'd wanted us to be like the Buzzcocks or Elvis Costello; the punk Beatles. Being a Banshee really changed my attitude to what I was doing."


title: The Cure

text: The Cure's third single, "Jumping Someone Else's Train", was released in early October 1979. Soon afterwards, Dempsey was dropped from the band because of his cold reception to material Smith had written for the upcoming album. Dempsey joined the Associates, while Simon Gallup (bass) and Matthieu Hartley (keyboards) from the Magspies joined the Cure. The Associates toured as support band for the Cure and the Passions on the "Future Pastimes Tour" of England between November and December—all three bands were on the Fiction Records roster—with the new Cure line-up already performing a number of new songs for the projected second album. Meanwhile, a spin-off band comprising Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey, Gallup, Hartley, and Thompson, with backing vocals from assorted family and friends and lead vocals provided by their local postman Frankie Bell, released a 7-inch single in December under the name of Cult Hero.


title: The Cure

text: Due to the band's lack of creative control on the first album, Smith exerted a greater influence on the recording of the Cure's second album "Seventeen Seconds", which he co-produced with Mike Hedges. The album was released in 1980 and reached number 20 on the UK charts. A single from the album, "A Forest", became the band's first UK hit single, reaching number 31 on the singles chart. The album was a departure from the Cure's sound up to that point, with Hedges describing it as "morose, atmospheric, very different to "Three Imaginary Boys"." In its review of "Seventeen Seconds" the "NME" said, "For a group as young as the Cure, it seems amazing that they have covered so much territory in such a brief time." At the same time, Smith was pressed concerning the concept of an alleged "anti-image". Smith told the press he was fed up with the anti-image association that some considered to be "elaborately disguising their plainness", stating, "We had to get away from that anti-image thing, which we didn't even create in the first place. And it seemed like we were trying to be more obscure. We just didn't like the standard rock thing. The whole thing really got out of hand." That same year "Three Imaginary Boys" was repackaged for the American market as "Boys Don't Cry", with new artwork and a modified track list. The Cure set out on their first world tour to promote both releases. At the end of the tour, Matthieu Hartley left the band. Hartley said, "I realised that the group was heading towards suicidal, sombre music—the sort of thing that didn't interest me at all."


title: The Cure

text: The band reconvened with Hedges to produce their third album, "Faith" (1981), which furthered the dour mood present on "Seventeen Seconds". The album peaked at number 14 on the UK charts. Included with cassette copies of "Faith" was an instrumental soundtrack for "Carnage Visors", an animated film shown in place of an opening act for the band's 1981 Picture Tour. In late 1981 the Cure released the non-album single "Charlotte Sometimes". By this point, the sombre mood of the music had a profound effect on the attitude of the band and they were "stuck in a ghoulish rut". Sometimes Smith would be so absorbed by the persona he projected onstage he would leave at the end in tears.


title: The Cure

text: In 1982 the Cure recorded and released "Pornography", the third and final album of an "oppressively dispirited" trio that cemented the Cure's stature as purveyors of the emerging gothic rock genre. Smith has said that during the recording of "Pornography" he was "undergoing a lot of mental stress. But it had nothing to do with the group, it just had to do with what I was like, my age and things. I think I got to my worst round about "Pornography". Looking back and getting other people's opinions of what went on, I was a pretty monstrous sort of person at that time". Gallup described the album by saying, "Nihilism took over ... We sang 'It doesn't matter if we all die' and that is exactly what we thought at the time." Parry was concerned that the album did not have a hit song for radio play and instructed Smith and producer Phil Thornalley to polish the track "The Hanging Garden" for release as a single. Despite the concerns about the album's uncommercial sound, "Pornography" became the band's first UK Top 10 album, charting at number eight.


title: The Cure

text: The release of "Pornography" was followed by the Fourteen Explicit Moments tour, where the band finally dropped the anti-image angle and first adopted their signature look of big, towering hair and smeared lipstick on their faces. The tour also saw a series of incidents that prompted Simon Gallup to leave the Cure at the tour's conclusion. Gallup and Smith did not talk to each other for eighteen months following his departure. Smith rejoined Siouxsie and the Banshees as their lead guitarist in November 1982. He subsequently became a full-time member of the band, and was featured on the live video and album "Nocturne". He then recorded the album "Hyæna" with them, but left the group two weeks before its June 1984 release to concentrate on the Cure.


title: The Cure

text: With Gallup's departure from the Cure and Smith's work with Siouxsie and the Banshees, rumours spread that the Cure had broken up. In December 1982, Smith remarked to "Melody Maker", "Do the Cure really exist any more? I've been pondering that question myself ... it has got to a point where I don't fancy working in that format again." He added, "Whatever happens, it won't be me, Laurence and Simon together any more. I know that."


title: The Cure

text: Parry was concerned at the state of his label's top band, and became convinced that the solution was for the Cure to reinvent its musical style. Parry managed to convince Smith and Tolhurst of the idea; Parry said, "It appealed to Robert because he wanted to destroy the Cure anyway." With Tolhurst now playing keyboards instead of drums, the duo released the single "Let's Go to Bed" in late 1982. While Smith wrote the single as a throwaway, "stupid" pop song to the press, it became a minor hit in the UK, reaching number 44 on the singles chart, but entered the Top 20 in Australia and New Zealand. It was followed in 1983 by two more successful songs: the synthesiser-based "The Walk" (number 12), and "The Love Cats", which became the band's first British Top 10 hit, reaching number seven. These singles and their B-sides were compiled on the "Japanese Whispers" compilation, which was released in December 1983.


title: The Cure

text: In 1984, the Cure released "The Top", a generally psychedelic album on which Smith played most of the instruments except the drums (played by Andy Anderson) and the saxophone (played by Porl Thompson). The album was a Top 10 hit in the UK, and was their first studio album to break the "Billboard" 200 in the US, reaching number 180. "Melody Maker" praised the album as "psychedelia that can't be dated", while pondering, "I've yet to meet anyone who can tell me why the Cure are having hits now of all times." The Cure then embarked on their worldwide Top Tour with Thompson, Anderson and producer-turned-bassist Phil Thornalley on board. Released in late 1984, the Cure's first live album, "Concert" consisted of performances from this tour. Near the tour's end, Anderson was fired for destroying a hotel room and was replaced by Boris Williams. Thornalley also left because of the stress of touring. However, the bassist slot was not vacant long, for a Cure roadie named Gary Biddles had brokered a reunion between Smith and former bassist Simon Gallup, who had been playing in the band Fools Dance. Soon after reconciling, Smith asked Gallup to rejoin the band. Smith was ecstatic about Gallup's return and declared to "Melody Maker", "It's a group again."


title: The Cure

text: In 1985, the new line-up of Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup, Thompson and Williams released "The Head on the Door", an album that managed to bind together the optimistic and pessimistic aspects of the band's music between which they had previously shifted. "The Head on the Door" reached number seven in the UK and was the band's first entry into American Top 75 at number 59, a success partly due to the international impact of the LP's two singles, "In Between Days" and "Close to Me". Following the album and world tour, the band released the singles compilation "Standing on a Beach" in three formats (each with a different track listing and a specific name) in 1986. This compilation made the US Top 50, and saw the re-issue of three previous singles: "Boys Don't Cry" (in a new form), "Let's Go to Bed" and, later, "Charlotte Sometimes". This release was accompanied by a VHS and LaserDisc called "Staring at the Sea", which featured videos for each track on the compilation. The Cure toured to support the compilation and released a live concert VHS and LaserDisc of the show, filmed in the south of France called "The Cure in Orange". During this time, the band became very popular in Europe (particularly in France, Germany and the Benelux countries) and increasingly popular in both the US and Canada.


title: The Cure

text: In 1987, the Cure released the musically eclectic double LP "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me", which reached number six in the UK, the Top 10 in several countries and was the band's first entry into the US Top 40 at number 35 (where it was certified platinum), reflecting the band's rising mainstream popularity. The album's third single, "Just Like Heaven", was the band's most successful single to date in the US, being their first to enter the "Billboard" Top 40. The album produced three other hit-singles. After the album's release, the band recruited the Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Roger O'Donnell and successfully toured as a sextet but during the European leg of the tour, Tolhurst's alcohol consumption began to interfere with his ability to perform.


title: The Cure

text: During the 1987 tour, the band performed in Buenos Aires in Argentina, becoming one of the first British alternative bands to perform a large-scale concert there. The concert ended in a riot after fans that had purchased counterfeit tickets were denied entry to the venue. Following the concert, the band did not play Argentina again until 2013.


title: The Cure

text: In 1989, the Cure released the album "Disintegration", which was critically praised and became their highest charting album to date, entering at number three in the UK and featuring three Top 30 singles in the UK and Germany: "Lullaby", "Lovesong" and "Pictures of You". "Disintegration" also reached number twelve on the US charts. The first single in the US, "Fascination Street", reached number one on the American Modern Rock chart, but was quickly overshadowed when its third US single, "Lovesong", reached number two on the American pop charts (the only Cure single to reach the US Top 10). By 1992, "Disintegration" had sold over three million copies worldwide.


title: The Cure

text: During the "Disintegration" sessions, the band gave Smith an ultimatum that either Tolhurst would have to leave the band or they would. In February 1989, Tolhurst's exit was made official and announced to the press; this resulted in O'Donnell becoming a full-fledged member of the band and left Smith as the Cure's only remaining founding member. Smith attributed Tolhurst's dismissal to an inability to exert himself and issues with alcohol, concluding, "He was out of step with everything. It had just become detrimental to everything we'd do." Because Tolhurst was still on the payroll during the recording of "Disintegration", he is credited in the album's liner notes as playing "other instrument" (sic) and is listed as a co-writer of every song; however, it has since been revealed that while Tolhurst had contributed to the song "Homesick", his contributions to the rest of the album were minimal due to his alcoholism. The Cure then embarked on a successful tour which saw the band playing stadiums in the US. On 6 September 1989, the Cure performed "Just Like Heaven" at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.


title: The Cure

text: In May 1990, O'Donnell quit and was replaced with the band's guitar technician, Perry Bamonte. That November, the Cure released a collection of remixes called "Mixed Up". The one new song on the collection, "Never Enough", was released as a single. In 1991, the Cure were awarded the Brit Award for Best British Group. That same year, Tolhurst filed a lawsuit against Smith and Fiction Records in 1991 over royalties payments and claimed that he and Smith jointly owned the name "the Cure"; the verdict was handed out in September 1994 in favour of Smith.


title: The Cure

text: In respite from the lawsuit, the band returned to the studio to record their next album. "Wish" (1992) reached number one in the UK and number two in the US and yielded the international hits "High" and "Friday I'm in Love". The album was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1993. In the autumn of 1993, the band released two live albums, "Show" and "Paris", featuring recordings from concerts on their world "Wish" tour.


title: The Cure

text: Between the release of "Wish" and the start of sessions for the Cure's next studio album, the band's line-up shifted again. Thompson left the band to play with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Bamonte took over as lead guitarist, and O'Donnell returned to play keyboards. Boris Williams also left the band and was replaced by Jason Cooper (formerly of My Life Story).


title: The Cure

text: In 1994 the band composed the original song "Burn" for the to the movie "The Crow", which went to number 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts.


title: The Cure

text: The sessions for the new album began in 1994 with only Smith and Bamonte present; the pair were later joined by Gallup (who was recovering from physical problems) and keyboardist O'Donnell, who had been asked to rejoin the band at the end of 1994. Cooper also participated in the recording of the album.


title: The Cure

text: "Wild Mood Swings", finally released in 1996, was poorly received compared with previous albums and marked the end of the band's commercial peak. Early in 1996, the Cure played festivals in South America, followed by a world tour in support of the album. In 1997 the band released "Galore", a compilation album containing all of the Cure's singles released between 1987 and 1997, as well as the new single "Wrong Number", which featured longtime David Bowie guitarist Reeves Gabrels.


title: The Cure

text: In 1998 the Cure contributed the song "More Than This" to the for "The X-Files" film, as well as a cover of "World in My Eyes" for the Depeche Mode tribute album "For the Masses".


title: The Cure

text: With only one album left in their record contract and with commercial response to "Wild Mood Swings" and the "Galore" compilation lacklustre, Smith once again considered that the end of the Cure might be near and thus wanted to make an album that reflected the more serious side of the band. The Grammy-nominated album "Bloodflowers" was released in 2000 after being delayed since 1998. According to Smith, the album was the third of a trilogy along with "Pornography" and "Disintegration". The band also embarked on the nine-month Dream Tour, which included 20 dates in the United States. In 2001, the Cure left Fiction and released their "Greatest Hits" album and DVD, which featured the music videos for a number of classic Cure songs. The band released "" as a double live album video, on two double layer DVD-9 discs, and later on a single Blu-ray disc. It documents The Trilogy Concerts, in which the three albums, "Pornography", "Disintegration" and "Bloodflowers" were played live in their entirety one after the other each night, the songs being played in the order in which they appeared on the albums. "Trilogy" was recorded on two consecutive nights, 11–12 November 2002, at the Tempodrom Arena in Berlin.


title: The Cure

text: In 2003, the Cure signed with Geffen Records. In 2004, they released a new four-disc boxed set on Fiction Records titled "Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities, 1978–2001 (The Fiction Years)". The album peaked at number 106 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart. The band released their twelfth album, "The Cure", on Geffen in 2004. It made a top ten debut on both sides of the Atlantic in July 2004. To promote the album, the band headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that May. From 24 July to 29 August, the Cure headlined the "Curiosa" concert tour of North America, which was formatted as a travelling festival and also featured Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai, Muse, and Thursday, among other groups. While attendances were lower than expected, "Curiosa" was still one of the more successful American summer festivals of 2004. The same year the band was honoured with an MTV Icon award in a television special presented by Marilyn Manson.


title: The Cure

text: In May 2005, O'Donnell and Bamonte were fired from the band. O'Donnell claims Smith informed him he was reducing the band to a three-piece. Previously O'Donnell said he had only found out about the band's upcoming tour dates via a fan site and added, "It was sad to find out after nearly twenty years the way I did, but then I should have expected no less or more." The remaining members of the band—Smith, Gallup and Cooper—made several appearances as a trio before Porl Thompson returned to the Cure's lineup for their summer 2005 tour. In July 2005, the band performed a set at the Paris concert of the Live 8 series of benefit concerts.


title: The Cure

text: The Cure began writing and recording material for their thirteenth album in 2006. The Cure postponed their autumn 2007 North American 4Tour in August to continue working on the album, rescheduling the dates for spring 2008. The group released four singles and an EP—"The Only One", "Freakshow", "Sleep When I'm Dead", "The Perfect Boy" and "Hypnagogic States" respectively—on or near to the 13th of each month, in the months leading up to the album's release. Released in October 2008, "" was a commercial failure in the UK compared to their previous album releases, only staying in the charts two weeks and not peaking higher than number 33. In February 2009, the Cure received the 2009 Shockwaves NME Award for Godlike Genius.


title: The Cure

text: O'Donnell officially rejoined the Cure in 2011 before the band performed at the Vivid Sydney festival in Australia. This concert was the first in their concert series, in which they performed their first three albums in their entireties. The band performed seven additional Reflections concerts in 2011, one in London, three in New York City and three in Los Angeles. On 27 September, the Cure was announced as a nominee for 2012 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


title: The Cure

text: In "NME"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s cover article for March 2012, the Cure announced that they would be headlining a series of summer music festivals across Europe, including the Leeds/Reading Festival. On 1 May, Porl Thompson, now known as Pearl Thompson, announced that he had left the Cure. On 26 May, the Cure embarked on a 19-date summer festival tour of Europe, commencing at the Pinkpop Festival, joined by former the Cure/COGASM collaborator Reeves Gabrels on guitar. On the same day, it was announced that Gabrels would be standing in for the tour, but at that point was not a fully-fledged member of the band. Several weeks into the tour, the band invited Gabrels to become a member and he accepted. In 2013, the Cure toured South America, where they had not performed since 1987 apart from two 1996 concerts in Brazil.


title: The Cure

text: In early 2014, Smith announced that the band would release a follow-up to "4:13 Dream" later that year titled "4:14 Scream". The releases would be compiled together as a double album named "4:26 Dream." However, this project was eventually abandoned.


title: The Cure

text: The Cure paid tribute to Paul McCartney on the album titled "The Art of McCartney", which was released on 18 November 2014. The Cure covered the Beatles' song "Hello, Goodbye" which featured guest vocals and keyboards from Paul's son, James McCartney. A video of the band and James performing the song was released on 9 September 2014 filmed at Brighton Electric Studio in Brighton. Robert Smith also covered McCartney's "C Moon" on the album's bonus disc. In the summer of 2015, the "Disintegration" track "Plainsong" was featured in a humorous moment in the movie "Ant-Man", but did not appear on the movie's soundtrack.


title: The Cure

text: In June 2018, the Cure headlined the 25th annual Meltdown Festival in London. Smith also selected the festival's lineup, which included several of his personal favourite artists, including Nine Inch Nails, My Bloody Valentine, Deftones, Placebo, Manic Street Preachers, and Kristin Hersh, among others. On 7 July 2018, Cure performed a 40th anniversary concert at Hyde Park as part of the British Summer Time concert series. For Record Store Day 2018, the Cure released a remastered, deluxe edition of "Mixed Up", along with a sequel titled "Torn Down" featuring 16 new remixes all created by Robert Smith.


title: The Cure

text: In a 30 March 2019 interview with "Rolling Stone", Smith commented on the band's next album, saying, "For the first time in 20 years, we went into a studio—we actually went into the studio where they (Queen) did 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The songs are like 10 minutes, 12 minutes long. We recorded 19 songs. So I have no idea what to do now... We'll finish it before we start in the summer, and it'll be mixed through the summer. And then so release date, I don't know, October? Halloween! Come on!" In an interview published on 5 July in NME, he noted that the band would be re-recording 3 or 4 songs in August 2019 but that, "I feel intent on it being a 2019 release and would be extremely bitter if it isn’t." However, the year passed with no new studio release, as did the following two years.


title: The Cure

text: In 2019, the Cure embarked on a 23-date summer tour, consisting mostly of festival performances along with four dates in Sydney, Australia. The final Sydney show on 30 May was live-streamed. The band performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October 2019. Later that same month, the band issued "40 Live: CURÆTION-25 + Anniversary", a Blu-ray, DVD and CD box set featuring their Meltdown and Hyde Park performances from 2018 in their entireties.


title: The Cure

text: In interviews in June 2021, Smith referenced the recording of two new Cure albums, saying "One of them’s very, very doom and gloom and the other one isn’t," and that the recordings have been completed, "I just have to decide who's going to mix them."


title: The Cure

text: On 15 August 2021, bassist Simon Gallup posted on his social media that he had left the Cure. No official statement concerning his departure was made by Smith or the band and Gallup subsequently deleted the post. On 14 October 2021, Gallup confirmed that he was still in the band.


title: The Cure

text: In March 2022, Smith confirmed that the first of the band's two projected new albums would be titled "Songs of a Lost World". An update was provided in May 2022, when Smith claimed that the album would be released prior to the band's European tour in October 2022. This, however, didn't happen, as the tour got underway with no new album being released. Perry Bamonte returned to the band's lineup for their Lost World Tour beginning with their 6 October 2022 concert in Riga, Latvia.


title: The Cure

text: The Cure are often identified with the gothic rock genre, and are viewed as one of the form's definitive bands. However, the band has routinely rejected classification, particularly as a gothic rock band. Robert Smith said in 2006, "It's so pitiful when 'goth' is still tagged onto the name the Cure", and added, "We're not categorisable. I suppose we were post-punk when we came out, but in total it's impossible ... I just play Cure music, whatever that is." While typically viewed as producers of dark and gloomy music, the Cure have also yielded a number of upbeat songs and been part of the new wave movement. "Spin" has said "the Cure have always been an either/or sort of band: either ... Robert Smith is wallowing in gothic sadness or he's licking sticky-sweet cotton-candy pop off his lipstick-stained fingers."


title: The Cure

text: The Cure's primary musical traits have been listed as "dominant, melodic bass lines; whiny, strangulated vocals; and a lyric obsession with existential, almost literary despair." Most Cure songs start with Smith and Gallup writing the drum parts and bass lines. Both record demos at home and then bring them into the studio for fine-tuning. Smith said in 1992, "I think when people talk about the 'Cure sound', they mean songs based on six-string bass, acoustic guitar and my voice, plus the string sound from the Solina." On top of this foundation is laid "towering layers of guitars and synthesisers". Keyboards have been a component of the band's sound since "Seventeen Seconds", and their importance increased with the instrument's extensive use on "Disintegration".


title: The Cure

text: The band's early music videos have been described as "dreadful affairs" and have been maligned for their poor quality, particularly by the band itself. Tolhurst said, "Those videos were unmitigated disasters; we weren't actors and our personalities weren't coming across." The video for "Let's Go to Bed" was their first collaboration with Tim Pope. The director added a playful element to the band's videos; the director insisted in a 1987 "Spin" interview, "I think that side of them was always there, but was never brought out."


title: The Cure

text: Pope would go on to direct the majority of the Cure's videos, which became synonymous with the band, and expanded their audience during the 1980s. Pope explained the appeal of working with the Cure by saying, "the Cure is the ultimate band for a filmmaker to work with because Robert Smith really understands the camera. His songs are so cinematic. I mean on one level there's this stupidity and humour, right, but beneath that there are all [Smith's] psychological obsessions and claustrophobia."


title: The Cure

text: The Cure were one of the first alternative bands to have chart and commercial success in an era before alternative rock had broken into the mainstream. In 1992, "NME" declared the Cure had, during the 1980s, become "a goth hit machine (19 to date), an international phenomenon and, yet, the most successful alternative band that ever shuffled disconsolately about the earth". As a leading figure of gothic rock, "NME" made Smith the cover artist in their 2004 edition, "Originals: Goth".


title: The Cure

text: Interpol lead singer Paul Banks was quoted as saying, "the Cure is the band that all of us in Interpol can say influenced us. When I was younger I listened to them a lot. Carlos as well. Actually, he took a straight influence from this band on the way he played the bass and the keys. To me, Robert Smith is also one of these examples: you can't be Robert Smith if you're not Robert Smith. It's one of the bands with the deepest influence on Interpol, because we all like them. They're legendary." The Cure were also a formative influence on the Smashing Pumpkins. Frontman Billy Corgan has named the Cure as a primary influence, and drummer Mike Byrne described himself as a "huge Cure fan."


title: The Cure

text: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chose the Cure for induction in its Class of 2019. Although the Cure had been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2004, they were only nominated once previously, in 2012. The formal induction ceremony was held 29 March 2019 at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York. The members named by the Rock Hall for induction as part of the band are Bamonte, Cooper, Dempsey, Gabrels, Gallup, O'Donnell, Smith, Thompson, Tolhurst and Williams. Gabrels was initially not included in the induction, but was added in February 2019. At the Hall of Fame ceremony on 29 March 2019, the Cure were inducted by Trent Reznor and performed five songs.


title: The Cure

text: The Cure have been given at least six awards, including two Brit Awards (Best British video for "Lullaby" in 1990, and Best British group in 1991), and a Viewer's Choice (Europe) MTV Video Music Award for "Friday I'm In Love" in 1992. Robert Smith was given an Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in 2001.


title: The Cure

text: The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's (BPI) annual pop music awards. The Cure has received two awards from five nominations.


title: The Cure

text: The European Festivals Awards were established in 2009. They are voted for by the public via the European Festival Awards website and receive hundreds of thousands of votes annually.


title: The Cure

text: The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by The Recording Academy of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. Often considered the highest music honour, the awards were established in 1958.


title: The Cure

text: The Ivor Novello Awards are awarded for songwriting and composing. The awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).


title: The Cure

text: The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame are also inducted as part of the awards ceremonies.


title: The Cure

text: The Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica is the Latin American version of the MTV Video Music Awards. It was established in 2002 to celebrate the top music videos of the year in Latin America and the world.


title: The Cure

text: Lunas del Auditorio are sponsored by The National Auditorium in Mexico to honor the best live shows in the country.


title: The Cure

text: The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe.


title: The Cure

text: The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year.


title: The Cure

text: The MVPA Awards are annually presented by a Los Angeles-based music trade organization to honor the year's best music videos.


title: The Cure

text: The Pollstar Concert Industry Awards is an annual award ceremony to honor artists and professionals in the concert industry. The Cure has been nominated seven times.


title: The Cure

text: The Q Awards are the United Kingdom's annual music awards run by the music magazine "Q" to honour musical excellence. Winners are voted by readers of "Q" online, with others decided by a judging panel.


title: Saul Goodman

text: James Morgan Jimmy McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise "Breaking Bad". He appears as a major character in "Breaking Bad" (2008–2013) and as the protagonist of its spin-off "Better Call Saul" (2015–2022).


title: Saul Goodman

text: Saul is an egocentric and unscrupulous Albuquerque-based lawyer who embraces his tactics as a former scam artist and becomes involved in the city's criminal underworld. In "Breaking Bad", he acts as the "consigliere" for the methamphetamine cooks Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and plays a crucial role in the development of their drug empire. "Better Call Saul" prequel storyline depicts Saul's origins as the earnest lawyer Jimmy McGill and his moral decline in the six years before the events of "Breaking Bad"; it also features a sequel storyline that explores the consequences of his actions in "Breaking Bad".


title: Saul Goodman

text: Saul first appeared in "Better Call Saul" (2009), the eighth episode of "Breaking Bad" second season. He was created to provide Walt and Jesse with a guide for their criminal activities and to replace Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) as "Breaking Bad" comic relief. His name, "Saul Goodman", is a play on the phrase "it's all good, man". Odenkirk was initially cast for only a four-episode guest appearance, but he became integral to the "Breaking Bad" narrative after Gilligan and Gould were impressed by his performance. Following "Breaking Bad" conclusion, they began developing a Saul-focused spin-off depicting his origin story.


title: Saul Goodman

text: The character of Saul and Odenkirk’s performance have received critical and popular acclaim; he is often regarded as one of the greatest television characters of all time. Odenkirk was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series five times for his performance in "Better Call Saul".


title: Saul Goodman

text: The need for a character like Saul came from two paths of "Breaking Bad"s development around the second season. First, as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman got themselves deeper into the drug business, the writers felt they needed a character to be a guide for them. At this point, they had written that Jesse's dimwitted friends like Badger were selling their drugs, and needed to envision what type of lawyer Walt and Jesse would enlist when they run into trouble. This would later serve to introduce Walter to new concepts such as the Disappearer's services. Secondly, they were at a point in Hank's character arc where he had suffered major trauma in seeing Tortuga's severed head, and he would no longer be able to serve as the series' bit of lightness. They thus made Saul more of a comical character to fill this void. The writers wrote this lawyer as loud, flashy, and over-the-top, as well as being a scammer himself. The creators decided on the name "Saul Goodman" as a play on the phrase "[It]'s all good, man", so that even his most simple-minded clients would remember his name when they get arrested. Gould credits "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan for initially suggesting this idea for Saul's name.


title: Saul Goodman

text: The "Breaking Bad" episode "Better Call Saul" was written by Peter Gould, and he has been ultimately credited with creating the character. In terms of casting for the part, both Gilligan and Gould said that their crew included a number of fans of "Mr. Show with Bob and David", including Gould's wife Nora, and Odenkirk's name quickly came up for the role. Gilligan offered Odenkirk a four-episode guest role without the need to audition. Odenkirk at the time had been focused on mentoring upcoming actors in comedy, and, needing an opportunity, readily took the role at the encouragement of his friend Reid Harrison, having not seen any of "Breaking Bad" and thinking that it was only intended for a short stint. Odenkirk watched available episodes of "Breaking Bad" before arriving for shooting and avoided reading the script he had been sent knowing that it would likely be trimmed down before filming. Odenkirk based the character's speaking style on producer Robert Evans, and spent time practicing speaking in Evans' style based on the autobiography "The Kid Stays in the Picture". Bryan Cranston helped Odenkirk to learn more about what "Breaking Bad" was about and to coach him on dramatic acting, something which Odenkirk lacked from his comedy background. Odenkirk was scheduled to appear in the second-season finale, but a prior commitment on "How I Met Your Mother" left him unable to do so; this led Gilligan to create the character of Mike Ehrmantraut, played by Jonathan Banks, to serve in place of Saul for that fourth episode.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Saul was originally intended to appear in only four episodes of the second season of "Breaking Bad", but instead became central to the narrative of the series. Though originally written as a "two-and-a-half-dimensional" comic relief character, Saul's role became more in-depth, as Gilligan and Gould found they could use Saul as a "further entree to the criminal underbelly" for Walt in the later seasons. This also allowed them to give the character more humanity, which the showrunners credited to Odenkirk's acting skills. They considered that like with Aaron Paul and Dean Norris, Odenkirk's acting capability significantly altered plans they had for these characters and the series in a beneficial manner, making them more central to the larger plot. As Saul had proven to be a popular character with audiences, Gilligan and Gould already had started thinking about a spin-off involving Saul and approached Odenkirk on his interest to make it happen. Odenkirk had initially turned down the continuing role, wanting to be with his family in Los Angeles and feeling he had enough fame with the success of "Breaking Bad", but his children assured them that they would be fine and he should not turn the opportunity down.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Once "Breaking Bad" was completed, Gilligan and Gould worked to establish what the spinoff series would be about, ultimately coming onto the idea of a prequel named "Better Call Saul" that would feature Jimmy McGill and how he would become Saul Goodman. The showrunners realized that Saul was, as seen in "Breaking Bad", "comfortable in his own skin" and had nowhere else to go, that they could instead explore how Saul got to that point, mirroring the same type of self-destruction that occurred to Walter White in "Breaking Bad". They saw Jimmy as an "earnest, sweet guy whose brain naturally cooks up dishonest solutions to the challenges in front of him", where by the time of "Breaking Bad", Saul is a "front" for one who "seemed to enjoy being a showy cheeseball", and a "hermetically sealed slickster". Rhea Seehorn, who plays Kim Wexler, Jimmy's romantic interest in "Better Call Saul", said that one aspect of Jimmy she incorporated into her acting was the spontaneity of Jimmy slipping into and out of the Saul Goodman character, or as Gould had described to her, "right there at the moment", a factor that for Kim and other associates of Jimmy can cause confusion and concern.


title: Saul Goodman

text: "Breaking Bad" established little of Saul's origins, but revealed that Saul Goodman was not his real name and that his real last name was McGill. This gave Gilligan, Gould, and Odenkirk a chance to flesh out more of Jimmy's backstory for "Better Call Saul". Odenkirk and Gilligan set Jimmy's hometown as Chicago, in part as it was Odenkirk's own hometown as well as a homage to the notorious corruption in the political history of Chicago as inspiration for the character.


title: Saul Goodman

text: In 2014, as a publicity stunt for the launch of "Better Call Saul", a billboard for "James M. McGill, Attorney at Law" was placed in Albuquerque, mimicking a billboard that appeared on the series, with a phone number connecting to a voicemail message recorded by Odenkirk.


title: Saul Goodman

text: In conceiving the story for "", while looking for the most important characters in Jesse Pinkman's life, due to the film continuing his story after the events of the "Breaking Bad" series finale, Gilligan considered to include Saul, feeling that using him in the story would have been great. However, Gilligan eventually desisted from including Saul due to being unaware of the potential plans Gould and the "Better Call Saul" writers could have for the character in his show, as Gilligan left the writers' room of the show after the third season.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy is of Irish descent and was born on November 12, 1960, in Cicero, Illinois, outside Chicago. His older brother Chuck became a successful lawyer as one of the partners at an Albuquerque law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM). As a child, Jimmy worked at his parents' corner store in Cicero, and watched as customers took advantage of his weak, naive father, Charles, Sr.; Jimmy soon began stealing money from the store himself. According to Chuck, Jimmy embezzled $14,000 from his family's store, leading to his father's bankruptcy. His father died six months later; Jimmy cried inconsolably at the funeral.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Determined not to be like his father, Jimmy becomes a con artist and earns the nickname "Slippin' Jimmy" for staging "slip and fall" accidents. He also ran petty scams including the "fake Rolex" with the help of his partner-in-crime Marco Pasternak. Jimmy begins to use the alias "Saul Goodman", a play on the phrase "It's all good, man". He initially uses it as a fake name when performing his scams with Marco. Later, he uses the alternate identity for the high-energy pitchman in television ads he produces, and makes use of it when he begins a business reselling prepaid cell phones on the street.


title: Saul Goodman

text: At some point prior to the start of "Better Call Saul", Jimmy had been married and divorced twice. One of his ex-wives cheated on him with a man named Chet. Jimmy ran into trouble when he drunkenly defecated through the sunroof of Chet's car, an act known as a "Chicago Sunroof". Unbeknownst to him, the man's children were inside. Arrested and facing the possibility of having to register as a sex offender, Jimmy asked Chuck for help, despite a five-year separation from his family. Chuck successfully defended him but required that he move to Albuquerque and work a legitimate job in HHM's mail room.


title: Saul Goodman

text: While working in the HHM mail room, Jimmy befriended Kim Wexler, an HHM employee attending the University of New Mexico School of Law at the firm's behest. Over time, their friendship turned romantic. Inspired by her success and Chuck's career, Jimmy resumed his education, completing his undergraduate degree and then a J.D. from the University of American Samoa's correspondence law school. He passed the bar exam hoping to be hired at HHM, but without Jimmy's knowledge, Chuck compelled senior partner Howard Hamlin to deny Jimmy the opportunity. Jimmy then began a solo practice as a lawyer, working out of the utility room of a Vietnamese nail salon at a strip mall. During this period, he took whatever cases he could get, including low-paying public defender work.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Some years later, near the time of his divorce with Rebecca, Chuck develops a psychosomatic aversion to electricity and becomes semi-reclusive. Jimmy cares for Chuck, bringing him groceries and running his errands. However, Jimmy still struggles with finances, and at the start of the show drives a signature Suzuki Esteem with mismatched doors, a visual pun reflecting on Jimmy's current poor self-esteem. While arriving at and departing from court, Jimmy frequently butts heads with Mike Ehrmantraut, a former Philadelphia police officer who works as the courthouse parking lot attendant.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Unhappy with low-paying public defender work and other minor cases, Jimmy hopes to represent county treasurer Craig Kettleman and his wife Betsy, a couple accused of embezzling over $1.6 million. They retain HHM, but Jimmy's attempts to represent them leads to an altercation with Tuco Salamanca and Nacho Varga, members of the Juarez drug cartel. When Nacho plans to rob the Kettlemans, Jimmy anonymously warns them, and their home later appears to have been the scene of a kidnapping. Nacho, who had been seen surveilling the Kettlemans, is arrested, and Jimmy defends him and obtains his release.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Following Mike's hunch, Jimmy discovers the Kettlemans staged their disappearance and are hiding in the foothills behind their home. When he confronts them, the Kettlemans pay him $30,000 not to turn over the money. HHM suggests the Kettlemans take a plea bargain, so they turn to Jimmy for defense. Jimmy works with Mike to find the Kettlemans' hiding place. Mike then steals the cash from the Kettlemans and delivers it to the district attorney, forcing Craig to accept a guilty plea.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy produces wills for several elderly clients, exhibiting patience and great rapport, so Kim suggests he focus on an elder law practice. During a visit to the Sandpiper Crossing retirement home, he finds the company is committing fraud by overcharging clients. With Chuck's help, he finds a document that proves the fraud, and Jimmy and Chuck begin a class action lawsuit against Sandpiper. When the case grows, Chuck suggests turning it over to HHM, but secretly arranges with Howard to cut Jimmy out of the subsequent litigation.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy confronts Chuck, who admits that he resents Jimmy's legal career, believing he is still a con artist at heart. Jimmy returns to Cicero and spends a week running cons with Marco, who dies of a heart attack as they run what they planned to be their last scam together. Jimmy returns to Albuquerque when Kim calls to say that the Sandpiper case has continued to grow, so HHM has brought in another firm, Davis & Main. Knowing he understands the details of the case better than anyone and has developed personal relationships with the clients, Kim persuades Davis & Main to hire Jimmy as an associate. Jimmy goes home and is prepared to meet with the Davis & Main partners, but has second thoughts and drives away.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy hides out at a hotel while vacationing under an assumed name with a stolen credit card. Kim finds Jimmy and attempts to persuade him to reconsider joining Davis & Main, so he accepts their offer. Assigned to enroll new clients for the Sandpiper case, Jimmy succeeds at signing up more residents, but his skirting of the ethical canons leads Chuck to chastise him in front of the other attorneys. Jimmy produces and airs a television ad without the approval of the D&M partners or the knowledge of the partners at HHM, leading to a reprimand and a junior attorney assigned to constantly supervise him.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Kim is relegated to menial document review work as the result of her failure to inform HHM about Jimmy's commercial. In an effort to reclaim her status at HHM, Kim works her contacts to bring in a new client and succeeds at landing Mesa Verde Bank. Howard is happy to have the business, but denies Kim credit. Jimmy proposes that they go into partnership together. Kim counters with a proposal that they start separate practices in a shared office, so Jimmy quits D&M, Kim quits HHM and they begin their new firms. Kim succeeds at winning Mesa Verde as a client, but Chuck persuades Mesa Verde to remain with HHM.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Chuck's attempts to hide his electromagnetic sensitivity during the meeting with Mesa Verde causes him to become severely ill, and his caregiver Ernesto calls Jimmy for help. While Chuck sleeps, Jimmy alters Mesa Verde documents stored at Chuck's house. As a result, Chuck's application to the state banking board for a new Mesa Verde branch is incorrect, leading to a significant delay. Mesa Verde fires HHM and hires Kim, and Chuck suspects that Jimmy sabotaged him. Kim infers Jimmy's guilt and tells him that if he left any evidence, Chuck will find it.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Knowing the copy store clerk where he altered the documents can identify him, Jimmy goes to the store to buy his silence, but sees Ernesto questioning the clerk. Having visited stores at Chuck's request until he found the right one, Ernesto leaves to pick up Chuck and bring him back to question the clerk. Jimmy enters the store and bribes the clerk, then waits across the street to see what happens when Chuck arrives. Chuck begins to question the clerk, but his EHS causes him to faint and hit his head. Jimmy is torn between helping Chuck and keeping secret his alteration of the Mesa Verde documents. Jimmy comes to Chuck's aid and Chuck is transported to the hospital. He wonders how Jimmy arrived at the store so quickly after his accident and guesses that Jimmy bribed the clerk and stayed nearby to see what would happen when Chuck arrived. Ernesto lies to Chuck, saying he called Jimmy before bringing Chuck to the store out of concern for Chuck's health. Chuck's doctor proves to Jimmy that Chuck's EHS symptoms are psychosomatic. Chuck tricks Jimmy into confessing to the Mesa Verde fraud, which Chuck secretly records.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Chuck arranges for Jimmy to learn of the recording through Ernesto and Kim, and Jimmy breaks into Chuck's house to destroy it. Chuck's private investigator and Howard witness Jimmy's actions, enabling Chuck to report him to the police.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy is arrested, but Chuck tells the prosecutor he prefers having Jimmy submit to a bar association disciplinary hearing to pursuing a criminal case. Jimmy and Kim make Chuck's mental fitness an issue when he testifies, and Jimmy questions him about his hypersensitivity. Jimmy reveals that Huell Babineaux, a pickpocket, placed Jimmy's cell phone battery in Chuck's pocket and Chuck carried it for over an hour without experiencing symptoms. The suggestion that his illness is not real causes Chuck to vent all his frustrations about Jimmy in a tirade that stuns the hearing room audience.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy's law license is suspended for a year, but he is not disbarred. To both pay his share of the rent on the office and make use of TV ad time for which he has already prepaid, Jimmy begins producing commercials for other businesses while using the on-air alias Saul Goodman. Jimmy attempts to obtain a refund of his malpractice insurance premium but finds that the insurance must stay in force in case he is sued over past cases while his license is suspended. Jimmy pretends to break down while informing the insurance carrier about Chuck's condition, an act calculated to get the carrier to raise Chuck's malpractice insurance premiums. The insurance carrier informs Chuck and Howard that HHM's insurance rates will rise dramatically unless Chuck is continually supervised by another attorney. Chuck wants to fight, but Howard pays the first of three installments that enable him to buy out Chuck's partnership, and forces Chuck to retire.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy learns of a proposed settlement of the Sandpiper case, of which his share will be more than a million dollars, but finds that Irene, the lawsuit's class representative, has turned it down because the lawyers have advised her that they can obtain a bigger settlement by waiting. Jimmy executes several actions designed to trick Irene into accepting the settlement but feels remorse when her friends ostracize her. When he attempts to confess, her friends believe he is covering for her, so he arranges for them to overhear him bragging about tricking them. Irene is vindicated and her friendships are restored, but Jimmy's confession means he will not immediately receive his share of the settlement. Kim takes on a second client in order to generate the income necessary to keep the office but falls asleep at the wheel while driving to a meeting and breaks her arm. Jimmy and Kim later decide to close the office and Kim runs her practice from her apartment.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy attempts to make amends with Chuck, but Chuck rebuffs him, saying that Jimmy never mattered all that much to him. Later, Chuck's EHS symptoms become more severe and he removes all the appliances from his house and pulls out the wiring in an effort to discover what is causing his electricity meter to keep running. Chuck's condition continues to deteriorate, and he eventually purposely kicks over a gas lantern and starts a fatal fire.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy believes himself at fault for Chuck's death until Howard confides his belief that he is at fault because of his response to the increase in malpractice insurance rates. Jimmy conceals his role in the insurance issue, allows Howard to accept the blame, and regains his upbeat demeanor.


title: Saul Goodman

text: While job hunting, Jimmy spots an opportunity to steal a valuable Hummel figurine from the owner of a copier store, which he hires Ira to do. While managing a cell phone store, Jimmy uses his token inheritance from Chuck to begin a lucrative side business reselling prepaid phones on the street, again making use of the Saul Goodman alias. Kim is bored with practicing banking law for Mesa Verde, and begins accepting "pro bono" criminal defense cases, which she finds more satisfying. Kim persuades Schweikart & Cokely, the firm representing Sandpiper, to hire her as a partner in charge of a new banking division, but tells Jimmy that senior partner Rich Schweikart sought her out.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Near the end of his probation, a plainclothes police officer questions him about his cell phone side business. Huell, who works as Jimmy's bodyguard, is returning from buying lunch. He misunderstands the interaction and strikes the cop over the head with a bag of sandwiches, leading to an assault charge. The assistant district attorney prosecuting the case seeks a sentence of several years in prison because Huell is a repeat offender. Jimmy enlists Kim's aid to defend Huell, but she refuses to ruin the cop's reputation. Instead, Kim and Jimmy arrange for a false show of support for Huell that results in the prosecutor accepting a plea bargain that keeps him out of prison. Kim is elated by the thrill of the scam and convinces Jimmy to help her run a con to replace city-approved plans for a Mesa Verde branch in Lubbock, Texas with plans for a bigger building.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy's request for reinstatement to the bar is denied and he learns it was because he failed to show remorse for Chuck's death. To prepare for his appeal, Kim and Jimmy carry out several public displays that enable him to fake grief, including dedicating a law library reading room in Chuck's name at the University of New Mexico. Jimmy makes a speech to the appeal panel about wanting to do justice to the McGill name, convincing them to reinstate his law license. He then shocks Kim by revealing that the speech was an insincere con. He obtains a DBA application and announces he intends to resume practicing law as Saul Goodman.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy tells Kim the notoriety of the Saul Goodman name used in reselling prepaid phones gives him a ready-made client base for a criminal law practice. He offers to help Kim trick a reluctant client to accept a favorable plea bargain; she refuses, but later runs the con alone, which leaves her angry at herself. Mesa Verde Bank intends to evict Everett Acker from leased land to make way for a new call center, and offers Acker a meager settlement. Kim sympathizes with Acker and has Jimmy become his counsel. Jimmy employs delaying tactics in hopes of swaying the bank to accept an alternative to Acker's eviction, but Kevin, the bank's president, is adamant. With Rich threatening to pull Kim off the Mesa Verde case, Kim asks Jimmy to persuade Acker to accept an improved settlement in which she will make up the difference between what Acker wants and what the bank will pay. Jimmy agrees, but at the meeting to finalize the deal, he surprises everyone with an exorbitant demand and threats of negative publicity against the bank, which leads Kevin to agree to a more favorable deal. Kim is furious at Jimmy for not making her aware of his plan. She then suggests they marry so their conversations will be protected by spousal privilege. They marry the next day in a small courthouse ceremony.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Howard feels guilt over his past treatment of Jimmy and offers him a job at HHM. Jimmy is unsettled by the reminder of his past and harasses Howard by damaging his car with bowling balls and disrupting his business lunch with Clifford Main. Howard realizes Jimmy is toying with him and rescinds the job offer; Jimmy angrily blames Howard for Chuck's death and says that as Saul Goodman, he is too big for the constraints of HHM.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Nacho and Lalo Salamanca involve Jimmy in the Salamanca drug business when they hire him to gain Domingo Molina's release from jail by having him pose as a confidential informant for DEA Agent Hank Schrader. Jimmy later represents Lalo when he is arrested for murder. Gus Fring wants Lalo released, so Mike provides information that enables Jimmy to persuade a judge to grant bail of $7 million cash. Jimmy agrees to accept $100,000 in exchange for transporting the money from a remote desert site. He picks up the cash from Leonel and Marco Salamanca (the Cousins), but on his return trip is attacked by several gunmen sent by Juan Bolsa. Mike was tracking Jimmy for Gus and kills all but one attacker. Jimmy's car breaks down, forcing them to hide the car from the remaining attacker and trek cross-country with the money. They walk for two days and work together to kill the remaining gunman. While walking, they come across a water trough and stop to relax. Jimmy asks Mike what he would do if he had a time machine and 1 million dollars. Mike initially says he would go back to the day his son, Matty, died but changes his answer to the day he took his first bribe. When Mike asks Jimmy the same thing, Jimmy dishonestly tells Mike he would invest in Berkshire Hathaway and become a billionaire. Mike questions if Jimmy would change anything but Jimmy deflects the question. Eventually Jimmy's phone gets a signal and he calls Kim to tell her that he's ok before he calls for help. Tyrus and Victor arrive to pick Mike and Jimmy up and on the ride back Mike tells Jimmy he must come up with a believable story for Lalo. The events leave Jimmy suffering from post-traumatic stress.


title: Saul Goodman

text: After posting Lalo's bail, Jimmy tells Lalo he walked cross-country alone after his car broke down so he would not risk losing the money. Jimmy tells Kim the same story, but she sees his shot travel mug and realizes he is lying. Kim tells him she will be ready to listen when he is ready to tell her the truth. Jimmy cuts his recuperation short to deal with clients at the courthouse. When he returns that night, Kim tells him she quit Schweikart & Cokely and gave up the Mesa Verde account. As they argue, Mike phones to warn Jimmy that instead of going to Mexico, Lalo is "en route" to Jimmy and Kim's apartment. As Mike listens in via Jimmy's concealed cell phone and trains a sniper rifle on Lalo, Lalo questions Jimmy's version of events and reveals he found bullet holes in Jimmy's car. Kim stands up to Lalo and berates him for not trusting Jimmy. Lalo seems satisfied and leaves, but Jimmy and Kim move to a hotel for their safety. The next day, Jimmy learns from Mike that Lalo returned to his home in Chihuahua and that Gus has sent hired killers to assassinate him.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Kim tells Howard that she quit S&C. Howard assumes it was at Jimmy's instigation and tells her about Jimmy's harassment campaign. Kim laughs at the idea that she is unable to decide for herself. Kim later suggests Jimmy and she get revenge on Howard by forcing a settlement of the Sandpiper case, which will give Jimmy his seven-figure share of the settlement sooner. Jimmy counsels against it but Kim confidently affirms her intent by returning the same finger gun gesture Jimmy used when announcing he intended to practice law as Saul Goodman.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy and Kim begin plotting against Howard. Prosecutor Suzanne Ericsen informs Jimmy that his client Jorge de Guzman used an alias and asks if he knows his client's real identity. Jimmy denies it but accidentally uses Lalo Salamanca's real name. Kim surveils Cliff Main and Howard Hamlin at the golf course while Jimmy sneaks into the locker room to plant a bag resembling cocaine in Howard's locker. Howard and Cliff find it, but Howard dismisses it as an employee's mistake or a prank.


title: Saul Goodman

text: At Kim's instigation, Jimmy cons the Kettlemans into believing they have grounds for a lawsuit against Howard. They attempt to hire Cliff to represent them, claiming Howard provided ineffective counsel because he used cocaine during his representation of Craig Kettleman. Cliff declines, as do several other lawyers, but Jimmy and Kim succeed in spreading the rumor that Howard uses drugs. Jimmy later attempts to bribe the Kettlemans into remaining silent about their role in smearing Howard. When they refuse the cash, Kim coerces them by threatening to reveal their shady tax return scam to the IRS. Jimmy disappoints Kim by giving the Kettlemans the cash before he leaves.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Suzanne approaches Kim to say she has identified de Guzman as Lalo Salamanca, and that Lalo is dead. Suzanne has also connected Jimmy to the Salamanca drug family and asks Kim to approach him about becoming an informant. Kim informs Jimmy about the conversation and asks if he intends to be a "friend of the cartel" or a "rat". Jimmy and Kim work with Huell and Huell's associate to copy Howard's car key and remote unlock button. Huell asks Jimmy why legitimate lawyers would commit crimes and Jimmy makes an unconvincing argument about doing wrong to accomplish a greater good.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy discovers his representation of Lalo Salamanca has made him a pariah with courthouse staff, but a highly sought-after defense attorney among Albuquerque's criminals. The influx of new clients causes Mrs. Nguyen to evict him from the nail salon, so he begins searching for an office. He identifies a vacancy in a strip mall, which he decides to rent because of its proximity to the courthouse, the county jail, and the city's bail bonds offices. His business starts to grow, and Jimmy succeeds in persuading Francesca Liddy to work as his administrative assistant. As Kim meets with Cliff Main at an outdoor café, Jimmy disguises himself as Howard and takes Howard's car while Howard is visiting his therapist. Jimmy pushes Wendy out of the car in front of Cliff and Kim, further suggesting to Cliff that Howard is using cocaine and prostitutes.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Cliff confronts Howard about his supposed cocaine use. Howard recognizes Jimmy is continuing to harass him, so he tricks Jimmy into meeting him at a boxing gym. Howard challenges Jimmy to a bout, and Jimmy declines, but then changes his mind and enters the ring. Howard defeats him and says he hopes this ends Jimmy's harassment, but afterward, Howard directs his private investigator to begin surveilling Jimmy.


title: Saul Goodman

text: During a meeting with Viola Goto, her former paralegal, Kim obtains the name of the retired judge who will mediate an upcoming settlement conference for the Sandpiper case. Jimmy and his film crew fabricate photos that include an actor made up to resemble the mediator. Jimmy later sees the mediator at a store and tells Kim he has a broken arm in a cast, which is not depicted in the photos. Kim abandons her plan to meet in Santa Fe with Cliff Main and representatives of a foundation interested in funding her "pro bono" criminal defense work and returns to Albuquerque to help Jimmy hastily re-shoot the photos.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Howard's investigator delivers the photos to Howard shortly before the mediation session begins. They depict the mediator accepting money from Jimmy and are coated in a drug that causes Howard's pupils to dilate. He angrily accuses the mediator of accepting a bribe, and when he attempts to retrieve the photos as proof, he discovers they have been switched for innocuous pictures of Jimmy. As Jimmy and Kim listen in on the conference call, Howard is humiliated in front of his clients and peers, and HHM and Davis & Main agree to settle the Sandpiper case. After the mediation concludes, Howard pieces together the whole plot, including Jimmy and Kim's success at causing him to rely on a fake private investigator. That night, he arrives at Kim's apartment to confront her and Jimmy. Lalo Salamanca arrives soon afterward. Howard disregards Kim and Jimmy's entreaties to leave immediately, and Lalo kills Howard with a gunshot to the head.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Lalo gives Jimmy the description of a man (who, unbeknownst to Jimmy and Kim, is Gus) and instructs him to drive to his house and shoot him; Jimmy convinces Lalo to send Kim instead, as a ploy to get her away from Lalo. Jimmy is restrained and asked about his involvement with the raid on Lalo's house. Jimmy claims to have had no involvement, fully shifting the blame to Nacho. He is then gagged by Lalo, who leaves the house in Jimmy's car and is later killed by Gus during a gunfight with him. Mike and his men arrive at the apartment and free Jimmy. Kim is reunited with him the following morning; Mike has Howard's death staged as suicide and instructs the two to call the police once they hear of Howard's death - seeing as they were the last people to see him alive - and maintain their ruse about Howard's drug addiction. He warns them never to reveal the truth of what happened that night.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy and Kim attend Howard's memorial at HHM and learn the firm will downsize and rebrand. Jimmy tells Howard's widow Cheryl that he could have been nicer to Howard, but was jealous because Howard had Chuck's respect, while Jimmy did not. After Kim decides to stop being an attorney he begs her to reconsider, but she tearfully refuses and leaves him after confessing her guilt over ruining Howard's life and stating that she believes she and Jimmy will hurt everyone around them if they stay together. Jimmy and Kim eventually get divorced in 2004, with Jimmy acting completely dismissive of Kim throughout their meeting. Kim refuses to take her share of the Sandpiper settlement money and is moving to Florida. After the papers are signed Jimmy wishes Kim to "have a nice life" and calls for his next client, Emilio Koyama. Outside, Kim meets Emilio's friend, Jesse Pinkman, who asks about Jimmy's legal prowess and if he is a good lawyer. Kim tells Jesse that when she knew him, he was a good lawyer.


title: Saul Goodman

text: In a flashforward, Jimmy has fully embraced his Saul Goodman persona, as exemplified by his acquisition of a sprawling mansion (decorated in ostentatious motifs redolent of Bob Guccione's townhouse on New York's Upper East Side) and a white Cadillac DeVille. He begins work upon waking, regularly employs prostitutes (offering an energy bar to a departing sex worker while he multitasks), and mentions his alprazolam dealer to Francesca on a preparatory phone call. His office has been renovated, and includes an inflatable Statue of Liberty on the roof and wallpaper resembling the United States Constitution.


title: Saul Goodman

text: By the time of Jimmy's introduction in "Breaking Bad", he has fully adopted the identity of "Saul Goodman", and rarely mentions the name Jimmy McGill. Saul is an astutely aggressive defense attorney, aided by his working knowledge of Spanish, but also engages in questionable as well as blatantly criminal activity, such as money laundering. Mike now works as Saul's private investigator, as well as doing odd-jobs for Saul. Saul has also rehired Huell as his bodyguard and security for his office. Saul has gained ties to Gus Fring, the owner of the fast-food chicken franchise Los Pollos Hermanos, likely through Mike, which Gus uses as a front to smuggle cocaine from the Juarez drug cartel.


title: Saul Goodman

text: After a drug dealer named Brandon "Badger" Mayhew is arrested, Saul offers to be Badger's legal counsel and learns that the DEA hopes Badger will lead them to "Heisenberg", an up-and-coming drug lord. Worried meth cooks Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the former being the aforementioned "Heisenberg", decide to visit Saul to convince him to not let Badger talk to the DEA. Walt poses as Badger's uncle and goes to Saul's office, where he learns that Saul will advise Badger to reveal his associates in order to avoid prison. Walt offers Saul a bribe to keep Badger from "flipping", but Saul refuses. Later that night, Walt and Jesse kidnap Saul and drive out to the middle of the desert, threatening to kill him if he does not keep Badger from informing. Saul initially believes Lalo sent them and blames Nacho for assisting in the attack on Lalo at his home. Upon realizing Walt and Jesse are not associated with Lalo, he takes a token payment so he can give them legal advice protected by attorney-client privilege. Saul expresses awe at their mobile meth lab and correctly identifies Walt as Heisenberg. Jesse asks Saul about Lalo, but Saul deflects his questions.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Saul later asks Mike about Heisenberg and Mike identifies Walt and Jesse for him, but warns Saul against getting involved with them. Saul meets with them anyway and tells them about Jimmy "In-'N-Out" Kilkelly, who makes a living confessing to the crimes of others and going to prison. Saul arranges for Kilkelly to be arrested and confess to being Heisenberg. The DEA busts Kilkelly when Badger meets with him for a drug deal, but Hank is not completely convinced. Later, Saul visits Walt at the school where he works and informs Walt that he was too easy to find. Saul offers to be Walt's full-time legal counsel, money launderer, and adviser. Walt accepts and Saul becomes Walt and Jesse's lawyer and "consigliere".


title: Saul Goodman

text: Combo, Jesse's friend and a meth dealer for Jesse and Walt, is killed by a rival gang, and Jesse's friends refuse to continue selling meth. Saul promises to contact another dealer, Gus, though he warns them Gus is very selective when deciding with whom to work. Walt ultimately convinces Gus to buy his latest batch for nearly a million dollars, but Gus expresses strong reservations about Jesse's trustworthiness because of his obvious drug use.


title: Saul Goodman

text: When Walt complains to Saul that he cannot actually use the money he makes, Saul tells Walt he could launder his money through the website his son, Walter Jr., set up, "SaveWalterWhite.com". Saul contacts a hacker in Belarus who can make it look like real donations are coming into the website, when in reality the money is all Walt's. Later when Jesse's girlfriend Jane Margolis dies of a heroin overdose, Saul sends Mike to remove all evidence of drug use and to coach Jesse into saying what he needs to say to remove suspicion.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Saul helps Jesse anonymously buy his aunt's house back from his parents with his share of the drug money. Saul and Mike bug Skyler White's (Walt's wife) house to find out if she has told anyone about Walt. Saul attempts to get Jesse to convince Walt to resume cooking methamphetamine. After an altercation between Walt and Skyler's boss Ted Beneke, Mike brings Walt to Saul. Walt later figures out that Saul has been bugging his house and attacks him, causing Saul to refuse to launder any more money through Walter Jr.'s website. Jesse visits Saul with the methamphetamine he produced and asks for a meeting with Gus, at which Gus agrees to buy Jesse's product, assuming it will be an incentive to Walt. Saul sets up a meeting between Jesse and Walt to resolve the issue of Jesse's half of the money from their previous work for Gus. Walt agrees to resume meth production for Gus, with Gale Boetticher as his assistant, so Saul changes sides and agrees to launder Walt's new income.


title: Saul Goodman

text: When Walt's brother-in-law Hank Schrader, a DEA agent, is close to catching Jesse in the recreational vehicle Walt and he use as a meth lab and learning that Walt is with him, Walt calls Saul. Saul has his secretary Francesca pose as an Albuquerque Police Department dispatcher falsely claiming that Hank's wife Marie has been in a car accident, luring Hank to the hospital, and giving Jesse and Walt time to destroy the RV. Nevertheless, Saul feels guilty about his part in the cruel ruse. Frustrated at losing his potential arrest of Jesse, Hank attacks Jesse at his home. Saul visits a hospitalized Jesse, who threatens to expose Walt's true identity. Saul and Walt consider killing Jesse but decide against it. Saul tries to convince Jesse to buy commercial properties to launder his money but Jesse rejects the idea. Saul discusses plans for money laundering with Skyler and Walt, floating the idea of buying a laser tag business. Skyler wants to buy Walt's former employer Bogdan's car wash, believing it is a much more plausible front business. Walt visits Saul to discuss Jesse's plan to kill two dealers who work for Gus and killed Jesse's friend Combo and his girlfriend Andrea's brother Tomás. Mike, who is working for Gus, threatens Saul in order to obtain Jesse's location, intending to kill him before he acts against the dealers, but Saul sends Mike to the wrong location. Saul then helps Jesse hide and later arranges for Jesse and Walt to meet at the laser tag arcade.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Saul and Skyler plot ways to persuade Bogdan to sell the car wash, but Skyler rules out violence or intimidation. Saul has his employee Patrick Kuby pose as a government inspector to inform Bogdan of supposed environmental concerns that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to mitigate. Bogdan sells the car wash to Walt and Skyler, and Skyler takes over day-to-day management. Walt confides in Saul about his concerns with respect to Jesse, Hank, and Gus. Saul tells Walt about Ed Galbraith the "disappearer", a vacuum repair shop owner who can provide Walt and his family with new identities if they have to flee. Walt runs over Gus' two dealers before Jesse can kill them, then tells Jesse to run. Saul helps ensure the damage to Walt's car is not discovered. Walt suggests that Gus will retaliate for the murder of the two dealers and recommends that Saul contact a hit man to kill Gus, but Saul dismisses the idea. At Jesse's behest, Saul visits Andrea and tries to give her Jesse's remaining cash.


title: Saul Goodman

text: To protect Skyler from the IRS investigation into Beneke's tax fraud, Saul gives him $620,000 of Walt's cash to pay the tax bill by passing off the money as an inheritance from a fake relative. Ted plans to spend the cash, so Saul sends Kuby and Huell to force him to pay the IRS, and after Beneke signs the check he tries to run away, trips, and injures himself. After Gus threatens Walt, Walt demands Saul set up a meeting with Ed so his family can escape. Walt asks Saul to tip off the DEA about Gus putting a hit out on Hank. Saul agrees but refuses to mention Gus' name. Saul persuades Jesse to come to his office and has Huell secretly steal the ricin cigarette Walt gave Jesse to use in killing Gus. Saul gives Jesse his money and tells him to leave Albuquerque for his own safety. Jesse realizes the ricin is gone. Andrea's son Brock is poisoned and Jesse tells the doctors to check for ricin, believing that Walt is responsible. Walt persuades Jesse that Gus poisoned Brock, so Jesse agrees to help him kill Gus. Saul goes into hiding but returns to represent Jesse when he is questioned about Brock's poisoning. Saul discovers from Jesse that Gus regularly visits Hector Salamanca in a nursing home. Saul passes the information to Walt, who then uses it in a plot to ambush and kill Gus.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Saul tells Skyler about Beneke's accident, which has left him hospitalized and immobile. Walt is angry with Saul about Saul's payment to Beneke, while Saul is upset at Walt for poisoning Brock. He attempts to end his relationship with Walt, but Walt intimidates him into continuing their business arrangement. With Gus dead, Saul tries to convince Walt to stop making meth, but Walt says he has to continue because he needs the cash. Saul hosts a meeting between Mike, Jesse, and Walt, where they agree to set up a new meth-producing business. Saul helps Walt and Jesse look for new locations, and they agree on Ira's business, Vamonos Pest Control, as the best option. Saul defends Mike from the DEA's investigation by threatening litigation over their supposed harassment. The DEA learns that Mike's lawyer Dan Wachsberger is the conduit for Mike's hush money payments to Gus's former employees and Mike's hiding of cash for his daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Kaylee. Mike asks Saul to retrieve his "go bag", which contains cash and false identity documents. Saul is unable, so Walt does it. When Mike refuses to divulge the names of Gus' former employees so Walt can have them killed to protect his identity, Walt shoots and kills him. Jesse tries to have Saul take the $5 million Jesse made stealing a trainload of methylamine and distribute it to Kaylee and the parents of Drew Sharp, the young boy Todd Alquist killed during the theft. Saul refuses, saying it would attract more police scrutiny. Jesse attempts to get rid of the money in other ways, including throwing it onto random lawns and leaving it in random mailboxes. Saul calls Walt to inform him of Jesse's erratic behavior.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Walt visits Saul to tell him that Hank has learned that Walt is Heisenberg. Saul suggests killing Hank, but Walt refuses. Jesse is arrested while tossing money from his car, and Saul obtains his release from police custody. Saul arranges a meeting between Walt and Jesse, and Walt convinces Jesse to contact Ed and start a new life. Saul wants Jesse to give up drugs before beginning the trip, but Jesse refuses, so Saul has Huell pickpocket Jesse's cannabis. When Jesse realizes his marijuana was stolen, he figures out that Huell previously stole the ricin cigarette, meaning that Walt poisoned Brock and Saul knew. Instead of leaving with Ed, Jesse returns to Saul's office and assaults him. Saul admits he had Huell steal the ricin, but says he did not know what Walt intended. Saul calls Walt to warn him that Jesse knows the truth about what happened to Brock. Saul meets with Walt and suggests killing Jesse. After the DEA manipulates Huell into telling them what happened to Walt's money, Saul is afraid for his life and meets with Walt at the car wash. Believing his arrest is imminent, Walt goes into hiding. Saul gathers valuables from his office and gives Francesca a cover story, while she prepares to dispose of shredded documents from Saul's law practice. She agrees to be at a telephone booth on November 12 (Jimmy's birthday) at 3 p.m. to receive a call. Saul gives Francesca cash and an attorney's business card and tells her that if she needs help she should say "Jimmy" sent her. Saul and Walt both subsequently contact Ed, who sets up a new life for Saul as Gene Takavic, the manager of a Cinnabon in Omaha, Nebraska. While waiting inside Ed's basement, Walt attempts to fix a broken heater. Saul asks Walt what he would do with a time machine which annoys Walt due to his terminology and insists he uses the term regrets instead. Walt says he regrets leaving Grey Matter while Saul says he regrets doing a 'Slip-and-Fall' scam which broke his knees. After hearing that Saul used to be a scam artist, Walt realizes that Saul has always been the way that he is and dismissively returns to fixing the heater. Later, Walt tries to persuade Saul to go with him instead of going to Omaha and to contact hit men to kill Jack Welker in retaliation for killing Hank, but Saul refuses. Walt tries to intimidate Saul but doubles over in a coughing fit. Saul leaves Walt in Ed's basement and begins his trip to Omaha to start his new life.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Ed refers to Saul in "" when Jesse attempts to persuade Ed to help him leave Albuquerque and begin a new life. In addition, a scene in the film shows that the strip mall location of Saul's former law office has become a restaurant and sports bar.


title: Saul Goodman

text: The openings of the premieres of seasons one through five and the last four episodes of season six of "Better Call Saul" are black-and-white flashforwards that take place after "Breaking Bad", showing that after leaving Albuquerque, Saul relocates to Omaha, Nebraska under the alias Gene Takavic, keeping a low profile as the manager of a Cinnabon store in a shopping mall. These scenes show him reminiscing about his past success in private, but wary of anyone finding out about his previous life in Albuquerque.


title: Saul Goodman

text: When a taxi driver from Albuquerque named Jeff recognizes him as Saul, Gene initially calls Ed for help but then decides mid-call to fix the situation himself. He befriends Jeff's mother, Marion, through which he talks to Jeff about being part of "the game". Gene helps Jeff and his friend Buddy plan a robbery of a department store at the mall. Gene distracts the mall guards from watching the security cameras, while Jeff steals a number of items, using a shipping container to transport them out of the store. When they regroup at Jeff's home to celebrate, Gene reminds them that they have committed several crimes, and should Jeff or Buddy expose Gene as Saul, Gene will report them as a form of mutually assured destruction. Gene ends their partnership and warns Jeff to not approach him again. The following day Gene looks at a Saul Goodman-esque suit in the mall before walking away.


title: Saul Goodman

text: As promised, Gene makes a prearranged phone call on November 12 at 3 p.m. to Francesca, who reveals that the authorities have seized all of his known assets and are still looking for him and Jesse. After learning that Kim had asked Francesca about him, Gene calls Kim (who now works at a sprinkler company in Florida), but becomes enraged when she tells him to turn himself in. Gene then enlists Jeff and Buddy in a series of identity-theft scams. When Buddy refuses to break into the home of a man dying of cancer, Gene decides to do it himself. The man awakens while Gene lingers in the house, but passes out again; Jeff, meanwhile, panics when he sees a police car on patrol behind him and crashes his taxi, creating a distraction that allows Gene to sneak out undetected. Gene later calls Marion asking her to accompany him in paying Jeff's bail, but a suspicious Marion discovers Gene's true identity as Saul Goodman on her new computer. Gene attempts to intimidate Marion into keeping her discovery secret, but she calls the authorities using her Life Alert button, forcing Gene to flee.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Gene is able to retrieve his shoebox and important materials from his house, and prepares to call Ed while hiding in a dumpster, but is subsequently arrested by the police, having finally cornered him. In jail, he calls Bill Oakley and asks him to serve as his advisory counsel. The Government then offers Jimmy a "take-it-or-leave-it" deal of 30 years in jail, but then Jimmy narrates a version of events that places him as a victim and unwilling associate of Walter White ever since he was kidnapped by White and Pinkman, intimidating the prosecution by declaring that he needs to convince only a single juror to avoid a Guilty verdict. He's able to improve his deal to just seven years in a prison of his choice in North Carolina, which he tries to reduce even more by trading information about the death of Howard Hamlin, upon which he is informed that Kim had already confessed to what actually happened to Howard a month prior.


title: Saul Goodman

text: While being extradited to Albuquerque, Jimmy asks Bill to tell the Government that he has even more information about Howard's death. While in court, Jimmy requests to be referred to as Saul Goodman and starts his testimony by narrating the same kidnapping story, but then admits to doing business with Heisenberg of his own free will and for his gain, confessing in front of everybody to all his crimes and his indispensable role in Walter White's drug empire as well as his role in Chuck's ousting from HHM and ultimate suicide, all the while accepting that he doesn't really have any more information on Hamlin and had lied so Kim could come and see him admit to everything. Saul then declares that he is James McGill, finally leaving behind his alternate persona.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Jimmy is sent to prison in Colorado, his sentence now at 86 years. As he is on a prison bus, a large inmate confronts him. The inmate becomes ecstatic upon seeing Jimmy and the prisoners on the bus break out into a "Better Call Saul" chant, showing the prisoners greatly respect him due to his history as Saul. While cooking sourdough bread in the kitchen oven, Kim uses her old unexpired Bar Card to visit Jimmy, and they share a cigarette. In the prison yard, Jimmy gestures his signature finger guns at her as she leaves and silently stands in the prison yard until the screen cuts to black.


title: Saul Goodman

text: For the first four seasons and the first part of season 6 of "Better Call Saul", Odenkirk was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Odenkirk also received nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for the first four seasons, winning the award twice.


title: Saul Goodman

text: Several critics felt that Odenkirk, who had been nominated for each previous season, was a significant Emmy snub at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, also after a campaign on Twitter for Odenkirk to win at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, he was felt to have been snubbed again by some Twitter users.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series "Gossip Girl" (2007–2012) and as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix thriller series "You" (2018–present). For "Gossip Girl", he received six Teen Choice Award nominations, and for "You", he earned MTV Movie & TV Award and Saturn Award nominations.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley first became known for portraying Phillip Chancellor IV on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless" (2000–2001), which earned him a Young Artist Award nomination, and he followed this with roles in the comedy films "John Tucker Must Die" (2006) and "Drive-Thru" (2007). Badgley went on to appear in a number of films, such as the thriller "The Stepfather" (2009), the teen comedy-drama "Easy A" (2010), the financial thriller "Margin Call" (2011), the biographical film "Greetings from Tim Buckley" (2012) and the independent drama "The Paper Store" (2016). For "Margin Call", he won an Independent Spirit Award.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Aside from acting, Badgley has worked in music; he was the lead singer for Brooklyn-based indie band MOTHXR, whose debut studio album, "Centerfold", was released in 2016. In 2017 he married singer Domino Kirke, with whom he has one child.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley was born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Duff and Lynne Murphy Badgley. His father had worked as a newspaper reporter and then as a carpenter and home builder, and was the Green Party candidate for governor of Washington in 2008. An only child, Badgley attended Woolridge Elementary (where his mother served as a PTA president), before he transferred to St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Virginia. He attended Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington.


title: Penn Badgley

text: As a child, Badgley was involved with the Seattle Children's Theatre and the Pine Nut Players community theater in Monroe, Washington. His mother supported his acting efforts, and worked various jobs (later, beginning a business in jewelry design with Badgley's godmother, Jan Sneed). He stated that he "skipped high school altogether" and at age 14, he took a proficiency exam and began attending Santa Monica College. He was later accepted to the University of Southern California, but deferred admission due to contractual obligations, later enrolling for two years at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley is said to have been home schooled alongside Blake Lively, his future co-star and partner. His parents divorced when he was 12. He recalls having "wanted to make music... as a 12-year-old", and recorded an unreleased pop single in 1998, referring in an interview to the effort as "terrible" and "misguided".


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley and his mother moved to California so that he could pursue an acting career, and he recalls in interview departing for Los Angeles at age 11. He soon began doing voiceovers for children's radio stations in Hollywood. His first credit was voice work for the video games "Mario Golf 64" and "Mario Tennis 64" in 1999 and 2000. Badgley had his first screen acting credit on an episode of "Will & Grace" and he subsequently appeared on shows such as "Daddio", "The Brothers García", and "What I Like About You". Badgley's first noticeable role was as Phillip Chancellor IV on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless", which he portrayed from 2000 to 2001. He was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Daytime Series in 2001 for his performance, which brought him recognition.


title: Penn Badgley

text: In 2002, Badgley starred in The WB's comedy-drama series "Do Over" as Joel Larsen, a 34-year-old man who gets a second chance to get his life right, thanks to a freakish accident that catapults him back to 1980 as a 14-year-old. He went on to star in two other WB series: "The Mountain" from 2004 to 2005, and "The Bedford Diaries" in 2006. Badgley's first major film credit was 2006's "John Tucker Must Die", playing the role of Scott Tucker. In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $14.3 million, ranking third in the US box office results for that weekend. He later appeared in "Drive-Thru", co-starring future castmate Leighton Meester.


title: Penn Badgley

text: In 2007, Badgley was cast in The CW's teen drama series "Gossip Girl" as Dan Humphrey, based on the book series of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. He initially turned down the role, but accepted after the producers struggled finding someone to fill the role. His performance as Dan Humphrey was praised by audiences and critics alike, and earned him six Teen Choice Award nominations over the show's run. Jason Gay of the "Rolling Stone" particularly complimented his characterization, writing that "while another actor may have played Dan as a blah straight man, Badgley imbued him with an occasionally obnoxious know-it-all-ness." In 2009, Badgley starred in the thriller film "The Stepfather", a remake of the 1987 film, as the stepson of a serial killer.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley next played Todd, the love interest of Emma Stone's character, in the 2010 teen comedy film "Easy A", which was a critical and commercial success, earning him a Teen Choice Award nomination. He next appeared in the financial thriller drama "Margin Call" in 2011, for which the ensemble cast was critically acclaimed; he won the Robert Altman Award for his performance, which is presented at the Independent Spirit Awards. Badgley portrayed Jeff Buckley in the 2012 biopic "Greetings from Tim Buckley"; the film follows the journey Buckley took in grappling with the legacy of his late musician father, Tim, leading up to and culminating with his 1991 performance of his father's songs. For the role, Badgley took guitar and vocal lessons. He joined the cast of "Parts per Billion" in December 2012, opposite Alexis Bledel and Teresa Palmer; the film was released in 2014. Also released in 2014 was "Cymbeline", where he portrayed the orphan Posthumus.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley and others formed a band and released a song titled "Easy" on SoundCloud under the name M O T H E R; the song quickly gained popularity and was posted on numerous blogs. The group changed the spelling to MOTHXR in 2015, citing a cease-and-desist from another band with a similar name. They promptly signed with the labels Kitsuné and Washington Square Music, the New York City-based subdivision of the Razor & Tie label, which led to MOTHXR releasing their debut album, "Centerfold", on February 26, 2016.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley had a recurring role in NBC's 2015 miniseries "The Slap", based upon the Australian series of the same name, and had a minor role in the 2016 film "Adam Green's Aladdin". Badgley won acclaim for his role in the independent film "The Paper Store" (2016), opposite Stef Dawson and Richard Kind, receiving Best Actor at Oxford International Film Festival and a Special Jury Mention at Manchester International Film Festival.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley stars as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix series "You", formerly Lifetime's television adaptation of the book of the same name since September 2018. His performance was lauded by critics, with IGN calling it his best performance and writing that Badgley was "doing some of his best, most unhinged work in the series. His charming nature and playful face are the perfect, twisted mask for the “Nice Guy With Control Issues” lurking underneath". Samantha Highfill from "Entertainment Weekly" included his performance in her predicted list of contenders for the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards. Badgley received a Saturn Award nomination for his performance.


title: Penn Badgley

text: In October 2019, Badgley was cast in the independent film "Here Today" opposite Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish, which was released in May 2021 to mixed reviews from critics.


title: Penn Badgley

text: Badgley’s relationships included "Gossip Girl" co-star Blake Lively from 2007 to 2010, and actress Zoë Kravitz from 2011 to 2013. Badgley began dating singer Domino Kirke in 2014. He married Kirke in a New York courthouse on February 27, 2017, and became the stepfather of Kirke's son. In February 2020, Kirke and Badgley announced they were expecting their first child together. Their son was born in August 2020.


title: Penn Badgley

text: In an interview with Shadi Toloui-Wallace, Penn describes how the BP oil spill prompted his exploration into the connection between justice and spirituality, and led him to the rainforests of Colombia and the teachings of Baháʼu'lláh and the Baháʼí Faith. Badgley has been a member of the Baha'i Faith since 2015 and is an outspoken activist against the persecution of Baháʼís by the government of Iran.


title: Penn Badgley

text: During the 2008 United States presidential election, Badgley supported Barack Obama. He and Blake Lively appeared in an Obama commercial as part of MoveOn's Youth Vote program, which aired during "Gossip Girl" on The CW, MTV, and Comedy Central.


title: Penn Badgley

text: In March 2010, the American Red Cross announced Badgley as a member of the National Celebrity Cabinet, a group of celebrities who promote Red Cross services. Badgley supported the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 and is an ally of the Black Lives Matter movement. He wants police brutality dialogue to include female victims, and supports LGBT rights.


title: Penn Badgley

text: In 2011, he was named one of "People"'s "25 Beauties (and Hotties) at 25" and BuddyTV ranked him number 75 on its "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2011" list.