Summary
Patrick Fabian recently denied that hisBetter Call Saulcharacter is a villain, andthe actor is right to defend Howard Hamlin from such accusations. Howard isn’t the most likable character in theBreaking Badprequel, but he’s far from intentionally cruel or evil. Despite this, it seems viewers are labeling Howard as villainous because he’s an antagonist to Jimmy McGill and Kim Wexler. GivenBreaking Bad’s focus on morally dubious leads, it’s hard to equate antagonists with all-out villains in the AMC franchise.
Fabian described Howard Hamlinas “the only one who is actually constant in his character” during an interview withMovieWeb, and his assessment isn’t wrong. Howard hardly changes overBetter Call Saul’s six seasons, and he doesn’t start the series from a malicious place. It’s not surprising that viewers take an uncharitable view of him, especially when following the show’s other characters. However,Howard Hamlin is far from a bad person.
The 8 Better Call Saul Moments That Defined The Show
Better Call Saul was full of definitive moments that linked it to the story of Breaking Bad and gave insight into the character of Jimmy McGill.
Patrick Fabian Is Right: Howard Hamlin Was Never A Villain In Better Call Saul
He Doesn’t Do Anything Morally Wrong In The AMC Series
Howard Hamlin has privileges inBetter Call Saulthat the other characters don’t, and he sometimes makes questionable choices when it comes to HHM and its employees. The way Howard treats Kim makes the case for him being a poor boss, but he’s far from a terrible person. He never does anything morally wrong in theBreaking Badprequel. And even when he makes questionable decisions, he tends to believe he’s doing the right thing.You rarely get the sense that Howard is being intentionally cruel, even when he’s putting Kim in doc review.
Compared toBetter Call Saul’s other characters, Howard plays by the rules and comes off as fairly level-headed. This doesn’t make him the most interesting person in the AMC series, and that may be why he doesn’t resonate as much with viewers. However,such qualities also fail to make Howard a villain. While Jimmy and Kim have questionable — and constantly wavering — morals, Howard remains consistent in his views. He has flaws, but he doesn’t seem bitter or resentful like Chuck, either. Howard’s an ordinary guy, and he even tries to do right by Jimmy.
Howard Wants Jimmy At HHM
Despite how Jimmy and Kim perceive him, Howard never does anything particularly villainous inBetter Call Saul.And one detail proves that he’s a good guy, as he actively tries to do the right thing and repair his relationship with Jimmy.Better Call Saulreveals that Howard was willing to offer Jimmy a role at HHM years ago, and Chuck was the one against that decision. Viewers might be disappointed that Howard listened to his business partner, but it doesn’t seem like there was much of an alternative.
And after Chuck’s death,Howard proves he isn’t a villain by attempting to hire Jimmy at HHM. Although Jimmy turns down this offer — he has too much resentment towards Howard at this point —Better Call Saulseason 6 does see Howard trying to fix his past mistakes. At most, Howard is a flawed but decent person throughout theBreaking Badprequel. But even his flaws seem less extreme compared to everyone else’s. It’s surprising anyone labels Howard a villain, but it makes sense when you consider whose perspective the story is told from.
Viewers See The Story From Jimmy & Kim’s POV
AlthoughBetter Call Saulfollows a large castof characters,the majority of the narrative is told from Jimmy' and Kim’s perspectives. This is why people see Howard Hamlin as a villain; both leads build him up to be a terrible person, as they have personal reasons to dislike him. Jimmy and Kim feel wronged by Howard and HHM, and since we follow their struggles, we’re inclined to believe they’re right about him. However, the fact that they’re so torn up over Howard’s death proves that the bad blood between these characters is over mostly insignificant things.
Jimmy and Kim feel wronged by Howard and HHM, and since we follow their struggles, we’re inclined to believe they’re right about him.
Howard’s connection to Chuck also makes him difficult to like, as audiences automatically associate him with Jimmy’s brother. While Chuck isn’t a clear-cut villain either, he fits the description much better than Howard. Chuck actually gives Jimmy — and viewers — reasons to be angry with him. He thwarts his brother at every turn, and he’s arguably responsible for what Jimmy becomes. Unfortunately, since Chuck and Howard are a team for much ofBetter Call Saul, Chuck’s actions reflect poorly on his business partner and friend. Later seasons prove Howard isn’t nearly as bad.
Better Call Saul
Cast
Better Call Saul follows small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill as he navigates the legal world to make ends meet. The series, set six years before his encounter with Walter White, chronicles Jimmy’s evolution into Saul Goodman, with notable interactions alongside fixer Mike Ehrmantraut.
