On Better Call Saul, Kim's Fate Proves That Tragedy Doesn't Always Involve Death
Death is often seen as the worst thing that could happen to someone, whether they lived a long or short life. An eventful life or a boring one. While an inevitability, death is something universally feared because of how unexpectedly it could come.
However, what if there was a worse fate than death? In the world of "Better Call Saul," there is something much worse, and that is being stuck in a meaningless, boring life. That is the life that Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) is now living, and she is about to burst at the seams because of it. At least, that's what the penultimate episode, appropriately titled "Waterworks," suggests.
As previously revealed, Kim has abandoned Albuquerque in favor of the Sunshine State, Florida. While it is unclear why she specifically chose Florida as her new residence, it is likely that she just wanted to get away to a more hopeful and bright place. Unfortunately, that did not end up happening. She dyed her hair brunette, married a Winn-Dixie-shopping man named Glenn (Alvin Cowan), and now spends her days at work listening to her coworkers babble on about their husbands. When she and Glenn make love, he says "yep," and her most daring feat of action is making tuna salad with Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise.
It's a normal, mediocre life, but it's one that Kim doesn't deserve. It is a fate truly worse than death.
Have a nice life, Kim
When juxtaposed against what Kim had done in her past life, she is now a shell of her former self. The woman with a passion for helping others no matter the cost has been reduced to a complacent and boring suburban lady whose only source of entertainment is putting together puzzles without a picture. While there are some women who want to be doting wives who provide for their husbands, Kim is, by nature, not one of those women, making her ultimate fate seem more like self-induced captivity and less like freedom. It is painful seeing a successful, ambitious woman with dreams of greatness be reduced to this, as it brings to mind other women in similar situations in real life.
This is something that Seehorn herself agrees with. When asked by Variety where Kim eventually ends up, she said that "death is not the only tragic end," with castmate Bob Odenkirk saying that viewers "should be worried" about both her and his somewhat-titular character.
Given how we now know how Kim ended up, those warnings seemed very apt. The prevailing theory for a while was that she would die, a victim of Jimmy's meddling in organized crime. However, that idea seems strangely merciful when compared to where she is now. Perhaps that would've been like how she described the death of Howard (Patrick Fabian) to his widow, Cheryl (Sandrine Holt): painless and without suffering. Instead, she's enveloped in the pain and suffering, torturing herself with mundanity until she couldn't take it anymore.
As for the final act of Kim Wexler, that will be revealed during the series finale of "Better Call Saul," airing on August 15 on AMC.