Origin of Saul Goodman's Name
In season one of Better Call Saul, we hear James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill, Esq. say "'s all good, man" to another person as a joke. While this seems to be the origin, is it ever hinted at on Breaking Bad or known if this was planned all along as the name's origin?
I guess I'm asking if Vince Gilligan or someone else planned this or was it discovered that Saul Goodman could be said/heard as "it's all good, man?" I'm hoping it was mentioned in an interview or commentary or at a convention or something. Do we know? (Either way, it's pretty clever and caught me off guard.)
Best Answer
Saul Goodman character made his appearance in Breaking Bad's Episode 8 of Season 2 named "Better Call Saul". In the "Insider Podcast" of the episode, Vince Gilligan explains that he came up with the name "Saul Goode" (it's all good) one day as he was showering and that it was later changed into "Saul Goodman" (it's all good man) after the suggestion of one of the other writers, J. Roberts.
Here's the Podcast where Gilligan tells the story (circa 1:25 into the clip):
So, to answer your question, yes, the joke on the name was completely intentional and, while in the same episode of BB Saul explains to Walter that he chose the name in order to sound "jewish":
“My real name's McGill. The Jew thing I just do for the homeboys. They all want a pipe-hitting member of the tribe, so to speak.”
in Gilligan's intention the play on words was meant to appeal to the criminal clients that Saul's law firm is targeting.
As you pointed out in your question, the "fictional" genesis of the name might be explained in Episode 4 Season 1 of Better Call Saul ("Hero") where a younger James McGill (not yet Esq. and known at the time as "Slippin Jimmy"), introduces himself (for the first time?) as “Saul” ... “S’all good, man.”
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Why was Saul Goodman named that?
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's creator Vince Gilligan for initially suggesting this idea for Saul's name.Who came up with the name Saul Goodman?
In the "Insider Podcast" of the episode, Vince Gilligan explains that he came up with the name "Saul Goode" (it's all good) one day as he was showering and that it was later changed into "Saul Goodman" (it's all good man) after the suggestion of one of the other writers, J. Roberts.How did Jimmy get the name Saul Goodman?
The pain that Jimmy felt from Chuck's suicide, and his role in it, is what led him to try to distance himself from his family name once and for all and officially change his name from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman. \u201cJust having the name McGill makes him think about his brother.Is Saul Goodman His real name?
James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill, better known by his professional alias Saul Goodman, is an Albuquerque lawyer, public defender, and criminal defense attorney. He is the younger brother of Chuck McGill and the husband of Kim Wexler, who helped inspire Jimmy to pursue a legal career.The Origin of Saul Goodman's Name (S'all Good Man)
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