WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Better Call Saul’s midseason finale episode, “Plan and Execution.” Read on at your own risk!The first half of the final season of Better Call Saul is in the can, and a cliffhanger will have fans biting their nails as they await for the show to return in July. In the meantime, viewers can only speculate over what might be happening next. They’ll also have to use this time to process the death of one of the show’s biggest characters, who went out in shocking fashion.
Those who saw the episode will know what this refers to. Howard Hamlin, played by Patrick Fabian since the first season, reached rock bottom after falling victim to the ultimate scam pulled off by Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). Though humiliated and defeated, Howard vowed to pick the pieces back up and overcome his current challenges, though he also swore to expose Jimmy and Kim to everyone for what they’d done to him.
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Only, that’s not going to happen. Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) chose that particular moment to revisit Jimmy and Kim, and making it clear that he means business, Lalo murdered Howard with a swift gunshot to the head. What he wants exactly from Jimmy and Kim remains unclear, but what fans will have to accept moving forward is that Howard is stone cold dead, indirectly killed as a result of what happened on “D-Day.”
Related: Better Call Saul Season 6: How “Black and Blue” Shows Howard Hamlin May be Collateral Damage
Bob Odenkirk Accidentally Spoiled Howard Hamlin’s Demise
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It was certainly shocking for viewers when Howard Hamlin was attacked by Lalo Salamanca, bringing together the “lawyer side” of the series with the “criminal side” in an incredible way. But many people watching were suspicious that Howard would be meeting his end. This was fueled by a photo posted to Twitter in October 2021 of Odenkirk praising Fabian for his acting.
The image seems innocent enough, but a closer look at Fabian reveals what seems to be stage blood in his blonde hair. Some fans were quick to notice this, but Odenkirk did not offer any clarification when people started to ask. The photo led to theories that Howard would be suffering some kind of head injury, which could possibly result in the death of the character. Some astute viewers had even figured out that “Plan and Execution” would be the episode where the potential death would occur, as Fabian was wearing the same clothing.
This has been officially confirmed as the case after “Plan and Execution” aired. So, now Odenkirk is able to explain why he posted that image in October 2021. With one fan asking on Twitter if he can now explain himself, Odenkirk obliged, clarifying that it was simply a mistake as he hadn’t noticed the blood in Fabian’s hair when originally posting the image.
“Well the truth can be told. I screwed up. I did not know you could see a little bit of make up that told story… my bad,” Odenkirk said.
The good news is that while the photo offered a hint that Howard might meet his end, there were no clues as to how that might occur. Death by Lalo would still have been something many viewers never saw coming, even with the spoiler photo in mind. We’ll find out what happens next when Better Call Saul returns on July 11.
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Jeremy Dick
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Jeremy Dick has been a writer and editor since 2014. He is a self-professed horror expert, pop culture enthusiast, and Bob Saget fanatic.
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