‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6: The Recasting Rumors About Jeff, Explained
The final episodes of Better Call Saul Season 6 promise to bring back Gene Takovic, the person Saul becomes after Breaking Bad. Previous clips of Gene’s timeline have shown Gene being recognized by a man named Jeff at his new home in Omaha, NE. A new teaser for the final episodes of Better Call Saul has led fans to believe that the actor who played Jeff is being replaced. Here’s everything we know so far.
Don Harvey played Jeff in ‘Better Call Saul’ Seasons 4 and 5
Jeff, portrayed by Don Harvey, first appeared in Better Call Saul Season 4. The premiere episode “Smoke” flashes back to the Gene Takovic timeline. Gene leaves the hospital after collapsing at work and gets into a cab driven by a man named Jeff. Gene becomes concerned when he notices an Albuquerque air freshener hanging in the car and that the driver appears to be staring at him.
In the season 5 premiere, “Magic Man,” Jeff makes his return in the Gene timeline. This time, he approaches Gene at the mall while he is on his lunch break. Jeff recognizes Gene and makes him say his “Better Call Saul” catchphrase. This rattles Gene enough to cause him to call Ed Galbraith, the “Disappearer.” However, Gene then calls off the extraction, deciding to “fix it myself.”
Rumors are circulating that a new actor will play Jeff in season 6
AMC recently released a new teaser for the final episodes of Better Call Saul Season 6. The teaser shows “Jeff” driving the cab with the Albuquerque air freshener. He repeats lines that are very similar to what he said to Gene in episode 5. “I know who you are. You know who you are. Just say it. Come on. Come on man. Say it.” Gene’s voice finally says, “Better Call Saul.”
Better Call Saul fans quickly noticed that the voice and actor in the clip appear to be different than Don Harvey, who played Jeff in seasons 4 and 5. This led fans to speculate that the character has been replaced by a different actor for the final season.
AMC has yet to confirm these rumors, though the fan page, all_about_saul claims they are true. “Jeff has been recast and Don Harvey will not be reprising that role in S6 due to contract obligations with HBO on We Own This City,” the outlet wrote.
“I do not have a name for the new cast member. Today’s teaser showing the reshoot in the cab was an introduction to the new ‘Jeff’ so that we can be prepared to see that when it airs and hopefully not be so jarring.”
Peter Gould previously hinted that there’s more to Jeff than meets the eye
While it’s possible that the Jeff character is just a man who happened to recognize Gene, the implications of his scenes in Better Call Saul are far darker. In fact, in 2020 executive producer Peter Gould teased that there’s likely more to Jeff.
“Jeff seems to have a definite agenda and Jeff — you know, he’s a little bit creepy. He’s a little bit tricky,” Gould told Entertainment Weekly. “I will say if you’re just a crazed fan, I don’t know if you bring that big, young dead-eyed guy to watch from 15 feet away. There’s definitely this feeling of threat. I think Gene is reading between the lines and he knows that this is not the end of the story. This is not going to be the last time he encounters this character.”
Better Call Saul returns with new episodes on July 11.
