Better Call Saul Fans Have A Lot Of Thoughts About That Major Carol Burnett Scene

Carol Burnett on Better Call Saul
(Image credit: AMC)

Spoilers for the penultimate episode of Better Call Saul, “Waterworks,” lie ahead. 

After six critically acclaimed seasons, Better Call Saul will take its final bow with its series finale next week. Fans are probably both excited and nervous about what might transpire in the final chapter of Jimmy McGil/Saul Goodman/Gene Takavic’s story. Ahead of that though, many are still buzzing about the penultimate installment for a number of reasons, including Rhea Seehorn’s masterful performance. But another star who really put in the work is none other than Carol Burnett, and fans across the Internet have plenty of thoughts about her biggest scene of the episode.

TV Legend Carol Burnett joined Better Call Saul Season 6 for its final stretch of episodes. Burnett portrays Marion, the elderly mother of cab driver Jeff – who recognized Gene as Saul Goodman after the con man had taken up residence in Omaha. Gene orchestrated his first encounter with Marion in an attempt to get to Jeff and, since then, she and the disgraced lawyer have enjoyed a friendly relationship. 

In “Waterworks,” however, Marion learned the truth about her new “friend” following Jeff’s arrest. Through a quick search via Ask Jeeves (yeah, you read that right), Marion learned that Gene is actually Saul, leading to a tense confrontation between the elderly woman and the man she trusted. Marion ultimately used her Life Alert button to contact the authorities, leading Gene to bolt from the house. To say that fans are loving the 89-year-old Emmy winner’s turn as Marion would be putting it lightly. One Twitter user humorously posted about the character and her search engine of choice: 

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It would seem that Carol Burnett’s Marion has been able to accomplish something that some of the best Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul characters have failed to do: bring down Saul Goodman. This is a fact that doesn’t seem to be lost on fans of the acclaimed drama. Another user took to social media asserted that that was indeed the character's purpose:

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Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould are master storytellers and having an old woman be the one to sink the slippery ex-attorney would be downright Shakespearean. And as much as I’ve enjoyed watching Bob Odenkirk’s complicated character, I’m here for Marion ratting him out. I’m not alone there, either, based on this post from USA Today’s Barbara VanDenburgh: 

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Carol Burnett’s work here is a far cry from the wild comedic antics that she performed on her eponymous variety show for over a decade. With Marion, Burnett is more reserved, though her wide-eyed portrayal is enough to draw a chuckle or two at times. Naturally, there are some, like RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico, who believes she should get some awards consideration:

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It would certainly be wonderful to see the Hollywood veteran add a few more trophies to her collection. At this point in her career, she’s probably not too concerned about getting accolades. If anything, this gig was probably just another fun addition to her already-pristine resume, as suggested by the following post:

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Carol Burnett doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Next, the TV queen will grace Kristen Wiig’s upcoming show, Mrs. American Pie, a miniseries that will drop on Apple TV+. And if Vince Gilligan does ever create another Breaking Bad spinoff, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Marion after Burnett’s winning performance on Better Call Saul. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m curious about what other damning secrets the woman might discover while surfing the web.

Better Call Saul’s series finale, “Saul Gone,” airs Monday, August 15th at 9 p.m. ET on AMC as part of the 2022 TV schedule. You can also stream the first five seasons with a Netflix subscription now.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.