Rhea Seehorn: ‘Better Call Saul’ finale gave ‘hope, love, redemption’

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for the series finale of “Better Call Saul.”

“Better Call Saul” ended its six-season odyssey with Jimmy/Saul/Gene (Bob Odenkirk) sentenced to 86 years in federal prison, where he bid an emotional goodbye to ex-wife Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) — but not before exonerating her, in a final colorful courtroom flourish, of any wrongdoing in covering up Howard Hamlin’s execution-style death several years earlier.

“I saw the [finale] for the first time Monday night,” Seehorn told The Post Tuesday. “I watched it with a couple of people from the show and loved ones and significant partners and it was very moving.”

Monday night’s finale, “Saul Gone,” included scenes from all three timelines in the “Better Call Saul” universe and featured surprise appearances from Marie Schrader (Betsy Brandt) — the widowed wife of “Breaking Bad” DEA agent Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) — and, in a flashback, Chuck McGill (Michael McKean), Jimmy’s brilliant-yet-troubled older brother who killed himself in the Season 3 finale of “Better Call Saul.” Walter White (Bryan Cranston) also materialized in a “Breaking Bad” flashback.

The episode turned its main focus on Saul’s shattered relationship with Kim, now living a drab, boring life in central Florida designing brochures for a sprinkler company and sporting shorter (and dark) hair. In the series’ penultimate episode, she flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to confess to Howard’s wife that his “suicide” was anything but, and to give a full statement to law enforcement about her past life with Saul — including their involvement with cartel kingpin Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton), eventually murdered by Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito).

Kim (Rhea Seehorn) volunteers at a central Florida legal aid clinic in the series finale of “Better Call Saul.”Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

In “Saul Gone,” Kim returned to Albuquerque for Saul’s sentencing … and, in their final scene together, they shared a cigarette — hearkening back to their salad days. (It was also the last scene Seehorn and Odenkirk filmed together.)

“Of course, the weight of the show ending for me was, personally, a difficult goodbye, and I’ll definitely watch [the finale] again,” Seehorn said. “I was able to see it as a fan of the storytelling and as a fan of the show outside of being in it.”

Seehorn, who was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress, applauded series co-creator Peter Gould, who “did such a great job in finding a way to adhere to the intelligence of this series and of our audience.”

“It’s a very dark ending but it has light — and there is some hope, love, redemption and salvation there,” she added.

While “Better Call Saul” — and supposedly future dives in the “Breaking Bad” universe — have concluded, Seehorn said she thinks that Kim and Saul’s relationship will continue despite his lifelong incarceration.

“Peter wanted to write an ending that inspired people to continue the story in their heads and I think he did,” she said. “There are multiple interpretations of what happens the next day and next year and [for] the rest of their lives. Personally, I’m a hopeless romantic and I think [Kim] very much continues to see him and visiting and that she makes her way back, little by little, to the law.”

She also said she was pleased with how Kim evolved in the last few episodes of the series after moving to Florida in the wake of Hamlin’s death.

“Breaking Bad” co-star Betsy Brandt returned as Maria Schrader, the widow of Hank Schrader, in the series finale of “Better Call Saul.”Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

“I feel at first she tried to just disappear — not hide from the law, but to be a shell of a person and thought that she was doing penance by removing herself from any kind of passion,” she said. “She lived a muted life — there’s nothing wrong with that — but she couldn’t even trust herself to pick ice cream for someone’s birthday party.”

“We see the tragedy of it because we know what she could’ve been — she was normally a lively and passionate person — and I think she decided she can actually be active in atoning for her actions … partially on a dare from Jimmy but also realizing that he’s right, she could do more about it other than living under a rock. So she goes and atones and makes her peace.”

Seehorn also reflected on Gould’s choice for her character Kim, amid her redemption attempt, to continue keeping one truth hidden.

“The only lie she still tells at the end of the day is ‘if in fact, Saul Goodman is alive’ — she never gives him up or lets the feds tap her phone,” the actress said. “I thought that was telling — it’s the one line she won’t cross, as far as she just can’t bear to be the person who’s going to seal his fate. That’s up to him.”

As for Saul’s fate of spending his life behind bars, Seehorn believes it’s bittersweet for Kim.

“I don’t think she’s happy that he’s in prison for this many years but she’s happy he had a chance to save his soul and that he chose to,” she said. “And she chose that for herself as well …. but I think she’s ready to face all the music … to give herself any chance to have an authentic life again.”