Better Call Saul writer-director Thomas Schnauz has opened up about the decision not to age Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston for their recent cameos.
Viewers want younger characters
After it was confirmed earlier this year that the two actors would appear in the final season of the Breaking Bad spin-off, Jesse Pinkman (Paul) and Walter White (Cranston) finally made their first appearance in a flashback in the final episode .
The decision not to digitally age the characters was well received by many fans. Nevertheless, some discussions arose. Critics complained that while Better Call Saul served as a backstory, none of the characters were noticeably rejuvenated over the six seasons.
“You have limits so it doesn’t seem ridiculous”
Now Schnauz commented on this in a conversation with “Variety”. “You have a limit on not being ridiculous. We don’t do much with aging on the show. There’s a bit of stuff on the guys’ faces to get rid of a few lines here and there, but other than that, Aaron won’t look like an 18-year-old, or whatever old Jesse was at the time,” the director said.
He added, “I’m afraid that people will cut this scene into the world of ‘Breaking Bad’ and try to match the look of then and now, but it’s not something to worry about too much. It is what it is. We tell a story and you can either accept it or you start picking on it: ‘He looks a lot older than he did in the original scene.’ We made the choice, and I’m glad we did.”
The Better Call Saul finale airs August 15. Two more episodes will be released in the sixth and final season.