Patrick Fabian Reveals What It Was Like Leaving Better Call Saul For The Last Time

The following article contains spoilers for "Better Call Saul" Season 6, Episode 7.

It's the end of the line for Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian). Throughout Season 6, he's found himself on the receiving end of Saul (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim's (Rhea Seehorn) plan to ruin his reputation. In the process, he would be forced to settle the Sandpiper case early, thereby giving Saul the money owed to him sooner than originally anticipated. It all culminates during a conference where he accuses the moderator of accepting a bribe on Saul's behalf, only for it to come around and bite him in the butt. 

Later, he confronts Saul and Kim, knowing they've had it out for him for a while. Of course, they play dumb about the whole scheme, but things quickly take on a more sinister tone when Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) enters their home, turning their glee into trepidation. Howard has no idea who Lalo is, so he's none the wiser and is completely unprepared when Lalo decides to shoot him in the head. It's a sudden, violent end for such a great character, and recently, actor Patrick Fabian spoke about what it was like to leave Howard behind.

Fabian knew from the get-go that he would be leaving "Better Call Saul" before the series finale. As he told Variety, "Even though I was told it was coming, it's still a surprise to read it on the page, and it was equally as surprising to film it." However, at least Howard got to go out with a bang (no pun intended). Before his final moments, Howard has a chance to rip into Saul and Kim, delving into a fine monologue. Even before that, the episode "Plan and Execution" deals with Howard heavily. We even get a chance to see a bit of his home life and what he's like outside of worrying about Saul Goodman. 

The show followed through on the "execution" part of the title in more ways than one, and according to Fabian, it was an emotional journey to go through. He went on to say, "It was very emotional. It was that sense of leaving high school after graduation. But I had a wonderful ride, and they took me out in a beautiful fashion. I couldn't ask for more. If you gotta get shot by somebody, you might as well get shot by the handsome Tony Dalton with all that charisma. What a way to go."

Howard may be out of the picture, but it's clear Lalo's just getting started. Fans can see how the rest of this show wraps up when it returns to AMC on July 11.