Written and directed by Peter Gould, who co-created the series with Vince Gilligan, the episode first aired on AMC and AMC+ on August 15, 2022, before debuting online in certain territories on Netflix the following day.

Gould and the Better Call Saul writing staff knew the series would end with Jimmy going to prison for his actions in Breaking Bad by the time the fifth-season finale aired in 2020.

Several actors from Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad returned for guest appearances, including Cranston as Walt, Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader, and Michael McKean as Chuck McGill.

[d] Jimmy convinces the lead Assistant U.S. Attorney that he could deadlock a jury by portraying himself as Walt's victim, resulting in a plea bargain that reduces his prison time to seven and a half years.

[8] In the week leading up to the finale, Gilligan stated that the episode would likely be the last entry in the Breaking Bad franchise, as he and Gould were both ready to move on to new stories.

[11] Gould considered the finale a mix of the world of Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad characters, as the episode featured several returning actors from both series.

This included Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut[h] and guest stars Bryan Cranston as Walter White,[i] Michael McKean as Chuck McGill,[j] and Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader.

[k][16] The episode also marked the first appearance of Steven Gomez's wife Blanca, portrayed by Marisilda Garcia, who was referenced multiple times but unseen in Breaking Bad.

[17] Gould wanted to bring back other Better Call Saul actors, such as Patrick Fabian, Giancarlo Esposito, and Michael Mando, as well as others that appeared on Breaking Bad, including Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte, and Dean Norris.

[7] Gould compared the scenes with Mike, Walter and Chuck to the three ghosts of A Christmas Carol, each showing Saul repeating the same cycle in his life.

[20] The episode, season, and series ends with Gene Takavic getting caught by the authorities and, under his legal name of Saul Goodman, getting sentenced to prison for the crimes he committed in Breaking Bad.

[7] They realized that Saul spent his career making a mockery of the justice system, so it was fitting to them that he ended the series as a part of it, only this time as a prisoner.

Comparing the fates of the three works' main protagonists, Gould explained that Walter White achieved his ambitions but ended up dead, Jesse Pinkman suffered greatly but found freedom, while Saul Goodman chose long-term incarceration but regained his soul.

With the two characters finally confessing their misdeeds, Gould felt both chose to end their cycles of self-destructive tendencies and would refrain from making the same mistakes again.

[18] When filming the opening scene in the desert, Gould mentioned the location's cold weather conditions strongly contrasted with the blazing heat that occurred when shooting the episode "Bagman", which took place in the same setting.

[16] For the courtroom scene, production staff initially struggled to find a location, but were eventually granted permission by the New Mexico Supreme Court to film on the top floor of their building.

[16] Saul and Kim sharing a cigarette while leaning against a prison room wall was the last scene filmed during principal photography for the series.

The book was previously visible in the prologue opening of the season premiere "Wine and Roses", when authorities raid Saul Goodman's mansion after he flees Albuquerque, and in the episode that would succeed it, "Carrot and Stick", where it is present on Jimmy's bedroom nightstand at Kim's apartment.

[31] Showrunner Peter Gould suggested that Chuck having a copy of The Time Machine in the flashback scene implied that he too was experiencing regrets around this period.

Rae Torres of Collider felt this indicated that Walt's greatest regret was not leaving Gray Matter Technologies but rather his abusive treatment of Jesse throughout Breaking Bad, and served to contrast with Jimmy's inability to honestly answer his own question.

The critical consensus reads, "The lawyer who broke bad finally comes clean in 'Saul Gone,' an emotionally powerful and thematically fitting conclusion to one of television's great dramas.

[35] At IGN, Rafael Motamayor gave the episode a 10 out of 10 rating, describing it as a "subtler character study, exploring regrets and change in its protagonist".

[37] In addition, the website's Scott Tobias gave it a 5 out of 5 rating and wrote, "'Saul Gone' [...] finds an ending for Jimmy that's hopeful and authentic without feeling rosy or unearned.

[43] At Variety, Daniel D'Addario highlighted Odenkirk's performance in the court scene, and felt the episode was "meticulous" and commended Gould's writing and narrative structure.