Vince Gilligan admitted that the characters of Chuck McGill and Howard Hamlin developed differently than initially planned. Chuck was going to be the wise older brother who would provide Jimmy with advice and Howard was going to be the nemesis and foil in Jimmy's life. However, after a few episodes, the actors, producers and writers all agreed that the trajectory of the characters would work better if Chuck was the true nemesis in Jimmy's life and Howard was the flawed, sympathetic friend who wanted to help Jimmy. "Chuck was never going to be the bad guy, and Howard was always going to be the one to cause problems in Jimmy's life. What's wonderful is working with such a talented group of writers and actors who aren't afraid to change things and are flexible with trying out different scenarios. I think the way Chuck and Howard have developed fits much more with the theme of the show and offers so many more rewarding outcomes than our original vision," said Vince Gilligan.
