Summary
-
Better Call Saul
enhances the story of
Breaking Bad
, answering questions and expanding upon the original series. -
The show reveals the origins and connections of various elements from
Breaking Bad
, such as the character Lalo, Saul’s company “Ice Station Zebra Associates,” and the animosity between Gus and Hector. -
Better Call Saul
offers insights into the transformation of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman and depicts the fate of Saul after the events of Breaking Bad.
Not all prequels do justice to the series they spawn from, but Better Call Saul enhances the story told in Breaking Bad — and answers several questions raised by the original AMC show. In Better Call Saul, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould dig into the backstory of the slippery lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). They simultaneously expand upon Breaking Bad‘s world. Many of the characters from Breaking Bad appear over the course of its prequel, giving viewers insight into what they were doing prior to Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) time as Heisenberg.
Better Call Saul isn’t always obvious about its Breaking Bad reveals and Easter Eggs. While character cameos connect the shows in a straightforward way, smaller references may take time for viewers to catch. Better Call Saul even returns to minor lines and subplots from Breaking Bad, giving them meaning that wasn’t previously there. When it comes to solving Breaking Bad‘s mysteries, Better Call Saul excels — and it goes well beyond shedding more light on Saul himself.
8 Who Lalo Was & Why Saul Was Scared Of Him
When Walter and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) kidnap Saul during Breaking Bad season 2, the lawyer has a strange response to the situation. He tells the masked duo, “It wasn’t me, it was Ignacio! He’s the one!” He starts rambling in Spanish, and is relieved to learn Jesse and Walt speak English. He asks them, “Lalo didn‘t send you?,” and it’s clear he’s terrified of the man in question. However, Breaking Bad never reveals who Lalo is or why Saul is so afraid of him.
That answer comes during Better Call Saul, which introduces Lalo (Tony Dalton) as one of the Salamancas. Jimmy and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) get wrapped up in his crimes, and Better Call Saul season 6 shows the real reason Jimmy’s so afraid of Lalo: because he kills Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian). Jimmy has no idea that Lalo dies at Gus Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) hands shortly after, so he believes the man is alive during Breaking Bad. This thought haunts him, as he’s seen what Lalo is capable of — and Lalo knows where to find him.
7 The Meaning Behind Saul’s “Ice Station Zebra Associates”
Saul writes a check to Skyler (Anna Gunn) during Breaking Bad, and it’s addressed from Ice Station Zebra Associates. This is a holding company of Saul’s, and Better Call Saul explains why he names it this. The name of the company goes back to Jimmy and Kim’s first con, when they trick a businessman into investing $10K into a fake start-up. When Better Call Saul shows the check he writes them, it’s addressed to Ice Station Zebra Associates.
6 The Reason Hector Hates Gus So Much
Breaking Bad drives home that Gus and Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) have a long, unhappy history with one another. However, their animosity can hardly be attributed to a cartel rivalry alone. The original series reveals why Gus hates Hector during its flashback in Breaking Bad season 4, episode 8, “Hermanos.” However, it doesn’t explain Hector’s clear hatred for the other man. Better Call Saul fills in the blanks. Not only does Gus purposely keep Hector alive so that he’ll suffer, but he also kills Lalo. Hector can’t prove the latter, but he rightly expects it, and it drives his need for vengeance in Breaking Bad.
5 The Origins Of The “Vacuum Cleaner Repairman”
The vacuum cleaner repairman crops up a couple of times during Breaking Bad, nearly helping Jesse escape Walter and the cartel and later helping Walt and Saul evade justice. The characters are connected to the identity-changing repairman through Saul, and Better Call Saul reveals how they know one another. Saul finds his contact information when visiting Dr. Caldera (Joe DeRosa), a veterinarian with some illegal extracurricular activities. Saul pockets his info for later, and it clearly comes in handy during Breaking Bad.
4 Why Mike Tried So Hard To Save Jesse
Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) does his best to save Jesse from Walter and Gus, and Better Call Saul sheds light on why he’s so protective of the boy. Mike fails to save his son from a corrupt police department prior to the events of Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad. Despite his best efforts, he also fails to save Nacho Varga from the cartel in Better Call Saul. His relationship with Nacho mirrors his bond with Jesse, and it makes sense of his attempts to get Jesse out of the game.
3 Who Advised Jesse To Find A Good Lawyer
When Walter and Jesse first get into the meth business, Jesse suggests they find a good “criminal lawyer.” He’s the one who recommends Saul Goodman, and Better Call Saul season 6 reveals why Jesse chooses Saul over a “proper” lawyer. As it turns out, Kim and Jesse share a quick conversation prior to the events of Breaking Bad. Kim is the reason Jesse hires Saul, as she assures him that Saul is “the real deal.” The fact that Jesse’s friend, Emilio, has success with Saul likely helps. But without Kim, the events of Breaking Bad may have played out very differently.
2 How Jimmy McGill Became The Infamous Saul Goodman
The entire point of Better Call Saul is to offer insight into how Jimmy McGill becomes the infamous Saul Goodman. On that front, the prequel series answers one of Breaking Bad‘s biggest questions well. It takes viewers through Jimmy’s backstory, revealing all the things that lead him to a life of crime in the first place. It also shows which events push him fully into becoming a “criminal” lawyer. Without Chuck’s desire to hold him back and Kim’s influence, Jimmy never would have become Saul. If it weren’t for certain smaller events from Better Call Saul, he also wouldn’t have met Heisenberg.
1 What Happened To Saul After Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul answers most of its Breaking Bad mysteries through its past timeline, but the series also digs into Saul’s future. This is good news for Breaking Bad fans who wondered what happened to the lawyer after the show ended. Better Call Saul depicts Saul’s attemps to evade the law, showing his new life as Cinnabon employee Gene Takovic. It also concludes with the realization that Saul does go down for his and Heisenberg’s crimes.
Sadly, Better Call Saul confirms that Saul goes to jail (and likely dies there). It’s a dark fate for the character, but it ties up Breaking Bad‘s loose ends. The series also reveals what happens to Francesca and Marie after Breaking Bad. Its future timeline wraps things up nicely, leaving less up to interpretation than the original show. That’s what makes Better Call Saul so great. It manages to tell its own story while improving upon Breaking Bad‘s as well.