Watch Better Call Saul And Breaking Bad In This Order To Have The Most Unique Experience With The Shows

By Martha Wright

Published Jan 5, 2025

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Sony Pictures Television

Better Call Saul is acclaimed for matching or suring the quality of its predecessor, Breaking Bad. Therefore, understanding the Breaking Bad universe is heavily dependent on the order in which both series are watched.

Following its run from 2008 to 2013, Breaking Bad achieved a position among the most celebrated television series in history. Creating Better Call Saul, a prequel centered around Jimmy McGill six years before his first encounter with Bryan Cranston's Walter White, was a risk — one that Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould executed flawlessly. As expected, Better Call Saul features several Breaking Bad stars thereby benefiting from the intricate character arcs developed within its parent show. That being said, Better Call Saul's final season transpires after the events of Breaking Bad and Jesse Pinkman's (Aaron Paul) motion picture, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

Watch Better Call Saul's First 5 Seasons Before Breaking Bad If You Haven't Seen Either

Better Call Saul's First 5 Seasons Are A Prequel To The Breaking Bad Story

If you happen to be new to the Breaking Bad universe, beginning the chronicles with Better Call Saul's first five seasons can offer a rewarding and insightful experience. This segment of the show acts as a prequel to Breaking Bad and establishes the universe as a whole. Better Call Saul explores the backstory of Jimmy McGill and displays his transformation into the morally compromised Saul Goodman of Breaking Bad, which provides a deeper understanding of his actions and motivations throughout the original series. Not to mention, Better Call Saul is a compelling standalone series with riveting characters, making it easy to follow.

What's more, Better Call Saul introduces many of the characters and events that are referenced in Breaking Bad. When some of these characters meet grim ends in Breaking Bad, getting to know them better through the prequel makes these endings even more impactful. As a result, the first five seasons establish a richer understanding of the connections, and of the foreshadowing that occurs. Additionally, while Breaking Bad is intense and extremely fast-paced, Better Call Saul offers a steadier, more character-driven narrative. Beginning with Better Call Saul can enhance your understanding of both shows' storytelling techniques and provide a smoother entry into the Breaking Bad universe.

Stop Better Call Saul After Season 6, Episode 9, Then Go Watch Breaking Bad

This Is The Turning Point For Jimmy McGill's Character

Jimmy McGill pointing both fingers and smiling, with a person walking behind him in Better Call Saul. — Sony Pictures Television

Season 6, episode 9 of Better Call Saul, "Fun and Games," is the moment that Jimmy truly transforms into Saul Goodman. By the end of the episode, long gone is the flawed individual who still actively tries to do the right thing. He is replaced by the money-driven mercenary Saul old fans know from Breaking Bad. While this much is true, Better Call Saul skips his transformation into Saul with a time jump that effectively avoids prequel tropes. It was another rather large risk, albeit with exceptional results. Of course, the transformation into Saul is not the purpose of Better Call Saul.

Collage of Walt in Breaking Bad and Jimmy in Better Call Saul

There Was A Second Breaking Bad Spinoff After Better Call Saul, But Be Glad You've Never Seen It

There was another Breaking Bad spinoff after Better Call Saul that hardly anyone watched — and there's a good reason why hardly anyone watched it.

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Better Call Saul provides depth and nuance to the Breaking Bad world, which means this is the ideal moment to pause the series and continue with Breaking Bad and El Camino, before returning to the prequel. More importantly, the remainder of Better Call Saul after "Fun and Games" is mostly set after the events of Breaking Bad. Fully understanding the final episodes of Better Call Saul requires prior knowledge of Breaking Bad, which provides the essential context to the series. Starting Breaking Bad with prior knowledge of key characters like Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) will also enhance the viewing experience.

Go Back To Better Call Saul Season 6 After Finishing Breaking Bad & El Camino

The Last Part Of Better Call Saul Picks Up After Breaking Bad

As Better Call Saul serves as both a prequel and a sequel to Breaking Bad, it makes sense to return to the last season of Bob Odenkirk's series after finishing Breaking Bad and El Camino. Season 6 of Better Call Saul intersects directly with the Breaking Bad timeline and provides closure for many of the universe's characters and storylines. Not only does the Better Call Saul finale provide a satisfying resolution, but it demonstrates how Saul's actions directly changed the events of Breaking Bad and the subsequent consequences he must face. Returning to season 6 finalizes the missing link in the Breaking Bad universe.

The feature-length film transpires over the course of a day, but Better Call Saul comprises the first and last chronological moments of the Breaking Bad universe.

Meanwhile, El Camino centers around Jesse and his flight from New Mexico, while filling in the gaps in the story left by Breaking Bad's conclusion. Both El Camino and Better Call Saul serve as extensions of the Breaking Bad universe, although they do so in very distinct ways. The feature-length film transpires over the course of a day, but Better Call Saul comprises the first and last chronological moments of the Breaking Bad universe. This arguably renders Better Call Saul the most significant component of the franchise, as it provides a comprehensive overview of the entire narrative.

Alternating Between Better Call Saul & Breaking Bad Is Also Great For A Rewatch

Alternating Between Shows Creates A Dynamic Viewing Experience

Even with subsequent viewings, rotating between Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad makes for a far more entertaining experience. It creates a more interconnected viewing, where audiences can detect subtle foreshadowing throughout both shows concerning both the characters and minor plot points, which eventually comes to pay off in both. Audiences can delve deeper into the individuals and uncover more intricate connections between them, as they are already familiar with the characters' personalities and actions. Audiences are introduced to the ensemble cast prior to the significant impact of Walter White, too, which amplifies the moral implications of his choices.

The speculation around the working title of the series from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul writer, Vince Gilligan, says the sci-fi will be titled Wycaro 339. The series will star Rhea Seehorn, who previously worked with Gilligan on Better Call Saul, as Kim Wexler.

In addition to this, alternating between Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad creates a dynamic pace that makes it even easier to stay engaged. Considering its rapid pacing and high-pressure situations, Breaking Bad can be a taxing series to watch. This means alternating between the show and Better Call Saul can provide some respite from the somewhat anxiety-inducing narrative. More importantly, taking this approach mitigates viewer fatigue. Combining both shows keeps the viewing experience fresh and helps it keep up its dynamic nature. The interplay between the past and present creates curiosity and invites audiences to weave the timelines together.