Summary
- Saul Goodman's Cinnabon life hit hard for Breaking Bad viewers as it showcased his tragic fate post-Walt's downfall.
- Meeting Tuco in Better Call Saul connected the two series in thrilling ways, showing the Salamanca danger.
- Insightful Breaking Bad appearances and connections in Better Call Saul made scenes hit harder for dedicated viewers.
Better Call Saul was an insightful character study of a man on a path of diminishing morally that was made more interesting through knowledge of the events of Breaking Bad. While there may be some viewers who enjoyed the prequel series Better Call Saul without having also watched the tragic story of high-school teacher turned meth kingpin Walter White in Breaking Bad, there were countless scenes that hit so much harder when knowing the full story of both series. The journey of the misguided earnest lawyer Jimmy McGill into the dastardly criminal lawyer Saul Goodman was full of clever callbacks to Breaking Bad.
While it’s true there were plenty of Breaking Bad scenes that hit differently after Better Call Saul, the same was true vice-versa as the stories were so intrinsically linked it was hard to separate one from the other. Of course, there were exciting surprise appearances from Breaking Bad characters in Better Call Saul, but just as effective were the quieter more nuanced moments that could have easily gone over the heads of viewers unfamiliar with Breaking Bad. Over the course of six seasons, there were so many Better Call Saul scenes that hit harder thanks to Breaking Bad.
12 The Cinnabon In Omaha Opening
Season 1, Episode 1, “Uno”
Right from the get-go, Breaking Bad viewers were subjected to a more intense experience when watching Better Call Saul as the opening scene proved Saul Goodman had more insight into his future than it initially seemed. The black and white opening featured a post-Breaking Bad flash-forward depicting Saul’s new life as Gene Takavic, an Omaha Cinnabon employee, nervously trying to exist as a fugitive for the crime of associating with the drug lord Walter White. This scene hit harder thanks to Breaking Bad as it demonstrated Saul’s quip in “Granite State” about working in Cinnabon ended up turning into reality.
11 Meeting A Salamanca
Season 1, Episode 1, “Uno”
The first episode of Better Call Saul featured many allusions to the story of Breaking Bad but perhaps the hardest-hitting one was the appearance of reckless Mexican drug-deal Tuco Salamanca. The Salamanca family was a major adversary for Walter White, and, although Tuco was killed by Hank Schrader early in Season 2, watching him reappear in Better Call Saul was thrilling because, as a prequel, viewers knew there was no way this loose canon could be killed. Tuco abducted Jimmy at gunpoint in the final moments of the episode in a thrilling moment connecting the two series.
10 "It Was Ignacio!"
Season 1, Episode 2, “Mijo”
In Saul’s first Breaking Bad appearance he was abducted by Walter and Jesse but seemed more worried about a different threat and at gunpoint shouted, “it was Ignacio” and “Lalo didn’t send you?” In essence, this short plea laid the groundwork for the entirety of Better Call Saul and that’s why Ignacio "Nacho" Varga appearance in the second episode carried such intense weight for Breaking Bad viewers. While at this point, Ignacio was merely a crony of Tuco Salamanca, audiences knew he later had a major association with Saul and that a mystery man named Lalo would soon appear.
9 The Score Against Ken
Season 2, Episode 1, “Switch”
Breaking Bad viewers were excited to see this obnoxious stockbroker becoming the victim of a light-hearted drinking-based con by Jimmy and Kim in Season 2 of Better Call Saul. This scene hit so much harder for Breaking Bad audiences as they had already been subjected to Ken’s loudmouth attitude and painfully distasteful license plate “KEN WINS” back in Season 1 before Walt had even come up with his Heisenberg persona. With knowledge of Ken’s horrid personality, it was a treat to watch Jimmy and Kim con him into buying lavishly expensive tequila for them.
8 Krazy-8 Back From The Dead
Season 2, Episode 4, “Gloves Off”
As the first man Walter White ever intentionally killed, Krazy-8 was an important character in the earliest episodes of Breaking Bad who had been entirely forgotten by the time the series reached its epic conclusion. That’s why it was so hard-hitting when Krazy-8 appeared in the second season of Better Call Saul as he sat in a restaurant opposite Nacho and Tuco who was counting his drug money. In Breaking Bad it was explained that Tuco was a higher-level criminal that Krazy-8 worked for, but to see the two of them together was an exciting connection between the two series.
7 Gus Fring’s Grand Return
Season 3, Episode 2, “Witness”
In Season 3 of Better Call Saul one of the most highly anticipated returning characters from Breaking Bad, Gus Fring, made his first appearance in a moment that drove the meth-laced world of Walter White ever closer to the legal life of Jimmy McGill. Audiences were given clues to Fring’s appearance as much “Witness” took place in Fring’s restaurant, Los Pollos Hermanos, yet it still came as a thrill when Fring approached Jimmy in the money-laundering chicken shop. While Gus maintained his detached aura of professionalism, the moment hit hard for Breaking Bad viewers aware of his secret double life.
6 Hank Schrader Alive and Well
Season 5, Episode 3, “The Guy For This”
The fact that Better Call Saul waited five whole seasons before Walter White’s DEA officer brother-in-law Hank Schrader showed up with his partner Steve Gomez made his first scene all the more hard-hitting. Hank’s appearance made sense as he was the interrogating officer interviewing Krazy-8, with Saul as his attorney. This scene was an exciting delight for Breaking Bad viewers who had been patiently awaiting for the actor Dean Norris’ enviable return to the role of Hank, as his previous association with Saul as a lawyer had been established in Breaking Bad.
5 Behind The Curtain of Saul Goodman’s Tragic Breaking Bad Existence
Season 6, Episode 1, “Wine and Roses”
In the opening of Season 6 of Better Call Saul, the moment Breaking Bad viewers had been waiting for since the beginning finally occurred, and some insight into the way Saul was living behind the scenes during his time as Walter White’s lawyer was revealed. In a colorized flash-forward, audiences were taken on a tour of Saul’s Albuquerque mansion as his extravagant lifestyle, stockpile of prescription medications, and gaudy artistic decorations were possessed by police. This was a hard-hitting moment for Breaking Bad viewers as, with the power of hindsight, they saw how empty Saul’s Breaking Bad life truly was.
This was a hard-hitting moment for Breaking Bad viewers as, with the power of hindsight, they saw how empty Saul’s Breaking Bad life truly was.
4 The Phone Call To sca
Season 6, Episode 11, “Breaking Bad”
The Better Call Saul episode appropriately called “Breaking Bad” provided some long-sought-after closure regarding lingering questions about Breaking Bad and was especially hard-hitting for those interested in the ongoing life of the White family. In this episode, Saul called his former secretary sca Liddy who updated him on life in Albuquerque after all of Walter’s crimes had become public knowledge. Here sca confirmed that “Skyler White got her deal” and that police found Jesse’s car “down by the borders.” This short interaction provided Breaking Bad viewers with all they needed to know about those Walt left behind.
The story of Jesse Pinkman was given an acclaimed epilogue in the Breaking Bad sequel movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie on Netflix.
3 Jesse Pinkman With Kim Wexler
Season 6, Episode 12, “Waterworks”
In an interesting way Kim Wexler’s story in Better Call Saul mimicked Jesse Pinkman’s in Breaking Bad as both struggled to make peace with the wrongs they committed and allowed their lives to become derailed by egotistical partners. That’s why it was such a hard-hitting moment when the two finally met in the sixth season of Better Call Saul as they shared a cigarette outside Saul’s office after she signed divorce papers. The scene had extra power as Kim told Jesse Saul used to be good “when I knew him" as the sad reality of their broken relationship set in.
Kim told Jesse Saul used to be good “when I knew him" as the sad reality of their broken relationship set in.
