Summary
- Better Call Saul's success suggests that other Breaking Bad spinoffs could work, but replicating what made these two series great is not easy.
- A Mike Ehrmantraut prequel and a Gus Fring prequel would risk losing what made these characters special and would not be as good as Better Call Saul.
- A spinoff centered on Jesse Pinkman after El Camino or anything featuring Walter's family after Breaking Bad would risk ruining their character arcs and the impact of Breaking Bad's ending.
Some popular Breaking Bad spinoff ideas would have been much worse than Better Call Saul, which is among the best spinoff shows ever made. Better Call Saul was not just a Breaking Bad prequel, as it also followed Bob Odenkirk’s character during and after the events of Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul’s success suggests that many other Breaking Bad spinoffs could work too, but replicating what made these two series so good is not easy. In fact, most popular Breaking Bad prequel or sequel ideas would not have worked at all.
’s ending, which belongs in the list of best TV finales of all time, cemented the show as a television classic. With so many interesting characters and storylines in Breaking Bad, there is indeed room for a “Breaking Bad universe.” However, what Better Call Saul accomplished in of being both a spinoff and a great series on its own cannot be taken for granted. Here are eight Breaking Bad spinoff ideas that would not have been nearly as good as Better Call Saul.
8 A Mike Ehrmantraut Prequel
Mike Ehrmantraut is one of the most fascinating characters in the Breaking Bad universe. Created to replace Saul Goodman for a specific episode during which Bob Odenkirk would not be available, Mike quickly became a fan-favorite and remained on Breaking Bad until the final season. Mike returned for Better Call Saul, which fleshed out the character and revealed more about his backstory. That said, as interesting as Mike’s past is, a Mike Ehrmantraut prequel would not work. Part of what makes Mike such an interesting character is how he went through a lot in his past, which does not need to be fully uncovered.
Had a Mike Ehrmantraut prequel happened right after Breaking Bad, some of the best Better Call Saul episodes would have likely never happened. A Breaking Bad Mike prequel is even more redundant after Better Call Saul, which revealed just enough about the character’s past. The often confusing Breaking Bad timeline has so far avoided recasting iconic characters, a tradition that a Mike prequel would have to break. Jonathan Banks’ portrayal of Mike represents a large portion of the character’s appeal, and it is difficult to imagine how a prequel following a young Mike would replicate this magic.
7 Jesse Pinkman After El Camino
Jesse’s Breaking Bad ending was cathartic and, all things considered, a happy one. Whereas “Felina” was the end of the line for Walter White, Breaking Bad’s series finale was a new beginning for Jesse, whose fate on the show was always going to be different from Walt’s. Even still, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie was an interesting epilogue to Jesse’s journey, revealing that Jesse escaped from the police and started a new life in Alaska. Combined, “Felina” and El Camino create the perfect ending for Jesse Pinkman. Any Jesse Pinkman spinoff set after El Camino would risk ruining his ending and Breaking Bad as a whole.
6 A Walter White Copycat Takes Heisenberg's Place
Breaking Bad can be described as a crime drama, yet the cartel disputes and all the action surrounding Heisenberg were never the true focus of the show. Breaking Bad was about Walter White’s character and how much that character could change before audiences stopped rooting for him. A Breaking Bad sequel centered on other cartel wars or a new drug lord that is taking Heisenberg’s place would be similar to the original show only on a surface level. A “Breaking Bad universe” would have to be built on interesting characters and unique stories, not necessarily a rehash of the crime drama that set the tone for Walt’s story.
5 Huell & Kuby On The Run
A more comedic Breaking Bad spinoff was on the cards, as proved by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s original Better Call Saul sitcom pitch. Amidst so many serious storylines and traumatic events, Breaking Bad had some hilarious characters. Lavell Crawford’s Huell and Bill Burr’s Kuby, both of whom were introduced as Saul Goodman's henchmen, delivered some of the funniest moments in the whole show. While it was great to see Huell back in Better Call Saul, just like it would have been fun to see Kuby in the show as well, a Huell and Kuby series would have been too much. A full-comedy Breaking Bad spinoff would just not work.
4 A Breaking Bad Sequel Following Walt. Jr. & Skyler
Both El Camino and Better Call Saul season 6 had scenes set after Breaking Bad’s finale, yet neither of those shows revisited Walter Jr. and Skyler. This was the right choice, as bringing back Walter’s family after the events of Breaking Bad would risk running the show’s ending. The way Walter’s actions affected his family is the true tragedy of Breaking Bad, which is why the show’s bittersweet ending works so well. Walt. Jr. and Skyler are both alive and safe by the end of Breaking Bad, but how those traumatic events will affect the rest of their lives is a question that must remain unanswered to preserve the series’ impact.
3 Better Call Saul’s Original Sitcom Pitch
’s original sitcom format could have worked, but it would have made for a completely different and much less interesting show than what viewers got in 2015. Before Better Call Saul became a drama series in the style of Breaking Bad, the project was originally pitched as a half-hour, single-camera comedy. Each episode would likely have followed Saul Goodman working on a different, bizarre case, which would surely have made for hilarious moments. However, Better Call Saul’s six-season run proves that Bob Odenkirk’s character was interesting enough to lead his own drama series, which is now considered to be as good if not better than Breaking Bad.
2 The Salamanca Cousins’ Backstory
The “Salamanca Cousins” were introduced in Breaking Bad as cold-blood super assassins that almost did not fit the tone of the show. Breaking Bad was never an action series, which is strangely why the Salamanca cousins worked so well on the show. The assassins were always a last resource, a role they played again a few times in Better Call Saul. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul approached the Salamanca cousins almost cartoonishly, which worked in the context of the shows. However, it would be impossible to replicate such a trick in a spinoff centered on the Salamanca assassins, plus it would have removed their mysteriousness.
1 A Gus Fring Prequel
A Gus Fring prequel sounds like a very exciting project at first, but it would face the same problems as a Mike Ehrmantraut. Firstly, it is difficult to imagine any other actor playing Gus after Giancarlo Esposito’s incredible performances in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Secondly, Gus became an iconic character by being an antagonist. Therefore, making Gust the protagonist of his own story would risk losing track of what made Fring so special. More importantly, Gus Fring’s story is defined by his quest for revenge against the Salamancas, which is something a prequel would not get to cover.
Better Call Saul made it even more clear that Gus was not seeking money, power, or prestige just for the sake of it. Everything Gus did from the moment Max was murdered to Breaking Bad season 4 was part of his quest for revenge. A Gus prequel set before Max was killed would essentially be about a different character entirely, as the Gus Fring audiences know was born the moment Hector Salamanca shot Max. Better Call Saul further developed Gus and his past without losing track of the character’s true goal, making a Gus Fring prequel even more unnecessary.