‘Better Caul Saul’s Success Is Still Surprising 11 Years After the ‘Breaking Bad’ Spin-off’s Premiere

Spin-off shows often happen when a project’s immense success calls for more stories within the same universe. The fans’ love for a show almost always results in excited anticipation when a spin-off is announced. However, there are exceptions. In 2015, one spin-off transformed an award-winning show into a franchise, but the enthusiasm for this development began as lukewarm at best. Despite the lack of eagerness to see the spin-off in question and where it would go, it went on to be widely regarded as one of the best shows of all time.

Although spin-off shows come in all shapes and sizes, they generally tend to fall into one of three categories. Either it’s a prequel, set before the events of its parent show, or a sequel, taking place after the original show’s core events. The third option is that the spin-off is written to take place concurrently with the show from which it spawned. They all have their benefits, and the decision about which direction is best to take is often made on a case-by-case basis. Generally speaking, sequels tend to be more rewarding, although that isn’t always the case.

Why No One Thought ‘Better Call Saul’ Would Work After ‘Breaking Bad’s Success

Breaking Bad was narrative brilliance. It followed a desperate, terminally ill man continuing to make decisions that became gradually more morally corrupt, supposedly all in the name of supporting his family. The true motivations behind his arc are still debated to this day, but it can’t be argued that Breaking Bad is one of the best and most authentic villain origin stories of all time. What took everyone by surprise was how well Bryan Cranston led the show as Walter White, as he was known mostly for his comedic endeavors before being cast.

That said, Breaking Bad wasn’t entirely without its funny moments. Most of them didn’t come from Cranston’s character, though. Instead, the introduction of Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman allowed for more traditionally amusing scenes. Saul also had dramatic storylines, but even during those, it was almost impossible not to watch them without smiling. Odenkirk’s performance hit so hard in Breaking Bad because he was so larger-than-life, almost to the level of being more at home in a sitcom than an endlessly tense crime thriller. While pivotal to Walt’s success, Saul rarely felt like more than a side character and a source of comic relief.

Therefore, when it was announced that Breaking Bad would be followed up with a prequel show built around Saul, fans and critics alike thought the idea to be laughable – and not in a good way. For a comparatively light-hearted character like Saul to take center stage in a franchise that had earned a powerful reputation as a gritty crime saga, it was seen by many as a recipe for disaster that would tarnish Breaking Bad‘s legacy. How very wrong they were.

How ‘Better Call Saul’ Surpassed All Expectations

AMC

Saul survives the events of Breaking Bad, so greenlighting a sequel series that follows his life after the show was a very real possibility. Conversely, finding out exactly how Odenkirk came to be such a morally bankrupt lawyer was also an appealing premise. Rather than choosing a lane, Better Call Saul explored both eras of Saul’s life throughout the show. While that always runs the risk of a spin-off feeling bloated and directionless, the way the two storylines intertwined was nothing short of masterful. The black-and-white flashfowards artfully took care of the sequel stuff, while Better Call Saul‘s prioritization of its responsibilities as a Breaking Bad prequel essentially made Odenkirk’s project its own show.

Furthermore, the tone that Better Call Saul adopted was vital to its success. Although it was originally pitched as a 30-minute comedy series, the more dramatic elements that fans craved from Breaking Bad were ultimately folded in. The effortless comedic timing and charismatic delivery of Odenkirk as Saul inevitably made the show more comically-tinged than Breaking Bad, but it avoided ever feeling like a laugh-a-minute sitcom. The high-stakes storylines matched and often surpassed those of Breaking Bad, with many fans today hailing Better Call Saul as at least equal in quality to its parent show. This isn’t unheard of for spin-offs, but it isn’t all that common either.

Another huge part of what made Better Call Saul so great was the quality of the new characters. As a prequel, Better Call Saul was tasked with fleshing out the Breaking Bad universe in a way that wouldn’t disrupt established events that still had yet to happen. Characters like Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and Chuck (Michael McKean) were absolutely pivotal to Saul’s pre-Breaking Bad life, and yet they were never seen at later points in his timeline. The looming question of why this was meant that Better Call Saul became even more intriguing, but the characters themselves were so well-written that they didn’t feel included just for the sake of mystery.

‘Better Call Saul’ Is Now Essential Viewing for ‘Breaking Bad’ Fans

AMC

For so many reasons, watching Better Call Saul after Breaking Bad is now pretty much a necessity. Although Breaking Bad does work as a self-contained story, it’s also strangely incomplete without Better Call Saul. The prequel doesn’t just call upon Odenkirk to reprise his role, but also other franchise stars like Jonathan Banks as Mike and Giancarlo Esposito as Gus. Their backstories are just as important to how they conduct themselves and interact with Walt in Breaking Bad as Saul’s origin is in understanding why he is the way he is in the saga’s parent show.

Still, for the masses that watched and loved Breaking Bad, there are those who never went on to watch Better Call Saul. I often speak with people about the franchise, and I’m shocked to discover that this is the case. I’m similarly confused when fans say they’ve never seen 2019’s El Camino, which acts as an immediate sequel to Breaking Bad‘s final episode. Just as El Camino tells fans what happens to Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman after Walt’s death, Better Call Saul fills viewers in on the fallout of Saul’s actions in Breaking Bad – as well as making him a far more grounded and fleshed-out character overall.