Is Better Call Saul, a spinoff of the iconic Breaking Bad, focusing on the evolution of Jimmy McGill surpassed its predecessor? Here are 10 ways it is even better than Breaking Bad.
When Vincent Gilligan’s crime drama, Breaking Bad, concluded with a perfect series finale that tied up all the loose ends, it was considered to be the greatest TV series to ever hit the airwaves. Since then, Gilligan has followed up the saga of Walter White with Better Call Saul, the origin story of his deceitful lawyer Saul Goodman, formerly known as Jimmy McGill and later known as Gene Takovic.
Breaking Bad is undeniably a masterpiece being the highest-rated series, helped in no small by Bryan Cranston’s captivating performance as Walt, the spin-off has arguably emerged as an even stronger series.
- Use of certainty of fate as a dramatic tool.
Just like all other prequels, BetterCall Saul uses the inevitability of fate as a dramatic tool. Fans know that matter what Breaking Bad will end in tragedy.
Viewers are getting into BetterCall Saul knowing how it would end, which has allowed the writers to subvert the audience’s expectations and tell their origin story in a unique way. Hence knowing what the outcome is in BetterCall Saul makes it more interesting.
2. Jimmy Is More Relatable Than Walter
In Breaking Bad, Walter’s descent into evil-dom is stark, steady, and plain to see, with that evil becoming clearer in each episode, BetterCall Saul’s Jimmy is much more relatable. The minute you think he has a heart of gold is exactly the minute he does something to prove you wrong.
Jimmy often does bad things with good intentions, like bending the law to help Kim or bucking a broken system that hindered justice, while Walt pretended to have good intentions but he never really did, because he built his meth empire to fuel his own ego, and admitted as much in the series finale. Hence Jimmy is far less predictable and more relatable than Walter, which makes him the better protagonist.
3. Mike And Gus Are Both More Complex In Better Call Saul Than Breaking Bad
In addition to rounding out Saul Goodman’s character arc, BetterCall Saul has dedicated a lot of time to fleshing out other Breaking Bad supporting characters, primarily Mike Ehrmantraut and Gus Fring. Mike was a big part of Breaking Bad, and he is an even bigger part of BetterCall Saul. While the latter series focuses on the backstory of Saul Goodman, we also get the bonus of seeing more of Mike, and how he ended up in this criminal world as well. By excluding Walter White, BetterCall Saul allowed Gus to come into the light with his own backstory.
Saul has expanded on their personal lives and backstories significantly unlike Breaking Bad mainly depicted Mike as a fixer and Gus as a ruthless criminal leader,
4. Better Call Saul Is Funnier That Breaking Bad
BetterCall Saul is a drama too, but its seriousness is undermining with lots of humor. Although Both Breaking Bad and BetterCall Saul have a strong sense of humor on top of their complex drama, the latter is even funnier than the former. Bryan Cranston, the lead actor with a background in comedy, sure makes it funnier in a way. He got his start on sitcoms like Seinfeld and Malcolm in the Middle, although he is predominantly a dramatic actor.
5. Its Most Hated Character Always Vindicates the Hate
There is always a supporting character in a show that is widely despised by fans. Similarly in Breaking Bad, it was Walt’s embattled wife, Skyler, whereas in BetterCall Saul it’s Jimmy’s brother Chuck.
In Breaking Bad, Skyler was just any normal person who would react when her husband revealed his history of drugs and killing people, whereas Chuck, in BetterCall Saul, justifies the hate he receives. He’s a terrible brother to Jimmy, and also the flashbacks show that he always has been, and despite that, Jimmy still takes care of him, and he doesn’t appreciate any of it.
6. The Flash-Forward Add New Dimensions to The Narrative
Since BetterCall Saul is a prequel to Breaking Bad, it also acts as a sequel with the future-set black and white scenes following Jimmy’s life under the guise of Gene Takovic managing a Cinnabon in Omaha, Nebraska.
These sequences with Gene, which usually arrive at the beginning of each season, have added new dimensions to the narrative and given audiences more mysteries to examine.
7. Better Call Saul Is a Unique Spin on A Well-Worn TV Genre
Unlike any show, a TV drama about lawyers is nothing new for the audience. In fact, the law procedural is the most familiar and well-worn genre in the TV landscape. But Better Call Saul is a unique storyline with a fresh spin on this well-worn genre. Jimmy McGill is not like any other TV lawyer. A lawyer who would bend rules just to avoid actually going to court.
8. The Cinematography Is Breath-taking
Undoubtedly there were plenty of interesting shots in Breaking Bad, like placing a camera inside a refrigerator or capturing the beauty of the New Mexico wilderness with gorgeous landscape photography. But the cinematography in Better Call Saul is even sharper. Cinematographers like Marshall Adams and Arthur Albert have given the series a more distinctive aesthetic than most modern movies.
9. Kim Wexler Is Arguably the Most Compelling Character In The Whole Breaking Bad Universe
In terms of female leads, Skyler White is no Kim Wexler. Fellow attorney Kim Wexler is a little more on the moral side than Jimmy, but she is also not perfect. Jimmy McGill is the focus of Better Call Saul, the series has a secondary protagonist who’s so compelling that she frequently steals the spotlight. At first glance, Kim is a competent lawyer and a fearsome competitor in the courtroom, but under the surface, she enjoys a good double-crossing scheme almost as much as Jimmy.
From her intimate conversations with Jimmy to her intense confrontation with Lalo Salamanca, Rhea Seehorn has given an impeccable performance as Kim throughout Better Call Saul’s five seasons. The fact that her awards shelf remains Emmy-less is a travesty. Kim is just as unpredictable as the title guy. But in her own way, and the way these two plays off each other totally works for the show in a way that Skyler and Walter’s dynamic never could
10. Jimmy’s Transformation Is Subtler Than Walter
While we get a taste of what and who Saul is in Breaking Bad, and see some of the clever things he did and his ways of thinking, we really get to see how clever a con man he is in Better Call Saul. Walt’s fabled transformation from Mr. Chips into Scarface had plenty of pathos, but it was telegraphed by moments like gruesomely taking his first life or driving through a gaggle of drug dealers.
Jimmy’s transformation in Better Call Saul is very subtler, signified by moments like humming “Smoke on the Water” to show Marco’s influence on his rebelliousness in the season 1 finale.
