Better Call Saulgave the term “spinoff” a whole new meaning when it followed AMC’s seminal crime dramaBreaking Badin 2015. The series didn’t just honor the show that spawned it —Better Call Sauladded new dimensions to theBreaking Badstory, and at its best was able to surpass its celebrated parent series as a modern-day TV masterpiece.
While the spinoff prequel necessarily excluded Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from its story,Better Call Saulfeatured most of thebest characters in theBreaking Baduniverse. From major figures in the parent series like Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut, to newcomers such as Kim Wexler and Lalo Salamanca, the show was brimming with complex, captivating characterizations.
Several ofBetter Call Saul’s best episodesfocused on a new character who didn’t feature inBreaking Bad, Saul Goodman’s brother, Chuck McGill.One Chuck-centered season 3 episode, in particular, elevated the show above the lofty heights of its forerunnerby effecting a depth of interpersonal dynamic between characters that not evenBreaking Badcould achieve.
This Was The Pinnacle Of The Jimmy & Chuck Story Arc
Especially in the first three seasons ofBetter Call Saul, Saul Goodman was primarily known by his birth name, Jimmy McGill, and his strained relationship with his brother, Chuck, was the heartbeat of the show. The problems between Jimmy and Chuck were most profoundly expressed ina scene during the season 3 episode “Chicanery.”
Set in the courtroom where Jimmy’s disbarment hearing was being held, the scene saw the lawyer cross-examine his brother, whose actions had brought about the hearing.Jimmy deliberately deceived Chuck with his questioningin order to disprove his brother’s chronic health condition in front of the court, and discredit his testimony.
These actions amounted toa serious betrayal, which humiliated Chuck, precipitating the character’s downward spiral. The scene was one of the most prominent instances ofSaul Goodman going too far inBetter Call Saul, proving himself to be virtually devoid of moral scruples.
The way he turned on his brother with an ingenious act of trickery, and the agonizing pain evident in Chuck’s uncontrolled diatribe against his brother, demonstrateda profound level of emotional depth that not evenBreaking Badcould match. With this episode, the prequel had outgrown its parent show.
The Jimmy & Chuck Plot Arc Added A Different Dimension To Better Call Saul
Their Brotherly Dynamic Gave The Show An Extra Layer Of Emotional Depth
This storyline ended in tragedy, withChuck McGill’s death at the end ofBetter Call Saulseason 3. But it was ultimately what set the prequel series apart from its forerunner.Breaking Badnever involved the kind of complex family dynamic we saw play out between Jimmy and Chuck.
If anything, Walter White’s family was underused and underdeveloped as characters in the original series of the franchise. While Walt and Jesse’s relationship was comparable to the dynamic between Jimmy and Chuck in certain respects, they never hadthe kind of brotherly bond that comes with sharing an intimate family history.
Walt and Jesse didn’t know or care about each other in the same way that Jimmy and Chuck did.Better Call Saul’s brothers shared the kind of animosity and depth of feeling towards each other that is unique to siblings. Their relationship gave the show an extra dimension, making iteven more emotive thanBreaking Bad’s at its most human.
Saul’s History As A Small-Time Criminal Made His Family Background More Intriguing
Jimmy McGill’s Transformation Into Saul Goodman Was Meticulously Charted
Another aspect ofBetter Call Saulthat added emotional depth to the series was its use of flashbacks to Jimmy McGill’s early life.Three different actors played Saul Goodmanin the show, including lead star Bob Odenkirk. We saw child and teenage versions of Jimmy, as well as flashbacks to his adult life before the events of the series.
Jimmy McGill’s transformation into Saul Goodman could be traced directly to his boyhood and family background.
These flashbacks showed us how Jimmy McGill developed into an unscrupulous petty criminal, in contrast to Walter White’s sudden turn from downtrodden high school teacher and family man to ruthless drug kingpin inBreaking Bad.Jimmy McGill’s more gradual evolution into Saul Goodman, which could be traced directly to his boyhood and family background, was far more interesting to explore.
It Turned Better Call Saul Towards The Main Focus Of Its Parent Series
At the same time, Saul’s family history and early years as a morally suspect lawyer were a complete divergence from the main focus ofBreaking Bad’s narrative. On the other hand,Better Call Saul’s pivot to Gus Fring’s rivalry with Lalo Salamanca from season 4onwards made the show feel far more like aBreaking Badprequel.
Gus and Lalo were theBreaking Baduniverse’s two best villains, and it’s a shame the latter didn’t make it into the franchise’s original show. Althoughthey tended to steal the show from Saul in the later seasonsofBetter Call Saul, their gripping mutual antagonism was further proof of just how rich the series was with masterful characterizations.
In the end, any comparison betweenBreaking BadandBetter Call Sauldoes a disservice to each show, because both of them deserve their status among the greatest stories ever told on the small screen. But thanks to Jimmy and Chuck McGill,Better Call Sauljust edged out its forerunner as a series underpinned by profound psychological concerns.
Better Call Saul
Cast
Better Call Saul follows small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill as he navigates the legal world to make ends meet. The series, set six years before his encounter with Walter White, chronicles Jimmy’s evolution into Saul Goodman, with notable interactions alongside fixer Mike Ehrmantraut.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
