No one suspected that this spin-off on Saul Goodman’s beginnings would reach the level of the original work, let alone exceed it.
” Better Call Saul is better than Breaking Bad “: this is a phrase that seriesphiles have been whispering discreetly for a few years, fearful of being accused of blasphemy and almost apologizing for insulting a series as idolized as Breaking Bad. Today, as Better Call Saul (broadcast in France on Netflix) begins its fifth season and finally catches up with the longevity of the work that inspired it, this simple statement has nevertheless become a commonly accepted reality.
Guillermo del Toro puts it shamelessly on Twitter. Vince Gilligan, showrunner and screenwriter of the two series, says that he meets fans every day who says he prefers Saul – and he is delighted. Read More: Nostalgia! New Better Call Saul Episode Shows Off Hank’s Return Even the most fervent supporters of Breaking Bad are now forced to recognize the immense quality of its spin-off, which has managed to rise to the rank of the best series of the decade.
To tell the truth, the quality of Better Call Saul is not surprising. Co-created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould (the inventor of the character of Saul Goodman), it consists of the same addictive ingredients as Breaking Bad: incredibly tense scenes, colorful characters ( sometimes literally ), sunny landscapes of the New- Mexico and even mysterious or caustic opening sequences, similar to those which made the originality of its predecessor.
When Gilligan and Gould were given a prequel series dedicated to this energetic earthy thing, they initially planned to make a comedy of it, with episodes of thirty minutes, each focused on a client of Saul.
But quickly, the creators realized that the character, as it was conceived in Breaking Bad, did not have the necessary complexity to carry on his shoulders an entire series.
This is how Jimmy McGill, a cunning young lawyer but still on the safe side of the law, comes into play. The trajectory of the series will be as follows: show how the endearing Jimmy could have become the crooked Saul Goodman
