| Better Call Saul | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Showrunners |
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| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Little Barrie |
| Composer | Dave Porter |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 63(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations | Albuquerque,New Mexico |
| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 41–69 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | AMC |
| Release | February 8, 2015 (2015-02-08) – August 15, 2022 (2022-08-15) |
| Related | |
Better Call Saul is an Americanneo-noirlegalcrime drama television series created byVince Gilligan andPeter Gould forAMC. Part of theBreaking Bad franchise, it is aspin-off of Gilligan's previous series,Breaking Bad (2008–2013), to which it serves primarily as aprequel, with some scenes taking place during and after the events ofBreaking Bad.Better Call Saulpremiered on AMC on February 8, 2015, andended on August 15, 2022, after six seasons, totaling63 episodes.
Set primarily in the early to mid-2000s inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, several years before the events ofBreaking Bad,Better Call Saul examines the ethical decline of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), an aspiringlawyer and formercon artist who becomes the egocentric criminal-defense attorneySaul Goodman alongside his romantic interest and colleagueKim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), while dealing with conflicts with his brotherChuck McGill (Michael McKean) and Chuck's law partnerHoward Hamlin (Patrick Fabian). The show also followsMike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), a former corrupt police officer who becomes afixer and enforcer fordrug traffickers, such as drug dealerNacho Varga (Michael Mando), anddrug lordGus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). The latter half of the show introduces cartel enforcerLalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton), who becomes a major antagonist to both Jimmy and Mike. In addition to the primary storyline,Better Call Saul includes black-and-whiteflashforwards set in 2010, after the events ofBreaking Bad, which explore the consequences of Saul's actions across both series. Odenkirk, Banks, and Esposito reprise their roles fromBreaking Bad, as do many others in guest appearances.
Gilligan, who created and developedBreaking Bad, and Gould, who wrote theBreaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul", began considering a Saul Goodman spin-off in 2009. Because Saul's role inBreaking Bad had expanded beyond the writing staff's plans, Gilligan felt he could be explored further. He and Gould considered making a half-hour legal comedy featuring Saul and his various clients, but settled on an hour-longtragedy showing how he develops into the character seen inBreaking Bad.Better Call Saul's development began during the production ofBreaking Bad's final season in 2013, with Gilligan and Gould serving as co-showrunners and numerous production staff returning. Gilligan leftBetter Call Saul as a writer early in thethird season—making Gould the sole showrunner for the remainder of its run—though he continued to direct episodes, and returned to help write thefinal season.
Better Call Saul received critical acclaim, with praise for its acting, characters, writing, direction, and cinematography. Many reviewers have considered it a worthy successor toBreaking Bad—some deeming it superior to its predecessor—and one of thegreatest television series of all time.[6][7][8] It hasgarnered many accolades, including 2Peabody Award nominations, 53Primetime Emmy Award nominations (setting a record for the most-nominated show to never win anEmmy), 19Writers Guild of America Award nominations, 20Critics' Choice Television Award nominations, 9Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, and 6Golden Globe Award nominations. At the time of its airing, the series premiere held the record for the highest-rated scripted series premiere in basic cable history.
Better Call Saul is aspin-off ofBreaking Bad, a popularcrime drama television series that ran from 2008 to 2013.[9][10] It is primarily aprequel that focuses onJimmy McGill, a former con artist aiming to gain respectability as apublic defender, and chronicles his gradual transformation into his eventualBreaking Bad persona of Saul Goodman, the flamboyant criminal lawyer with ties to the drug cartel. Most of the show takes place over a two-year period before the events ofBreaking Bad, spanning approximately 2002 to 2004.[11]
Jimmy is inspired by his older brotherChuck McGill to leave his Chicago-area conman past, when he was known as "Slippin' Jimmy". He initially works in the mailroom at his brother's Albuquerque law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM), where managing partnerHoward Hamlin becomes his nemesis. While at HHM Jimmy befriendsKim Wexler, a fellow mailroom employee who completes law school and becomes one of the firm's associates, and their friendship later turns romantic. Jimmy is motivated by Chuck's success to finish college and complete aJuris Doctor degree through a correspondence law school, the University ofAmerican Samoa.[12]
After attainingadmission to the bar but being denied employment at HHM, Jimmy's pursuits focus on low-paying clients, including working as a public defender. He later begins to build a practice inelder law, which leads to a prolonged lawsuit against a nursing home chain when he discovers it is defrauding its clients. He and Chuck begin working together on a class-action suit, which Chuck quickly turns over to HHM, squeezing out Jimmy. Jimmy begins to unravel due to Chuck's constant belittling, sabotage, and vindictive behavior toward him. Jimmy's life and career begin to intersect with the illegalnarcotics trade and feature characters and story arcs that continue intoBreaking Bad.
Among these arcs is the uneasy relationship between rival members of a drug cartel. On one side isGus Fring, a fried chicken company entrepreneur whose restaurant chain is a front business for his narcotics distribution. On the other are the Salamancas, a Mexican crime family who claim to have begun the drug trade in New Mexico. They are led byHector Salamanca, and later by his nephewLalo Salamanca. Those caught up in the conflict between Gus and the Salamancas includeIgnacio "Nacho" Varga, a Salamanca associate who wants to protect his father from harm, andMike Ehrmantraut, a former Philadelphia police officer who becomes a fixer for Gus but also has ties to Jimmy. As his interactions with criminals continue, Jimmy takes on the persona of the colorful Saul Goodman, and he starts to draw on his conman past while his work as an attorney goes from questionable to unethical to illegal.
In addition to selected scenes that take place within theBreaking Bad timeline in 2008,[13] the show includes flashforwards, shown in black and white, to events followingBreaking Bad. Taking place in 2010, these flashforwards show Jimmy living as a fugitive under the identity of Gene Takavic, the manager of aCinnabon store inOmaha, Nebraska. The flashforwards constitute the opening scenes of the first five season premieres, and make up nearly the entirety of the episodes towards the end of the series.
The character ofSaul Goodman first appeared duringBreaking Bad'ssecond season, in an episode that was also titled "Better Call Saul".[9]Bob Odenkirk, who portrayed Saul Goodman, had never seen the series prior to his appearance.[14] The character was originally intended to appear in only four episodes, but soon became much more developed than the staff had planned. He would eventually stay on the series and become central to its narrative.[15][16] AsBreaking Bad continued its run, the character grew in popularity with the audience. Odenkirk speculated this was because he is "the program's least hypocritical figure", and "is good at his job".[17]
Vince Gilligan, who created and developedBreaking Bad, andPeter Gould, who wrote the episode with Goodman's first appearance, considered a Saul Goodman spinoff as early as 2009.[9][10][18] Gould noted that over the course ofBreaking Bad, there were several "what ifs” their team considered, such as if the show won aPrimetime Emmy Award, or if people would buy "Los Pollos Hermanos" T-shirts. The staff did not expect these events to come to fruition, but after they did, they started considering a spin-off featuring Saul as a thought experiment. With the growth of Saul's character, the writers saw ways to explore the character further.[19] While filming theBreaking Bad episode "Full Measure", Gilligan asked Odenkirk his thoughts on a spinoff.[18] In July 2012, Gilligan publicly hinted at the idea, stating that he liked "the idea of a lawyer show in which the main lawyer will do anything it takes to stay out of court", including settling on the courthouse steps.[20][21]
In April 2013,Better Call Saul was confirmed to be in development by Gilligan and Gould.[22] In July 2013, before thesecond half ofBreaking Bad's final season aired, Gilligan said he and Gould were still working out ideas for the spin-off, but a deal had not yet been made.[23]Netflix was one of many interested distributors, but ultimately a deal was made between AMC and theBreaking Bad production companySony Pictures Television.[24]
As Sony and AMC began to commit to a spinoff, Gilligan and Gould worked on what it would be about. They initially considered making it a half-hour show where Saul would see various clients – celebrities in guest roles – in his strip mall office, similarly toDr. Katz, Professional Therapist, but they had no idea how to write for this type of format. They eventually fell back to planning for hour-long episodes. Gilligan describedBreaking Bad as being "25-percent humor, 75-percent drama", and speculated that they would reverse that forBetter Call Saul.[25] While the intent was to add more humor, the show remained heavy with dramatic elements, with Odenkirk calling thefirst season "85 percent drama, 15 percent comedy."[26] Gould called the comedic element ofBetter Call Saul and its predecessorBreaking Bad the "secret sauce" to both series, saying that it made their dramatic elements stronger and vice versa.[27]
Gilligan and Gould initially believed that Saul Goodman was insufficient to carry the show by himself, with Gilligan thinking the character was "great flavoring" for a show but not the substance. Eventually they came to realize that Saul, in theBreaking Bad timeframe, was a man who had come to accept himself, and recognized the potential of telling the story of how Saul got to be that person.[25] While several of the characters are lawyers in the show, Gilligan and Gould did not want to write a legal show, but instead a crime show that included some legal elements. To help in these areas, the writers spoke to real lawyers and spent time observing cases atLos Angeles Superior Court, observing that the bulk of the activity in these cases was downtime while waiting for others to complete actions.[28]
Gilligan and Gould began as co-showrunners for the series.[29] FormerBreaking Bad writersThomas Schnauz andGennifer Hutchison joined the writing staff, with Schnauz serving as co-executive producer and Hutchison as supervising producer.[30] Also joining the initial writing staff wereBradley Paul and formerBreaking Bad writer's assistantGordon Smith.[29]
Having learned several lessons fromBreaking Bad related to foreshadowing without writing the foresight, Gilligan and Gould gave themselves more flexibility in howBetter Call Saul's plot would develop over its run.[25] From the beginning they had no firm idea where it would end up outside the connection toBreaking Bad.[31][25] For example, Gilligan and Gould had already committed to theBetter Call Saul title in the beginning, so they believed they had to quickly get from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman or they would disappoint their audience. However, as they wrote the show, they realized "we don't want to get to Saul Goodman … and that's the tragedy".[25]Rhea Seehorn's performance asKim Wexler during the first season also influenced this decision. Impressed with Seehorn and her character, the writers subsequently decided to put more focus on the Jimmy–Kim relationship starting in thesecond season, in addition to further slowing Jimmy's transition into Saul Goodman for the remainder of the series. Gilligan compared this to the impactAaron Paul's acting had onBreaking Bad's eventual storyline.[32]
In writing forBetter Call Saul, Gilligan and Gould recognized they were including overlaps withBreaking Bad, and had ideas of characters that they would include, such asGus Fring, though without a set timetable in the show's development. Gilligan described the writing approach as like developing two separate shows, one centered on Jimmy/Saul, Kim, Chuck, and Howard and a second on the more familiarBreaking Bad characters like Mike and Gus.[25] Where possible, they had written in minorBreaking Bad characters in smaller parts or asEaster eggs to fans, but Gilligan preferred to include such majorBreaking Bad characters asWalter White orJesse Pinkman only if this seemed realistic and satisfactory to both the production team and the audiences.[25]
Because of the closeness to theBreaking Bad storyline, a writer would be tasked at the start of each season to rewatchall 62 episodes of the show and verify that the scripts for theBetter Call Saul season introduced no conflicts.[33] As the show continued, the show's "brain trust", consisting of script coordinators Ariel Levine and Kathleen Williams-Foshee, reviewed each script to help maintain the continuity withBreaking Bad, including tracking minor character traits and ensuring small details from the previous show were kept correct.[34]
Gilligan left theBetter Call Saul writing staff early in thethird season to focus on other projects, resulting in Gould becoming sole showrunner. This transition had been planned since the show's debut. Upon his departure, Gilligan expressed a hope to return to the writers' room during the show's final season.[35] He remained involved in thefourth andfifth seasons, but had little to do with developing the show's content during this period. Instead, Gilligan reduced his role to "director for hire", directing an episode during each season when he was not on the writing staff.[36][37][38] Gilligan went on to laud Gould for maintainingBetter Call Saul's high quality, stating the series got better even after he left.[36][39] Gould brought Gilligan back to the writers' room for thesixth and final season, calling it "wonderful to have him there, so we can finish this show that we started together."[40]
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Bob Odenkirk confirmed he would reprise Saul Goodman in the starring role when the series was first announced, but his character would be introduced as lawyerJimmy McGill.[9] In January 2014, it was announced thatJonathan Banks would reprise hisBreaking Bad role asMike Ehrmantraut and be a series regular.[41]
New cast members includedMichael McKean as McGill's elder brotherChuck McGill. McKean previously guest-starred in an episode of Odenkirk'sMr. Show and Gilligan'sX-Files episode "Dreamland".[42][43]Rhea Seehorn auditioned and got the role ofKimberly "Kim" Wexler in April 2014, her character being described as "prestigious attorney ... whose hard life is complicated by her romantic entanglements with somebody else at the firm". In May 2014,Patrick Fabian was cast on the show asHoward Hamlin, a "Kennedy-esque lawyer who's winning at life". After impressing Gilligan and Gould with his audition tape and screen test,Michael Mando was cast as the "smart and calculating criminal"Ignacio "Nacho" Varga.[44][45][46] Mando's character had been previously mentioned but not seen in theBreaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul".[47]
Going into the third season,Giancarlo Esposito was added to the main cast asGus Fring, a drug kingpin who previously served as one ofBreaking Bad's main antagonists. Esposito was previously a starring cast member inBreaking Bad for the same role.[48] McKean left the series at season's end due to his character being written out, but made appearances in the fourth and sixth seasons.[49]Tony Dalton made his first appearance asLalo Salamanca in the fourth season, and was promoted to the main cast for the fifth.[50] Like Nacho, Lalo had been a character mentioned only by name in the sameBreaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul".[47]
Before the second season, Gilligan confirmed that moreBreaking Bad characters would appear on the spin-off, but remained vague on which ones were likely to be seen.[51] By the next season, Gilligan said that the show had been on long enough that any reuse ofBreaking Bad characters would require more than "just a cameo or anAlfred Hitchcock walkthrough", and that their appearances would need to be essential to the story.[52]
Breaking Bad lead actorsBryan Cranston andAaron Paul regularly said throughout the series run that they would be open to reprising their respective roles asWalter White andJesse Pinkman onBetter Call Saul. However, both maintained that they would only appear if Gilligan found a sufficiently good reason to bring them on the show.[52][53] Both eventually appeared in the final season.[54]Dean Norris, aBreaking Bad starring cast member who portrayedHank Schrader, stated that he could not be part ofBetter Call Saul in the beginning due to his involvement in theCBS seriesUnder the Dome.[55] However, he was able to reprise his role as a guest star in the fifth season.[56] Plans were initially made forBetsy Brandt to reprise her role as Hank's wifeMarie Schrader in a cameo in the second season, but the writer's room objected, considering the idea to be distracting for audiences.[57] Brandt eventually reprised the role in the final season.[58]
OtherBreaking Bad cast members spoke of the potential of being onBetter Call Saul. Before the series began,Anna Gunn mentioned a talk with Gilligan over possible guest appearances asSkyler White.[59]Bill Burr was set to return asPatrick Kuby in the fifth season, but scheduling fell through due to him needing to attend to a personal matter.[60][61] After the series ended, Gould mentioned his desire to bring back all of the remainingBreaking Bad characters for the finale, but he and the writing staff could not find a proper way to have them fit into the story.[62][63]
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Principal photography forBetter Call Saul's six seasons took place from June 2, 2014, to February 9, 2022.[64][65][66] Like its predecessor,Better Call Saul is set in and aroundAlbuquerque, New Mexico, with filming primarily taking place atAlbuquerque Studios.[67][68] Gilligan directed the pilot.[29] Additional filming was done in March 2022, after principal photography for the series ended, for the opening teaser of the season six episode "Point and Shoot". With several crew members but no cast members on hand, the scene was filmed inLeo Carrillo State Beach, California. This was the only time the series was filmed outside of New Mexico.[69]: 1:00:01–1:01:29 [66]
Notable exterior locations include the Twisters restaurant used previously inBreaking Bad for Gus's Los Pollos Hermanos, a parking lot kiosk at theAlbuquerque Convention Center for where Mike worked in the first few seasons, the Old Bernalillo County Courthouse as the local courthouse, and two nearby office buildings in the North Valley, includingNorthrop Grumman's, that collectively are used for the HHM office spaces.[70] Jimmy's back office is located in an actual nail salon, which the producers accommodated by working with the owners. The Salamanca's restaurant is a real business in the South Valley that production modified slightly for the show, but which otherwise remained open. The scenes set in Omaha are filmed atCottonwood Mall in Albuquerque; production worked withCinnabon to bring in the period-specific equipment and service items for the segments, and the extras in the store during these scenes are Cinnabon employees.[70] The New Mexico Film Office reported that the first four seasons ofBetter Call Saul brought overUS$120 million into the state, and they have hired 1,600 crew for each season and a total of 11,300 extras.[71]
Better Call Saul employsBreaking Bad's signature time jumps.[72] Notably, the opening episode for the first five seasons started with a black and white flash-forward to a period in the years after the finale ofBreaking Bad. Here, Saul has been relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, as "Gene", a manager of a Cinnabon store, and remains paranoid about anyone discovering his past identity. This was foreshadowed in the penultimate episode ofBreaking Bad, "Granite State", in which Saul tells Walter: "If I'm lucky, a month from now, best-case scenario, I'm managing a Cinnabon in Omaha."[73]
The show'sdirector of photography wasArthur Albert for the first two seasons, and Marshall Adams starting with season 3.[74] Additionally, Paul Donachie served as a cinematographer on episodes "Namaste" (2020), "Carrot and Stick" (2022) and "Hit and Run" (2022).[75] Seasons 1 and 2 were filmed mainly onRED Dragon cameras.[76][77] Starting with season 3,Panasonic VariCam Pure were incorporated due to their extra low-light sensitivity.[78][79] This allowed the crew to shoot extra wide exterior shots at night as well as during the day, and to shoot on sets in near total darkness, such as nighttime in Chuck's unelectrified house.[80] For scenes requiring to film from cramped spaces, a PanasonicLumix GH4 camera was used.[81] In season 4, three RED and two VariCam Pure cameras were used.[78] For seasons 5 and 6, mostlyArriALEXA LF was used.[82][83][84]
Each episode'stitle sequence features a different low-quality image that recalls Saul Goodman's days onBreaking Bad. These include the inflatableStatue of Liberty balloon that sat atop Saul's office, a drawer of burner phones kept in his desk, and a bus stop bench advertising his business. Gould and Gilligan were inspired by the poor quality of earlyVHS tapes and the notoriously low production values of 1980spublic-access television and by the fact that Saul Goodman's law firm ads onBreaking Bad were done in a similar style. They intended the title sequences to appear "purposefully shitty" in order to stand out from their contemporaries, which generally had increased visual quality and production standards. Some of the title sequences were put together from unused footage fromBreaking Bad, but others were filmed specifically for the new series. The title sequences were put together by assistant editor Curtis Thurbe, and scored byLittle Barrie guitaristBarrie Cadogan.[85][86] When Cadogan was putting the music together, he was told the producers wanted a piece of music that would be cut abruptly at 15 seconds.[86]
As every season except the last has ten episodes each, the title credits for every season's corresponding episode number reused the same image. However, beginning with the second season, each of the episode's title sequences declined in picture quality by intermittently flashing black and white, and continued to lose color with each passing season. This caused many to theorize that this symbolized Jimmy McGill's storyline gradually transitioning to that of his post-Breaking Badalter-ego Gene Takavic, whose scenes were entirely in black and white.[87][88]
With the final season featuring thirteen episodes instead of the usual ten, the title sequences took on a new format. The title sequence for "Nippy" features Saul Goodman's "World's Greatest Lawyer" mug falling off his desk and shattering on the floor, as was typical during a season's tenth episode. However, the title image and music prematurely stop and are replaced by a blue screen, recreating the effects of a home video recording on aVCR, and then display the show's title and creator credits. This is also the first episode to take place entirely after the events ofBreaking Bad.[89] The remaining three title sequences retain the blue background, but briefly flash to an image previously unseen in the intro, with a distorted version of the theme song playing underneath. They then revert to the blue background and display the title and creator credits. Before the show resumes, they again briefly flash to another new image that will be seen later on in the episodes.[90]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 10 | February 8, 2015 (2015-02-08) | April 6, 2015 (2015-04-06) | |
| 2 | 10 | February 15, 2016 (2016-02-15) | April 18, 2016 (2016-04-18) | |
| 3 | 10 | April 10, 2017 (2017-04-10) | June 19, 2017 (2017-06-19) | |
| 4 | 10 | August 6, 2018 (2018-08-06) | October 8, 2018 (2018-10-08) | |
| 5 | 10 | February 23, 2020 (2020-02-23) | April 20, 2020 (2020-04-20) | |
| 6 | 13 | 7 | April 18, 2022 (2022-04-18) | May 23, 2022 (2022-05-23) |
| 6 | July 11, 2022 (2022-07-11) | August 15, 2022 (2022-08-15) | ||
Better Call Saul had its series premiere on February 8, 2015, and aired for six seasons until its series finale on August 15, 2022.[91][92] Its episodes are split between two main timelines.[93] The primary timeline begins in 2002, six years before thefirst episode ofBreaking Bad.[94] During this period, where a majority of the series takes place, Saul Goodman mainly practices as a lawyer inAlbuquerque, New Mexico under his birthname Jimmy McGill.[93]
The secondary timeline takes place in 2010, following events ofBreaking Bad'sfinale, where Saul has fled Albuquerque and hides inOmaha, Nebraska under the alias Gene Takavic.[95] This later timeline would be shown only in thecold open in the first five season premieres, but would be fully explored in the last four episodes of the series.[96][97]
The first season was planned to be released in 2014 but was delayed.[98][99] The first teaser trailer debuted on AMC on August 10, 2014, and confirmed its premiere date of February 2015.[100] On November 20, 2014, AMC announced the series would have a two-night premiere; the first episode aired on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at 10:00 pm (ET), and then moved into its regular time slot the following night, airing new episodes Mondays at 10:00 pm until the season concluded on April 6, 2015.[91]
In 2002, Jimmy schemes to represent Craig Kettleman, accused of embezzlement, leading to encounters with psychotic drug lord Tuco Salamanca and his lieutenant Nacho. Jimmy also cares for his brother Chuck, who is housebound withelectromagnetic hypersensitivity. While pursuingelder law, Jimmy learns of seniors being defrauded by the Sandpiper retirement community. As theclass action lawsuit against Sandpiper grows, Chuck suggests giving it to his law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill. Jimmy receives a smallof counsel fee and a share of any future settlement, but is blocked from participation. Jimmy learns Chuck sabotaged his legal career out of resentment. After the death of an old friend, Jimmy finds success when Davis & Main, another firm HHM brought in to assist with the Sandpiper case, offers to hire him.
In 2010, Gene manages aCinnabon by day, but in the evening reminisces about his life as Saul by watching aVHS tape of his old television advertisements.
Prior to the series' launch, on June 19, 2014, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes to premiere in early 2016, which was later reduced to 10 episodes.[29][101] The season premiered on February 15, 2016, and concluded on April 18, 2016.[102]
In 2002, Jimmy works as anassociate at D&M, but quits after his ostentatious legal style doesn't mesh with the firm's corporate demeanor. Kim is demoted by Chuck's partner, Howard Hamlin, because of Jimmy's actions. She secures banking firm Mesa Verde as an HHM client, although Howard denies her credit. Kim quits HHM and opens a shared private practice with Jimmy. Jimmy sabotages Chuck's work for Mesa Verde, which drops HHM and hires Kim, but Chuck discovers this and tricks Jimmy into confessing. Nacho wants to hire Mike Ehrmantraut to kill Tuco, but Mike removes him from the Salamanca organization by engineering his imprisonment. Hector Salamanca, cartel elder and Tuco's uncle, confronts Mike. Mike attempts to assassinate Hector, but is mysteriously interrupted.
In 2010, Gene accidentally locks himself in the dumpster room when closing out the Cinnabon for the night. Instead of alerting police, he spends the night waiting for the janitor to open the door.
AMC announced on March 15, 2016, thatBetter Call Saul was renewed for a 10-episode third season, which premiered April 10, 2017, and concluded on June 19, 2017.[103][104]
In 2003, Jimmy's law license is suspended as a result of the disciplinary hearing, and Chuck's hypersensitivity condition is revealed to be psychosomatic. After Jimmy sabotages Chuck's insurance, Howard urges him to retire, but Chuck sues HHM in spite. Howard buys him out of the firm, leading Chuck to commit suicide. Gus prevents Hector's assassination, and Mike attacks Hector's trucks to steal $250,000 on Gus's orders. To launder the money, Gus arranges for Mike's hire as a contracted security consultant at Madrigal. Hector plans to take over the business of Nacho's father, so his son attempts to kill Hector by sabotaging hisangina medication. Hector suffers a stroke during a confrontation with cartel lieutenant Juan Bolsa, which renders him comatose.
In 2010, Gene points mall security guards towards a shoplifter during his lunch break. Later, a stressed Gene suddenly collapses during his work.
Following the third season's end on June 27, 2017, AMC renewed the series for a 10-episode fourth season, which premiered on August 6, 2018, and concluded on October 8, 2018.[105][106]
In 2003, Jimmy regains his outgoing demeanor after Howard shoulders the blame for Chuck's death. Jimmy manages a cell phone store but earns more by reselling prepaid phones to criminals. A year later, his law license reinstatement is denied over lack of remorse for Chuck. After faking mourning, he successfully appeals and practices as "Saul Goodman". Gus learns Nacho attempted to kill Hector and blackmails him into undermining the Salamancas. Mike escorts engineers who evaluate Gus's industrial laundry site as a potential underground meth lab. Gus hires Werner Ziegler to oversee construction, but Mike is ordered to kill Werner when he goesAWOL to spend time with his wife. Hector recovers from his stroke, but is mute and can only move his right index finger. His nephew, Lalo Salamanca, arrives to run Hector's business, and learns some details of Gus's construction project.
In 2010, Gene is hospitalized after his collapse and later discharged. He becomes uneasy when a taxi driver with anAlbuquerque Isotopes air freshener seems to recognize him.
The series was renewed for a fifth season on July 28, 2018, just prior to the airing of the fourth season.[107] The fifth season was not expected to air until 2020; according to AMC'sSarah Barnett, the delay was "driven by talent needs".[108] The 10-episode fifth season started airing with a special Sunday broadcast on February 23, 2020, with following episodes to air on Mondays until the season concluded on April 20, 2020.[109]
In 2004, Jimmy's law practice as Saul Goodman draws him into Albuquerque's drug trade and he is conflicted when Howard offers him a position at HHM. Kim balances her Mesa Verde andpro bono work with her own feelings for Jimmy, and finds herself employing similar conman-style tactics. Jimmy and Kim later devise a plan to ruin Howard to settle the Sandpiper case. Lalo's presence in Albuquerque forces Gus to suspend construction of his meth lab. Nacho and Mike become pawns in the feud between the Salamancas and Gus. After Lalo is arrested for murder, he hires Jimmy to represent him and arrange bail, which almost kills Jimmy. After an unsuccessful attempt on Lalo's life by Gus's hired assassins after his release, Lalo deduces that Nacho has betrayed him.
In 2010, during another lunch break, Gene is approached by the taxi driver, Jeff, and his friend Buddy. Jeff reveals that he recognized Gene as Saul Goodman from when he previously lived in Albuquerque. Gene admits he is living with a secret identity.
AMC renewed the series for a sixth season on January 16, 2020, with a scheduled premiere in 2021.[110] Showrunner Peter Gould confirmed it would be the show's final season and consist of 13 episodes rather than the usual 10.[111] Production experienced long delays due toCOVID-19 and star Bob Odenkirk's needing several weeks to fully recover froma heart attack he experienced on set.[112][113] The sixth and final season was split into two halves.[92] The first half premiered with back-to-back episodes on April 18, 2022 and concluded on May 23, 2022.[114][92] The last half of the season premiered on July 11, 2022 and concluded on August 15, 2022.[92]
In 2004, Nacho attempts to flee from the Salamancas after the attempt on Lalo's life, but after Gus falsely implicates him, Nacho sacrifices himself in exchange for his father's safety. Jimmy and Kim smear Howard's reputation, thereby forcing a settlement of the Sandpiper case. Howard confronts them but is murdered by Lalo. Lalo uses Kim as a diversion to access the meth lab, but Gus kills him. Mike makes Howard's death appear to be a suicide, and he and Lalo are buried beneath the lab. A traumatized Kim quits the law and divorces Jimmy. Some time later, Jimmy has fully transformed into Saul Goodman.
In 2008, Saul deduces thatWalter White is "Heisenberg", a drug manufacturer producing high-quality crystal meth in the Albuquerque area. Despite Mike's reservations, Saul decides to recruit Walter and his collaboratorJesse Pinkman as full-time clients.
In 2010, Gene approaches Jeff and Buddy with an offer to rob a department store. After reaching out to Kim, who now lives in Florida, Gene devises a scheme to steal the identities and financial details of rich single men. When the scheme backfires, Buddy quits the operation, Jeff is arrested, and Gene is caught. He is extradited to Albuquerque and gives testimony falsely implicating Kim so she can be summoned to court. Jimmy confesses to Kim and those at the trial about his crimes during the events ofBreaking Bad andBetter Call Saul, as well as his role in Chuck's death. Jimmy is recognized as Saul in prison and gains popularity with the inmates. Kim visits him and they share a cigarette before she departs.
Better Call Saul would air on cable networkAMC. The series premiere drew in 4.4 million and 4 million in the 18–49 and 25–54 demographics, respectively, and received an overall viewership of 6.9 million.[115] This was the record for the highest-rated scripted series premiere in basic cable history, until it was surpassed later the same year by another AMC series,Fear the Walking Dead.[116]
In December 2013,Netflix announced that the entire first season would be available for streaming in the U.S. after the airing of the first-season finale, and in Latin America and Europe each episode would be available a few days after the episode aired in the U.S.[117] However, the first season was not released on Netflix in the U.S. until February 1, 2016.[118][119] Internationally, episodes of the second season became available the day after they aired in the U.S.[120]
Netflix would be the exclusive video-on-demand provider for the series and made the content available in all its territories, except forAustralia andNew Zealand.[117] In Australia,Better Call Saul premiered on thestreaming serviceStan on February 9, 2015, acting as the service's flagship program.[121][122] In New Zealand, the show was exclusive to the video-on-demand serviceLightbox before moving toNeon in 2020 when both services were merged.[123][124] The episodes were available for viewing within three days of broadcast in the U.S.[125]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series was acquired by Netflix on December 16, 2013.[126] The first episode premiered on February 9, 2015, with the second episode released the following day. Every subsequent episode was released each week thereafter.[127] In Ireland, the series began airing on Irish TV networkTG4 on October 18, 2022.[128] In India, the series was broadcast onColors Infinity within 24 hours of the U.S. broadcast.[129]
During thefinal season's run in 2022, each episode would be available to stream the day they premiered onAMC+, AMC's streaming service which first launched in June 2020.[130][131] Thesixth season premiere resulted in the biggest day of new subscriber sign-ups for AMC+, and by themid-season finale episodic viewership on the streaming service rose by 61%.[130][132] Upon the release of theseries finale, the app experienced an outage, causing many users to be logged out.[133] AMC later reported that first-day viewing numbers for the finale on AMC+ was four times as big as theseason premiere, and called the series' final season the highest acquisition driver in the history of the streaming service.[134]
Each season would be released onBlu-ray andDVD.[135][136][137][138][139][140] A limited edition Blu-ray set for the first season was also released with 3D packaging and a postcard vinyl of theBetter Call Saul theme song byJunior Brown.[135] The complete series was issued on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on December 6, 2022, which spanned 19 discs and included 70 hours of bonus features.[141][142]
| Season | Release dates | Episodes | Special features | Discs | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | |||||
| Season One | November 10, 2015 | 10 | List
| 3 | [135] |
| Season Two | November 15, 2016 | 10 | List
| 3 | [136] |
| Season Three | January 16, 2018 | 10 | List
| 3 | [137] |
| Season Four | May 7, 2019 | 10 | List
| 3 | [138] |
| Season Five | November 24, 2020 | 10 | List
| 3 | [139] |
| Season Six | December 6, 2022 | 13 | List
| 4 | [140] |
| The Complete Series | December 6, 2022 | 63 |
| 19 | [141] |
| Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 97% (291 reviews)[143] | 78 (43 reviews)[144] |
| 2 | 97% (182 reviews)[145] | 85 (18 reviews)[146] |
| 3 | 98% (175 reviews)[147] | 87 (18 reviews)[148] |
| 4 | 99% (185 reviews)[149] | 87 (16 reviews)[150] |
| 5 | 99% (185 reviews)[151] | 92 (16 reviews)[152] |
| 6 | 99% (182 reviews)[153] | 94 (20 reviews)[154] |
Better Call Saul received critical acclaim and is considered to be an outstanding example of how to successfully produce aprequel andspinoff work that defies expectations.[155] Many critics have calledBetter Call Saul a worthy successor toBreaking Bad and some have even deemed it superior to its predecessor. In September 2019,The Guardian ranked the show at No. 48 on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, describing it as "A supremely measured character piece that has steadily improved as its central tragedy has materialised."[156] In 2021,Empire rankedBetter Call Saul at No. 27 on their list of The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[157] Also in 2021, it was voted the 23rd-best TV series of the 21st century by theBBC, as picked by 206 TV experts from around the world.[158] In September 2022,Rolling Stone listedBetter Call Saul as the 32nd greatest TV show of all time, in its updated list from 2016.[159]
The first season has a 97% approval rating on thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.1/10 based on 291 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Better Call Saul is a quirky, dark character study that manages to stand on its own without being overshadowed by the series that spawned it."[143]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a "generally favorable" score of 78 based on 43 reviews.[144]
The second season has a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.7/10 based on 182 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Better Call Saul continues to tighten its hold on viewers with a batch of episodes that inject a surge of dramatic energy while showcasing the charms of its talented lead."[145] On Metacritic, it has a score of 85 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[146]
The third season has a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.75/10 based on 175 reviews. The website's critical consensus is, "Better Call Saul shows no signs of slipping in season 3, as the introduction of more familiar faces causes the inevitable transformation of its lead to pick up exciting speed."[147] On Metacritic, it has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[148]
The fourth season has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.9/10 based on 185 reviews. The website's critical consensus states, "Well-crafted and compelling as ever,Better Call Saul deftly balances the show it was and the one it will inevitably become."[149] On Metacritic, it has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[150]
The fifth season has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.9/10 based on 185 reviews. The website's critical consensus is, "Grounded by Bob Odenkirk's endlessly nuanced, lived-in performance,Better Call Saul's fifth season is a darkly funny, vividly realized master class in tragedy."[151] On Metacritic, it has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[152]
The sixth season has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 9.4/10 based on 182 reviews. The website's critical consensus is, "Better Call Saul remains as masterfully in control as Jimmy McGill keeps insisting he is in this final season, where years of simmering storytelling come to a scintillating boil."[153] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 94 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[154]
After the airing of the series finale, Stuart Jeffries ofThe Guardian said that the series had surprisingly surpassed its predecessor in quality, saying: "Over six series,Better Call Saul evolved into a more profound and beautiful drama about human corruption than its predecessor. It mutated into something visually more sumptuous thanBreaking Bad, while never, for a moment, losing its verbal dexterity and moral compass".[160] Craig Elvy ofScreen Rant also opined that the series was better than its predecessor, saying: "Jimmy McGill's spinoff leaves a very familiar legacy – sustained and enthusiastic praise from audiences and critics, capped by an ending that satisfies across the board." He went on to say: "WhenBetter Call Saul began, many would've hoped the spinoff could either escapeBreaking Bad's shadow, or somehow enhance Walt and Jesse's story with illuminating new details. Few dared dreamBetter Call Saul would achieve both, and the sheer ambition to create a spinoff that wholly embraces its predecessor whilst also existing in a totally different realm exemplifies whyBetter Call Saul has an ever-so-slight edge overBreaking Bad."[161] Jeremy Urquhart ofCollider made a comparison between the quality of both series, saying: "Breaking Bad succeeds as a crime-thriller tragedy with a fast-paced plot, andBetter Call Saul works as a slower-paced, character-focused drama (with some dark comedy)". He said the list "doesn't aim to argue that one is better than the other. It's a matter of personal preference, but it's hard to deny that there are certain thingsBetter Call Saul does better, but also some areas where it isn't quite as great as its parent show."[162]
| Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | Avg. viewers (millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (millions) | Date | Viewers (millions) | ||||
| 1 | Sunday 10:00 pm(episode 1) Monday 10:00 pm(episodes 2–10) | 10 | February 8, 2015 | 6.88[163] | April 6, 2015 | 2.53[164] | 3.21[165] |
| 2 | Monday 10:00 pm | 10 | February 15, 2016 | 2.57[166] | April 18, 2016 | 2.26[167] | 2.16[168] |
| 3 | 10 | April 10, 2017 | 1.81[169] | June 19, 2017 | 1.85[170] | 1.64[171] | |
| 4 | Monday 9:00 pm | 10 | August 6, 2018 | 1.77[172] | October 8, 2018 | 1.53[173] | 1.49[174] |
| 5 | Sunday 10:00 pm(episode 1) Monday 9:00 pm(episodes 2–10) | 10 | February 23, 2020 | 1.60[175] | April 20, 2020 | 1.59[176] | 1.37[177] |
| 6A | Monday 9:00 pm | 7 | April 18, 2022 | 1.42[178] | May 23, 2022 | 1.19[179] | 1.27[180] |
| 6B | 6 | July 11, 2022 | 1.16[181] | August 15, 2022 | 1.80[182] | ||
Better Call Saul received 53Emmy Award nominations, with zero wins, which is the record for the most nominations without a win.[184] It is widely regarded as one of the greatest shows of all time to never win an Emmy.[185][186][187] It received seven nominations forOutstanding Drama Series,Bob Odenkirk received six nominations forOutstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series,Jonathan Banks andGiancarlo Esposito were each nominated forOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (four times for Banks and twice for Esposito),Rhea Seehorn received two nominations forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, andMichael McKean was nominated forOutstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. The series also received eight nominations forOutstanding Writing for a Drama Series and one nomination forOutstanding Directing for a Drama Series.[188]
Better Call Saul has its own set of official multimedia spin-offs and related media within theBreaking Bad franchise. This includesa talk show, several web series and digital shorts, comic books, and an insider podcast.[189][190][191][192]
We think, by and large, this show will be a prequel, but the wonderful thing about the fractured chronology we employed onBreaking Bad for many years is the audience will not be thrown by us jumping around in time. So it's possible that we may indeed do that, and we'll see the past and perhaps the future.
"Having the ability to shoot at ISO 5,000 opened a whole new world for us," says Gilligan.
Director of Photography Arthur Albert would shoot with Panasonic..
For the second season, see"Better Call Saul: Season Two Ratings".TV Series Finale. April 19, 2016.Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. RetrievedApril 21, 2022.
For the third season, see"Better Call Saul: Season Three Ratings".TV Series Finale. July 29, 2018.Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. RetrievedApril 21, 2022.
For the fourth season, see"Better Call Saul: Season Four Ratings".TV Series Finale. October 9, 2018.Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. RetrievedApril 21, 2022.
For the fifth season, see"Better Call Saul: Season Five Ratings".TV Series Finale. February 25, 2020.Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. RetrievedApril 21, 2022.
For the sixth season, see"Better Call Saul: Season Six Ratings".TV Series Finale. April 19, 2022.Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. RetrievedApril 21, 2022.
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