Summary
Throughout six seasons,Better Call Saulhad countless definitive moments, which categorized the series as among the finest prequels ever made. By telling the story of how Jimmy McGill turned into the sleazy criminal lawyer Saul Goodman,Better Call Saulmanaged to add depth and nuance to the overallBreaking Baduniverse while delivering one of the greatest character studies television had ever seen. With a career-defining performance from Bob Odenkirk,Better Call Saulwas filled with memorable moments, insightful scenes, and sequences that positioned it as a modern TV classic.
While there were plenty ofBetter Call Saulscenes that hit harder thanks toBreaking Bad, lots of other moments defined the show and stood out as important aspects of the series' legacy. This included moments that callback to previously established events inBreaking Bad, as well as instances that set the show apart as its own narrative, which arguably even outdid the original series. Looking back on the show today,several moments definedBetter Call Saul.
8Tuco’s Back
Season 1, Episode 1, “Uno”
Better Call Saulhad a lot to live up to in its pilot episode, as it had to contend with setting up a prequel story while being mindful of the legacy ofBreaking Bad. This was a fine line to walk as viewers tuned in to witness the Saul Goodman they knew and loved, only to be met with a struggling Albuquerque attorney named Jimmy McGill. While the opening post-Breaking Badblack-and-whiteflash-forward did hint at the series' history, the majority of the episode was focused on setting up new narratives.
However, this all changed in the episode’s final moment, as Jimmy was pulled into a house by none other than the terrifying drug dealer, Tuco Salamanca. The appearance of Tuco in the first episode ofBetter Call Saulwas a definitive moment that showcased thatanyone from theBreaking Baduniverse had the potential to show up in this new prequel series. With knowledge of Tuco’s reckless personality and unpredictable nature, this moment highlighted that the cartel would play a major part inBetter Call Sauland that Jimmy’s associations with the Salmanacas predated the story of Walter White.
7Jimmy Flicks The Light Switch
Season 2, Episode 1, “Switch”
One of the primary themes ofBetter Call Saulwas that no matter how much Jimmy tried to bury his passionate impulses they always found a way back to the surface. In the Season 2 premiere,Jimmy accepted a job with the Davis & Mainlaw firm and appeared to finally achieve his ambitions of becoming a successful lawyer. However, a sense of sadness pervaded this decision, and Jimmy felt out of place amid the strict do-gooders of his new job.
Jimmy’s need for excitement in his life was part of what later turned him into Saul Goodman, and this was represented by the light switch in his new office, which read, “Always Leave ON!!! Do NOT turn OFF!!”Once he saw this note, Jimmy could not help himself and, of course, turned off the light switch just to see what would happen. This decision revealed a lot about Jimmy’s character and showcased his need to rebel and just how out of place he was amid the stuffy, rigid rule followers of Davis & Main.
6A Battery In Chuck’s Pocket
Season 3, Episode 5, “Chicanery”
The relationship between Jimmy and his brother, Chuck McGill, was central to the earliest seasons ofBetter Call Saul, and their dynamic together gave incredible insight into the psychology of the McGills. As a fraught but at times loving connection, Chuck resented his brother’s morally dubious behavior while Jimmy struggled to look after Chuck as he delved further into mental illness, which he attributed to electromagnetic hypersensitivity. All of these issues came to a head in the courtroom scene inBetter Call SaulSeason 5.
This was when Chuck was brought into a hearing room to testify that he did not want to hire Jimmy at HHM and showcase a lack of nepotism. However, Jimmy used this as an opportunity to plant a phone battery in Chuck’s pocket, which he used to discredit his mental fortitude and cause him to have a breakdown in the hearing room. As Chuck berated Jimmy for a lifetime of bad behavior, the rest of the court could only look on in embarrassment, asChuck had completely discredited himselfand made it clear he had a vendetta against his brother.
5Jeff Recognizes Saul
Season 4, Episode 1, “Smoke”
As aBreaking Badviewer, one of the most exciting aspects ofBetter Call Saulwas the flashforward sequences, which showcasedJimmy’s new life as Gene Takovic, a Cinnabon employee in Omaha. Gene’s new life was a far cry from the high-falutin lifestyle of Saul Goodman, and he lived in fear that one day he would be recognized and discovered. Then, in a definitive moment in the Season 4 premiere, it looked like it was all going to come crashing down for Gene when a taxicab driver appeared to recognize him.
Jeff, the taxicab driver, was an instigating factor for much of the final episodes ofBetter Call Saulas his recognition of Gene as Saul toppled a house of cards that led to his arrest. The panic and anxiety Gene felt upon noticing Jeff’s Albuquerque Isotopes air freshener was palpable, as he feared the jig was up and he was about to be caught once and for all. This was an important moment inBetter Call Saul’spost-Breaking Badnarrative, as he suggested the story of Saul Goodman may not have ended in Albuquerque.
4Kim Does The Finger Guns To Jimmy
Season 5, Episode 10, “Something Unforgivable”
Kim Wexler was among the most interesting characters inBetter Call Saul,who struggled with the contradiction between her idealistic nature and tendency to give in to her unethical impulses. This morally dubious side of Kim was part of what attracted her to Jimmy McGill, as she admired his willingness to con others for his own self-interest. This darker side of Kim came to a head in Season 5 when she discussed plans to dismantle her rival lawyer Howard Hamlin’s career with Jimmy.
While Jimmy was shocked athow willing Kim was to destroy the career of another person, she replied to him by shooting finger guns in a powerful representation that she had finally broken bad. This was a definitive moment for Kim’s character as she pushed Jimmy into ethical territory that even he was uncomfortable with. The symbolic importance of their finger gun gesture was even carried forward to the final episode, whenKim subtly returned Jimmy’s finger guns.
3Saul’s Mansion
Season 6, Episode 1, “Wine and Roses”
The Season 6 premiere ofBetter Call Saulfeatured a flashforward into the luxurious home of Saul Goodman. This powerful scene began with a black-and-white segment that hinted at yet another glimpse into the life of Gene Takavic as every previous premiere had begun; however, the scene soon gained color as audiences witnessed a glimpse into a large Albuquerque mansion. As authorities stripped the house of evidence, it was clear this waspolice raiding Saul’s house after the fallout of his association with the meth kingpin Walter White.
This was a definitive moment inBetter Call Saulas it signaled the series collision with theBreaking Badtimeline as Jimmy’s entire world was about to come crashing down. This was the first glimpse audiences got into Saul’s life behind the scenes inBreaking Bad,andSaul’s home was full of Easter eggsfor viewers to spot. With Kim no longer in his life, viewers had the sad realization that Saul filled his days with empty consumerism while living in a luxurious mansion after every important person in his life had deserted him.
2Howard And Lalo Buried Together
Season 6, Episode 7, “Plan and Execution”
The story ofBetter Call Saulcan be separated into two major sections: the legal side of things, which included Howard Hamlin, and the cartel side of things, which included Lalo Salamanca. For the most part, these two worlds remained separated from each other andHoward and Lalo only ever met each other oncein a chance encounter at Kim and Jimmy’s apartment. This ended with Lalo shooting and killing Howard, and when Lalo was later murdered, both of their bodies were disposed of together.
In a definitiveBetter Call Saulmoment, Howard and Lalo were buried underneath Gus’s superlab, which made all of the lab’sscenes inBreaking Badhit differentas viewers had the knowledge their bodies lay underneath Walt and Jesse’s feet while they cooked. This was a dark and harrowing end to the story of these two disparate characters, who would remain together forever under the ground. Their burial scene was just one of manyBetter Call Saulmoments that recontextualized the entireBreaking Baduniverse.
1Kim And Jesse Share A Smoke
Season 6, Episode 12, “Waterworks”
It was always exciting when characters fromBreaking Badappeared onBetter Call Sauland the return of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in the final season was the most highly anticipated moment in the entire show. However, a true definitive moment came when Kim Wexler and Jesse shared a cigarette outside Saul’s office. This was significant as Kim had previously been separate fromBreaking Bad’snarrative, and to see her interact with Jesse felt like the truest representation of the two shows coming together.
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.
