“Will Better Call Saul be more of a comedy or a drama? Will a younger, more innocent Jesse stroll into his office? Will we see the return of the great Huell? And most importantly — will the show be good?” —Jonathan Raeder
Breaking Bad is over, folks, but thankfully, Vince Gilligan and some of the cast members aren’t done invading our televisions. This November will see the premiere of the Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul, a prequel series about Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s smooth-talking criminal lawyer Saul Goodman (played by Bob Odenkirk, The Birthday Boys). Details are scarce at this point: We know at least that the series features fan favorite Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks, Bullet) as a series regular. Everything else about the show is pure speculation, but we can guess with reasonable certainty what some of the episodes and scenes will be.
We’re not sure yet if Better Call Saul is going to begin with Saul already perpetrating a life of crime or if he’ll experience his own “breaking bad” and start out innocent and idealistic, but it is safe to assume we’ll see his beginnings at some point in the show, even if it’s in flashbacks. Saul’s transformation could parallel Walt’s, showing how Saul is a very different person: one comfortable with bending the rules for self-preservation but uncomfortable with violence.
Mike is beloved by fans in the Breaking Bad community, and as the show revealed he had been hired by Saul numerous times in the past, his presence on Better Call Saul is logical. Always grim and no-nonsense, Mike nevertheless managed to express a dry wit in almost all of his appearances — comedic traits that surely will be played up in this spin-off. In recent interviews, Banks mentioned his hope that Gilligan expands on Mike’s children, particularly his son. Mike is an old man with a lot of rich backstory to plumb for episodes.
It also seems likely that Jesse will return for a few episodes, as Breaking Bad reveals Saul successfully defended Emilio — Jesse’s former meth partner — at least twice in the past. Aaron Paul (Need for Speed) has said in recent interviews that he wants to make another appearance as Jesse as well. It’ll definitely be strange to see Jesse back when he was younger and less tormented by his actions, but any Jesse is good. Saul will have to help Emilio out of rough spots, with hilarious hijinks likely to ensue.
In Breaking Bad, Saul deployed his hired grunts, Huell (Lavell Crawford, For Love or Money) and Kuby (Bill Burr, Kroll Show), to do whatever various tasks were needed to keep Walt and Jesse successful and out of jail. An episode when the two first join Saul’s operation is essential and hopefully happens early — establishing the two as series regulars. Threading multiple B-plots involving these two throughout the episodes is sure to be hilarious.
Saul actually introduces the villain Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito, Revolution) to Walter — how does he know him? Most likely it’s through Mike, but we don’t know for sure. An episode in which Mike introduces Gus and Saul to each other would be a great way to work in references and maintain continuity with Breaking Bad. Gus making a guest appearance — most likely as the manager of the local Los Pollos Hermanos — would definitely attract fans and serve as an interesting episode. However, it brings up a crucial question — is this show a comedy? The hourlong format is highly unusual for comedies, but anything involving Saul is going to be loaded with jokes. A black comedy seems the most probable guess, but fitting Gus into a world of laughter seems difficult.
Mysteries remain. Will Better Call Saul be more of a comedy or a drama? Will a younger, more innocent Jesse stroll into his office? Will we see the return of the great Huell? And most importantly — will the show be good? We’ll all just have to tune in come November — anything to fill the meth-bereft hole in our hearts.
