Better Call Saul is presented as having marginally surpassed Breaking Bad in critics’ ratings, despite never matching its predecessor’s cultural status. The article argues that the prequel’s achievement lies in turning Saul Goodman from comic relief into Jimmy McGill, the centre of a slow-burning and tragic character study.

Rather than immediately delivering another violent cartel drama, the series initially focused on legal cases, family conflict and detailed character development. Jimmy’s troubled relationship with his brother Chuck, his romance with Kim Wexler and his gradual moral compromises give his transformation into Saul emotional weight, while Mike Ehrmantraut’s presence links the story to Breaking Bad’s criminal world.