Every once in a while a great television show will get a spinoff, and the spinoff will be amazing. More often than not, the spinoff will be later in time – or occasionally it will be in a simultaneous timeline. Sometimes a spinoff is a prequel, like the show Better Call Saul. What the hugely successful show Breaking Bad had captured, Better Call Saul shaped.
5 Better Call Saul Scenes That Make It A Classic
As soon as Better Call Saul came out in February 2015, it was evident that the show would do justice to the wildly popular Breaking Bad series. Better Call Saul was centered around Jimmy McGill, a.k.a. Saul, who was their go-to shady attorney in Breaking Bad. Let’s check out 5 Better Call Saul scenes that made the show an absolute must-see.
1. Chicanery (Season 3, Episode 5)
Because of the Cain and Abel style relationship that Jimmy and his brother have, Jimmy feels he is always the lesser brother. Chuck, (played by the talented Michael McKean), had always told Jimmy what a bad person he is; that Jimmy will never be smart enough or good enough. Meanwhile, Chuck is battling his own mental illness.
In this courtroom scene, Jimmy slipped a battery into Chuck’s pocket. Chuck, who has paranoia about electricity and electromagnetic waves, doesn’t know this. Jimmy uses it to his advantage, showing to the court that Chuck is paranoid. We watch Chuck become unhinged, which finally leads to his undoing.
2. Slip (Season 3, Episode 8)
Ignacio “Nacho” Varga (Michael Mando) is an enforcer for the Salamanca cartel. He also is a loving son to his father, who is an upholsterer. When Hector Salamanca, the kingpin of the cartel, wants to use Nacho’s father and his business for laundering money, Nacho fights back.
Here we find Nacho switching Hector‘s heart medicine. Merely the careful planning and major precautions that Nacho must take makes the scene an instant classic. This is deservedly one of the best 5 Better Call Saul scenes.
3. Winner (Season 4, Episode 10)
Like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, here is where the chrysalis is broken. As Bob Odenkirk has played Slippin’ Jimmy from the start, with his insecurities, flaws, and determination, we now see Odenkirk’s portrayal of his new persona, Saul Goodman. It’s all good, man. (A play on those words is the basis for his new moniker.)
After a win at an appeal to reinstate his law license, Jimmy feels victorious. Kim sees him in the courthouse shortly thereafter. He tells her he reapplied for his law license. Then Jimmy states he’ll be practicing under the name “Saul Goodman.” The crestfallen look on Kim’s face says it all. This makes space in the 5 Better Call Saul scenes.
4. Something Unforgivable (Season 5, Episode 10)
In this season finale of season five, we see Jimmy’s significant other, Kim Wexler, “break bad.” There are so many things that have occurred to both Jimmy and Kim which has changed them. that it almost seems there is nowhere for Kim to go but down. Previously. episode nine of season five showed Kim holding her own with Lalo, the capo for the Salamanca cartel. This is definitely one of the 5 Better Call Saul Scenes.
Both Jimmy and Kim were staying in a hotel in their efforts to hide from the cartel. They ate their ice cream and discussed how they both felt slighted by Howard. As they were devising a plan to bring him down, Kim came out of the bathroom and pointed finger guns – cementing her journey to the dark side. This is certainly one of the best five Better Call Saul scenes.
5. Point and Shoot (Season 6, Episode 8)
A lot comes together in this episode and that’s why it is included in the 5 Better Call Saul scenes. We see Lalo and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) have issues. Howard Hamlin has been killed by Lalo – and Mike (portrayed by an impressive Jonathan Banks), Gus’s lieutenant, is acting as a fixer. With the additional two bodies to deal with, Mike sets about crafting a cover story.
Lalo and Howard are buried, then cement is poured to create the floor of the super lab that Gus is building. It’s an unfortunate chain of events, but further links Better Call Saul to Breaking Bad. Who would’ve ever thought that the lab where Walter and Jesse cooked was actually a tomb?
Final Thoughts
This was challenging – picking out only 5 Better Call Saul scenes that stood out enough to make the show a classic. There is so much meaning with rich storylines, symbolism, and fabulous performances by Odenkirk, Seehorn, Banks, and many others. A couple honorable mentions should be the final episode where Kim visits Jimmy in jail, and when Jimmy/Saul is with Mike trekking through the desert. We’ll just say that was a true test of character. Better Call Saul was one of the best shows on television. Maybe another iteration of Saul will return, if Jimmy can smooth talk his way out of his prison sentence. S’all good, man.
