Look, if you’re staring at the Netflix dashboard trying to decide where to start with the "Gilligan-verse," you’re probably getting a dozen different opinions. Some purists will tell you that the order of release is the only way to go. Others, maybe the ones who like a bit of chronological chaos, suggest you start with Jimmy McGill. So, should you watch Better Call Saul before Breaking Bad?
Honestly? It depends on what kind of viewer you are.
The "correct" order is usually seen as the order the shows aired. Breaking Bad first, then Better Call Saul. But we live in a world of prequels and non-linear storytelling now. People do this with Star Wars. They do it with The Hobbit. If you decide to watch Better Call Saul first, you aren't "breaking" the story, but you are definitely changing how your brain processes it. It’s a completely different emotional experience.
Let’s get into why.
The Chronological Argument: Watching the Rise Before the Fall
Most of Better Call Saul takes place about six years before Walter White ever sets foot in an RV. We see Jimmy McGill struggling to make it as a public defender in Albuquerque. He’s driving a beat-up Suzuki Esteem with one yellow door. He’s trying to please a brother, Chuck, who basically despises his very existence.
If you watch Better Call Saul before Breaking Bad, Jimmy isn't a "shyster lawyer" yet. He’s just a guy. To you, he’s the protagonist. You don't have the "Saul Goodman" baggage yet. You don't know he eventually becomes the man who helps a chemistry teacher build a meth empire. This creates a weird, tragic tension. You’re rooting for a guy to stay good, even though the show is titled after his descent into "badness."
There’s a specific kind of magic in seeing Mike Ehrmantraut as a parking lot attendant before he’s a "fixer." If you haven't seen Breaking Bad, Mike is just a grumpy, hyper-competent old man with a mysterious past. You get to learn that past alongside him. It’s a slow burn. A very slow burn.
The Problem With the Prequel-First Approach
Here is the thing people forget: Better Call Saul is a prequel, but it’s also a sequel.
The show starts with black-and-white scenes of a man named "Gene" working at a Cinnabon in Omaha. If you haven't seen Breaking Bad, these scenes make zero sense. You’ll be sitting there wondering why this balding guy is so terrified of the police and why he’s watching old VHS tapes of a lawyer commercial.
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Also, the final season of Better Call Saul—specifically the last four episodes—is essentially a direct sequel to the events of Breaking Bad. The narrative literally leaps over the entire timeline of Walter White. If you haven't seen the original show, the emotional payoff of the series finale might feel like it’s missing its foundation. You’ll see characters like Marie Schrader show up and wonder why the camera is lingering on her for so long.
Why Release Order is Still the Gold Standard
Most fans will fight you on this. They’ll say you have to watch Breaking Bad first. Why? Because Better Call Saul was written with the assumption that you already know the ending.
When a character like Gustavo Fring or Hector Salamanca walks onto the screen in the prequel, the music swells. There’s a dramatic pause. The show expects you to gasp. If you’re watching in chronological order, those moments lose their punch. Gus is just a guy who owns a chicken restaurant. Hector is just a cranky old man in a nursing home.
The Evolution of Style
Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould got better at their jobs as time went on. Breaking Bad is an adrenaline-fueled thriller. It’s about a man who "knocks." It’s loud. It’s explosive.
Better Call Saul is a legal drama that slowly, painfully turns into a crime thriller. It’s more sophisticated. The cinematography is arguably some of the best in television history. Going from the high-polish, artistic framing of Saul back to the grittier, handheld-heavy early seasons of Breaking Bad can feel like a bit of a visual downgrade.
How it Changes Your View of Walter White
This is the most fascinating part of the debate.
If you watch Better Call Saul before Breaking Bad, your perspective on Walter White changes completely. In the original show, we see Saul Goodman as a comic relief character who occasionally does dark things. He’s the guy with the colorful suits and the "Better Call Saul!" catchphrase.
But if you’ve spent 50 hours watching Jimmy McGill lose his soul, Saul Goodman isn't funny anymore. He’s a tragedy.
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When Walt enters the picture, you don't see him as a "badass" anti-hero. You see him as a wrecking ball. You see him through the lens of what he’s doing to the world Jimmy and Mike built. You realize that Walter White didn't just build an empire; he destroyed a very complex ecosystem that had been functioning in Albuquerque for years.
The Mike Ehrmantraut Factor
Mike is the soul of both shows. In Breaking Bad, he’s the world-weary professional. In Better Call Saul, we see the death of his son. We see his guilt. We see why he cares so much about his granddaughter, Kaylee.
Watching his journey from a grieving father to a reluctant henchman makes his eventual fate in Breaking Bad hurt about ten times more. It’s almost unbearable. If you want maximum emotional damage, maybe watching the prequel first is actually the move.
Navigating the "Gene" Scenes
If you’re dead set on a chronological viewing, you have a logistical problem. What do you do with the "Cinnabon Gene" scenes?
These scenes happen after everything. Some people suggest skipping them and coming back later. That’s a terrible idea. It ruins the pacing. The show is structured to contrast Jimmy’s past with his bleak future.
The most "purist" way to do a chronological run would be:
- Watch Better Call Saul Seasons 1 through 6, Episode 9 ("Fun and Games").
- Stop.
- Watch all of Breaking Bad.
- Watch El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
- Go back and watch the final four episodes of Better Call Saul.
Is that overkill? Probably. It’s a lot of work. But if you want the "true" timeline of the universe, that’s how the clock ticks.
The Nuance of the Legal Drama
Let’s be real: Better Call Saul is a lot smarter than Breaking Bad. It’s less about "how do we get out of this desert with a barrel of money?" and more about "how does a person’s moral compass slowly drift five degrees to the left every year?"
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It deals with elder law, document forgery, and the minutiae of public defense. If you go into it expecting the high-octane pace of the later seasons of Breaking Bad, you might get bored in Season 1. But if you’ve already seen Breaking Bad, you’re willing to sit through the slow parts because you know where it’s going. You’re invested in the "Saul Goodman" name.
If you start with Saul, you have to enjoy it for what it is: a character study. A slow, methodical, heartbreaking study of a man who just wanted his brother to love him.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often say that Better Call Saul is "just a spin-off." That’s a massive understatement. In many ways, it surpasses the original. It’s more consistent. It has Rhea Seehorn playing Kim Wexler, who is arguably the best-written female character in the history of "prestige TV."
Kim doesn't even exist in Breaking Bad. If you watch the original show first, her absence in that world is a constant, nagging mystery. You’re watching the prequel thinking, "Where is Kim? What happened to her?" That tension is a huge part of the experience. If you watch Saul first, you don't have that "where is she?" dread. You just experience her story as it happens. I think you lose something there. The mystery of Kim Wexler is one of the best parts of the franchise.
Actionable Steps for Your First Watch
If you’re still undecided, here’s a practical way to handle it.
- Go with Release Order if you want the "intended" experience. Watch Breaking Bad, then El Camino, then Better Call Saul. This is how the writers built the world. It’s how the reveals are timed. You won't be confused by the black-and-white scenes, and you’ll appreciate the cameos.
- Go with Chronological Order if you hate "spoiling" the future. If you hate knowing that certain characters survive certain situations, starting with Saul keeps the stakes higher for the prequel’s specific storylines (like the Lalo Salamanca arc).
- Pay attention to the color palette. Better Call Saul uses color in a very specific way. Bright colors usually signify "Saul" or the criminal world, while browns and greys signify Jimmy’s attempt at a "normal" life. Understanding this early makes the show much deeper.
- Don't skip El Camino. A lot of people think the movie is optional. It isn't. It’s the bridge between the two shows’ endings. It provides closure for Jesse Pinkman that you absolutely need before finishing the final episodes of Saul.
Whether you decide to watch Better Call Saul before Breaking Bad or stick to the classic route, you're in for some of the best storytelling ever put to film. Just don't expect it to be a quick binge. It’s a journey that demands your full attention.
Start with Breaking Bad Season 1, Episode 1. If the "Gene" scenes in Saul confuse you too much, you can always pivot. But once you meet Mike Ehrmantraut, you’re not going to want to stop, regardless of which show you’re watching. Keep an eye on the background details; this crew loves hiding "Easter eggs" that only make sense if you’re paying attention to both timelines simultaneously. After you finish the first two seasons of whichever you choose, compare the character of Saul to the Jimmy you see on screen—the contrast is where the real genius lies.