If you’ve been watching Better Call Saul this first season (and you should be, because it’s amazing), you may or may not have seen a couple of things here and there that reminded you of its predecessor Breaking Bad. Some may be obvious, and others you just can’t quite place your finger on. There are probably even some that went right over your head. Here are all of the Breaking Bad tributes and foreshadows that we’ve noticed so far this season on Better Call Saul. Have another? Tell us in the comments.
#20 Nebraska
In the pilot episode of Better Call Saul, we enter a depressing, black and white scene set in a mall Cinnabon, where our hero Saul Goodman stands behind a counter, a little heavier and balder than we last saw him in Breaking Bad. It’s revealed that this Cinnabon is in Nebraska. Breaking Bad fans will remember that these were Saul’s last words on the series.
#19 Nebraska
#18 Nebraska
There’s also a striking resemblance between Gene (Saul) and Walter White from the first episode of Breaking Bad. This is almost as if to show that Saul’s life has become as depressing and bland as Walt’s once was.
#17 Saul’s Car
In Breaking Bad, Saul was known for his signature 1997 Cadillac DeVille with the license plate that read “LWYRUP”.
#16 Saul’s Car
In the pilot for Better Call Saul, we see Jimmy walk right by this exact car and enter a beat-up yellow Suzuki Esteem. This was clearly meant to tease us fans, but remind us that Jimmy is still struggling and hasn’t reached Saul’s level of success just yet.
#15 Skate Park Graffiti
This one may sound like a stretch, but can you really tell me that this skate park wasn’t purposefully chosen because it matches the signature blue meth and yellow haz-mat suits we fondly remember Jesse and Walt for?
#14 Nail Salon
Jimmy McGill’s law office is run out of the back room of a nail salon (where he also lives). In Breaking Bad, Saul desperately tries to convince Jesse to launder his money through a nail salon, calling it the safest bet. His attachment to nail salons clearly grew out of here.
#13 The Dented Trash Can
When Jimmy first goes to the office of HHM, he looks at a dented garbage can on his way in. On his way out, he kicks the living hell out of it out of anger, which lets us know he’s done this before.
#12 The Dented Trash Can
As you may remember, Walt had a similar habit at his doctor’s office.
#11 Broken Windshields
Broken windshields seem to be a fetish for creator Vince Gilligan. He couldn’t make through the pilot episode of Better Call Saul without breaking at least one windshield, a problem Walter White had to deal with on a regular basis.
#10 Broken Windshields
#9 Tuco’s Over-Helpful Henchman
In Saul, when Jimmy tries to convince Tuco not to kill the twins, but instead just give them black eyes, No-Doze chimes in by saying, “That one’s already got a black eye!” Tuco slowly turns to him and patiently, but forcefully tells him to “stop helping.” This scene was especially chilling to Breaking Bad fans because we know what happens to him years later. Should have taken the advice right then, No-Doze.
#8 Tuco’s Over-Helpful Henchman
One of the most well-known Tuco scenes from Breaking Bad was when he maliciously beat No-Doze to death for speaking out of turn. It didn’t matter that was he was saying was to help Tuco out, Tuco had become a sociopathic meth-head who had lost all patience.
#7 Ignacio/Nacho
When Nacho gets arrested for suspicion of kidnapping the Kettleman’s, Jimmy works tirelessly to prove his innocence out of fear that Nacho will think he was the one who ratted on him.
#6 Ignacio/Nacho
When Saul gets kidnapped by Walt and Jesse in his first episode of Breaking Bad, he immediately throws out the name “Ignacio”, saying that he’s the one they want and that Saul is innocent. “Nacho” is short for “Ignacio”.
#5 Saul Under Duress
Speaking of Saul’s first appearance in Breaking Bad, under the conditions he was in at the time, it does sort of make sense that he would think Nacho was involved.
#4 Saul Under Duress
After all, Nacho did bring him to the same spot, in the same way years before.
#3 “I’m not a criminal, I’m a lawyer.”
This is what Jimmy says to Nacho early in the series. It seems to be a balance that he deals with on a regular basis, trying to convince himself of this more than anyone.
#2 “I’m not a criminal, I’m a lawyer.”
Years later, when Saul embraces the criminal inside of him, Jesse makes a similar remark when describing him.
#1 Juan Tabo NE
And finally, the smallest of details that could lead to a huge Breaking Bad connection. If you look closely at the check Jimmy slaps on the glass, you see that his address is on Juan Tabo street. Breaking Bad fans may remember that Gale’s apartment was also on this street. Could it be possible that Jimmy runs in to Gale at some point in the future? We can only hope.
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
