When Breaking Bad aired in 2013 after five busy seasons on AMC, fans were buoyed by the promise of a Saul Goodman spin-off. We were thrilled to be getting more content from this universe, and with such an incredibly high bar, no one could have expected “Better Call Saul” to be as good, or perhaps better, than “Breaking Bad.” So in the days leading up to the final episode of the prequel, you certainly can’t blame fans for asking if there’s a possibility for a spin-off of Saul featuring one of his characters, and given co-creator Vince Gilligan’s blunt response, it’s obvious he gave it some thought too.
“Better Call Saul,” a prequel starring Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill turned Saul Goodman turned Gene Takavik, will conclude its six—season run on Monday, August 15, with a premonition episode titled “Saul is Gone.” Vince Gilligan shared with Rolling Stone magazine his thoughts on whether he can and should continue the narrative he has been working on for more than a decade. He said:
I can definitely imagine going back to it. Selfishly, I would like to do this to keep it going. But without naming names, I look back at some worlds, universes, stories that I like, whether on TV or in the movies. And I think there’s a certain point that’s hard to define when you’ve done too much in the same universe. Just leave it alone.
This world created by Vince Gilligan clearly cares a lot about him, and it’s great that there’s a part of him that would like to keep telling his stories. However, he seems to be wondering how much is too much? At some point you just have to let the end be the end, especially for this type of universe. Gilligan continued:
And some universes are much bigger and more elastic. Ours is very small, Albuquerque, New Mexico, compared to some of these worlds and series of movies and TV shows. The thing I’m most afraid of is becoming a one-trick pony. Yes, I could do more with this universe. And maybe someday I will, especially if I fail in everything that comes next. Then I’ll crawl back. But right now, whether there are still opportunities for growth or not — and there probably are — I feel it’s time to do something new.
Thanks to the creative genius that Vince Gillian and his team have brought to AMC dramas, whatever he aspires to, “something new”, he is guaranteed a built-in fan base. In addition, it is unlikely that he will fail in all his future endeavors, forcing him to crawl back to the deserts of New Mexico (or where the next part will take us). Still, given that some of the best TV characters come from the films “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad,” it’s always nice to know that the creative potential is there if Gilligan ever decides to return to it.
Albuquerque may not be a multiverse, but fans were invited to see Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul appear as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, respectively, in season 6 of the prequel series. Cranston talked about Saul’s return and spoke in detail about a huge number of secrets related to his roles and the roles of Paul. He also joked that former co-star Bob Odenkirk has changed since heading his own series.
We need to see what else Vince Gilligan has up his sleeve for the series finale, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET Monday, August 15, on AMC. In the meantime, watch the best episodes of “Better Call Saul”: the first five seasons are available for streaming on a Netflix subscription.
