Better Call Saul vs. Breaking Bad: Determining the superior drama series

There is a constant debate among fans regarding the AMC-run dramas Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad and which of the two series is better. Vince Gilligan is the creator of both shows, and they both have fascinating backstories. The saga finally ended with El Camino launching on Netflix, providing closure to the Breaking Bad Universe.

During its five seasons from 2008 to 2013, Breaking Bad, which starred Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, developed into one of the most beloved TV programs ever.

**Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. All opinions expressed are solely the author's

Breaking Bad’s story revolves around Walter White, a former chemistry teacher who became a drug lord. The once-timid man who started to take too much pleasure in his power in the drug trade suffered some major wounds after he decided to cook and sell meth to raise some quick cash for his family after his unavoidable death from terminal disease.

Better Call Saul was supposed to tell the story of Saul Goodman's beginnings, which meant that only Saul's past would be covered. But in a deft turn of events, Better Call Saul began by trailing Saul Goodman following the Breaking Bad series finale. After that, Better Call Saul could no longer be considered merely a prequel because it was actively carrying on Breaking Bad's narrative.

Eventually, BCS became Breaking Bad's prequel as well as a sequel. After two seasons with 63 episodes and a stand-alone Netflix film covering 15 years of television, the show concluded with its series finale, thereby ending the Breaking Bad Universe on an unforgettable note.

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How did Better Call Saul surpass Breaking Bad?

In Breaking Bad's second season, Bob Odenkirk played the avaricious, fast-talking criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. It was immediately clear to viewers that Odenkirk's main contribution to the groundbreaking series was to keep things lighthearted while the show descended further into its violent, blue meth-fueled depths.

At first, it didn't seem essential to create a spin-off on Walter White's dishonest lawyer because no one ever took the character seriously, even if he was capable of helping Team Heisenberg commit some of their most serious crimes.

However, Better Call Saul surprisingly developed into a complex, multi-layered, visually stunning, and compelling drama that is just as deserving of a place in the TV Hall of Fame as its predecessor.

However, the initial opinion turned into one of comparison and contrast as Saul gained traction, especially when it managed to combine the Greek tragedy of Jimmy McGill's disintegrating soul with the cartel subplots led by Mike Ehrmantraut and Gus Fring.

Not only was Better Call Saul excellent, but it surpassed Breaking Bad in quality.

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Is Breaking Bad the reason behind Better Call Saul’s success?

There were very few guarantees when Breaking Bad season 1 debuted, and creator Vince Gilligan has admitted that he was first just excited and thrilled to have a TV show running on the screens. Though the story of Breaking Bad appears to be well-written and cohesive, the conclusion didn't start to take shape until about season 4.

The groundwork and the voice had already been established by the time Better Call Saul debuted in 2015. The show may have a slightly different tone than Breaking Bad, but the spinoff has a maturity from day one that can only be attributed to having a popular TV show behind it.

Better Call Saul managed to do what many said was impossible throughout its six-season plot: it emerged from the intimidating shadow of Breaking Bad and established a strong narrative identity. Considering how Heisenberg's adventures with the side actor Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in tow become such a cultural sensation, that's a significant accomplishment.

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The ensembles of BCS and Breaking Bad are both fantastic. The tales are exquisite tutorials in television craft. The filming quality is excellent. However, Breaking Bad established the bar for what makes a great television program, and the sequel series not only met that bar but raised it.