Will There Be More Breaking Bad Spin-Offs After Better Call Saul Ends?
Who says lightning can't strike twice?
When a "Breaking Bad" spin-off was first announced back in 2013, before the original series had even concluded its brilliant run, few ever envisioned the project becoming as much of a success as it has — especially given its nature as a prequel, which conventional wisdom dictates is usually a narrative dead-end. Instead, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have managed to take one of the most cartoonish and immoral characters from "Breaking Bad," Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman, and craft a heartbreaking story of how he progressively loses chunks of his humanity and leaves him the hollowed-out shell that we loved to hate. How successful has this journey been? Well, when both viewers and critics have spent years routinely debating whether "Better Call Saul" is merely on the same level as its parent series or actually better, then it's probably safe to say that something has gone incredibly right.
With this upcoming season of "Better Call Saul" confirmed to be the show's last (though split into two separate parts), perhaps it was only inevitable that the creators of the spin-off would be asked whether we can expect even more stories told in the richly detailed world of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" in the years ahead. After all, with original characters like Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman set to make their long-rumored crossover appearance sometime in season 6, why should anyone involved in these shows play coy about wanting to keep the bad times rolling?
When posed that same question about the potential for new spin-offs once "Better Call Saul" sails into the sunset in (most likely) devastatingly bittersweet fashion, Gilligan and Gould's answer is as diplomatic as it can get.
'Maybe someday...'
All I'm saying is if the team of writers behind "Better Call Saul" could reverse-engineer a poignant and well-developed tragic arc for Saul Goodman, the skeevy criminal lawyer who was infamously quick to suggest cold-blooded murder at the drop of a hat just to get Walter White out of a jam, then there's probably no character in the entire "Breaking Bad" universe who should be considered off the table for a spin-off of their own. Though we know his ultimate fate in "Breaking Bad" and have received even more insights in "Better Call Saul," would anyone truly say no to a Gustavo Fring series, documenting the drug lord getting embroiled in the Salamanca feud that has driven so much of the action in both shows? How about a "The Many Saints of Newark"-esque prequel documenting the entire saga of the Mexican cartel, from Don Eladio to Hector Salamanca to the menacing Twins? Hell, maybe it's finally time to get the Skinny Pete and Badger buddy comedy we so clearly deserve!
But that's just me. Are creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould up for it? According to Deadline (via Screen Rant), we should probably pump the breaks a bit before getting too carried away. During the season 6 red carpet premiere of "Better Call Saul," both expressed a wish to take a break before even considering what may or may not come next in this universe. According to Gould,
"I love these characters, I love this world. Maybe someday, but personally I'm going to take a little break from that world and try something else, just to prove that I can."
Gilligan, for his part, was quick to respond in kind.
"I think that's my answer too. There are stories left to tell, but it's not proving something to the world, it's about proving something to yourself. That thing I'm working on, hopefully someone will want to buy it, someone will want to make it."
Given the number of years they've spent on both "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" with practically no real break in-between, surely nobody could blame them for wanting to hit the reset button and focus on other projects for the time being. On the bright side, this should give them more time to figure out the Huell Babineaux origin story we're all craving.
"Better Call Saul" premieres on April 18, 2022.