The Complete Timeline Of Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, And El Camino
"Better Call Saul" has ended its sixth and final season, and with it comes what seems like the end of the "Breaking Bad" universe. The prequel/sequel series stood on its own from "Breaking Bad," creating a compelling and tragic story that showed us the transformation of Bob Odenkirk's Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman. The final season of the critically acclaimed series brought Jimmy's story to an end, with the black & white flash-forwards giving audiences what feels like a definitive ending to this shared universe of two television shows and one feature film.
Throughout both "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," various flashbacks were used to flesh out the respective characters in each series. Now that the massive story that started with "Breaking Bad" is seemingly at its end with no further spin-offs confirmed, now is as good of a time as any to look back on the timeline of the "Breaking Bad" universe. If you're looking for a chronological timeline of the flashbacks and their place in the cohesive story that consists of "Breaking Bad," "El Camino," and "Better Call Saul," look no further than this complete timeline for Vince Gilligan's series of projects.
1970's - 2001 – Better Call Saul flashbacks
"Better Call Saul" is an exciting show, not just because of its brilliant writing and performances, but the fact that it contains both the earliest and latest points in time of the "Breaking Bad" universe. For now, we're just focusing on the earliest flashbacks at the beginning of the timeline.
1973 – One of the earliest flashbacks from either series shows a young Jimmy McGill having a formative experience seeing his dad get ripped off by a con man, learning the difference between "wolves and sheep." Because of this encounter, he begins to steal from the cash register of his father's store.
The 1980s – The '80s are the backdrop for two flashbacks featuring Kim Wexler's (Rhea Seehorn) younger self and her turbulent relationship with her mother. The flashbacks are brief, but much like everything in the "Breaking Bad" universe, less is more. The relationship between Kim and her mother in these flashbacks helps viewers better understand her relationship with Jimmy in the future.
1992 – Some of the essential parts of Jimmy McGill's backstory and his days as "Slippin' Jimmy" are featured in the '90s. In Cicero, Illinois, Jimmy and his cohort Marco are shown to be running their usual scams, conning people out of their money. In this same period, Jimmy is arrested for performing a "Chicago sunroof," causing Jimmy to desperately call his brother Chuck to bail him out. Chuck obliges, getting him a job in the mailroom of his law firm, with Jimmy leaving his con-man days in Cicero.
2001 - Shortly before the main events of "Better Call Saul," Jimmy McGill reveals to Kim and his brother Chuck that he passed the bar, becoming a licensed attorney. Chuck turns him down for a job at his firm, having Howard Hamlin deliver the news. The betrayal sets Jimmy down the path of where he is at the start of the prequel series in his solo practice.
1980 - 1990s – Breaking Bad flashbacks
Further along the timeline of Vince Gilligan's shared universe is the calm before the storm of the main events of "Breaking Bad." Somewhere during some later flashbacks of "Better Call Saul," viewers also get to look at Walter White's life before his life-changing diagnosis.
The 1980s – At an unspecified year in the 1980s, Gray Matter Technologies was founded by Walter White and his fellow graduate students Elliot Schwartz and Gretchen Schwartz, as mentioned several times in "Breaking Bad." One flashback shows Walter and Gretchen breaking down the composition of the human body, hinting at a romantic relationship between the two. However, Walter would eventually leave Gretchen and sell his company shares. Walter leaving Gray Matter would be a mistake he would regret for the rest of his life.
1989 – In another crucial flashback, Gustavo Fring is left helpless as he watches his partner Max Arciniega get killed by Hector Salamanca. Initially attempting to start a business relationship with the Salamanca cartel, Gustavo turns to a personal vendetta to kill every last one of them.
1993 – Walter White and his wife, Skyler, who is pregnant with Walter Jr. at the time, walk through a house for sale that they end up living in during the events of "Breaking Bad."
2002 - 2003 – Better Call Saul
While "Better Call Saul" is a mix of both a prequel and sequel series, most of it takes place before the events of "Breaking Bad." The series is meant to fill in the gaps of the six years before Saul Goodman's first appearance in the series that started it all. Therefore, there is hardly any overlap with the events of "Breaking Bad" in the timeline, with "Better Call Saul" taking place from 2002 to 2005.
2002 – Jimmy McGill attempts to get his law practice off the ground, only to become embroiled in the criminal underworld of Albuquerque for the first time when a con goes wrong, and he ends up at the mercy of Nacho Varga and Tuco Salamanca. During this time, Jimmy's relationship with his brother also deteriorates beyond repair.
During this period, Mike Ermantrauht also comes into conflict with the Salamancas, and nearly kills Hector Salamanca before being warned not to by Gustavo Fring. Gus ends up employing Mike as his security.
2003 – Jimmy's rivalry with Chuck comes to a head when Chuck takes Jimmy to court for forgery, ending with Jimmy getting suspended from practicing law for a year and Chuck realizing that his electromagnetic disease is purely psychological. This fallout between the two brothers eventually leads to Chuck taking his own life, sending Jimmy further down the path of criminality as he attempts to get his law license back.
Nacho Varga poisons Hector Salamanca, leaving him unable to walk or speak, much like viewers see the character in "Breaking Bad."
2004 - 2005 – Better Call Saul
2004 – Jimmy begins practicing under the name Saul Goodman, taking on some less-than-reputable clientele. Meanwhile, Lalo Salamanca arrives in Albuquerque to take over operations following Hector's poisoning, and his path eventually crosses with Saul Goodman's because of their mutual friend Nacho Varga. Varga works undercover for Fring, studying Salamanca's business operations and getting close to Lalo.
During this time, Gus and Mike seek out structural engineers to construct Fring's underground superlab, eventually hiring Werner Ziegler. Unfortunately, Ziegler grows homesick during the lab's construction and tries to leave, forcing Mike to kill him.
Lalo attempts to undermine and expose Fring's true intentions to the Salamanca cartel, leading to an intense rivalry between Fring and Salamanca, with Lalo going so far as to fake his death to stalk Fring from afar to expose his superlab once and for all.
Everything comes to a head in 2004, which sees Nacho die to protect his father and cover up Fring's plans. Howard also meets his untimely end at Lalo's hands after Jimmy and Kim's machinations to ruin his reputation brings Howard to their apartment right as Lalo shows up to use Saul as a pawn against Gus Fring. Lalo's plan is unsuccessful, as he dies in a shootout with Gus in the still-under-construction superlab.
Mike helps Jimmy and Kim cover up Howard's death, and when the dust settles, Kim leaves Jimmy.
2005 – Sometime after Kim has left, Jimmy fully embraces his Saul Goodman persona in a heartbroken rage. He defends seedy clients until he meets Walter White during the events of "Breaking Bad."
2008 - 2010 – Breaking Bad
"Breaking Bad" takes place over a smaller period when compared to "Better Call Saul," spanning two years; the same amount of time Walter's doctor gave him after his diagnosis.
2008 – Walter White receives his cancer diagnosis and, spurred by the life-changing news, teams up with former student Jesse Pinkman to cook and sell crystal meth. The duo eventually enters business relations with Tuco Salamanca, but their relationship turns deadly when Tuco's paranoia nearly gets them killed. Walter's brother-in-law, DEA Agent Hank Schrader, kills Tuco in the ensuing chaos, leaving Walt and Jesse without a distributor.
2009 – Walt and Jesse continue to expand their operation, cutting out the middle man and using Jesse's friends as distributors. However, setbacks require the duo to recruit Saul Goodman to help develop their criminal enterprise, in turn getting a meeting with Gus Fring.
Walt and Jesse begin working for Gus in his superlab built under the industrial laundromat. Constant insubordination from Walt and Jesse leads to Gus wanting to get rid of the duo, specifically Walt. To save himself, Walt turns Jesse against Gus and successfully kills Fring, utilizing Hector Salamanca and a wheelchair bomb.
2010 – After killing Gus Fring, Walter White establishes a relationship and distribution network with Lydia and the Madrigal company. Walter's ever-expanding drug empire is put at risk when Hank discovers that Walter is Heisenberg, thanks to some truly revelatory bathroom reading.
Hank and Walter engage in an intense battle of wits ending in Hank and his partner Steve Gomez getting killed by Jack Welker and his neo-Nazi gang. The gang captures Jesse and forces him to cook for them, while Walt goes into hiding after being found out by authorities.
Walt eventually comes out of hiding, returning to Albuquerque to rescue Jesse, get his money to his family, and kill Jack and the rest of the neo-Nazi gang. Just as the authorities close in, Walt succumbs to wounds suffered while killing Jack's gang and freeing Jesse, finally dying.
2010 – El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
"El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" takes place towards the last stretch of the "Breaking Bad" timeline. Written and directed by Vince Gilligan, the Netflix Original takes place immediately after the events of "Breaking Bad," following Jesse Pinkman as he tries to get out of dodge.
2010 – After being imprisoned by neo-Nazis for six months, Jesse Pinkman is freed by Walter White. Jesse desperately tries to get out of town, going so far as to break into the apartment of Todd Alquist, one of his former captors. It's in Todd's apartment that Jesse finds the money he is looking for, though he's forced to split it with two of Todd's former associates who were also scouting the place.
Still short on money, Jesse resorts to one last violent act, facing his traumatic past as a prisoner and getting the money he needs from the two criminals he had split it with a day prior. Using the services of Ed the Disappearer, Jesse Pinkman starts a new life in Alaska.
2010 – Better Call Saul flash forwards
The "Breaking Bad" universe timeline ends with the monochrome flash-forwards featured in "Better Call Saul." The flash-forwards are used as opening sequences for the first five seasons and later for full episodes in the sixth and final season. They all occur the same year that "Breaking Bad" ends and the year that "El Camino" takes place.
2010 – Using Ed's disappearing services, Saul Goodman lives his life as Gene Takovic, a manager of a Cinnabon in Omaha, Nebraska. Gene is constantly paranoid about others discovering who he is while working at the mall. Spending his days reminiscing on his past life, Gene is eventually recognized as Saul Goodman. To get himself out of trouble, Gene arranges a deal with the men who identified him as Saul, running a con to help them rob the mall he works at. Now collaborators, Gene threatens mutually assured destruction if the men were ever to expose him as Saul Goodman.
Gene's self-destruction comes when he continues to run scams, even after guaranteeing his safety from what was supposedly his last con. Stealing financial information from high-profile marks, Gene eventually gets caught after being recognized by the mother of one of his cohorts. Facing serious jail time, Saul Goodman strikes a deal with the U.S. Attorney's office to significantly shorten his sentencing. However, Jimmy throws the deal away and renounces his Saul Goodman persona at the last minute to reconcile with Kim and find peace within himself.