In many ways, Better Call Saul functions perfectly as a standalone show, yet it wouldn’t exist without Breaking Bad. One of the many reasons Better Call Saul is so beloved lies in the Easter eggs and callbacks to Breaking Bad scattered throughout. Some are easy to spot, while others are cleverly concealed in plain sight. Although there are countless references that might leave the audience struggling to keep track, several stand out as exceptionally impactful to the lore of Breaking Bad.
15. Ignacio and Lalo Go From a Throwaway Line to Full-Fledged Characters
In an attempt at intimidation, Walt and Jesse kidnap Saul and pretend that they’re going to assassinate him. In a panic, Saul pleads that he’s a friend of the cartel and asks if they were sent by Lalo or Ignacio. This line in Breaking Bad birthed two of the greatest characters in Better Call Saul: Ignacio “Nacho” Varga and Lalo Salamanca. Unfortunately, since they didn’t exist in Breaking Bad, their fates were met before the conclusion of Better Call Saul.
14. The Courthouse Has a Sneaky Nod Toward Heisenberg Hung up on a Coat Rack
In the first episode of Better Call Saul, numerous references were spread throughout the episode. One that was super subtle was soon after Jimmy McGill got his paycheck as a lawyer. Sitting on a coat hanger near the entrance of the busy courthouse was a pork pie hat and a beige jacket just like the one Walt wore in Breaking Bad. It’s doubtful that these items were actually Walt’s, but they were purposely put there as a subtle nod to Heisenberg.
13. Better Call Saul Provides Context to Tuco’s Prison Time Mentioned in Breaking Bad
In Better Call Saul, Nacho Varga asks Mike to kill his abusive drug-lord boss, Tuco Salamanca. Given the riskiness of doing so, Mike opts out but comes up with another solution. He pretends to be a delirious older man and purposely hits Tuco’s car without acknowledging it. When Mike gets Tuco outside, Tuco punches Mike repeatedly, leading to Tuco’s arrest. Given the timeframe Tuco would’ve been in jail, it perfectly lines up with when he’d meet Skinny Pete as Los Lunas.
12. A Woman (Briefly) Believed Saul Goodman Was Kevin Costner in Better Call Saul
In Breaking Bad, Walt’s meth operation was super successful and that came with a lot of money. However, Walt needed a better operation to launder his money but was reluctant to commit to a place. Saul Goodman tells Walt that the importance of a fake story is being committed to it. Saul explained that once he convinced a woman that he was Kevin Costner, and it worked because he believed it.
11. Ice Station Zebra Associates Becomes Saul’s Eventual Off-Shore Account
In Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman shows up to defend Badger against his arrest for distributing meth. Saul mentions that he wants a money order made out to Ice Station Zebra Associates. He goes out of his way to tell Badger it’s legitimate and done for tax purposes later. In reality, it is the name of a holding company that Saul uses for tax evasion. Later in the series, Saul writes Skyler a check with the same name, which makes Skyler doubt Saul’s ability to properly launder Walt’s money.
10. Zafiro Añejo Tequila Plays an Important Role in Both Shows
In Breaking Bad, Gustavo Fring had long noted Don Eladio’s love for tequila. In a ploy to kill Don Eladio and all of his men, Gustavo acted like he had brought an expensive bottle of tequila, Zafiro Añejo, for Eladio. However, the bottle was poisoned. Everyone who took a shot of the lavish tequila soon fell to the ground, dead. In Breaking Bad, it was one of the most defining moments for Gustavo and the revenge he sought for the death of his partner Max.
9. Don Eladio’s Swim in Better Call Saul Mirrors His Death in Breaking Bad
In Breaking Bad, after Gustavo poisons Don Eladio, Don Eladio dies and falls into his pool. He fought with his last words to Gustavo and tried not to succumb to the poison, but it was too late. As he intensely falls into the water, his eye pendant floats around his neck on the necklace. Mike retrieves the necklace and Gustavo defiantly shows it to Hector Salamanca so that Hector knows Gustavo killed him.
In Better Call Saul, Gustavo stops by Don Eladio’s house to talk about business related to their drug distribution situation. Eladio jumps into his pool and does so lively as his necklace is secured around his neck. Don Eladio’s vibrant swim in Better Call Saul was a perfect nod to his final moment in Breaking Bad after being poisoned by Gustavo.
8. Loyola’s Family Restaurant Stands as a Very Important Meeting Place
Loyola’s Family Restaurant is a diner where many characters have interacted with one another in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. In both shows, Mike is a frequent customer there, too. In Breaking Bad, Mike goes there with Jesse and shares his food when he notices Jesse is going through drug withdrawal. This was also where Jesse met Gustavo for the first time. Lydia had also met Mike there to discuss the circumstances surrounding Gustavo’s death.
7. A Memorial Fountain Showed That Gustavo Never Forgot About His Business Partner
In Breaking Bad, Gustavo and his partner Max Arciniega have a sit down with Don Eladio to discuss a business proposition of selling methamphetamines. The meeting goes awry because Don Eladio feels coerced into the meeting, so Eladio has Hector shoot Max in the head. In an instant, Gustavo instantly lost his long-time business partner, which ironically fueled Gustavo’s plan to one day overtake The Cartel’s drug operation.
6. Domingo “Krazy-8” Molina Actually Worked at Tampico Furniture
In Breaking Bad, Walt and Jesse had their first drug deal go wrong, leading to the death of Emilio and the capture of Krazy-8. Krazy-8 knew both of their identities, so it was inevitable that he had to be killed. Walt, however, looked for any moral reason to spare Krazy-8’s life. When Walt was looking to humanize him, they shared a beer and talked about their lives. Krazy-8 told Walt that he used to work for his father at Tampico Furniture and Walt realized that he had a cradle from Krazy-8’s job.
5. The Laser Tag Danny in Breaking Bad Was Daniel Wormald
Daniel Wormald was a quirky character in Better Call Saul, who was kind of similar to Walter White from season one of Breaking Bad. He wanted to make money like a criminal but was inept at being one, leading to a troublesome start for his character’s arc in the show. Daniel crossed paths initially with Mike, soon after with Nacho, and eventually hired Jimmy as his lawyer.
4. Ken With the “KENWINS” License Plate Loses in Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
In Better Call Saul, Jimmy and Kim pull a scheme on Ken at a restaurant. They coerce Ken to buy shots of celebratory tequila for their fake business investment he’ll embark on with them. When they leave, the bill comes and he realizes that the shots of tequila are $50 each. Obnoxious Ken may think he’s a winner, but he mostly loses in the Breaking Bad Universe.
3Jimmy McGill Parks Next to His Future Car at the Courthouse
In the first episode of Better Call Saul, Jimmy McGill leaves the courthouse, defeated by his lackluster first check. As Jimmy walks to his car, the camera pans toward a Cadillac DeVille, alluding to his future car. However, Jimmy walks up to his faded, two-toned 1998 Suzuki Esteem. The creators of the show definitely saw this as a cheeky opportunity to nod towards Jimmy’s current financial situation but also provide a hopeful outlook as to where Jimmy would eventually end up.
2. Saul Goodman Got the Attorney-Client Privilege Money Move From Kim Wexler
In Breaking Bad, Walt and Jesse kidnap Saul to make sure he takes on Badger as his client. After Walt’s cough exposes their identities, Saul gives them some advice but tells them to put a dollar in his pocket. With Jesse and Walt putting money in Saul’s pocket, they agreed to an arrangement of Saul being their lawyer, which protected their conversation through attorney-client privilege.
In Better Call Saul, Jimmy incriminates himself on a tape recording regarding altering documents belonging to his brother, Charles McGill. When Ernesto, Howard’s assistant, overhears the tapes, he tells Kim. Kim pulls Jimmy aside and frantically paces in place, then asks Jimmy for a dollar. Initially, Jimmy doesn’t understand what Kim needs money for, but she quickly tells him that with that money she’s officially his lawyer. Then, she tells Jimmy about the tape recording. Saul had learned the attorney-client privilege move from Kim, which is why he used it on Walt and Jesse in Breaking Bad.
1. Saul’s Best Case Scenario Comes True in Better Call Saul
At the end of Walt’s drug empire in Breaking Bad, Walt and Saul share a temporary space before receiving their new identities. Walt, agitated, starts to plan for revenge against those who did him wrong. Saul, however, sees that their empire is officially gone. Sault accepts the situation and tells Walt that his optimal situation will be managing a Cinnabon in Omaha, Nebraska.
