AMC's Breaking Bad was one of the most successful TV shows of all time, and although fans never thought that its spin-off series Better Call Saul would ever reach the same heights as the original material, the show's latest couple of seasons have pushed that assumption to its limits.
Better Call Saul takes place a handful of years before Breaking Bad kicks off, following Saul's legal journey back when he was known as James McGill. The users at Ranker have picked out the best episodes of a series that is somehow just as good as its incredible predecessor.
JMM
Before knowing that Jimmy was changing his name to Saul, his partner Kim bought him a briefcase with his initials, JMM, inscribed on it. But in this episode, JMM stands for something much more sinister, posed by Lalo Salamanca as he proposes a dangerous plan to Saul: 'Just Make Money.'
'JMM' is the unsettling prelude to the second half of Season 5, which will see Saul undergo some serious emotional torment as his limits are tested and his life is put in serious danger for the first time. The episode perfectly puts all those pieces in motion, whilst building on the tense relationship between Mike and Gus.
Pimento
Back when Jimmy's life was much easier and far simpler, 'Pimento' follows him and his brother Chuck as they work on assembling a case against Sandpiper. The episode offers a lot of development of Jimmy and Chuck's relationship, which will go on to be one of the central conflicts of the following season.
'Pimento' also sees Mike working as the bodyguard of Daniel Wormald, who sells illegal drugs to cartel member Nacho Varga. This episode establishes the rocky relationship between Mike and Nacho, whilst also offering an incredibly tense scene that sets up Nacho's later downfall within the cartel.
Wexler V. Goodman
Seeing the torment that Saul puts Kim through often makes fans feel sorry for her, but this episode is one of the first that displays how much of a kick she gets from Saul's lifestyle. Although the episode ends with an extremely intense argument between the couple, it finally concludes with Kim's suggestion that the two get married.
The dynamic between Saul and Kim is one that's been through many different stages throughout the show, and 'Wexler V. Goodman' really tests how far their patience for each other can be stretched. Their argument is a tough watch, but it's expertly written and even more expertly acted.
Lantern
The finale of Better Call Saul's third season features one of the most shocking and unexpected moments of the entire show so far - the death of Jimmy's brother Chuck. It's the culmination of several years of tension between the brothers, which literally goes out in a smoking blaze of glory.
Chuck's death will go on to impact Jimmy much more than he'd care to admit, and the way that this episode handles their relationship is nothing short of genius. The two had been at odds for much of the third season, so ending their relationship in such a tragic way makes for an extremely intense episode.
Five-O
Mike Ehrmantraut might only have been a minor character in Breaking Bad, but the development that Better Call Saul has given to his character is absolutely phenomenal. The first time audiences really see this genius characterization in play is in the sixth episode of season 1, 'Five-O', in which Mike murders the two police officers responsible for his son's death.
Not only does this episode add a bunch of new layers to Mike's character, but it also explains why he moved to Albuquerque in the first place, which will obviously lead him into the crossfire of Walter White in a few years' time. The episode alone features some of Mike's most iconic quotes in the whole show, particularly in the flashback scenes.
Something Unforgivable
The season 5 finale to Better Call Saul is the closest that the show has come so far to resembling the intricate yet chaotic storytelling of Breaking Bad. There are plenty of different subplots going on at the same time, from Saul and Kim's plot against Howard to Nacho's betrayal of Lalo - and even Mike's conflict with Gus.
If there's one thing that Better Call Saul has absolutely mastered, it's the season finales. Every single time, it manages to perfectly wrap up plenty of loose ends whilst opening up a bunch more exciting questions for the episodes to come, keeping the audience hooked and anxiously awaiting more.
Chicanery
After being arrested for the break-in of his brother Chuck's house, Jimmy is finally put to trial in season 3's 'Chicanery.' But, as expected, the lawyer has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. It's in this episode that he manages to finally prove Chuck's illness to be psychological, but that has little effect and he still receives a suspension.
It's also in this episode that Jimmy first refers to himself as Saul Goodman when he shows Kim one of the local advertisements that he's recorded under the alias. The name represents a point of no return for Jimmy, who, before this trouble with his brother, had previously held the law in high regard.
Winner
Throughout the first four seasons of Better Call Saul, Jimmy had maintained at least some level of self-pride and morality. But when he finally accepts his new role as Saul Goodman at the end of this episode, he is acknowledging that the only way to win in this world is to do it unlawfully.
The episode features one of the most chilling scenes of the entire show - when Saul gives a speech at his hearing to testify to his grief over Chuck's death, before turning to Kim and revealing the entire thing was a facade. The moment that he turns around and exclaims "S'all good, man!" is one of Better Call Saul's most shocking moments that live rent-free in fans' heads.
Bagman
Despite adopting the name Saul Goodman at the end of season 4, Saul doesn't really show any signs of the character that we know from Breaking Bad until his deadly experience in the desert in 'Bagman'. Not only does he agree to carry out a dangerous exchange with the cartel, but he's also a witness to a fatal gunfight from which he only narrowly escapes.
The physical and psychological torment that Saul falls victim to in 'Bagman' really changes his character irrevocably, and it's because of this dangerous run-in with the cartel that Saul's life changes so sharply. 'Bagman' is not only one of the show's best-written episodes to date, but Bob Odenkirk's performance as Saul Goodman has never been as compelling as it is here.
Bad Choice Road
As the direct follow-up to 'Bagman,' 'Bad Choice Road' sees Saul finally return home after spending a laborious night with Mike in the New Mexico desert. This episode really puts Goodman's relationship with Kim to the test, as she's forced to wait for his arrival with no news of whether he's even alive.
It's episodes like 'Bad Choice Road' that remind viewers of just what made Breaking Bad so great. Not only is the episode so perfectly and intricately written, but it knows exactly how to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and develop its characters so compellingly. 'Bad Choice Road' is arguably the closest that the show has ever come stylistically to Breaking Bad, and it's for that reason that fans are so desperate to see Walter White return in its final season.