The Best Breaking Bad Characters to Guest-Star on Better Call Saul
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The post The Best Breaking Bad Characters to Guest-Star on Better Call Saul appeared first on Consequence.
It’s easy to lose sight of all the reasons why Better Call Saul makes for such a captivating series, but one of the biggest is how when it comes to telling its dark tale of drugs, power, and extralegal maneuvers, it never loses sight of the human cost — a proud tradition that has led to frequent crossovers with its sister series, Breaking Bad.
The initial premise of the show might have been finding out just how a small-time struggling lawyer became the premiere attorney for Albuquerque’s criminal underworld we first met in Breaking Bad, but as we’ve seen over the past six seasons, it’s very often not “s’all good, man” for the people Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman/Gene Takavic (Bob Odenkirk) encounters. And this comes out, more often than not, in the fates of those left in Jimmy/Saul’s wake, whose stories have stretched across both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad.
What’s fascinating about the series is how tight-knit its references are, including recurring players — this list could have been a lot longer, because beyond the characters listed below, there are over a dozen other familiar faces who have appeared in both series, from the real estate agent who had to deal with Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) as well as Jimmy and Kim (Rhea Seehorn), to the APD officers who have been investigating random crimes for years, to the often-silent henchmen working for multiple facets of the cartel.
We specifically aimed for people who might have been series regulars on Breaking Bad at one point, but went on to guest-star in Better Call Saul, so as to eliminate too-obvious candidates like Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) or Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks). Instead, this list is a celebration of how Better Call Saul has always been in direct conversation with what came before, when it comes to even the smallest detail.
As this list is being written, six episodes of Better Call Saul remain, and who knows what might be revealed about the ultimate fates of some of these characters. We also know that there are two big cameos still to come, as showrunner Peter Gould confirmed in April 2022 that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, as played by Bryan Cranston and Paul, will appear in the final episodes. How or why, of course, is just one of the many mysteries the series has yet to wrap up. (Not that we’re in any hurry to see this story end.)
— Liz Shannon Miller
Hank Schrader (Dean Norris)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 5 Episode 4, “The Guy For This”
Though he may have started as a machismo-oozing, vaguely-racist brother-in-law in the Breaking Bad pilot, Hank developed into one of the show’s most interesting characters. From the dissection of his masculinity to his obsession with catching Heisenberg, ASAC Schrader and his signature quips are instrumental to the world of Breaking Bad.
Luckily, Dean Norris’ weird TikTok presence isn’t the only reason Hank’s legacy extends beyond the end of Breaking Bad, as he and his partner Agent Gomez (Steven Michael Quezada) make a return (or pre-turn?) in Better Call Saul. After Krazy-8 (Max Arciniega, another Breaking Bad alumnus) gets arrested, the DEA sends their brightest two agents to conduct the questioning. As intuitive as ever, he sees right through Jimmy’s punny new name. His jovial nature is also on display, even ending his appearance by inviting his team out for drinks — gotta love him. — Jonah Krueger
Wendy (Julia Minesci)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 1 Episode 3, “…and the Bag’s in the River”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 6 Episode 4, “Hit and Run”
In Albuquerque, it seems, there are certain constants: The sun will rise, the sun will set, and Wendy the sex worker will be hanging out at the Crossroads Motel, up for anything from a front seat blowjob to lying to the cops on your behalf. Wendy made several appearances over the course of Breaking Bad, but made her Better Call Saul debut just in Season 6, helping Jimmy and Kim build up fake evidence that Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabien) had a drug problem.
For those hoping the prequel might include an origin story for Wendy, you may be tragically out of luck: As far as we know, Wendy always was, Wendy always is, and Wendy will always be… Wendy. — L.S.M.
Ken (Kyle Bornheimer)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 1 Episode 4, “Cancer Man”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 2 Episode 1, “Switch”
Most Breaking Bad fans probably don’t remember Ken by name. It’s understandable; he only appears in a single episode. Yet, he plays a surprisingly important role in the evolution of Heisenberg. Before he bested Gus, before he and Jesse took on Tuco, before he started rocking his iconic bald head, Walt exacted one of his first acts of revenge on Ken, an obnoxious stockbroker, by blowing up his KENWINZ-plated BMW.
Unfortunately for Ken, he plays a similar role in Better Call Saul. As Jimmy slowly descends into becoming a full-on criminal lawyer, he often harkens back to the cons of his “Slippin’ Jimmy” days. In the case of “Switch,” that means conning Ken out of a luxurious dinner with the help of Kim (Rhea Seehorn). Like Walt, it’s a moment that showcases the direction Jimmy is headed, as well as Kim’s hesitant willingness to go along with him. — J.K.
Spooge (David Ury)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 2 Episode 5, “Breakage”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 6 Episode 4, “Hit and Run”
Who’s Spooge, you might ask? The name might not immediately ring any bells, until you mention these words: “stolen ATM.” Or “skull crushed by.” Spooge was one of two methheads that Jesse had to deal with during Season 2 of Breaking Bad, who eventually met his gruesome fate while attempting to drill inside the aforementioned stolen ATM. Not because it fell on his head, though, but because his special ladyfriend pushed it down on him.
In his brief Better Call Saul appearance, Spooge is alive and well and presumably not addicted to meth yet — he certainly seems in pretty good shape physically when he shows up at Saul Goodman’s office in search of a lawyer. But he is already going by the name Spooge. (Maybe it’s a family name.) — L.S.M.
Francesca Liddy (Tina Parker)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 2 Episode 8, “Better Call Saul”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 3 Episode 2, “Witness”
We first meet Francesca in Breaking Bad as the exhausted and frustrated secretary to Saul Goodman — a woman with some lingering loyalty to her boss, but also no reservations about extorting Walter White for cash when the occasion calls for it.
But when we later meet her in Better Call Saul, Francesca instantly becomes one of the franchise’s most heartbreaking characters. That’s because when she shows up to interview for a job as a receptionist for the brand-new legal firm of Wexler McGill, she’s practically sunshine — a cheerful, friendly employee of the New Mexico MVD who seems eager to please, and genuinely cares about her employers. In Season 6, she returns to working for Jimmy, now using the name Saul Goodman professionally, and we almost immediately see how the Francesca we knew in Breaking Bad was born: A few years of dealing with Saul Goodman’s standard clientele, not to mention Saul Goodman himself, will put a lot of tarnish on a person’s soul. — L.S.M.
Kaylee Ehrmantraut (Various)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 3 Episode 2, “Caballo Sin Nombre”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 1 Episode 6, “Five-O”
As you can see from the photos above, Kaylee doesn’t change that much from Better Call Saul to Breaking Bad (okay, except for the fact that she’s been played by multiple young actors, including Kaija Roze Bales, Faith Healey, Abigail Zoe Lewis, and Juliet Donenfeld): At least from the perspective of Mike Ehrmantraut, she’ll always be the sweet, playful, and loving granddaughter for whom he was saving all of his illegally earned cash, and Breaking Bad never showed her learning the true nature of what Pop-Pop did in between babysitting gigs. Perhaps we’ll see her lose that innocence before the end of the series… Or maybe the writers will decide that that would just be too cruel to bear. — L.S.M.
Gale Boetticher (David Costabile)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 3 Episode 6, “Sunset”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 4 Episode 3, “Something Beautiful”
One of the most uncomplicatedly likable characters in the Breaking Bad universe, Gale Boetticher was the original scientific head of Gustavo Fring’s superlab. Humble, nerdy, and lovable, it was Gale himself who convinced Gus to hire Walt despite his hesitations. Of course, the evil geniuses behind Breaking Bad rewarded Gale’s relatively pure character with a bullet to the head.
Luckily for fans of Gale and his unique interests, he makes a few brief appearances in Better Call Saul. As Gus looks for a cook in America, he enlists Gale to test the purity of various samples. Gale happily obliges, but subsequently urges Gus to let him take over cooking duties. He could, of course, do better than the “dreck” samples. At this point, Gus refuses, but we are introduced to both Gale’s intellect and the aspirations he shares with W.W. — J.K.
Huell Babineaux (Lavell Crawford)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 4 Episode 1, “Box Cutter”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 3 Episode 5, “Chicanery”
You’d never guess Huell to be the finest pickpocket in Albuquerque, but that special skill came in very handy while in service to Jimmy McGill, who first hired him to plant the not-so-telltale cell phone battery that made Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) look unbalanced during a New Mexico Bar Association hearing. From that point, Huell becomes a go-to ally for Jimmy whenever underhanded dealings are underway, especially after Jimmy mounts a massive con to help Huell escape jail time.
Huell would remain a loyal employee of Jimmy/Saul up until the black hole known as Walter White begins consuming everyone else in his orbit. Ultimately, he ends up telling DEA agents Hank Schroeder and Steve Gomez about Walter’s money, and is left alone in a safe house… maybe forever? — L.S.M.
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Laura Fraser)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 5 Episode 2, “Madrigal”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 3 Episode 6, “Off Brand”
In contrast to, say, Gale, Lydia Rodarte-Quayle is perhaps one of the most immediately hateable characters in Breaking Bad. Introduced as Gus’ former white-collar connection, Lydia instantly proves to be self-serving, easily panicked, and prone to betrayal. Her first major storyline even sees her attempting to convince Mike to murder any remaining associates who know of her involvement.
In Better Call Saul, we finally see Gus and Lydia’s professional relationship play out, as she acts as counsel, supplies methylamine, and helps to build the illusion of Gus’ business being above board. We also get to see Mike and Lydia’s first encounters, hinting that their disagreements are regular and deep-rooted. — J.K.
Ed Galbraith (Robert Forster)
Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul (AMC)
First Breaking Bad Appearance: Season 5 Episode 11, “Confessions”
First Better Call Saul Appearance: Season 5 Episode 1, “Magic Man”
Need to disappear? Your brother-in-law catch on to your methamphetamine empire? Well, Ed Galbraith is the solution. Just ask for a dust filter for your Hoover Max Extract® Pressure Pro™, Model 60 and the vacuum salesman will set you up with his own brand of black market witness protection.
Ed helps both Walt and Saul relocate towards the end of Breaking Bad Season 5. In other words, he’s responsible for the black-and-white, Cinnabon-loaded intros of Better Call Saul. In the introduction of “Magic Man,” he even makes a rare post-Breaking Bad appearance when Jimmy (known now as Gene) requests another extraction after being recognized as Saul Goodman. As an added bonus, you can also catch a glimpse of his business card in the Season 6 episode “Axe and Grind.” — J.K.
Better Call Saul Season 6 airs Mondays on AMC.
The Best Breaking Bad Characters to Guest-Star on Better Call Saul
Jonah Krueger and Liz Shannon Miller
Popular Posts
Kid Rock, Who Swears He's Not Homophobic, Posts Homophobic Fourth of July Meme
Guns N Roses Joined by Carrie Underwood for "Sweet Child O' Mine" & "Paradise City": Watch
Nicki Minaj Takes Aim at Kanye West at Essence Fest: "We Don't Fuck with Clowns!"
A League of Their Own: DeLisa Chinn-Tyler, the Woman Who Threw the Baseball Back, Speaks
VIP Section at The Eagles Concert Breaks into Brawl During "Take It Easy"
