Better Call Saul Dodged Every Prequel Trap, But This One Scene? Huh.

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Although many prequels tend to fall into familiar traps, Better Call Saul skillfully sidestepped the most common cliches, yet one scene seemed a bit superfluous given the exceptional acclaim that Breaking Bad received throughout its five seasons. Given the immense challenge of following up such a renowned series, it was always going to be difficult for Better Call Saul, but against all odds, it became one of the best TV spinoffs ever made and equaled its predecessor’s quality. The show delved deeper into popular characters like Saul, Mike, and Gus, but it steered clear of significant retcons and other typical pitfalls often seen in prequels.

In simpler terms, Better Call Saul primarily focused on its main character and didn’t tarnish the reputation of Walt and Jesse from Breaking Bad. The show introduced many intriguing new characters who were clever criminals from the same universe as Breaking Bad, but only appeared in the spinoff. Overall, Better Call Saul skillfully created a standalone story that complements Breaking Bad without overshadowing the original series, although there was one minor scene that seemed a bit incongruous. I believe Better Call Saul could have been even better if it had omitted this particular scene.

Better Call Saul Didn’t Need To Give Hector’s Ringing Bell An Origin Story

Uncovering The Origins Of Hector’s Bell Was An Interesting Moment, But It Wasn’t Exactly Necessary

In the series ‘Better Call Saul’, Hector played a pivotal role and his storyline was one of the most captivating. The scene where Nacho caused Hector’s stroke remains a standout moment, leading to some of the spinoff’s most compelling narratives. For fans of ‘Breaking Bad’, it was fascinating to learn why the antagonist was wheelchair-bound and speech-impaired. However, while ‘Better Call Saul’ handled these plot points expertly, the origin story for Hector’s ringing bell seemed excessive as it didn’t seem necessary for the overall narrative.

As a devoted film enthusiast, I found the scene in “Breaking Bad” where we learned that Lalo Salamanca was the one who came up with the idea of using Hector’s bell to communicate, to be more fan service than crucial storytelling. The fact that Hector used his bell to communicate was already established, so revealing its origin felt redundant. If it had been a nurse’s idea instead, it would have added more mystery and intrigue to the scene.

Despite Lalo being one of “Breaking Bad”‘s most captivating villains, this particular moment didn’t significantly contribute to either his or Hector’s character development. It didn’t detract from the show, but it did feel like an unnecessary addition to give the bell a backstory.

Better Call Saul Avoided All Of The Annoying Prequel Tropes For The Most Part

Better Call Saul Avoided Repeating Breaking Bad’s Ending & Didn’t Interfere Too Much With The Main Show

Despite the somewhat humorous Hector’s bell scene, it wasn’t offensive at all and instead underscores how exceptional Better Call Saul nearly is as a prequel. The inclusion of Hector’s bell as its most apparent flaw demonstrates that the rest of the series excelled, revealing just how skillful it was in avoiding overused clichés. Instead of focusing solely on characters from Breaking Bad or attempting to provide excessive context for the original show’s significant events, Better Call Saul prioritized developing its characters and offering insight into why Jimmy McGill is such a divisive figure.

Instead of dwelling extensively on the backstory of how he obtained his famous office or the inflatable Statue of Liberty, which weren’t crucial to his storyline and occurred swiftly or off-camera, Better Call Saul wisely chose to use its time to develop its fresh characters and clarify Jimmy’s motivations. This strategic decision made it an exceptional series that stood tall even without its Breaking Bad connections, and it merits the same level of admiration and acclaim as its predecessor.

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2025-04-26 21:51