10 scenes that prove Better Call Saul may be better than Breaking Bad

Okay, take a deep breath before you yell at your screen. Better Call Saul might—just might - be better than Breaking Bad. There, we said it. Look, we love Breaking Bad. We’ve worshipped at the altar of Walter White. We’ve nervously watched Jesse Pinkman spiral and explode and come back again. We’ve gasped at the twin assassins, the bathtub incident, the “I am the danger” monologue. The show is a masterclass in storytelling, tension, and transformation.

But then came its prequel - a slow-burn legal drama about a sleazy lawyer who wasn’t even the main focus of Breaking Bad. And somehow, it didn’t just live up to expectations, it elevated the entire universe. Over six seasons, Better Call Saul gave us layered character studies, emotional gut-punches, stunning cinematography, and a protagonist who arguably had a more nuanced arc than Heisenberg himself.

Where Breaking Bad was explosive, Better Call Saul was surgical. Where Walt took a hard left turn into evil, Jimmy McGill (a.k.a. Saul Goodman, a.k.a. Gene Takavic) took a thousand little sidesteps, each one breaking our hearts. It was smarter, subtler, and in many ways, sadder.

Still skeptical? Let’s break down 10 scenes that prove, or at least make a compelling argument - that Better Call Saul may have outdone its iconic predecessor.

10 scenes that prove Better Call Saul may be better than Breaking Bad

1) Chuck’s Lantern Finale (Season 3, Episode 10 - “Lantern”)

Chuck McGill’s descent into madness ends not with a dramatic death at the hands of a rival, but in the quiet, flickering glow of a lantern. After a series of humiliations - being forced out of his law firm, losing in court to Jimmy, and realizing that his mental illness has cost him everything - Chuck methodically destroys his home before sitting down and kicking over the lantern.

It’s devastating. Michael McKean’s performance is haunting, and the buildup makes it all the more painful. This isn’t flashy. It’s Shakespearean. Breaking Bad gave us fiery deaths and machine guns. Better Call Saul gives us a man broken by pride and mental illness—and it hits harder.

2) Gene’s Parking Booth Monologue (Season 6, Episode 10 - “Nippy”)

This might low-key be the most heartbreaking moment in Better Call Saul. In a flash-forward where Saul is living as Gene in Omaha, he encounters the ever-sweet security guard Frank. After pulling off an elaborate heist, Gene sits with Frank and rambles about how he used to be someone.

It’s a masterclass in subtlety. Bob Odenkirk's performance shows the emotional toll of Saul’s choices. For a moment, Gene almost reaches out - almost confesses, but doesn’t. That restraint? That aching sense of loss? You rarely saw that kind of emotional complexity in Walt’s journey.

3) Kim’s Confession to Howard’s Widow (Season 6, Episode 12 - “Waterworks”)

Kim Wexler was the heart and moral compass of the show. So when she finally confesses her role in Howard Hamlin’s downfall to his widow, it is raw and heart-wrenching. She doesn’t make excuses, she doesn’t dramatize - she just owns up.

What makes this scene so potent isn’t just the emotional weight - it’s Rhea Seehorn’s performance. The silent bus ride afterward, with Kim finally breaking down into tears, is the kind of scene that deserves an Emmy, a standing ovation, and possibly your last tissue.

4) The “Winner” Karaoke Flashback (Season 4, Episode 10 - “Winner”)

Jimmy and Chuck sing karaoke together. That’s it. That’s the scene. But it’s so much more. After Chuck pulls strings to help Jimmy get reinstated into the law, the two share a rare moment of brotherly joy. It’s the calm before the storm.

This brief glimpse into their past makes Chuck’s betrayal, and Jimmy’s transformation into Saul - all the more tragic. It shows that their relationship could have been something beautiful. But pride, insecurity, and resentment burned it down. It’s not just a karaoke scene, it’s a microcosm of the entire series!

5) Nacho’s Final Stand (Season 6, Episode 3 - “Rock and Hard Place”)

Nacho Varga always seemed like a side character destined to die. But Better Call Saul gave him a poetic, gut-wrenching farewell. After being trapped between Gus and the Salamancas, Nacho orchestrates his own death, going out on his terms. He confesses, spits in Hector Salamanca’s face, then takes his own life before anyone else can.

It’s brutal, but it’s dignified - and it’s earned. In a show about moral compromise, Nacho dying with his principles intact might be one of the most powerful moments in the franchise.

6) The “So You Were Always Like This?” Phone Call (Season 6, Episode 11 - “Breaking Bad”)

We never see Kim’s side of the phone call - we don’t need to. Gene (Saul) calls Kim from a phone booth. Whatever she says devastates him. He lashes out, slams the phone, and the sound goes dead.

This off-screen conversation is one of the best examples of how Better Call Saul trusts its audience. The silence says more than any dialogue could. And Bob Odenkirk sells the emotional chaos with just his face and a phone receiver. Chef’s kiss.

7) “It’s All Good, Man!” (Season 4, Episode 10 - “Winner”)

We knew it was coming - the moment Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman for real. But the scene still stings! After delivering a speech about Chuck in front of the Bar Association to get reinstated, Jimmy reveals it was all an act.

“I’ll be a damn good lawyer,” he says. “Because I can make people believe anything.” Boom! It’s the birth of Saul Goodman - not with a bang, but with a smirk and a complete rejection of emotional authenticity. And honestly, it felt more horrifying than any moment of Walt poisoning a child.

8) Lalo’s Home Invasion (Season 5, Episode 9 - “Bad Choice Road”)

You want tension? Well, this scene rivals anything in Breaking Bad! Lalo Salamanca casually shows up at Jimmy and Kim’s apartment, sits down, and begins probing Jimmy’s recent desert ordeal. This scene in Better Call Saul is quiet, polite, and absolutely terrifying.

Kim steps in to defend Jimmy, verbally sparring with a cartel hitman like it’s closing arguments in court. Her boldness, Lalo’s menace, and the knowledge that anyone could die at any second - it’s Hitchcock-level suspense!

9) Gene’s Arrest and the Final Courtroom Scene (Season 6, Episode 13 - “Saul Gone”)

We didn’t expect redemption for Saul Goodman, but we got something close. In the finale of Better Call Saul, Gene - fully exposed, manipulates the justice system one last time to reduce his sentence. But when Kim shows up to watch, he changes course. He confesses everything.

It’s the final evolution of the character. From Jimmy, to Saul, to Gene... and back to Jimmy again. The courtroom isn’t just a set - it’s a stage where he finally becomes honest. And that moment where he sits across from Kim, handcuffed but emotionally free? Goosebumps!

10) Kim and Jimmy’s Cigarette Scene (Season 6, Episode 13 - “Saul Gone”)

It’s subtle, it’s quiet, and it’s perfect! In the final moments of the show, Kim visits Jimmy in prison. They share a cigarette - mirroring a scene from Season 1. No words needed.

The entire journey, all the heartbreak, all the choices - they all lead to this one final ember between them. Is it reconciliation? Closure? Maybe. It’s Better Call Saul at its best: tender, poetic, and utterly human.

While Breaking Bad remains a landmark achievement in television, Better Call Saul carved its own identity through patient storytelling, emotional depth, and masterfully drawn characters. These ten scenes highlight how the prequel often surpassed its predecessor in nuance and poignancy. In many ways, Saul Goodman’s journey stands not just beside Walter White’s, but sometimes even above it!