What year is Better Call Saul set in? Timeline of the AMC drama, explained

Better Call Saul | Image Via: Sony Pictures Television Studios
Better Call Saul | Image Via: Sony Pictures Television Studios

Better Call Saul is a pioneer in the world of neo-noir legal dramas, giving us a storyline extension of the beloved Breaking Bad series. Here, we get to see Jimmy McGill’s journey from a con artist to becoming a public defender over the course of the series.

We also see how he slowly gains his persona of Saul Goodman. This show depicts the rise and fall of such an enigmatic character through the years. It is truly intriguing to watch. The timeline of Better Call Saul is largely between 2002 to 2005. Let’s discuss the timeline of this AMC drama in detail.


Timeline of Better Call Saul

Before Saul Goodman’s arrival in Breaking Bad, his journey is unfolded through the storyline of Better Call Saul from 2002 to 2004, which mainly shows us Jimmy’s journey to the eventual development of his persona. Saul Goodman starts off in 2002.

The first season takes place in 2002, when his law practice takes a turn. His journey into the criminal world begins. During this time, his relationship with his brother also begins to crumble. His relationship with Kim Wexler begins to develop during this time.

Better Call Saul | Image Via: Sony Pictures Television Studios
Better Call Saul | Image Via: Sony Pictures Television Studios

The second season of Better Call Saul begins in July 2002 and goes on till September 2002. In this season, Jimmy joins Davis & Main. However, things do not go well for him. This season also marks a critical turning point in Jimmy’s life. After he leaves Davis & Main, he begins to embrace his morally flexible nature.

Better Call Saul Season 3 is set from September 26, 2002, to March 28, 2003. In this season, Jimmy’s relationship with his brother, Chuck, takes a drastic turn. He breaks into Chuck’s house to retrieve a recording that could potentially disbar him.

This is also the season when Jimmy adopts his persona, Saul Goodman, for the very first time. It cannot be denied that the third season was one of the best ones in the series.

The fourth season takes place from March 29, 2003, to April 1, 2004. In this season, we get to see two cameos from Breaking Bad. One is Gale Boetticher, and the other is Ira.

Much of this season’s focus is on Jimmy’s depression after his brother’s death. He struggles a lot and suffers from grief. He then takes on a side business to sell prepaid phones to criminals. He begins to fully immerse himself in the criminal world.

As the series progresses, Jimmy gets closer to his eventual fate. The fifth season’s timeline is from April 1, 2004, to May 13, 2004. In this season, Jimmy gets married to Kim.

Though they love one another, the main motive was to get privileges. This sets Kim on a destructive path. Lalo Salamanca’s introduction in this season also adds a layer of intrigue and complexity.

Better Call Saul | Image Via: Sony Pictures Television Studios
Better Call Saul | Image Via: Sony Pictures Television Studios

The events of the final season of Better Call Saul take place from May 14, 2004, to February 11, 2005. Along with this, there is also a flashforward sequence. It is present in the later episode of the sixth season. It takes place in 2010.

In the sixth season of this series, we see Jimmy’s actions have consequences that unfold with each episode. Jimmy has now fully embraced his Saul Goodman persona.

The show concludes right before Jimmy begins working with Walter White, which we see in Breaking Bad. The two time periods in this series truly bring out the tragic decline of Jimmy’s life. The show masterfully connects the dots with each episode.


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Edited by Deebakar