‘Better Call Saul’: What Did You Think of Walt & Jesse’s Return? (POLL)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 6, Episode 11 of Better Call Saul, “Breaking Bad.”]
It’s been quite some time since fans last spent time with Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in their Winnebago meth lab, but the time has come to revisit it in Better Call Saul.
In the show’s aptly titled installment, “Breaking Bad,” the drug-making duo resurfaced in the form of flashbacks from their first joint encounter with Albuquerque’s premier criminal lawyer, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). As fans of Breaking Bad will recall, Saul was introduced in an episode titled, “Better Call Saul,” and so it’s only fitting that this Better Call Saul episode would be tied to his introduction to the Breaking Bad universe.
Picking up moments before Walt and Jesse threaten him while wearing ski masks in Breaking Bad, viewers get to see Saul’s journey to the desert from the back of the Winnebago. Nostalgia takes over as we hear the clinking of beakers on the counter and see Walt and Jesse’s lawn chairs strapped to the wall, and see the duct tape-covered bullet holes on the vehicle’s door.
(Credit: Lewis Jacobs/AMC)
As Walt and Jesse drag Saul out of the Winnebago, we don’t see their exchange much apart from Saul saying, “it wasn’t me, it was Ignacio.” There’s no real need to recreate the moment first seen in Season 2’s eighth episode. When the episode returns to this timeline, it picks up in the Winnebago, moments after Jesse and Walt ensured that Saul would do their legal bidding when it came to managing their dealer Badger (Matt Jones).
Inside, Saul takes stock of what their setup implies, acknowledging the meth lab in front of him, and although Walter is stand-offish, Jesse’s more willing to answer questions, leading to some light bickering fans have come to love between the chemistry teacher and his former student.
As much as we revisit this time and space within the universe, it feels like it’s being seen through the eyes of Saul, which is exactly what it’s supposed to be. This is Saul’s show, and Walt and Jesse aren’t the main characters, but their impact is certainly felt in this episode which uses parallels from Saul’s early encounters with the duo to mirror with experiences he’s having as Gene in the “present.” Particularly when he meets a man who has cancer.
The episode also brings viewers the initial perspective Mike (Jonathan Banks) has on Walt and Jesse when he visits Saul in his office. He advises the lawyer to stay away from the pair, suggesting that their inexperience will lead to potential death, but that doesn’t seem to deter Saul from the business opportunity he sees in front of him.
Considering where the show is heading by the end of this episode, it does feel as though there’s more to Saul’s story with Walt and Jesse to be seen. But until we have a chance to uncover any extra encounters, we’re asking readers to let us know what they thought about Walt and Jesse’s return. Cast your vote in the readers poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments section, below.
Better Call Saul, Season 6, New Episodes 9/8c, AMC
