Question
Recently I came to know about the new TV show Better Call Saul, which is a spin-off from Breaking Bad. But to my disappointment, the characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman were dropped from the show. Are there any plans to include them in the future?
I also noticed that all the main characters in any spin-off generally get dropped? Is there any particular reason for that?
Answer
It's a little facetious to say that Walt and Jesse were dropped. They were never intended to be lead characters. The show is about Saul Goodman (hence the Better Call Saul). Of course, they could make cameos, as Vince Gilligan, the Breaking Bad creator, said:
“Personally, I’d have a hard time resisting putting all these guys in for a cameo or two every now and then.”
However, the show is focussed on Saul. The actor who portrays him, Bob Odenkirk, commented:
“Here’s what I told Vince and Peter – Pete Gould is also writing that show –we’re gonna make it fresh. It’s not gonna be Breaking Bad 2.0 or whatever. It’s a different show and it’s gonna have a different energy and we’re not gonna try to just extend Breaking Bad. That can’t be done. That show is great, it’s done, it’s all wrapped up and delivered, and now we’re gonna do something fresh and new with a character that is rich and funny, and everyone’s excited about it. And we wanna make sure the audience sees right away that it’s not a continuation of Breaking Bad, but rather its own thing that hopefully is gonna be entertaining on its own terms.”
So to summarise - the show is simply not about them. It's about Saul. They may or may not make cameos (both have expressed interest), but they are not the focus of the show.
Answered By - Andrew Martin
