The timeline ofBreaking BadandBetter Call Saulhighlights just how destructive and terrifying Walter White (Bryan Cranston) was, and how he changed everything in just a few short years. TheBreaking Bad timelinespans quite a few years, from when Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) first encountered Tuco and the Salamancas to when Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) finally made his escape to Alaska. The early years of the timeline, however, expose the truth about the entireBreaking Badsaga, and especially Walter White.
Walter committed countless crimes in Breaking Bad, but he also serves as the series' main character. It can often be difficult to remember just how terrible he was, and how frightening he could be as a villain. There are, of course, some very salient moments that highlight just how awful Walter was - like his abuse of Skyler, his attempted poisoning of Brock, and more. One detail really highlights just how powerful and destructive Walter truly was to the underworld of Albuquerque: how quickly he destroyed everything in his path.
During Better Call Saul’s Various Tragedies, Walter Was Leading A Normal Life
Better Call Saulis, obviously, a prequel toBreaking Bad. While it’s easy to remember that Jimmy McGill’s fall from grace happened before Walt, it’s easy to forget that Walt was still around at the time, he just hadn’t become a criminal yet.For most ofBetter Call Saul, aside from the scenes in black and white, all of Jimmy’s exploits and crimes took place at a time when Walt was living a boring life as a chemistry teacher. Walt wasn’t important to the criminal underworld of Albuquerque at the time, so it’s easy to forget that he was essentially just chilling through it all.
The Correct Order To Watch Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul
There are a few different orders to watch Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and El Camino. Here’s the correct way to follow the Breaking Bad universe.
There are a few instances that really illustrate how hard it is to realize just how different Jimmy and Walt’s situations were throughoutBetter Call Saul.For example, when Jimmy and Mike were trying to survive being stranded in the middle of the desert, Walt was probably worrying about his credit card bill. While Lalo and Gus were attacking one another, Walt could have been having a barbecue with Hank and Marie. The timeline ofBetter Call Saulcreates a stark contrast between Jimmy and Walt, but it also makes Walt an even scarier crime lord.
Better Call Saul’s Cartel War Puts In Perspective How Destructive Walter White Was
After Years Of Gang Wars, Walter Tore It All Down In 2 Years
The war between the Salamancas and Gus lasted for several seasons ofBetter Call Saul, and it took several years to become the kingpin he was inBreaking Bad. Similarly, it took years for Mike to go from a retired cop to Gus' right-hand man, and for Jimmy to become Saul Goodman.Better Call Saulestablished so many different things about the crime world of Albuquerque and hinted at a long history of subtle moves, secretive power plays, and high tensions. Then, within just two years -Breaking Badbegan on Walt’s 50th birthday and ended on his 52nd birthday - Walt had demolished it all.
That stark difference in Breaking Bad’s timeline - before and after Walt became Heisenberg - highlights the fact that he was a nearly unstoppable destructive force.
After years of scratching and clawing, of Jimmy, Mike, Gus, and more experiencing the worst life had to offer, Walt tore it all down in a fraction of the time. What’s more, Walt was no one beforeBreaking Bad. While everyone else was fighting for control of the drug trade in Albuquerque, Walter was having breakfast with his family.While Nacho, Lalo, Howard Hamlin, and several other people were dying from a long-running gang war, Walt was working at a car wash. That stark difference inBreaking Bad’s timeline - before and after Walt became Heisenberg - highlights the fact that he was a nearly unstoppable destructive force.
Better Call Saul’s Placement In The Timeline Also Makes Jimmy McGill’s Story More Tragic
Not only does theBreaking Badtimeline highlight just how powerful of a force Walter was, it also highlights just how tragic Jimmy’s story was.Jimmy was suffering for years before Walt was even diagnosed with cancer, and Walter only made that suffering worse. By the start ofBreaking Bad, Jimmy’s life had been threatened multiple times, he had gotten embroiled in a gang war, he had survived his trip through the desert with Mike, and he had watched several people he knew and loved die, some as a direct result of his own actions.
Better Call Saul
Cast
Better Call Saul follows small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill as he navigates the legal world to make ends meet. The series, set six years before his encounter with Walter White, chronicles Jimmy’s evolution into Saul Goodman, with notable interactions alongside fixer Mike Ehrmantraut.
Yet Walter made Jimmy’s suffering worse. On Walt’s orders, Jimmy had made a false threat against Marie’s life, he had assisted Walt in Gus' assassination and, unknowingly, in Brock’s poisoning, and many more sins. After dealing with Walt, at theend of Better Call Saul, Jimmy was essentially guaranteed to die in prison. Even Jimmy, a man who bore most of the blame for his transformation into Saul Goodman and his own corruption, was still brought even lower by Walt. The timeline ofBetter Call SaulandBreaking Badproves that Walter White could destroy anyone in a way no one else could.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
