Better Call Saul proved itself as a worthy Breaking Bad prequel during its two part premiere – but who else should return?
For Breaking Bad fans, the wait was finally over as the prequel series Better Call Saul debuted to record breaking viewers and critical acclaim. Played by Bob Odenkirk, the infamous criminal lawyer finally took us back to the world we all love. The series also sees the return of Mike Ehrmantraut (Johnathon Banks), and — in a surprise appearance during the two hour premiere — Raymond Cruz’s Tuco Salmanaca.
With writer Vince Gilligan clearly more than happy to accommodate Breaking Bad alumni making cameos, it’s got us thinking – who else should come back? Here’s our top eight picks:
Jimmy McGill is a criminal lawyer. Surely at some point in his pre-Breaking Bad career, he’ll come face to face with Hank Schrader? With Hank quite literally biting the dust in Bad‘s final season, Dean Norris wouldn’t be able to make a return in any sequels which are made (we can dream, right?). Because of its prequel status, Better Call Saul is our only opportunity to see the DEA agent on TV again. Team him up with Steve Gomez, pit the two of them against Saul in a court case, and you have exciting television and plenty of fanboying/fangirling.
Danny Trejo is a legendary actor, and it’s a shame his talents were limited to such a short appearance in the main show. Tortgua, a Cartel runner turned DEA informant, didn’t even last a whole episode before a tortoise waddled through the desert carrying his severed head. Better Call Saul could explore Tortuga’s transition from drug smuggler to DEA informant, with Saul helping to strike a bargain between him and Hank (or a new DEA agent entirely).
Will he? Won’t he? Actor Giancarlo Esposito and Breaking Bad‘s writers have been offering conflicting teasers about whether or not we’ll see the terrifying Gus Fring back for Better Call Saul. At first, the actor seemed thrilled at the prospect, then, not so keen. This lack of enthusiasm could all just be a red herring to hide the fact the Fring will pop up at some point. We sure hope so, as there’s still so much we don’t know about this compelling villain.
We may never know the answer to Breaking Bad‘s ultimate mystery: Did Huell ever leave the safe house? But we can find out more about the journey that lead him there. Huell is very much Breaking Bad‘s Hodor – he’s the strong silent type who, despite his relative lack of lines, managed to be massively entertaining every time he was on screen. We’d love to have him back, even if it was just for a cameo (we can picture Saul walking past Huell asleep in the middle of the street).
On page 2: Four more ‘Breaking Bad’ characters that should make a return…
Page 2: 8 ‘Breaking Bad’ Characters We’d Like to See in ‘Better Call Saul’
If Huell gets a return, he should be joined by the other half of Saul’s “A-Team.” Patrick didn’t have much to do in the original series, but he made the perfect Good Cop partner for the intimidating bodyguard. Since we know pretty much nothing about his past, Patrick could easily make a couple of appearances in Better Call Saul.
Saul’s outspoken receptionist is hilarious in her relatively limited role, and it would be great to explore why she has such disdain for the lawyer. Do they have history? Were they in a relationship? Francesca is another fun character that would be easy to bring back without the show feeling like a Breaking Bad curtain call.
This selection is a bit left-field, but Old Joe would make a great addition to the cast of Better Call Saul. In his limited appearances he demonstrated an expert knowledge of the law (managing to stop Hank from searching Walt and Jesse’s RV), an adept talent for engineering and (most importantly) a blatant disregard of the law. As things get worse and worse for Jimmy McGill, he’ll certainly have to turn to Old Joe for help at some point.
We couldn’t resist. How could you not want Walter White in Better Call Saul? Don’t get us wrong, we’re not asking for him to become a series regular. But since a return for Jesse would also require Badger, Skinny Pete, and all of their other friends to make an appearance, Aaron Paul’s reprisal may be deemed as over-the-top fan service. Walter White however could make a quick cameo while he washes Saul’s car, and the two could have a quick exchange. That’s all that’s needed. There would be plenty of opportunity for some nice foreshadowing of future events during a quick scene, without things getting ridiculous.