Better Call Saul has followed in the impressive footsteps of Breaking Bad and seemingly carried on the legacy of the groundbreaking show. Since the two are connected, there are many different easter eggs and continuity pieces you might have missed.
Whether it’s a recurring character you’d forgotten, a location, or perhaps even a turn of phrase, all of these choices are very deliberate to link back to the later shows. Here are 10 hidden details that connect Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad you might not have noticed.
CLARENCE
Breaking Bad was so well received that it created the Saul Goodman spin-off show. However, this wasn’t enough for fans, which is why the El Camino movie was also produced, in order to carry on telling the story of the much-beloved Jesse Pinkman.
This provided an opportunity to link the past and the future together. A bodyguard by the name of Clarence gets scared off of a dangerous job by Mike in Better Call Saul. He reappears in El Camino now as the driver and bodyguard to a group of strippers.
CASA TRANQUILA
During the earlier seasons of the show, Saul comes up with a brilliant plan to try to work with the elderly residents of care homes. He saw a lot of money to be made in this market and visited various homes in the hope of making some big cash.
One of the care homes that he visits during this time is Casa Tranquila, presumably aimed at the Latin American demographic. This is the same home that Hector stays in towards the end of his life and where Gus ultimately meets his explosive fate.
BURNER PHONES
Another mad scheme of Saul is to start selling phones to criminals. The simple technology could be used once, snap in half and then get thrown away. The untraceable mobile devices were an absolute hit amongst the criminal world.
This is a concept that carries into his days of Breaking Bad. Not only does Saul still have his stash of phones, but he gives them out to his clients in order to keep them from being tracked by the law. It’s good to see he was thinking on his feet early on.
LOYOLA’S DINER
Loyola’s Diner is the sort of pop culture cafe that would inspire a real-life establishment. Well it turns out the location is actually very much from our reality. Because the building is still standing, the Diner has featured in the various series set in this world.
What’s more, Fran the waitress has appeared in both series and brought Mike his regular breakfast. It’s become a very familiar spot for the criminal and others have also eaten there including Jesse and Lydia; it’s quite the criminal hotspot.
VICTOR
Victor was first introduced to us in Breaking Bad. Sadly for him, his most famous moment was becoming the unfortunate employee that had his throat sliced by Gus Fring, during one of his fabled moments of anger and violence.
Surprisingly, Victor actually makes an appearance in Better Call Saul although you may not remember him immediately. He is working on behalf of both Hector and Gus, although it’s clear where his loyalties lie in the far future…before his death.
KEVIN COSTNER
There’s a famous line in Breaking Bad where Saul claims that he once convinced a woman that he was Kevin Costner. At the time it seemed like a ridiculous brag that not only couldn’t be true, but would have to come from someone deeply egotistical.
Well in one of the terrible moments of his life, Saul does indeed convince a young lady that he is Kevin Costner and she goes back to his place. It’s a surprising turn of events especially since he looks nothing like the famous actor; he believed his own story though which is the key!
TARANTULAS
The tarantula has been used as a symbol for a variety of things across this franchise. Whether it’s the spider that belongs to the young kid Todd shot, or the one that Todd then kept in his house. There’s been plenty seen across the deserts of Albuquerque.
When Mike informs a bartender that he will be heading to Albuquerque, the man only has one piece of advice. He suggests that he minds out for the tarantulas. It’s a nice callback and one that keeps this symbol of death in our minds at all times.
CINNABON
Does Cinnabon seem like such a terrible place to live? This universe has a ‘fixer’ that can completely solve all your problems, relocate you, give you a new identity and even a place to live. When things got too over the top Saul wanted to skip town.
He alongside Walt and later Jesse, all used these services to start afresh. Saul joked that he’d probably end up working in a Cinnabon. Well, it turns out that’s exactly where he ends up. The flash-forwards in Better Call Saul show him working in his day to day job.
IRA
Ira is a common criminal always looking at unique ways to make cash. He knows the business well though and is on to big things. In Breaking Bad he sets up Vamanos Pest removals, the company Walt later buys from him for a considerable amount of money.
It turns out that during his earlier days he was fulfilling various jobs for clients like Saul himself. Ira is the guy Saul had wait in the office of Mr. Neff so that he could steal a very valuable ornament. The plan goes off successfully although once Saul distracted Neff.
IGNACIO
When Saul is in a high-pressure situation, having been held to account by Jesse and Walt, he lists off a number of names and things that could be relevant to what his attackers might want. One of the names he mentions is Ignacio.
Nacho is of course short for Ignacio. The character from Better Call Saul is therefore mentioned years later and clearly has a beef with Saul. Or perhaps the character didn’t survive the series and Saul is worried the blame for this could fall on his shoulders.
