The series Breaking Bad is a big name in the series landscape. I personally think it is a masterpiece. You follow the great Bryan Cranston as Walter White. The doctor has determined that he is terminally ill. Walter has lung cancer and does not seem to have much longer to live. In order to ensure that his family does not end up in a financial crisis after his death and also to pay for his own treatments, Walter decides to switch to a life as a criminal. With the help of Jesse Pinkman, nice role of Aaron Paul, he makes and sells the drug crystal meth.
During the second season, a shady lawyer suddenly appears, his name is Saul Goodman. The character is tailor-made for and is played by Bob Odenkirk. Towards the end of the second season, he passes by in passing. Saul Goodman was originally intended as a supporting character, but the creators probably soon realize that they have gold in their hands. From the third season on, Saul Goodman is part of the permanent cast and that is one of the best decisions they have ever made.
The idea for a spin-off came about in 2009, after the character was introduced in Breaking Bad. Saul Goodman became one of the most beloved characters in the series. This only made the idea for a spin-off stronger. Finally, in 2015, it happened. Bob Odenkirk returned as Saul Goodman in his own series, Better Call Saul. The spin-off shows Saul's origins as the serious lawyer Jimmy McGill and his moral decline in the six years before the events of Breaking Bad. It also includes a sequel storyline, where Saul lives under the assumed name Gene Takavic, who investigates the consequences of his actions in Breaking Bad.
It's always a question of whether a character can stand on his own two feet in his own show. Better Call Saul turned out to be a bull's eye. You could describe it as a kind of Shakespearean tragedy that is at least on par with Breaking Bad. Bob Odenkirk delivered a world-class performance, portraying an essentially hateful character in such a way that viewers couldn't help but cheer for him. While Better Call Saul contained some of the most shocking moments in dramatic television history, it also retained the pitch-black humor that had made its predecessor Breaking Bad such a phenomenon.
As a spin-off, it is difficult to step out of the shadow of the original series, but Better Call Saul has succeeded with flying colors. The series managed to develop its own identity and at the same time combined this with elements that made Breaking Bad so successful. This leads me to conclude that Better Call Saul has become a successful spin-off.
