Four Years On, "Better Call Saul" Finale Still Packs an Emotional Punch

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Spinning off Breaking Bad only two years after its epic conclusion was a surprising decision on the part of AMC and showrunner Vince Gilligan . Even more perplexing was the choice to center a prequel series around the show's ostensible comic relief: Saul Goodman, played by comedy writer and actor Bob Odenkirk . Although Albuquerque's top criminal lawyer was essential to Walter White's ( Bryan Cranston ) meth empire in the original series, he seemed far too one-note and thinly constructed to warrant an entire spin-off. Of course, Gilligan and co-showrunner Peter Gould proved everyone wrong with Better Call Saul , which outmatched the emotional gravitas and stirring characterization of its parent series. From the start, Better Call Saul was designed to refute any notion of glorification and sympathy for criminal undertakings, and viewers felt the brunt of its lead's actions in its gut-punching series finale .