The Tragic Secret Behind Better Call Saul’s Opening Credits Will Break Your Heart

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The opening credits of Better Call Saul hold a profound significance that adds an extra layer of sadness to the series. This spin-off of Breaking Bad follows the life of lawyer Saul Goodman, formerly Jimmy McGill, played by Bob Odenkirk. Although Saul was a source of humor in Breaking Bad, episodes from Better Call Saul often delve into deep and tragic themes, some of which are even more emotionally affecting than memorable scenes from Breaking Bad.

In essence, “Better Call Saul” primarily sets the stage for the tale of Walter White, as portrayed by Bryan Cranston, yet it also continues the narrative from the original series. The character of Jimmy McGill, now going by Gene Takovic, is depicted in each season managing a Cinnabon store in Omaha, Nebraska at the outset. Towards the end of “Better Call Saul,” the spinoff’s storyline, which unfolds in black and white, takes center stage, shedding fresh light on the opening credits that have been featured before each episode throughout the series.

Better Call Saul’s Opening Credits Were Meant To Emulate A Typical Saul Goodman Commercial

The Commercials Are First Shown In Breaking Bad

The opening credits of Better Call Saul are designed to echo the exaggerated Saul Goodman ads seen in both the prequel series and Breaking Bad. These advertisements play a significant role in shaping and making Saul Goodman’s persona more familiar. From the giant inflatable Statue of Liberty outside his office to the bus stop bench ad displaying Saul gesturing, the visuals in the credits mirror the ads and the public persona he crafted.

Better Call Saul’s Intro Footage Gets Glitchier As The Show Goes On (Because Jimmy Keeps Watching Them)

The Footage Also Loses Its Color

In each season of “Better Call Saul,” the credits grow increasingly glitchy and distorted compared to the previous one. This is due to Gene, Jimmy’s character, frequently watching commercials on VHS tapes. Over time, these repeated viewings cause the tapes to degrade, resulting in lower quality. The opening episode hints at this by depicting Gene retrieving a VHS tape, inserting it into a VCR, and watching the commercials, as he sorrowfully reflects on his past self. The gradual fading of colors in these commercials foreshadows how later episodes will fully transition into a black-and-white timeline.

Jimmy’s frequent viewing of his old commercials until they become faded seems to add a layer of melancholy to his existence as Gene, which is already fraught with difficulties. Although he continues to live and is not in prison, his fixation on the past and reluctance to acknowledge his errors paint a bleak picture of his life. The poignancy of the Better Call Saul series finale lies in Jimmy’s eventual acceptance of responsibility for his mistakes, which enables him to break free from the past and confront the truth instead of being trapped in a loop of watching those old tapes.

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2025-04-30 12:59