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Better Call Saul wrapped up its six-season run earlier this year, earning a place as one of the rare TV prequels that stand toe-to-toe with—or even outshine—the original series. While Breaking Bad was a whirlwind of suspense, constant action, and unexpected twists, Better Call Saul emerged as a masterful character study. Though it occasionally ramped up the stakes to Breaking Bad levels, it earned praise for its methodical pace, allowing a deeper exploration of the Breaking Bad universe's intricate details.
Despite all the character development and background we’ve been treated to over the span of 14 years of Breaking Bad, its follow-up film El Camino, and Better Call Saul, there are still lingering questions. Here are 10 unresolved mysteries that continue to spark speculation among fans.
Before we dive into the theories, a couple of things to note: Bob Odenkirk’s character will be referred to as both Jimmy and Saul, depending on which persona he adopts in a given scene. And, a major spoiler warning—if you haven't caught up with the Breaking Bad universe yet, what follows will reveal crucial plot details.
10. What is the Story Behind Gus Fring's Past?
Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), introduced as the ultimate supervillain in Breaking Bad, began as a business associate to Walter White (Bryan Cranston) but eventually became his fiercest rival. Once Gus had no further use for Walt, he showed no hesitation in eliminating him, leading to a deadly cat-and-mouse chase that ended with Walt triumphing. One of Better Call Saul's biggest achievements was humanizing Gus, turning him from a mere antagonist to a character viewers could even root for in his battle against the Salamanca family. However, despite our deeper understanding of Gus in the prequel, his past in Chile remains a shadowy mystery.
The mystery of Gus's past was first hinted at in Breaking Bad when the DEA interrogated him. Agent Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) questioned Gus about the complete absence of records from his life before the mid-1980s. Gus dismissed it as a byproduct of Chile's chaos during the Pinochet regime, but Hank wasn’t convinced. It later emerges that Gus fought in that war alongside Peter Schuler, the German head of Madrigal’s fast-food division, and that together they used Madrigal’s resources to distribute meth globally. In Better Call Saul's 'JMM' episode, we see how their shared experience in the war, where they narrowly escaped death, solidified a lifelong bond between them.
Fans speculate that Gus’s early life, marked by poverty (a fact he confirmed through a few lines of dialogue), along with his experiences in the war, transformed him into the ruthless criminal mastermind we came to know. But when it comes to specifics, we know as little about Gus's backstory as the DEA does.
9. What Became of the Kettlemans?
Introduced in the very first episode, Craig and Betsy Kettleman (Jeremy Shamos and Julie Ann Emery) were key players in the first season of Better Call Saul. Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), who would later take on the persona of Saul Goodman, attempts to break free from the low wages of public defense and start his own practice by persuading the Kettlemans to hire him. However, Betsy ultimately rejects Jimmy’s offer, deeming him the type of lawyer 'that guilty people hire.' This rejection, and its impact on Jimmy's self-esteem, set in motion the chain of events that led to Saul Goodman becoming America's most infamous 'criminal lawyer.'
The return of the Kettlemans in the final season excited fans, especially considering their crucial role in the formation of Saul Goodman. After serving his prison term for embezzlement, Craig and Betsy have now launched a tax filing business, swindling elderly clients out of their refunds. One standout feature of their office is the enormous inflatable Statue of Liberty perched on the building, which eventually makes its way to the law office of Saul Goodman and Associates.
How exactly did Saul end up with the Statue of Liberty inflatable? Were the Kettlemans caught in another scam, with the statue being put up for sale? Or did Saul take them on as clients, preventing them from getting caught and taking the inflatable as payment? Something happened, but the specifics are left for us to guess.
8. How Did Saul Get His Cadillac?
Saul's white Cadillac, with the vanity plates reading 'LWYRUP,' became one of his most iconic props. For most of *Better Call Saul*, Jimmy drives a far less glamorous and worn-out Suzuki Esteem. In the unforgettable season 5 episode 'Bagman,' Jimmy embarks on a dangerous journey into the desert in the Esteem to collect $7 million in cartel money to bail out Lalo Salamanca. The Esteem, however, never makes it out of the desert. In the same episode, a bloodied white Cadillac is seen being cleaned at the Salamanca compound.
It’s reasonable to believe that the Cadillac eventually becomes Saul's, possibly as compensation for representing the cartel in a court case. However, *Better Call Saul* never clarifies this. The first time we see the Cadillac with the 'LWYRUP' plates is in a scene set after the events of *Breaking Bad*, where the FBI seizes the car.
7. What’s the Current State of Skyler and Marie’s Relationship?
Much of the tension in Breaking Bad stemmed from the fact that Walt was the brother-in-law of DEA agent Hank, with Hank constantly on the verge of discovering that Walt was the meth kingpin he had been hunting. The two men were connected through their marriages: Skyler, Walt's wife, and Marie, Hank's wife. Throughout the series, the relationship between the sisters remained strained, marked by sibling rivalry.
In the Breaking Bad finale, Walt provides Skyler with the GPS coordinates of where Hank and his partner, DEA agent Steve Gomez, are buried. He urges her to use this information to secure a deal that would exonerate her for her role in his crimes. Later, in Better Call Saul, Saul’s legal assistant, Francesca, confirms that Skyler did indeed strike a deal.
This leaves one to wonder how Marie reacted to the news of Skyler's deal. In Better Call Saul's final episode, we see that Marie was visibly upset by the federal prosecutors' willingness to make a deal with Saul. One can only imagine her feelings when learning that her sister secured a deal by revealing the location of her dead husband.
6. Will Kim Ever Return to Practicing Law?
Rhea Seehorn delivered the breakout performance in Better Call Saul as Kim Wexler, a sharp and capable lawyer who begins the series as Jimmy's friend, then becomes his girlfriend, wife, and ultimately, his ex-wife. Initially positioned as the moral contrast to Jimmy's willingness to bend the law, Kim eventually becomes entangled in the very scams and misdeeds that eventually shape the Saul Goodman persona.
That is, until tragedy strikes. After Kim and Jimmy orchestrate a complex plot to ruin their colleague Howard Hamlin, Howard finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time, and is tragically killed. Unable to handle the overwhelming guilt, Kim steps away from her legal career and ends her relationship with Jimmy.
Given Kim's deep passion for the law and her skill as a lawyer, fans were hopeful that she might return to the practice. However, by the end of the series, the closest she gets is volunteering at a legal aid center. Yet, it’s hard to believe that Kim would not eventually attempt to rejoin the bar.
5. Will Howard’s Widow Take Legal Action?
As part of her attempt at atonement for Howard's death, which led to her giving up her law license, Kim confesses to Howard's wife, Cheryl. She reveals the schemes she and Jimmy orchestrated to tarnish Howard’s reputation, as well as the tragic circumstances surrounding his death at the hands of Lalo. While confessing may bring some peace, Cheryl wisely points out that Kim’s admission could also leave her open to legal consequences for her actions.
Is Kim going to take legal action? The last we hear about her situation is in the series finale, when Saul's standby attorney, Bill Oakley, tells him that word around Albuquerque is that Cheryl is seeking a skilled lawyer. This leads us to believe that Kim might find herself in a courtroom. However, whether this actually happens or if Kim will face any repercussions remains an open question, allowing us to imagine the outcome for ourselves.
4. Will Jesse Stay Focused in Alaska?
The entire Breaking Bad universe could be described as a modern-day neo-Western, but this label fits especially well when it comes to the sequel movie, El Camino. The film follows Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul), Walt's former meth partner, as he attempts to escape both his enemies and law enforcement while gathering enough money to pay Ed (Robert Forster), the identity broker, for a fresh start in Alaska. It's a classic 'loner hero on the run' Western tale.
Eventually, Jesse succeeds and Ed helps him escape to Alaska. But the real question is, what happens next? It's entirely possible that Jesse will try to keep a low profile and make the best of his new life. However, as we see in Better Call Saul, starting fresh under a new identity in a different location, especially after a troubled past, is far from easy. Given Jesse's history with addiction, we're hopeful but still uncertain about whether he'll stay on track.
3. How Did Jimmy Come Into Possession of Chuck’s Time Machine Book?
The final episode of Better Call Saul prominently features a time machine theme. In a series of flashbacks, Jimmy/Saul has conversations with three key figures from his life, each discussing their regrets and what they might do differently if they had a chance to turn back time. His exchanges with Mike and Walt directly ask the time machine question, while his dialogue with Chuck (played by Michael McKean) alludes to it until we realize Chuck is reading a copy of H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine.
Earlier in season 6, we notice Jimmy possessing the same copy of The Time Machine that Chuck had. This raises the question: how did Jimmy come by it, given that Chuck perished in the fire that destroyed his house? How did the book survive the flames? Did Jimmy somehow have a time machine and travel back to retrieve it? It's one of those mysteries that will remain unsolved.
2. What Happened to Lyle?
Gus Fring used his chain of chicken restaurants, Los Pollos Hermanos, as a front for his meth business. Lyle was his most dedicated employee, always entrusted with running the store when Gus had to take care of other matters. Unfortunately for Lyle, this often meant taking the brunt of Gus’s frustrations.
Lyle never seemed to mind, his loyalty to both Los Pollos Hermanos and Gus unwavering. But after Gus’s death and the collapse of the chicken empire, what became of Lyle? Did he continue working in fast food somewhere else, or was he ever able to move on from Gus’s loss? This is another question we’ll likely never get an answer to.
1. What Becomes of the Criminal Underworld in Albuquerque?
Throughout two TV shows and a sequel film, we gained an in-depth look into the criminal underworld of Albuquerque. When Saul Goodman and his private investigator Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) were first introduced in Breaking Bad, it was clear they had the connections. Better Call Saul expanded on this by revealing how Mike built many of those connections through the veterinarian Dr. Caldera. In the series' final season, Dr. Caldera informs Jimmy of his retirement from the underworld and the sale of his 'little black book,' filled with criminal contacts.
This is the same little black book Saul later uses in Breaking Bad, confirming he acquired it from Dr. Caldera at some point. In Better Call Saul, we learn that the FBI took the book when they raided Saul’s house and seized his property. With key figures like Dr. Caldera, Saul, and Mike all gone by the end of the Breaking Bad timeline, it opens the door for a new criminal leader to rise. Who that could be, however, remains anyone’s guess.
