The Flash-Forward Structure in Better Call Saul Was Genius and Elevated Its Storytelling
The flash-forward structure in Better Call Saul stands out as a clever narrative tool that deepens both the suspense and emotional complexity of the series. By opening each season with glimpses into Jimmy McGill’s future as Gene Takavic, the show skillfully sets up questions that resonate throughout every episode, encouraging viewers to piece together how choices in the past lead to consequences seen in the future.
These non-linear scenes aren’t just a stylistic choice. They provide a sharp contrast between the flamboyant Saul Goodman persona and the subdued, cautious Gene, highlighting themes of identity and regret. The method keeps the audience invested, offering just enough information to spark curiosity without spoiling the journey.
Better Call Saul uses this approach to mirror and expand on the narrative experimentation found in Breaking Bad, but with an even more focused character study. This structure shows how past actions reverberate, making every moment matter in the unfolding story.
Understanding the Flash-Forward Structure in Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul (BCS) uses flash-forwards as a narrative device that enriches its characters and timeline. This technique offers glimpses of future events, setting it apart from many other television dramas that focus on the past.
Definition of Flash-Forwards
A flash-forward is a storytelling method where the narrative jumps ahead to portray events that take place after the current timeline. In BCS, these segments reveal crucial details about characters' destinies, most notably showing “Gene Takavic”—Saul Goodman’s alias—living in Omaha after the events of Breaking Bad.
Unlike traditional linear progression, flash-forwards create suspense by highlighting the consequences of actions yet to happen. They provide context for character motivations and give the audience early insight into key story developments, deepening viewer engagement.
Origins and Influence in Television
While flashbacks have long been common on television, flash-forwards gained prominence in more recent decades. One landmark series in this area is Lost, which famously used flash-forwards to unveil character futures and shift audience expectations.
BCS builds on these examples but adapts flash-forwards for its own narrative style. The use of black-and-white sequences in BCS to depict Gene’s future life creates a stark visual distinction from the series’ main timeline. This presentation reinforces the temporal separation and helps establish mood and tone.
Other shows, such as Breaking Bad, also utilized flash-forwards, often to foreshadow major plot points. BCS refines this approach by using flash-forwards more consistently and with greater narrative precision, directly linking the past, present, and possible outcomes.
Key Differences Between Flashbacks and Flash-Forwards
Flashbacks and flash-forwards are both techniques that manipulate the chronological flow of a story, but they serve distinct purposes. Flashbacks explore characters’ backgrounds, filling in gaps about history, relationships, or motivations.
Flash-forwards, by contrast, hint at events or outcomes that are yet to occur in the main timeline. In BCS, flash-forwards provide information about Saul’s fate beyond the conclusion of Breaking Bad, which adds tension and urgency.
While flashbacks typically answer questions, flash-forwards introduce new ones. The careful use of both devices in BCS allows viewers to piece together a more complete understanding of the story’s characters and consequences.
How the Flash-Forward Structure Was Implemented
Better Call Saul’s storytelling uses flash-forwards to connect two identities, highlight changes across time, and build suspense about the main character’s fate. By carefully choosing when and how to present the flash-forward scenes, the creators provided deeper insight into character motivation and narrative stakes.
Gene Takavic’s Storyline
Gene Takavic is the assumed identity of Saul Goodman after the events of Breaking Bad. Living in Omaha, Nebraska, Gene works at a Cinnabon, attempting to stay unnoticed and avoid his criminal past. The flash-forward segments depict a stark contrast to Saul’s earlier persona.
These black-and-white sequences show Gene’s daily routine and his constant fear of being discovered. Tension grows as Gene encounters people who recognize his former identity. Each return to Omaha advances his character arc, demonstrating the consequences and psychological burden of his choices.
Timeline Placement in the Series
The flash-forward scenes featuring Gene appear at the beginning of each season in Better Call Saul. They are set in the present or near future, relative to the main timeline, which primarily serves as a prequel to Breaking Bad. This structure divides the story across three time periods: Jimmy McGill’s past, Saul Goodman’s emergence, and Gene Takavic’s life after escaping Albuquerque.
By placing the Gene segments at the start of each season, the series maintains curiosity about his fate without disrupting the flow of the main narrative. This design allows viewers to see the results of choices made by Jimmy/Saul while setting a somber, reflective tone.
Cinematic Techniques Used
The Gene flash-forwards are filmed in black and white, a visual marker to distinguish them from the rest of the colorful series. This stylistic choice reinforces the bleak, constrained atmosphere of Gene’s existence in Omaha. Long takes, minimal dialogue, and close-up shots build suspense and emphasize the character’s isolation.
Sound design is deliberately subdued, highlighting everyday noises in Cinnabon or Gene’s apartment. The absence of music in these scenes adds to the sense of anxiety and monotony. Editing choices, such as lingering on mundane actions, invite viewers to experience Gene’s unease and anticipation.
Significance to the Character Arc of Jimmy McGill
The flash-forward structure in Better Call Saul illuminates central aspects of Jimmy McGill’s evolution and moral ambiguity. By presenting glimpses of his later life, the series contextualizes his choices in Albuquerque and highlights the complexities of his shifting identities.
Transformation Into Saul Goodman
The flash-forwards are critical in illustrating how Jimmy McGill’s gradual slide into Saul Goodman is not marked by a single event but rather a series of decisions and compromises. These scenes allow viewers to observe the results of his ethical erosion, showing that becoming Saul was a process driven by circumstances and personal flaws.
Key flash-forward moments indicate that the persona of Saul Goodman is both an outcome and a shield. By mid-series, Jimmy is not simply a lawyer in Albuquerque—he is creating distance from his past with each cut to the future. These glimpses reinforce how breaking bad isn’t instantaneous, but accumulates as Jimmy adapts to and exploits the system.
By skipping over the moment he fully becomes Saul, the writers reinforce the complexity of his arc. The direct connection between past deeds and his Saul persona becomes clearer, making his transformation feel authentic and inevitable rather than sudden or arbitrary.
Dual Identity: Criminal Lawyer vs. Gene
The use of flash-forwards also introduces Gene Takavic, the cautious Cinnabon manager living under an assumed identity. This persona stands in stark contrast to both Jimmy McGill, the hustling underdog lawyer, and Saul Goodman, the unscrupulous criminal lawyer. Each identity is connected, but the flash-forwards reveal their stark differences.
Gene’s scenes are subdued, emphasizing the consequences of Jimmy’s double life. The bland existence in Nebraska shows what remains when both Jimmy and Saul are stripped away. These episodes highlight how his choices as a criminal lawyer in Albuquerque haunt him, manifesting as fear, regret, and isolation.
By juxtaposing Gene with his previous selves, the series deepens the exploration of dual identity. The flash-forward structure reveals how neither Jimmy McGill nor Saul Goodman can exist in isolation; both inform the haunted, cautious existence of Gene. The result is a fuller picture of a deeply conflicted man, shaped by years of moral compromise and survival.
Impact on Narrative Themes and Foreshadowing
The use of flash-forwards in Better Call Saul directly shapes the audience’s understanding of character arcs and major plot developments. By revealing fragments of the future, the series intensifies suspense while highlighting the personal and ethical stakes present in every decision.
Building Tension Through Future Events
Flash-forwards to Saul Goodman’s post-Breaking Bad life, shown in black-and-white sequences, give viewers early glimpses of his anxieties and isolation. These scenes often depict mundane tasks, anonymous phone calls, or handling hidden cash, emphasizing his changed existence.
By showing outcomes before revealing causes, the narrative creates a sense of inevitability and dread. Specific objects, such as burner phones or envelopes of cash, become symbols, signaling pivotal shifts to come.
Each flash-forward acts as a form of foreshadowing, leaving viewers to question how Saul's decisions in the present will connect to the bleak future glimpsed ahead.
Layering of Moral Choices
The show uses flash-forward sequences to underscore the cumulative impact of Saul’s choices. Decisions made for quick gain—often involving money, deceit, or survival—echo through time, resulting in tangible consequences seen in the future timeline.
Moral dilemmas are given greater weight because viewers have already witnessed where his path leads. Conversations, such as cryptic phone calls, gain new significance when viewed through the lens of events yet to fully unfold.
The narrative structure emphasizes how seemingly minor acts, like hiding cash or lying, grow into defining moments. This layered use of foreshadowing deepens the viewer’s understanding of character motivations and the interplay between present actions and future repercussions.
Connections to Breaking Bad and Series Continuity
The flash-forward structure in Better Call Saul ties its narrative intricately to Breaking Bad. Through these temporal shifts, characters and timelines overlap, establishing clear narrative links and ensuring continuity across both series.
Integration with Walter White’s Timeline
The use of flash-forwards helps chart Saul Goodman’s path as it moves closer to Walter White’s rise in Breaking Bad. Sequences set after the events of Breaking Bad, featuring Saul Goodman living as Gene Takavic, position his story as both a prequel and sequel.
Key events, such as Saul meeting Walt and Jesse, are referenced indirectly before they unfold chronologically. This timeline layering provides insight into Saul’s mindset before and after his encounters with Walt. The audience witnesses how decisions taken in the prequel period reverberate during and after his involvement with Walter White.
Timelines from both series are aligned with precision. For example, Breaking Bad begins in September 2008, while later seasons of Better Call Saul advance year by year to intersect with this period. This meticulous synchronization maintains internal consistency and deepens the connection to the Breaking Bad universe.
Bridging Prequel and Sequel Elements
Better Call Saul uniquely functions as both a prequel and, in flash-forward segments, a sequel. The series opens windows into characters’ fates after Breaking Bad, addressing unanswered questions about Saul, as well as weaving in references to Jesse and other major players.
By alternating between Jimmy McGill’s early struggles and Gene Takavic’s anxious life in hiding, the show establishes narrative bridges across time. These glimpses into the aftermath—such as Gene’s actions and state of mind—give viewers a fuller picture of the consequences of Walter White’s actions and the collapse of his empire.
Flash-forwards also offer continuity by connecting smaller character arcs, like Mike Ehrmantraut’s transformation, to Jesse’s and Walt’s worlds. Visual and narrative parallels further cement these links, ensuring that both series feel like parts of a cohesive, evolving story rather than isolated timelines.
Supporting Characters in the Flash-Forward Segments
Supporting roles in Better Call Saul’s flash-forward scenes are carefully chosen. Characters such as Francesca, Chuck, Kim, and Mike help provide depth, realism, and additional stakes as Saul Goodman’s post-Breaking Bad life unfolds.
Role of Francesca
Francesca’s involvement in the flash-forwards is both significant and practical. As Saul’s long-time legal secretary, she serves as one of the last connections to his Albuquerque life. Her appearances underscore the legal and financial consequences Saul faces after disappearing.
One notable sequence shows Francesca following instructions from Saul years after they parted ways. She takes a cryptic call at a payphone, demonstrating her loyalty but also outlining how their relationship changed under the pressure of secrecy. This moment reveals her continued fear and wariness, illustrating the real cost of Saul’s choices on those who stood by him.
Her presence also acts as a grounding reminder of everyday risks for those entangled in his world. Francesca bridges the narrative between the past and the uncertain present, showing how even supporting characters remain affected well beyond the main events.
Character Flash-Forward Function Key Impact Francesca Link to Saul's past Showcases ongoing risks
Chuck’s Influence
Although Chuck McGill does not physically appear in the flash-forward timeline, his influence lingers. Saul’s behavior and decisions are shaped by old grievances and unresolved feelings connected to his brother.
Viewers see, through callbacks and subtle references, how Chuck’s moral rigidity and criticism impacted Saul’s personality. In Saul’s later years, his caution and distrust can be interpreted as responses to Chuck’s betrayal and high standards. The shadow of his brother’s disapproval helps explain Saul’s need for reinvention.
Chuck’s effect functions mostly on an internal, psychological level. The weight of their family dynamic is present in Saul’s every decision, especially in scenes where isolation and regret dominate the flash-forwards.
Kim’s Presence in the Story
Kim Wexler’s influence is one of the most emotionally charged aspects of the flash-forward segments. She is not always physically present, but her absence shapes Saul’s choices and the atmosphere of his post-Breaking Bad life.
Subtle narrative hints point to unresolved feelings and unfinished business. Flash-forward scenes often reflect Saul’s anxiety and regret over his relationship with Kim. The prospect of reconnecting with her or atoning for past actions propels much of the dramatic tension in these segments.
The story sometimes shows Saul in moments of deep reflection, where Kim’s memory is implied in silent gestures and lingering shots. Her role underscores the cost of his moral decline and the gravity of what he left behind.
Appearances by Mike Ehrmantraut
Mike Ehrmantraut is generally absent in the literal flash-forwards for timeline reasons, but his legacy remains influential to the narrative. Past flashbacks and Saul’s present paranoia are deeply tied to Mike’s advice and their shared criminal undertakings.
Often, the cautious procedures Saul employs—like using code phrases or anonymous contacts—mirror tactics learned from Mike. This connection highlights how Mike’s presence still dictates Saul’s approach to risk, trust, and survival even after Mike's death.
Mike's disciplined worldview echoes in Saul’s movements during his fugitive phase. The strategic and cautious behaviors evident in the flash-forwards have their roots in years of learning from Mike’s expertise in underworld survival.
Audience Reception and Lasting Influence
The use of flash-forwards in Better Call Saul has been a subject of both critical and audience attention, especially in how it shapes the viewing experience. These narrative choices also invite comparison to other notable series, highlighting the show's distinctive storytelling methods.
Critical Acclaim for the Narrative Device
Reviewers consistently highlighted Better Call Saul's flash-forward structure as a bold and effective narrative innovation. Critics noted how it elevated tension by giving glimpses of Saul Goodman’s eventual fate, while still maintaining suspense about the journey from Jimmy McGill to Saul.
This storytelling device received particular praise for respecting the intelligence of its audience. By refusing to spoil or over-explain, the series encouraged viewers to actively interpret every clue. Many outlets cited the creators’ restraint and trust in viewers as a factor that set BCS apart from typical prequels.
Audience reactions mirrored critical response, with discussions often centered around the precise placement of flash-forwards. Fans called the sequences with Gene Takavic in Omaha “masterfully executed,” frequently crediting these scenes for deepening investment in the character’s psychological arc.
Comparison to Other Series
Better Call Saul’s approach to the flash-forward stands out by comparison with other high-profile series such as Lost and Breaking Bad. Unlike Lost, which made liberal use of both flash-forwards and flashbacks to drive mysteries, BCS employed them sparingly and with clear thematic intent.
Breaking Bad, BCS’s predecessor, also used flash-forwards, particularly in season 2, to set up future catastrophes. However, BCS’s flash-forward sequences were described as more introspective and character-driven, focusing less on plot twists and more on existential questions surrounding the protagonist’s downfall.
A simple comparison:
Series Flash-Forward Usage Main Focus Better Call Saul Selective, subtle Character psychology Breaking Bad Occasional, eerie Plot-driven foreshadowing Lost Frequent, elaborate Mystery box storytelling
Many agree that Better Call Saul’s more measured and layered approach influenced expectations for TV storytelling, demonstrating that flash-forwards can be used not just for shock, but to explore identity and consequence.
