While many prequels often suffer from falling into the same traps, Better Call Saul masterfully avoided all the biggest tropes, but one scene did feel a little unnecessary. Given the stellar reputation Breaking Bad garnered across its five seasons, following it up was always going to be a huge challenge for Better Call Saul, but despite the overwhelming odds, it became one of the best TV spinoffs of all time and matched its predecessor’s quality. The series did expand on popular characters like Saul, Mike, and Gus, but it avoided any major retcons and other classic prequel pitfalls.

Walt and Jesse understandably featured briefly in the series, but their cameos didn’t damage their legacies, and Better Call Saul managed to predominantly keep the spotlight on its protagonist. It also introduced a plethora of interesting new characters, as some of the Breaking Bad universe’s smartest criminals only appeared in the spinoff. Overall, the show was great at delivering a self-contained narrative that fits into the Breaking Bad story without detracting from the original series, but it still featured one small scene that felt a little out of place, and I think Better Call Saul would’ve been better without it.

Better Call Saul Didn’t Need To Give Hector’s Ringing Bell An Origin Story

Uncovering The Origins Of Hector’s Bell Was An Interesting Moment, But It Wasn’t Exactly Necessary

Hector played a significant part in Better Call Saul, and while his story was undoubtedly one of the highlights, his ringing bell didn’t need such a specific origin story. Nacho causing Hector’s stroke was incredibly memorable, and the subsequent action that followed was one of the spinoff’s greatest storylines, proving it belonged in the show. Likewise, it was a treat for Breaking Bad fans to understand why the villain was unable to walk or speak. However, while Better Call Saul nailed these details, the backstory behind his bell felt a little much, as it didn’t really require an explanation.

Breaking Bad had already made it clear Hector communicated with his bell and that people understood him, so revealing that Lalo was the one who came up with this idea was overkill. Fans didn’t need a backstory behind this as it could have simply been a nurse’s idea, making the scene more fan service than essential storytelling. While Lalo Salamanca is easily one of Breaking Bad‘s best villains, this moment didn’t add much to his or Hector’s character, and while it certainly didn’t harm the show, giving the bell an origin story just felt unnecessary.

Better Call Saul Avoided All Of The Annoying Prequel Tropes For The Most Part

Better Call Saul Avoided Repeating Breaking Bad’s Ending & Didn’t Interfere Too Much With The Main Show

Although Hector’s bell scene felt slightly silly, it was hardly offensive and is proof that Better Call Saul is a near-perfect prequel. For Hector’s bell to be its biggest weakness, it’s clear the rest of the show thrived, which highlights how great it was at avoiding some tiring tropes. Rather than centering everything around Breaking Bad‘s main characters or trying to add a heap of context to the original show’s big moments, Better Call Saul was much more interested in fleshing out its cast while helping the audience understand who Jimmy McGill is and why he’s so polarizing.

The project could have spent a long time setting up how he acquired his iconic office or the inflatable Statue of Liberty, but these moments weren’t significant to his journey and happened pretty fast or off-screen. Other prequels may have obsessed over these incidents, but Better Call Saul recognized its time was better suited to making its new characters feel important while establishing Jimmy’s motivations. As a result, it became a truly great show that shined even without its Breaking Bad ties, and it deserves to be celebrated and praised just as much as its predecessor.