A Saul Goodman spin-off is believed to be being worked on by writer Peter Gould (Picture: AMC)

A sister show to Breaking Bad centring on the underhanded exploits of crooked lawyer Saul Goodman called Better Call Saul has now been rumoured for some time.

But is it a genuine project that will serve as a more comedy-focused prequel/sequel, or an elaborate ruse to throw us off the scent and mask the fact that Saul will actually be taking a trip to Belize during the final season’s climax? Let’s look at the evidence.

Update: Better Call Saul is a reality!

FOR


1. Show creator Vince Gilligan told me in April:

‘I would love to see [a Saul spin-off] happen provided we did it right. Peter Gould, who was one of my six writers on the show, created Saul Goodman and he understands the character as well as anyone alive. I could definitely see a spin-off series happening with Peter and seeing where it takes us. It would have to be a bit lighter than Breaking Bad, although I think there would be moments of drama and seriousness and darkness in a Saul Goodman show as well. You’ve got to have both in a Breaking Bad universe.’



2. He provided an update in July: ‘It’s not a done deal yet, but it’s definitely something we’re full speed ahead on trying to get going.’

3. Goodman’s catchphrase ‘Better call Saul!’ lends itself incredibly well to a series title.

4. Saul does feel ripe for more storylines and character progression. How did he come to be involved with Gus? What is that Hello Kitty phone all about? What other unhinged clients has he worked with? Does he have a wife? A family?

5. Bob Odenkirk (who plays Saul) has backed the spin-off: ‘I give it a 60% chance,’ he told Collider. ‘It’s all a guessing game, in my part. It’s up to Vince Gilligan, who created and wrote Breaking Bad, and Peter Gould, who was a part of the episode that spawned Saul Goodman.

‘There’s a lot to find out about Saul. I think he has a different stripper on his arm, every two weeks, and he’s secretly genuinely crushed every time they blow him off. I think there’s probably a reason he went into law, beyond just being able to make money at it, so I’d like to see that discovered.’

6. We absolutely need to see more of these suits.

Saul with his high maintenance client Walter in Breaking Bad (Picture: AMC)

AGAINST

1. No actual progress has yet been made, for a spin-off that would surely be snapped up by any network in a heartbeat (a Netflix original perhaps?)

2. Announcing the survival of a character at the end of Breaking Bad before the series has aired doesn’t feel very Vince Gilligan.

The man (rightly) doesn’t give away any spoilers, even the promos for each episode of season 5b have been intentionally scant and opaque.

3. The whole thing’s mostly being perpetuated by the media

Got to chat with @BastardMachine last night at premiere. The ONLY person who didn’t ask about Saul Goodman spinoff. — Peter Gould (@petergould) July 25, 2013

4. Does a spin-off even make sense? Breaking Bad has had a clear arc from start to finish and appears to be heading to a pretty absolute point, so a spin-off might not sit right.

A prequel is an obvious way of creating a completely separate story, but it might be doomed by the expectation that it live up to the magnificent main show. That said, a sequel could be a nice nod to the impact of Walter White’s empire (maybe he never recovers that buried money and following his death Saul sets about searching for his lost millions?)

We’ll surely find out for certain soon enough though, as when fans are left grieving after Breaking Bad finishes for good on September 29 pleas for a spin-off are set to increase tenfold.