Currently, Netflix is the only streaming service that hosts every part of the canon Breaking Bad universe, sometimes referred to as the “Gilliverse” – named after showrunner Vince Gilligan. The “universe” is a term referring to various media that make one collective narrative. In this case, three pieces of media — two shows and a movie — tell an ongoing story that began with the TV series Breaking Bad in 2008.
The Breaking Bad universe, in order of first release, is as follows:
- Breaking Bad (2008-2013) – After a terminal cancer diagnosis, Walter White – a scientifically gifted but financially unsuccessful chemistry teacher, recruits Jesse Pinkman – a delinquent former student. Together, they create and distribute an unprecedentedly potent strain of crystal meth and begin to build a drug empire.
- Better Call Saul (2015-2022) – A Breaking Bad prequel that chronicles the early legal career of Jimmy McGill – later known as Saul Goodman. The series follows Jimmy’s ascent from a modest, if somewhat ambulance-chasing lawyer, to a legal representative for drug cartels.
- El Camino (2019) – a movie set straight after the Breaking Bad finale, where a fugitive Jesse Pinkman races against time to escape Albuquerque and start a new life in Alaska with a new identity.
How to watch the entire Breaking Bad universe on Netflix
There is a hidden feature on Netflix that showcases the entire Breaking Bad universe in a library for viewers to choose from. To access the feature, users can either search “Breaking Bad Collection” and select the suggested text, or click the below button on Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, or El Camino, then scroll to the bottom.
The collection feature also offers a behind-the-scenes documentary for El Camino, titled The Road to El Camino: Behind the Scenes of El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. However, as this is a documentary and not a work of fiction continuing the narrative, it is not considered part of the Breaking Bad universe.
How do I watch the Breaking Bad universe in order?
There are three main ways to watch the Breaking Bad universe in order, and it’s a matter of personal taste in what you choose.
The first option is to watch in order of first release. This is the order that Netflix suggests in the Breaking Bad Collection library. This would be as follows:
- Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
- Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
- El Camino (2019)
This is the most straightforward manner, but would involve some time jumps back and forth. For example, half of Better Call Saul season 6 takes place after El Camino.
The second way to watch the Breaking Bad universe is in chronological order. The timeline of the universe stretches from around 2002 in the early episodes of Better Call Saul, to roughly late 2010. A linear timeline would require watching in this order:
- Better Call Saul
- Breaking Bad
- El Camino
A third way, or perhaps a version 2.5, is a very exact chronological order, accounting for most of the time jumps, ending at the universe’s latest point in time – i.e., around late 2010 or early 2011, when the last few episodes of Better Call Saul chronicle the trial of Saul Goodman over his involvement in Walter White’s criminal enterprise. To do so would be as follows:
- Better Call Saul season 1 until season 6, episode 9 “Fun and Games”
- Breaking Bad in its entirety
- Better Call Saul season 6 episode 10 “Nippy”
- El Camino
- Better Call Saul season 6, episode 11 “Breaking Bad”, episode 12 “Waterworks”, and episode 13 “Saul Gone”
This is a more complicated method of watching that isn’t wholly necessary, and is possibly more suited for die-hard fans who are rewatching the series. Naturally, there are still a few minor time jumps. For example, every season of Better Call Saul begins with a flashforward to Saul Goodman’s life after the events of Breaking Bad, signaled by its black-and-white coloring.
The last few episodes of Better Call Saul‘s final season are referred to as Season 6B, and are filmed almost entirely in black and white. The episodes mark the aftermath of Jimmy McGill’s finished transformation into the Saul Goodman persona. Season 6B — in theory — can be watched as a whole after Breaking Bad, but the Better Call Saul episode titled “Breaking Bad” contains spoilers for El Camino.
