One of the major up-sides to AMC's Better Call Saul series being a prequel is that it opens up the opportunity to bring back pretty much anyone from Breaking Bad at some point or another, whether it be for a cameo or a bigger arc in the series. Oh, sure, there's continuity to be mindful of. Saul Goodman's path didn't officially cross with Walter White until the events of Breaking Bad after all, but the history of his relationship with his other associates is a bit less cemented. Mike Ehrmantraut is a prime example, which is why I'm sure a lot of us were hoping to hear word that Jonathan Banks might make an appearance on Better Call Saul, AMC's Breaking Bad spinoff. Sure enough, it's happening, and it's not just an appearance.
THR says Banks will join Better Call Saul as a series regular. The actor is reprising his role as Mike in the prequel. And that is awesome.
With its focus on Bob Odenkirk's attorney character Saul Goodman, we're expecting to see some tonal shift for Better Call Saul by comparison to its predecessor, Breaking Bad, which fell firmly into the drama category. It's unclear if the series will qualify more as a comedy or a drama, though talk about the prequel does hint that we should expect some humor. And that certainly won't be new territory for Odenkirk, nor Jonathan Banks. In fact, Banks can currently be seen serving up a side of deadpan humor as the so-serious Professor Hickey on NBC's Community. As great as it's been to see Banks on Community — and as funny as he's been, come to it — it's fantastic news to hear he's reuniting with Odenkirk and bringing Mike back in the process.
Spoilers if you're not caught up on Breaking Bad!...
Banks' character was brought into Breaking Bad as an enforcer for Gustavo Fring, however he also had ties to Saul Goodman, serving as the attorney's occasional fixer. With a cool head and a background in law enforcement, not to mention the willingness to do some pretty rough things if the job called for it, Mike proved particularly useful to Walter White over the course of the series. Things didn't end so well for him, however, as Walter White fatally shot Mike during the final season of Breaking Bad. So unfortunately, we know it doesn't end well for Mike, but he was still a fascinating character with an interesting background, which would be well worth exploring in the new series. And his involvement in the show makes us even more hopeful that the series will also revive Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). We'll be sure to keep an ear out for any official word that Esposito might be joining the show, either as a guest star or something more steady, like Banks' part. Here's hoping!
Better Call Saul doesn't have an official premiere date yet, but AMC's planning to get it on the air sometime in November.
