While ‘Better Call Saul’ primarily serves as a prequel to ‘Breaking Bad,’ a significant portion of the action unfolds in the aftermath of the original show. In those black-and-white scenes, we see Jimmy, aka Saul, aka Gene, working at a Cinnabon in a Nebraska mall. But did you know that he almost ended up at another mall staple entirely?
Peter Gould, a writer on ‘Breaking Bad’ and showrunner for ‘Better Call Saul,’ shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story on Bluesky. He posted a photo from the script for the penultimate episode of ‘Breaking Bad,’ revealing that Saul initially proposed working at Hot Topic instead of Cinnabon. In the script, he states, “I mean, a month from now, best case scenario, I’m managing a Hot Topic in Omaha.”
Gould explained the reason for the switch, saying, “In fact, we found out that Hot Topic was carrying #BreakingBad stuff and we didn’t want to make it look like a cheap promo. So Cinnabon it was! (And they had no idea about it until the episode aired.)”
Of course, when Gould and the ‘Breaking Bad’ writers penned that line, they had no idea that ‘Better Call Saul’ would eventually bring it to life. Cinnabon became so integral to the show that star Bob Odenkirk even learned how to make the treats himself. In a 2016 interview with Conan O’Brien, he said, “I know what goes into Cinnabons. And I’m not going to tell you. So that you can still enjoy them.”
This revelation adds a layer of intrigue to the post-‘Breaking Bad’ storyline, highlighting the creative decisions and unplanned coincidences that made ‘Better Call Saul’ such a compelling and beloved series.
