Did Better Call Saul Have A Crossover With Roseanne... In 1993?
Though lead Bob Odenkirk can pinpoint the moment that "Better Call Saul" broke off from "Breaking Bad," the two shows remain linked in the minds of fans all the same. Even with the spotlight planted firmly on Jimmy "Saul Goodman" McGill, the series perfectly ties back to the characters and events within the "Breaking Bad" narrative. Naturally, this means it's also connected to the die-hard fan-dividing "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" and the various others shorts and web series attached to the overall franchise. Not so naturally ... according to some fans, it might also be connected to the famous sitcom "Roseanne."
As pointed out by @ghostfacepanda333 on TikTok, in the episode "Tooth or Consequences" from Season 5, Odenkirk appears as a minor character named Jim: an associate of Dan Conner (John Goodman) who's mistaken for a health inspector. In reality, he's in the shoe business, but this doesn't stop him from playing along with the health inspector charade to score a free diner meal. With his ironed suit, combed-over hair, and apparent dishonest nature, not to mention the fact that his name is Jim, it's easy to see the parallels between him and Saul Goodman.
Considering that this "Roseanne" episode released in 1993, well over a decade before Goodman's "Breaking Bad" debut, this is merely a fun coincidence. If nothing else, at least it's a slightly more grounded idea than other hilarious headcanons regarding the show and its wider universe.
Roseanne and Better Call Saul being connected is more plausible than other fan theories out there
The idea of "Roseanne" being connected to "Better Call Saul" is hardly the first theory connecting the "Breaking Bad" spin-off and its universe to other shows. For instance, one of the most popular that has made the rounds online since the 2010s details how "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" are actually connected. They don't stop there, however, as many fans have expressed the belief that "Better Call Saul" and the "Breaking Bad" universe are attached to numerous other film and television endeavors.
A particularly fun one comes from a thread in the r/FanTheories subreddit, where u/DrBigBlack outlined how "Breaking Bad," "The Office," and "Malcolm in the Middle" are all in the same timeline. Creed Bratton buys methamphetamines from Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in an in-universe Emmys sketch, and it's proposed that Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) could've once bought a toaster from Hal Wilkerson (Bryan Cranston). Another Reddit theory claims that "Community" is in the "Breaking Bad" universe, positing that Buzz Hickey (Jonathan Banks) and Mike Ehrmantraut (Banks) are the same person, considering their history in law enforcement. Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) and Gilbert Lawson (Esposito) could be one and the same as well, with Lawson using the Hawthorne fortune to start his drug empire.
All in all, everyone of these theories is kooky in their own ways, but that's what makes them so fun to read about. Who knows which other shows will join the likes of "Roseanne" and "Malcolm in the Middle" to be argued as "Better Call Saul" and "Breaking Bad" companion pieces as the years go on?