When Will Better Call Saul Season 5 Be On Netflix?

Much as we love nostalgia in some areas of our lives, those of us who have gotten used to streaming movies and TV shows whenever it suits us have no desire to go back to watching everything at predetermined times. That preference for the binge lifestyle does mean, however, that we often have to wait what feels like an absurdly long time to watch some of our favorite shows, including Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul.

Both BCS and Breaking Bad first aired on AMC, but have strong ties to Netflix. Series co-creator Vince Gilligan even credited the streaming service for keeping the original show alive on no less an occasion than during his 2013 Emmy acceptance speech for Outstanding Drama Series, since viewers who discovered the once-obscure AMC effort on Netflix formed a late, but dedicated, fanbase that kept Breaking Bad going for five impeccable seasons.

Netflix also got first dibs on El Camino, the Breaking Bad follow-up feature that premiered on the streaming service on October 11, 2019, almost four months before it showed on AMC. Better Call Saul has had a home there since the first season finale aired in 2015, but it's a fraught symbiosis, as there are five seasons of the show currently in existence, and only four on the platform. Fans of Bob Odenkirk's shifty attorney may be wondering when they can expect to catch up with his latest endeavors. This is when we'll finally see Better Call Saul season 5 on Netflix.

One of the problems with making a show of which people around the world can't get enough is that they all get to watch it at different times. If you live in the UK, much of mainland Europe, Latin America, Asia or Australia, you can already watch every episode of Better Call Saul season 5 on Netflix. In these regions, episodes appeared on the platform right after they aired on AMC in the US, with new installments arriving every week until the finale on April 21. 

This early-bird service might sound extremely unfair, especially given that Better Call Saul is #MadeInAmerica, but since AMC is an American channel, other countries can't necessarily access it to catch episodes in their initial run. This arrangement was also in place for seasons 3 and 4, so don't expect it to change for the final, sixth season. If you didn't catch the AMC airings and can't wait to have the ending of Better Call Saul season 5 explained, you'd better call a friend with good taste in TV who lives in one of these farther-flung regions.

Meanwhile, people in the US, Canada, Spain, and South Africa may have a long wait on their hands before they get to find out what Jimmy and Co. have been up to. In the past, Netflix didn't post the most recent season until just before the new one was scheduled to arrive on AMC. For example, Netflix users have only been able to watch season 4 since February 9, 2020, which was just two weeks before season 5 aired on AMC, and just enough time to binge the entire thing and get frustrated about having to wait for more.

As for when we'll get season 5, as with a lot of news as the moment, that depends. In January 2020, AMC confirmed that there will be a sixth season, and that the 13 episodes — an extension of the usual 10 — would be the last. At the time, showrunner and co-creator Peter Gould said that the team would be getting to work on season 6 "next month," presumably meaning February 2020, with a projected release date some time in 2021. So, season 5 would theoretically arrive on Netflix a couple of weeks before that.

As we all know, however, a lot of projects have been left in limbo since then thanks to shutdowns caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. This may push season 6 to a later date, and leave us waiting even longer for season 5 (unless the TV gods smile, and release it early.) In the meantime, we have a lot of new content to keep us going. Check out the best Netflix originals you've missed in 2020 so far to find something to hold you over.