Hank Schrader’s role in Better Call Saul season 5 is setting up to be bigger than expected. One of the main characters in Breaking Bad, fans were excited to learn Dean Norris would reprise the DEA agent in the spinoff series. At this point, Better Call Saul has emerged from the shadow of its parent program and stands on its own merits as one of TV’s finest dramas, but it’s still fun to see the two shows connect with each other. Over Saul’s run in its first four seasons, Vince Gilligan and company have found numerous was to organically tie Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad together. One of Saul’s strongest features is that it’s largely avoided low-hanging fruit fan service.
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In this week’s “The Guy for This,” Hank finally made his Better Call Saul debut, appearing alongside his trusted partner Steve Gomez. Ahead of the Better Call Saul season 5 premiere, it was promised Hank’s role would be more than just a cameo. And now that fans have seen him in the spinoff, it’s clear Hank will factor into a primary plot point this year.
Viewers may recall in last week’s “50% Off,” Krazy-8 was arrested. Due to his connections with the Salamanca cartel, Hank and Gomez are sent to question him for intel. What they get are the actual locations of Gus Fring’s dead drop zones, allowing the DEA to swoop in and seize Gus’ drug money. This is all part of Lalo’s scheme to undermine Gus in the cartel; he scripted a statement for Krazy-8 to recite to authorities, so Krazy-8 (unknowingly) relayed accurate information to the DEA. Now, Hank and his team can put a dent in Gus’ operation.
So far, Hank is confirmed to only be in two Better Call Saul episodes (the other being next week’s “Namaste”), meaning he’s not a regular player on the show. Still, his role in the Salamanca subplot thrusts him into the main action, having him directly impact one of Better Call Saul’s primary storylines. At this point, fans should come to expect nothing less from Better Call Saul. It would have been fun to see Norris playing Hank again regardless, but it’s even better knowing his guest appearance serves a larger purpose in the overall story. It makes Schrader’s return count for something as opposed to just scratching a Breaking Bad nostalgia itch. Undoubtedly, “Namaste” will followup on the threads left dangling from “The Guy for This” and depict Hank’s attempt to hurt cartel operations.
Hank’s involvement in Better Call Saul is acting as a catalyst for something even greater. Interestingly, Gus opts to keep the dead drops intact after being told Lalo set him up. He’s willingly letting the DEA score a victory for reasons that are unclear. Anyone familiar with the world of Breaking Bad knows Gus is very deliberate and calculating, finding ways to stay ahead of his competition. It remains to be seen how Gus uses the impending DEA bust to his advantage, but odds are he has a plan he’ll put into place over the rest of the season, finding a way to come out on top again. By the time Breaking Bad picks up, Gus is still a key figure in the cartel, so viewers know Lalo’s gambit doesn’t pay off in the end.
Better Call Saul season 5 airs Mondays on AMC.
