The world of Better Call Saul is filled with fast-talking lawyers, drug cartel members, and complicated schemes. This Breaking Bad spin-off has earned critical praise and a loyal fan following since it first arrived on AMC in February 2015. But for parents whose children have heard about the show from friends or through social media, the big question remains: is it okay for younger viewers to watch?
The short answer is no. Better Call Saul contains mature content that makes it unsuitable for children and young teenagers. The show follows the journey of Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk), a small-time lawyer hustling to make a name for himself who eventually transforms into the criminal lawyer Saul Goodman that Breaking Bad fans first met. Along the way, viewers are introduced to characters involved with the Mexican drug cartel, including Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), and Nacho Varga (Michael Mando).
Understanding exactly what kind of content the show contains helps parents make informed decisions about whether their teens should watch it. While some teenagers may be mature enough to handle the themes, the series presents several challenges that require careful consideration.
The Official Age Rating and What It Means
Better Call Saul carries a TV-14 rating in the United States, which means the content may be unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. This rating warns parents that the program contains material that many parents would find inappropriate for younger kids. In the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification gives the show a 15 rating, meaning it is legally restricted to viewers aged 15 and over. Australia classifies it as MA15+, which is recommended for mature audiences aged 15 and above.
Common Sense Media, an independent organization that reviews content for families, recommends Better Call Saul for ages 16 and up. Their reviewers point out that while the show is masterfully made with complex characters, it deals with adult subject matter that younger teens may not be ready to process.
Violence That Goes Beyond Typical TV Fights
The violence in Better Call Saul is frequent and sometimes graphic, though generally less intense than its predecessor Breaking Bad. Characters regularly use guns and knives to threaten and kill people. In the first season alone, viewers see a character get his throat slashed, another man’s foot chopped off with an axe, and multiple shootings. One particularly disturbing scene involves a character being tortured with electricity.
Throughout the six seasons, researchers have counted approximately 45 scenes of violence including beatings, torture, and murder. While the show sometimes cuts away from the most graphic moments, the violence that remains on screen is brutal and realistic. A man gets his legs stomped and broken while viewers hear loud bone cracking sounds. Another character is shown with a bullet hole in his shoulder and cleans it with a maxi pad.
The show includes death by suicide as well. These moments are not played for shock value alone but are integral to the story about how people get pulled into the criminal world. For younger viewers, however, the repeated exposure to such violence can be disturbing and desensitizing.
Strong Language Throughout Every Episode
Parents should know that Better Call Saul contains frequent strong profanity. Characters regularly use words like “f–k,” “s–t,” “a–hole,” “p—y,” and “d–k”. Mexican Spanish curse words like “chingar” also appear with English subtitles.
Data tracking across the series shows approximately 150 uses of the strongest profanity, averaging about 25 harsh swear words per season. Some episodes contain multiple uncensored uses of the f-word. While older teenagers may hear this language at school or in other media, the frequency and intensity in Better Call Saul exceeds what most parents want their younger teens consuming regularly.
Drug Content Centered Around Cartel Culture
Since the show revolves around the Mexican drug cartel, drugs play a major role in the plot. Characters are shown smoking methamphetamine, snorting cocaine, and handling packages of meth, cocaine, and heroin. One major storyline in Season 4 involves characters building a secret meth lab.
Beyond the illegal drug trade, characters use marijuana from bongs, abuse prescription pills, and drink alcohol heavily throughout the series. Scenes frequently take place in bars where characters get drunk. According to available data, drug content appears in over 20 scenes across the show, with another 10 scenes showing heavy intoxication from alcohol.
What makes this particularly tricky for younger viewers is that the drug dealers are portrayed as complex, sometimes sympathetic characters. Gus Fring, for example, runs a legitimate restaurant chain while secretly running a drug empire. Young teens may struggle to separate the engaging character portrayal from the reality that drug trafficking destroys lives.
Sexual Content and Nudity
While Better Call Saul does not contain full nudity or explicit sex scenes, sexual content is present throughout. Main characters date and have sex implied under the covers with moaning sounds and movements. Male buttocks are visible in several scenes.
Some episodes contain crude sexual humor. In Season 1, a talking toilet designed to help children potty train makes suggestive comments like “fill me up” and “give it to me”. A Season 2 episode deals with a fetish video called “Squat Cobbler” involving a man in costume wiggling his butt in pies. One episode shows a boy reading a Playboy magazine with nudity visible on the cover.
Sex workers offer their services in multiple scenes. While these elements are not as graphic as what appears on many cable shows, they contribute to the overall mature atmosphere that makes the show wrong for kids.
Complex Themes Require Maturity to Understand
Beyond the specific content issues, Better Call Saul explores morally complicated territory that challenges even adult viewers. The protagonist Jimmy McGill is not a clear hero. He uses dishonest tactics, bends the law, and gradually descends deeper into the criminal world. The show humanizes criminals while showing law enforcement as flawed and imperfect.
Younger teens are still developing their moral compass and sense of right versus wrong. Watching a show where the main character constantly makes unethical choices while remaining likable can send confusing messages. As one expert notes, the show “requires an advanced ethical foundation and the judgement to reject manipulation and criminality”.
The series also tackles heavy topics like mental illness through Chuck McGill’s character, who suffers from a condition that makes him believe he is allergic to electromagnetism. Family dysfunction, jealousy, regret, and the consequences of poor decisions drive the story forward. These are valuable themes for mature viewers but may be too heavy for young teens to process alone.
How It Compares to Other Shows
Parents trying to gauge whether Better Call Saul might be acceptable for their teenager often ask how it compares to other popular series. According to audience data, it contains similar mature content to shows like Narcos and Peaky Blinders. Compared to Stranger Things, which carries the same TV-14 rating, Better Call Saul has significantly more profanity, more intense violence, and deals with much darker themes.
Some teenagers who watched the show with their parents shared their perspectives. One 13-year-old reviewer noted that the show has “too much drugs drinking and violence though”. An older teen commented that while the show is a masterpiece, it requires viewers to be mature enough to handle its complex themes.
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What Parents Should Consider Before Allowing Teens to Watch
For parents of teenagers who want to watch Better Call Saul, several factors should guide the decision. The first is the individual child’s maturity level. Some 14-year-olds may be ready to engage with the show’s themes thoughtfully, while others may get caught up in the violence or criminal elements without understanding the deeper messages.
If parents do decide to allow viewing, experts strongly recommend watching together rather than allowing teens to view alone. This creates opportunities to discuss the characters’ choices, the consequences of their actions, and why the behavior shown is not acceptable in real life. Parents should preview episodes first to determine if specific content crosses their personal boundaries.
Another option is to wait until the teen is older. Most ratings boards and family advocacy organizations agree that ages 15 and up is the appropriate range for this content. The show will still be available for viewing later, and waiting ensures that the viewer can fully appreciate the storytelling without being overwhelmed or negatively influenced by the mature elements.
Better Call Saul stands as one of the most critically acclaimed television dramas of its era, with brilliant performances from its cast and sharp writing from creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. But its excellence does not make it suitable for children. The combination of violence, strong language, drug content, sexual situations, and morally complex themes creates a viewing experience designed for mature audiences. Parents should feel confident in setting boundaries that keep younger viewers away from content they are not ready to handle, even when that content comes wrapped in a beautifully made package.
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