Yeah, considering how it was set up, I don't think Breaking Bad is exactly required to enjoy thi (though a concurrent splurge would definitely help immersion for those who haven't seen it yet). Even if you were a devoted fan, we were introduced to and are now following James McGill as opposed to the character we already knew. And considering what they could have done, that it's just the first episode and judging it by one hour alone, I disagree that the references are acting as crutches as opposed to nods they could fit in (aside from the relevant character reprisals, which are likely more story than anything and who wasn't kind of tickled by that last cameo?) though how they treat this the rest of the season remains to be seen. I loved the opening sequence, the color of the TV lightly reflecting off of Saul's glasses in the black and white intro and the courtroom scene's slow buildup, etc, and the tone was also set very nicely and the shifts in humor and drama aren't as jarring as I thought they'd be.
One thing I thought was great was that they got Odenkirk to do his British accent already in the first episode. Sounds just as silly 20 years later lol. Fingers crossed for a scene where he and McKean just fuck about with the accents.