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Michael Ehrmantraut () is a fictional character portrayed by
Jonathan Banks Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. He played FBI Special Agent Frank McPike in the television series '' Wiseguy'' (1987–1990). For his role, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supportin ...
in the television series ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...
'' and its spinoff
prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...
''
Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...
''. Mike is a private investigator, head of security,
cleaner A cleaner, cleanser or cleaning operative is a type of industrial or domestic worker who is tasked with cleaning a space. A janitor (Scotland, United States and Canada), also known as a custodian, Facility Operator, porter or caretaker, is a pe ...
, and
hitman Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
who works for
Gus Fring Gustavo Fring is a fictional character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito in the ''Breaking Bad'' crime drama franchise. Introduced in ''Breaking Bad'' season 2, he serves as the main antagonist in seasons 3– 4 of the series, and a major char ...
—and, on occasion,
Saul Goodman James Morgan Jimmy McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a fictional character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise ''Breaking Bad''. He appears as a major c ...
. While an officer in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, he engaged in corrupt activities that indirectly led to the death of his son Matt, leading Mike to move to
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
to watch over and financially support his daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Kaylee through jobs in the
criminal underworld Organized crime is a category of transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a form of illegal business, some ...
. Introduced in ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...
''s
season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album), 2014 * ''2econd Season'', an album by Unk, 2008 * "Season 2", a song by Phoenix from ''Alpha Zulu ''Alpha Zulu'' is the seventh studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix, released on 4 ...
finale " ABQ", he serves as a major character from
season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
to
season 5 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
. Mike is further explored in ''
Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...
'', showcasing how he met Saul and Gus, as well as his family relations and gradual moral decline. The character has been praised by critics and Banks' performance has received several acting
awards and nominations An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...
.


Creation

The writers of ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...
'' created the character of Mike Ehrmantraut as a substitute for
Saul Goodman James Morgan Jimmy McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a fictional character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise ''Breaking Bad''. He appears as a major c ...
, when actor
Bob Odenkirk Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, comedian, and producer. He started his career as a comedian and comedy writer before expanding his career by acting in dramatic works. His List of awards and no ...
was unavailable for the second season finale " ABQ" because of a commitment to appear in ''
How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...
''. They cast
Jonathan Banks Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. He played FBI Special Agent Frank McPike in the television series '' Wiseguy'' (1987–1990). For his role, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supportin ...
because they admired his work in the 1980s police drama '' Wiseguy''. Banks himself thought he would come on and do the role for "ABQ", but had been impressed by working alongside
Aaron Paul Aaron Paul (born Aaron Paul Sturtevant; August 27, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013), for which he won several awards, including three Primetime Emmy ...
in that scene, and with the overall direction that
Vince Gilligan George Vincent Gilligan Jr. (born February 10, 1967) is an American screenwriter and filmmaker. He is best known as the creator, primary writer, executive producer, and occasional director of the AMC (TV channel), AMC crime drama series ''Brea ...
had provided for the episode. Banks considered his character close to that of
Max von Sydow Max von Sydow (; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish and French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...
's Joubert from ''
Three Days of the Condor ''Three Days of the Condor'' is a 1975 American spy thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, and Max von Sydow. The screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel was based on the ...
'', an assassin that painted figurines on the side. Following Mike's death in the fifth season episode "
Say My Name "Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, '' The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerki ...
", Banks said this did not surprise him because he always believed the character would die at some point. Mike continued to appear in ''Better Call Saul'' and appears during a flashback scene in '' El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie'' (2019). He is one of only five characters to appear in both ''Breaking Bad'', ''Better Call Saul'', and ''El Camino,'' the other four being
Ed Galbraith ''Breaking Bad (franchise), Breaking Bad'' is a crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan. It started with the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), and is followed by a prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Sau ...
, Austin Ramey, Walter White, and
Jesse Pinkman Jesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character in the American crime drama television series ''Breaking Bad'', portrayed by Aaron Paul. He is a crystal meth cook and dealer who works with his former high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (p ...
.


Character biography


Background

According to Banks, Mike is a
Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...
veteran who served in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. Mike's military service is implied in the ''Better Call Saul'' second-season episode "
Gloves Off "Gloves Off" is the fourth episode of the second season of the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul''. The episode aired on March 7, 2016, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on Netflix in sever ...
" when he mentions his familiarity with a black market sniper rifle he intends to buy. He subsequently became an officer on the
Philadelphia Police Department The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD, Philly PD, or Philly Police) is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the County and City of Philadelphia. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police agencies, f ...
. Mike was married for 22 years, as he mentions in season 4 of ''Better Call Saul''. His former wife's name and fate are never revealed. Mike had one son, Matt, who also became a police officer. Matt married Stacey and they had a daughter, Kaylee. In an extended flashback in the ''Better Call Saul'' episode " Five-O", Mike is revealed to have been a corrupt police officer who took bribes. Matt was approached by other corrupt officers and asked Mike for advice; Mike advised Matt that not taking the money would label him a
whistleblower Whistleblowing (also whistle-blowing or whistle blowing) is the activity of a person, often an employee, revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe, unethical or ...
, and endanger his life and family, so Matt took it. Matt's partner and another officer killed Matt anyway because his hesitation caused them to think he might turn them in. Stacey and Kaylee left Philadelphia for Albuquerque after Matt's funeral. Mike identified the officers who killed Matt and arranged an ambush to kill both of them, after which he left for Albuquerque, allowing him to see Stacey and Kaylee.


''Better Call Saul''


Season 1

Mike works as a parking lot attendant at the courthouse. In his off-hours he engages in security and "muscle" jobs to help support Stacey and Kaylee. Jimmy frequently deals with Mike when leaving the parking lot, irritated with Mike's demands for payment or the right number of validation stickers. Philadelphia officers involved in the investigation of two murdered cops interrogate Mike, who hires Jimmy to represent him. Mike has Jimmy create a diversion, enabling Mike to steal one detective's notepad to learn what they know. He finds that Stacey contacted them after finding money hidden in the lining of one of her suitcases. Mike admits to her that he was involved in corruption in Philadelphia, and confesses that he "broke" his son Matt by persuading him to go along. Matt's partner and another cop killed him for fear he would report them, so Mike retaliated by killing the two of them and then moved to Albuquerque to be near his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Stacey accepts Mike's explanation and consoles him. The detectives leave for Philadelphia, and one privately assures Mike that he has little to fear. Mike aids Jimmy in proving that his clients,
Betsy and Craig Kettleman ''Breaking Bad'' is a crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan. It started with the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), and is followed by a prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and a seq ...
, staged their own disappearance. He then helps Jimmy recover and return the money that the Kettlemans embezzled. On one of his "muscle" jobs, Mike protects Daniel Wormald ("Pryce") during a drug deal with
Nacho Varga Ignacio "Nacho" Varga () is a fictional character who appears in the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a prequel spin-off of ''Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Michael Mando and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Di ...
. Mike does not bring a weapon, but remains calm and controlled. When the payment is $20 short, Mike insists that Nacho pay in full. After the deal is complete, Mike explains that he investigated Nacho beforehand and determined he was operating without the knowledge of his bosses in the Salamanca drug cartel, giving him an incentive to ensure that the transaction went smoothly.


Season 2

Pryce buys a flashy
Hummer Hummer (stylized in all caps) is an American brand of Pickup truck, pickups launched in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. Although discontinued in 2010, Hummer returned as a model under GMC (automob ...
with his drug money. Mike refuses to go to the deal in such a conspicuous car, so Pryce goes alone. Taking advantage of Mike's absence, Nacho finds Daniel's address and later breaks into his house, stealing his money and collection of baseball cards. Daniel reports the theft to the police, forcing Mike to intervene by convincing Nacho to return the cards and $10,000 to Daniel in exchange for the Hummer. To prevent Daniel from possibly implicating him, Mike has Jimmy represent him during his meeting with the police. Impressed by Mike's work for Pryce, Nacho approaches him with a request to kill his boss
Tuco Salamanca ''Breaking Bad (franchise), Breaking Bad'' is a crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan. It started with the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), and is followed by a prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Sau ...
, Hector's nephew. Nacho fears Tuco may learn about his outside drug deals and the potential consequences of his erratic behavior. Rather than kill Tuco, Mike engineers a public altercation so that Tuco is sentenced to prison for assault. Hector wants to reduce Tuco's prison sentence by having Mike tell the police that the gun Tuco was carrying was his, and threatens Stacey and Kaylee so Mike will comply. Mike agrees to take responsibility for the gun in exchange for a $50,000 payment. Upset at Hector's threats to Kaylee and Stacey, and fearing Hector will learn the truth behind his altercation with Tuco, Mike attempts to disrupt Hector's drug trade by hijacking a Salamanca truck and stealing the $250,000 it carries, but leaving the driver, Ximenez Lecerda, tied up at the side of the road. He intended for a "
Good Samaritan In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil. The specific meaning and etymology of the term and its ...
" to free Ximenez and contact the police, but learns from Nacho that when someone stopped to help, Ximenez called Hector, and Hector's crew killed the Good Samaritan and cleaned up the scene. Mike decides to kill Hector and procures a black market sniper rifle. As he prepares to fire, he is suddenly interrupted by the horn of his own car. Mike finds a branch wedged against the horn and a note on the windshield with a single word: "don't".


Season 3

Mike finds his moves have been tracked by Gus Fring, the owner of the
Los Pollos Hermanos Los Pollos Hermanos (English: “The Chicken Brothers”) is a fictional fast food restaurant chain specializing in chicken that was featured in the television series ''Breaking Bad'' and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul''. In addition, the r ...
restaurant chain, which is part of the cartel's drug trafficking operation. Gus explains to Mike that he does not want Hector dead until Gus decides the time is right. He encourages Mike to continue to disrupt Hector's drug trafficking and attempts to pay him, but Mike does not accept the money. He asks for help to launder the $250,000 he stole, and Gus obliges by arranging for Madrigal Electromotive, the parent company of Los Pollos and a participant in its drug activities, to hire Mike as a contracted security expert and pay him monthly consulting fees. Mike joins Stacey at group therapy sessions to help her overcome Matt's death.


Season 4

Mike quits work at the parking lot and conducts actual security consulting at Madrigal.
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle ''Breaking Bad'' is a crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan. It started with the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), and is followed by a prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and a seq ...
informs him the consulting contract was supposed to be a paper transaction, but Mike argues that his inspections provide plausible cover if anyone questions the payments. When Lydia complains to Gus, he tacitly approves of Mike's actions. At the group therapy sessions, Mike confronts another attendee over his lies, which causes a temporary rift between Stacey and Mike. Tension between the Salamancas and Gus's organization leads to Hector Salamanca suffering a stroke. Gus discreetly pays for his recovery to the point where he recovers his mental faculties and can move his right index finger. Gus secretly initiates construction of a meth lab under an industrial laundry as part of a plan to end his reliance on cartel cocaine smuggled from Mexico and puts Mike in charge. Mike arranges for structural engineers to visit and assess the site while Gus silently observes. Gus selects German engineer Werner Ziegler to oversee construction of the lab and has Mike arrange the accommodations and security for Werner and his men during the months-long project. Over the subsequent months, Mike befriends Werner and even covers for him to Gus when Werner inadvertently reveals some details of the lab's construction to patrons at a local bar. When construction falls behind schedule, a homesick Werner escapes, intending to meet his wife at a nearby spa. Mike catches up to Werner and realizes that he has inadvertently revealed the existence of a construction project to Hector's nephew
Lalo Salamanca Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca ( , ) is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spinoff of ''Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Tony Dalton, with the character being created by Peter ...
, who has arrived to take over the Salamanca drug business. Gus realizes Werner will have to be killed to protect the secret of the meth lab. He offers to send men to do it, but Mike accepts responsibility because Werner escaped on his watch, and says he will do it himself. He convinces Werner to tell his wife to return to Germany, then executes him in the desert.


Season 5

Werner's death forces Gus to halt construction of the lab. Mike reacts with disgust at Gus's seeming lack of compassion for Werner and refuses Gus's offer to continue paying him during the delay. Mike continues to struggle with Werner's death and drinks to excess. He becomes alienated from his family when he loses his temper with Kaylee, which leads Stacey to ask Mike to keep his distance. After a night of drinking, Mike is set upon by a street gang and breaks the leader's arm before walking away. Mike is stabbed during a second altercation with the gang, which he sought out of guilt for Werner's death. He awakens at a ranch in Mexico that has ties to Gus, where his wounds have been treated by Dr. Barry Goodman. Gus asks for his aid against the Salamancas because Mike understands Gus's need for revenge. Mike secretly points police to Lalo's car and its ties to the murder of Fred the money wire clerk, which causes Lalo's arrest. Gus wants Lalo released, so Mike gives Jimmy details about the work he did to investigate to Lalo. Jimmy uses the information to accuse police of witness tampering, enabling him to win Lalo's release on bail. Mike spends time with Kaylee and tells Stacey he is over the recent events that angered him. Lalo has Jimmy pick up the $7 million in bail money from a remote site in the desert. Several gunmen stop Jimmy, take the cash and prepare to kill him. Mike was tracking Jimmy for Gus and kills all but one of the attackers, who escapes. When Jimmy's car breaks down, Mike and Jimmy take the money and walk cross-country, camp overnight, and then resume their trek the next morning. When they see the surviving gunman is still searching, they work together to kill him. Jimmy and Mike make their way to a truck stop, where Tyrus and Victor pick them up. Jimmy posts Lalo's bail and, following Mike's orders, says he was alone and his car broke down, so he walked in order to avoid risking the money. Mike updates Gus, who realizes Juan Bolsa hired the gunmen in the belief that he was protecting Gus's business by keeping Lalo in jail. Lalo intends to skip bail and return to Mexico. Nacho brings him to the same place where Jimmy received Lalo's bail money so that Leonel and Marco can pick him up. Instead, Lalo searches for Jimmy's car. After finding it, he returns to Albuquerque with Nacho and goes to
Kim Kim may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kim (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Kim (surname), a list of people and fictional characters ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim dynasty (disambiguation), several dynas ...
and Jimmy's apartment. Mike calls Jimmy to alert him to Lalo's imminent arrival and directs Jimmy to leave his phone on and hidden so Mike can listen in. As Mike trains a sniper rifle on Lalo from a nearby roof, Lalo reveals he found bullet holes in Jimmy's car. Kim tells Lalo that passers-by probably shot at the car for fun and berates him for not trusting Jimmy. Lalo appears satisfied and departs. Jimmy asks Mike why he is protecting him, but Mike hangs up. Mike informs Gus that Lalo is ''en route'' to his home in Chihuahua and Nacho is with him. Gus tells Mike he sent gunmen to kill Lalo and says Nacho might be able to help. Jimmy goes to Mike's house and demands to know why Mike has been aiding him. Mike tells Jimmy that Lalo will be killed that night. Lalo kills all but one of Gus's hitmen, forces the survivor to call his contact and report Lalo's death, then walks away from his home.


Season 6

Nacho flees after opening the gate to Lalo's home so the hitmen can enter, and Tyrus later directs him to a motel. Inside his room he finds a gun, cash, and a cell phone. Nacho calls Tyrus, who tells him to hide until it is safe to move. He then attempts to call Mike, who declines to answer. While Nacho remains hidden, Mike and Gus's men enter his home and pay his girlfriends to leave town. They break into Nacho's safe, from which Mike removes the cash and the fake Canadian IDs Nacho had made for himself and his father Manuel. Victor delivers a duplicate safe, into which Mike places the cash, Nacho's fake ID, and an envelope that contains details of an offshore bank account and the hotel where Nacho is staying. Nacho discovers he is being surveilled and confirms the watcher is reporting to Gus, causing him to realize Gus has betrayed him to the cartel. A cartel hit team led by the Cousins arrives and a firefight breaks out. Nacho escapes in a stolen truck. Mike engages in a standoff with Tyrus and Gus because he wants to lead a team to Mexico to find Nacho, but Gus wants to force Nacho to reveal himself by holding Manuel hostage. Mike receives a call from Nacho, who asks to speak to Gus. Nacho offers to give himself up as long as Manuel is protected. Gus arranges to smuggle Nacho into the U.S. Afterwards, Mike and Nacho go over the plan for Nacho to absolve Gus of blame for Lalo's death by falsely blaming another drug family. After confessing, Nacho will attempt to flee so that Victor can kill him, guaranteeing his death will be swift and the Salamancas will not torture him. Mike administers a beating so it will appear Nacho was captured. While Mike watches and trains his rifle on the location, Gus, Tyrus, and Victor meet with Juan Bolsa, Hector Salamanca, and the Cousins to hand Nacho over. Nacho claims he killed Lalo while working with a rival family, the Alvarezes. He further absolves Gus by admitting he tried to kill Hector, but that Gus saved him. Rather than attempt to flee, Nacho uses a piece of broken glass from Gus's trash to free himself from his restraints, seize Juan's gun, and kill himself. As Gus and his men depart, the Cousins assist Hector to fire bullets into Nacho's lifeless body. Mike places his rifle in its carrying case and walks back to the road so Gus, Tyrus, and Victor can pick him up. Mike has his men follow Kim and Jimmy. After Kim confronts the men surveilling her, Mike tells her the men work for him and Lalo may still be alive, and Kim realizes Mike is the man who helped Jimmy in the desert. When Kim asks why he chose to tell her rather than Jimmy about Lalo, Mike tells her she is "made of sterner stuff". Kim recognizes Mike as the former courthouse parking attendant, and she later chooses not to tell Jimmy that Lalo may still be alive. As Gus continues to worry over the possibility that Lalo is not dead, he and Mike go to the site of the planned meth lab, where Gus hides a gun on an excavator. After Lalo kills
Howard Hamlin Howard Hamlin is a fictional character who appears in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a Spin-off (media), spin-off prequel of ''Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Patrick Fabian and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter ...
and forces Kim to drive to Gus's house and shoot him, Mike intercepts Kim, then leads the majority of his men to her apartment. Gus recognizes the shooting attempt as a diversion and drives to Lavandería Brillante, where he is ambushed by Lalo, who forces him to reveal the underground site where Gus's meth lab is being constructed. Gus kills Lalo, but is wounded himself. Mike later supervises the cleanup of Howard's murder and the staging of his death as a suicide, as well as the burial of Howard and Lalo under the floor of the meth lab. Sometime later, Mike informs Manuel of Nacho's death and promises revenge on the Salamancas. Manuel dismissively tells Mike he is no better than the criminals with whom he associates. By 2008, Mike occasionally serves as a private investigator for Saul while still working full-time for Gus. After Saul is kidnapped by Walter White and
Jesse Pinkman Jesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character in the American crime drama television series ''Breaking Bad'', portrayed by Aaron Paul. He is a crystal meth cook and dealer who works with his former high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (p ...
during their effort to make Saul represent Brandon Mayhew ("Badger"), Mike does a background check on Walt. Mike's report to Saul includes the fact Walt has cancer. Mike describes Walt as an amateur and advises against working with him, but Saul is impressed by the quality of Walt's meth and decides to offer Walt his services.


''Breaking Bad''


Season 2

After Walt allows Jane to die from a heroin overdose, Saul dispatches Mike to clean Jesse's apartment. Mike removes all traces of the drugs and provides Jesse advice that enables him to avoid incriminating himself when speaking to police after Mike leaves. When Jesse later goes missing, Mike tracks him down and drives Walt to the location.


Season 3

With Walt and
Skyler White Skyler White (née Lambert) is a fictional character portrayed by Anna Gunn in the American crime drama television series ''Breaking Bad''. Skyler is married to protagonist Walter White. For her performance, Gunn received critical acclaim. She ...
in the middle of a divorce, Saul has Mike spy on Skyler. Mike sees Walt arrive home, followed soon after by Tuco's cousins, who intend to kill Walt in retaliation for Tuco's death. Mike has Gus call off the cousins, since Walt is central to Gus's meth making scheme, and Gus convinces them to instead target
Hank Schrader Henry R. "Hank" Schrader Assistant Special Agent in Charge, ASAC () is a central character in the American crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' portrayed by Dean Norris and created by Vince Gilligan. An agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration ...
, the DEA agent who shot Tuco. Gus then anonymously warns Hank, who is able to fight back. He survives the attack and kills one cousin, and Mike kills the other in the hospital. The cartel disrupts Gus' meth distribution and he has Mike investigate. Mike kills the four cartel operatives sent to hold hostage Duane Chow, one of Gus' chemical suppliers. He later hides in one of the Los Pollos Hermanos trucks during a drug run so he can learn the cartel's tactics and implement countermeasures that protect future drug shipments. While Walt and Jesse have been cooking meth in the underground superlab, Jesse has become more unstable. He learns that two of Gus's local drug dealers were responsible for the death of his friend Combo and Tomás, the younger brother of Jesse's girlfriend Andrea. Knowing Jesse intends to kill the dealers, Walt acts first and runs them down with his car, then tells Jesse to flee. Gus keeps Walt on, but requires that he work with
Gale Boetticher ''Breaking Bad'' is a crime drama franchise created by American filmmaker Vince Gilligan. It started with the television series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–13), and is followed by a prequel/sequel series, ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–22), and a seq ...
again. Walt correctly fears that once Gale knows enough to take over, Gus will have Walt and Jesse killed. Saul tricks Mike into looking for Jesse in the wrong place, giving Walt time to meet Jesse and tell him to find Gale's address. Mike later escorts Walt back to the lab on the pretense of responding to a chemical spill, but Walt knows Mike is supposed to kill him. Walt begs Mike not to kill him, and offers to give up Jesse in exchange for his own life. Mike allows Walt to call Jesse and find out where he is hiding. Instead, Walt tells Jesse to kill Gale so that Gus will have to keep them alive to continue meth production.


Season 4

Jesse kills Gale. Victor arrives soon after and brings Jesse back to the lab. Mike and Victor keep watch over Jesse and Walt while waiting for Gus. Knowing he was recognized at Gale's house, and hoping to demonstrate that he can still be useful to Gus, Victor begins producing a batch of meth, revealing that he has learned the process by watching Walt and Jesse. Gus arrives and kills Victor in front of Mike, Walt and Jesse, then tells them to get back to work. Mike increases security at the lab, including installing video cameras and personally standing watch over Walt and Jesse while they work. Mike informs Gus they may be able to drive Walter and Jesse apart. Gus agrees, and Mike takes Jesse with him on dead-drop retrievals and other tasks. Jesse foils a prearranged attack on Mike, boosting his confidence and increasing his loyalty to Mike and Gus. After another Los Pollos Hermanos truck is robbed and the meth stolen, Jesse aids Mike in retrieving it. His competence convinces Mike and Gus to continue making use of Jesse, and he goes to Mexico with them for a meeting between Gus and the cartel leaders that is intended to end their dispute. Jesse produces a superior batch of meth on his own, and Gus offers to have him stay in Mexico to produce it for the cartel. Jesse is apprehensive, but the offer is a ruse. During a party at Don Eladio's house to celebrate the rapprochement, Gus uses a poisoned bottle of tequila to kill most of the cartel leaders, taking the first drink himself to alleviate suspicion. When cartel enforcer
Gaff Gaff may refer to: Ankle-worn devices * Spurs in variations of cockfighting * Climbing spikes used to ascend wood poles, such as utility poles Arts and entertainment * A character in the ''Blade Runner'' film franchise * Penny gaff, a 19th- ...
moves to help Eladio, Mike garrotes him from behind. Mike is shot helping Gus escape, and Jesse helps both the ill Gus and injured Mike make their way to pre-planned medical treatment. For the doctor Gus has hired, Mike's wounds are secondary to Gus' illness. After Gus recovers, Mike remains in Mexico for several weeks while Gus and Jesse return to Albuquerque. While Mike is recovering, Walt engineers Gus's death, after which he and Jesse destroy the meth lab.


Season 5

Mike learns of Gus' death and intends to kill Walt in retaliation. As Mike drives back to Albuquerque, he encounters Walt and Jesse, who remind Mike that the security camera footage from the lab can implicate both Mike and them, and ask for his aid in destroying it. Mike tells them the recordings were stored on Gus' laptop, which is now in police custody. He aids Walt and Jesse to build and employ an
electromagnet An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by an electric current. Electromagnets usually consist of wire (likely copper) wound into a electromagnetic coil, coil. A current through the wire creates a magnetic ...
that wipes the laptop's data. This inadvertently leads the police to discover hidden account numbers and access codes for the money Gus deposited offshore to be used to pay the members of his organization for their silence. They seize the accounts, making it likely that Gus's former employees will reveal Mike, Jesse, and Walt to the police. Mike joins Walt and Jesse in a new organization, with Jesse and Walt producing meth in a mobile lab operated inside the tented homes of a fumigation company's customers. When Lydia suspects the DEA is tracking the methylamine Madrigal supplies, she provides Mike, Walt, and Jesse with information on a train that includes a tanker car of methylamine. They arrange to steal a large quantity without detection, but
Todd Todd or Todds may refer to: Places Australia * Todd River, an ephemeral river United States * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated c ...
, an employee of the fumigation company who aids in the robbery, shoots and kills a young boy who witnessed it. Wanting no part of this brutality, Mike and Jesse sell their share of the methylamine to Declan, a drug dealer from Phoenix, while Walt produces the meth Declan distributes. Mike agrees to continue paying Gus's former employees from his share of the methylamine sale in order to ensure their continued silence. The DEA identifies Mike's connection to Gus, but he removes evidence from his home and hides getaway money in a "go bag" at the airport, so a police search of his home turns up nothing. The police identify the attorney Mike has been using to make the payments to Gus' former employees, then locate the money he has been saving for Stacey and Kaylee. Intending to flee, Mike asks Saul to retrieve his go bag. Walt retrieves it instead, and meets with Mike. Intending to have Mike's associates killed in prison to protect his identity, Walt demands their names in exchange for the bag. Mike refuses and chastises Walt, pointing out that he is responsible for the difficult situation they are in as he had killed Gus in the first place. In revenge, Walt shoots him with the gun from the go bag. After following a mortally wounded Mike to the edge of a river, Walt realizes he could have simply asked Lydia for the names. As Walt begins to apologize, Mike stops him, saying "Shut the fuck up, and let me die in peace", before collapsing and dying by the riverbank. Walt and Todd then secretly dissolve his body in acid.


''El Camino''

Mike appears briefly in a flashback in the opening scene of the film '' El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie''. In a discussion that takes place shortly before Mike and Jesse leave Walt's meth business, Jesse asks Mike where he would go if he could start over. Mike says if he was younger, he would go to
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
, an idea Jesse finds appealing. Jesse expresses a desire to make amends for past wrongdoing, but Mike cautions that starting over would make that impossible.


''Madrigal Electromotive Security Training''

Similar to the series of fictional employee training videos used during season three of ''Better Call Saul'', AMC posted a ten-short video series titled ''Madrigal Electromotive Security Training'' to YouTube and its social media accounts during the run of season four of ''Better Call Saul''. The videos feature a mix of live-action footage of Banks portraying Mike in providing training to new security employees of Madrigal and animated segments. The series had been nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. The category was initiated in 2016 alongside Outstanding Short Form Variety Series and Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Rea ...
, but the nomination was pulled by the
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the Television in the United States, television industry in the United S ...
after they discovered the episodes were too short for the category, stating "This decision is in no way a diminishment of the quality of Better Call Saul Employee Training or Mr. Banks' performance in it".


Reception

The ''Breaking Bad'' fifth season episode "
Say My Name "Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, '' The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerki ...
", which ends with Walt killing Mike, received critical acclaim, with many critics singling out Jonathan Banks and
Bryan Cranston Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor. After taking minor roles in television, he established himself as a leading actor in both comedic and dramatic Bryan Cranston filmography, works on stage and screen. He has received ...
for particular praise. The episode is recognized by many television critics as one of the best in the series, with TV Fanatic's Matt Richenthal giving "Say My Name" a five-star rating, and calling it "one of the best in series history." Seth Amitin of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
gave the episode a 9 out of 10 rating, calling it "mind-blowing", but stating that "I hate to see Mike go out like that. He deserved more. I literally can't give this higher than a 9.0, it was just too sad of an ending."
Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...
of
HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
thought the episode was "a mostly tremendous episode of a drama", adding the death of Mike "is just a gorgeous, devastating scene", but he was unimpressed by the plotting that led to Mike showing any trust for Walt in that situation, writing that it was a contrived way to ensure that Walt would be in a position to kill Mike per the requirements of the overall show story. Jonathan Banks has received several awards and nominations for his portrayal as Mike Ehrmantraut in both ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...
'' and ''
Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...
''. In 2012, he received a
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for his role in ''Breaking Bad''. In 2013, he received a
Critics' Choice Television Award The Critics' Choice Television Awards were accolades that were presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fou ...
nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and a
Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
for Best Supporting Actor on Television. In 2015, he received a
Critics' Choice Television Award The Critics' Choice Television Awards were accolades that were presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fou ...
for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for ''Better Call Saul''. In 2016, he received a
Satellite Award The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...
nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In 2017, he received a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a
Satellite Award The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...
nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. In 2019, he received another Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.


See also

* List of ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul'' characters


References


External links


Listing
@ AMC {{DEFAULTSORT:Ehrmantraut, Mike American male characters in television Breaking Bad characters Better Call Saul characters Fictional assassins Fictional bodyguards Fictional gangsters Fictional marksmen and snipers Fictional mass murderers Fictional military personnel in television Fictional murdered people Fictional Philadelphia Police Department officers Fictional police officers in television Fictional private investigators Fictional United States Marine Corps personnel Fictional Vietnam War veterans Male characters in film Male villains Television characters introduced in 2009