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Met him on the street in new orleans about 3 years ago. I told him he was a great actor. He smiled and said thank you.

What I loved most about Mike was is absolute lack on ego. Especially in contrast to Walt who had an ego the size of Jupiter.

The more I watch Better Call Saul and learn about Mike’s past, the more tragic it is that Walter White basically killed him for no reason.

“I broke my boy.” When Mike cries we all cry

"Just let me die in peace."

next video " Walter Junior How Breakfast Matters"

I could watch an entire episode of just Mike sitting in his car listening to a ball game on his portable radio and enjoy it.

There's also the fact that Mike's journey starts in much the same way as Walter's. They're both older men past their prime working a job they're extremely overqualified for who secretly want more. They jump at the chance to do stuff that's less than legal that gives them an opportunity to feel useful, especially towards their family who they see as needing their help surviving. They might have been good people at some point but by the time we meet them, they're mostly just bitter and disillusioned with life.

"Just because you shot Jesse James, don't makes you Jesse James." To me this line just defines Mike's view of Walt. Mike is the kind of guy who just understands the world and his place on it and he's fine. He does not have a secret goal, or huge ambitions besides do his work right and provide for his family, which he does, unlilke Walt who just uses this as excuse for bad decisions.This makes him one of the most honest charecters on the show and the BB universe.

It's also hinted he was a Vietnam vet. When he described the rifle he was purchasing to the dealer.

"Everyone sounds like Meryl Streep with a gun to their head".

I like how better call saul expanded on Mike because he was my favorite character from breaking bad

Death of Mike showed that there's nothing to admire in Walt. He definitely has one of the greatest character arcs, but eventually developed into egomaniacal sociopath. Walt didn't regret killing Mike at all, just slightly shocked afterwards. Huge difference between the characters is that they had different reasons to live: Mike had his family (especially his granddaughter) while Walt lived for his empire, reputation and power.

Mike is one of the greatest fictional characters ever created. Fight me. (Please don't fight me, I am very physically weak)

Mike always saw right through Walter

Killing mike made me despise walter

YOU are not "The Guy", you're not capable of being the guy! I had a guy but now I don't! YOU! ARE NOT! THE GUY!

I loved the parallels made between Walt and Werner begging Mike not to kill them. Though we didn't know it at the time, Mike had been there before, with a man who genuinely was as innocent and naive as he seemed. So when Walt pretended to break down, he didn't sense the trap until it was too late.

There was an interview with Jonathan Banks about the character of Mike where he says: "We all wanna be Mike. Mike's there, ya know? Mike does it." There's something inherently appealing and admirable about The Fixer, the Cleaner. Think of Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction. Leon Montana from Léon. A character who embodies an unparalleled work ethic, who is competent and skilled in their craft, the consummate professional. Someone who shows up and solves problems quickly, efficiently, and with pragmatic grace. These characters are attractive because they make crime seem less brutal, less senseless, it changes the skew of horrible deeds to be dispassionate and just business. But is that really something we should want? People are killed, lives are ruined, destruction and havoc occur and these are all things we should just sweep under the rug? Just problems to be solved, like equations on a blackboard, the truth is that in order to become this kind of person you cant be a person at all. Mike becomes more like Gus than is healthy, too much is given to the stone cold businessman, to where the loving grandpa is left hollow. A façade, a construction, that crumbles under the weight of his sins. It's amazing what people are capable of, once they convince themselves there are no other options.

Kim Wexler next please. She is an amazing character!

Magic Mike. Arguably the best supporting character in the whole show.

"No half measures Walter." Too bad Mike only used half measures on Walter. And not a full measure.

So, What you packing? _A pimento.._ Sorry, What? *_Pimento Sandwich_*

In Breaking Bad, we almost didn't even get Mike Ehrmantraut as a character. Believe it or not Saul was meant to be the one who shows up and cleans Jesse's house, but he had an audition that day so they created the character of Mike Ehrmantraut for that reason. And he's one of the most important/beloved characters in the series today. Mike was never really a clean cop. Mike's son was a clean cop. We know this from Better Call Saul. As Mike would have it, basically most of the cops are crooked after some time in the force. The ones who aren't are relocated or otherwise dealt with. One time Mike's son came across some dirty money and thought he was doing the right thing by reporting it to his higher up. The higher up is like "Listen, take the money. We all do that, come on, the pay's not good enough around here anyway. Take it, no harm no foul." but he made himself seem so uncomfortable with it that they basically decided right then and there he'd be a liability so they plan to kill him. Before this though Mike's son asks Mike himself for advice, and even Mike himself says "Just take the money, don't worry about it" but by then his son's colleagues were suspicious of him so they decided to get rid of him before he decides to become a whistleblower or whatever. This absolutely destroyed Mike, and of course I think is what finally made him switch sides, he figured "If I am gonna be crooked, I may as well be affiliated with the ones who are honest about their dishonesty"

The one we've all waited for♥️

One element that I think you missed. Mike starts out as a dirty ex-cop trying to live like a normal civilian. Jimmy starts off as a :"reformed" con man trying to prove that he can live in a system that demands adherence to the rules and ethical standards. Both are extremely flawed characters who try to become better than they are but ultimately, their base nature becomes too much to resist.

Thank you so much. I love Mike. I was actually hoping for a analysis of his character.

"If Wendel doesn't eat, nobody eats" RIP Mike ❤

Yes yes yes yes yes yes. Mike is my favourite character. He does'nt need to say a word and we already know what he's thinking.

His monologue in BCS about his son cemented him as one of my favorite characters of all time.

And just think: had Bob Odenkirk not been required to star in HIMYM, Mike would never have been created in the first place

He is lawful neutral, lawful not to the law itself but to his own moral code.

the definitive Lawful Evil character Love mike

It's hard not to love all the baddies though. Mike was awesome. The casting for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul was impeccable.

The whole point of a brilliant show like BB and better call saul, is that it shows the complexities of human nature. No one is ever Good or Bad, they just are. Boiling Mike's character down to, he kills people so he is a bad man, is missing the entire point of the show.

Kid named Finger.

"he wasn't betraying his employers" he had an agreement that he will accept these terms and be holed up until the work was done, the man broke out of the warehouse, no matter if his intentions were pure, you just can't trust him because his word was not his bond.

Mike Ehrmantraut, the last name sounds pretty German. In fact, an "Ehrenmann" is a man of honor, and "traut" might be inspired by the verb "trauen", which means "to trust.

Saul never turned evil imo He just empathizes with the underdogs rather than go with the "winners".

The internet in general seems to contribute to all of us more and more turning off the tap - numbing our intellect and heart. But this channel is the best of the Internet, and here form and content are one: it’s helping us keep the tap open, at least when we think about one TV show.

Another point, is that if a solid code is the only thing that keeps you from being immoral, once life forces you to break that code (and it will), you're only left with the immoral. You can see that happen to Mike multiple times, where he has to fix his code out of necessity, shifting the wall ever further into the realm of darkness. In other forms of media, you can see characters fall apart once they break their own code, not being able to build it up again.

Mike was a willing player in the game. He knew himself, and was a man of honor in his own way. Mike's mentality was the same as a knight in service to a king, or a samurai sworn to a daimyo.

kid named tap:

I had never understood the scene at the group therapy where Mike exposes that liar. It felt so disconnected to me; now it makes all the sense in the world and shows how deep Mike's wounds cut. :-(

4:44 “Jimmy’s lack of response over his brother’s death raises questions of whether he’s in denial, or will eventually have to face a grief he’s avoiding.” ... those are the same thing...

Long time watcher, but just wanted to say that your analyses are consistently amazing and very well-thought out.

Still re-watching Breaking Bad even today.

It takes skill to make a 20m long video feel like a minute. It ended before I knew it. You truly are an inspiration❤️

Im german girl. Watching better call saul was fun. There was people talking german language :)

Y'all have done so many videos about BB/BCS, my favorite shows. You keep showing sides I've never seen before, please don't stop! Needless to say, great video!!

Mike's ultimate failure was because he actually let out his emotions, not because he cut them off. Even Hector retroactively foreshadowed that: "how did you live so long with a mouth like that?" He shouldn't have told Walt, that's what got him killed.

I love how much time and effort are put into these videos and the way they decipher each character, it really makes you see them in a different way. Great job!

My favorite thing about this show is it shows the reality of humanity. Most if not all of the characters on the show are not good people, but not all are inherently evil. They are fucked up flawed human beings, with motivations and aspirations. The protagonist doesn't have to be as horrific as Walt but acknowledging the protagonist is just as flawed as anyone else is a breath of fresh air. Seeing a perfect person face one struggle and then be perfect in every aspect gets really old

This channel is the gift that keeps on giving

I just love the way you talk. You two explore the characters in such a deep way...

You're guy's videos have been getting me through a long work trip to New Hampshire. Originally got into the GoT videos but got hooked on the Breaking Bad and "You Know If" stuff as well. Super stoked to see another Breaking Bad video. I didnt think you guys would make another one lol

My take on Mike is that he has the mind and outlook of a mercenary. A professional whose allegiance is for sale, but still retains SOME sense of honor. Still, he can do what professional soldiers do in combat: disassociate himself and his emotions from the business at hand. Indeed, when buying a sniping rifle, there is a slight indication that Mike was a Vietnam veteran, and possibly even a former sniper. Which explains a lot because a sniper's shots are individual and require FAR more detachment and discipline than most others. PLUS, Mike has a motive for working with a criminal organization -- money for his family. So yes, I can relate to Mike, at least the emotional detachment of it, from my own experiences. I understand what made him into the Mike we see.

I freaking love these breaking bad episodes you guys make.

thanks for covering my favorite character from BB and BCS... yall are awesome! that's my Take on your channel :D

He has similar character of The Hound in Game of Thrones

I loved Banks as Frank McPike in Wiseguy! Banks is a terrific actor!

One big thing I think you miss in this video is the parralel between the murder of Mike's son and the murder of Cerner. Mike's son was killed by dirty cops because they couldn't trust him. He didn't uphold the code of silence so they got ride of him. The last thing he told Verner was they will never trust you again. I think that's the moment he loses his humanity, and I think he recognizes it.

I just want to Thank you for your video's. I always had to supress all of my emotions from age 5. And now at 30 they finally resurface. Hearing you explain just gives me hope that my "soul" is still salvagable.

Another great take on BB! Always interesting to watch your analysis on things I didn't even thought about. Now I watch films thoroughly, thank you!

A badass packing a Pimento, you gotta love Mike

Great video as always!! The fact that your analyses and character studies are so good made me wonder how great it would be if you guys did a video on the dream sequences of "The Sopranos" and Tony's subconscious mind. Hope you'll soon upload a video covering that.

Well told and nicely done. Especially cool when your source material is so brilliantly put together

I love the deep psychological characteristics you give in each video. Amazing channel!

"Took you long enough!" -Hector Salamanca

Please do a series on the characters of the sopranos!! Your character analysis for mad men, breaking, bad, and the wire are all amazing but we need some love for the sopranos! So many amazing characters and deeper meanings behind the entire series.

I have been asking for this for so damn long. Thank you.

Amazing series you did here. - Thank You.

Extraordinary work invites extraordinary analysis. The best video essay on this crucial character I've seen. The question to be asked here is how good is our own moral code.

No question. Mike Ehrmantraut deserves his own series

I loved Mike, such a great character with so much depth

“Don’t make me beat you ‘till your legs don’t work.” It’s just the way things go. If you don’t provide the answers I need, YOU are making ME do something that needs to be done. It’s that simple.

I think Mike in our eyes had an illusion of success (before the end). He indulges in revenge and gets away with it, he keeps to his code, he appears grounded compared to the others. He is also an expert at his craft and respected by the drug world and his family alike. He gave everything he had for his family. He survived time and time again solely for his family - but he never allowed himself to live for them. He couldn't forgive himself and it put him onto a path that killed him. And then it was too late. And then it was all for nothing. Vince made it clear that in his story, money or not it was always for nothing in the end.

As a criminal myself I can't help but love Mike, he's loyal and someone I could have to have my back!!

Yay finally!!! I’ve been waiting for this one!

The thing I love about Mike is he knows himself that he’s irredeemable and so he does everything he does for a good cause.

Perhaps the best TV character of all time.

Good video. Your insights into turning off the tap helped me understand my own life a little. I would add though that turning off the emotional tap isn't really a conscious decision, more it is a coping mechanism that your body/brain employs to protect itself and remain functional under intense pressure. Indeed my experience is that it achieves exactly that, you are able to perform at a high level despite very trying situations at the cost of emotional detachment that can take many years to reverse.

What this video had to say, I needed to hear so much right now. You may have saved me. Thank you.

My favorite character in BB and Better call saul. Im waiting for this, thank you!

One of my most favourite characters in TV History

Dude is a caucasian Papa Smurf.

I really enjoyed this. Excellent breakdown.

What I love when watching Mike scene's are how much the show tell while using absolute silence

Mike is doing this all for one reason: his granddaughter, i.e. his dead son's daughter.

I love him so much.

I don't know who to thank, Vince and his team, or this channel for explaining these topics with total ease!

I like how Mike was a man of his word. From everything I have seen regarding Mike, when gave his word, he kept it.

It would have been interesting to meet Mike's son. Anyway, that moral code =\= morality bit is pretty good. I find his "Half measures" speech to be one of his best moments. Jessica Jones is currently exploring some of that with Malcolm in their final season. (You guys should do Jessica Jones!)

This is generally a world that punishes emotional openess. I would say success is indeed synonymous with being emotionaly dead.

Such a deep well written analysis!

Another great video. You guys are so smart! I wish I'd written essays this good in school. : )

We finally got our favorite badass grandpa,our man,our lord and savior Michael 'Mike' Ehrmantraught.

Kid named finger

Yeah!! Finally a Mike analysis, thanks!