TV - Movies
Mike Ehrmantraut's
Biggest Mistake On
Better Call Saul
By JOSEPH STANICHAR
Originally created because of a scheduling conflict in "Breaking Bad," Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) is one of the most beloved characters in the "Breaking Bad" universe. Introduced as a cold, calculating killer who becomes a soft teddy bear when around his granddaughter, in “Better Call Saul” we get to see the more tragic side of the character, and the mistake that led him to be that way.
In the first season's sixth episode, "Five-O," we get to see Mike's past in which he takes bribes as a cop in Philadelphia and pressures his son Matt, who is also a cop, into taking the dirty money as well for his own safety. However, because of his slight hesitation, Matt is killed by the crooked cops anyway, causing Mike and his family immeasurable grief.
The grief and shame follow Mike all throughout his life, until the very end when he dies in “Breaking Bad.” "We all make our choices," Mike says in the "Better Call Saul" Season 5 episode, "Bad Choice Road." "And those choices, they put us on a road. Sometimes those choices seem small, but they put you on the road. You think about getting off. But eventually, you're back on it."