One Breaking Bad Ending Moment Is Made Far Sadder By Better Call Saul

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A specific Breaking Bad ending moment featuring Jonathan Banks' Mike Ehrmantraut was made far sadder because of Better Call Saul. Mike made his debut in Breaking Bad season 2's finale, appearing as a middleman between Saul Goodman and Gus Fring. Though his partnership with Gus, and later Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, was on display for the duration of Breaking Bad's five seasons, his backstory wasn't fully delved into until the prequel series, Better Call Saul. The show has also provided insight into how Mike became aligned with Saul and Gus, in addition to his relationship with his family, specifically, his granddaughter, Kaylee.

Kaylee Ehrmantraut was first introduced in Breaking Bad season 3, appearing in a handful of episodes while spending time with her «Pop-Pop.» She was the only child of Mike's late son, Matty, and Matty's wife, Stacey, who moved to Albuquerque following the tragic death of her husband. Mike followed his remaining family to New Mexico to care for his son's family and to make sure they were financially stable. Sometimes, that money stemmed from illegal activities, but one thing was made certain in both shows: Mike would do anything to protect Stacey and Kaylee.

Related: Better Call Saul’s Big Season 6 Death Makes Mike’s Backstory More Tragic

Unfortunately, Mike was forced to make the difficult decision of leaving his family behind in Breaking Bad season 5's «Say My Name.» While at the playground with Kaylee, Mike was made aware that Gus' lawyer sold out Mike to the DEA, leaving him with the choice to be arrested or run. Mike chose the latter, which meant leaving Kaylee at the playground without saying goodbye. Seeing Mike torture himself by the decision as he watched Kaylee play on the swings was