What The Mike & Nacho's Father Scene Means
Warning: SPOILERS for Better Call Saul season 6, episode 9.
Nacho's grieving father Manuel (Juan Carlos Cantu) scene with Mike (Jonathan Banks) in BetterCall Saul has a deeper meaning that sets up Breaking Bad. A meeting between the two men has been inevitable since the death of Nacho (Michael Mando) in Better Call Saul season 6, episode 2. Nacho's actions throughout Better Call Saul have been informed by his desire to protect his father from the Salamancas, a desire which was eventually manipulated by Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) for his own vengeful purposes.
Nacho and Gus' campaign against Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) was what ultimately cost him his life, pursued to his death by the Salamancas for his role in the assault on Lalo's compound. Mike feels guilty about how Nacho was used, and his atonement for Nacho's death clearly informs his relationship with Jesse in Breaking Bad. It's that guilt that drives Mike to meet with Manuel at his place of business, to inform him of his son's fate. The meeting does not go as planned, however, and Manuel has some harsh truths for Breaking Bad's fixer.
RELATED: Why Mike Wanted Nacho To Kill Juan Bolsa In Better Call Saul
On paper, Mike and Manuel have much in common. They're both hard-working men with clearly defined moral codes, who have lost their sons to violence and corruption. However, the scene between both men in Better Call Saul season 6, episode 9 highlights just how vast the gulf between both men is. Stood at either side of a chain-link fence outside Manuel's upholstery business, they may as well be on different planets. But Manuel sees right through Mike's guilt and promises of justice to deliver a scathing assessment of who Mike really is — a gangster and a criminal —
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