#first it was marco and leonel then it was mike then it was saul (he's balding. it counts)

[creepereyes]

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul characters ranked on their culinary skills, from great chef to dude who could burn a bowl of cereal

First row: Great cooks. Gus is a great cook. This man can cook almost anything. Lalo, Tuco, Marco and Leonel will blow your mind with a recipe passed down by their beloved abuelita, as will Nacho.

Second row: Good cooks. Skyler, Kim, Mike, Andrea, Gale and Francesca will all impress you at their dinner party and you'll gladly take home leftovers.

Third row: Decent enough cooks. Walt, Marie, Jane, Gomez, Lydia, Jesse's mom, Howard, Chuck and Krazy-8 will offer you something that's decent, but doesn't have a wow factor. Walt is clueless about spices, he either skimps or uses WAY too much.

Fourth row: Hank, Todd, Huell and Tyrus can't cook but damn they can work the grill. Smokey perfection every time.

Fifth row: Saul, Skinny Pete, Ted, Victor, Declan and Kuby tried their best but you'd honestly rather be eating Domino's.

Sixth row: Hector, Eladio, Jack and Walter Jr REFUSE to cook anything. They'll sit there and demand that you cook for them. If you screw it up they'll get mad.

Seventh row: Jesse, Badger and Combo would burn the house down trying to make spaghetti. Jesse may be good at cooking meth, but food? Nah. That man lives off takeout, frozen pizza, Cheetos and Funions.

[riotgrrrlhole]

What was the first reaction of each of the Salamanca family members when they saw Lalo with Nacho’s corpse ?

(Also, does Mike and/or Saul also saw or know about the taxidermy corpse of Nacho ? If yes, how they reacted ?)

Héctor was surprised and also furious , why the fuck did he exhumed that traitor piece of shit ?!?, Lalo tried to reason with Hector saying It was all Gus ‘s fault that Nacho is innocent (he is not but Lalo is just lying to himself) and that the the Chicken man framed Nacho , he tries to tell Lalo to burn him but Lalo ignored him (there isn’t much he can do )

Marco and Leonel are also shocked cause they always looked up to his cousin and saw his as someone practical , down to earth and not emotional, so this turn of events is shocking to the image they both have of Lalo , later they try to take Nacho away from him thinking that’s gonna make lalo go back to his usual self but we know how all that goes

Tuco learns in prison and while he is surprised and sad cause of Lalo’s mental state , to him it makes sense cause he remembered how Lalo always tried to heal birds or other animals that got injured and hid them in a cabin in the ranch, most of the time they would die and lalo kept the bones there , he discovered him when he was looking for places to hide playing and asked him why didn’t he buried them , and just answered “I didn’t want them to feel alone”

And Mike and Jimmy don’t know cause if Mike knew he would have tried to take Nacho away from Lalo and give him a proper burial

[sob-dylan]

What do you think about Nacho Varga’s arc/where do you think he’ll end up?

Oh man. Big question. I think if you go through my “nacho varga” tag, it’s pretty evident how disappointed I’ve been with Nacho’s arc from season to season. I just don’t think his story has been given enough room to breathe. Maybe with the exception of season 3, it feels like the major beats of his arc are relegated to the beginning and end of each season, making it feel rushed and unsatisfying. (In the words of the late, great Dr. Wendy Carr from Mindhunter “I don’t know how anything lasting for 19 seconds could allow for gratification.”) In seasons 1 & 2, it’s a little more justifiable in terms of the narrative they’re trying to weave. It was clear that at that point, Nacho was mainly there to serve as a conduit for Jimmy and then Mike into the ABQ underground. Tuco served a similar role for Walt and Jesse. The difference with Tuco, though, is that he was a pretty run-of-the-mill, macho, angry, heavily racialized gangbanger type. And don’t get me wrong, I love Tuco, and not just because I’ve become obsessed with learning everything there is to know about the Salamanca family. (At this point, the only thing I would even consider trading for a flashback of how Nacho got in the game is a flashback of Tuco, Marco, Leonel, and Lalo illustrating what the family dynamic was like when they were little kids). The entire Breaking Bad audience loved Tuco because he was a fun and exciting villain! He’s entertaining! But he wasn’t exactly intriguing. Audiences don’t watch a guy like Tuco and ask “what’s his story?” because we feel like we already know the character. Nacho, on the other hand, is more of a mystery. In his very first scene, we see a character that’s clearly complex with more of a story to tell. We get bits and pieces of that story, but we sit back and wait for more because this show is all about the long game. He’s involved with Jimmy and the Kettlemans and then with Mike and Pryce, but he doesn’t really get to start telling his own story until Hector wants to use his dad’s shop. I mean, I fell in love with Nacho in his very first scene, but it wasn’t until then that the audience was really made to care about the stakes of his situation. The problem is that even though Nacho’s story from that point forward has embodied so many of the overarching themes of both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad-- shit like: “what do we do for family?” and “you made your bed, now lie in it” and “oh, how we hurt the ones we love” etc. etc. etc.-- the issue of pacing keeps it from being as impactful as it probably should be. (I think Michael Mando’s well though-out performance definitely has a lot to with keeping it from falling flat). 

I don’t want to blame it all on front-end writing. It sounds like a lot of Nacho scenes end up on the cutting room floor, making the post-production process partly to blame. I wonder if I would be as dissatisfied with Nacho’s story if I saw all those deleted scenes. Either way, I think Peter & Vince though let’s be real it’s Peter’s show should have been able to make Nacho’s story fit a little better 5 years in. As much as I love Mike and care about how he became the character we knew in Breaking Bad, there are plenty of Mike scenes I would gladly trade for more detailed studies of Nacho’s motivations.

Now, as for where I think he’ll end up: uh, I’m not really sure. I will say that (even though I have my problems with El Camino) the Breaking Bad universe does a pretty good fucking job of giving characters endings that are appropriate for their stories, regardless of whether or not they’re “happy endings,” (see: Hank). So even if Nacho does die because, as he put it, “once you’re in, you’re in,” I’m sure it will be satisfying to some extent. . . That being said, I’ll be furious he dies, and it’s all because of El Camino. Jesse similarly made a series of Bad Choices (TM) that led to him having his freedom stripped away, but ultimately he was able to escape from underneath the rubble of all the horrible decisions he made and find his own, better path (camino). So even if Nacho’s death does feel like an appropriate ending for his story, I’ll definitely be asking why Jesse got to take an exit off Bad Choice Road onto El Camino and not Nacho.

I might just be saying this ‘cause they’re my favorite characters, but one of my dearest wishes for season 6 is for Nacho to be treated as a foil to Kim. In a sense they always were, sort of representing two different lives Jimmy could possibly have, (mostly in season 1). But season 6 feels like it’s gonna be an especially opportune time to explore the contrast between their stories. They’re moving in opposite but parallel directions. We’ve seen Nacho become less and less comfortable with his criminal-henchman lifestyle and we’ve seen Kim become less and less comfortable living in her morally stringent world where she’s pushed around by her superiors (I’m thinking mostly about season 2 here). As Kim has been able to find more freedom for herself, quitting HHM and then Schweikart and Cokely, Nacho’s lost practically all his freedom. At the end of season 5, Kim is headed into the crevasse largely because she’s sick of people like Howard and even Jimmy deciding who she is. She’s asserting her autonomy and she’s doing it with glorious and reckless abandon! Nacho, on the other hand, is desperately trying to claw his way out of the crevasse so he can find that same very same kind of agency, but he’s failing miserably. Point is, it’s much easier to find your way onto the Bad Choice Road than to find your way off it.

And lastly, as I mentioned before, I am desperate to find out how Nacho got in the game in the first place, especially now that he’s on his way out.

[ven-the-vandal-blog]

What could Tuco’s early life have been like?

 And was he a product of the Meth Crisis in the 60′s?

This is meant to be speculation on if Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were to delve more into Tuco and his back story, how it might go based on the path of Meth already covered in the events of Breaking Bad. Tuco is such an interesting villain, that I hope like the other characters in Better Call Saul, that we might get to know him better. Even if it is just through the introduction of new characters to flesh him out and his rise to being the way he is.

Could Tuco’s mother have done meth while he was in utero? How might have this affected his personality and behavior growing up? Is this why he has such an attachment to his Abuelita? Was she the one who raised him after his mom (possibly) died? If so, from what? Childbirth, overdose or something else? What was his father like, if he’d been around in his early years?

One theory is that Tuco’s Mother could have picked up the habit from his father, especially if Tuco’s Father served overseas in Korea or Japan during the early 1950’s. At the time was the beginning of injected use of amphetamines and heroin among the men, who learned it themselves while stationed there. And when they were sent home, some of them may have brought back that knowledge and habit.

If so, and if Tuco’s Father is a candidate for another big bad antagonist in Better Call Saul, I would like to add then that this has potential for a common link to the Korean War between said character and Mike. They could have both served under similar circumstances, but came out of the war very different with drastically different views on things.

Another way in which Tuco’s Mother could be introduced to methamphetamine in the 1950’s would have been with the drug being prescribed legally by physicians for things like fighting depression or even as a diet suppressant aid.

And which portion of the population were more likely to be prescribed amphetamines etcs during this period of time? Women.

Even to the point of being known and used non-medicinally by college students, truck drivers and athletes to help them ‘perform better’ and ‘be more alert and awake’, under the name, Methedrine.

Could Tuco’s mother have done meth while he was in utero?

The theoretical evidence suggests it may be possible. If he was between 35 to 40 years old during the end of life in Breaking Bad, in the year of 2008; then based on that we can assume he was probably born between to 1964 – 1969.

So, why is this important?

By 1970, the U.S. government had banned Meth as an illegal substance in most uses. Following that came the rise of American motorcycle gangs, who controlled the majority of making and selling the drug, for the next 20 years. Historically, it was only by the 1990’s, as we are somewhat alluded to by Nacho, that Cartels and other Mexican drug trafficking organizations took over massive cooking operations in California.

(In which case, as shown in Walt and Jesse’s time, we then see Meth become even more popular in the United States, before it gained a footing in Europe. Etc. – accurate to the history of the substance.)

So it could be surmised that whether during the beginning or end of 60’s years for meth, it was a volatile time of change that likely led to a spike in activity when there became a higher demand. That activity could have included his mother, theoretically. Another interesting thing, Methedrine was sold in easier-to-inject ampoules until around 1963 to 1964. If Tuco is closer to 40 in Breaking Bad, then 1963 would have given about a year, roughly, for Tuco to be conceived. And that time span might have added even more of a sense of urgency for addicts to get what they wanted during that year.

And if Tuco’s mother used meth or another drug like cocaine during her pregnancy, it may have affected his personality and behavior growing up.  

Studies suggest that children whose mothers used Meth during pregnancy might have issues with development involving the frontal cortex. In some instances, they may react more emotionally, particularly with defiance and aggression; suffer from anxiety/depression, and difficulty in resisting an impulsive reaction to something going on.

(This could be supported by Nacho’s statement that “Meth brings out the worst in people.” With a possible suggestion that not only were some of the issues we see later with Tuco’s behavior were amplified by his drug use, but that they could have been under the surface. Low key for most of his life?)

Is this why he has such an attachment to his Abuelita? Was she the one who raised him after his Mom (possibly) died? And if so, from what? Childbirth, overdose or something else?

Which also begs the question: if Hector and Tuco’s Father grew up in a similar manner to him, Marco and Leonel; what was their father, Tuco’s Grandfather like? I mean, we’ve already seen in the past just a sliver of what Hector put the Cousins through that led to them being who they turn out to be. One thing we know of Tuco is that when he was growing he was into boxing (which, once again, would have been one of the few places for him to channel aggression etc in a socially acceptable manner) I think that’s about it for what we know in that regard... right now, anyway.

[Grant it, I’m not up on Season 3 yet, I am working on it though]

But what if his Dad did come home from the war with PTSD or with any other number of things; on top of a bad upbringing with theoretical abuses like what Hector showed in Ep. 307 “One Minute”? What could that have been like for Tuco to grow up in? Whether he had his Mother around or not? And could his Abuelita have been the only one in his life who protected and truly loved him, and gave him some sense of safety as a child? Is that why he is so loving with only her, compared to anyone else he’s seen in contact with?

And is all of this stuff that (could have) happened, what led Tuco to seek out an escape with the help of Meth (and other drugs?) in the first place? Is he a tragic product of not only addiction but also of his upbringing? Beyond more than what we originally thought and were led to believe?

[fathersonholygore]

AMC’s Better Call Saul Season 4, Episode 2: “Breathe” Directed by Michelle MacLaren Written by Thomas Schnauz

* For a recap & review of the Season 4 premiere, “Smoke” – click here * For a recap & review of the next episode, “Something Beautiful” – click here

Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) is laid up in the hospital after his stroke. In his dark room at night, a couple men check on his condition for Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). There’s “no way of knowing” whether the man will wake up and be fine, or what will happen. The uncertainty doesn’t thrill Gustavo: “I decide what he deserves. No one else.” We’ve already seen the reasons why Gus and Hector have such bad history, through the flashback events seen in Breaking Bad. At home, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) is up early making breakfast for Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), then supposedly going for some job interviews. He’s not looking for any downtime. Perhaps too much time without work will leave Jimmy with nothing but his conscience to face. What about Nacho (Michael Mando)? He and his father Manuel (Juan Carlos Cantu) aren’t seeing eye to eye, not after everything that’s happened. Dad knows the type of business with which his son is caught up, the type of people, and he doesn’t approve. He’s likely seen others sucked in by the cartel over the years. Now it’s his own son. At one company, Jimmy goes for an interview as a copier salesman. He impresses with some of his know-how from back in the day in the mailroom. Then the interviewees ask about his career as a lawyer, which Mr. McGill spills into a pitch for himself as a salesman. He employs all his powers to get the job, convincing them to hire him on the spot. Except Jimmy flips out on them: “I could be a serial killer, I could be a guy who pees in your coffee pot! I could be both!” He only did it as a way of exerting some kind of power, a strange way of reconciling his grief? Who knows. Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) gets a call for a meet. He heads to an interesting place to sit and chat with the ever paranoid Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Laura Fraser). She wants to know why he did his little song and dance at the warehouse. It’s all part of his cover, to make it look better. She wants to keep it a paper trail, not quite understanding Mike wants to put a “face to the cheque.” Plus, their security is terribly lacking, as he so easily proved. Dr. Brechner (Poorna Jagannathan) is brought in from John Hopkins, at the same hospital where Hector’s lying in bed post-stroke. His nephews Marco (Luis Moncada) and Leonel (Daniel Moncada) are by his side, too. The doc wants to try some new techniques in order to hopefully heal their uncle. This particularly makes Nacho nervous, depending on the ultimate outcome. At Los Pollos Hermanos, Gus gets contacted by Lydia, worrying over Mike. The man tells her to just get him a badge, that he’s trustworthy. Meanwhile, he’s got a visitor: Tyrus (Ray Campbell), who’s been keeping an eye on Salamanca. He’s brought medical records, as well. These interest him a great deal. At HHM, Kim meets with Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) about Chuck’s estate. She’s there on Jimmy’s behalf. Chuck’s ex Rebecca (Ann Cusack) has been left the house. Everything else is up to Jimmy, which he refuses by proxy through Kim. All that’s left is an “agreement letter” and “$5,000,” along with a personal letter. Kim knows Jimmy was cut out of the will, compensated with a bit of pay-off cash. She’s also very pissed with Howard for talking about suicide with Jimmy, as if it to lay blame at his doorstep. She absolutely fucking unloads on him about the fake fairness of it all. It’s sad because she’s the sole person who really cares about Jimmy genuinely— even Chuck didn’t really care in the end, either. An impressive scene from Ms. Seehorn, also real emotional. Later that night, Jimmy calls up Mike for the first time in ages offering “a job.” He’s got something in mind. But what, exactly? Elsewhere, Arturo (Vincent Fuentes) and Nacho are meeting with Victor (Jeremiah Bitsui) and Tyrus. There’s a bit of a turf war going down between the two groups. Gets nasty when Nacho pulls out a gun, though Victor and Tyrus comply. This won’t go unanswered. It isn’t long after the guys are outside, Victor and Tyrus ambush them, suffocating Arturo to death in front of Nacho on his knees. Gus has arrived. He lets Nacho know he knows what’s happened, but the Salamancas don’t yet.

“From now on, you are mine.”

Better Call Saul, for me, is better than Breaking Bad. There was a lot of character development in that series. But here, there’s something even more incredible about watching a character we already know unfold. Bob Odenkirk plays the character perfectly. “Something Beautiful” is next time.

Better Call Saul – Season 4, Episode 2: “Breathe” AMC's Better Call Saul Season 4, Episode 2: "Breathe" Directed by Michelle MacLaren…