Lalo Salamanca

Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca is a fictional character on the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a prequel of Breaking Bad. Introduced in the fourth season, he is portrayed by Tony Dalton and was created by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould and Gordon Smith.

Lalo Salamanca
Better Call Saul character
Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca in a promotional poster for Better Call Saul's fifth season
First appearance"Coushatta" (2018)
Created byVince Gilligan
Peter Gould
Gordon Smith
Portrayed byTony Dalton
In-universe information
Full nameEduardo Salamanca
AliasJorge de Guzmán
OccupationCartel operator
AffiliationJuárez Cartel
Relatives
  • Abuelita Salamanca (grandmother)[1]
  • Hector Salamanca (uncle)
  • Tuco Salamanca (cousin)
  • Leonel Salamanca (cousin)
  • Marco Salamanca (cousin)
  • Joaquin Salamanca (cousin)[1]
HomeChihuahua, Mexico
NationalityMexican

Dialogue that introduces Saul Goodman in the Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul" mentions Lalo and Nacho Varga. Lalo, a member of the Juárez Cartel, is one of many nephews of drug kingpin Hector Salamanca. After Hector suffers a stroke, Lalo arrives from Mexico to help run the family drug operation in the U.S. and takes a greater interest in the day-to-day details than Hector did.

Showrunners gave Dalton freedom to diverge from cartel stereotypes and portrayals of other Salamancas. Dalton plays a cheerful and charismatic Lalo, vicious when the situation calls for it. Critics have praised Lalo's character and Dalton's portrayal.

Conception and development

In July 2018, Tony Dalton joined Better Call Saul in the role of Lalo Salamanca;[2] he first appeared in the season four episode "Coushatta". The Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul" mentions Lalo; it also introduces Saul Goodman (Jimmy McGill's professional name) and mentions "Ignacio" (Nacho Varga).[3] In an interview before Better Call Saul aired, Vince Gilligan said that the writers had envisioned Lalo as a major character and as with Breaking Bad, must "keep close tabs on what our characters have done in the past and make good use of it here in the present and the future".[4] However, Gilligan and Peter Gould had trouble figuring out how to introduce the character properly. They considered him a bogeyman around the second season, in which they set up Lalo's introduction, but had not figured out the character's personality or motivations. Gilligan held himself responsible for delaying developing Lalo, as Gould pushed for the story to introduce Lalo earlier. Gould saw that Lalo needed to be different from the other Salamancas and a foil equal to Gus Fring.[5] Gould credited their casting directors Sherry Thomas and Sharon Bialy for selecting Dalton, a telenovela star, for the role. He said that Dalton had "the charm, and the joy, and the threat" needed for the character and "all the charm of a '40s movie star".[6]

The episode "Wiedersehen", written by Gennifer Hutchison, fleshes out Lalo further. Hutchison said that while just as "scary" as the other Salamancas, he is "a little more circumspect about things". She explained that the producers wanted him to be "a little charming", in contrast to the other Salamancas, who have few qualities beyond fearsomeness.[7] Dalton said that the season five finale, "Something Unforgivable", provides a breadth not seen in prior episodes. Lalo first appears as a charismatic person his extended family and cartel leaders welcome but shows a vicious and vengeful side after his family comes under attack.[8] In a Den of Geek interview, Michael Mando (who portrays Nacho) described Lalo as "a Salamanca in every way, just like Tuco and Hector had their own flavors to the erratic Salamancas".[9]

Gilligan and Gould gave Dalton the freedom to take Lalo's personality as he saw fit, just as they had allowed Jonathan Banks to develop Mike Ehrmantraut during Breaking Bad.[10] According to Dalton, Lalo was not originally meant to be very charming; Dalton felt the show needed someone "kind of smiling and carefree and a little bit mischievous" like Jimmy but "in the bad guy's part".[11] Dalton took inspiration from Samuel L. Jackson's character Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction to create this "[k]ind of this smart ass, sort of scary but kind of carefree, kind of cool guy".[11] He also sought to move away from his role in the HBO Latinoamérica series Sr. Ávila as a hitman with "zero personality" whom he likened to a wall. Dalton toned down Lalo's Mexican accent as he "might have gone to a good school in Texas or Arizona or something because his family had money" and went for an accent that he had developed from growing up around Laredo, Texas instead.[12][8] Dalton gave Lalo a more upbeat personality to show the character's normally easy take on life and distance him from the typical portrayal of cartel members as serious about their work.[8]

Dalton did his own stunt in "Winner": Lalo's jump through the Travelwire store roof before he attacks the manager, Fred. While Dalton wanted to do other stunts, such as jumping onto Jimmy's car in "Bad Choice Road" and from the roof of his house in "Something Unforgivable", the producers insisted on stunt performers.[10]

Fictional character biography

Background

Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca is a member of the Juárez Cartel and one of many nephews of drug kingpin Hector Salamanca. Little is known of his background before his appearance on Better Call Saul.[3] The season five finale "Something Unforgivable" reveals he has a home in Chihuahua, Mexico, where many of his friends, his family, and a large staff live. Lalo is a respected cartel member who has gained the favor of its leader, Don Eladio Vuente,[8] and drives a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.[13]

Better Call Saul

Season 4
See also: Better Call Saul (season 4)

After Hector suffers a stroke that leaves only his right index finger mobile, Lalo moves from Mexico to Albuquerque to help run the Salamanca family's drug operation. He takes a greater interest in the day-to-day details than Hector did, which makes Hector's subordinate Nacho Varga (secretly responsible for Hector's stroke and recently turned mole for rival kingpin Gus Fring) uneasy.[14] Lalo visits Hector in the nursing home and gives him a front desk call bell, a souvenir from when Hector killed a hotelier and burned down the hotel after its owner disrespected him. Lalo attaches the bell to Hector's wheelchair so Hector can communicate by ringing the bell with his finger. Lalo thanks Gus for giving Hector first aid and paying for his care but surveils Gus' subordinates to learn their regular activities.[15]

While staking out Gus' Los Pollos Hermanos chicken farm, Lalo observes activity related to Werner Ziegler's escape. He follows Mike Ehrmantraut as Mike tracks Werner, which leads him to a Travelwire store. Mike updates Gus on Werner's actions and persuades Gus to let him retrieve Werner instead of sending hitmen after him. After Mike and Gus leave, Lalo enters and tries to learn what Mike knows, but the clerk, Fred Whalen, refuses to tell him. Lalo kills Fred, reviews the security footage Mike saw, and sets fire to the store on his way out. Lalo calls resorts until he finds Werner; he then pretends to work for Gus and tricks Werner into revealing some details about the construction of the meth lab under Gus' industrial laundry. Mike arrives at Werner's location and ends the call but realizes Lalo knows some information about the meth lab construction. Mike reports to Gus, who realizes Werner will have to be killed to prevent Lalo from learning more. Gus offers to send men to kill Werner, but Mike accepts responsibility because Werner escaped on his watch and kills Werner himself.[16]

Season 5
See also: Better Call Saul (season 5)

Gus draws Lalo to a meeting by having Nacho slip meth into the Salamancas' share of the cartel's cocaine. With Juan Bolsa present, Gus tells Lalo that Werner was working on a legitimate construction project, stole cocaine, and escaped, after which Gus had him killed to cover up the theft. Since the cover story explains events Lalo knows about, he accepts Gus' explanation and apology. Bolsa tells Lalo the cartel considers the matter closed. However, Lalo remains suspicious after Hector confirms that the cartel only tolerates Gus because he is a top moneymaker.[17]

Gus threatens Nacho's father to coerce Nacho into gaining Lalo's trust so he can provide Gus inside information on the Salamancas.[18] When Krazy-8 is arrested outside a Salamanca stash house, Nacho climbs over rooftops to sneak in and recover the drugs before police enter. Lalo is impressed and takes Nacho into his confidence. Nacho brings Jimmy to Lalo, who knows of Jimmy from conversations with Tuco. Lalo asks Jimmy to free Krazy-8 by using him to feed the DEA information on Gus' dead drops. Nacho informs Gus, who accepts the loss of cash from the dead drops to protect Nacho's role as his informant. Jimmy secures Krazy-8's release and makes him a confidential informant for DEA agent Hank Schrader, giving Lalo a way to feed the DEA more information about Gus' operation. Lalo congratulates Jimmy, but Nacho warns him that when it comes to working for cartels, "Once you're in, you're in".[19]

Mike tricks a witness to Fred's murder into providing details about Lalo's car, and the police arrest Lalo under the alias "Jorge de Guzmán".[20] Lalo is denied bail, but Gus wants him released, so Mike provides Jimmy details of an investigation he did into Lalo under an assumed name. Jimmy uses the information to accuse police of witness tampering, and the judge sets bail at $7 million cash.[21] Lalo's cousins Leonel and Marco Salamanca deliver the money to Jimmy at a remote desert location, but Bolsa, who believes he is protecting Gus' business by keeping Lalo imprisoned, sends gunmen after Jimmy. Mike was following Jimmy for Gus and kills all but one gunman. They continue the trip back to Albuquerque with the money, but after Jimmy's car breaks down, they push it off the side of the road and walk for two days. On the second day, they kill the remaining gunman and reach a truck stop, where they call Victor and Tyrus Kitt for help.[22]

Upon his return, Jimmy posts bail and gives Lalo a cover story to hide Mike's involvement. Lalo bids Hector goodbye and prepares to return to Mexico to avoid trial. However, his suspicions lead him to search for Jimmy's car. He confronts Jimmy and Kim Wexler at her apartment and reveals he found the car, which has many bullet holes. Kim tells Lalo that passersby probably shot at it for fun and berates him for not trusting Jimmy. Apparently satisfied, Lalo leaves for Mexico with Nacho.[23]

At Lalo's Chihuahua home, friends and family greet him and Nacho. Lalo introduces Nacho to Don Eladio, who blesses the plan for Nacho to oversee the Salamanca drug business in Lalo's absence. Gus sends assassins to Lalo's home, and Nacho receives a call instructing him to leave Lalo's back gate open at 3 a.m. Lalo is still awake at 3 a.m., so Nacho sets a kitchen fire to distract him and opens the gate. Nacho flees as the assassins enter and kill most of Lalo's family and guards. Lalo kills all but one assassin and forces the survivor to report his death to the middleman who arranged the attack. Lalo then realizes that Nacho is missing and angrily strides away from his house.[24]

Breaking Bad
Tony Dalton portrays Lalo Salamanca

Season 2
See also: Breaking Bad (season 2)

Though Lalo never appears in Breaking Bad, Saul mentions him when Walter White and Jesse Pinkman kidnap and hold Saul at gunpoint before a newly dug grave in the desert to coerce him into representing Badger, who has been arrested for selling drugs. Believing Lalo sent Walt and Jesse, he says in panic, "It wasn't me, it was Ignacio! He's the one!". Saul is relieved when Walt and Jesse's confusion confirms they have no connection to Lalo.[25]

Reception

The character of Lalo Salamanca and Tony Dalton's performance have received critical acclaim. Reviewing the episode that introduces Lalo, Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone said Dalton "makes a solid first impression in the role" and hoped for "more than filling in a blank most viewers had long since forgotten existed".[26] Sepinwall calls the final scene in "Bad Choice Road", in which Lalo confronts Jimmy and Kim, one of the best in the series. He praises the lead actors' performances, particularly Rhea Seehorn as Kim and Dalton as Lalo.[27] Steve Greene of IndieWire, after comparing Lalo to Anton Chigurh, noted he has "the unpredictability of his impulsive, petulant brother combined with the faux geniality of his chicken CEO rival" and praised Dalton's performance: "Dalton makes that poisonous, affected smile work, especially when it's coupled with Lalo's blatant disregard for bodily harm".[28] Brian Grubb of Uproxx wrote in his review of the season five finale, "It is almost unreasonable how good a character Lalo is. To pull this off after five seasons of this show and the full run of Breaking Bad, to just up and introduce someone this charming and evil and perfect, is basically showing off".[29]

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References
  1. Gomez, Adrian (April 10, 2020). "Crazy charm: Tony Dalton's Lalo character takes on regular role in 'Saul' Season 5". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020. He's also this Mexican narco that you've never seen before.
  2. Couch, Aaron (July 19, 2018). "'Better Call Saul' Unveils Unseen 'Breaking Bad' Character at Comic-Con". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  3. Gallagher, Caitlin (September 25, 2018). "Who Is Lalo On 'Better Call Saul'? This Character Referenced In 'Breaking Bad' Is Going To Cause Major Trouble For Nacho". Bustle. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  4. Tannenbaum, Rob (February 5, 2015). "Vince Gilligan Gives Us a Glimpse of Where Better Call Saul Is Headed". Wired. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  5. Sepinwall, Alan (April 20, 2020). "5 Burning Questions About the 'Better Call Saul' Season 5 Finale – Answered". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  6. Siegel, Alan (April 21, 2020). "How They Made It: The Spectacular Fifth Season of 'Better Call Saul'". The Ringer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  7. Fienberg, Daniel (October 1, 2018). "'Better Call Saul' Writer Breaks Down the "Wiedersehen" Rooftop Fight and That Famous Bell". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  8. Yap, Audrey Cleo (April 21, 2020). "Tony Dalton on Unleashing Lalo in 'Better Call Saul's' Season 5 Finale". Variety. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  9. Kurland, Daniel (August 21, 2018). "Better Call Saul Season 4: Nacho's Dark Path". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  10. Fernandez, Maria Elena (April 20, 2020). "Better Call Saul's Tony Dalton Hopes That Lalo Gets a 'Worthy Death'". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  11. Gates, Christopher (March 9, 2020). "Actor Tony Dalton opens up about Better Call Saul – Exclusive interview". Looper.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  12. Segal, David (April 20, 2020). "Tony Dalton Talks 'Better Call Saul': Sympathy for el Diablo". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. Henderson, Paul (April 13, 2020). "The cars in Better Call Saul are perfect casting". GQ. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  14. "Coushatta". Better Call Saul. Season 4. Episode 8. September 24, 2018. AMC.
  15. "Wiedersehen". Better Call Saul. Season 4. Episode 9. October 1, 2018. AMC.
  16. "Winner". Better Call Saul. Season 4. Episode 10. October 8, 2018. AMC.
  17. "Magic Man". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 1. February 23, 2020. AMC.
  18. "50% Off". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 2. February 24, 2020. AMC.
  19. "The Guy for This". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 3. March 2, 2020. AMC.
  20. "Wexler v. Goodman". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 6. March 23, 2020. AMC.
  21. "JMM". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 7. March 30, 2020. AMC.
  22. "Bagman". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 8. April 6, 2020. AMC.
  23. "Bad Choice Road". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 9. April 13, 2020. AMC.
  24. "Something Unforgivable". Better Call Saul. Season 5. Episode 10. April 20, 2020. AMC.
  25. "Better Call Saul". Breaking Bad. Season 2. Episode 8. April 26, 2009. AMC.
  26. Sepinwall, Alan (September 25, 2018). "'Better Call Saul' Recap: Let's Do It Again". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  27. Sepinwall, Alan (April 13, 2020). "'Better Call Saul' Recap: Welcome to the Dark Side". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  28. Greene, Steve (April 13, 2020). "'Better Call Saul' Review: Masterful 'Bad Choice Road' Sets Up a Season-Capping Standoff". IndieWire. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  29. Grubb, Brian (April 21, 2020). "'Better Call Saul' Season Finale Truth And Lies: Kim Wexler Breaks Bad". Uproxx. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
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