I do too, honestly, every Michael in my life has been a complete shit head. Even my ex girlfriend cheated on me with a guy called Mike, and he was her cousin. 🙄
@@unusualusername8847 and we strongly agree with him. Desert eagle is a great handgun, originally intended for sport and hunting. No armed forces anywhere use them. Only sportsmen, hunters and slightly criminal guys with short junk.
Actually, if you train for this you train for the combatant to point the gun at you. I find it slightly unrealistic for Mike to be at this level but if he indeed was he essentially baited the other guy into making it easier for him.
What I love about Mike is how straightforward and practical he is. He won’t use a hundred bullets if the job only requires one. He doesn’t bring a gun if all he needs is his skill, wit, and pimento cheese sandwich
It's always the little touches -- like the way "Pryce" follows his running off not just with his eye & head, but with his whole body... He's just so dumfounded by the whole scene...
This scene is hilarious....imagine getting a protection call for clearly a felony transaction. Then when you show up the guy is an extreme nerd who acts like it's a friendly road trip and gives you a father monolgue.
You know what? Respect to the biggest guy being smart enough to recognize that having a go at Mike is not going to end up well for him, and rightly bailing.
@@JohnnyDominion Eh, I'm not so sure about that; once he's done fully disarming the first guy, he turns to the big guy, holding all those guns, and does what I consider to be a pretty clear intimidation move. Then, when he's alone with the employer, he makes it clear he wants 3x pay. He may not have given Mike a reason to dislike him, but it's not like Mike wants him around.
I never get tired of watching this especially the way he mutters like Popeye the sailor while disarming the guy, then “so many guns I don’t know which one to use“
Ends up not taking any of them. You only bring a gun if you are expecting a gun fight! Damn we need more actual PROFESSIONAL characters in crime shows. To many are either clowns or completely unrealistic!
Excellent Popeye reference.. Thanks for clarifying that you were referring to "the sailor" lest viewers erroneously think you are referring to Popeye Doyle, Gene Hackman's Oscar-winning role in French Connection. [For a BP Oscar winner, The French Connection seems largely ignored by a lot of people. I see some of Popeye Doyle in Mike]
@@sassythesasquatch6122 That's a good question. I think when they started to make Jimmy some sort of psycho...I guess after his brother died. All I know is it stinks right now. What say you?
@@johnreidy2804 Lol, Jimmy IS some sort of psycho, have you not watched him from BB on ? How many times has he suggested giving someone a dirt nap, very casually ? The old Yeller suggestion ?
I love that Mike didn’t go for the throat punch until the guy was aggressively coming at him. He gave him a chance to accept defeat and when he didn’t Mike immediately put him down 😂
And then took his guns, just as he said he would, with dry commentary, while the guy is writhing on the floor. He couldn't have expressed his contempt any more eloquently.
He wasn't trying to scare him away. He was saying to him "now, am I going to have a problem with you, too?" And he, wisely, deduced that he was in way over his enormous head.
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul always have great car selections. And while that van never left the factory with that "wood" paneling, quite a few dealers added that on. Just like Toyota camrys with fake cloth tops.
imagine showing up to the meet to buy drugs and you see the dealer's bodyguard is watching you while enjoying a sandwich like "if i have to put this sandwich down, im gonna make you regret it"
Mike is the walking definition of "If a man has enough power, he only needs to whisper and people will listen." He doesn't need to advertise that he's a badass, he just is one.
bullies seek out fights. certain types of men simply solve a problem like it's any other problem and move along, nothing to prove. that's the confidence some punks sense in a "badass"--he's not trying to be something, or be something he's not. he's just going to solve the problem, like a parent changing a light bulb.
And afterwards, when Trevor finally was able to start breathing correctly again, he thought to himself "To hell with protection jobs, I'm moving back to San Andreas and robbing banks again" and the rest is history.
Mike Ehrmamtrauts character is one of the best hitman/fixer/cleaner/security experts I've ever seen on a TV screen. His constant calm demeanor and professionalism is really impressive and he seems to always be 10 moves ahead in any situation that's going on
The framing at 0:15 is just perfect. Sobchak has a medium sized building behind him, Man Mountain's back is filled with a skyscraper, and there's a short building behind Mike. All matching their physical size.
They could've just called him trevor. and it wouldn't change a thing.. both characters are constantly looking for "jobs" to do. you know the shady ones.
Are you saved? Where will you go when you die? Heaven or hell? The Gospel, which means the Good News is the news that God Almighty, the Creator came in the flesh as Jesus Christ to take away the sin of the world. The one God is a trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son came and laid down his own life to save ours. His sacrifice on the cross paid the price for our redemption with his own blood. On the third day he rose from dead and offers the gift of salvation and forgiveness to those that repent and trust in him. Although God's creation was created perfect, having no death, sickness and disease, the creation became corrupted through Adam and Eve in them disobeying God. In this rebellion the creation became fallen through the curse of sin and mankind became separated from God. This world is fallen, but God offers reconciliation to him through his provision at the cross. Ultimately God will restore his creation to perfection when he returns but those that who reject his offer of redemption will remain condemned by their sins and go to hell. John 1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. [14] And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, 1 John 3:8 KJV He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT.
That HUGE guy, Dave Mattey, is married to a high school friend of mine. He has been very sick the last several years and the docs can't seem to diagnose it. Cool guy. I met him at our 20 year reunion.
I don't know if it's the calm attitude, the fact that he's treating the guys guns like a child's toys, the fact that he scared the big dude off, the cold one-liners, or the guy he's working for being such a nerd, but this whole scene makes me laugh hysterically every single time.
Are you saved? Where will you go when you die? Heaven or hell? The Gospel, which means the Good News is the news that God Almighty, the Creator came in the flesh as Jesus Christ to take away the sin of the world. The one God is a trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son came and laid down his own life to save ours. His sacrifice on the cross paid the price for our redemption with his own blood. On the third day he rose from dead and offers the gift of salvation and forgiveness to those that repent and trust in him. Although God's creation was created perfect, having no death, sickness and disease, the creation became corrupted through Adam and Eve in them disobeying God. In this rebellion the creation became fallen through the curse of sin and mankind became separated from God. This world is fallen, but God offers reconciliation to him through his provision at the cross. Ultimately God will restore his creation to perfection when he returns but those that who reject his offer of redemption will remain condemned by their sins and go to hell. John 1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. [14] And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, 1 John 3:8 KJV He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT.
Every actor in this scene plays their role perfectly. And the throat punch followed by him picking his pockets is just like watching the old chef in the kitchen toss the new cook's sauce in the sink and telling him to try again.
The paper bag lunch is the perfect prop as well, sort of, "I'll need a snack on the way to comitting this felony, but probably will be home in time for a TV dinner."
@@NoahTyce12 he’s not being a wet blanket, he’s explaining that ‘Mountain Man’ exhibiting extreme fear to the point of wordlessly fleeing is not ‘zero emotion’
In case anyone doesnt know, the reason Mike didnt bring a gun was because he already did research on the crew theyre going to meet up with. He knows theyre dealing drugs behind their boss’s back and would almost certainly be killed if he found out. Mike knows its in their best interest to make sure the deal goes as smoothly as possible.
Also because he has the experiece and knows there's a certain code these meets go by, like dogs sniffing each other's asses. Criminals want money, not corpses. If you conduct yourself a certain way, thigns tend to go smoothly. If there was a Scarface type ambush in the air, he'd know it.
In BB we’re following Walt so Mike is an antagonist. If we were to follow Mike then Walt would be the Antagonist. In fact he was in the fifth season. Seasons one through four was Walter’s rise to a kingpin, season five was his downfall.
The delivery on, “He’ll be fine” is my favorite. It’s almost a throwaway, but it lets you in that he’s human and tired and just wants to get on with it.
An underrated Mike badass moment is how after being told it is $500 each is non-negotiable, he easily convinces 'Price' to pay him $1500 for only one of three guys.
$500 gets you three mooks who know you're likely to have more and might rob you after. $1500 gets you one experienced professional operator who's reduced his prices because he sees how new you are to all of this, and honestly wants to talk you out of this side hustle.
Mike is my absolute favorite from this entire franchise. He's such an awesome character. Seeing everything he goes through in Better Call Saul really makes me hate how he goes out in Breaking Bad. The man deserved better.
Mike is a brilliant character. He's a lionized version of men from his era, but I remember my Grandpa Jack. At different points in his life, he'd been a sailor, a cop, a biker, a bodyguard, and a trucker. He was one of the toughest, funniest, and honestly most wholesome men I ever knew. I could see him staring down a loaded gun, before making the man who pointed it at him regret it. RIP, Grandpa Jack ❤
What I like about Mike is he's not even a physically intimidating man. All that training and discipline he learned in the Marine Corps and Philadelphia Police matters more than size ever will.
enough experience and understanding to make well with said experience can outclass any physical advantage, a good enough physical advantage can outweigh a substantial but not overwhelming amount of experience
All true. And yet this isn't the greatest example. Because your potential opponent in a protection job would almost never been within arm's reach. If he's 10 feet away with a gun or there are three to your one, you're out of luck. So this example is amusing but probably not practical.
@@Opethfeldt It's not the raw speed so much as the movement being so prompt, giving the goon no chance to settle into his pose. Furthermore, it was unsignalled by Mike - not even an involuntary tensing of the facial muscles - and, therefore, completely unexpected.
The best thing is that Mike knew the guy had multiple firearms. "I'll just take ONE of his" while also knowing no one would need a gun. It's like a juxtaposition. One guy doesn't bring anything but a pimento cheese sandwich and the other guy has a whole arsenal, while a third guy runs away
Mike actually toss all of Trevor's firearm in the trashcan. No point in taking unknown firearm into a job that really don't need one. Furthermore, he would like to make sure that guns he brings works, which is why he bought them from a professional.
Pretty sure that Mike acted perfectly legally there. He responded to a threat of deadly force with normal force, then disarmed the formerly deadly threat and let him be. Could also be that Mike doesn’t like fighting anymore than he has to, or it could be he wanted to find out if any of these people were undercover cops without risking getting in trouble himself. Either way the man’s a genius
Mike's already done the homework on this job. Think he wants some amateurs coming along and risking making the deal going sideways? If Trevor hadn't gone off on the lack of carrying a gun, Mike would have had to manufacture some other reason to dump the two guys. He needed to be alone so he could control the situation...
One of the best lines from either series came from that subplot: “You think I’d be caught dead driving [Pryce’s Hot Wheel’d-out Hummer]? It looks like a school bus for six-year-old pimps.”
Love this character and what Johnathan Banks did with it. Never has to raise his voice or speak in a threating manner, he is so sure of himself and his abilities he needs no enhancements. Beautiful.
it just shows you what an absolute unhinged wingnut Walter White became, because the one time in either series that I can remember Mike ever raising his voice or losing his cool, and it was against White.
One of the best parts is how he's also aware of his limitations and also used it as one of his abilities when getting Tuco to beat him up in the parking lot and depict himself as an old man being publicly beaten by a criminal.
Yes. Banks plays the character almost like the gangster version of a Zen monk. In one scene he'll be this master criminal, in the next he'll be playing with his grandchildren. Just a great characterization.
There are some guy you just don't mess with! The other great thing about this scene is that Mike actually did his research on Nacho and knew that Nacho would not make any troubles because he was hiding the deal from Tuco and didn't want any troubles.
What I love about this scene is that it foresees what could have gone wrong if Pryce did not pick Mike for the protection job. "Trevor" would have been so cocky with a meeting with Nacho that it would have escalated to a gunfight very quickly, putting Pryce in danger. On the other hand, the other guy would have simply escaped after a confrontation, leaving Pryce alone.
@@kenjisxsad5404 In this and The Walking Dead he does yeah. His character "Pike" from Snowpiercer has a lot more depth for him to show he can act as more than just 1 personality though. Pike has a good amount of Trevor in him, but it's in a context where desperate actions require these things rather than a simple "lover of chaos"
I totally agree. I was not too fond of his character in Beverly Hill Cop, but Mike Ehrmantraut is a total badass and he handles everything like it's a walk in the park.
I could watch this every day. I love how Mike just watches the dude unwind the way he knows he will. And then when Mike de-guns him, the dude acts stupid and Mike is expecting that too. So we know exactly how he’d be on a protection job: a liability. (The fat dude might have been fine. He, at least, was smart.)
Maybe Man Mountain'd have been smarter to say "... you have his share, I'll be fine with the $500?" Or maybe just running really was the smartest option.
This is probably my favorite among many of Mike's scenes. He does his job with professionalism, courtesy unless you choose otherwise and as if everything is mundane and rather boring.
I’m forever grateful to Wiseguy for casting Jonathan Banks as something other than the heavy he had been playing. Gave others the chance to see how versatile an actor he is.
Mikes only three misjudgment i saw was when: 1) gus killed victor. He absolutely wasnt ready 2) he underestimated walt and didnt think of him very dangerous and as a result got shot 3) walt owned him in that laundry when walt made that call to jesse
Because Mike analyzes each and every individual he deals with. Most people are predictable on some level, but Walt is a total wild card. No amount of experience or foresight will give you insight to Walter's next move because he himself sometimes doesn't know what batshit crazy mastermind plan he's going to pull off.
Banks is just incredible. I don't think I've ever read so many glowing comments about any actor's acting ability. I hope a lot of writers realize how good this scene is, and up their game, because Hollywood tends to produce pure crap by comparison.
I first recognized his excellence in the '90's(?) crime series, Wiseguy, and he's been one of my favorite actors ever since. He played the suit and tie FBI OCB (Organized Crime Bureau) Supervisor (McPike) overseeing the deep cover agent (played by Ken Wahl). Very different roles, but you can tell that in Better Call Saul they asked him to revive that same character attitude he showcased in Wiseguy - always annoyed and frustrated with the idiots around him. Both hilarious and fitting perfectly for both character roles. He plays that personality trait with perfection. I recommend going back and watching that old series. Lots of later stars got their start as guest actors on that show.
Forget how cool and badass all of this is. It's written that way. Watch 'Mike's' face during the conversation. The small lip movements and other subtle facial expressions. The faint snarl with the unspoken "you're going to make me do this aren't you". Really fantastic acting.
That's what I love about Mike in both shows. Apparently seeming very detached and emotionless, wears the same almost tired-of-it-all face everywhere always. But if you pay attention his subtle facial expressions and body language tells you Everything.
Not only that, its not overconfidence. Look at when the others enter the scene, Mike has his arms crossed, his body language is closed, guarded. He was formulating a plan to deal with the other two if necessary. The guy with the gun has fully open body language, meaning he is overconfident. Lalo has very open body language, but its twitchy, intuitive, perceptive, confident but not enough to make him stop thinking. But the gun guy simply thought he was invincible.
"Easy" - gun is not easily taken, unpredictable reaction if he tries to take it, not part of usual training "Not so easy" - gun exposed, he's probably not going to shoot so nothing will predictably happen, disarming an opponent like that is usually part of training
Was thinking the same thing. The first time i saw this scene I thought Mike would kick him in the nuts and take one of the other guns. But this works to.
If he'd really wanted to make it not so easy, he would've put the gun back in its holster and remained calm. Mike probably still would've managed to aggravate him and pop him in the throat to take him down, but it would've been a little more difficult.
Smartest guy in the room. Mike is dumb enough to work for the dweeb, the dweeb is dumb enough to hire street toughs, and the showoff is just dumb. Meanwhile the big guy knows when he's outclassed and leaves immediately. No false bravado, just "welp, my best case scenario is getting out with my hide intact so i'm'a go."
Love this moment at @2:57. The shot before when "Man Mountain" entered showed him as physically imposing and physically superior to Mike. Mike even sizes him up when standing next to him. This shot and action shows Mike, despite his diminutive stature, is a sleeping giant in the criminal world when compared to "Man Mountain"
@@deanjustdean7818Of course size matters in a fight, everyone knows that, but you still need to know how to fight. Being big doesn't mean you always win. It's just that an elite large fighter will be able to take out an elite small fighter. Man mountain has an intimidating stature and would likely have an easy time handling most guys, but might still be somewhat slow and clumsy enough to get taken out by someone with enough strength, speed and skill, even if they're somewhat smaller. Plus, he knew Mike was a much smarter fighter than him.
@@mobus1603 Not to forget mike literally had 4 pistols in his hands at the same time. Bullet beats fighting skills every time. Like a wise man one said: "Some people think they can outsmart me. Hm, maybe, maybe. I have yet to meet one that can outsmart bullet"
