“ | Another night owl huh? You don't sleep? (...) Yeah, I never sleep much. An hour, maybe two. It's enough. When it's like this... that's when I can think. I get my best ideas when everybody else is asleep. Some people, they call it a curse. I like it.
|
„ |
― Lalo telling Nacho Varga about his sleep pattern. |
Don Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca, known north by his alias Jorge de Guzman, is a Mexican drug lord and a high-ranking capo of the Cartel, alongside his uncle Hector Salamanca, their boss Eladio Vuente, and colleague Juan Bolsa.
A member of the Salamanca family, Lalo is the grandson of Abuelita and one of Don Hector's nephews, having four cousins who are also involved in criminal activities within the Salamanca drug faction in the cartel: his main cousin and fellow distributor Tuco, his hitmen cousins Marco and Leonel, and his first cousin once removed who works as Eladio's bodyguard, Joaquin. He is also one of Saul Goodman's most notable criminal clients, with Saul subsequently receiving a lot more criminals seeking his services as a result of him being Lalo's lawyer.
Lalo is in charge of the enforcement arm of the cartel, and briefly succeeds his uncle as Don of their family's drug organization. Unlike most other members of his family, Lalo is often cheerful and charismatic, But like them, he can also be viciously brutal and psychopathic to the core. As such Lalo is the competitive rival of Hector's archenemy Gustavo Fring, eventually becoming his most formidable adversary as Lalo becomes dedicated to disrupting Gus' legitimate restaurant business Los Pollos Hermanos and LavanderĆa Brillante as well as his reputation with the cartel on Hector's behalf. Unlike his other rivals such as Walter White on a later basis, Gus was highly fearful of Lalo due to his cunning and resilience.
History
Background Information
Eduardo Salamanca was born in Mexico and was raised by his uncle, Hector, as an enforcer of the Cartel like the rest of his cousins. He once assisted Hector in torturing a hotel proprietor for disrespecting the two of them, and burning the proprietor to death and his hotel down, with Lalo keeping a desk bell as a souvenir of the ordeal. ("Wiedersehen").
Lalo became a major cartel lieutenant. Later earning the status as a Capo of the cartel, second only to Don Eladio in status, and he was referred to as "Don" like the rest of the Cartel leaders. He was put in charge of the cartelās enforcement arm in MichoacĆ”n, and was a high profile narcotics distributor.
He took up residence in a large, heavily fortified compound in Chihuahua. At his estate, Lalo attained his own found family, which consisted of his loving housekeeper Yolanda, his cheerful gardener Cecilio, and his four good natured bodyguards, Miguel, Ciro, Herardo, and Raul. Not too far from the compound lived a couple named Mateo and Sylvia Ramos. Lalo stepped in as their benefactor by paying for Mateoās teeth to be fixed. However in actuality, he was only using them in the potential case of faking his own death in the future.
Lalo has five cousins: Tuco and his sister, the twins Marco and Leonel, and his first cousin once removed Joaquin.
Better Call Saul
Season 4
Ignacio Varga arrives at El MichoacĆ”no where Hector ran his business and finds Lalo in the kitchen making food. Though Lalo offers the food to Nacho, stating that it's delicious and a family recipe, Nacho refuses the offer, recognizing that Lalo is a Salamanca family member and has been sent by them. Lalo confirms this and introduces himself as Eduardo, though he invites Nacho to call him by his nickname of Lalo. Lalo explains that he has been sent to make sure Nacho is running the business smoothly, and reassures him that it will be like heās not even there. He then sits down with Domingo Molina as he meets with the local dealers. ("Coushatta")
After Hector is moved to Casa Tranquila following his stroke and paralysis caused by Nacho, Lalo and Nacho go and pay him a visit. Lalo addresses Hector, remembering the incident where the two of them burned down a hotel and tortured the proprietor for showing disrespect. Lalo goes on to say that he went back into the hotel as it was burning, and retrieved a souvenir that he has kept for years. He presents the souvenir to Hector as a gift: the bell from the hotel's front desk. Lalo ties the bell to the armrest of Hector's wheelchair, allowing him to ring it for the first time, then speaks to Hector in private about "the Chilean" before leaving with apparent new orders from Hector.
Lalo and Nacho pay a visit to Los Pollos Hermanos for lunch and are greeted by Gustavo Fring. Lalo enthusiastically compliments Gus for his chicken. Lalo is then invited back into Gus' office, where he thanks Gus on behalf of the Salamanca family for saving Hector's life. He also speculates that Don Eladio enjoys exploiting the "bad blood" between Gus and the Salamancas, implying that he's seeking an alliance against Eladio. Gus picks up that Lalo is trying to get him to show dissatisfaction against the cartel, so he replies that he is "satisfied with the current arrangement" and shakes Lalo's hand as he leaves. Outside the restaurant, Lalo asks Nacho to drive him to Gus' chicken farm. ("Wiedersehen")
He spies on Gus' operations and later follows Mike Ehrmantraut while the latter is looking for Werner Ziegler. Mike spots the tail, however, and loses Lalo by driving into a parking lot and then jamming the ramp on his way out, much to Lalo's frustration. Lalo proceeds to pay a visit to the TravelWire Mike went to. When he starts asking questions, Fred is uncooperative and tells him to call the police. While Fred is taking a call, Lalo sneaks above the ceiling paneling and drops into Fred's booth from above. He murders Fred, before reviewing the security footage and seeing the brochures Mike picked up. He calls the hotel Werner is staying in and pretends to be one of Gustavo's men. He questions Werner about a secret construction project before Mike interrupts Werner and takes the phone away from him. Lalo realizes he's talking to Mike and greets him before Mike hangs up. ("Winner")
Season 5
Back at El Michoacano, Lalo struggles to figure out who Werner Ziegler and Mike are and what they have to do with Gus's mysterious construction project. He learns from Nacho and Domingo of a rumor that their cocaine has been "stepped on". Lalo decides to investigate with Nacho in tow, driving to a Salamanca hideout where packets of the cocaine from Gus's chicken farm are being kept for distribution. Lalo inspects each packet and determines that some of them are not cartel product.
Later on, Lalo drives to the chicken farm to have a sit-down with Gus and Juan Bolsa over the altered cocaine. Gus falsely admits that he secretly replaced some of the cartel's cocaine with methamphetamine after Werner stumbled upon Gus's drug business and stole the product. When Lalo demands to know what "construction project" Werner was working on, Gus showed him and Bolsa a massive structure being built by Werner's men for an industrial chiller. Lalo is personally introduced to Mike, who is "supervising" the crew. With Lalo seemingly mollified, Bolsa tells Gus that Eladio is not pleased with the breach and warns him not to keep secrets from the cartel again. Outside the chicken farm, Bolsa confronts Lalo for spying on Gus's operation and murdering the TravelWire employee. Lalo replies that he is simply looking after the interests of his uncle Hector, who believes that Gus is holding a grudge against the cartel after Hector executed his boyfriend. Bolsa insists that Gus is solely concerned with business, to which Lalo expresses skepticism due to an unspecified past incident in Santiago. Bolsa says that Gus will never be "one of us" but that he's a good earner who keeps Eladio happy, which is all that matters. Lalo then tells Bolsa that he has no further issues with Gus. ("Magic Man")
Lalo visits his uncle, Hector, at Casa Tranquila and discusses Gus' mysterious new construction project. Lalo doesn't buy Gus' cover story about building a new chicken refrigeration facility and expresses disapproval that Bolsa and Don Eladio seem to believe Gus. Hector hints that as long as Gus is making money for the cartel, this situation will persist. Later, Lalo, Nacho, Domingo, Carlos, Blingy and Javier are sitting around at night playing poker. Lalo bluffs with 7+2 off-suit (worst possible hand) and raised, Domingo has pair 8s with an 8 on the table, giving him a triple 8. He knows he would win but folds to not insult Lalo. Lalo looks at his cards after showing his terrible hand and calls him crazy for folding, then calling him āOcho Loco (Spanish for Krazy-8)," giving birth to his future criminal nickname. Domingo gets a call from one of the fifth street dealers saying there's a problem, so Nacho orders him to go and solve the issue.
However, Domingo is caught by the police while trying to get ten cocaine packets unstuck from a rain gutter. Lalo, Mouse, Arlo and Nacho sit in a car and survey the scene of the crime from a safe distance as police suit up to raid the stash house. Lalo asks if they were able to save any of the product before the cops came but Mouse said it's still in the house. Nacho, who has been secretly tasked by Gus to gain Lalo's trust, boldly decides to take matters into his own hands by climbing on the roofs of an adjacent building, then jumping onto the building where they gang has their product stored. The others watch tensely (Lalo even eating a snack) as a SWAT team lines up outside the door and prepares to breach it. Nacho climb in through the roof and salvages several bags of product before jumping out through a window just as the police swarm into the building. He surprises the gang members by coming back to the car and entering the passenger door unexpectedly; Lalo commends his actions, calling him a "badass". Back at El Michoacano, Lalo asks Nacho how long he's known Domingo and whether he's been inside jail before. Nacho replies that he's been family friends for a long time, and that Domingo has not been in jail but that he will keep his mouth shut. As Lalo stares at him, Nacho asks if he wants him to take care of it, but Lalo replies that he has something much better for Domingo in mind. ("50% Off")
Lalo has Nacho bring him Albuquerque lawyer Saul Goodman to a warehouse where Lalo is working on his car. Lalo greets a fearful Saul and states that he is impressed with how Saul used his communication skills to talk Tuco out of killing the skateboarders two years previously. Lalo and Nacho tell Saul that they wants him to carry a message to Domingo inside the Metropolitan Detention Center, which would be protected under attorney-client privilege. Saul tries to talk himself out of the imposed job by mentioning increased rates, but Lalo hands him over the demanded fee in cash on the spot. Saul is successful and later reports to Nacho and Lalo that not only Domingo released the information to two DEA agents, Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez, but Domingo also became their personal snitch, giving Lalo a "direct hotline to the DEA" in case he needs it again. Lalo congratulates Nacho on finding a good criminal lawyer, and then implies that Saul will be working for them again in case they need him. ("The Guy For This")
Nacho has a meeting with Gus and Mike to inform them that Lalo plans on using Domingo to rat out all of Gus' dealers and potentially his legitimate business, putting him out of order and rendering him useless to the cartel. Using intel from Nacho, Mike manages to connect Lalo to the murder of Fred - the TravelWire employee Lalo murdered while pursuing Mike and Werner. Mike convinces a witness to give the police information about Lalo's car, and soon after, he gives Lalo's location away through a police chat radio. As Lalo is driving down the street after dropping Nacho off, he's stopped by a police car. He slowly reaches for his gun, but three other police cars show up to block his path, they order him to turn the engine off and drop the keys out the window. With no other option, Lalo does as he's told and gets arrested. ("Wexler v. Goodman")
Under the alias Jorge de Guzman, Lalo is charged for the murder of Fred among other charges. Lalo has Nacho bring Saul to represent him. In court, Saul tells the judge that the defendant pleads "not guilty". The judge denies bail to Lalo. Later in a private room, Lalo and Saul discuss about the case. Lalo wants neither a deal with prosecution nor a trial, he wants to be released on bail. Saul mentions that it will be very difficult to do that, since the charges against him are quite serious. Lalo tells him that he will be a friend of the cartel if he manages to do that. Later in prison, Lalo arranges for a smuggled cellphone and calls Nacho, putting him back in charge of the Salamanca business and, knowing that he has been arrested under Gus' influence, ordering him to burn down a Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant, still unaware that Nacho is secretly working for Gus as well. Mike gets intel from Nacho and later gives Saul all the tools he needs to get Lalo out of jail. Back in the court, Saul tells the judge that the prime witness in the case was coached by a private detective. The prosecutor also admits of this fact. Saul even hired actors to play as Lalo's fake family to prove that he had community ties to Albuquerque. Based upon these factors, judge Xavier Parsons grants Lalo's bail for 7 million dollars in cash. Lalo says he can arrange for the money, but Saul has to pick it up personally. ("JMM")
Lalo gives Saul instructions on where to go to pick up the money in the desert, but Saul refuses to take the risk. Lalo accepts this, but Saul changes his mind and asks for $100,000 to do the job. Though amused, Lalo agrees and Saul goes to collect Lalo's bail money from Lalo's cousins Leonel and Marco Salamanca. After Saul doesn't return home that night, his wife Kim Wexler visits Lalo in jail under the guise of being a part of his legal team to find out where Saul went. Lalo is enraged to learn that Kim knows the truth until she reveals that she is Saul's wife. Lalo is amused by this fact, but realizes that Saul didn't just betray him and run off with the money. However, he refuses to help Kim find Saul and leaves. ("Bagman")
After reaching Albuquerque with the help of Mike, Tyrus Kitt, and Victor, Saul is able to bail Lalo out, though Lalo having that much money makes the DA suspicious of who he really is. Saul claims car trouble for his delay with Lalo poking holes in his story, but ultimately seeming to accept it. Lalo is pleased that Saul came through for him, but Saul warns that the seven million dollars has drawn suspicion. Lalo reveals that he intends to jump bail and return to Mexico, but states that he's not done with Saul yet as they are going to do "big things" together. As he gets picked up by Nacho, Lalo reveals Kim's visit and compliments her to Saul's shock. Gus subsequently realizes that the men who tried to intercept Lalo's bail money were actually hired by Juan Bolsa to protect the cartel's interests and by extension Gus'.
The next day, Lalo visits Hector at Casa Tranquila and warns that the police will be after him for quite some time and he must return to Mexico. Lalo reassures Hector that he will have Don Eladio's ear and can sabotage Gus' business by making Eladio sick of "the Chicken Man." Lalo also reminds Hector that Tuco gets out of prison in eleven months and can take over the cartel's operations north of the border then. As a birthday party starts, Lalo is forced to leave, reminding his uncle that "family is everything." He then orders Nacho to take him to the border followed in secret by Victor.
Nacho transports Lalo to the same spot where Saul picked up the bail money in order for Lalo to be picked up by the Cousins. As Nacho drives away, Lalo suddenly stops him and orders him to drive six or seven miles away as Saul said that was where his car broke down. Lalo finds the wrecked car with bullet holes on the side. Returning to Nacho's car, Lalo orders him to take Lalo back to Albuquerque and states that he will get a message to the Cousins about the change of plans later.
Lalo subsequently showed up at Saul and Kim's home and refuses to let Kim leave as he demands answers from Saul about what actually happened when he picked up the money. Lalo keeps pushing Saul for the truth about what happened, unaware that Mike is listening in over Saul's hidden phone. Lalo makes it clear that he doesn't intend to leave while Mike aims a sniper rifle at him from across the street. Lalo once again refuses Saul's request to let Kim leave and reveals that he found Saul's car and pushes for the truth about what actually happened. Kim points out all that Saul has done for Lalo and demands to know what he wants and Lalo explains about the wrecked car filled with bullet holes. Kim claims that someone probably found the car, shot it up and rolled it in a ditch and guesses that Lalo chose Saul as Saul was the only one he could trust and that if he can't trust his men with his money, Lalo has bigger problems than Saul Goodman who doesn't lie to Kim or his clients. Kim orders Lalo to find another solution next time and not turn on the one person who went through hell to save him. Seemingly satisfied, Lalo departs and orders Nacho to take him to Mexico. However, it is not to the same place as Lalo has had a change of plans and they have a long way ahead of them. ("Bad Choice Road")
The next day, Lalo and Nacho arrive at the Salamanca Estate in Chihuahua, Mexico. Being greeted by one of his guards at the entrance gate, they pull into the driveway and Lalo cheerfully greets his household. He introduces Nacho to his housemaid Yolanda, his gardener Cecilio and all of his men, telling them that Nacho is his friend from "up north" who's staying with them for a while. Later that morning, while fixing one of his cars, Lalo explains to Nacho that they'll be visiting Don Eladio and gives him some tips on how to make Eladio like him and promote him within the cartel. They then drive out to Don Eladio's hacienda, where Lalo yet again cheerfully greets everyone he comes across until he approaches Don Eladio and Juan Bolsa, they throw in some jokes about Lalo's arrest in the US and how he had to pay for his release. In an attempt to please Don Eladio, Lalo gives him a brand new car as a gift with a box filled with money in the trunk. He then introduces Nacho to Eladio, saying that Nacho is the one who has taken care of the Salamanca territory in New Mexico after Hector's health deteriorated. Don Eladio quickly makes a joke about Nacho's mental state once he hears he's friends with Tuco. As Don Eladio pulls Nacho aside to have a chat, Lalo keeps watching from afar.
Unbeknownst to Lalo, Gus has hired a group of assassins to infiltrate his compound at night and kill him. Nacho has been aware of this plan, as he was instructed to open the south gate for them at 3 a.m. before leaving. At night, Nacho sneaks through the house and to the back but encounters Lalo resting and having a drink next to a bonfire right beside the gate. Lalo invites Nacho to have a drink and compliments him on getting Don Eladio's favor, claiming that he's halfway from becoming a Salamanca himself. Knowing he needs to cause a distraction, Nacho asks Lalo for a stronger drink and Lalo tells him to go inside and get one, Nacho uses the opportunity to cause a smoke distraction with hot oil in a frying pan in the kitchen, which ends up working as Lalo quickly runs inside, complaining that "these morons have no respect", allowing Nacho to let the assassins in and escape. Lalo chides Ciro for the incident at the kitchen when he spots an assassin through the window and ducks behind Ciro just in time, using him as a human shield. More assassins walk in after Ciro is dead, but Lalo throws the hot oil from the frying pan on the face of one of them. The second assassin manages to shoot Lalo in the leg, so he quickly ducks behind the counter and makes a run to the bathroom.
Lalo locks the door behind him and opens a secret escape tunnel from under the bathtub, but leaves the escape hatch open to lure the assassins into a trap. Lalo quickly crawls down the tunnel that leads him outside the estate, pulling out his pistol and walking back into the Estate. As the assassins investigate the secret passage, Lalo ambushes one of them and shoots him in the head. He then proceeds to use the dead assassin's assault rifle to take out the remaining assassins that entered the tunnel. Outside, Lalo comes across the assassin whose face was burned trying to crawl away from the carnage. As Lalo turns him over, the assassin quickly admits that he's not sure who hired him as there was a middle man. However, Lalo claims that he has already figured it out, and forces the assassin to send a message through the radio stating that the job was done and that Lalo is dead. Lalo spots Nacho's drink from earlier still untouched, confirming his suspicion that Nacho was involved. As he spots Yolanda dead at the entrance driveway, a furious Lalo proceeds to leave the area. ("Something Unforgivable")
Season 6
A wounded and disheveled Lalo turns up at the home of a woman named Sylvia. After tending to a leg wound, Sylvia fixes breakfast for Lalo and explains through exposition that he funded oral surgery for her husband, Mateo. Mateo turns up at the house and is told by Sylvia to shave his large beard, but Lalo tells him to keep his mustache and soul patch. After Mateo heads to the bathroom, Lalo takes apart a pair of scissors and fashions one of the pieces into a knife and uses it to kill Sylvia, after which he visits the bathroom and exchanges smiles with Mateoāwho now resembles Lalo after having shaved himselfāthrough the mirror; Lalo's smile slowly slips back into a cold grimace when Mateo isn't looking. He proceeds to kill Mateo, later burning his body beyond recognition, making it look as though Mateo's body was his own to make Gus and his men continue to believe he was killed.
A while later, Lalo is riding in the back of a pickup truck near the U.S.-Mexico border. He is dropped off at a location where a group of undocumented immigrants are being loaded into the hidden compartment of a hay truck. Before he climbs in, Lalo takes his cell phone and makes a call to the Casa Tranquila Nursing Home, asking to speak to Hector. Lalo informs Hector that he survived the attack on the compound, that Gus was behind it, and that Lalo plans on returning to Albuquerque to exact revenge. Using his bell to communicate, Hector asks whether Lalo can provide proof of his accusations; Lalo realizes that he knows exactly where to find it. Deciding not to cross the border in the hay truck, Lalo demands his money back from the two human traffickers handling the immigrants. When they refuse, a shootout ensues that leaves the drivers dead. Lalo leaves the immigrants unharmed, steals a pickup truck belonging to one of the traffickers, and drives in the opposite direction of the border. ("Wine and Roses")
Unbeknownst to Lalo, Nacho committed suicide after being confronted by Bolsa, Gus' men, and the Salamancas, though not before gleefully admitting to Hector that he was responsible for his paralysis, which enraged Hector. Lalo was mentioned a few times during Nacho's speech, with Nacho admitting to the role he played in the assault on Lalo's compound and Nacho, unaware of Lalo's survival, expressing regret at not killing Lalo with his own hands. At the same time as Nacho's suicide, the prosecutor's office has identified "Jorge de Guzman" as Lalo Salamanca and attempt to get Saul's help in taking him down, stating that if Saul didn't know about the alias, then it wouldn't breach the attorney-client privilege. ("Rock and Hard Place")
Two weeks after his escape, Lalo is still on the loose with Mike's men having spotted no sign of him. Gus, insistent that Lalo is still alive, has his men spread-out all-over town keeping an eye out for him, with Mike warning Kim of the truth as Lalo may go looking for Saul. As a consequence of his role in Lalo's escape from justice, although no one can prove it, Saul is now hated at the courthouse and flooded with clients who have heard of his connections to Lalo and the cartel. ("Hit and Run")
It is revealed that Lalo had travelled to Germany. At a pub in Berlin, Lalo poses as an American businessman from New Mexico named Ben. A woman sitting at the bar remarks that she almost visited New Mexico once; she is revealed to be Margarethe Ziegler, Werner's widow. The two engage in conversation, with Margarethe revealing to Lalo that her husband died in a "cave-in" during a mysterious excavation project in New Mexico; that lawyers came to her house to collect "proprietary" material related to the project; and that none of Werner's team, who he purportedly saved in the cave-in, attended his funeral. Eventually the two walk back to Margarethe's home; she considers inviting him inside, but Lalo tells her he is flying home the following day. The two part ways.
The following day, after Margarethe leaves for work, Lalo returns to her house and makes his way inside. After quieting her dog, he goes upstairs and enters Werner's former workroom, searching his binders for any information that will lead him to his work crew. He is taken by surprise when Margarethe unexpectedly returns home to collect her phone. Lalo takes out a gun and fits it with a silencer while the dog barks at the foot of the stairs, drawing Margarethe's attention. As she climbs upstairs to investigate, Lalo notices a leucite block containing a measuring scale on a shelfāa gift from Werner's employees who worked on Gus' superlab. He picks up the block and notices a label for the manufacturer attached to the bottom. Moments later, Margarethe enters the workroom to find it empty, but finds that the window has been left open. ("Black and Blue")
In a forest in Germany, Casperāa former member of Werner Ziegler's excavation crewāis chopping wood when Lalo drives to his cabin. Sensing danger, Casper flees and attempts to hide in a nearby barn. Drawing a pistol, Lalo follows him inside. Casper gets the drop on Lalo and strikes him with the blunt end of his axe, causing Lalo to collapse and seemingly struggle for breath. Under questioning, Lalo explains he tracked Casper down through the Lucite block he gave to Werner's widow, Margarethe. However, Lalo regains the upper hand by luring Casper to a close distance and slashing his face with a razor blade, then using the axe to chop off his left foot. Lalo takes off his belt and tells Casper to tie off the bleeding from the stump, saying that they are going to "have a talk." Lalo would later reveal that Casper "put up a hell of a fight" but told him that Gus was building the "mother of all meth labs" and that Werner was involved in its construction. Lalo did not specify whether or not he spared Casper but based on how careful Lalo has been to avoid people seeing his face, it's highly likely that he killed Casper after the interrogation. ("Axe and Grind")
Late at night, in an industrial area in Albuquerque, Laloānow returned from his trip to Germanyāemerges from a manhole in the center of a street. He walks to a procured station wagon, changes out of a pair of overalls, and drives to a nearby truck stop. There, he enters a convenience store and is given keys to a restroom where he takes a shower. Returning to his car, Lalo sets a timer for an hour and takes a short nap. He returns to the industrial area and climbs back inside the manhole. Navigating the sewer system, Lalo finds a storm drain where he has set up a lawn chair along with food and water. Using binoculars, Lalo monitors the location across from the storm drain: LavanderĆa Brillante. Later, he then makes a video for Don Eladio, revealing what he's learned from Casper: Gus had used Werner Ziegler to build the "mother of all meth labs" beneath the laundry. Lalo intends to storm the laundry that and kill all of Gus's guards, then he can present proof for Eladio that any cover story put forth by Gus cannot refute. Lalo then calls Casa Tranquila in order to talk in Hector but while the receptionist goes to get Hector, Lalo hears noises on the line. He hangs up and smashes his lawn chair in a rage, realizing Gus had Hector's line bugged. He then calls back and talks to Hector, falsely stating that he couldn't find proof against Gus and will resort to "Plan A", which entails striking at Gus tonight, despite Hector's angry protests before Lalo ends the call. Lalo sees Mike and a group of men exit the laundry and drive away in an SUV. Glancing at a cockroach in the sewer, a thought seems to occur to Lalo. He walks away from his perch in the storm drain.
Later that night, Lalo arrives to Saul and Kim's apartment, where he finds Howard Hamlin ranting at the couple over their scheme to undermine him. Saul and Kim are absolutely horrified by Lalo's appearance while Kim tries to get Howard, who is completely oblivious to Lalo being in the Cartel and their connections to him, to leave. When Howard asks Lalo who he is, Lalo states nonchalantly he is nobody and that he merely wishes to āspeak to my lawyersā (much to Saul and Kim's alarm). They both nervously implore Howard to leave immediately, but Howard remains oblivious to his danger, sarcastically telling Lalo to find himself better lawyers. Lalo affixes a silencer to a pistol and, once Howard finally realizes his peril, suddenly shoots Howard in the head, instantly killing him. Saul and Kim both scream in horror at what has just occurred before them, as Lalo shushes them to calm down, saying, "Okay... Let's talk." ("Plan and Execution")
Lalo orders the frightened couple to sit down and quiets Saul and Kim's protests. Lalo tosses Saul his keys and gives him Gus' address, wanting Saul to drive to Gus' house and use a gun in Lalo's glove box to assassinate Gus for him and take a picture of Gus' dead body while Lalo remains behind with Kim. Lalo gives Saul an hour to do the job, but Saul attempts to convince Lalo to send Kim instead. Lalo is dubious that Kim will stick to the plan, but Saul continues to insist over Kim's protests and an annoyed Lalo finally agrees. Lalo reminds Kim to put her shoes on and starts a timer on the hour that Kim has to accomplish her task. Watching Kim leave, an amused Lalo asks how someone like Saul got a woman like Kim.
Left alone, Lalo begins tying Saul to a chair and tells Saul that after their last meeting, he went home where armed men had come and attempted to kill him, instead killing several people that Lalo cared about. Lalo reveals that Ignacio Varga had let them and had also introduced Lalo to Saul. Saul realizes that Lalo is talking about Nacho and that he suspects Saul of being involved. Saul insists that he had no part in the assassination attempt and that whatever Nacho did he did on his own. Lalo gags Saul with a rolled-up shirt and promises to come back and make Saul tell him the whole story before turning up the volume on the TV to muffle Saul's struggles and leaving in Saul's car.
Across the street from the laundry, Lalo watches Gus' men being called away in response to Gus learning of Lalo's presence at Kim and Saul's apartment. Sneaking onto the roof, Lalo shuts down a fan so that he can sneak in. Hiding amongst the laundry bags, Lalo ambushes Gus when he arrives, killing all of Gus' henchmen and taking Gus captive. Patting Gus down, Lalo discovers his bulletproof vest and throws away Gus' cellphone as Mike tries to call and warn him. Starting up his video camera, Lalo tells Eladio that he has Gus and they are going to take a walk and show him around. Lalo continues to narrate to Eladio as Gus leads him to the washing machine hiding the superlab excavation and notes that they have about thirteen minutes until Mike arrives with the cavalry, so Gus is going to give them the nickel tour. When Gus only stares defiantly at him, Lalo shoots Gus in the chest with Gus' vest blocking the bullet but causing him great pain.
Gus finally leads Lalo into the excavation where Lalo expounds upon what he has learned about it and admits his admiration for Gus' operation to build it which would've ultimately allowed Gus to cut Eladio out and become the boss. As Lalo prepares to kill Gus, Gus tells Lalo that he hasn't told Eladio what he thinks of him yet. Zooming in on Gus' face, Lalo gives Gus one minute to say his peace. Pacing around, Gus tells Eladio of his disgust and hatred for the man as well as for the Salamancas, stating that while the Salamancas claim to believe in "blood for blood," they really only understand blood for money unlike Gus. Gus tells Lalo that he had kept Hector alive and broken and he will save Hector for the last, promising that before Hector dies, he will know that Gus buried every one of them.
"Big talk. You done?" asks Lalo. Telling him that he isn't yet, Gus kicks a power cord, knocking out the lights and dashing across the room. Lalo shoots at Gus who retrieves a gun that he had hidden in the excavator, before Gus turns around and shoots him several times in the neck and upper chest. With the gunfight over, Gus turns on the excavator's backup lights and sees a mortally wounded Lalo lying on his back, coughing up blood. He walks over, stepping on Lalo's gun to prevent him from attacking again. As Gus coldly stares into Lalo's eyes, he gurgles and croaks at Gus, before laughing quietly and dying, having suffocated on his own blood. Gus leaves Lalo's body in the excavation, and heads back upstairs to be treated.
Later, under the direction of Mike, Tyrus Kitt uses the excavator to dig a double grave in the superlab foundations. Lalo and Howard's corpses are buried in the hole with Mike also throwing in Lalo and Gus' guns and Lalo's video camera. Lalo's ultimate fate was only known to a few people, with the general public believing that Lalo had died earlier in the assassination attempt at Lalo's home, and Saul and Kim just being told by Mike that Lalo "won't be coming back." ("Point and Shoot")
After Lalo fails to return from his confrontation with Gus, Hector reveals the truth to Eladio and Bolsa about Lalo's survival and Gus' role in the attempted assassination, as well as stating that Gus hates them and is actively plotting against them. However, Eladio and Bolsa ultimately don't believe him and Marco and Leonel (having seen the burned body of Lalo's body double) are skeptical about the accusation, leaving Hector furious, although Eladio does recognize the hate in Gus' eyes for them that Hector referred to. Lalo's murder of Howard and Kim's guilt over her and Saul indirectly causing it ultimately led to her and Saul breaking up and Kim retiring from her career as an attorney, despite Saul stating that Lalo was the only one at fault for being the one who killed Howard and Saul insisting that he and Kim would eventually move on from the ordeal. This led to Saul's full transformation into becoming a criminal lawyer in the wake of Kim's departure from Albuquerque, believing he now has nothing left to lose. ("Fun and Games")
Breaking Bad
In 2008, since the four years following Lalo's death, his cousin Tuco was released from prison (having been in prison for several years after beating up Mike in front of police officers, and later getting an extended sentence after stabbing an inmate and assaulting a guard) and took over from Lalo as the leader of the Salamanca drug operation.
Street-level drug dealers in Albuquerque, New Mexico were unaware of who Lalo was, but were aware of his cousin Tuco, who by 2008 had become a drug kingpin and major distributor, and was the first person to distribute Walter White and Jesse Pinkman's "Blue Sky" meth. Tuco continued taking over from Lalo's role as the runner of the Salamanca drug operation until he was killed during a shootout with DEA agent Hank Schrader, which later led to the deaths of Lalo's hitmen cousins Marco and Leonel as well.
Having not been explicitly informed of Lalo's death (with Mike only saying he "wouldn't see him again"), Saul mistakenly believed Lalo was still alive and remained freaked out at the prospect of Lalo keeping his promise and returning to continue his confrontation with Saul for the full story surrounding the assassination attempt on his life, believing Saul was also involved in it.
Season 2
Lalo and Nacho are briefly mentioned by Saul when he is kidnapped by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on the night of December 4, 2008. Saul mistakes Walt and Jesse for cartel members, speaking Spanish and asking them if they are working with Lalo. Saul, believing that Lalo was keeping his promise, blames Nacho, calling him by his real name, Ignacio, and insists that he had nothing to do with Nacho betraying the cartel. However, after Jesse orders him to speak English, Saul is relieved to realize that they have nothing to do with Lalo. ("Better Call Saul") After the three men make a deal, Jesse asks who Lalo is, noting that Saul was pretty freaked out at the thought that Lalo had sent them. Jesse comments that he's never heard of Lalo before on the streets, but Saul just brushes off the question by saying he's "nobody" without explaining further. ("Breaking Bad")
Season 4
After destroying the cartel with assistance from Jesse and Mike by poisoning the majority of the remaining major members in it and getting Jesse and Mike to kill those who were not poisoned, with those killed that day including Don Eladio and Lalo's last surviving cousin Joaquin, Gus visits Hector at Casa Tranquila and sadistically informs him that every other Salamanca is dead, partly referencing Lalo's death at his hands. ("Salud", "Crawl Space") Lalo's death, along with the deaths of his cousins Marco, Leonel, and Joaquin, would be avenged by his uncle Hector who, with the aid of Walt, suicide bombs Gus, killing himself and Gus' henchman Tyrus Kitt in the process. Hector would trigger the device with the very bell Lalo gave him years before. To cover their tracks knowing the DEA would learn about Gus' past following his death, Walt and Jesse destroyed the lab Lalo and Howard were buried beneath. ("Face Off")
After Breaking Bad
After Saul disappeared and was outed as a major player on Walter White's Drug Empire, Lalo's relationship with him became public knowledge posthumously, and was covered in a documentary that was released about Saul. An audio conversation between Lalo and Saul, discussing the money Lalo wanted Saul to pick up, was also featured in the documentary. ("American Greed: James McGill")
While arguing with Kim about turning themselves in, Saul reveals that Gus and Mike are dead and as such, she doesn't have to fear retribution from them, with Saul also stating that he thinks Lalo is dead as well. Kim subsequently provides both Howard's widow Cheryl Hamlin and the district attorney with an affidavit revealing the truth about Howard's death, how Lalo had forced her to try to kill Gus and how Gus' men, Mike in particular, had staged Howard's murder as a suicide. ("Waterworks")
Personality and traits
- "Seductive and merciless, Lalo is now the Salamanca family's best hope. Leaving a path of destruction in his wake, Lalo won't rest until his familyās standing in the cartel is restored ā no matter the cost."
- ―Information about Lalo
Lalo Salamanca was shown to be a ruthless, highly intelligent, sadistic, somewhat humorous and exuberant man who was blindly loyal to the cartel and his family members. He was cheerful and charismatic, but vicious when the situation called for it. Eladio himself said that Lalo had great "showmanship" abilities, something he demonstrated throughout all the seasons Better Call Saul, he appeared in, such as before killing Fred Whalen, he sneaked up above the ceiling paneling and right after he dropped in front of him. Lalo was notable for being the only member of the Salamanca family that Gustavo Fring truly feared due to Lalo's persistence, cunning and discovering of Gus' secret intent to undercut and ultimately sabotage the Cartel and his family.
Lalo was shown to be very capable of cold-blooded murder as seen when he brutally murdered Fred and Howard (for finding out what Mike was up to and simply wanting to talk to Saul Goodman and Kim Wexler, respectively) and as revealed by a story he enthusiastically recounted of torturing and burning a hotel proprietor to death alongside his uncle and keeping his uncle's famed desk bell as a souvenir, almost as a trophy. During his bail hearing, Lalo showed a complete lack of remorse for killing Fred, as well as total indifference to the victim's family being there. He was also more than willing to murder two close acquaintances, Sylvia and Mateo, simply to fake his own death for the purpose of punishing those responsible. In addition, he senselessly murdered Howard, a complete stranger to him, simply for getting in his way. While Kim and Saul were extremely shocked, Lalo maintained his calm demeanor, acting as though it was nothing. Just before he confronted Gus, Lalo effortlessly gunned down all of his men.
Lalo was shown to be an extremely skilled investigator as well as seen during his tailing of Mike, his search for Werner Ziegler and eventually Gus' secret construction project, showing his dedication to accomplishing whatever goal he was focused on. He was also shown to be a seasoned brawler, tactician, and marksman as he was able to single-handedly able take out at least 5 assassins sent by Gus to kill him and also disable Casper with a concealed razor blade and chopping off his foot with an axe even after being knocked down. His strong cunning was seen by him faking his own death in order to exact revenge on Gus and Nacho and also tracking down Werner's widow, Margarethe, and interrogate her for information while posing as a harmless business man. Lalo is also shown to be a skilled chef, making a dish when he met Nacho Varga that he referred to as delicious, and saying he used a "special recipe" that is "a family secret".
Despite his villainous nature, Lalo was shown to genuinely care for his family members, notably his disabled uncle and also his servants and close friends who reside at his estate with him, as seen by his barely contained rage following their deaths as a result of the assassination attempt; although he did treat one of his servants very badly and even used him as a shield when assassins sent by Gus tried to kill him. In addition, Lalo was far from being completely heartless or merciless as, despite murdering two disrespectful coyotes prior, he ensured that the undocumented immigrants being transported by the two gained their money back, nor did he choose to murder witnesses to his crime to cover his tracks, an almost complete contrast to his cousins Leonel and Marco. While talking with Saul about the murder of his servants, Lalo expresses anger over their senseless deaths, including the murder of a 17-year-old boy he'd known since the boy was very young who had never hurt anybody. After being berated by Kim Wexler for mistreating Saul McGill, Lalo left her apparent because he respected that Kim had the balls to stand up to him despite the seemingly life-or-death situation she and Saul were in. Lalo's other relatives are shown to have similar levels of respect for people with the balls to stand up to them (with Tuco respecting Walt, and Hector respecting Mike).
However, despite being extremely skilled as an interrogator and possessing a lot of charisma that his cousins and uncle lacked, Lalo's arrogance, overconfidence and hatred for Gus and desire to expose him proved to be his downfall. Lalo was so sure of himself while holding Gus at gunpoint that he allowed Gus to make a speech denouncing Don Eladio Vuente and the Salamancas, simply showing amusement at Gus' antics and recording him, unaware that Gus was actually using this speech as a distraction. Having anticipated Lalo's move, Gus had hidden a gun earlier and used his pacing to cover up making his way over to a power cord and kick it out of its socket, to plunge the superlab excavation into darkness. This gave Gus the chance to retrieve his hidden gun during his and Lalo's shootout, and managed fatally shoot Lalo in the neck, later killing him. As he died, Lalo appeared to be amused by his fate, laughing and dying with a smile on his face. Despite his death at the hands of Gus and failure to expose him, Lalo would succeed posthumously in helping to expose Gus as a drug kingpin. With the aid of Walter White, Lalo's last surviving relative Hector suicide bombs Gus, killing himself and Gus' henchman Tyrus Kitt in the process, by triggering the device with the very bell Lalo gave him years before. Gus was exposed to the public as a drug kingpin shortly after his death. Lalo has also had a major posthumous influence on Saul and Kim, with his murder of Howard in their apartment leading to Kim retiring from her law career and leaving Saul and Albuquerque, which in turn led to Saul becoming a full-time criminal lawyer.
Deaths
Murders committed by Lalo
- Hotel Proprietor: Tortured and burned alive alongside his uncle for disrespecting them, told in a story. ("Wiedersehen")
- Fred Whalen: Bludgeoned to death. ("Winner")
- 5 of Gustavo Fring's Hitmen: Shot all but one to death. ("Something Unforgivable", "Wine and Roses")
- Sylvia: Murdered with a pair of scissors. ("Wine and Roses")
- Mateo: Murdered and later burned beyond recognition. ("Wine and Roses")
- The Two Coyotes: Shot to death. ("Wine and Roses")
- Casper: Most likely killed with the axe after the interrogation. ("Axe and Grind")
- Howard Hamlin: Shot in the head. ("Plan and Execution")
- 4 of Gus' men: Shot to death. ("Point and Shoot")
Murders connected to Lalo
- Ciro: Used as a human shield against hitmen sent after him by Gustavo Fring. ("Something Unforgivable")
- Miguel: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
- Cecilio: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
- Yolanda: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
- Raul: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
- Herardo: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
- Tyrus Kitt: Killed by Hector Salamanca with assistance from Walter White through the usage of the same bell Lalo had given Hector five years before. ("Wiedersehen", "Face Off")
- Gustavo "Gus" Fring: Killed by Hector Salamanca with assistance from Walter White through the usage of the same bell Lalo had given Hector five years before. ("Wiedersehen", "Face Off")
Deaths connected to Lalo
- Ignacio "Nacho" Varga: Following the failed assassination attempt on Lalo, the Cartel correctly suspected Nacho's involvement and Eladio puts a price on his head, causing him to go on the run. This ultimately leads to Nacho committing suicide to conceal Gus' role in the attempted assassination and to go out on his own terms. ("Rock and Hard Place")
- Hector Salamanca: Voluntarily blew himself up with the assistance from Walter White to assassinate Gus, through the usage of the same bell Lalo had given Hector five years before. ("Wiedersehen", "Face Off")
Quotes
Quotes by Lalo
- Lalo: "Oh! Hey! You're here. Right on time. Hold on one second. Wait. You are going to love this. I made this just for you. Never in your life have you tasted something so delicious, it's true. Wait... you're gonna die."
- Nacho: "No, thank you."
- Lalo: "Smell it! You can't say no, are you crazy? I used epazote. Come on! (Nacho does not flinch.) Very well. You're not hungry, that's your problem. This is a special recipe, a family secret."
- Nacho: "The Salamanca family?"
- Lalo: "Them! I am Eduardo, but you can call me Lalo. And you must be Varga, no? They told me you were smart. And look, here you are, and you are."
- Nacho: "What are you doing here?"
- Lalo: "Ah, I'm just here to lend helping hand. You know, make sure the business is running in order. I got... I got a good head for numbers. But listen, don't even worry, it's gonna be like I'm not even here."
- ―Lalo meets Nacho Varga (mixed English and Spanish conversation).[src]
- "Is there any chance, and I know the answer is probably no, but is it possible for me to meet the owner?"
- ―Lalo requests to meet the owner of Los Pollos Hermanos, while talking directly to Gustavo Fring himself
- Lalo: "Varga tells me that while everyone else was picking their asses, you rushed him, stuck him on the chest and brought him back."
- Gus: "It was simple instinct."
- Lalo: "But still, with all the history between you two... What you did was gesture of peace. At least, that's how we see it."
- Gus: "I'm very pleased to hear that."
- ―Lalo makes it clear to Gus that he is not fooled by his real intentions.[src]
- Werner: "(in German) Darling! Have you landed?"
- Lalo: "This is Werner?"
- Werner: "Yes. Who is this?"
- Lalo: "I'm calling on behalf of Gustavo Fring."
- Werner: "Ah, yes. I see. Is Mr. Fring very upset?"
- Lalo: "What do you think?"
- Werner: "Please let him know the work will continue. Did Michael show him my letter? I explained everything."
- Lalo: "Uh, no. Michael hasn't shared that with Mr. Fring."
- Werner: "The letter has specific instructions. My men will be able to continue a few days without me. The work will go on. Ask Michael."
- Lalo: "Michael... Michael's very busy, and he asked me to speak with you. Do you remember what your instructions were?"
- Werner: "Certainly. They are to finish clearing the debris, then begin the south wall."
- Lalo: "That's the south wall?"
- Werner: "The south wall, yes. The concrete is standing by, they can start pouring. It's very straightforward, so Kai will kno... [Mike intercepts the call by taking phone from Werner]"
- Lalo: "The "concrete form"? Sorry, I didn't get that last part, could you repeat that? Werner? Mr. Ziegler? [smiles] Michael. Is that you?"
- ―Lalo impersonating one of Gus' men and calling Werner Ziegler, with the latter inadvertently leaking the details of the building process.[src]
- "Werner Ziegler. What's he up to, man? What's he doing?"
- ―Lalo theorizing what Werner Ziegler is doing
- "You're the guy for this!"
- ―Lalo to Saul Goodman
- Lalo: "Huh. So?"
- Jimmy: "So, just like you wanted. Assuming the dead drops are a real thing, the feds are gonna be on him."
- Lalo: "Feds?"
- Jimmy: "Yeah. DEA. There's a matched pair of them, and they're into this with a vengeance. I mean, think feeding time in the lion cage. And, um... they're gunning for arrests."
- Lalo: "Okay."
- Jimmy: "[pause] Oh, and... your guy is now a confidential informant."
- Lalo: "What do you mean? Like a rat?"
- Jimmy: "No! He's not a rat, no! I meanāwell, if he's a rat, he's your rat. So... Uh, put it this way. You now have a hotline to the DEA. And not just nowāany time, so that's a good thing. Right? But the deal is, at some point, you might hear that Domingo is a snitch. You gotta know... he's not."
- Lalo: "And what do you care?"
- Jimmy: "Well, all due respect, you're paying me, but he's my client. I'd like to keep him alive."
- Lalo: "[laughs; in Spanish] This dude. Good idea."
- Jimmy: "[as Lalo walks away] Oh, one more thing. You're gonna have to find a different attorney for future endeavors, 'cause my schedule is just very, very tight."
- Lalo: "[pause] You'll make time."
- ―Lalo being debriefed by Jimmy about Krazy-8's interrogation.[src]
- Lalo: "JMM. What's that?"
- Jimmy: "Oh, that's my motto."
- Lalo: "Oh, yeah?"
- Jimmy: ""Justice Matters Most." [Lalo chuckles] Okay, brass tacks, how solid is this "de Guzman" thing? Because if they find out you're not who they think you are, that could be a little..."
- Lalo: "It's not gonna be a problem."
- Jimmy: "Great. Um... First up, we're gonna get this murder wrap down to manslaughter. Now, I think that the DA is primed to cut a deal. So I say make them come to us, power move."
- Lalo: "No."
- Jimmy: "No?"
- Lalo: "No. No deal."
- Jimmy: "Here's the thing about going to trial."
- Lalo: "No, no, no. No trial, no deal."
- Jimmy: "Okay, sure. It's just... What did you have in mind?"
- Lalo: "You're gonna get me out on bail."
- Jimmy: "Bail? That's... Well, the thing thereāI mean, I don't know how things work south of the border, but here, under these circumstances, it's uh... Well, that's a long shot."
- Lalo: "ĀæQuieres ser amigo de cartel?"
- Jimmy: "I'm sorry. I don't..."
- Lalo: "[pause] You wanna be a friend of the cartel? Time to get yourself a new motto: "Just Make Money.""
- ―Lalo instructs Jimmy to find a way to get him out of prison.[src]
- Lalo: "Who's that?"
- Jimmy: "It's gotta be his familyā Fred Whalen."
- Lalo: "Mm..?"
- Jimmy: "The guy who died? At the TravelWire?"
- Lalo: "Mm."
- ―Lalo and Jimmy discuss Fred in court.[src]
- Lalo: "$7 million?"
- Jimmy: "Yes, and I am so, so sorry."
- Lalo: "I can do that. Thing is, I'm gonna need you to pick it up."
- Jimmy: "What? Me?"
- Lalo: "Mm-hmm. I'll call you."
- ―Lalo telling Jimmy to pick up his money.[src]
- Kim: "I know who you are... who you actually are. We have something in common. You want to know where your money is. I want to find Saul Goodman. If you tell me where you sent him, I won't alert the authorities. I won't tell anyone. I will find him, and you'll get your money. Mr. Salamanca..."
- Lalo: "Who the hell are you that he tells you my business?"
- Kim: "He didn't betray your confidence. We're married, which means I have spousal privilege... anything he says to me stays with me. No one can make me discuss it. It's as bulletproof as lawyer-client privilege."
- Lalo: "So you're his wife?"
- Kim: "Yes."
- Lalo: "Una guera. Bien por Ć©l. So, you're his wife, and you... love him. And he didn't come home last night, and you got scared enough to come down here and talk to me. What makes you think he didn't run off with my money, huh?"
- Kim: "He did not run off with your money."
- Lalo: "Yeah, maybe not. Not without you."
- Kim: "Just tell me where you sent him. That's all I need."
- Lalo: "I don't think so. Your man... he's, um, he's like the cucaracha... you know, a born survivor. If trouble found him, give it a day. If he's alive, he'll show."
- Kim: "Mm. And if he's...?"
- Lalo: "Well, then, day's not gonna make a difference, is it? Alright, well... nice to meet you, Mrs. Goodman."
- Kim: "Wait, um... Mr. Salamanca..."
- Lalo: "Done!"
- ―Lalo talking with Kim Wexler about Jimmy.[src]
- Lalo: "So... tell me what happened."
- Jimmy: "What happened?"
- Lalo: "Yeah. When you picked up the money. Just... walk me through it."
- Jimmy: "What I told you already?"
- Lalo: "Yes."
- Jimmy: "Fine. I picked up the money from your cousins. It was right where you told me it would be. Driving back, my car crapped out. It was about six or seven miles from the pickup site. There's no phone service, so I walked north through the desert all night. Well, I slept a little, but in the morning I walked again until I made it to a truck stop. I went into the bathroom to clean up. I bought some clothes, and IāI called a cab. I delivered the money. Took 'em a couple hours to count itāusual rigamaroleāand then IāI saw you."
- Lalo: "...Tell me again."
- Jimmy: "What?"
- Lalo: "Tell. Me. Again."
- Jimmy: "I picked up... the money from those two... fine gentlemen. My car broke down after about just ten minutes. There was no phone service, and I was afraid to hitchhike 'cause of how much money there was. And, uh... I ran out of water. So, I had to drink my own pee. A lot of it. Told you all the details, there you go. And then, I... finally made it to a truck stop, I called a cab. I waited, and then he took me directly to the courthouse. I paid your bail, and I got you out. I'māI'm not sure what you're looking for here, but... thereāthere you go."
- Lalo: "I just wanna hear the story."
- Kim: "Lalo, this is exactly what he told me, so if you could just..."
- Lalo: "Shh. I'd just like to hear the story. I mean... I paid a lot of money for that story, so... I think I can hear it as much as I want! So... tell me again."
- ―Lalo instructing Jimmy to tell him the desert story[src]
- Jimmy: "I picked up two big bags of money. Seven million dollars. Two heavy, heavy bags that you paid me to get. I put 'em in the trunk of my car. And then about ten minutes later, my car's engine went... I tried to fix it, but it overheated or something. So, I walkedāI walked north through the desert. I walked, and I walked, and I walked with those heavy, heavy bags. I walked, and I walked, and I walked, and I finally made it to a truck stop. And I went right to the bathroom, and then I stuck my head under the faucet, and I bought a giant pack of energy drinks. And I called a taxi, and I waited. I don't know what the problem is, but... Can she leave here? She doesn't need to be here. She had nothing to do with it. It was me. It was all me."
- Lalo: "It was all you, huh?"
- Jimmy: "Yeah."
- Lalo: "What'd you do, Jimmy? Hm?"
- Jimmy: "Whatever you think I did... I don't really know. I justā"
- Lalo: "I saw your car."
- Jimmy: "Okay?"
- Lalo: "You push it in a ditch?"
- Jimmy: "A what?"
- Lalo: "Did you push it in a ditch?"
- Jimmy: "I don't think so."
- Lalo: "You don't think so?! Well, I mean, you either did or you didn't! So... which one is it?"
- Jimmy: "I don't know what you want. You want the money back? 'Cause it'sāit's in a bag in the other room. You can take it."
- ―Lalo continuing to interrogate Jimmy over the desert story[src]
- Lalo: "I just wanna know what happened."
- Jimmy: "IāI told you what happened."
- Lalo: "Did you?"
- Jimmy: "Look... Okay, Iā"
- Kim: "Are you... Are you kidding me with this?!"
- Jimmy: "Kim, rea-"
- Kim: "Do you know what he did for you?! Seven million dollars of your money! He hauled it across a goddamn desert without one penny missing! And he got you out of jail for a murder that... let's face it, you're definitely guilty of. He did everything you asked, and way beyond what any other lawyer would ever do. So... what exactly is it that you're getting at? What do you want?"
- Lalo: "I found his car in a ravine. Bullet holes on the side. So, I'm just waiting to hear how that happened."
- Kim: "Bullet holes? That's it? Look, I don't know what it's like where you're from... But here in New Mexico, you leave a soda can out, someone's taking a shot at it. Thatāthat... That's what you're on about? You don't think it's possible a couple of yahoos with guns shot up a piece of junk car, and then rolled it down in a ditch, end of story? What kind of operation are you running anyway? Tell me. 'Cause I think I know why you sent him to do this job. It's obvious. You have no one else you can trust. Right? So you sent some lawyer through the desert with yourāwith your seven million bucks?! ThatāNo offense, but... you need to get your house in order."
- Lalo: "Huh. Really?"
- Kim: "Yeah, really! If you don't trust your men with your money, you have bigger problems than if you trust Saul Goodman. And for the record, he doesn't lie. Not to me, not to his clients. He's telling you the truth. But next time you have a bunch of money and no one you can trust, leave him out of it, okay?! Try aāa wire transfer, or try a... a shell company, or... You've heard of the Cayman Islands, right?! Jesus! Get your shit together, and stop torturing the one man who went through Hell to save your ass!"
- ―Lalo being berated by Kim for mistreating Jimmy as his lawyer.[src]
- "Yeah, I never sleep much. An hour, maybe two. It's enough. When it's like this... that's when I can think. I get my best ideas when everybody else is asleep. Some people, they call it a curse. I like it."
- ―Lalo telling Nacho about his sleep pattern
- Unnamed Mercenary: "There's a middle man. I don't know who hired us."
- Lalo: "That's okay. I do. (...) You're going to call them. And you're going to tell them it was tough but the job's done. I'll help you."
- ―Lalo's conversation with one of the unnamed mercenaries that attacked his home.[src]
- "Let them keep believing I'm dead. So much the better. It was the chicken man. That coward sat up there in the north while his paramilitaries came into my home... my home, Uncle! Screw Bolsa, screw Eladio. I'm coming north. I'm going to hurt him. Hurt him like you taught me. And then I will kill him."
- ―Lalo to Hector about his thirst for revenge.
- Casper: "Guten tag. This is private property."
- Lalo: "Yeah, sorry. I don't speak any German."
- Casper: "Are you lost?"
- Lalo: "It's a beautiful place you have here. The air, it's just so fresh."
- Casper: "Do I know you?"
- Lalo: "Well, I don't think we've officially met."
- Casper: "Who are you? Who are you?!"
- Lalo: "Ed-Eduardo... Salamanca. I'm not here for you... This is about Fring. I want to know. I want to know what he's building."
- Casper: "How did you find me?"
- Lalo: "M-Margarethe... M-Margarethe Z-Ziegler."
- Casper: "What have you done to her?"
- Lalo: "Nothing. Nothing. You sent her... a g-gift. (...) I think you broke one of my ribs. Here. Tie that off before you bleed to death. You and I are gonna have a talk."
- ―Lalo interrogating Casper.[src]
- "Don Eladio. Guess who. It's me! I'm alive! I'm here in beautiful downtown Albuquerque. Been here... Four nights? Now, you might be asking, what am I doing down in this shithole? Well... a little Croatian bird told me a secret. He put up a hell of a fight, but he told me. Look... See that? Right there. Fring's secret. Now, I've been watching, and Fring hides his guards very well. But they're there, dressed like laundry workers. See? That's one there. They're hiding guns under the uniforms, but I see. I have a pretty good idea what I'm up against. I can tell you what's in there. A big hole where a German engineer, Werner Ziegler, designed the perfect place to hide the... "mother of all meth labs." Well, that's my story. And Fring, Fring will have his story. A good one. And Bolsa will back him. Because he's an... "Earner." So, tonight... I go in... I kill all the guards... and show you the proof. Then... you decide. Adios."
- ―Lalo's video message to Don Eladio
- Howard: "Who are you?"
- Lalo: "Me? Nobody. I just need to talk to my lawyers."
- Howard: "Oh, is that right? You want some advice? Find better lawyers."
- ―Lalo's brief conversation with Howard Hamlin before Lalo murders him[src]
- "You two. God. You two and your mouths. Dios mĆo. Now. You listen. My car's downstairs. Press the clicker, and you'll find it. This is where you are going. Don't speed, don't weave, don't cut anyone off. Just, you know, drive nice. From here, at this hour, I'd take Forty East. Get off at Carlisle. Take the third left. The rest, I drew a little map for you on the back. It's not hard. So, big white brick house with a solid black door. You can't miss it. It's right at the end of the T. Park a little down the street, not out in front. It's a quiet neighborhood, so you'll have plenty of options. Stating the obvious here, maybe, but turn the car off, right? So in the glove compartment, I left you a present. There's a camera. And there's a gun. And you're gonna need both. (...) Yeah, yeah, yeah, but don't worry. I mean, it's... it's very easy. It's a revolver. It's already loaded, no safety. It's idiot-proof. So you go up to that house, you walk right up to that black door. Don't run, just be casual, like a stroll, you know? Keep the gun somewhere behind you where they can't see it. You ring the bell. You count to three. You step back. They look through the peephole, you're as innocent as can be. Door opens, you point and you shoot. And you keep on pulling that trigger until it's empty. Simple. (...) I know, I know, you're a lawyer and not a killer. But, look, you can do this, okay? This guy? He's a housecat. Black, medium height. Short hair. Glasses. He kinda looks like a librarian. But don't be fooled. Even a housecat can scratch. So, that's it. Hard part's over. Now you pull out the camera. Same principle as the gun, point and shoot. Take a picture, one where I can see the face. Clearly. And then you bring it back here, where me and Mrs. Goodman will be waiting for you. And then you're done! I'd say it's about a twenty minute drive over there, twenty minutes back. Maybe ten minutes to do the job... Let's call it an hour all together. So, you're back here in an hour."
- ―Lalo telling Jimmy to "point and shoot" before Jimmy gets Kim to do it instead
- Lalo: "You know, after I saw you last, I went home. My home. Mi cielito lindo... And you know what happened? Men came. Armed men, in the middle of the night. To my home. Trying to get to me. And you know what they did? They killed people I care about. They killed my cook. My gardener. A seventeen-year-old kid I knew since he was knee high. Never hurt a fly. Butchered my housekeeper, Yolanda. Una viejita, cabrĆ³n. They shot her in the back."
- Jimmy: "...I'm sorry."
- Lalo: "Now, how did these men... get into my home? Do you know?"
- Jimmy: "I... I haveāI have no idea."
- Lalo: "Ignacio Varga. He let them in. And who did Ignacio introduce me to? You."
- Jimmy: "Ignacio? Nacho? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I-I barely know Ignacio! Whatever he did, he did alone! Not with me! Listen, you've got to believe me. Hand to God, I had no part in this. It wasn't me. It was... Aah! Ignacio! It wasn't me! Listen. Listen."
- Lalo: "Save it. I'm gonna come back. And then you are gonna tell me the whole story."
- ―Lalo and Jimmy's final exchange.[src]
- "Don Eladio, look who we have here. The one and only Gustavo Fring. And wearing body armor! Too bad they don't make armor for your head, eh? Now we're gonna take a little walk and show you around. Vamanos. Don, I would've liked it if we didn't have to rush this so much. We could sit by your pool... strip this snake's skin off, inch by inch. Take our time, have some fun. But he shows up now... who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? A big machine hides a big secret. We have about... thirteen minutes until his bald gringo gets here with the cavalry, so Gustavo is going to have to give us the nickel tour. (...) Like I was saying, Gustavo is going to show us around. Ha! Magnificent! I had a bathtub that did this, but... credit where credit is due, this is better. Hijo de puta. Okay. Drumroll, please. D-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r... Ta-da! Cadenza de wow, no? Don Eladio, I've heard some stories about this place. It took a bunch of German engineers ten months to build all of this. They used two hundred pounds of high explosive. Dug out 120,000 cubic meters of dirt and rock. And all... without disturbing the laundry up there. In the middle of a city with a million people! That's pretty badass, right? One moment, Don. Think of the laboratory you could put here, Don Eladio. Eh? How much meth you could make... that was his plan. Cut you out to become boss. And now here we are, in this big hole! Gustavo thought he was building an empire, but all he built himself was a tomb."
- ―Lalo records Eladio a virtual tour of the superlab.
- Gus: "You can't kill me."
- Lalo: "Why not?"
- Gus: "I haven't told that fat pig Eladio what I think of him yet."
- Lalo: "Hoo-hoo! Perfect! You've got one minute."
- Gus: "Eladio... you greasy, bloated pimp. You talk of honor. But you have none. A pack of stray dogs fighting for scraps has more honor. Jackals. That's all you are! No vision. No patience. No thought. Stupid and impulsive! That is how I did all this. You couldn't see it, couldn't even conceive of it. And you Salamancas... you're the worst vermin of all. You say you believe in "blood for blood" but you only understand blood for money! You're whores! I understand blood for blood. Hector? Yeah, I kept him alive. Kept him broken. I will save him to the last. Before he dies, he will know I buried every one of you."
- Lalo: "Big talk. You done?"
- Gus: "No, Not yet."
- ―Lalo and Gus' final exchange.[src]
Quotes about Lalo
- "Look, we had a monster in custody. We just let him walk right out of jail. We failed. The whole system just failed. This guy killed a 22-year-old kid. Dead, in cold blood. It's wrong. You know it's wrong."
- ―Suzanne Ericsen about Lalo and his murder of Fred Whalen.
- "I understand advocating for your client. Deep in my heart, I get it. But you scammed the court, you scammed the judge. And for what? To get a murdering cartel psychopath back out on the street? It's just... wrong."
- ―Bill Oakley confronting Jimmy over getting Lalo out of jail.
- "These are Don Hector's words. Dictated to Leonel and Marco, letter by letter. "The assault on my nephew's hacienda failed. Lalo fought the assassins and won. The day after the attack, Lalo called me. I heard the truth from his own lips. It was Fring who sent the mercenaries, not the Peruvians. We kept Lalo's survival a secret. My nephew was about to take his revenge on the traitor, face-to-face. Instead, he disappeared. It is the Chicken Man's doing. Don Eladio, look into Fring's eyes. There you will see the truth. The Chicken Man hates you. He is our enemy. He plots against us. I demand blood for blood.""
- ―Hector's accusations against Gus as read out by Juan Bolsa.
- "No. No. No, Kim, you're wrong! This is about Howard! Okay? What happened to him wasn't on us! It wasn't your fault! It wasn't my fault! It was that FUCKING LALO SALAMANCA! That psychopath came back from the dead and he walked through that door! He did this! Not us, him!"
- ―Jimmy trying to comfort Kim that Howard's death was because of Lalo.
- Saul: "Oh! No, no, no no, no! No, it wasn't me! It was Ignacio! He's the one! Oh, no! No, no, no, no! (in Spanish) I'm always a friend! Always! I'm always a friend of the cartel! Always!"
- Jesse: "Shut up, dude. Shut up, alright? Just speak English."
- Saul: "Lalo didn't send you? No Lalo?"
- Jesse: "Who?"
- Saul: "Oh, thank God! Oh, Christ! Oh, I thought..."
- ―Saul panicking after mistaking to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman as Lalo's henchmen.[src]
- Jesse: "So. Who's Lalo?"
- Saul: "Who?"
- Jesse: "Lalo. Thought some dude named Lalo sent us. You seemed pretty freaked out. Never heard of no Lalo on the street."
- Saul: "It's nobody."
- ―Jesse asks about Saul's freakout over Nacho and Lalo.[src]
Appearances
Better Call Saul
Episodes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season 1 | |||||||||||||
Season 2 | |||||||||||||
Season 3 | |||||||||||||
Season 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
Season 5 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
Season 6 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Trivia
- Tony Dalton's portrayal of Lalo has received critical acclaim, with some critics deeming him one of the best villains on television.
- Lalo is left-handed.
- According to Dalton, Lalo was not originally meant to be very charming; he felt the series needed someone "kind of smiling and carefree and a little bit mischievous" like Saul but "in the bad guy's part".
- 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 a cool guy", as well as the negative characters portrayed by Jack Nicholson. He also sought to move away from his role in the TV series Sr. Ćvila as a hitman with "zero personality" whom he likened to a wall.
- Dalton toned down Lalo's Mexican accent because of his belief that the character, given his wealth, was educated in a "good school" in the United States. Instead, he went for an accent that he had developed from growing up around Laredo, Texas.
- 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.
- 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". However, Gilligan and Peter Gould had trouble figuring out how to introduce the character properly. They considered him a bogeyman around the second season of Breaking Bad, but had not figured out his personality or motivations. Gilligan held himself responsible for delaying Lalo's character development, as Gould pushed for the story to introduce Lalo as early as Season 1. Gould saw that Lalo needed to be different from the other Salamancas and a foil equal to Gustavo Fring. He credited their casting directors Sherry Thomas and Sharon Bialy for selecting Dalton for the role, adding that Dalton had "the charm, and the joy, and the threat" needed for the character and "all the charm of a '40s movie star".
- Peter Gould has stated that Lalo is named after Argentine film and TV composer Lalo Schifrin.
- 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. Dalton said that Lalo's unbridled anger in Season 6 is what differentiates him from his laidback personality in Season 5. Michael Mando, who portrays Nacho Varga, described Lalo as "a Salamanca in every way, just like Tuco and Hector had their own flavors to the erratic Salamancas".
- Vince Gilligan and Peter 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, though they also told Dalton to think of Lalo as something of a "Prince of the Narcos". Dalton considers Lalo to be in juxtaposition to Gus due to Lalo's laidback attitude and "loose body language" that contrasts with Gus being constantly anxious about decisions and having a "tight body language".
- Dalton did his own stunt in "Winner": Lalo's jump through the TravelWire store roof before he kills the manager, Fred Whalen. While Dalton wanted to do other stunts, such as jumping onto Saul's car in "Bad Choice Road" and from the roof of his house in "Something Unforgivable", the producers insisted on stunt performers.
- Following Lalo's death by Gus in the season six episode "Point and Shoot", Gilligan said the writers did not write a definitive ending to the character early on until they explored all possibilities. The decision to kill the character came late in the writing process.
- In a podcast interview with his actor, Tony Dalton, Dalton stated that Lalo has "a little thing" for Mike. Add that to the fact Lalo has commented on Kim Wexler's looks more than once, it might mean he's bisexual.
- He is one of the few unseen characters of Breaking Bad to appear in Better Call Saul, the others being Nacho Varga, Daniel Wormald, Sabrina and Blanca Gomez.
- Lalo and Hector are the only Salamancas who were ever referred to as Dons, implying they're the highest ranked in their family.
- They are also the only Salamancas to kill a main character, with Lalo killing Howard and Hector killing Gus.
- Lalo is the only Salamanca family member that Gus killed directly, with Tuco and Marco being killed by Hank, Leonel being killed by Mike, Joaquin being killed by Jesse, and Hector being killed by himself to murder Gus. While Gus did not kill Marco, Leonel, Joaquin, and Hector directly, he still played a part in the situations that led to their deaths.
- This makes Tuco the only Salamanca family member that was killed in a situation that Gus had no involvement in.
- In Better Call Saul, Lalo and Gus are the only main characters to kill another main character, with Lalo killing Howard Hamlin and Gus killing Lalo.
- Lalo is the only member of the Salamanca family to be a main character. He was introduced in Season 4 as a side character, but was promoted to a series regular and main character in Seasons 5 and 6.[1]
- Lalo is the fourth and last main character to die in Better Call Saul, the fourth overall across the Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul universe, and the third main character to die in Season 6.
- Lalo is the last character to die on-screen in Better Call Saul, and the final character to die in the Breaking Bad Franchise in broadcast order. Chronologically, Casey from El Camino is the last character to die.
- Chronologically, Lalo is the first member of the Salamanca family whose death is shown on-screen, with Abuelita's death being heavily implied but not shown.
- Lalo is the only main character to never refer to Saul by his real name, Jimmy McGill, only knowing him as Saul Goodman.
- It is implied in "Magic Man" that Lalo may have been aware about Gus' mysterious Chilean past, becoming one of the few characters to know about it alongside Don Eladio Vuente.
- Chuck McGill is the only main character in Better Call Saul that Lalo never meets, as Chuck had committed suicide prior to Lalo arriving in Albuquerque.
- Saul's reference to Nacho and Lalo to Walter and Jesse in "Better Call Saul" is explained in "Point and Shoot": Lalo reveals to Saul the role Nacho had in Gus' assassination attempt on him in "Something Unforgivable", and suspected that Saul was also involved. Lalo promises to return later for the full story, but he is killed by Gus before he can do so. Despite Mike promising him that Lalo won't be returning, Saul nevertheless scared of the possibility that Lalo will be back for answers about what Saul knows of Nacho's actions, as Lalo had "survived" death before.
- In the episode "Something Unforgivable", Lalo mentions to Nacho how little he needs to sleep in order to function and says that he can think clearer at this time of night, only sleeping for 1ā2 hours. This is backed up in the cold open to "Plan and Execution", where he sets an egg timer for 1 hour before falling asleep in a station wagon, even waking up before the timer sets off.
- Lalo's death is similar to how Jane Margolis dies in Breaking Bad. Jane suffocated on her own vomit, as Walter watched her die slowly, and Lalo suffocated on his own blood, and Gus watched him die slowly.
- Laloās vehicles include:
- 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo ("Winner" - "Wexler V. Goodman")
- 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback ("Plan and Execution" - "Point and Shoot")
- Lalo is the only character in Better Call Saul to be promoted from recurring character to main character.
- Jimmy, Mike, Kim, Howard and Nacho are the only characters to be main characters in all 6 seasons. Chuck was a main character for the first three seasons and committed suicide in the season three finale, "Lantern". Since he was previously a main character in Breaking Bad, when Gus was first introduced in BCS, he was introduced as a main character.
- In the episode "Rock and Hard Place" Lalo is pictured with two elderly women. Itās possible that one of these women is his mother.