Breaking Bad

Characters

Mike Played by Jonathan Banks

Mike is Saul Goodman's fixer, his go-to guy for sticky situations. "Saul Goodman sent me," Mike tells a shell-shocked Jesse the morning after Jane dies from an overdose. Mike removes evidence and prepares Jesse for his interview with the medical examiners. Mike sums up his M.O. as he prepares to leave Jesse's duplex: "Do I need to state the obvious?" he says. "I was not here."

Though he works for Saul, Mike's chief loyalty is to another employer, Gus Fring. Mike bugs the White home for Saul, but when the Cousins arrive intending to murder Walt, Mike calls Gus's subordinate Victor. "I'm assuming Saul Goodman doesn't need to know," says Mike after the Cousins withdraw.

Walt's outrage over the bugging, Mike suggests, is misplaced. "You know, Walter," he says, "sometimes it doesn't hurt to have someone watching your back." Mike later warns Walt against taking "half measures" with his partner after Jesse defies Gus.

On behalf of Gus, Mike murders one of the Cousins and single-handedly outmaneuvers four cartel gunmen sent to Albuquerque to probe for weaknesses. Mike even turns on Saul, threatening to kill the lawyer if he doesn't reveal the whereabouts of Jesse, who goes into hiding after Walt kills two of Gus's dealers to protect him.

When the time comes to kill Walt, the responsibility falls to Mike. First, however, he allows Walt to call Jesse, ostensibly to get a line on his whereabouts. Instead Walt uses the opportunity to instruct Jesse to kill Gale — Walt's lab assistant, and the only other person who knows Walt's meth formula.

His gun trained on Walt, Mike attempts to call Gale to warn him of the attack. Gale does not answer.

Mike Quotes

“Saul Goodman sent me.”
Season 2, Episode 13: “ABQ”

“I woke up, I found her, that’s all I know.”
Season 2, Episode 13: “ABQ”

“Do I need to state the obvious? I wasn’t here.”
Season 2, Episode 13: “ABQ”

Walt: “Are [the police] here now?”
Mike: “I don’t see any sign, but that’s the point. Police could be the least of it: You could just get mugged or shot.”
Season 2, Episode 13: “ABQ”

“You know Walter, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have someone watching your back.”
Season 3, Episode 4: “Green Light”

“Gus: He will live for the foreseeable future, yes?
Mike: Mm, foreseeable. Couple of years at least, barring acts of God or men with axes.”
Season 3, Episode 4: “Green Light”

“The moral of the story is, I chose a half measure, when I should have gone all the way. I’ll never make that mistake again. No more half measures, Walter.”
Season 3, Episode 12: “Half Measures”