Spoiler Warning: Better Call Saul Season 5
The Breaking Bad (BB) spin-off, Better Call Saul, is entering its sixth and final season, set to premiere on AMC with two episodes on April 18th. The show will debut in two eight-episode parts, much like Breaking Bad did in its final fifth season. One notable question in the show's final season is, what will happen to characters missing from Breaking Bad, such as Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) and Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn)? Better Call Saul's central antagonist, Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca (Tony Dalton), is another character who was absent.
In a twist finale, Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) attempts to hit Lalo at his home in Mexico with the help of Nacho Varga. Since Lalo isn't in Breaking Bad, it was logical to assume this was how he'd meet his end. Instead, Lalo kills each of the assassins. After tricking them into trapping themselves in his escape foxhole, he's able to fire upon them at their most vulnerable. Before killing the last assassin, Lalo gets him to radio his bosses that Lalo was eliminated.
Of the many Salamancas in the Breaking Bad universe, Lalo is the most capable. With an eccentric/charismatic personality, a sharp mind, and parkour-style strength, Lalo is the most formidable Salamanca that Gus has faced. Wouldn't it be fitting for the smartest Salamanca to be the only one to escape Gus Fring's justice? Lalo's absence in Breaking Bad might be due to his success in getting away and deceiving everyone, rather than a failure getting him killed. One thing is certain -- Lalo has the cover of death to hide his next move. The only question is, who will it be against?
Surviving the Assassination Attempt
The fifth season of Better Call Saul ends with Lalo furiously walking away from his ravaged Mexican home after surviving an assassination attempt by Gus Fring. Lalo's steps turn into thundering roars as the episode cuts to black, leaving audiences in suspense for what's to come. Lalo has the element of surprise for the time being, as Gus thinks his mission was a success. Gus isn't likely to believe Lalo's demise for long, though, so there is a small window for Lalo to launch his first move without anyone being the wiser.
Lalo might appear more intelligent and even likable than the other Salamancas, but that doesn't take away from the trademark brutality he shares with his family. So far, Lalo has killed professional assassins on his own and travel wire employee Fred Whalen (James Austin Johnson) for simply refusing to give over the camera footage he wanted. Lalo's survival may have given him the answer to three questions to which he all but knew the answer.
Gus wants him dead, Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim lied to him, and if alive, Nacho isn't to be trusted. Lalo seemed to be more susceptible to reason when he didn't have certainty, genuinely listening to Kim's arguments when she defended how Jimmy, aka Saul, got his bail money. Now that Lalo has certainty, all that is left for him to do is act, and hopefully, for everyone involved, he doesn't go the way of Hector and decide to kill every person who played a role in the attempt on his life.
Nacho's Fate
Now that Lalo has escaped, one of his next moves will likely be tracking down Nacho. For the moment, it isn't for certain whether Lalo blames Nacho for the attacks. Nacho was with Lalo when the gunfire started. Unless Lalo checked all the bodies of the people there at the time, there's reason for him to believe that Nacho died in the attacks. For Nacho, this might be the best time for him to take his father and flee the country because if he turns up, Lalo would think Nacho played a part in the attempt. Lalo knows that Gus is the puppet master, and as a result, Lalo might put Nacho to work in his favor.
Nacho remains a double agent for Gus at the moment, making him privy to certain knowledge about his movements. If Lalo wanted to ambush Gus, he could use Nacho to reveal Gus's location. This would change things for Nacho's situation, as he would be pushed to act. It'll be Gus or Lalo that kills Nacho. It's just a question of time. While Lalo might not kill Nacho immediately, it'll be the end of him once he serves his use. Nacho's dream of fleeing the country with his father to leave the cartel behind may have to come true if he hopes to survive Better Call Saul. In the end, Nacho may have to leave his family behind to get away, just like Walter White (Bryan Cranston) did with his.
Jimmy and Kim
"It wasn't me; it was Ignacio. Did Lalo send you?!" utters Saul to Walt and Jesse (Aaron Paul) after they hold him at gunpoint. If Gilligan and Gould want to stay one hundred percent true to the famous line in Breaking Bad, then Jimmy might have never seen Lalo again in Better Call Saul. It could be likely that it was the fear of Lalo coming back after learning he survived the attack that serves as the worst retribution for Jimmy's lie. It would be heartbreaking if, out of the fear of Lalo's return, Jimmy has Kim sent to the "vacuum salesman" to disappear. Perhaps Kim's location is what Jimmy seeks out in the post-Breaking Bad era of Better Call Saul. Kim may have begged Jimmy to let him at least learn her destination, but out of fear of Lalo returning, Jimmy may have refused to have her tell him the location, wanting to face the music alone without Kim being collateral damage. Kim might have been sent away for no reason apart from the fear of what may happen. Alternatively, Lalo could try and involve Jimmy in his death scheme. In the show's season six trailer, a body double of Lalo could be seen. Perhaps Jimmy's legal expertise has a role in proving Lalo died.
Lalo is sure to be one of the driving forces in Better Call Saul's final season. Capable of wit and brutality, there are many ways his fate can play out. Lalo could attempt to kill Gus or fool him. He can use Saul to weave the web of any lies he spins and use Nacho to get the information needed to stay a step ahead of Gus. While it looked grim before, Lalo may survive the show's final season and could play a part in Saul's post-Breaking Bad world. Lalo may be why both Nacho and Kim are missing during Breaking Bad. It may not be because of murder but because all three decided to flee due to the fallout of Gus' attempted assassination of Lalo Salamanca.