You Can Thank How I Met Your Mother for One of the Best Breaking Bad Characters

Sometimes the greatest developments in film and television are born from happy accidents. Creators are forced to make an unforeseen pivot, and magic is subsequently born. Breaking Bad is a series full of happy accidents that somehow came together to make a pitch-perfect collective whole that few, if any, saw coming together as it did. It’s a well-known fact that Bob Odenkirk’s iconic character Saul Goodman was initially slated for a four-episode arc; however, the character fared so well with critics and viewers alike that he wound up sticking around for the duration and secured a spinoff of his own. Interestingly enough, Odenkirk’s involvement with the series directly led to the inclusion of another iconic character. We’re talking about one Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks).

Thinking back on the celebrated series, it’s probably tough to fathom what it might have been like without Mike as Saul’s trusty investigator and fixer. Yet, that was very nearly a reality. Breaking Bad series creator Vince Gilligan only wrote Mike into the series to account for Saul’s absence while Odenkirk was out filming another show.

If Not for How I Met Your Mother, There Would be No Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad

Gilligan and company liked Odenkirk’s turn as Saul so much that they decided to bring the character back in a larger capacity than originally anticipated. However, Odenkirk had a recurring gig on How I Met Your Mother as Marshall’s (Jason Segel) boss between 2008 and 2012 that caused a scheduling snafu.

With Odenkirk temporarily unavailable to continue his storyline on Breaking Bad due to the previously referenced scheduling conflict, Gilligan and the writers brought in Banks to play Mike, keeping Saul’s storyline going in Odenkirk’s absence.

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If we were talking about any other show on Earth, a character like Mike may have been here today and gone tomorrow, dismissed after the character whose place he was holding (Saul) returned from hiatus. However, Gilligan had far more foresight than that: he saw the potential in Mike’s character and ultimately kept him around for the long haul.

In case you need a bit of a refresher on how Mike fits into the greater Breaking Bad universe, we’ve got you covered: Mike is a former Marine (and former cop), as well as a current criminal with ties to a deadly Mexican drug cartel with whom fellow series regular Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) is also deeply entrenched. Mike makes his first appearance on the program in the Season 2 finale episode “ABQ.”

Mike is first introduced to viewers as a private investigator and fixer with whom we catch up when Saul asks him to clean up the aftermath of Jesse’s (Aaron Paul) girlfriend Jane’s (Krysten Ritter) untimely passing.

How Did Mike Go From Guest Star to Series Regular?

Banks was so effective in his brief stint on the series that Gilligan and company continued to write arcs for him, eventually promoting him to series regular status in Season 3. Mike ultimately helps to serve as a conduit between meth impresario Gustavo and lead character Walter White (Bryan Cranston).

Mike continues as an integral part of the series until Walt finally bests him in Season 5. With that said, Mike eventually makes his triumphant return as a key player on the eventual spinoff Better Call Saul.

It’s fascinating to look back on just how adaptable Gilligan and company were when mapping out the trajectory of the series. Sometimes, it’s best to roll with the punches and see what becomes of the happy accidents that land in our laps. That approach surely served Breaking Bad well.

What do you think about Mike’s role in the Breaking Bad universe? Is he a character you think adds to the show, or can you see a scenario where the program would have somehow been better without him? Let us know in the comments section.

Following the conclusion of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, as well as the release of El Camino: A Breaking Bad movie on Netflix, there’s no more from this IP coming anytime soon. However, you can rest assured that we will let you know should that ever change.