Lalo Salamanca has an advantage that Gus Fring doesn't: Passing for white - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 05-19-2022, 03:31 AM

https://www.salon.com/2022/05/17/bet...a-tony-dalton/

"The fifth and sixth episodes of the finale season demonstrate another aspect of Lalo's anxiety-provoking horror we may not have considered before, which is that he's a Mexican man who looks more European than indigenous," says Melanie McFarland. "He's white, in other words, and that gives his brand of sinister global access that his nemesis Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) doesn't enjoy as easily. (Tony) Dalton's performance doesn't specifically lean into that in his portrayal. Instead, the writers drop a few hints into the script in scenes where the Salamancas disparage Gus, especially when the latter over-delivers and shows up the criminal organization's legacy crew. Along with that, the actor capitalizes on the added weight with which his suave conviviality endows his character." McFarland adds: "Gus is miles more elegant and well-mannered than Lalo is because he must be. His refinement and local philanthropy mask his criminal enterprises. He also has to behave impeccably in the community and to his cartel boss to survive. Whereas Lalo can simply be as he is and fit in with a few small adjustments, which is how Dalton delicately shades his psychopath."

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A Better Call Saul fan is sure he broke the "Little Black Book" code

05-19-2022, 03:31 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,142	Lalo Salamanca has an advantage that Gus Fring doesn't: Passing for white https://www.salon.com/2022/05/17/bet...a-tony-dalton/ "The fifth and sixth episodes of the finale season demonstrate another aspect of Lalo's anxiety-provoking horror we may not have considered before, which is that he's a Mexican man who looks more European than indigenous," says Melanie McFarland. "He's white, in other words, and that gives his brand of sinister global access that his nemesis Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) doesn't enjoy as easily. (Tony) Dalton's performance doesn't specifically lean into that in his portrayal. Instead, the writers drop a few hints into the script in scenes where the Salamancas disparage Gus, especially when the latter over-delivers and shows up the criminal organization's legacy crew. Along with that, the actor capitalizes on the added weight with which his suave conviviality endows his character." McFarland adds: "Gus is miles more elegant and well-mannered than Lalo is because he must be. His refinement and local philanthropy mask his criminal enterprises. He also has to behave impeccably in the community and to his cartel boss to survive. Whereas Lalo can simply be as he is and fit in with a few small adjustments, which is how Dalton delicately shades his psychopath." ALSO: Bob Odenkirk attributes the outpouring of love after his heart attack last summer to the pandemic: While Odenkirk will "allow that" fans were genuinely moved by news of his heart attack, he adds: “But I don’t think it explains that outpouring of warmth. I think that came from COVID, which freaked everyone out and led to this feeling of ‘Can we just not have more bad things happen to us for a little while?’ And then, you know, I’m not a movie star. I’m just a guy who acts and works hard. I think people see me and think, ‘If I was an actor and had a great bit of luck, I’d be like him. He’s not a flashy guy. He’s not even particularly gifted. He just shows up and goes to work.’ People can relate to that. And maybe that provoked a certain amount of empathy.” Rachel Levine, who wrote this week's "Axe and Grind" episode, won an Emmy for Better Call Saul before writing a single episode of television: Levine earned her Emmy in 2017 for Better Call Saul and AMC’s shortform series Los Pollos Hermanos Employee Training, her first professional writing assignment to hit the air. She would go on to become a writer's assistant on the show, co-writing last season's finale. “I temped on Breaking Bad when they were breaking the last episode, and on the Breaking Bad documentary (No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad), I’m in the background, like a deer in the headlights, as they’re toasting champagne and putting up the last card. It was my first scripted job out of college, and I was like, ‘How did I end up here?’” Levine tells The Hollywood Reporter. A Better Call Saul fan is sure he broke the "Little Black Book" code