Don Eduardo, or Lalo Salamanca, is a character who has captured the attention of Better Call Saul viewers.
His charismatic personality has made him a fan favorite, despite the fact that he is a member of one of the most dangerous drug cartels in Albuquerque, slaughtering innocent people wherever he goes.
Some fans try to justify Lalo’s actions by claiming that he is not inherently evil, but rather a product of his environment.
They argue that the Salamanca family has a code of honor that they follow, and Eduardo is simply upholding that code. Others say that Salamanca is not a bad person at all, but a victim of circumstance.
However, these justifications are problematic. While it is true that Lalo is a product of his environment, this does not absolve him of his crimes.
Being born into a drug cartel does not excuse killing innocent people or terrorizing entire communities.
Furthermore, the idea that Lalo is a victim of circumstance is also a bit of a stretch. Lalo may have had a difficult upbringing, but he actively chose to participate in the criminal activities of the Salamanca family.
On the other hand, we saw Nacho Varga, who wanted to leave the cartel and get out of the game. However, circumstances prevented him from leaving and he ended up getting shot in the head.
The cunning Lalo always calculates risks, maybe that’s why he chose the path of least resistance, where comfort and money awaited him.
However, many fans make fun of this idea and call him Jorge de Guzman. This is a fictional character created by Jimmy to exonerate Lalo in court.
McGill presented Eduardo as a model family man with children who still managed to post a multi-million dollar bail to get out of jail.
Others laugh and sarcastically say that if Lalo hadn’t blackmailed Jimmy and hadn’t killed Howard, the two guys who ran immigrants across the border and Casper, maybe he wouldn’t have been bad. He would have just been misunderstood…
While Lalo Salamanca may be a compelling character, trying to justify his actions or defend his character is problematic and normalizes criminal behavior.
As fans of Better Call Saul, we can appreciate Lalo’s character without excusing his actions.
