We Wouldn’t Have ‘Breaking Bad’s Mike Ehrmantraut Without This Sitcom

Mike Ehrmantraut is one of the more formidable characters in the history of television, largely thanks to Jonathan Banks‘ spot-on portrayal of the iconic, shrewd heavy. This staple of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul has an unlikely behind-the-scenes origin story, though. For all the violence, sinister energy, and stark humanity that Mike brought to the two dramas, he likely would not exist if it weren’t for a sitcom being filmed at the same time as Breaking Bad‘s second season, and a scheduling conflict that led Vince Gilligan and his team to think on their feet.

During a recent WIRED Autocomplete Interview, Bob Odenkirk was asked when his character, Saul Goodman first appeared on Breaking Bad. The short answer is Season 2, Episode 5, where Saul is seen on a bench billboard and a TV commercial advertising his legal services, before appearing in person to represent Badger (Matt Jones) against the DEA on Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse’s (Aaron Paul) behalf. However, Odenkirk elaborates in the interview that he was scripted to be in the final four episodes of the show’s second season, but only ended up being in three, missing the finale, “ABQ” because he had to work on How I Met Your Mother.

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Bob Odenkirk Was on ‘HIMYM’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ Concurrently

In HIMYM, Odenkirk played Arthur Hobbs, also known as Artillery Arthur, a volatile corporate bigwig who appeared in various episodes and storylines from Season 3 onward. In the show’s fifth season, Marshall (Jason Segel) works for Arthur— even though he previously quit working under him after a screaming match in Season 3. Nevertheless, Arthur has no recollection of Marshall from before, and the two build an unexpected friendship, one that showcases Odenkirk’s goofier side on the show. Off-camera, it was also around this time that Odenkirk was cast as Saul on Breaking Bad.

According to Breaking Bad producer Peter Gould, the showrunners developed Saul while writing Season 2, thinking that they needed a new funny character as Jesse and Hank (Dean Norris) became more serious. Odenkirk was chosen due to his comedic work on Mr. Show with Bob and David, but he was only intended to be a lighthearted, short-lived side character. Odenkirk’s talents made him a memorable addition, though, and before the season wrapped filming in 2008, the creators could tell that Saul had a future in the story.

Also filmed in 2008 was Season 5 of HIMYM, which intersected Breaking Bad‘s schedule at the very end. In the “ABQ” script, Saul was supposed to be the one that shows up at Jesse’s house to assist him in covering up Jane’s (Krysten Ritter) death. However, Odenkirk’s HIMYM commitments kept him from doing the pivotal scene. Instead of rescheduling or finding a logistic workaround, the Breaking Bad team decided to rewrite the scene so that, in Odenkirk’s absence, Saul would send one of his associates to help Jesse out of the situation. With that plan, they created a new character— a stoic, intelligent, straightforward, yet mysterious old man named Mike.

Jonathan Banks Makes a Striking Debut As Mike Ehrmantraut

Jonathan Banks’ inaugural Mike scene is emblematic of the character, even if he is never mentioned by name. As Jesse anxiously languishes from the dire situation, Mike calmly enters, assesses the situation, and with his already-prepared tools, cleans the room and gives Jesse clear instructions about how to report Jane’s death without being incriminated. Given his confidence and knowledge, it is clear that Mike has done similar jobs before, and has likely been involved in far worse criminal activity. Hence, although he was simply written in as a placeholder for Saul, Mike begs for further narrative in both the past and future.

Most of Mike’s impact can be attributed to Banks’ performance. Gilligan and Gould thought of Banks for the role due to the actor’s work on the 1980s police show Wiseguy. Like Odenkirk, Banks assumed his role would be a one-off on Breaking Bad, but the actor and the character worked too well to let go. Ultimately, Odenkirk and Banks both became regulars on the show in later seasons, contributing immensely to the plot and developing arcs of their own. The characters would become so iconic, and their performances so impeccable, that they led to the universe expanding beyond Breaking Bad‘s conclusion. Banks would reprise his role as Mike during a flashback sequence in El Camino, and he would later star alongside Odenkirk in Better Call Saul. In fact, Mike is so central to Better Call Saul that one can assume that the show’s entire structure would be different without him— probably for the worse.

Meanwhile, Odenkirk would continue to appear as Arthur on How I Met Your Mother in Seasons 6 and 8. Even though these HIMYM seasons coincided with Breaking Bad‘s later seasons, it seems their filming never conflicted again. Odenkirk’s Arthur became more endearing and kinder as the show progressed, allowing the actor to continue working his comedic muscles even as Saul Goodman’s arc grew heavier.

Odenkirk was not the first or the last Breaking Bad character to appear on HIMYM either. Bryan Cranston himself had a recurring role as Hammond Druthers, another loathsome authority figure who bullies Ted (Josh Radnor) as his employer throughout Season 2, and then again in a flashback during Season 9. Matt Jones also appeared in the show, playing a pizza delivery man in two Season 5 episodes, and Harry Groener (who played Walt’s brief therapist in the episode “Bit By A Dead Bee”) portrayed Ted’s step-father in HIMYM‘s fifth and ninth seasons.

Jonathan Banks never acted on HIMYM, though he did make sitcom appearances in Community, Parks & Rec, and Dr. Ken. Still, he can thank his initial part in Breaking Bad to HIMYM‘s casting of Odenkirk, as well as Gilligan and Gould’s decision to rewrite that crucial “ABQ” scene for a new character so understated yet bold that he all but demanded further narrative exploration. As unlikely as it might sound, without How I Met Your Mother, Mike Ehrmantraut might not exist, Breaking Bad would be without one of its most fascinating characters, and Better Call Saul could have looked remarkably different. Paradoxically and unintentionally, the sitcom had a tremendous effect on some of television’s highest drama.

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are currently available to stream on Netflix.