A Breakdown of Nacho in AMC’s Better Call Saul
The character of Nacho Varga is one of the greatest characters in television.
That’s quite the hyperbole and its advised not to do that in writing. However, it doesn’t count in this scenario because what you just read is a fact. He’s one of the greatest characters ever. Nacho Varga is a character on the excellently crafted television show, Better Call Saul. He is portrayed by Michael Mando who is not a very well known but hopefully all that will change after posting an article about him on this unknown high school newspaper website.
Michele K. Short/AMC/Sony Pictures Television
His character is interesting because he appears to be a simple character but is actually complex. when you first meet him, he just appears to be some random henchman but that is not the case. What makes him so intriguing is not his dialogue but its everything else. it’s what the writers choose to have him do that flesh out his character. he doesn’t have massive monologues that explain his motives. It’s the simplest actions that make him one of the greatest characters not just in the show but in recent television. Mando has stated:
“Its really the story about a man who takes matters into his own hands and who is put in this situation where he has to make a very clear decision on what his priorities are.”
Mando has a great grasp on this character. Which is important because it’s not just the writing that matters, it’s also the performance. He can emote so much backstory with just one look or sigh. For a murderous criminal, he is sympathetic and likable. That’s both Mando and the writers doing their job right.
The last thing I can say is that I highly recommend Better Call Saul featuring this character.
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Tim Stockman • Sep 8, 2017 at 2:37 pm
I’m more of a “movie guy” than a “tv-show guy”, because movies tend to have a better reputation for quality. But that’s my point. This article just proves that the greater quantity of content in a tv-show does not condemn it to lesser quality. Film is film, no matter what medium. All those factors that make great movies (director, acting, visuals, sound, etc) can make a show equally great, and often even more so, with not just a skim but a dive into the writer’s/ director’s universe, and the characters therin. Even the quieter, more subtle fellows like Nacho Libre. Oh I mean Nacho Vagra. I’ve never personally seen Better Call Saul, but your article gives me motivation to!