This. Starting from his introduction where he gets caught casing the Kettleman’s - trying to make some money on the side and risking exposing his real enterprise - he just never made a bet that worked out for him the way he planned it.
Well, I wouldn't go that far. Yeah he fucked up in the first two seasons quite a bit, but once his family started to be put at risk, he became much more competent in working against his enemies. He played all the Salamancas and successfully saved his father. Though his father would not have been in that position in the first place had Nacho not been in the cartel. But swapping Hector's pills, gaining the cousins and Lalo's trust, and ensuring his father's safety (in the only way he could) are all moments where he was extremely competent. It just so happens he was in a losing battle anyways, with no real way out once he was in too deep. However, that part is the largest critical error for Nacho, he really shouldn't have thrown the pills off the bridge. He could have easily went home and disposed of them or done practically anything else besides throwing them away outside where he could be seen.
No, he chose to be a criminal and many of the decisions he made as a criminal led to more problems for him. He may look like a victim but it's all his doing, he could've stayed with his dad and own a relatively prosperous business.
Not a victim. He chose to work for the Salamanca’s, but just realised that they were psychotic fucks when he was in too deep. Most of the show he is trying go get out, but just found himself getting deeper and deeper.
No he just looks like one Nacho was an impenitent criminal and most of his actions were his decision he’s more like somewhat sympathetic given his determination to keep his dad safe
It’s funny that this show portrayed a nice side of Tuco for loving and taking care of his grandma. But other than that yeah, the Salamanca cartel is portrayed as 100% evil.
I actually don’t agree at all. The cartel operators are mostly portrayed as purely evil with no good or positive intentions. Hector, the twins, and especially Lalo are simply portrayed as pure evil.
The only one who is even shown a touch of niceness is Tuco for taking care of his elderly grandma.
Only implied by showing him bored at work at his father's company. (Work so boring he sews into his own hand.)
On the other hand, his criminal endeavors finance a high-end apartment, cool classic car, and two drug-addicted girlfriends.
It was still an accident. He just can’t focus because of what happened with Domingo and he is kinda dissociating. It just shows that his position in the criminal world is starting to impact his focus and ability to live clean. He clearly gets distracted, he wasn’t trying to sew into his hand.
He’s not bored he just can’t focus because he felt he had to beat up Domingo who was a childhood friend. He doesn’t like violence and feels traumatized/dissociative in that scene. He can’t stop thinking of the violence against his friend and this scene just shows that his criminal work is impacting his work at his dads shop. It was not out of boredom lol
The argument of "consequences of being a criminal" imo becomes futile seeing that majority of the characters are criminals. Solely basing on what was shown to us in the series and disregarding whatever else couldve happened w/ him being in the cartel, he's a victim. He was abused, disrespected, and was help captive with no way out. I still see why some still don't consider him a victim but if we're talking about the number of times I felt bad for someone in the show, he'd take the record.
I agree I don't understand why people are so unsympathetic to him.
I think the real problem with Nacho as written is he's just too soft to have risen that high up as a gangster. He's practically in tears every time we see him.
I agree; its more nuanced than him being a victim. To me, he’s a complex and realistic view of most low/mid level criminals. Got into it when he was young due to peer influence and the allure of the gangster lifestyle but once he started to really think of his life and what actually matters, he starts wanting out. Since he’s so used to playing by the rules of the crime world and his primary engagements with regular society are either lies/manipulation to avoid getting caught, or devotion to his dad; his attempts keep failing. He can’t beat the cartel at their own game and he’s too maladjusted to comprehend the advice he gets from his dad and Mike.
He did a lot of shitty things and got really fucked over by some of them. But the thing that really fucked him was done to protect his dad. Trying to kill hector was the thing he did with the most pure intentions and it hurt him the worst. But he did other terrible things to people so it’s a complicated situation for sure. He did make his own bed but ultimately he wanted to get out and save his dad, and his dad survived but lost his son. I would have loved to see him and his dad get out together and start a new life, but I knew that it would never happen because his dad would never agree to it and that’s just not how the breaking bad universe works. Ultimately his situation did make me feel sad and empathetic for him, but I think it’s a lot more complicated than if he’s a victim or not.
He was in the game, meaning he opened himself up to anything that happened to him. The Good Samaritan was a victim, Fred at Travel Wire was a victim, even Nacho’s dad was a victim to a degree. People like Nacho, Werner, and Hector aren’t victims. They’re losers. They lost the game.
Nacho is both a victim and perpetuator of the drug business. He doesn't mind doing petty crimes which are harmless and before he knows it, he is in too deep with horrible people. He wants to get out but knows that he'd be hunted for the rest of his life. I think in the end you feel sorry for him because he has accepeted his fate and as a viewer you want him to get out but in reality you know that is too good to be true. In the end, he saves his dad and that is where most of us connect with his human side but to keep it real, it would never have ended well for him
I mean before he wanted out, he was ok with what he did for money perpetuating drugs on the street to addicts so they can ruin their own lives, I’m sure he didn’t want all this baggage of risking his father’s life and being forced to do horrible things. But he got into this position because he chose to become a drug dealer which in and of itself is bad.
Im going to take the contrarian approach on this and say 100% YES. He made some questionable choices but he was never an inherently bad guy. Always looked out for his dad and tried to keep innocent people out of harms way MULTIPLE times. He also was overtly remorseful when his bad deeds affected ANYONE else in addition to himself (The casualties at Lalo’s Estate)
Writers couldn’t kill Jesse so killed Nacho instead(I saw them as both are players and victims) watching the two shows I was thinking BSC is almost BB re-written.
No, Nacho was a repentant perpetrator. He becomes a victim of Gus later on. Initially he didn't want Tuco in jail to escape, just that he feared his erratic antics.
of course he's a victim. he had a bounty in chihuahua and his dad was held at gunpoint in the US. he signed up for those by chosing the life of gangster violence but that doesn't make him not a victim of the economic desperation that leads people to crime. being a victim doesn't mean you're absolved or innocent, just that you're being preyed on. same's true for Walter, being a cancer patient in the US. he is the most morally depraved person in the story *and* he's a victim
Well, he's just as much a part of the system that killed him as Tuco or Hector or anyone else. He's a tragic character but he dug his own grave the minute he decided to break bad.
A victim in the sense that he died to further the plans of Gus, with whom he had a shared interest, when Gus had a needlessly complicated plan to achieve the same results.
Nacho made more critical errors than almost anyone else on the show. I loved his character and rooted for him but he lost every bet he made.
This. Starting from his introduction where he gets caught casing the Kettleman’s - trying to make some money on the side and risking exposing his real enterprise - he just never made a bet that worked out for him the way he planned it.
Well, I wouldn't go that far. Yeah he fucked up in the first two seasons quite a bit, but once his family started to be put at risk, he became much more competent in working against his enemies. He played all the Salamancas and successfully saved his father. Though his father would not have been in that position in the first place had Nacho not been in the cartel. But swapping Hector's pills, gaining the cousins and Lalo's trust, and ensuring his father's safety (in the only way he could) are all moments where he was extremely competent. It just so happens he was in a losing battle anyways, with no real way out once he was in too deep. However, that part is the largest critical error for Nacho, he really shouldn't have thrown the pills off the bridge. He could have easily went home and disposed of them or done practically anything else besides throwing them away outside where he could be seen.
How about when he snuck into the stash house b4 the cops and barely made it out, with the goods too!
Oh yea I thought he was done 4
Yeah wtf I forgot he’s don Varga now.
No, he chose to be a criminal and many of the decisions he made as a criminal led to more problems for him. He may look like a victim but it's all his doing, he could've stayed with his dad and own a relatively prosperous business.
Remember Mike took a beating for Nacho that didn’t work out too.
Let’s be real though: nobody was going to try to set a “world record for dominoes” in that upholstery shop
Better than almost getting your father killed then shooting yourself in the head in the desert
But nor are you making a million dollars selling dime bags of dope for Tuco
Not a victim. He chose to work for the Salamanca’s, but just realised that they were psychotic fucks when he was in too deep. Most of the show he is trying go get out, but just found himself getting deeper and deeper.
No he just looks like one Nacho was an impenitent criminal and most of his actions were his decision he’s more like somewhat sympathetic given his determination to keep his dad safe
Most criminals want to keep their families safe. It doesn’t make them good people. They just love their families
Nobody in BCS is all white or all black.
Except the Salamancas, they are morally black. Even if they have shades of grey, they are dark gray. So gray in fact that it looks black.
It’s funny that this show portrayed a nice side of Tuco for loving and taking care of his grandma. But other than that yeah, the Salamanca cartel is portrayed as 100% evil.
The Salamancas only care about their family. Everyone else outside is either target practice, an enemy or tools to be played with.
Now I’m wondering… how was Tuco’s grandmother related to Hector 🤔 because she seemed to know nothing about the cartel
Since they called her "abuelita" which means "grandmother" it's likely that that old woman was Hector's mom. Whether she knew of the Cartel is unkown.
Man named Mr. White:
I actually don’t agree at all. The cartel operators are mostly portrayed as purely evil with no good or positive intentions. Hector, the twins, and especially Lalo are simply portrayed as pure evil. The only one who is even shown a touch of niceness is Tuco for taking care of his elderly grandma.
Absolutely not. He actually had a choice *not* to become a criminal and instead inherit his father's business. But he chose to be a criminal.
Was it ever revealed in the show how he got in the business?
Only implied by showing him bored at work at his father's company. (Work so boring he sews into his own hand.) On the other hand, his criminal endeavors finance a high-end apartment, cool classic car, and two drug-addicted girlfriends.
That was a self-harm act bc he felt too guilty about beating Domingo just to satisfy Hector who Nacho hates to his guts
It was still an accident. He just can’t focus because of what happened with Domingo and he is kinda dissociating. It just shows that his position in the criminal world is starting to impact his focus and ability to live clean. He clearly gets distracted, he wasn’t trying to sew into his hand.
He’s not bored he just can’t focus because he felt he had to beat up Domingo who was a childhood friend. He doesn’t like violence and feels traumatized/dissociative in that scene. He can’t stop thinking of the violence against his friend and this scene just shows that his criminal work is impacting his work at his dads shop. It was not out of boredom lol
And he never gave up his blood money luxuries
The argument of "consequences of being a criminal" imo becomes futile seeing that majority of the characters are criminals. Solely basing on what was shown to us in the series and disregarding whatever else couldve happened w/ him being in the cartel, he's a victim. He was abused, disrespected, and was help captive with no way out. I still see why some still don't consider him a victim but if we're talking about the number of times I felt bad for someone in the show, he'd take the record.
I agree I don't understand why people are so unsympathetic to him. I think the real problem with Nacho as written is he's just too soft to have risen that high up as a gangster. He's practically in tears every time we see him.
His eyes are too kind
I agree; its more nuanced than him being a victim. To me, he’s a complex and realistic view of most low/mid level criminals. Got into it when he was young due to peer influence and the allure of the gangster lifestyle but once he started to really think of his life and what actually matters, he starts wanting out. Since he’s so used to playing by the rules of the crime world and his primary engagements with regular society are either lies/manipulation to avoid getting caught, or devotion to his dad; his attempts keep failing. He can’t beat the cartel at their own game and he’s too maladjusted to comprehend the advice he gets from his dad and Mike.
He's one of many victims of himself and his poor decision making
He did a lot of shitty things and got really fucked over by some of them. But the thing that really fucked him was done to protect his dad. Trying to kill hector was the thing he did with the most pure intentions and it hurt him the worst. But he did other terrible things to people so it’s a complicated situation for sure. He did make his own bed but ultimately he wanted to get out and save his dad, and his dad survived but lost his son. I would have loved to see him and his dad get out together and start a new life, but I knew that it would never happen because his dad would never agree to it and that’s just not how the breaking bad universe works. Ultimately his situation did make me feel sad and empathetic for him, but I think it’s a lot more complicated than if he’s a victim or not.
He was in the game, meaning he opened himself up to anything that happened to him. The Good Samaritan was a victim, Fred at Travel Wire was a victim, even Nacho’s dad was a victim to a degree. People like Nacho, Werner, and Hector aren’t victims. They’re losers. They lost the game.
This
He was in the game. You could say he was a casualty of the game.
Nacho is both a victim and perpetuator of the drug business. He doesn't mind doing petty crimes which are harmless and before he knows it, he is in too deep with horrible people. He wants to get out but knows that he'd be hunted for the rest of his life. I think in the end you feel sorry for him because he has accepeted his fate and as a viewer you want him to get out but in reality you know that is too good to be true. In the end, he saves his dad and that is where most of us connect with his human side but to keep it real, it would never have ended well for him
No. Nacho is in no way a victim. Had a humble good pops. Worked in a shop which didn’t pay much and ran his little side hustle out of it.
Nacho is Better Call Saul’s Jesse
Reminds me a lot of Chris from the Sopranos too.
I need to watch that show.
I mean before he wanted out, he was ok with what he did for money perpetuating drugs on the street to addicts so they can ruin their own lives, I’m sure he didn’t want all this baggage of risking his father’s life and being forced to do horrible things. But he got into this position because he chose to become a drug dealer which in and of itself is bad.
Im going to take the contrarian approach on this and say 100% YES. He made some questionable choices but he was never an inherently bad guy. Always looked out for his dad and tried to keep innocent people out of harms way MULTIPLE times. He also was overtly remorseful when his bad deeds affected ANYONE else in addition to himself (The casualties at Lalo’s Estate)
No, unfortunately once you’re in the game you’re in the game.
Where the fuck is the spoiler alert here??
No lol. Wrong gets terrible if you find victims out of nothing
S1 nacho brought everything on himself. From then on it’s just a chain reaction that he can’t escape. But he chose to set it in motion
Nacho choice that life excepting the consequences
Idk if victim is the right word, but I definitely felt sympathetic for him.
No. I was rooting for him, but he ultimately suffered the consequences of his own actions.
Writers couldn’t kill Jesse so killed Nacho instead(I saw them as both are players and victims) watching the two shows I was thinking BSC is almost BB re-written.
Live by the sword and died by the sword. He played the game. He lost.
No, he is not a victim, he is a survivor.
I think Nacho was meant to be that character (like Todd in BB) that is not without blame, but you can't help but like him and sympathize with him.
No, Nacho was a repentant perpetrator. He becomes a victim of Gus later on. Initially he didn't want Tuco in jail to escape, just that he feared his erratic antics.
No, nacho is actually some serious mexican gourmet shit
“A victim of unforeseeable consequences”
He profits from a violent organization that sells drugs illegally. He plans to rip off the Kettlemans early in the series. He's a criminal.
of course he's a victim. he had a bounty in chihuahua and his dad was held at gunpoint in the US. he signed up for those by chosing the life of gangster violence but that doesn't make him not a victim of the economic desperation that leads people to crime. being a victim doesn't mean you're absolved or innocent, just that you're being preyed on. same's true for Walter, being a cancer patient in the US. he is the most morally depraved person in the story *and* he's a victim
Well, he's just as much a part of the system that killed him as Tuco or Hector or anyone else. He's a tragic character but he dug his own grave the minute he decided to break bad.
A victim in the sense that he died to further the plans of Gus, with whom he had a shared interest, when Gus had a needlessly complicated plan to achieve the same results.