‘Better Call Saul’: Tony Dalton Promises Lalo Salamanca ‘Has a Plan’ in Season 6

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 6, Episodes 1 & 2 of Better Call Saul, “Wine and Roses” & “Carrot and Stick.”]

Better Call Saul is back and kicked things off with a bang for Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) as he began plotting his next move after mercenaries hired by Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) failed to take him out.

While Gus was told that his mission was a success, Lalo worked to cover his tracks by finding a body double to stand in as his mutilated corpse at the compound where the massacre took place. And although the cartel man was seen gearing up to cross the border back into the United States, Lalo decides against it after a call with his uncle Hector (Mark Margolis).

But, what’s the reasoning behind his next move? When Hector asks Lalo to give him some proof that Gus is responsible, he hints that he knows where to find it — before turning back and heading deeper into Mexico. “He has a plan of what he should be doing and where he should be going,” Dalton tells TV Insider. “[But] when he talks to his uncle, he thinks of an even better way to approach this situation, which he could definitely end up winning.”

(Credit: Joe Pugliese/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)

Lalo is clear that he’s seeking revenge against Gus for the violence that occurred on his compound, but when it comes to this Salamanca, the element of surprise should always be considered. By playing dead, Lalo escapes any immediate threats and also has time to plot his revenge. “He wants people to think that he’s not around anymore, just so that he can get this thing done, whatever his objective is,” says Dalton.

But was it a wrong move to call his uncle? As viewers saw in the second episode of Better Call Saul‘s back-to-back episode premiere, Gus felt as though Lalo might still be alive after having a face-to-face with Hector. Dalton isn’t too fazed by the recognition Gus shows, saying, “I wouldn’t be so concerned about Lalo. Sometimes it looks like what you’re doing is the wrong thing so that the other person thinks that it’s the wrong thing.”

In other words, trick your enemies into believing that you’re making missteps. “Maybe I’m playing checkers and he’s playing chess or maybe the other way around,” Dalton teases of Lalo’s opposition against Gus. Despite having a strong presence in the first installment of the premiere, Lalo was nowhere in sight for Episode 2, and considering he’s separated from most of the action taking place across the border we can’t help but wonder: Will Lalo come face to face with his adversary or any other key players from the series?

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“I hope so. It would be nice to see him interact with other guys,” Dalton shares. “It could be just a warpath with only Gus or he could sit around and have dinner with all of them for once. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens,” the actor teases.

As for the show’s ties to Breaking Bad, Dalton says he thinks Season 6 of Better Call Saul, “definitely lives up to the whole story and to its expectations.” The actor goes on to add, “in my mind, it’s a little more profound than Breaking Bad because in Saul, is it his nature or is it his nurture that makes him be this way? It’s inevitable for him. And to see a guy who’s trying to be good and just keeps falling into the bad side… he can’t control it. And I think that’s actually a very interesting story to tell.”

See how the whole tale unfolds as Better Call Saul‘s final season continues on AMC.

Better Call Saul, Season 6, Mondays, 9/8c, AMC