[troutman]

Peter Gould on Mike:

Why did you want to delve into the construction of the Super Lab? What has it told us about who Mike is now and what his relationship with Gus is?
The question we’re trying to answer is how did the Mike Ehrmantraut we met at the beginning of the show become the Mike Ehrmantraut of Breaking Bad, who was a killer for hire, and Gus Fring’s right-hand man. It’s not an easy question to answer. This season, Mike was finally ready to work for and with Gus. The question was always in our mind: What is it exactly that Gus needs Mike for? He has access to many killers. But Mike is in a category of his own. Mike is a man, like Gus, who can walk in the light and in the darkness. He can work in the above ground world, in the world of society and also in the world of crime. Gus needs this guy, because he is planning to build this Super Lab, and it has to be kept secret. I have to say, I was always fascinated by how you build something like the Super Lab. When I was a kid, I would watch the James Bond movies and see Blofeld had a hollowed-out volcano, and I’d wonder, “How did they do that and keep it secret?” Like with everything in this show, we’re fascinated with process. It seemed a task that was worthy of the talents of Mike Ehrmantraut.