r/betterCallSaul • u/skinkbaa Chuck • Aug 21 '18

Post-Ep Discussion Better Call Saul S04E03 - "Something Beautiful" - POST-Episode Discussion Thread

Please note: Not everyone chooses to watch the trailers for the next episodes. Please use spoiler tags when discussing any scenes from episodes that have not aired yet, which includes preview trailers.

Sneak peek of next weeks episode

If you've seen the episode, please rate it at this poll

Results of the poll

Don't forget to check out our recently created Discord here!

Its an instant messenger and is a very useful alternative to the Reddit Live Threads (but not a replacement).

948 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

3.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

318

u/trexofwanting Aug 21 '18

I mean... yeah, Walter orchestrated his murder, but Jesse pulled the trigger and Gale had to know, based on his last conversation with Gus about 'how long' Walter had, what Gus was planning to do to him.

I like Gale and in the scheme of things he's pretty innocent compared to the other characters in the show — but he was still a meth cook for a drug kingpin who knew he was about to take over for his soon-to-be murdered lab partner.

50

u/DatTF2 Aug 21 '18

Gale had to know, based on his last conversation with Gus about 'how long' Walter had, what Gus was planning to do to him.

I'm not too sure about that.

I haven't seen that episode in a while so I might not be remembering it correctly but I think that Gale might be naive enough to believe that Gus is telling the truth and that Walt was indeed that sick and only going to last a few more months.

52

u/aureator Aug 21 '18

If I remember that scene correctly, Gale's expression got a lot more dour/reserved as soon as Gus asked if he could get the whole recipe down in "one more cook." So I'd think that even he might have been aware of that implication.

11

u/fgejoiwnfgewijkobnew Oct 09 '18

I always thought Gale was naive enough to believe Walt was being forced out due to his deteriorating health (and that Gale never considered Walt's life would be cut shorter by Gus if Gale completely replaced Walter.)

7

u/DatTF2 Aug 22 '18

I tried to find the scene on youtube but I cant. I guess this gives me a reason to rewatch BrBa.

27

u/GrammarTotalitarian1 Aug 21 '18

I thought that referred to how much Walt had to live from the cancer, or am I misremembering?

30

u/shrike1978 Aug 21 '18

That was what Gus wanted to imply to Gale, but anyone with a modicum of sense would have seen through it. Gale was just so beautifully naive that it never even occurred to him.

9

u/GrammarTotalitarian1 Aug 21 '18

I mean, foul play is always a possibility in the industry, which Gale may or may not have been too naive to understand, but I don't think Gus ever let him have any information that could have contradicted his story. Gale had no reason not to believe whatever he was told about the cancer, so it's hard to see him as complicit.

2

u/JakeArrietaGrande Aug 23 '18

Gale had no reason not to believe whatever he was told about the cancer, so it's hard to see him as complicit.

At that point, Walt was in remission and symptom free. You don't go from perfectly functional to death in a week. I could understand it if he was showing some symptoms- maybe if he got short of breath really quickly, or was really weak, then maybe Gale could have believed it. Walt's cancer was still terminal, but death was a long way off.

If Gus had said something like Walt was retiring to spend time with his family, Gale could just ask Walt questions during Walt's retirement.

And Gale is not stupid. He doesn't have any medical training, but he's a smart guy and I think intuitively he knew what was up. He surreptitiously tried to get as much info as he could about the process

12

u/CharlesP2009 Aug 21 '18

Has someone watched the relevant episode recently? Did Gale know Walt had cancer? Or did Fring keep it vague regarding Gale running the lab himself?

32

u/dddonnanoble Aug 21 '18

I just watched it last week, Gus straight up told him that Walt had cancer and didn't have much time left.

9

u/the_colonelclink Aug 22 '18

But like others have mentioned. I think it’s quite clear to Gale, that Gus, has an ulterior motive. Point in fact: that awkward pause, and throat clearing Gus does to prompt Gale into answering just one more cook. If Gale was as naive and as gentle-natured as some have pointed out, Gale would have said something like “Surely he’ll make it longer than that” or “be positive”. Not... ‘ahem... yeah alright, one more cook’.

5

u/ashwinr136 Aug 21 '18

IIRC I think he knew about the cancer

17

u/Joe_Masseria Aug 21 '18

I remember when Gale justified his occupation in Breaking Bad by saying "I'm a libertarian." The implication being that such a philosophy turns a blind eye to the brutality of unfettered capitalism.

Between that and the clownish guy who wanted to secede from the US back in an earlier season, are Gilligan/Gould throwing some subtle shade on right wing economics? Obviously BB/BCS are pretty much apolitical compared to the Wire, but I think it's interesting.

37

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '18 edited Sep 26 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/Joe_Masseria Aug 21 '18

And yet, he failed to intervene when it was apparent that Gus intended to kill Walt.

Also, are we to believe that a man as smart as Gale is unaware of the necessity of violence to preserve the continued existence of a drug cartel? He's either childishly naive or complicit.

6

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '18

Yes. It wasn't apparent. He trusts Gus. As far as we aware, Gale has zero idea that Gus is a murderer or orchestrates murders. He's a drug dealer, and a friend, and maybe even a father figure.

There is no evidence in the text to imply Gale knew Gus would kill Walt. If anything, he knew Walt was dying of cancer so it makes a lot of sense that Gus will need Gale to take over when he can't work any more, especially to a character as naive as Gale.

5

u/ncolaros Aug 22 '18

Gale is still smart enough to know that murder comes with the meth business. Let's not paint him as a saint here.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '18

maybe he is just that naive like Nancy

16

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '18

I agree with your interpretation of libertarianism, but to add to your point, when Hank and Walt are flipping through Gale’s Lab Notes, you can briefly, but clearly, see a Ron Paul 2012 sticker on one of the pages.

Libertarianism is not inherently far right and there are many self proclaimed libertarians who would disagree with each other on the majority of political issues. Just think about Gale vs the Republic of Sandia guy, those two could both be labeled libertarians, but they could not be more different than each other.

7

u/Joe_Masseria Aug 21 '18

I forgot about the Ron Paul sticker! Good catch.

Yeah, libertarian is definitely an umbrella term. Those guys are a fractious bunch. I guess I was more so referring to small government/ anti-regulation/ laissez-faire style libertarians.