The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. From left: Harrison Thomas as Lyle, Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring and Michael Mando as Nacho Varga in. Vince is a consummate artist when it comes to his visuals, and he only likes to repeat himself when there is an absolute need. Every time you move the rig, it beeps, and we were doing it in the middle of the night. Ever since the start of the series all Walt wanted was to make sure his family was safe and that they had the money they needed when he was gone. Gus is not a marksman.

There are times to be oblique, and there are times where we like to give breadcrumbs. It was Ignacio!.

It was Ignacio! and now, in Better Call Saul 608, Jimmy literally says the line in response to Lalos suspicion that he was in cahoots with Ignacio (Michael Mando). Had it not been cancer Gus wouldve eventually sent Mike or some other hitters. So we actually had numbers for. If anything, Gale was easier to control since he was much weaker than Jesse.

Edit, Walt saved Jesse's life (again) by running over two drug dealers who were about to kill Jesse, however by doing so his relationship with Gus deteriorated and now Walt's life was in danger. When were no longer recording, Ill tell you the one I would give you if I didnt feel like it gave things away. So once Jimmy is alone with Lalo and is eventually bound and gagged, that was shot two months later, right? | , Smith also discusses Lalos final moments and how they differed from his script. In the Pilot Walt threatens to turn Jesse in if he doesn't help him distribute meth, however at that point in the show Walt hadn't officially entered the drug business so at that time the code did not apply to him. No, but I would prefer to tell you yes because I would give every tribute to Genny. He wasnt always great to Kim. So he certainly could have felt worse going to his death.

He beat him hands down. ], Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler and Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman in, Yes, youre absolutely right. Lalo smiles and laughs before his last breath, and I think he was feeling somewhat triumphant. So the teaser is the last scene you shot for the entire series. He made it. He must felt so betrayed by Mr. white. Season 5: What happened to the rest of Walt's money after Felina? So Lalo volunteers Jimmy to go kill Gus even though he really just wants to spread Gus security thin. Since Jesse refused to help Walt save his family Walt had to find a way to get Jesse back on his side so that they could kill Gus and sending Brock to the hospital was the only way he knew how to. It was like, Lets see what happens if he just gives a little bit of a laugh, and it felt so good. Walt then calls Ed, the vacuum vanisher guy and tells him that he is going alone, without his family. Yeah, I would say thats pretty much the calculus. I think his lizard brain is always going to be sitting there with a gag in its mouth, going, Oh my god, at any second, Lalo could come and snuff out my life and the life of anyone Ive ever cared about., I think you are a special case. He made it. However, only one month later IFC showed the same episode "Uncut & Uncensored" to the US audience. He even reviewed concepts from KNB EFX before deciding it was all too much. He knew he had Gus dead to rights, but you dont always get what you want. Normally, taking off your tie is a sign of relaxation, but the way he does it is not relaxed at all. Times and times Walter could've come clean and yet he didn't, he even misdirected Hank to sabotage the investigation. So had Mike not grabbed her, its an open question of whether she would have pulled that trigger, but I feel like the odds are better that she would have. Bob has spoken about it, but we were all really lucky that it happened while he was on stage. Four years from now, Hank and the DEA are going to be walking through the wreckage of this lab. Yeah, thats what I think. Giving him enough time to shut down that method of operation and find a new one. Some say Gus was too careful and would have cut off loose ends.

The man was in such good shape. This version was shown on AMC, where the episodes always can be seen first. Hes just so game. So we were able to draw upon our resources. Well, I think thats accurate. that wed pitch occasionally, and then wed sing terrible, terrible songs. Are you willing to admit that the phrase Walt and Jesse inspired the and title theme this season? Hes focused and very funny in a way that doesnt put too much on. It was Ignacio! That line is pretty specific, so we definitely repeated it consciously. Sometimes, well ask ourselves, Have we put the breadcrumbs too far apart that people cant follow the trail? But these breadcrumbs are 13 years apart, so it felt like they needed to be big breadcrumbs. And hes like, Whats bothering me here about this? When Gus had his final confrontation with Hector in Breaking Bads Face Off, he adjusted his tie in unforgettable fashion. Its amazing that it made it back to New Mexico from a crime scene. | Gus is not a gunslinger. The shootout is lit with just the gunfire, the squibs. What caused Walt's working relationship with Gus Fring to deteriorate?

How could he prepare for that? We were in turnaround, as you say.

This altered version could be seen e.g. I think his lizard brain is always going to be sitting there with a gag in its mouth, going, Oh my god, at any second, Lalo could come and snuff out my life and the life of anyone Ive ever cared about.. , the red floor certainly feels poetically appropriate. I honestly think Gus wouldnt have taken half measures with Walt being a loose end. There was a scattering of folks, and then Vince and I went over to Bob, which was where our set medic and [Health and Safety Supervisor] Rosa Estrada were congregating. It was like, Lets see what happens if he just gives a little bit of a laugh, and it felt so good.

What was on his mind in your estimation? Jesse, not thinking ahead, tries to escape the compound before properly assessing his surroundings and can't make it over a fence before being re-captured. He beat Gus in 99 out of a hundred throws. But on this one, I really like the title, Point and Shoot. Its something thats said, and it ties together a lot of the episode. To add Walts ego only wanted himself to be his only competition because deep down he felt threatened by Gale. Im sure there were roads that we did not explore properly, but why did we bother watching all of Lalos careful preparation if he wasnt going to get inside the super lab? But the street dealers DID have something to gain by killing Tomas; They got rid of a child who didn't just have the potential to send them to prison; He also had motive to send them to prison; ie resentment, for taking away his job, that very day. That definitely works as a harmonization between those two thematic elements, but sometimes, we operate from a subconscious or gut level about what feels right. He was there to ultimately replace Walt one way or another. If by chance one of the trucks were seized, Gus could deny any involvement and suggest it was just a few individuals. Season 4: (ep2 "Thirty-Eight Snub") Why would Andrea approach Jesse, about the mysterious cash that appeared in her mailbox? Maybe somebody else was thinking of that when we were pitching it, but I didnt. Mike has rushed off to snuff Lalo out, but a little bug is just tickling the back of Gus ear. So we felt like we couldnt be too on the nose for people. Or did walt just say that so gus would fire Gale???? The storyline was allegorical of how becoming blinded by revenge can become a mans downfallthat's literally it, debate over, thank you for tuning in, please don't download the podcast. Or is it? "ABQ" is an abbreviation of the city Breaking Bad is set, which is Albuquerque. So several of us who were there and our post team all took that CPR training course. What was your vantage point at the time? In this case, Gus does not feel like the threat is neutralized.

For me and a lot of people, it was a real wake-up call. Breaking Bad Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. (Laughs.) So Kim escaping her condo by stabbing Lalo in the eye with the Zafiro Aejo tequila stopper was never in the mix? Upon Jesse entering the office, Huell attempts to frisk him and pickpockets Jesse and takes the pack of cigarettes that has the vial of ricin. The FAQ items below may give away important plot points. Or was that somehow part of the plan?

External Reviews So his particular moment of tie fixation felt good to us. Prior to this, Saul calls Jesse to his office. Since two of Gus goons that Walt murdered were already found on the surface, how did you reconcile the Howard and Lalo of it all? Lastly, it's possible that Gus suspected that Victor had been stealing the meth Jesse had been skimming from their shipments and giving to Badger and Skinny Pete. Hes using the exact same language under similar life-threatening circumstances. Edit, Saul poisoned Brock on Walt's orders. It was very likely that Tomas could have been picked up by the cops as he not only was collecting money but also was being used to murder people. (, .) wouldve been an amazing bonus scene on the eventual Blu-ray set.Yeah, we love Lyle, and Harrison is so great. Edit, Awards I think you are a special case. Gus was never going to let Walt just walk awaythis is a man who slit his right-hand mans throat in the blink of an eye. He beat him hands down. Yes, I think we went back to finish the work in late September, early October. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. However, this was more Walt's wishful thinking as he was angry with Mike's attitude towards him. Jesse's car was left at Tuco's. 2022 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. But these breadcrumbs are 13 years apart, so it felt like they needed to be big breadcrumbs, Smith tells The Hollywood Reporter. Given Todd's previously killing an innocent young boy, Andrea, torturing Jesse and forcing him into slave labour is what sealed Todd's fate. Jordan Slovin was our B camera operator on the platform, so Jenn was on the radio, saying, We need you to go a tiny bit wider. I honestly dont know. Edit, Because Walt had achieved his objective. Edit, Krazy-8 was a DEA rat (and how he became a rat is explained in Better Call Saul). Yeah, I dont think weve shot outside of New Mexico. Had we started some of our night work out in the world, it wouldve been much scarier without as many resources. And Gus also has the Devils luck in getting that shot off. There are times to be oblique, and there are times where we like to give breadcrumbs. He clears the frame of the camera before Gus guard gets back to his post. He comes in and hes there for it. Its a musical where Lyle, after Gus death, realizes that hes been working for a drug kingpin all this time at Los Pollos Hermanos, and it chronicles the amount of mind-blown that happens to Lyle. For you, it may feel like its either over-explained or really obvious, but Ive had to explain it to a number of people already. Gus got lucky. User Ratings After seeing how Todd and the rest of the Neo-Nazis had treated Jesse, and feeling partly responsible for Jesse's enslavement; decided to save him instead. So thats the circumstance in which his luck comes into play. This was part of the plan. If Jesse had tried to save Walt then Walt most certainly would have been arrested and his entire name would have been disgraced. Edit, Walt didn't care about Todd. Hes thinking, I keep a gun on my body, but how does that help me? Hes just so game. The remainder of the money that Jack stole from Walt was either seized by the cops or is still hidden somewhere in the clubhouse. Oooh, I don't know, I think Gus, being a studious judge of character, had calculated that Walt would become a massive problem, and I do not accept that Gus would let such a loose end just walk away, hence the game of cat and mouse that developed, IE the installing of CCTV, taking Jesse away from WW and attempting to align him with Mikethat's why Gus asked Gale in no uncertain terms whether he could run the place on his own, he wanted Walt out of the way asap. Hes carried the terror of this moment all these years.. For a long time, Ive wondered if the red floor in Gus super lab was a symbolic choice, and now we know that blood was spilled across its foundation. That definitely works as a harmonization between those two thematic elements, but sometimes, we operate from a subconscious or gut level about what feels right. Did Walt violate the code of 'Omert' in the pilot? If there was nothing else in the history of this place if Werner hadnt died and Lalo and Hamlin werent buried there its still a pretty bleak, horrifying place. After writing several of the most critically acclaimed hours in the series, Smiths decorated career as a writer-producer on Better Call Saul has also come to a close as of Mondays midseason premiere, Point and Shoot. The Michigan native started out as an office PA on Breaking Bad season three and worked his way up to executive producer on Saul, winning a WGA award for season threes Chicanery along the way. That was our thinking in terms of making it that exact and that specific. And he gives Lyle just enough earnestness that your heart breaks for him.

It was nightmarishly difficult.

Those are stunt guys in that sequence, and they are much further apart than they appear. Either Lalo sent a hit and it took that long to get to him, or he sent instructions to avenge him that took a while to track down. It felt like it paid respect to the fact that he got there. Rosa Estrada, whos also an ER nurse with military medical training, was our COVID officer, and she came rushing in alongside our set medic and a totally different shows set medic from the next stage over. It is eerie. He still would have come back to Albuquerque to save Jesse however he would not have been able to leave his family the 9 million dollars because they were dead.However AMC deemed this ending to be too dark and sadistic so Vince Gilligan had to rewrite it at the last minute so that Skyler and the kids survived and Walt got the heroic ending he deserved.

These cuts concerned the plot of the episode. The three month thing holds no credence with me. Yeah, we love Lyle, and Harrison is so great. A sort of compensation for everything Hank did. A second reason which ties into the first; Gus killed Victor in front of Walt and Jesse to show that he was willing to kill a loyal member of his organization for a minor screw-up, what chance do Walt and Jesse have after their betrayal?Alternatively, Press J to jump to the feed. Edit, Likely hiding small amounts in his clothes. Theyre idiot proof, and they save lives including Bobs life.

Normally, taking off your tie is a sign of relaxation, but the way he does it is not relaxed at all. What doesnt add up? So you just want to give your actor a bit of business in that moment. Wed done a setup, we were in turnaround, and then I heard people calling out. (Laughs.) In Breaking Bad 208, Saul says to a masked Walt and Jesse, Lalo didnt send you? Producer Jenn Carroll had a tablet with the image, but the lighting conditions and all these things were different. Even from the get go Gale was just this super nice, I'm at your command type of guy. In some way, it still could have circuitously landed on Jimmy, but hes going to be freaked out about the specter of Lalo until the specter of Walt White becomes a better thing to fear. Walt set up Gale to ruin the batch in episode 307 "One Minute." Is it true that there are different versions of the pilot? My feeling is that Gale's mistake was a genuine one, but Walt seized on it as an excuse to find Gale unsuitable. Since Jesse would have been the one who instigated the incident Gus would have not have to worry about Walt refusing to cook since Jesse's death would have been his own fault. Satisfying. So the only place thats safe is away from Lalo, and he knows hes got to get her out of there because whoever stays there, dies. However, with no drugs on him, they couldn't charge him with anything. Some say Gus cares about his employees and would have let walt go. Its also the only time youve shot Better Call Saul outside of New Mexico, right?

Warning that if he tried to escape again, Brock would be next. We were also so incredibly relieved when Bob seemed to come through. No Lalo? That can be interpreted as him thinking Lalo is still alive, but are you of the mind that the trauma of Lalos first mistaken death stayed with him? He couldnt. However unfortunately for Gus, Walt intervened.2) Gus was not aware that those two drug dealers were using a child which presented a huge problem. That meant having Bob Odenkirks Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman literally say the 13-year-old Ignacio line again, this time in front of, There are times to be oblique, and there are times where we like to give breadcrumbs. And then other people who are watching it from a different vantage point can go, That feels right because it pulls these two moments together. And then well go, Cool, it does! But we were just thinking of what felt right for the moment. Gus being an extremely cautious man, thought it best to dispose of Victor to avoid him getting picked up by the police. Walt didn't like working with someone as qualified as he was. I have suspicions about the titles and Ive heard a couple things, but I dont know if theyre finalized or just suggested. Did you have Gus take his tie off for his showdown with Lalo in order to create a contrast?

We had a camera platform up several hundred feet in the air on a movable rig, like a little cherry picker. And he gives Lyle just enough earnestness that your heart breaks for him. (Laughs.) Theyd really have to go looking for bodies.

In terms of showmanship, youre absolutely right.

Edit, While the show does not provide an answer it's not too hard to speculate. Together with director and co-creator Vince Gilligan, Smith put the finishing touches on a backstory that was alluded to during Saul Goodmans, , the aptly titled Better Call Saul. In the Peter Gould-scripted episode, a masked Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) threaten a frightened Saul in the desert, and the criminal lawyer immediately fears that contract killers have come for him on behalf of someone named Lalo. Saul even blamed another mysterious figure named Ignacio (Michael Mandos future role) by yelling, It wasnt me! That was our thinking in terms of making it that exact and that specific. was a very long-running joke pitch. opened the book on Lalo Salamanca, and now, 13 years later, After writing several of the most critically acclaimed hours in the series, Smiths decorated career as a writer-producer on, has also come to a close as of Mondays midseason premiere, Point and Shoot. The Michigan native started out as an office PA on, season three and worked his way up to executive producer on. Walt had destroyed his good relationship with Gus by saving Jesse's life from those two drug dealers and now as a result Gus was going to have him, Jesse, Hank, Skyler, Junior and Holly all killed. Walter, creates the poison from a Lilly Of The Valley plant he had in his back yard. When you echoed Breaking Bad 402s overhead shot at Gus house, how complicated was that process? Rosa saved his life by using her AED. Walt actually went to the compound with the intention of killing Jesse along with the Nazis. The idea being that Jesse will assume Walt poisoned Brock, but then Walt would convince him that it was Gus trying to turn him against Walt. Here you will find discussions and speculations about the show, pictures from the show, AMA's with the cast, and anything else Breaking Bad related. As much as Walter try to make the money for his kids, he has more than enough money that he could've stop and be a car-wash owner with the millions, but he decided to go back again just so he can block Jesse from cooking his recipe. Mike doesnt mind handling Lalos body like a carcass, but Howard Hamlins sins throughout the course of this show do not add up to the punishment that he receives in any way. So I now have one of those now in my house. Those repetitions and things work wonders to tie things together and unify them, but I dont think any of us thought of that consciously. Ahh, that ignores the fact that Gus had serious reservations about Walter White from minute one(the reluctance to meet Walter over perceived sloppiness in WW's operation, namely Walters loyalty to 'druggie' Jesse)ergo Gail and Walter were expendable if one or the other proved problematic. That was our thinking in terms of making it that exact and that specific.

Installing Gale in place of Jesse was Gus's attempt to control the situation, and it was the underhanded nature in which he carried it out that offended Walter, as Gus hadn't given WW any indication that he would be bringing his own man in. I honestly dont know. Walt then gives the poison to Saul and tells him to administer it to Brock next time he goes to Andrea's house to check on them.

Hes focused and very funny in a way that doesnt put too much on.