Breaking Bad
Breaking Baddidn’t fully explain why Gus killed Victor instead of Walt and Jesse at the outset of time of year 4 , and the answer reveals much about the formidable baddie . Victor ( Jeremiah Bitsui ) served as Gustav Fring ’s ( Giancarlo Esposito ) henchman when the character made his series debut inBreaking Badseason 2 . Like Mike Ehrmantraut ( Jonathan Banks ) , Victor was a violent enforcer of Gus ' drug conglomerate and made sure everything give-up the ghost smoothly for his genus Bos . alas forBreaking Bad ’s Victor , Gus — the serviceman he worked for and believe with his liveliness — ended up slitting his throat .
There ’s no dearth of execution andunexpected moments inBreaking Bad , and Gus Fring is the campaign of much of it . However , that did n’t make Gus vote out Victor in time of year 4 ’s episode 1 , " Box Cutter " , any less shocking . Breaking Bad ’s box - cutter conniption with Gus and Victor is remember for its intuitive presentation of force . However , this only really scratch the aerofoil of the real meaning behind why Gus killed Victor . look back at the scene , it stands out as a delimit bit for Gus Fring and cements him as the enceinte villain in theBreaking Baduniverse .
Why Victor Was Killed In Breaking Bad
Gus Showed That No Amount Of Loyalty Makes Up For Mistakes
Gus killing Victor inBreaking Badis even more chilling given their chronicle . As revealed in the prequel series , Better Call Saul , Victor sour for Gus long before the event ofBreaking Bad . By time of year 3 , Victor watched over the meth superlab where Walter White ( Bryan Cranston ) and Jesse act as part of Gus ' operation . When Gale Boetticher ( David Costabile ) , another pill roller , was introduced into the fold , Walt worried that he would be killed and replaced with the freshman .
Gus Fring is one of the most deep characters in Breaking Bad , but Better Call Saul filled in some dummy regarding the man ’s past .
Walt excogitate a programme to kill Gale , work him the sole somebody to lead the meth preparation , but Jesse wound up doing the dirty study . Jesse shot and vote out Galeat his apartment before Victor arrived to halt him . In theBreaking Badseason 4 premiere , " Box Cutter , " Walt and Jesse were held hostage so that Gus could penalise them for their action . While hold off for Gus to make it at the lab , Victor cooked his own mint of chalk to prove that he learn Walter White ’s meth formula .
Rather than target Walt and Jesse , Gus entered and curve Victor ’s throat with a box cutter before tell his employees to get back to body of work . Gus was unhappy with the fact that Victor was spotted at the scene of Gale ’s murder by neighbors , basically putting the full operation at risk . in the end , however , Gus killing Victor , his longtime friend , hold a deep meaning . As with everything Gus Fring does , it was a cold , calculate move .
Gus Sent A Message To Walt & Jesse By Killing Victor
Victor’s Death Showed Just How Dangerous Gus Truly Was
Why did Gus kill Victor with such barbarity ? Although Gus did n’t straight threaten Walt or Jesse following Victor’sBreaking Badexecution , he no longer had to . The real reason Gus killed Victor in such a way is that it sends a crystal clear substance to the two man : if they put the operation at risk , then Gus would n’t hesitate to kill either one of them as well .
Breaking Bad ’s Gus Fring was able to ( briefly ) take the air away after an explosion in bankrupt Bad - but how realistic was Gus ' death scene ?
Though Jesse was the one to pull the trigger and toss off Gale , Victor clumsily and needlessly allowed himself to be plug into to the slaying . Gus ' decision to down his old ally was justified in his mind when he saw a composite sketch of Victor hanging in a police station later that season . Others may have learn to cook meth at potentially the same degree as Walt and Jesse , but Gus was well aware that they had the highest quality of the product .
This is another intellect Gus killed Victor or else of Jesse : Walt and Jesse ’s partnershipmade them critical to the cognitive process in Gustav ’s eyes . InBreaking Badseason 5 , Victor ’s death was cite by Walt while talking to Jesse . He stated that Gus killed Victor because he " flew too close to the sunshine " and that greediness caught Gus ' attention . In hindsight , Gus probably should have put more thought into taking Walt and Jesse out of the equation .
The Box Cutter Breaking Bad Episode Was Almost Unplanned
The Brutal Death Of Victor In Breaking Bad Was A Last-Minute Decision
break away Badshowrunner Vince Gilligan has always been open about the originative cognitive operation behind the show . An awful behind - the - aspect give away aboutBreaking Badseason 4 from Gilligan came in 2011.Speaking toAV Club , Vince Gilligan explain that the infamous box cutter episode — and Gus remove Victor — was n’t planned until season 4 was already in production .
" [ Season 4]has been a little nigh to the style we broke season three , which is to say we knew we had a little drama go between Walt and Gustavo , we live we had all the ingredients for a major biz of chess , as it were . But as to on the nose how this plot of chess would play out , we did n’t have that totally nailed down at the beginning of this season . "
It was n’t only the moment itself that evolved naturally during the originative physical process , but many of the directorial decisions for how Gus mangle Victor played out were almost extemporaneous too . Vince Gilligan was especially special about the sound design for the picture — a alternative which was made remarkably in the moment , consider how poignant the effect was . As Gilligan bring out :
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
" It ’s a very restrained view , and yet what ’s interesting about it is it ’s quiet only on one side of that equation . Walt actually utter wall to wall throughout the prospect , as he ’s basically debate for his life and then toward the remainder begging for his liveliness . the great unwashed think that as a very smooth fit but really there ’s lots and peck of dialog . "
Notably , while total sections of Walter White ’s dialogue were removed and Gus say almost nothing throughout , the encroachment was increase . Gilligan had a few theories on why it figure out so well :
" You really have two choices in a fit like that : Either the hombre ’s screaming and rabbit on , and in a sense that defuse latent hostility — allow the air out of the balloon , dramatically — or you have a guy who ’s not render you anything , who ’s very punishing to say and yet who ’s cast on a waterproof . And that in itself , his action of set on the rainfall jacket , speaks volumes . We feel like that was an eerier , more striking way of life to go . "
Gus Killing Arturo In Better Call Saul Shows A Consistent Approach To Murder
The Breaking Bad Spinoff Establishes How Brutal Gus Has Always Been
InBetter Call Saulseason 4 , the spinoff dives deeply intoBreaking Badterritory through certain reveals , include how Gustav Fring has always used murder to contain masses he would rather keep alive . Back inBetter Call Saulseason 3 , Nacho plot to take over Hector ’s spot in the Salamanca drug cognitive process by switching Hector ’s medicinal drug with fake placebo ejector seat , induce Hector to have a stroke .
Though the combine bosses assign Nacho and Arturo to put back Hector , Gus gets Victor to come after and inquire the two . InBetter Call Saulseason 4 , episode 2 " Breathe , " Gus affirm that Nacho is responsible for Hector ’s stroke . When Nacho and Arturo impregnable - arm their room into draw more drugs than they were supposed to from Gus ' facility , Gus lurk them and suffocates and kills Arturo with a plastic dish .
While Victor and Tyrus make Arturo ’s death look like a gang killing , Gus informs Nacho that he is aware ofhow Nacho put Hector Salamanca in a wheelchair , but that the Salamancas do not . Similar to why Gus killed Victor inBreaking Bad , Gus belt down Arturo inBetter Call Saulto exert full control over Nacho , who ’s more useful to him active .
intermit Bad almost missed out on having its best villain , Gus Fring . Here ’s how Giancarlo Esposito fought for a big role in the AMC series .
Better Call Saul ’s brainstorm into Gustav Fring paint a really horrific figure — one who eerily vote out not just as a shape of punishment , but as a menace of punishments yet to derive . While Victor’sBreaking Badexecution chance very differently from Arturo ’s death inBetter Call Saul , they reveal Gus ' convention of using brutal deaths to keep his masses in line . Moreover , Gus telling Nacho that Hector was n’t supposed to go yet reveals how much thought Gus has put into his long - full term plan .
Gus Murdering Victor Has More Context Thanks To Lalo
The Death Of Lalo Proved Just How Brutal Gus Fring Is
break in Bad ’s Victor slaying is even better afterGus pour down Lalo inBetter Call Saul , which shows that , despite Gus ' facade of level - headedness and respect , he has always been the most dangerous person in his crew . Apart from defecate Victor take care even small compare to the rest of Gus ' tally list , how Gus outsmart the insurgent - like tactics of Lalo Salamanca furthercontextualizes how he could kill so speedily and without hesitation .
In many slipway , Lalo was all important to keeping Gus strand . Underneath Lalo ’s chaotic and charismatic exterior lies a grade of methodical thinking that rival even Gus , and only failed because of Lalo ’s inherent hubris . After studying , dealing with , and disposing of the repulsion villain that isBetter Call Saul ’s Lalo Salamanca , Gus was voguish for the experience . Just as Gus killed Lalo , killing Victor inBreaking Badwas the well-heeled and fastest style for Gus to check what was good for himself and the organization .
Gus Killing Victor Is Still His Most Ruthless Moment
Even Compared To Everything Else He Did, The Boxcutter Episode Was Brutal
Better Call Saulcontinued to research Gus Fringas a fictitious character , adding new element to him and even giving a deeper understanding of his sprightliness outside the drug conglomerate . While the prequel show also featured more examples of Gus ' ruthlessness and brutality , as with his licking of Lalo and the murder of Arturo , Gus pour down Victor remain his most shocking act . One of the in effect qualities of Gus Fring is his power to conceal in plain sight , and it causes a lot of multitude to underrate him .
While it was clear he did n’t rise to index without fall back to violence when necessary , Gus killing Victor is a chilling second that render the furore and stale - bloodedness that hides under the unassuming theatrical role he take over . Once he execute Victor in that fashion , the mask was removed and the interview would never look at Gus the same direction again . Though he still did scandalize things onBreaking BadandBetter Call Saulafter the murder of Victor , it felt less impactful because the TV audience now knew just what Gus was capable of .
This Moment Perfectly Encapsulates Gus Fring
Victor’s Death Shows Gus' Strengths And Weaknesses
By the timeGus Fring dies onBreaking Bad , he had established himself as the show ’s dear resister to go up against Walter White . However , Victor ’s death may have been the moment that truly cemented that reputation and it serve as a perfect showing of everything that made the character so good . It speaks to his approach to business concern , the risk he acquaint , and his desire for retaliation , which finally leads to his ruin .
Gus was someone who operated in spare sight for so long because of his ability to keep a level forefront . He does not like to associate himself with unpredictable people or introduce an element of chaos into his business . It ca-ca him an outlier in the drug human beings and vastly unlike from a sluttish cannon like Tuco Salamanca . Even when shoot down someone is necessary , Gus goes about it in a hard-nosed and unemotional way , think about the wad and the unspoilt means of carrying out the deed . His calmness makes the moment all the more chilling .
Victor is one of the few mass Gus is shown to personally kill in the series , choosing to get others to do his ill-gotten body of work . However , this particular murder shows the decision he has when his mind is made up . Walter White has prove a brilliant ability to lie and spill the beans his way of life out of many situations . However , as Walt is spending the entire scene verbalize , Gus is preparing for the inevitable . He walks into the elbow room knowing what he is go to do and straightaway sets about fix for this . This are no Son that will deter him .
However , the scene also record Gus ' weakness . As much as he does n’t show emotion at the moment , he is clearly furious . Even if Victor was seen at Gale ’s apartment , he did not need to kill him and could have found a solution . He wanted to frighten Walt and Jesse , but he was also angry . He simply took his anger out on Victor because he was the one he could kill . Though it might not seem like it , Gus lost ascendancy in that mo and Walt make out his anger as a flaw , overwork it later inBreaking Bad .
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Breaking Bad , create by Vince Gilligan , comply a chemistry teacher turned drug swivel pin named Walter White ( Bryan Cranston ) as he attempts to provide for his fellowship follow a fatal diagnosis . With nothing left to reverence , White ascends to power in the world of drug and law-breaking , transmute the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg .
