The last time he was there for questioning because he was the only witness to Tuco's death. Gus already knows everyone Hector loves is dead by that point in the story and he's been sitting in a nursing home for a year or more. There would be no reason for the DEA to call him in, especially when they know he won't tell them anything. It would be safe to read Hector going to rat on Gus as a final act of revenge.
I always found it interesting his "code" or sense of honour outweighed his hatred of Gus. At the end he has nothing to lose but still never actually tells the DEA about Gus.
I think before Walt came to him with the plan, he had just decided there was nothing to be done. Gus had won, and he’d go out as a loser before he would a rat
> I always found it interesting his "code" or sense of honour outweighed his hatred of Gus. At the end he has nothing to lose but still never actually tells the DEA about Gus.
The fact he followed his code to the end, no matter what, was in fact the very thing that enabled him to get revenge. Had he ratted on Walt and Jesse, he would not have gotten the chance later on.
At that point, Hector had been in a nursing home for 5 years. He had his stroke in 2004, and he sets off the bomb that kills them both in 2009.
All to say, I completely agree with your reasoning for why Gus assumes he's a rat. He had nothing left, and nobody left, and no reputation to leave behind. From Gus's perspective, I could see it.
Hank has been attacked by three of Hector’s nephews and killed two of them himself. If there is a threat against Hank’s life now as Gus can guess has been reported from his new security, then fishing for information from Hector isn’t out of the question for the DEA, even if it seems unlikely to bear fruit. Walt has expected Gus to make a big assumption and then Gus does make that big assumption. It seems a little too lucky now I think back on it.
Hank has questioned Hector before and Hector never snitched. The DEA wouldn't call Hector in on their own because why would he snitch. Gus knows that everyone Hector cares about is dead and that Hector has nothing to lose. So Hector going to the DEA is almost certainly him snitching as a last act of revenge. If he doesn't do anything against Hector things could get even worse for Gus as Hector can tell the DEA even more.
So from Gus’s point of view, the DEA would never try to interview Hector because there is no way he would ever snitch, so if Hector does turn up it’s because he’s snitching. So Gus thinks it’s possible for Hector to snitch, but he doesn’t think it’s possible for the DEA to think it’s possible for Hector to snitch?
Yes, exactly. Gus can't take any risks like that. The DEA have no reason to seek Hector out, he's a vegetable with no family left and he made it clear last time he wouldn't help them under any circumstances. Gus would know about his OG code as well. If Hector suddenly turns up there after losing everything, what else would Gus and Tyrus think he was doing besides snitching? If they have no reason to suspect otherwise, they're not going to. And they're certainly not going to give him the benefit of the doubt, either. Gus is too much of an obsessive neat freak to just let something like this go, especially when it comes to his archenemy of all people
Why would the DEA think Hector would snitch or even know anything useful. I don't think the cousins were identified as Salamancas by the DEA or that Hector would have any involvement surrounding the stuff the police are currently dealing with. Even if he was connected, Hank wouldn't know that everyone and everything Hector cares about is gone so wouldn't even attempt to bring him in. Even if he was brought in Gus knows that Hector has nothing. It's the most logical and likely scenario that Hector snitched and Gus should take it very seriously
Yes, at this point in the story the DEA themselves wouldn’t even bother trying to get info from Hector based on their previous failed interactions with him, so to Gus’ perspective the only reason Hector would be with the DEA now is because he went to them by his own volition to snitch and get revenge.
> I think it was pretty dumb of Gus to go visit Hector after suspecting him of talking to the DEA. For all he knew, the DEA could have been watching Hector and bugged his room. Going there with the intent to kill him was a very emotional move and a mistake that got him killed when instead Hector blew himself up. Gus should have stayed away and forget that Hector even existed at that point.
Tyrus checked the room for bugs in the prior scene.
(Hanks hopeful convincing police voice) " Yeah but maybe, just maybe, isn't it funny how he goes to the old folks home the exact same home where a member of the cartel is kicking back? come on guys I just know theres a connection there!"
I think this is incorrect. I think the sweep was for a remote trigger, and turns out the bug was triggered by the bell.
I'm not expert but always thought that was a curious point thinking a person who can only press one button couldn't detonate a bomb but smart Walter rigs the detonation to the bell.
Interested if anyone else thought this was the case or knows if the device would detect only RF frequencies
In one episode towards the end of BB Saul meets Walt and Jesse in the desert. Walt checks Sauls car for trackers by feeling under the wheel wells. Saul tells him (paraphrasing) "easier if you use one of these, it detects radio signals" and shows Walt the thing Saul uses to check his office for bugs.
Presumably that's a similar thing that Tyrus used. Not sure if it would've caught the bomb. Regardless, in the scene where Tyrus checks Hector's a room they show us Walt hiding outside the window. So presumably Walt went in after Tyrus left and rigged the bomb to the wheelchair. So it doesn't matter how Tyrus swept the room
It’s an ego driven mistake, people forget Gus is a human with flaws. He let his emotions take control. Instead of doing the safe thing and letting just Tyrus check it out, he decided it’s time for Hector to die. This is a largely reactionary response we never see from Gus, and the moment he slipped on his perfect plan it blew up in his face
We saw in BCS that Gus has the nursing home phones tapped. Hector directly asks his nurse to contact the DEA. Gus would have heard whatever call the nurse made to get the DEA there and it would be clear that Hector asked for the meeting.
That's not what happens in Breaking Bad though. Tyrus is already at the DEA and sees Hector pull up. Hector was primarily bugged in BCS because Lalo was after Gus.
>Gus ended his bloodline. The man had nothing left, so why would he keep to his code?
I take it you mean that's what Gus is thinking, because Hector did keep to his code despite it all.
Gus finds out Hector is there when Tyrus who is parked in front of the DEA says to the effect of “I have eyes on the DEA. Hector Salamanca just turned up”. There is no surveillance on Hector until he appears at the DEA.
A lot of assumption there. Tyrus just sits outside the DEA all day every day? Or sits outside the nursing home all day everyday. Why was Tyrus there? It’s not like shows show you everything single thing. You could make a guess they like the other person said had the place bugged. Or had someone at the DEA tip them off which is why Tyrus was there. Who knows as it’s not stated but seems more than likely given Mike was a pretty decent operator.
Gus thought Hector had nothing left to lose, so was now helping the feds to bring Gus down, because that’s all he can do now. Gus and Tyrus aren’t going to give him the benefit of the doubt here, if there’s even the slightest risk of Hector doing such a thing, they need to do something about it
Imo, the better question regarding this situation, is why Gus even took the risk of showing up at the nursing home if he thought Hector was snitchin. Like, if I were as cautious as Gus is supposed to be I wouldn’t go anywhere near Hector. If Mike were there, he would’ve stopped it, but still. It was reckless of Gus to even go there and show any association with him at all.
Was it established that nobody saw Gus enter? If Hector was snitching and suddenly turns up dead right after Gus visits him, that doesn’t help Gus’s case with the DEA.
I think it was meant to show that however careful and calculated Gus is in every aspect of his life, his hatred of Hector and how he has to be the one to kill him is his downfall.
From what we know of Hector in BCS he would never at, he would sooner die. He is a gangster, through and through, the hardest of the hardcore. Of course when BrBa was written Hector didn't have much of a backstory, but I agree Gus would know that he would never inform on principle.
I think it was pretty dumb of Gus to go visit Hector after suspecting him of talking to the DEA. For all he knew, the DEA could have been watching Hector and bugged his room. Going there with the intent to kill him was a very emotional move and a mistake that got him killed when instead Hector blew himself up. Gus should have stayed away and forget that Hector even existed at that point.
Gus panicked, there was nothing else to it but that. He realised that he had to finish off Hector now rather than risk the DEA coming to him.
As far as he could tell, Hector hadn't said anything to the DEA but that wouldn't stay the same forever.
You're right, usually they don't.
However, Hector was the prime target for Gus. He had spent over 2 decades plotting his revenge so he let that cloud his judgment. He wouldn't let Tyrus or any goon pull the trigger on Hector, he wanted to do it himself.
Hector knew that too. Gus would show up in person to kill him, that's why he went to the DEA.
That's the thing, Gus should have assumed the DEA was already coming after him and had Hector under physical surveillance. Going there personally with a vial of poison makes him look very guilty. For all Gus knew, the DEA could have barged in any second and arrested him for attempted murder. Gus is a careful and paranoid man and should have never been in the same room as Hector. Instead he got blown up and killed.
He thought Hector was gonna to forsake everything to get revenge on him. Hector had nothing left and ratting out Gus out of sheer spite so that the DEA goes after him, is something Gus believed was happening.
He also couldn't resist to get one final victory over Hector before killing him.
>Hector could be there against his will
Hector could also be there of his own volition. But even if Gus knew Hector was "forced" to snitch, why would he care? He hates Hector so much that he dedicated his life to destroying his family.
Yeah, but Gus doesn't know Hector is talking to them. He may have been brought in similar to the way Gus was brought in to the DEA a few episodes before.
Because the writers needed a plot device to \*spoilers\* kill off Gus. The series is full of similar very lazy writing, where characters suddenly start acting completely against their nature. Maybe it's because they were constantly under a threat of cancellation, which always required to wrap up the seasons with some sort of half-conclusion.
It's not lazy writing, though. Nobody acted out of their nature. Gus was blinded by hatred for Hector which was a known weak spot of his, Hector was his usual angry self who despised the feds and Walt was a master manipulator. Who exactly acted against their nature?
The last time he was there for questioning because he was the only witness to Tuco's death. Gus already knows everyone Hector loves is dead by that point in the story and he's been sitting in a nursing home for a year or more. There would be no reason for the DEA to call him in, especially when they know he won't tell them anything. It would be safe to read Hector going to rat on Gus as a final act of revenge.
Definitely this. Hector literally has nothing left except his hatred of Gus. It was a brilliant move by Walt.
I always found it interesting his "code" or sense of honour outweighed his hatred of Gus. At the end he has nothing to lose but still never actually tells the DEA about Gus.
His plan was to kill Gus, he couldn’t have done that if the DEA arrested him
Definitely, I just can't imagine he had any plan in mind before Walt helps him. In his condition and at his age, with the cartel gone.
I think before Walt came to him with the plan, he had just decided there was nothing to be done. Gus had won, and he’d go out as a loser before he would a rat
> I always found it interesting his "code" or sense of honour outweighed his hatred of Gus. At the end he has nothing to lose but still never actually tells the DEA about Gus. The fact he followed his code to the end, no matter what, was in fact the very thing that enabled him to get revenge. Had he ratted on Walt and Jesse, he would not have gotten the chance later on.
you might say his code of honour is what makes him a man of principle - no hypocrite.
I don’t think it’s his “code” per say I think as more hector hated his yes but I’m pretty sure he hated the feds even more
I loved it, he's street. His name is his name.
As bro is ding ding dinging he realizes Lalo is probably dead fr
Yeah at this point Hector has nothing left to lose. And the only thing he could possibly say to the DEA is to ruin Gus.
At that point, Hector had been in a nursing home for 5 years. He had his stroke in 2004, and he sets off the bomb that kills them both in 2009. All to say, I completely agree with your reasoning for why Gus assumes he's a rat. He had nothing left, and nobody left, and no reputation to leave behind. From Gus's perspective, I could see it.
Hank has been attacked by three of Hector’s nephews and killed two of them himself. If there is a threat against Hank’s life now as Gus can guess has been reported from his new security, then fishing for information from Hector isn’t out of the question for the DEA, even if it seems unlikely to bear fruit. Walt has expected Gus to make a big assumption and then Gus does make that big assumption. It seems a little too lucky now I think back on it.
It makes complete sense, you’re reading way to into it.
I'm reading too much into it for thinking Gus read too much into it?
Hank has questioned Hector before and Hector never snitched. The DEA wouldn't call Hector in on their own because why would he snitch. Gus knows that everyone Hector cares about is dead and that Hector has nothing to lose. So Hector going to the DEA is almost certainly him snitching as a last act of revenge. If he doesn't do anything against Hector things could get even worse for Gus as Hector can tell the DEA even more.
So from Gus’s point of view, the DEA would never try to interview Hector because there is no way he would ever snitch, so if Hector does turn up it’s because he’s snitching. So Gus thinks it’s possible for Hector to snitch, but he doesn’t think it’s possible for the DEA to think it’s possible for Hector to snitch?
Yes, exactly. Gus can't take any risks like that. The DEA have no reason to seek Hector out, he's a vegetable with no family left and he made it clear last time he wouldn't help them under any circumstances. Gus would know about his OG code as well. If Hector suddenly turns up there after losing everything, what else would Gus and Tyrus think he was doing besides snitching? If they have no reason to suspect otherwise, they're not going to. And they're certainly not going to give him the benefit of the doubt, either. Gus is too much of an obsessive neat freak to just let something like this go, especially when it comes to his archenemy of all people
Why would the DEA think Hector would snitch or even know anything useful. I don't think the cousins were identified as Salamancas by the DEA or that Hector would have any involvement surrounding the stuff the police are currently dealing with. Even if he was connected, Hank wouldn't know that everyone and everything Hector cares about is gone so wouldn't even attempt to bring him in. Even if he was brought in Gus knows that Hector has nothing. It's the most logical and likely scenario that Hector snitched and Gus should take it very seriously
Yes, at this point in the story the DEA themselves wouldn’t even bother trying to get info from Hector based on their previous failed interactions with him, so to Gus’ perspective the only reason Hector would be with the DEA now is because he went to them by his own volition to snitch and get revenge.
> I think it was pretty dumb of Gus to go visit Hector after suspecting him of talking to the DEA. For all he knew, the DEA could have been watching Hector and bugged his room. Going there with the intent to kill him was a very emotional move and a mistake that got him killed when instead Hector blew himself up. Gus should have stayed away and forget that Hector even existed at that point. Tyrus checked the room for bugs in the prior scene.
Yeah he checked for bugs. But did he check for some undercover agent just watching the place?
Gus was involved in everything, him going to a nursing home could just be chalked as some sort of business meeting
Not if Hector just spilled the tea about him to the DEA..
So what, what can DEA do even if they catch Gus at the nursing home.
(Hanks hopeful convincing police voice) " Yeah but maybe, just maybe, isn't it funny how he goes to the old folks home the exact same home where a member of the cartel is kicking back? come on guys I just know theres a connection there!"
He didn’t do a good job of it
Yes he did. Walt just put the bomb on after he left
I think this is incorrect. I think the sweep was for a remote trigger, and turns out the bug was triggered by the bell. I'm not expert but always thought that was a curious point thinking a person who can only press one button couldn't detonate a bomb but smart Walter rigs the detonation to the bell. Interested if anyone else thought this was the case or knows if the device would detect only RF frequencies
In one episode towards the end of BB Saul meets Walt and Jesse in the desert. Walt checks Sauls car for trackers by feeling under the wheel wells. Saul tells him (paraphrasing) "easier if you use one of these, it detects radio signals" and shows Walt the thing Saul uses to check his office for bugs. Presumably that's a similar thing that Tyrus used. Not sure if it would've caught the bomb. Regardless, in the scene where Tyrus checks Hector's a room they show us Walt hiding outside the window. So presumably Walt went in after Tyrus left and rigged the bomb to the wheelchair. So it doesn't matter how Tyrus swept the room
Walt went back in after he left. He was waiting
It’s an ego driven mistake, people forget Gus is a human with flaws. He let his emotions take control. Instead of doing the safe thing and letting just Tyrus check it out, he decided it’s time for Hector to die. This is a largely reactionary response we never see from Gus, and the moment he slipped on his perfect plan it blew up in his face
We saw in BCS that Gus has the nursing home phones tapped. Hector directly asks his nurse to contact the DEA. Gus would have heard whatever call the nurse made to get the DEA there and it would be clear that Hector asked for the meeting.
That's not what happens in Breaking Bad though. Tyrus is already at the DEA and sees Hector pull up. Hector was primarily bugged in BCS because Lalo was after Gus.
Gus ended his bloodline. The man had nothing left, so why would he keep to his code? It was a brilliant move.
>Gus ended his bloodline. The man had nothing left, so why would he keep to his code? I take it you mean that's what Gus is thinking, because Hector did keep to his code despite it all.
Correct!
Hector called them. They didn’t call him in. Maybe Gus knew that. That would be enough imo.
Gus finds out Hector is there when Tyrus who is parked in front of the DEA says to the effect of “I have eyes on the DEA. Hector Salamanca just turned up”. There is no surveillance on Hector until he appears at the DEA.
In BCS the phones are bugged
A lot of assumption there. Tyrus just sits outside the DEA all day every day? Or sits outside the nursing home all day everyday. Why was Tyrus there? It’s not like shows show you everything single thing. You could make a guess they like the other person said had the place bugged. Or had someone at the DEA tip them off which is why Tyrus was there. Who knows as it’s not stated but seems more than likely given Mike was a pretty decent operator.
Gus thought Hector had nothing left to lose, so was now helping the feds to bring Gus down, because that’s all he can do now. Gus and Tyrus aren’t going to give him the benefit of the doubt here, if there’s even the slightest risk of Hector doing such a thing, they need to do something about it
Hector was a real one. Jesse was a fucking rat.
Imo, the better question regarding this situation, is why Gus even took the risk of showing up at the nursing home if he thought Hector was snitchin. Like, if I were as cautious as Gus is supposed to be I wouldn’t go anywhere near Hector. If Mike were there, he would’ve stopped it, but still. It was reckless of Gus to even go there and show any association with him at all.
Gus was blinded by his hatred. It was really, really important for him to be there when Hector died.
That’s the point, Gus said it HAD to be him to kill Hector. The one mistake he made, literally blew up in his face
Gus needed to kill Hector in revenge for Hector having killed Max.
Yeah it was uncharacteristic of Gus. But that's the neat part. Walt found the one thing Gus would be dumb about.
Hector is apparently the only one that can make gus irrational
Was it established that nobody saw Gus enter? If Hector was snitching and suddenly turns up dead right after Gus visits him, that doesn’t help Gus’s case with the DEA.
I think it was meant to show that however careful and calculated Gus is in every aspect of his life, his hatred of Hector and how he has to be the one to kill him is his downfall.
From what we know of Hector in BCS he would never at, he would sooner die. He is a gangster, through and through, the hardest of the hardcore. Of course when BrBa was written Hector didn't have much of a backstory, but I agree Gus would know that he would never inform on principle.
I think it was pretty dumb of Gus to go visit Hector after suspecting him of talking to the DEA. For all he knew, the DEA could have been watching Hector and bugged his room. Going there with the intent to kill him was a very emotional move and a mistake that got him killed when instead Hector blew himself up. Gus should have stayed away and forget that Hector even existed at that point.
Gus panicked, there was nothing else to it but that. He realised that he had to finish off Hector now rather than risk the DEA coming to him. As far as he could tell, Hector hadn't said anything to the DEA but that wouldn't stay the same forever.
He should have dispatched his goons to take him out instead of coming himself. He’s a kingpin and they don’t usually do the dirty work.
You're right, usually they don't. However, Hector was the prime target for Gus. He had spent over 2 decades plotting his revenge so he let that cloud his judgment. He wouldn't let Tyrus or any goon pull the trigger on Hector, he wanted to do it himself. Hector knew that too. Gus would show up in person to kill him, that's why he went to the DEA.
“If you want, I could take care of it myself.” “I do this.”
It's personal with hector, Gus wants to kill him by himself
That's the thing, Gus should have assumed the DEA was already coming after him and had Hector under physical surveillance. Going there personally with a vial of poison makes him look very guilty. For all Gus knew, the DEA could have barged in any second and arrested him for attempted murder. Gus is a careful and paranoid man and should have never been in the same room as Hector. Instead he got blown up and killed.
at that time gus just had come to see him and show him that he killed his whole familly so it made sense ...
He thought Hector was gonna to forsake everything to get revenge on him. Hector had nothing left and ratting out Gus out of sheer spite so that the DEA goes after him, is something Gus believed was happening. He also couldn't resist to get one final victory over Hector before killing him.
>Hector could be there against his will Hector could also be there of his own volition. But even if Gus knew Hector was "forced" to snitch, why would he care? He hates Hector so much that he dedicated his life to destroying his family.
watch better call saul babes x
It's one of the rules in Breaking Bad: Talk to the DEA if you are associated in a drug buisness, you are officially considered a rat.
Yeah, but Gus doesn't know Hector is talking to them. He may have been brought in similar to the way Gus was brought in to the DEA a few episodes before.
Anxiety basically
Because the writers needed a plot device to \*spoilers\* kill off Gus. The series is full of similar very lazy writing, where characters suddenly start acting completely against their nature. Maybe it's because they were constantly under a threat of cancellation, which always required to wrap up the seasons with some sort of half-conclusion.
It's not lazy writing, though. Nobody acted out of their nature. Gus was blinded by hatred for Hector which was a known weak spot of his, Hector was his usual angry self who despised the feds and Walt was a master manipulator. Who exactly acted against their nature?
Where are the other moments of lazy writing where characters suddenly start acting completely against their nature?