# Better Call Saul (Season 3) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2017, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040 "2017-04-08T04:28:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 37
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/721 "2017-05-27T16:46:14Z")
I don’t understand the capsules thing. Nacho shows squat cobbler an ordinary, open, two-piece starch capsule. Then he says he needs the capsules to be empty before they are sealed. What seal? Does he mean the stamps on the capsules? Why can’t he just do that himself? And why indeed do they need to be empty? He’s got to open them and put something inside anyway (the weight difference of empty capsules would be a dead giveaway), so why not just get regular pills? Clearly I’m missing something. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/722 "2017-05-27T17:19:16Z")
Was the ending of ep7 to say that people at these insurance companies are picking up random gossip from clients and using this to set their fees, or cancel policies, for the people gossiped about? ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/723 "2017-05-27T17:34:19Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Was the ending of ep7 to say that people at these insurance companies are picking up random gossip from clients and using this to set their fees, or cancel policies, for the people gossiped about? No, but I bet the insurance company is going to review the transcript of the hearing and base their decisions on that. Remember that the inside counsel at Mesa Verde found and read the transcript and was complimenting Kim on how thoroughly she and Jimmy had destroyed Chuck on the stand. ETA: Jimmy told the insurance agent that “it was all in the transcript”. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/724 "2017-05-27T17:41:18Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I don’t understand the capsules thing. > > Nacho shows squat cobbler an ordinary, open, two-piece starch capsule. > > Then he says he needs the capsules to be empty before they are sealed. What seal? > Does he mean the stamps on the capsules? Why can’t he just do that himself? > > And why indeed do they need to be empty? He’s got to open them and put something inside anyway (the weight difference of empty capsules would be a dead giveaway), so why not just get regular pills? > > Clearly I’m missing something. Nacho is going to poison Hector. He needs to make poisoned capsules that are identical to Hectors cardiac medication. He can’t afford any chance that Hector notices a doctored capsule (I’d be surprised if capsules these days don’t have features that make them very difficult to doctor), so he wants to be able to put the poison into a fresh capsule that can then be sealed. Squat cobbler said he could order the capsules “for R&D purposes”. I assume capsules identical to an existing medication (color and markings) are available for preparing placebos or alternative medicines for double-blind studies. ETA: Mike knows that’s what Nacho wants the capsules for. The opportunity to help kill Hector in a way that Gus or the cartel can’t link back to him is what convinces him to accept the protection job from squat cobbler. He also instructs Nacho to swap the poisoned capsules back out of Hector’s supply after the deed is done, to further reduce the risk of detection. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/725 "2017-05-27T17:45:39Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Nacho is going to poison Hector. Maybe. Or he is just going to fill them with something that does nothing and let nature take its course when Hector goes into his next spasm. Initially I thought maybe he’d even just leave them empty, though that might be risky depending on the weight discrepancy ( some medicinal capsules are heavy, some are surprisingly light ). ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/726 "2017-05-27T19:17:22Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Maybe. Or he is just going to fill them with something that does nothing and let nature take its course when Hector goes into his next spasm. Initially I thought maybe he’d even just leave them empty, though that might be risky depending on the weight discrepancy ( some medicinal capsules are heavy, some are surprisingly light ). Not sure how reliable that would be. I thought the pills were some form of nitroglycerin, used to treat angina. Untreated angina can hurt like hell, but does not necessarily lead to a heart attack. I think Nacho would want something more direct, like a poison that produces symptoms of a heart attack. I don’t think there would be an autopsy, the last thing the cartel would want is someone poking into the death of one of their capos. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/727 "2017-05-27T20:43:23Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I don’t think there would be an autopsy, the last thing the cartel would want is someone poking into the death of one of their capos. And, of course, why would there be an autopsy of someone who is still alive? ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/728 "2017-05-27T21:03:26Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > And, of course, why would there be an autopsy of someone who is still alive? Well, yeah, _we_ know that Hector doesn’t die but Nacho doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/729 "2017-05-27T21:30:49Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Well, yeah, _we_ know that Hector doesn’t die but Nacho doesn’t. It’s got to be something that causes a stroke severe enough that Hector can no longer speak but doesn’t kill him. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/730 "2017-05-27T21:53:45Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > It’s got to be something that causes a stroke severe enough that Hector can no longer speak but doesn’t kill him. I wonder if it is possible to administer something that would make that outcome a likelihood. Something that induces extreme atrial fibrillation? Nacho of course wants Hector dead, but the way Hector ends up is perfect for Gus - he can torment him for the rest of his life. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/731 "2017-05-28T03:59:11Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Nacho is going to poison Hector. He needs to make poisoned capsules that are identical to Hectors cardiac medication. He can’t afford any chance that Hector notices a doctored capsule (I’d be surprised if capsules these days don’t have features that make them very difficult to doctor), so he wants to be able to put the poison into a fresh capsule that can then be sealed. All this matches my current understanding, and I still think it doesn’t make sense. Nacho says the reason he can’t just get a prescription is because he needs to capsules to be empty before they are sealed. _What seal?_ The capsule is an ordinary, openable, two-piece starch capsule. And why does it matter if they are empty or not, when he needs to put something inside anyway? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/732 "2017-05-28T05:46:29Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > No, but I bet the insurance company is going to review the transcript of the hearing and base their decisions on that. Remember that the inside counsel at Mesa Verde found and read the transcript and was complimenting Kim on how thoroughly she and Jimmy had destroyed Chuck on the stand. > > ETA: Jimmy told the insurance agent that “it was all in the transcript”. What decisions? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/733 "2017-05-28T05:52:39Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > All this matches my current understanding, and I still think it doesn’t make sense. > > Nacho says the reason he can’t just get a prescription is because he needs to capsules to be empty before they are sealed. _What seal?_ The capsule is an ordinary, openable, two-piece starch capsule. And why does it matter if they are empty or not, when he needs to put something inside anyway? Hmmm…good point. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/734 "2017-05-28T06:40:07Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Hmmm…good point. ☹ Perhaps sealed in the blister pack Hector or someone gets them from? ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/735 "2017-05-28T11:58:53Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > What decisions? Regarding Chuck’s policy. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/736 "2017-05-28T13:10:59Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Perhaps sealed in the blister pack Hector or someone gets them from? We haven’t seen Hector use a blister pack. We’ve seen him get his heart medication from a bottle. My question is, couldn’t Nacho use a poison that’s potent enough to fit a deadly dose into a single pill? Nacho might have to wait a bit for Hector to take that one poisoned pill, but there would be no need to get any leftover poisoned caplets back afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/737 "2017-05-28T14:14:27Z")
Again, we know it’s not a deadly dose. Come to think of it, it would be funny if the pill doesn’t play into it at all. Maybe Hector gets disabled through different means. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/738 "2017-05-28T14:52:52Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I wonder if it is possible to administer something that would make that outcome a likelihood. Something that induces extreme atrial fibrillation? Nacho of course wants Hector dead, but the way Hector ends up is perfect for Gus - he can torment him for the rest of his life. There are drugs that can increase blood pressure, which could very well cause a stroke if they were used when Hector is already agitated about something. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/739 "2017-05-28T15:05:01Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Nacho says the reason he can’t just get a prescription is because he needs to capsules to be empty before they are sealed. _What seal?_ The capsule is an ordinary, openable, two-piece starch capsule. And why does it matter if they are empty or not, when he needs to put something inside anyway? Most modern prescription capsules are indeed ‘sealed’ these days. They can be opened with a twist, but there is resistance and you can generally feel a ‘snap’ when doing so. Sometimes there’s a spot on the capsule, a small round hole by the seam, where you can see a change after the ‘snap’. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040/740 "2017-05-28T16:06:43Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > We haven’t seen Hector use a blister pack. We’ve seen him get his heart medication from a bottle. > > My question is, couldn’t Nacho use a poison that’s potent enough to fit a deadly dose into a single pill? Nacho might have to wait a bit for Hector to take that one poisoned pill, but there would be no need to get any leftover poisoned caplets back afterwards. Ricin, for example. However, Nacho is no Walter White. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040.md?page=36) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-3/784040.md?page=38)