# Breaking Bad 4.01 "Box Cutter" 7/17 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359 "2011-07-17T17:50:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/101 "2011-07-18T22:04:04Z")
> [@kenetic](#): > > You know, a whole spin-off series about Gus’ brutal rise to power within Los Pollos Hermanos would be awesome. They could call it _Breaking Bread_. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/102 "2011-07-18T22:24:51Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > They could call it _Breaking Bread_. No, no, no, _Beaking Bad_ ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/103 "2011-07-18T22:30:08Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I’m wondering how they’re going to document all the money they’re currently using to pay those medical bills. I don’t get that part; Hank is a federal employee, I would think they would have a pretty comprehensive health insurance program; I would be surprised if there was any deductible at all, especially since he was injured on the job. What bills are there for him to pay? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/104 "2011-07-18T22:30:59Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > Gus was going to kill someone. It wasn’t going to be Walt or Jesse. Mike? No way; he did nothing wrong. Well, although killing Mike probably wouldn’t have been a good move, he certainly DID do something wrong. In fact, the whole mess was pretty much his fault! Gus ordered Mike to kill Walt. He doesn’t kill Walt. Instead, what does he do? He allows Walt to make a phone call that completely botched the whole plan. Granted, it would have been difficult for Mike to predict that Walt would have been ready and willing to eliminate Gale, but still, if he had just killed Walt as he was told, none of that mess would have happened in the first place. > [@kenetic](#): > > I agree. Victor was overstepping his bounds. What was he doing learning the process anyways? That wasn’t his job. Gus had to respond. The way I remember it, it seemed that Victor was under orders to keep a close eye on the lab once Jesse came back after Gale was ousted. While we never saw any specific orders to learn the recipe, it sure seemed that Victor was making a concerted effort to do so while he played a much more active role in the whole operation. With no one else around to try to learn the procedure after Gale left, it seems reasonable to assume that Gus could have instructed Victor to learn as much as he could. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/105 "2011-07-18T22:35:26Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I don’t get that part; Hank is a federal employee, I would think they would have a pretty comprehensive health insurance program; I would be surprised if there was any deductible at all, especially since he was injured on the job. What bills are there for him to pay? As I remember, his insurance would only cover a few physical therapy appointments and so Walt and Skyler are paying for additional PT sessions. But I would hope that a federal law enforcement officer injured in the line of duty would not have to worry about any expenses related to his treatment. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/106 "2011-07-18T22:39:06Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > As I remember, his insurance would only cover a few physical therapy appointments and so Walt and Skyler are paying for additional PT sessions. But I would hope that a federal law enforcement officer injured in the line of duty would not have to worry about any expenses related to his treatment. IIRC besides only covering a limited number of sessions, Hank’s plan only allowed for certain therapists who weren’t the best available. I’m sure they were perfectly fine, but Marie wanted the best. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/107 "2011-07-18T22:42:04Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I don’t get that part; Hank is a federal employee, I would think they would have a pretty comprehensive health insurance program; I would be surprised if there was any deductible at all, especially since he was injured on the job. What bills are there for him to pay? He was off the clock when it happened. IIRC he was walking out of the grocery store and I believe workers comp got out of it that way so this would all be on his regular health insurance. Beyond that, hadn’t something just changed recently with his job? Something about a move, but he wanted to stay with this case, or they promoted him or something along those lines they may have changed his insurance policy. But no, he wasn’t on the job when it happened…it was _related_ to the job, but as long he wasn’t on the clock, worker’s comp didn’t pay out. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/108 "2011-07-18T22:47:04Z")
Hank was on suspension for beating up Jesse. Remember, they took away his gun. (and his badge?) But I have no idea how that would affect his insurance or workman’s comp. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/109 "2011-07-18T22:51:57Z")
However much they want to kill Walt, Gus and Mike have to be at least a little impressed by his killing Gale. I wonder if this is going to be evident in the coming episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/110 "2011-07-18T23:16:16Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Gale uses his new box cutter to open the shipped cooking equipment. > > Fringe asks him if he has everything he needs, Gale replies he needs Walter to make quality, Fringe gets Walter with reservations, Walter has reservations but convinces Fringe to get Jesse, Jesse kills Gale, Fringe’s goon watched Jesse and can now cook replacing Gale. > > Fringe kills goon with box cutter. On the exact spot it was first used. > The writers on this show are masters. Who the hell is Fringe? Gus? Why not just call him Gus, as everyone else in this thread does? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/111 "2011-07-18T23:19:24Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > There were scenes involving Skyler that could’ve been trimmed. Sure, show that she was looking for Walt, but was it really necessary? In the past Walt had been away for a week or more and we didn’t see any scenes of his family’s activities. I think the Skyler scenes were just a way to re-introduce the other characters (Marie, Hank, Saul, Walt Jr.) in the season premier. And I guess that justifies the Skyler scenes, but it bogged down the flow of the episode. I found her scenes interesting because it’s showing her continued slide toward being dishonest in her own ways. She put on a production for the locksmith in order to essentially break into a home that is not hers. She is no longer the innocent that she was in Season 1 and she is continuing down the path she was on in Season 3. I think this is foreshadowing a deeper involvement in Walt’s criminal activities this season. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > I don’t see Victor at the scene as the reason. Like he said, he was just another looky-loo. How is that suspicious? His actions were far more suspicious, though. First off, one of the first things the police are going to do is check Gale’s cell phone and see that Victor was repeatedly calling him while he is getting killed. Then he pushes through the other bystanders and walks into the apartment, then leaves quickly. And finally, he left his car there when he made Jesse drive off. All of that taken together would be very suspicious and he would at least be questioned. Gus can’t allow him to be even peripherally involved in the investigation, even if he’s cleared. It’s easier for him to just be gone. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/112 "2011-07-18T23:23:11Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I found her scenes interesting because it’s showing her continued slide toward being dishonest in her own ways. She put on a production for the locksmith in order to essentially break into a home that is not hers. She is no longer the innocent that she was in Season 1 and she is continuing down the path she was on in Season 3. Her ploy to get into Walt’s house mirrored (almost exactly) the ploy she used to get out of being prosecuted for theft when she tried to return Marie’s baby shower gift in S1. > [@](#): > > First off, one of the first things the police are going to do is check Gale’s cell phone and see that Victor was repeatedly calling him while he is getting killed. There’s no way Victor or Mike or anybody involved in Gus’ operation aren’t using disposable cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/113 "2011-07-18T23:24:30Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Depending on the ending, it could be similar to Scarface. In this country, you gotta make the french fries first. Then when you get the french fries, you get the chicken. Then when you get the chicken, then you get the women. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/114 "2011-07-18T23:29:14Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > His actions were far more suspicious, though. First off, one of the first things the police are going to do is check Gale’s cell phone and see that Victor was repeatedly calling him while he is getting killed. Then he pushes through the other bystanders and walks into the apartment, then leaves quickly. And finally, he left his car there when he made Jesse drive off. All of that taken together would be very suspicious and he would at least be questioned. Gus can’t allow him to be even peripherally involved in the investigation, even if he’s cleared. It’s easier for him to just be gone. It was actually Mike that called over and over again, so that’s still a loose end. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/115 "2011-07-18T23:29:38Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Who the hell is Fringe? Gus? Why not just call him Gus, as everyone else in this thread does? He’s misspelling his last name, “Fring”. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/116 "2011-07-18T23:36:53Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Hank was on suspension for beating up Jesse. Remember, they took away his gun. (and his badge?) But I have no idea how that would affect his insurance or workman’s comp. At least in Wisconsin, you have to be injured on the job to be covered by workers comp. Which sucks for Hank because worker’s comp is typically much much better coverage. He would have been reimbursed for everything and probably been given a hefty disability payment for his time off and for the pay cut he’ll probably take if he does go back to work. As for the health insurance, I don’t remember the specifics, but I’ll take Dewey’s word for it for the moment. ---
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/117 "2011-07-18T23:37:42Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > If I were Saul I think I’d have kept looking for bodyguards. That guy’s massive but more in a “coronary event looking for a time and place” way than “I will fuck you up” kind of way. A 120 pound karate student could probably make short work of him. 1.) That bodyguard was played by the very funny comedian Lavell Crawford. 2.) Have you ever been around a 400+ pound guy when he’s in a rage? I’m a pretty small guy and I assure you that it’s sufficiently terrifying. 3.) Karate chops and punches are great but the ability to rocket someone into the concrete at Mach 1 will do the job just the same. 4.) Big bodyguards are a deterrent more than anything. 5.) If all else fails, pistol. This show is incredible. It has surpassed The Sopranos as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/118 "2011-07-18T23:47:09Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > From [a Grantland.com interview with Vince Gilligan](http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/30856/breaking-bad-creator-vince-gilligan-on-last-nights-season-premiere) Thanks for this, straight from the series creator himself. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/119 "2011-07-18T23:49:39Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > It was actually Mike that called over and over again, so that’s still a loose end. In past shows, they showed how the characters were smart enough to use throwaway phones. Use it once, toss it. So I don’t think that any calls will be traced to Mike or Gus. The lab book … that’s a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359/120 "2011-07-18T23:58:34Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > In past shows, they showed how the characters were smart enough to use throwaway phones. Use it once, toss it. So I don’t think that any calls will be traced to Mike or Gus. The lab book … that’s a different story. Did they show him using the lab book for anything or was this the first time we’ve seen it? This show hasn’t made a lot of use of red herrings, but to the best of my knowledge, Gale didn’t take his work home with him and I think he’d be smart enough not to keep that stuff lying around. But like I said, this show hasn’t been big on the red herrings, so I have to assume it is what it implied it is as opposed to something from his pre meth-cook days or maybe a side project he was working on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-01-box-cutter-7-17/589359.md?page=7)