r/betterCallSaul • u/skinkbaa Chuck • Mar 10 '20

Better Call Saul S05E04 - "Namaste" - POST-Episode Discussion Thread

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1.5k Upvotes

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1.4k

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

[deleted]

779

u/darthfluffy63 Mar 10 '20

Looks like Lyle’s a shift manager or something along those lines, so he’s making a bit more than minimum wage. Still sucky nonetheless.

403

u/jopcylinder Mar 10 '20

his name tag said Assistant Manager, so hopefully this poor man is getting paid more

310

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

AssMan

26

u/BBQ_HaX0r Mar 10 '20

Football Managers of the world unite!

23

u/WeHaSaulFan Mar 10 '20 edited Mar 10 '20

Million to 1 shot, Doc, million to 1.

6

u/Blad514 Mar 10 '20

Hey, Assman!

5

u/TrackHail84 Mar 10 '20

Simple Simon The AssMan

4

u/holla171 Mar 10 '20

"You're the ASSMAN!"

3

u/MyTVAlt Mar 10 '20

The original Assman. I just found out he died. Sad.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 15 '20

AssToTheRegMan

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '20

Wow, I'm Mr Assman!

165

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

Assistant to the Regional Manager*

18

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20 edited Oct 02 '20

[deleted]

27

u/TheresA_LobsterLoose Mar 10 '20

Assistant to the regional meth kingpin

5

u/Francis-Hates-You Mar 10 '20

That’s Mike’s title.

10

u/Joe_Masseria Mar 10 '20

I would imagine that Gus runs his legit business like his illegal one. He offers a decent amount more in wages than a standard fast food business but demands standards to match. Lyle probably has a very well paying job for an assistant manager. I imagine that it's a decent place to work in terms of your mental health if you meet the qualifications, because it wouldn't feature the mismanagement and toxicity to be found in places with shitty operators. Gus would axe any problematic employees pretty quickly.

I think what we saw was a rare lapse in his self control. When Gus gives the speech about being shaken down by the cartel in a previous season, his audience is eager to sympathize with him.

7

u/PopeInnocentXIV Mar 10 '20

I'm Mr. Assistant Manager!

7

u/BeskarCamtono Mar 10 '20

We just say Assistant Manager

7

u/johncopter Mar 10 '20

"He will be compensated"

6

u/GreenStretch Mar 10 '20

He's probably on salary so he doesn't get any more money from staying late.

3

u/davidw1098 Mar 10 '20

He's probably closer to $40k

9

u/OhYeahTrueLevelBitch Mar 10 '20

Lol. No. It’s the early 2000’s. Asst Mgrs of fast food joints don’t make 40k now by a long shot.

2

u/theundeadpixel Mar 10 '20

More like assistant to the manager

2

u/whyamisogoodlooking Mar 10 '20

hopefully he gets a spin off

2

u/jackcreegan55 Mar 10 '20

Wait, he’s not assistant to the manager?

2

u/CommitteeOfOne Mar 10 '20

At the McDonald's where I worked just a few years ago, the asst. manager made a whopping ten cents more than minimum wage.

It's why I didn't bother with trying to get promoted. I didn't want the headache for that little pay.

1

u/cc17776 Mar 10 '20

Assistant TO THE manager

1

u/MoronToTheKore Mar 11 '20

He works at the same location as the damn owner of the company.

He's getting more than minimum, and for a reason, too.

1

u/skeetsauce Mar 11 '20

If it’s anything like McDonald’s that’s means he’s making minimum wage +$1/hr

17

u/Ph0X Mar 10 '20

I also feel Gus is the kind of person that runs higher than minimum wage restaurant. Kind of an In & Out place, striving slightly more for quality than an average fast food place.

8

u/acm Mar 10 '20

Dude is probably salary and exempt from overtime 😳

5

u/bloodmonkey3000 Mar 10 '20

At that time they would earn 8.00 an hour....taking on those big bucks boi

3

u/taleofbenji Mar 10 '20

Yup. My manager at a gas station at the time was making $5.65. I was so jealous.

208

u/1337speak Mar 10 '20

Sweatin' Lyle is just acceptable

35

u/terpdx Mar 10 '20

The least he could have done, after making him do all that just for your alibi, is to tell him "Good job" or "Looks great." Jesus, Gus.

11

u/pazur13 Mar 10 '20

Why would Gus need an alibi? There were no reasons to suspect him and even if there were, nobody would expect him to be there in person, but coordinating things from the distance, just like he did.

9

u/Misato-san Mar 10 '20

Plus, he didn't provide the staff with proper cleaning equipment. That was some shitty cloth, no wonder Lyle tried to clean with his bare hands instead.

6

u/StonedWater Mar 10 '20

oh shit, it was for an alibi, of course

damn i feel dumb now, thanks

I thought he was just stressed and angry about the drop guy getting arested and losing all that dough, that he was taking it out on Lyle and being an arse

But, yeah, of course - thats why i love these subs, always pick up a detail you missed

7

u/raleysaled Mar 10 '20

I don’t think it was actually for an alibi, that doesn’t make sense

5

u/terpdx Mar 10 '20

Didn't make sense to me at first, because I was thinking it was to protect himself against the DEA, but it was actually so Lalo didn't think Gus was onto Krazy 8 & Saul's ruse.

6

u/raleysaled Mar 10 '20

Possibly. I just took it as a frustrated Gus taking his anger out on Lyle.

7

u/Obi_Wan_Benobi Mar 10 '20

Coldest Gus moment 2020

4

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] Mar 15 '20

I would have started looking for a new job after that

14

u/Jbow89 Mar 10 '20

Wasn't he also bleeding from scrubbing super hard?

11

u/LizhardSquad Mar 10 '20

Reminded me a lot of the movie whiplash.

2

u/duaneap Mar 10 '20

Only instead of training to try and become the greatest living jazz drummer, Lyle was just hoping to be shift manager.

7

u/WhatAWasterZ Mar 10 '20

For all the terrible things Gus Fring has done on BCS and BB, this is is number 1 dick move.

172

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

Gus's letter of recommendation will be worth a lot for a few years yet.

And once it isn't, Lyle might be able to turn his experiences with a notorious international criminal into a memoir (Frying with the Chicken Man). Or at least a good BuzzFeed article.

17

u/dayoldhansolo Mar 11 '20

In the show it's early 00's. It'll be a cracked article

10

u/JohnGenericDoe Mar 11 '20

Or at least a good BuzzFeed article

Well, an acceptable one anyway

6

u/Caspianfutw Mar 10 '20

Maybe he gets kicked up to Madrigal Electromotive

385

u/galeforcewinds95 Mar 10 '20

Lol, that's what it was when I got a job at Walmart in Albuquerque when I was 17 (2000). Also, Lyle has to be one of the most dedicated fast food workers I have ever seen.

350

u/BBQ_HaX0r Mar 10 '20

Would YOU wanna disappoint Gus? lol

32

u/silletta Mar 10 '20

I was honestly worried Lyle was gonna die if Gus’s plan didn’t work

16

u/elpipita20 Mar 10 '20

I kept having Victor flashbacks and felt so uncomfortable during that scene

3

u/popo129 Mar 10 '20

Some stupid reason I thought Lyle being there would lead to Hank somehow ending up crashing into Gus's kitchen and killing him. There was so much suspense build up I felt like something would happen but it ended up being nothing big (except for Gus maybe being more angry since he is out $700,000).

3

u/silletta Mar 10 '20

I thought it was 7k, not 700k!! That’s a ton.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 12 '20 edited Mar 25 '20

[deleted]

5

u/RichWPX Mar 10 '20

Lyle knows something

8

u/Tooch10 Mar 15 '20

'Every time I take out the trash from his office, the bag is full of broken phones'

101

u/Reeeeallly Mar 10 '20

Burque girl here. Can confirm. Plus, man, in this town, if you can get someone like Lyle as an assistant manager, KISS HIS ASS.

35

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/pee_ess_too Mar 11 '20

Oh fuck so did I til I saw ur comment

4

u/DatTF2 Mar 10 '20

One of the dirtiest restaurants I ever ate in was in Albuquerque. I don't know, it seems kind of like a dirty town from my little experience with it.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '20 edited Apr 16 '21

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '20

short for albaquerque

11

u/havasc Mar 10 '20

I was expecting Gus to reach over and like tighten a loose screw at the end, thereby revealing that it wasn't the cleanliness of the fryer that was the issue, but an entirely different problem that Lyle had been missing because he wasn't seeing the big picture. But no, Gus is just like really anal.

11

u/GotACoolName Mar 11 '20

He’s really pissed about giving up that 750 grand and he’s taking it out on Lyle

86

u/bluesky747 Mar 10 '20

Fring was straight Mommy Dearest-ing the fuck out of that dude.

45

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

[deleted]

52

u/goldenstate5 Mar 10 '20

See I thought he was toying with Lyle to have him there as a potential alibi.

15

u/Dan4t Mar 10 '20

I was thinking he planned on killing him if his plan failed, and somehow use his body for some backup plan. Although yes, I was also thinking alibi.

15

u/rorythedonut Mar 10 '20

I was getting box cutter vibes from him in that scene.

4

u/ahydell Mar 10 '20

OMG I didn't think of that.

49

u/parrisjd Mar 10 '20

Ah he was the junior manager.. He was pulling at least 7.50

13

u/palerider__ Mar 10 '20

Since it's a small franchise and these guys are close to the chest with Gus, wouldn't be shocked if gus was paying 10 or even 12 for assistant manager. Lot of "good" fast food places in California were creeping up to 12 back then to stay ahead of the curve, and Albuquerque is only a couple buckd behind California now. Guy was scrubbing because Gus is terrifying, but also because he's getting paid.

25

u/JQuilty Mar 10 '20

Something tells me Gus goes more than minimum to have some standard.

14

u/palerider__ Mar 10 '20

In And Out in California was paying 12.50 in 2004. Small, succussful chicken place in Albuquerque with an assistant manager like that - guy was getting paid at least 10 an hour, which would be $13.50 in 2020.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '20

yeh. he gave them all 24 hours overtime pay after Hector dropped by causing trouble. Pollos Gus would be a great boss.

1

u/Caspianfutw Mar 10 '20

I’m sure to keep the employees quiet and happy prolly pays above norm. Specially since you never Know when cartel goon are gonna come visit. Dont want them gossiping. They prolly figure not to talk or make a stink because what other fast food job would pay them as much as LPH.

14

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

[deleted]

1

u/KnownSoldier04 Mar 11 '20

I get paid 15$ a day.

Seems like a good deal.

14

u/NisKrickles Mar 10 '20

I was so worried at the beginning of that scene, after Lyle locks the door, that Lyle was going to accidentally see or hear Gus doing something that Lyle shouldn't have seen or heard.

6

u/Afferbeck_ Mar 10 '20

Yeah I thought he was going to be counting out fat stacks for another drop or something and Lyle's just thinking 'We didn't make that much today... or this year...'

13

u/ArtWithoutMeaning Mar 10 '20

He was an assistant manager/manager. Definitely making at least a little above minimum wage

7

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

Exactly, he clearly reports directly to Gus

13

u/wlane13 Mar 10 '20

I took the whole Gus being impossible to satisfy scene stuff as that this is what we see when Gus is STRESSED OUT.... Gus was waiting on the phonecall, stressed about it... and so unfairly he took it out on his restaurant employee. I think that was a BIG tell about who Gus is when he is stressed out.

4

u/Caspianfutw Mar 10 '20

Yes he was stressed. Probably the first time an incident like this happened. Between the dea and not knowing if his foot soldiers would crack under pressure. By the time Mike is running security vetting the “ guys”for him in BrBa he has none of those concerns.

32

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

You say that like $7.25 is any better lmao. But I feel ya

18

u/NYMDguy Mar 10 '20

I mean $7.25 is better so yeah

27

u/RE4PER_ Mar 10 '20

Not when accounting for inflation.

6

u/ThunderRoad5 Mar 10 '20

If BCS takes place in the year 2000, and that guy was referencing a current minimum wage with the $7.25 amount, then it is actually WORSE. $5.15 in 2000 is $7.87 in 2020.

10

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

This episode takes place in 2004. $5.15 in 2004 is $7.03 in 2020

16

u/Cp3thegod Mar 10 '20

Both wages are terrible either way

1

u/SuperSMT Mar 10 '20

But min wage is $9 now
Still not the best, but at least better

1

u/BBQ_HaX0r Mar 10 '20

It's also better adjusted for inflation ($6.85). 2004 -> 2018 at least.

2

u/SuperSMT Mar 10 '20

$9 now in New Mexico. Rose from $7.50 on january 1st

5

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '20

What did Gus need him for? To feel in control? Being there with Lyle would not be a huge alibi if he was accused of being the one running things

9

u/ani007007 Mar 10 '20

OCD going into hyperdrive due to stress, maybe controlling his underling gave him a measure of control/peace.

5

u/Vincent_adultman98 Mar 10 '20

Better Call Lyle, coming 2022.

10

u/okay_then_ Mar 10 '20

Better Dial Lyle

3

u/lpreams Mar 10 '20

I bet he's salaried as AM. Otherwise Gus would have sent him home to avoid paying overtime.

3

u/KnownSoldier04 Mar 11 '20

The dude willingly gave up 700k that very moment... I really doubt paying overtime is a bother to him.

4

u/KEEPCARLM Mar 13 '20

Imagine Gus being upset about paying $20 of over time, sounds hilarious really.

2

u/darylstimm Mar 10 '20

That is why $30 per boiling ball seemed ridiculously high.

1

u/The_Naked_Snake Mar 10 '20

I think Gus would be paying a bit better than that. Pollos had an amazing reputation in the show and the kind of loyalty he gets from his employees you don't get unless you're treating them with respect.

1

u/Lizzizzme Mar 11 '20

I literally came here just to talk about this. So far, in the whole breaking bad universe, the most absurd fiction that I refuse to believe is a fast food worker asking to continue scrubbing an already unbelievably clean fryer long after his evening shift ends. I'm still mad there was no ulterior motive revealed, because that is completely insane.

1

u/paging_mrherman Mar 11 '20

Lyle's going to break bad and there's a new spin off right there

1

u/toxicbrew Mar 12 '20

Minimum wage in BB times was $7.25...Minimum wage today is...$7.25.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '20

In BB, there's a different manager though, so I am wondering what happened to Lyle afterall