Shall we anticpate the AMC series "Breaking Bad"? I think I may.

I was wondering how they officially had Gus's fingerprints on record anyway? Or is it an immigration thing. I know Hank got them off that soda cup but he'd have to have a legit record somewhere?

nope. they used the soda cup.

it's a tv show.

http://nerdmeltla.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/the-more-you-know1.jpg

I think his fingerprints were on a telescope? Can't remember where I got that, though.

What I mean is how come, officially, they'd have had his prints on record to check against? They didn't ask him to give them his prints in connection to this case. (Or did they, that's what I'm asking). He'd know whether they had his prints or not from any criminal record, and if not then it would be clear to him that Hank got them by some 'unofficial' means and it'd get thrown out of court and/or tell him that Hank's gone maverick.
I know they *used* the soda cup and I know it's a TV show, btw.

I just assumed they had all sorts of unidentified prints from Gale's apartment on file (incl. Gus' prints) which Hank compared to the cup.

But there was no way to ID any of those as Gus' prints unless his were on file with some govt agency. Do legal immigrants to the US get fingerprinted?

Nah, they were just going on what Hank had: prints from the cup (which Hank knew belonged to Gus) and the unidentified prints from Gale's apartment (which Hank matched to the prints from the cup). It wouldn't have held up in court, and it's pretty likely cops IRL wouldn't drag in a suspect on something that flimsy, but they weren't arresting him, just asking questions. Gus could have said: "How the hell did you get my prints on file? I want a lawyer!" But that would have been fishy and unlike Gus, especially w/r/t his prior dealings with the DEA. This dude is a major police supporter, not a hostile witness or real suspect -- they want to give him a chance to clear his name and he wants to be as accommodating as possible.

also it's fiction so getting fingerprints off a cup flies. unless you get all ilx about it and overanalyse it all to hell.

I'm pretty sure that cops in real life are legally allowed to obtain prints in exactly the manner that Hank did.

Same with DNA. Wasn't there a scene in the Wire where they offered a dude a glass of water so they could get his DNA off the rim?

not that the Wire = real life, but you know

jim, as I've said and should be obvious, I understand that it's fiction; please stop patronising me. There are lots of minor details in Breaking Bad that come back to bite people in the ass, I was wondering if this was one of them. (There are also lots of major details that are quite sloppy, like the money laundering). I was asking about the details in the actual show, whether they had any bearing or relevance, or whether they'd actually addressed it and I'd missed it.

"Wasn't there a scene in the Wire where they offered a dude a glass of water so they could get his DNA off the rim?"

Weren't they just doing that to claim to the witness that they had his DNA so they could sweat him?

hank matched the prints on the cup to some of the unidentified prints in the apartment. right?

yes, for some reason some people seem to believe that fingerprints voluntarily given by a suspect to a member of law enforcement in the course of an investigation are inadmissable in a court of law.

I think what he's getting at is that if Gus, of all people, was never a suspect, why would Hank even think to match the prints in the apartment to his? They kind of elide over this.

Because Gus owns Pollos Hermanos and why would Gale the vegan go to a chicken restaurant. Also he figured out the part number written on the napkin and connected the shell company that bought the expensive meth making lab equipment with either Gus or Pollos, I don't remember which.

He literally explained the process step by step

OK, say the police tell you your fingerprints were found at a murder scene. They don't ask for your prints at any time. You might wonder how they traced any prints found at the apartment back to you. It doesn't matter how or why anyone decided they *might* be yours - if your prints are not on record, how would they get your name from looking at prints from a murder scene? They would obviously run all prints through the print database, so if you know you're not on this database, you might suspect they had obtained them illegally - especially if they'd been sniffing around your chicken restaurant where something delicious is always cooking - and this might affect how seriously you take being questioned about the crime.

Or, did they genuinely ask for his prints when they brought him in for the informal interview in the most recent episode (I am asking whether I have missed them obviously doing this) - this would still be weird as they claimed the reason they brought him in was because they found his prints etc etc.

I don't think this would affect how Gus acted in the interview (asking to see proof, etc) but in a lot of other shows there's always a big deal made about doing this kind of thing.

name one

is the sneaky sneaky soda cup, with no search/arrest warrant, a legal way to get prints or not? just questioning this, pretty much.

REALLY?

good lord

The first 3 seasons are up on Netflix Instant.

I thought that was just the "Mexico" lens filter

lol totally

gale doffed his proverbial cap to gus iirc

i'm not sure if this was done back in '89 but i can tell you that all legal immigrants get fingerprinted (and photographed) in the US. in fact, they often do it TWICE (maybe even 3 times??).

also, i have pretty much zero familiarity with the spanish language except for whatever i've seen on tv, and still gus' accent sounds totally non-native to my ear.

I thought that was just the "Mexico" lens filter

Thought those scenes took place on Mars.

Huh, Giancarlo Esposito was born in Denmark!

So maybe you are hearing the very, very rare Danish-accented Spanish?

hooooly shit

notwithstanding stunt doubles who looked nothing like the actors in question

so they're breaking up?! :'(

just like they broke up when hank beat up jesse

"Can you walk?"
"...yes..."
"RUN"

and still gus' accent sounds totally non-native to my ear.

haha ALL of the Spanish in this show is hilarious

fuck me but that kind of broke my heart :(

Jesse is otm in beating WW's ass, that dude needs his ass beat some more imo

yeah it's weird now where my sympathies have been transferred so totally towards Jesse and, to an extent, Mike and Gus.

lots of action this ep! walt jr is invisible, no one even pretends holly is there anymore. marie is back in purple, and i'm starting to think that hank really has no clue about walt's involvement.

the fatalism in thie ep did not indicate that there would be a 5th season, between the breakup and the smoking, and the plan with the cartel. it WILL be interesting when they send jesse to mexico, though. i wonder if they will use that ridiculous mexico filter.

They're all animals, so let them lose their souls.

*loved* the dinner scene btwn gus & jesse

fuck walt so much. totally happy for him to get offed and S5 to be The Gustavo Fring Show (starring Mike and Jesse).

also Bob Odenkirk is still in the opening credits but has been barely seen this year :(

Jess is not going to Mexico.

He sure doesn't know how to teach MEXICAN CHEMISTS. His tone of voice during that whole tirade was so great.

Cranston was power-amazing during that too though, just his silhouette conveying that Walt, like a total DICK, wasn't actually listening to a word Jesse said -- about how Jesse was going to Mexico to SAVE WALT'S LIFE and that Gus is the only thing currently PROTECTING WALT'S LIFE -- and was just waiting to snap at him about how smart he, Walt, is, and that Jesse ought to do his damn bidding just because he's a dumb shit who doesn't deserve free will, unlike Walter the genius