Credits. After which we don't get so much as a second's worth of mercy as we're thrust right back in front of the barrel of Jesse's gun as he fires. As I tried to explain last year, Jesse didn't shift the gun to his right; the camera just moved us right into Gale's shoes. BANG, we're dead. Jesse, with red eyes and tears on his face, tries to catch his breath at the sight of what he's done, and he stumbles back out the doorway. After a quick fade to black, the camera starts canvassing Gale's apartment -- remember all the knick-knacks? -- while a neighbor makes the call to the police. All the while, Gale's phone buzzes impotently, with Mike on the other end of the line, trying to warn him. We pan up from a puddle on the kitchen floor to find the tea kettle with a bullet hole in it. ...So did Jesse miss? Maybe grazed Gale and he's still alive? Wounded and out of commission -- certainly unable to serve as Gus's backup plan anymore -- but also unable to finger Jesse for the crime, les he incriminate himself for meth-cooking? Yeah, that would work out nicely for everybody, right? Jesse doesn't have murder on his conscience, Gale gets to keep his silly little life, and nobody gets punished! Come on, Breaking Bad, that season of relatively little soul-scarring horror just writes itself!

Nah, that shit isn't happening. A small crowd of horrified neighbors has gathered in Gale's doorway, and they're soon joined by Victor, whose rescue attempt is too late. Without really thinking about it -- and above Old Man 911's objections -- Victor strides into the apartment to make sure that Gale's really dead. Boy, is he! Shot right below the left eye, his brains blown out onto the carpet behind him. Goodnight, you insufferable brown-noser. Victor strides out into the night and stomps straight into the easiest hunting job he ever got. Because there's Jesse, sitting behind the wheel of his parked car, unable to move. Victor, enraged, puts the gun to Jesse's head and tells him to drive.