Lalo Salamanca's Mysterious Victim: Unraveling the Truth Behind Fred Whalen's Fate
Discover the shocking impact of Fred Whalen's tragic demise at the hands of Lalo Salamanca and how it forever altered the course of Jimmy McGill's journey in Better Call Saul
Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) is arrested and put on trial for the murder of Fred Whalen (James Austin Johnson) during season 5 of Better Call Saul. However, it's easy to forget who exactly Lalo killed and why, as Whalen only appeared in one episode in season 4. Introduced in the episode "Winner," Fred Whalen was an innocent bystander and TravelWire agent who found himself in the crossfire of the war between the Salamanca drug empire and Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Despite having a minor role in season 4, Whalen inadvertently created an opportunity for Fring to remove Lalo from his position in the Salamanca drug empire.
In season 5 of Better Call Saul, Fring uses Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) to frame Lalo for Whalen's murder in the episode "Wexler v. Goodman." This lands Lalo in jail, effectively preventing him from interfering with Fring's drug empire expansion. By assuming the roles of a private investigator and a detective, Mike indirectly provides the police with enough evidence, including a witness statement and a hit-and-run police report, to link Lalo's car to the crime scene on the day of Whalen's murder. Though Whalen's death has lasting consequences for Lalo, their encounter was purely coincidental.
Who Is Fred Whalen & How Did Lalo Kill Him?
In the season 4 episode "Winner," Lalo eliminates Fred Whalen due to his association with the TravelWire office visited by Werner Ziegler. Following Ziegler's escape from Fring's warehouse, Mike traces his whereabouts to the TravelWire office, where he retrieves a money transfer sent by Ziegler's wife in Germany. By posing as a lost family member suffering from dementia, Mike convinces Whalen to show him the surveillance footage of Ziegler's visit, which exposes Ziegler's intention to meet his wife at a hotel.
Lalo, who has been tailing Mike to the TravelWire office, also interrogates Whalen but fails to extract the same information from him. Taking advantage of Whalen's distraction, Lalo infiltrates the front desk by crawling through the ceiling. Although Lalo does not directly kill Whalen on-screen, his lifeless feet imply that Lalo promptly dispatches him with his gun upon entering the area. Whalen's murder is tragic as he was not involved with the cartel; Lalo eliminates him solely as an obstruction to uncovering Fring's operations.
Fred Whalen's Tragic Death Due To Lalo Salamanca Explained
When Whalen grew suspicious of Lalo and refused to provide any further information about Mike or Ziegler's visit, the villainous Lalo decided to forcefully extract the information. He considered Whalen's life inconsequential compared to the opportunity to gain an advantage over Fring. Despite meeting Fring for the first time in the episode "Wiedersehen," Lalo already harbored a deep hatred for him due to the animosity between Fring and his revered uncle, Hector Salamanca. As Whalen was the only obstacle preventing Lalo from potentially acquiring information that could undermine Fring's position in the Juárez Cartel, sacrificing Whalen's life seemed a small price to pay in order to dismantle Fring.
The scene depicting Whalen's death bears similarities to the incident at Hotel Tulipan, a story that Lalo and Hector fondly remember at Casa Tranquila. The events at TravelWire further indicate that Lalo's actions are driven by his respect for his uncle and the influence the Salamanca name holds. During the incident at Hotel Tulipan, Hector tormented the owner and razed the establishment because the man had shown disrespect. In a similar vein, Lalo killed Whalen and set fire to the TravelWire office as a subtle tribute to his uncle's legacy, all because Whalen had disrespected him.
How Fred Whalen's Death Had A Surprising Impact On Better Call Saul's Story
Fred Whalen may have seemed like a minor character with no connection to the Juárez Cartel or Jimmy McGill's law practice. However, his death actually served as the catalyst for Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman in season 5 of Better Call Saul. While Jimmy had previously represented low-level cartel members, being Lalo's lawyer and bagman made him officially associated with the cartel. Jimmy's involvement in Lalo's murder trial and the subsequent events solidified his role beyond just a sideline player.
The series of events that unfolded when Lalo entered TravelWire took Jimmy down a much darker path compared to his previous work with small-time criminals. As the show progressed, Fred Whalen's death gained more significance. Jimmy representing Lalo Salamanca not only brought him closer to the criminal underworld in Albuquerque, but it also made him question his own moral values and the extent to which he would go to protect his own interests. The answers he discovered throughout season 6 played a part in shaping him from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman, the character who eventually crossed paths with Walter White in Breaking Bad.
