How on Earth can Gus tell Lalo is alive in Better Call Saul season 5 saw Gus Fring organize a hit on nemesis, Lalo Salamanca. Predictably, Lalo slipped away - but not before making Gus believe the operation was a huge success. In Better Call Saul's opening one-two hit, the ever-shrewd Lalo realizes there's an advantage in anonymity, and finds himself a body double to convince enemies and authorities alike that he no longer lives. Yet Gus Fring is every bit as pragmatic as Lalo is cunning, and in the absence of irrefutable proof, the chicken man remains skeptical his Salamanca foe is as dead as everyone thinks.
In an attempt to uncover the truth, Gus accompanies Juan Bolsa on a visit to Hector Salamanca's Casa Tranquila care home, looking to pay his not-remotely-genuine respects. As Gus offers condolences to the bell-dinging drug lord, Hector plays along with Lalo's death... despite already receiving a phone call confirming the opposite. Though the meeting appears innocuous to the casual observer, Better Call Saul's very next scene shows Gus calling Mike, stating without a quiver of doubt, "Lalo Salamanca lives..."
Throughout both Better Call Saul season 3, his face remains extremely expressive, and Gus is searching for any visual clue that'll betray Lalo's status. Moreover, Gus knows Lalo is especially close to his uncle (calling out the alphabet so Hector can communicate, for instance). If Lalo is truly dead, Hector won't be able to hide the emotion; if Lalo secretly lives, Hector is the one man he'd confide in.
Gus Fring's sharp instincts pay off big time, as Hector gives away several vital clues. The biggest (and the one that confirms Gus' fears) is the final look Hector shoots as he and Fring shake hands. It's the smug glare of a man who holds the upper hand - certainly not the weepy eyes of a grieving uncle. Hector's sly eyebrow raise is all the confirmation Gus needs of Lalo's survival - but there are other signs too. Fring wears a blatant expression of surprise when Hector Salamanca offers a handshake, and for good reason. If Lalo's death was genuine, Hector would absolutely not be holding out a hand to the man almost certainly responsible. In fact, Hector wouldn't be holding out a hand at all... unless he believed he held the best cards.
Better Call Saul season 6's "Carrot & Stick" speaks to Gus Fring's awesome instincts, not only knowing a visit to Hector Salamanca was the best method of confirming whether the Lalo assassination stuck, but also getting exactly the cues he wanted from their conversation. The sequence spotlights Hector's weaknesses too. Lalo specifically requested his uncle not reveal the hit squad was a failure, but despite a brief attempt at looking sad, the truth is written all over Hector's face. Fortunately for Lalo, the head-start remains in his favor, and Gus must now play catch-up to a dead man with nothing to lose.
Better Call Saul continues Monday on AMC.