Nice observations, like usual. I am wondering if the boxing match was a trap by Howard, or a misstep that Jimmy will now capitalize on somehow (does he accuse Howard of assault now? May be far-fetched, but maybe he bribes the one witness that was there?). I was pretty bored with the whole Howard angle, but now it's beginning to get fun because you don't know who has the upper hand just yet and/or who is making missteps.
I'm not sure how I feel about Gus hiding the gun in the future lab. At first I was a bit annoyed by it -- seemed way too convenient, from a writing standpoint. Then again, the writers have always gone out of their way (including in this episode) to paint Gus as a meticulous son of a gun, so perhaps it isn't that far fetched to assume he'd stash a gun there on a whim. Maybe now, Gus will somehow lead Lalo to the lab, unbeknownst to Lalo. Gus knows that he needs to get the upper hand before Lalo does; what better way to do that than to lead Lalo to the trap himself?
As for Howard.. you are right- Howard was a vanilla stick up his ass self righteous rich boy for most of the run... a side character I didnt much care about and thought would eventually fade out.
But there is some shit going down with him eventually. he is all of a sudden a huge wildcard.
I know they were struggling for cash when Charles wanted to leave- they mentioned it decimating the firm and Howard putting it out from his own pocket.
I am half ass wondering if Jimmies share of the sandpiper settlement is really weighing on Howards mind as a big obstacle.
Or maybe, just maybe, Howard was trying to be the nice guy- hoping the fight would be cathartic.
For a while I thought Howards role would be as simple as shutting Jimmy out of "classy litigation" and relegating him to the ambulance chaser he became, but howard seems to be standing on thin ice sticking his nose in to Jimmies life.
I wonder if Lalo will shadow the guys shadowing saul and kim and find Howards P.I. in the process, leading Lalo to take out Howard because he "knows too much".
Whatever it is, they are setting up a huge interconnected web where anyone and everyone can collide at multiple points, and they have done a great job of keeping us guessing.
Lalo, saul, Mike, Fring, the state prosecutor, the detective following up on the western union guys murder... they can all collide at any second orbiting Saul.
As for Fring and the gun-
Here is what my guess is.
Fring is convinced Lalo is alive. Fring knows there are loose ends. The 2 that stick out in his head are the construction guys and the tunnel.
The tunnel has to come up somewhere. Wherever that is, there are also loose ends on the other side- building owner, workers, delivery people.
Fring is creating a failsafe. IF lalo finds out.... IF lalo somehow gets the jump on his protection, IF lalo somehow gets a gun to Frings head, The secret lab is the final bargaining chip.
He tells Lalo what it is(or lalo knows and wants to see). Lalo of course will see what kind of money that means. Perhaps he offers Lalo a partnership. Fring also has a pet Meth cook in Gale Bedecker. a turn key operation.
At that point, Fring can waste Lalo when they go there.
Lalo is as smart and crafty as they come... I bet Fring knows his curiosity is so great that there is zero chance Lalo kills him out of the blue before finding out what Frings plan is.
I think he know that he can exploit that and get Lalo down there if all his other planning fails, Because Lalo is a money hungry, power hungry fiend Just like Hector but smarter.
The bait of a turn key well guarded meth lab under his control will be too tempting to pass up, and Fring is his only path to getting his hands on it.
