Movies & TV Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for movie and TV enthusiasts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Breaking Bad S02E11 started with a scene where a small child is wandering around Combo (the drug dealer). Then some bullies stopped by Combo in a car and stared at him, he got scared and called his friend (Skinny Pete) for help and then that innocent looking child on a bicycle shot him.
My question is that when those bullies could have killed him themselves why did they hire a small child?
It was an initiation ritual. The kid (Tomas) wanted to become part of the gang, and they wanted to make sure that he would be someone they could use. So they asked him to prove himself by killing Combo, which he did.
Season 3 spoilers ahead
This fact was revealed to Jesse by Tomas's sister Andrea in Season 3 Episode 11.
There is an interpretation that is consistent with the way many drug dealers behave (at least in many portrayals).
The normal process of selling a drug involves the dealers collecting the money. But they don't want to get caught in possession of any contraband. So they take the cash and then signal someone else, usually someone more innocent, to make the delivery to the punter. I'm sure this setup is also seen elsewhere in Breaking Bad.
The situation with the shooting of Combo at least partially parallels this. The actual bad guys don't want to get caught in the act of selling or committing acts of violence. So they get less suspicious-looking underlings to do the dirty work for them. It might also be that Combo would be less wary about being approached by a child, making the shooting easier for the child to do (he can get nearer to Combo without suspicion).
