There is only so much a undercover cop is allowed to do. White saw Orange take a bullet during a carjacking after still going with White after White killed two cops. After watching Blonde murder clerks. That would be enough to dispel any suspicion from a criminal that Orange was a cop. The others also didn’t suspect him until the very end.
After that White felt a responsibility to Orange. That on top of a bond they had built up. He saw himself as Oranges protector. Who has promised him he would survive. Any suggestion that his care was misplaced angered him, as demonstrated early when Pink shows disdain for Oranges fate and White attacks him.
Also, White was never 100 percent that there was a rat in the first place. He blamed Blonde for the botch. Eddie and Blonde also didn’t suspect a rat thinking it was the clerks. Only Pink was 100 percent on there being a rat but didn’t necessarily suspect Orange more than anybody else.
Ultimately, White thought Eddie and Joe were too deferent to Blonde. He thinks Blonde put all their asses on the line and the Cabots didn’t seem to have a problem with his behavior. His distrust of Blonde made it easier to accept Oranges story that Blonde went into business for himself. He doesn’t have the same receipts of Blondes loyalty that Joe and Eddie do..and their blind eye to Blondes psychotic behavior made him lose respect and trust in them. Probably the downside of having a team caper where nobody knows each other. As far as White is concerned, Blonde is no less a novice than Orange.
White took the revelation that his protection was misplaced with heartbreak and went out killing Orange.
I think if Reservoir Dogs had a post Pulp Fiction QT budget, the White and Orange friendship would’ve been fleshed out more than just a friendly chat in the car, leaving little question to Whites actions.
it’s like if Django was made on the Reservoir Dogs budget, a lot of the character buildup get abandoned and when Schultz shoots Calvin instead of shaking his hand..then that becomes “That part of Django made no sense because all he had to do was shake his hand now he has fucked everybody”…but all the development explains why Schultz ego was so bruised and his disgust for Calvin was so high that he really couldn’t help himself.
This is probably why QT has floated remaking Reservoir Dogs so he can give it the 170 minutes treatment and give the characters more depth, but it’s still a great movie and I have no problem with characters motivation at the end.
