It's not even really "undermining" as such, it's this kind of weird demeaning dismissal of the guy, he seriously doesn't seem to have had a good word to say about him since CoE aired, and considering the way he gushes over his actors usually, even people he's killed off like Naoko and Burn, it just seems really petty and off.

Way to fuel those "Gareth wouldn't blow you so you killed him off" rumours there, Rusty. Not that those rumours exist, obviously. But if they did, you know. Way to make them ring true. Not that they do. Exist. Of course.