Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad is one of the greatest shows to have ever been made for TV. The crime drama starring Bryan Cranston is still nothing short of legendary for its incredible writing and performances. The transformation of an everyman to become a force of chaos and violence is an epic journey and Breaking Bad fulfilled its promises till the very end.
The show’s season 5 episode Ozymandias is largely considered to not only be its best but also one of the best in TV due to its brilliant direction and writing. However, the season 4 finale Face Off takes the second spot for its explosive ending. Actor Giancarlo Esposito, who played Gus Fring, revealed the decisions behind the incredible episode.
Giancarlo Esposito had one request for Vince Gilligan regarding Gus Fring’s death
When Giancarlo Esposito’s Gus Fring first appeared as the manager of Los Pollos Hermanos, little did the world know that he was the main brain behind a huge drug empire. But he seemed to be the perfect antithesis to Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, an agent of chaos who has the talent and the desperation but also a hubris like no other.
Esposito first comes across as an extremely professional businessman to Walt but he becomes a threat when Walt tries to get out of his grasp and not be under his thumb. The season 4 finale Face Off sees Walt try his best to eliminate Gus as a threat and while he almost loses, a masterstroke gets him a victory, and Gus dies a horrific yet dignified death.
The image of a half-burned Gus is one of the most iconic moments in Breaking Bad. The character walks out of a bomb blast with his signature elegance and only then does creator Vince Gilligan reveal that his face is half-burned, after which he dies. Esposito told TV Line,
I said to [series creator] Vince [Gilligan], ‘Look if he’s got to go, let him go big’…Vince wanted to have this ultimate reveal of a half-a-death mask on Gus. It was just an amazing physical moment.
Esposito also mentioned that it took a long time to get the ‘Harvey Dent’ look for the scene right as it was a mix of prosthetics and CGI with the crew of AMC’s other hit series The Walking Dead helping out.
Vince Gilligan reportedly thought hard about killing off Gus Fring in Breaking Bad
While Walter White is his own worst enemy, he has plenty of antagonists in the world of Breaking Bad and Gus Fring was the most dangerous. The well-mannered head of the meth empire had a darker side to him that mirrored that of Walter himself. While he was an incredible villain, the two were so similar that they just couldn’t co-exist together.
Creator Vince Gilligan reportedly mulled over his decision to eliminate Gus Fring in season 4. He said to the NY Times,
We talked for not just hours. We talked for days on end, questioning ourselves and re-questioning ourselves as to, were we doing the right thing. But it just felt like it was time. I was being facetious before when I spoke of ‘Highlander,’ but it really is true. If Gustavo Fring is in Walt’s world, they can never be partners.
He also mentioned that in the show’s journey of Walter White’s Mr. Chips turning to Scarface, Gus’ inclusion and death was an important arc.
Breaking Bad is available to stream on Netflix.
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