Face Off (Breaking Bad)

After failing to kill Gus via a car bomb, Walter removes the bomb and asks Jesse if he knows of a place Gus frequents that does not have security cameras. Before Jesse can think of one, he is then approached by Detectives Kalanchoe and Munn, and taken to the police station, where they proceed to question him about Brock's poisoning. Saul has gone into hiding, so Walter breaks into his office for his help, where Saul's secretary Francesca asks for $25,000 in exchange for Saul's contact information. Walter goes home to retrieve the cash but suspects hitmen may be waiting for him. After asking his neighbor to check on the house, he spots two men fleeing from the backyard, confirming his suspicions. Walter retrieves the money before the hitmen can spot him.

Jesse is interrogated about the ricin, but he claims it was a lucky guess. Having been contacted by Walter, Saul finally arrives. Jesse tells Saul that Gus often visits Hector to taunt him, which Saul relays to Walter. Upon learning that Gus and Hector are longtime enemies, Walter visits Hector and offers him a chance to kill Gus. Hector contacts the DEA and insists upon talking directly to Hank, but at the meeting, Hector just curses at Hank through his interpreter and is quickly returned to the nursing home. Tyrus observes Hector's arrival at the DEA, assumes he is turning informant, and phones Gus, who decides to kill Hector, just as Walt anticipated. Tyrus inspects Hector's room for anything suspicious but finds it safe for Gus' visit, failing to spot Walter just outside. Meanwhile, Jesse is released from police custody after Brock's diagnosis reveals that he was not poisoned by ricin. He is immediately kidnapped by Gus' thugs and brought to the lab to cook the next batch of meth.

Gus enters Hector's room and berates him for supposedly being a coward and asks Hector to finally look at him, which is something Hector had always refused to do during Gus' taunting visits. As Gus prepares to inject Hector with a syringe of poison, Hector finally looks at him for the first time in years; first remorsefully, and then with rage in his eyes before ringing his bell numerous times. At first Gus and Tyrus are confused, but Gus then realizes the bell is connected to the bomb that has been fitted under Hector's wheelchair. The explosion instantly kills Hector and Tyrus. Gus walks out of the room seemingly unharmed and calmly adjusts his tie; the camera pans to show that half his face and scalp have been completely torn off, and he falls to the floor and dies. Walter hears the news of the explosion on the radio and is relieved that his plan has worked. He then heads to the lab, kills Gus' two henchmen stationed there, and frees Jesse. Knowing that Hank is closing in on the lab, Walt and Jesse burn it down.

Later, Jesse tells Walter that Brock will live, and that he was poisoned by lily of the valley berries, which children sometimes eat because of their sweet taste. Although Jesse questions killing Gus, since Gus never poisoned Brock after all, Walter assures Jesse that it had to be done. Walter calls Skyler, who—along with the rest of the family—is learning of the explosion from the news. Skyler asks Walt if he had caused the explosion and what happened, to which Walt replies that he has "won". The season ends with a shot of Walter's backyard, which contains a potted lily of the valley plant, towards which Walter's gun was pointed in the previous episode, implying that he indeed poisoned Brock and expected Jesse to react as he did, turning against Gus instead.

The special effect of Gus Fring's face having been blasted away took months of preparation

The episode was written and directed by series creator Vince Gilligan. It marked Gilligan's final directorial credit on the series before the series finale.

This episode marks the final appearance in the series of Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, and recurring actors Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca and Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt. Esposito, Campbell and Margolis would reprise their respective roles in Breaking Bad's spin-off series Better Call Saul, beginning with the latter show's third and second season respectively.

The plot wrapup was planned by the series' production team since the beginning of the season, partly because they were not certain at the time whether the series was going to be renewed for another season. The visual effect of Gus Fring's massive facial wounds took months to prepare, with assistance from Greg Nicotero and the special effects team from fellow AMC drama The Walking Dead.[3] The effect was produced using elaborate makeup on Giancarlo Esposito's face, combined with computer-generated imagery that combined two separate shots. The episode's title "Face Off" was also meant to be a reference to Gus losing half of his face in the explosion.[4]

The songs playing throughout the episode were "Black" by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi featuring Norah Jones, "Goodbye" by Apparat, and "Freestyle" by Taalbi Brothers.[5] The use of "Black" was included as among the series's greatest musical choices by Complex and Uproxx.[6][7]

• "Face Off" at the official Breaking Bad site
• "Face Off" at IMDb
• "Face Off" at TV.com