Breaking Bad’s Gus Fring was able to (briefly) walk away after an explosion in Breaking Bad – but how realistic was Gus’ death scene?
Sharp-minded antagonist Gus Fring was killed by a pipe bomb explosion in Breaking Bad season 4, in one of the show’s most shocking and memorable moments. Gus actually managed to briefly walk away before succumbing to his injuries – but just how realistic is that? Here’s our breakdown of Gus’ death scene.
Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) was a thorn in Walter White‘s (Bryan Cranston) side from the very beginning. Gus was a drug kingpin who controlled the distribution in the Southwestern portion of the United States. He used his businesses, primarily Los Pollos Hermanos, as a front for his illegal endeavors. Walt aligned with Gus, producing meth for him at the suggestion of Saul Goodman. Gus cared more about Walt’s skill and quickly arranged to replace him, something that Walt caught wind of. Walt had no choice but to kill Gus, so he cooked up a plan using his rival’s enemy, Hector Salamanca.
After the shock wore off following Gus Fring’s assassination, one of the first questions that fans had was whether it was realistically possible for someone to walk away after suffering injuries similar to the soft-spoken villain. It turns out that, while there’s elements of plausibility in how Gus met his end, the overall way in which it happened definitely took some dramatic license.
How Gustavo Fring Died In Breaking Bad
With a pipe bomb equipped to his wheelchair, Hector carried out the assassination of Gus – but his death wasn’t instantaneous. After the bomb detonated in Hector’s nursing home, Gus walked out of room seemingly unharmed. It wasn’t until the camera panned to his right side that viewers learned that half of Gus’ face was blown off. His right eye socket was empty and the side of his face was bare flesh. He also had wounds all over his right shoulder and hand. Gus still managed to fix his tie before collapsing and dying.
How Breaking Bad Pulled Off Gus’ Iconic Death
To create Gus Fring’s iconic death in Breaking Bad, the show’s crew had to dip into a well it didn’t often make use of: visual effects. While as much as possible was achieved via practical prosthetic make-up appliances attached to Giancarlo Esposito’s face, there was no realistic way to realize the effect they needed without augmenting the practical work with CGI. Similar to Two-Face’s gnarly appearance in The Dark Knight, half of Gus’ face was covered in a layer of CGI enhancement. All in all, the effect is pretty seamless.
Gus Fring’s Death Is Possible (But Not Realistic)
Many medical professionals have provided insight into Gus’ death discussion since the “Face Off” episode aired. It was assumed that Gus was hit by the blast as the result of the explosion, not the bomb itself. Since he heard Hector’s bell and realized the plan, Gus probably turned his body and tried to get out of the way. The blast wave severely injured his right side but it didn’t hit his vital organs, which could explain why Gus Fring’s death in Breaking Bad wasn’t immediate. Much of Gus’ head and face was injured, but his skull was still intact. In real life, it actually is common for people who have suffered severe injuries and trauma to continue motor functions such as walking and talking. After the explosion, Gus would have been in shock, which is why he so calmly walked out of the room. His body wouldn’t have recognized the pain, and the burst of adrenaline would have possibly given him enough time to walk a few steps before his body failed him.
Just because some of what happened to Gus is possible, it doesn’t mean it was realistic to every degree. Even if he didn’t die right away, his death scene was clearly exaggerated. Walking out of the room in complete composure was a way to portray Gus as if he was non-human, and allow the audience to think that perhaps he might have survived before revealing the gruesome remains of his head. To Walt, Gus was almost like a monster he couldn’t get rid of, and even on the brink of death, Gus remained unfazed, which made the situation even creepier. This could be attributed to Breaking Bad showrunner Vince Gilligan prioritizing art over realism, but it made for one unforgettable scene that will go down in Breaking Bad history.
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