End Times

Lore & Background

The narrative centers on the escalating war between Walter White and Gus Fring. After receiving a warning from Saul Goodman about a cartel threat against Hank Schrader, the DEA dispatches agents to protect him and Marie. The White family is moved to the Schrader household, though Walt stays behind at his own home. Hank deduces his investigation of Gus is the cause and asks Steven Gomez to search the industrial laundromat where Jesse Pinkman and Tyrus Kitt are hidden in a meth lab below. Gomez finds nothing. Meanwhile, Gus implies to Jesse that Walter must die, but Jesse refuses to cook without him. Saul reveals to Jesse that Gus threatened Walter's family in the desert, a revelation that shocks Jesse. The tension peaks when Jesse discovers his ricin cigarette is missing and assumes Brock Cantillo ingested it.

In Their Own Story

Jesse confronts a paranoid Walt at the Whites' house, grabbing his gun and accusing him of poisoning Brock out of spite. Walt argues that Gus framed him to manipulate Jesse into killing Walter, speculating that Tyrus stole the cigarette from Jesse's locker and poisoned Brock using knowledge gained from lab cameras. Citing Gus's history with Tomás Cantillo, Walt convinces Jesse he is innocent. The two team up to kill Gus. While Jesse visits the hospital daily, Andrea forbids him entry after he mentions ricin. Jesse refuses to leave, ruining a meth cook, and demands Gus come in person. When Gus arrives, Walt plants a homemade bomb under his car and watches from a rooftop. Gus allows Jesse a week off but senses something is amiss before returning to the car. He leaves the area, leaving Walter distraught over missing his chance to detonate the device.

Reader's Guide

To understand End Times, follow the sequence of protection, discovery, and failed assassination. The episode begins with the DEA guarding Hank's home after Saul Goodman issues a warning about cartel targeting. Walt stays behind at his house while the rest of the family moves for safety. Jesse Pinkman is manipulated by Gus via phone calls implying Walt must die, yet refuses to cook if that happens. A critical turning point occurs when Jesse realizes his ricin cigarette is missing and suspects Brock Cantillo has ingested it. After a tense confrontation where Walt convinces Jesse he was framed by Gus—citing the death of Tomás and Tyrus's access—the pair ally to eliminate their rival. The climax takes place at the hospital: Walt plants a bomb under Gus's car, but Gus senses danger and leaves before the detonation can occur. This failure sets up the events for the following episode.

Did You Know?

• The episode was filmed concurrently with the next episode, 'Face Off', to save time.
• 'End Times' is the only episode in the series directed by Vince Gilligan without having written it himself.
• Aaron Paul won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 64th awards specifically for his performance in this episode.
• In 2019, The Ringer ranked 'End Times' as the 29th best out of all 62 Breaking Bad episodes.