I had a sneaking suspicion Lalo wouldn’t make it to the final episode of the show. It was all but a given that he would meet his end at some point, since the character never shows up in “Breaking Bad.” The question was: would Lalo survive and continue to be the big bad of the rest of the season, or meet his maker? 

Gus’ intuition ends up being correct: Lalo is indeed at the laundry, and he gets the drop on all of Gus’ guards, killing them. Then, with gun and video camera in hand, he orders Gus to show him the secret meth bunker so he can finally have his proof of Gus’ deceptions. A few episodes ago, we saw Gus wander down into the bunker and hide a gun. In true Chekhov’s gun-fashion, it was only a matter of time until we returned to that weapon. But Gus can’t just immediately dive for the gun; he has to eventually get to it, creating an intense sequence that perfectly illustrates what Alfred Hitchcock considered the difference between “suspense” and “surprise.” 

Eventually, Gus is able to knock out the lights, run to his hidden gun, and begin shooting. Lalo shoots back, too. Both men are hit. Gus is wearing body armor, but he still is injured enough to draw blood. Of course, we know he’ll be fine, at least until his “Breaking Bad” demise. But Lalo isn’t so lucky: he’s been shot in the neck, and he dies with a smile on his face, because of course he does.