Ever since Giancarlo Esposito’s debut in Breaking Bad, fans have wondered “is Gus Fring gay,” and Better Call Saul season 6 has all but confirmed that to be true. Everything about Gus Fring has been speculated over, including his sexuality, ever since he was first introduced because of how enigmatic the drug lord is, which makes his backstory even more interesting. Outside of Gus’ dual existence as a drug lord/fast food restaurant owner, his personal life remained blank — no friends, no family, no lover. Breaking Bad did, however, drop some clues about his sexual orientation when it depicted how close he was with his former business partner, Max Arciniega
For years, Gus held a grudge against the cartel for murdering Max, Gus Fring’s partner when it came to both Los Pollos Hermanos and crystal meth. The passion with which Gus executed that revenge hinted that his feelings toward Max were more than just professional. Better Call Saul fueled that fire by revealing the fountain Gus built in Max’s honor. Gus’s enemies, Hector and Lalo Salamanca, have both hurled veiled homophobic insults at the restaurateur too, with the former mocking Fring about peeking whilst he urinated, and the latter referring to Max as Gus’ “boyfriend.”
When Better Call Saul Season 6 Proved Gus Fring Is Gay
While Breaking Bad triggered speculation over Gus’s sexuality, Better Call Saul season 6’s “Fun & Games” finally proves that Gus Fring is gay. In the episode, Gus visits a wine bar. Interactions with staff members confirm he’s a regular, and Gus eyes one employee in particular – David. After Gus gazes from afar, David comes to say hello, he and Gus bond over their shared love of wine. David rambles on, and Gus is strangely hypnotized by his companion. As if that wasn’t enough, Gus reveals how he once purchased an expensive bottle of wine based on a vivid story David told him — a gesture David himself is visibly touched by.
The scene serves no other purpose than to confirm Gustavo Fring is romantically attracted to this wine connoisseur. Unfortunately, it’s bittersweet, as Gus leaves the wine bar without saying goodbye to David after Gus catches himself falling for David. Gus knows he can’t act on his obvious feelings for David given his profession, and he’ll always have that memory of Max being shot dead by the cartel. Fring knows more than anyone else that David could potentially be collateral damage too. Nevertheless, it’s clear that Gus is gay, and it’s ironic that the very first major reveal of Gus’s personal life happens to be in his very final scene.
A Better Call Saul Co-Creator Confirmed Gus Fring Is Gay
If the relationship between Gus and Max and the wine bar scene isn’t confirmation enough, Better Call Saul co-creator Peter Gould all but confirmed it (via Primetimer). The writer explained, “We know that Gus had some kind of… we’ve never been very specific, he had some kind of violent past before that, but [Max’s murder] seems to be the turning point for Gus Fring.” Gould not only confirmed Gus was gay but also that Gas and Mas were actually romantically involved, noting, “Gus is holding onto his rage, his desire for revenge, and maybe he’s holding onto this romance that he had, with his boyfriend Max.”
Were Gus & Max Together Before Better Call Saul?
After Better Call Saul season 6’s wine bar scene, it’s safe to say Gustavo Fring was in love with Max, as many viewers already suspected. That love fueled his revenge against the cartel gangsters (and Hector Salamanca in particular as punishment for pulling the trigger), but were the Chicken Brothers actually a romantic item in the years prior to Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad?
Before the confirmation from Peter Gould, it was simply implied that Gus was gay, and it was never clear if Gus and Max were romantic partners. In Breaking Bad season 4’s flashback, Max defends Gus during an audience with the cartel, exclaiming, “I know Gustavo like a brother.” This very platonic line might imply that Gus loved Max from afar, but never acted on those impulses. The cartel isn’t exactly a safe space for LGBTQ+ characters in Breaking Bad, so Gus and Max would’ve probably played down any romantic connection in view of Don Eladio and the Salamancas.
However, Gould has now confirmed that Gus is gay, which is a huge step forward for crime dramas. As well as siphoning some diversity into the Breaking Bad universe, Better Call Saul‘s Gus sexuality reveal provides a more complete vision of his character. The tragedy of losing Max intensifies his motivations during the Breaking Bad era, but this distanced relationship with David in Better Call Saul paints Gus in a surprisingly tragic light. For all his money, power, and intelligence, one purely innocent desire forever eluded Gustavo Fring.
Gus Being Gay Is A Big Deal
Better Call Saul finally confirming that Gus is indeed gay was a huge step in the representation of LGBTQ characters in Breaking Bad‘s universe, and indeed for gangster dramas in general. The biggest tragedy of shows like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, or even The Sopranos is that their toxic, hypermasculine anti-heroes have been largely interpreted as aspirational role models by confused fans. It was an important decision for Better Call Saul to finally end all the ambiguity about Gus’ sexuality, even though the mystery surrounding Gus Fring is part of what makes him so powerful onscreen.
By confirming that Gus is gay, the fandom is forced to reckon with the fact that one of their possible idols doesn’t fit with their hetero-normative notions of what a man should be. Moreover, by confirming audiences’ suspicions about Gus’ sexuality, Better Call Saul cleverly subverts the archaic practice of queer-coding villains to satisfy straight audiences in a way that preserves the character’s integrity as a legitimate danger, and it’s incredibly significant that the lone LGBTQ+ character in Breaking Bad‘s machismo-fueled world is also one of its most lethal and ruthless.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
