Better Call Saul just did what Breaking Bad fans have been waiting for and confirmed that Gus Fring is gay. When Giancarlo Esposito first appeared as the deadly yet soft-spoken villain toward the end of Breaking Bad season 2, his sexuality was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.
We were too busy being intimidated by Gus’ ability to go from pleasant manager to scary cartel boss. The more he revealed about his late business partner Max Arciniega (James Martinez), though, the more we started to wonder. Was there more to the often-homophobic insults being thrown his way after all?
Related: How to Watch All Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul Episodes in Order
Speculation in Breaking Bad
On the surface, Gus Fring was the mild-mannered owner of a chain of restaurants throughout Albuquerque called Los Pollos Hermanos. He shot commercials, greeted customers, and perfected a recipe for fried chicken that made his business popular across the city.
We soon realized that Gus had a secret side – in more ways than one. Then Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) referred to Max as Gus’ boyfriend which started fans speculating about whether he was gay. In season 4, episode 13, “Face Off”, Gus was killed and the chance to get answers went with him. . . or so we thought.
Confirmation in Better Call Saul
While Better Call Saul has scenes that take place after Breaking Bad, it mostly serves as a prequel series. Amidst the chaos of season 6, episode 9, “Fun and Games” was a little scene in which Gus Fring casually flirts with a handsome wine connoisseur. Then again maybe he was just being friendly, right?
Giancarlo is such a subtle actor and it’s hard sometimes to read his intentions clearly. The most concrete proof that Gus is gay comes from Better Call Saul show co-creator Peter Gould. He literally described Gus’ previous relationship with Max as romantic and explained that the other man’s death was a catalyst for some of his most violent acts.
So, there you have it. Breaking Bad teased us just so Better Call Saul could finally confirm that Gus was gay. It only took six seasons and over ten years of waiting. Still, it’s nice to see that not all media representation of LGBTQIA folks revolves around teenagers. Sometimes it includes murderous drug lords with a passion for food chains, good wine, and better revenge plots.
