Even since his debut, there have been subtle hints that Gus Fring is gay, and season 6 has all but confirmed that to be true. Because of his enigmatic nature, everything about Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) has been speculated over, including his sexuality. Outside of Gus' dual existence as a drug lord/fast food restaurant owner, his personal life remained a mystery — no friends, no family, and no romance. 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. 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."
While triggered speculation over Gus's sexuality, "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, he and David bond over their shared love of wine. David rambles on, and Gus is strangely hypnotized by him. Gus also reveals he once purchased an expensive bottle of wine based on a vivid story David told him — a gesture David is visibly touched by.
The scene serves no other purpose than to confirm Gustavo Fring is romantically attracted to other men.
Unfortunately, it's bittersweet, as Gus leaves the wine bar without saying goodbye despite clearly falling for David. Gus knows he can't act on his obvious feelings for David given his profession, and he'll always have the memory of Max being shot dead by the cartel. Fring knows 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.
If the relationship between Gus and Max and the wine bar scene isn't confirmation enough, co-creator Peter Gould confirmed Gus Fring is gay (via ). Gould explained, ""
Peter Gould not only confirmed Gus was gay but also that Gas and Mas were actually romantically involved, noting, "."
After 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 a romantic item in the years prior to and ?
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 season 4's flashback, Max defends Gus during an audience with the cartel, exclaiming, "
." This very platonic line 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 , 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 universe, 's Gus sexuality reveal provides a more complete vision of his character. The tragedy of losing Max intensifies his motivations during the era, but this distanced relationship with David in
paints Gus in a surprisingly tragic light. For all his money, power, and intelligence, one purely innocent desire forever eluded Gustavo Fring.
finally confirming that Gus is indeed gay was a huge step in the representation of LGBTQ characters in 's universe, and indeed for gangster dramas in general. The biggest tragedy of shows like or even is that their toxic, hypermasculine anti-heroes have been largely interpreted as aspirational role models by confused fans.
It was an important decision for to finally end all the ambiguity about Gus' sexuality, even though the 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, 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
's machismo-fueled world is also one of its most lethal and ruthless.
Set in times before, during, and after Breaking Bad, the AMC crime drama spinoff follows the trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Saul Goodman (Odenkirk) as he looks to make a name for himself at his firm located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The show digs deeper into the events that crafted Saul and the repercussions of his actions.
