Gustavo Fring or Gus Fring is one of the most charismatic villains on TV. He encapsulated the lawful evil trope. Beneath that humble and orderly demeanor is a burning passion for revenge and domination unlike any other. His most recent appearance in Better Call Saul, has shed new light on his characterization, prompting many fans to ask, ‘Was Gustavo Fring gay?โ
To preface this discussion, weโre here to remind everyone that Gustavo Fringโs sexuality or preference does not in any way affect whether he is up to Pollos standards or not, nor does it indicate his competence as a villain.
Itโs just that the showrunners and creative directors for both AMC shows prefer to drop hints rather than outright announcements, leaving fans to speculate on whether Gustavo Fring was gay or whether the portrayal was up to interpretation.
Better Call Saul Confirmed It
There were plenty of theories on Gus Fringโs homosexuality as early as the cartel flashback scene on Breaking Bad.
Several years later, in Better Call Saul, the showrunners have all but confirmed it in the episode โFun and Gamesโ from BCS Season 6. There, Gus went to a high-end wine bar after barely surviving an improvised elimination of his most dangerous rival, Lalo Salamanca.
You don’t even need context to feel the sexual or romantic tension from that clip above.
In the wine bar, Gus Fring had a favorite sommelier and bartender named David whom he enjoyed pleasantries with. During the aforementioned episode, however, Gus was notably exchanging some tender or even flirty gestures (for his standards) under the pretense of being a wine connoisseur.
There was an obvious interest here on Gustavoโs part, seeing as he might have gone too long without any romantic or sexual liaison ever since the cartel killed his former partner, and thatโs another point weโd have to discuss later below.
And before we spark off a debate, just know that Peter Gould, showrunner for Better Call Saul, has already confirmed in an interview that Gus was gay and was also in a relationship with Max, his former crime partner. Here are more convincing signs for those who are skeptical of the showrunner’s claims.
Gus Never Really Showed Interest in the Opposite Sex
Itโs likely that Gus wonโt reappear in another spinoff, meaning weโve already seen all of him in Vince Gilliganโs fictional Albuquerque-verse.
So itโs safe to say that Gus has no interest in women whatsoever, which was odd and unlikely for a typical drug lord. Even drug lords who are straight and loyal to a single person at least tried to start families or tried to maintain one. Gus never displayed any interest in the opposite sex. Neither did he show any warmth to whom he perceived as straight men.
In fact, the only time he was shown genuinely smiling or being gentle is during that interaction with David the wine sommelier, and with his former partner. For a person or villain like Gus, who always had to be in control of his emotions and mannerisms, this was a truly rare display of affection.
Thankfully, weโre not cisgender-centric historians who will chalk up Gus and his former dead partner as just โroommates.โ
Gus Fring was obviously gay. The faux interest in wine tasting and the perky banter from Gus were dead giveaways.
Gus also sniffed the cork, which was what many wine enthusiasts consider an amateur move, letting himself look vulnerable in front of another personโ something he has never done before. Moreover, Gus Fringโs comment to Davidโs tirade about the intricacies of the particular wine he presented was a simple โremarkable.โ
For a drug lord whose extreme caution and cold calculation were tantamount to his being, conversations like this would usually be above Gus. Heโs not the type to entertain needless talk, even from himself. So the genuine interest in David the sommelier and his hinting that heโs keeping a special bottle at home for a โspecial occasionโ was an invitation.
Gus Remained Loyal to Max, However
Perhaps one of the many reasons Gus prematurely left the wine bar despite the conspicuous chemistry between him and David was his focus and drive for revenge in Maxโs name.
Max was his original partner or lover with whom he aspired to build a drug supply network. He was a gifted chemist whom Gus financed, and the twoโs relationship transcended from business partners to lovers.
But the Juรกrez Cartel gunned and killed Max with impunity while Gus watched in horror and helplessness.
Hence, Gusโ main motivation in the drug trade was cold revenge for his friend and his lover, Max. Itโs most likely one of the reasons why Gus left David alone in Better Call Saul despite a clear shot at happiness and recovery.
Gus was worried that he might move on from Max and forget all his plans and everything he worked hard for in his name if he initiated any kind of relationship with David. Or perhaps he couldn’t take the interaction over his guilt, knowing Max was dead and that he was still alive based on the cartel’s whims.
There was even a subtle parallelism on Davidโs part here where he ridiculed another customer for replacing an expensive wine with a diet Coke. This may or may not have been a metaphor for how Gus sees Max. Max was irreplaceable to Gus, and any other lover who would subsequently enter his life would simply pale in comparison.
In hindsight, itโs a tragic development for Gus’ character despite his homosexuality. He could never love anything again after what Hector Salamanca and the Juรกrez Cartel did to him and Max.
Still, Better Call Saul fleshing out Gusโ character near the ending was an important milestone for inclusivity in Vince Gilliganโs series. Most of the characters in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul were straight.
Needless to say, they handled that inclusivity statement elegantly yet fiercely, portraying one of the first gay drug lords on TV and also one of pop cultureโs most iconic villains– one that took down and outsmarted the whole Mexican cartel. No one else in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul could have achieved that.