Why Gus Fring Was Breaking Bad's Most Terrifying Villain
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2024
- Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul's Gustavo "Gus" Fring, is without a doubt one of the best TV Villains ever to grace the small screen. Starting in Breaking Bad, and continuing through the prequel Better Call Saul, we saw a story of a man who would stop at nothing to achieve success. Gus Fring had an incredibly chilling presence in both shows. But what made Gustavo Fring so terrifying to begin with? How does such an unassuming character grow into one of the most chilling villains on TV?
#breakingbad #bettercallsaul #giancarloesposito #nerdstalgic
Sources
www.reuters.com/article/idUS2... - บันเทิง
Gus Fring was honestly my absolute favorite character in the Breaking Bad universe. That moment when Walter meets him in the restaurant and he immediately flips script from a normal run-of-the-mill general manager to a cold sociopathic cartel boss is so iconic. It was always so cool seeing him balance the two sides of himself so effortlessly. Sort of like a Jekel and Hyde situation.
❤he goes through a WELL PLANNED and WELL EXECUTED path to being a model citizen and CARTEL killer AT THE SAME TIME.
And Jesse had to f*ck it all up for everybody with his stupid decisions and lack of brains.
I don't think we're alike at all, Mr White.
ME TOO! I named my dog Gustavo after him!!!! He is the GOAT! And what is even more amazing is if you watch interviews with the actor who plays Gus Fring, he is the complete opposite of him…he is so warm and welcoming and dare I say even a little bit emotional…it makes it all the more amazing how he crafted Gus Fring’s personality and how skilled he was to play such a character! The character of Gus is so likable by society for his professionalism and intellect but yet so badass at the same time for the way he handles business.
“Sometimes mystery is more fascinating than the answer of origins”
- gus fring
Is this a meme, because i don't remember him saying that nor can I find it when I googled it.
I find it interesting how in Breaking Bad many characters came out of necessity, Jesse was supposed to die but stayed due to his great on screen Chemistry with Walter, and Mike being added since they had scheduling issues with Bob Odenkirk, and we got Gus for both to fill a character killed due to scheduling issues with the actor and also staying for longer than planned due to its great performance
That's how many great directors/writers etc work. They have a vision but they realize a spark and capture it. My other favorite example of this is that the character of Jack (Matthew Fox) was literally supposed to die in the pilot episode of Lost.
That is one of the most beautiful aspects of art... no matter how much you think, plan, and sketch it out, sometimes true art just... happens.
The true quality of an artist is being able to grab these moments and work with them.
A testament to the writing talents of those productions
On "Family Matters," Steve Urkel was supposed to just make a single appearance, but the audience loved him so much that the show just kept him.
Yes! Or in Barry with NoHo Hank! He was only supposed to be a recurring character in season 1 I'm pretty sure, but became so compelling by the end. If you haven't seen Barry, I thoroughly suggest it if you like shows like these. It's more of a comedy than breaking bad, while still capturing the dark, grittiness of the "anti-hero" genre.
I’d love if Better Call Saul had received more critical acclaim.
Too smart for modern critics. Not enough flag waving.
I thought it was even better than breaking bad
@@daisygarnett2148 Me too, I liked the writing better
What is this? I literally just looked it up and the first thing I saw was "critically acclaimed", it was one of highest rated shows.
It's become common opinion that Better Call Saul is superior to Breaking Bad.
It also garnered more views than Breaking Bad, you can look all these facts up.
It’s literally one of the highest rated shows ever on television what more do you want 😭😭
While I think Lalo was a slightly better pure villian, Giancarlo made Gus so intriguing and mysterious that you can’t get mad at anyone who says he’s the best TV villain ever. It’s a shame his work never won at the Emmy’s, but to be fair the Emmy’s have no credibility anyway. Season 8 of Game of Thrones has more Emmy wins than every Better Call Saul season….
lol most award shows aren’t about actual merit but whose ass you kissed the best and how politically correct your work is.
"Saul" had 0 wins out of 53 nominations. The Emmys are a farce.
how can lalo be a better villian when he doesn’t even have a strong motivation, backstory and etc? there are plenty of evil psychopaths like lalo in other series. you can say he’s charismatic, charming and very entertaining to look at overall but a best villian? dude
@@user-pg8kh6iu1kyou don’t understand what makes a great villain. Lalo is an all time great
@@user-pg8kh6iu1k he said "pure villain" so ultimately I agree with both you and OP
as a non-english speaking person, I think I missed the subtility of the romantic relationship between Gus and his cook, his vengeance path seems so much more meaningful now
True,
I havent watched Better Call Saul yet , so I don't know if Gus and his cook's relation is fleshed out more there but in Breaking Bad, I didn't notice that the cook was Gus's emotional interest.
On the contrary, I thought they are just good partners like Jesse and Walter.
Nah. Gus ain't no gae
right?! honestly my first impression wasn’t “these two are romantically linked” but it makes so much sense for Gus’s character - he wasn’t just out to make money, he wanted to build an empire to destroy the legacy of the men who murdered his lover. it’s really sad and beautiful.
@@localpresencenyc
Yep. For years he thought of nothing except revenge.
It's not admirable but it is understandable.
I liked what he said to Mike.
"I'm fighting a war, and I need a soldier."
It's amazing how Vince Gilligan and the writers of BB and BCS were sensitive to the own shows development... it's "almost like" the characters and arcs developed by themselves. Jesse, Gus, Mike, Saul... all had other planned paths that were changed with the progression of the shows. It's fascinating to see how their writing process worked.
It worked because the show runners had an overall frame of the direction in which adjustments could be made, without loose ends or changing style of the show.
I'd love a breakdown of Lalo Salamanca, he's often overlooked but is one of my favorite characters in the universe.
Often overlooked? Ever since he entered the Breaking Bad universe, he is generally regarded as either the best or second best villain of the show. He is most certainly not "overlooked"
It really is just so tragic that Better Call Saul didn’t win a single Emmy. I’d even argue it was better than Breaking Bad but I’m just nervous to really believe my statement
Totally agree that Better Call Saul was the better series overall. It had a much better and deeper character arc of the main protagonist.
@@philippk736 I honestly agree and I loved Walter White but Vince somehow made Saul a much deeper and interesting character to me till the very end
most people that watched BB before BCS were expecting more of the same excitement. There is enough in BCS but it's much more of a slow burn that you have to just be patient for. Too many people give up after just part of the 1st season of BCS... Which is sad.
@@DB-zp9un so true my parents did this. And I’m like No, it’s even better , just give it time.
@@uchihabomber1296never understood why people think this. I can understand thinking bcs is overall better but honestly jimmy just wasn’t interesting to me it felt like they were trying too hard by throwing in a ton of depth and complexity but in the end it was as if the writers were insisting on jimmy being a great character and it just didn’t feel all there. Walter Whites character was like catching lightning in a bottle everything just worked
Lalo to me was the most terrifying of the franchise just cause he was as smart as Gus but he could also get the job done with his own hands and no help. He was like the Joker of the BB/BCS universe while Gus was the Kingpin of the series.
I like this analogy!
Todd was in my opinion the scariest character in BB/BCS. Lalo at least showed that he loves his family, Todd is just completely apathetic and souless
Ironically, he was just interviewed a few days ago and said he was interested and there had or has been talk about a series seeing the rise of Fring.
And seeing how Better Call Saul turned out. As long as we have the same people involved from BB and BCS I have full confidence it will be spectacular.
Is that true? I'd certainly watch it, although i am a bit worried how they will deal with the age thing. Esposito - with all due respect - already looks significantly older than when he first appeared in Breaking Bad, and such a show would have to play years before he met Walter White.
When i saw Esposito in "The Mandalorian" my first thought was: man Gus Fring got old. Nothing wrong with that of course, only natural and happens to all of us, but it messes with the timeline and immersion of such a series. So they would have to either use technical methods to make him appear younger, which could take away from the subtlety of his acting, or they might use another similar looking young actor for the early years. I can't imagine they will just depict the actor as he currently looks, and pretend he doesn't look way too old.
I always felt Gus had the opportunity to slip into a normal life and a second chance at happiness when both he and the waiter began flirting at the wine bar, but he did not want to betray the memory of Max. Essentially Gus "died" when Max was murdered, and all was left was a vessel filled with revenge, and that vessel had only one destination.
He really didn't have any such opportunity.
Any such relationship would endanger his lover and expose Gus to blackmail.
He tells the story of the animal he trapped and made suffer for a long time as a child… so he’s always been that kind of person, but Max dying is the event that flipped the switch and set him on the warpath.
Your analysis is incredible, as always. Keep doing what you’re doing man! I never caught that Gus is “always still standing” even in death.
He is a brilliant actor and a brilliant villain.
My introduction to Giancarlo Esposito was in the best Marvel movie, "Maximum Overdrive".
I love that Green Gobliin truck.
I first saw his acting in Do the Right Thing honestly, two completely different characters
He will always be Esteban to me.
I loved Breaking Bad, but after Gus waa eliminated I feel the show lost some stream. It went from truly exceptional to very great towards the end, which is still better than almost all shows. This speaks volumes to Gus' performance in the show. Gus was honestly my favorite character, less Walter himself.
I feel the same way.
I like the train pun hehe, I don't see how it lost steam as the season was all about consequences, and it wrapped it up beautifully. The gunning down scene at the compound is just unbelievably satisfying, both the action and final conversation between Jesse and Walter.
Agreed!
Loved gus and was sad to see him go, but at the same time it's a perfectly understandable trajectory to showcase walt as the true villain.
@@justthinking650
I really wanted Gus to kill Walt who I absolutely detested by the end of season 4.
But I knew it wouldn't happen, and that upset me.
i think Giancarlo Esposito's performance was utterly terrifying, and if you never seen Do the right thing, he is buggin out
Great breakdown. I enjoyed this video.
gus cutting victor's throat wasn't solely motivated by him initimidating walt and jesse,
gus HAD to kill victor because he was spotted at gale's appartment right after jesse shot him.
you can see his face when, a few episodes later, right before his interrogation by hank and the DEA, he spots victor's "wanted portrait", which is a hint to us, the viewers, about the real reason behind him killing victor
also, mike's reaction when victor tells him that he indeed got spotted at gale's appartment (when he goes back to the lab), and mike calls gus right after, informing him of everything. and gus, knowing at that point that victor had to die, decided to do it in a way to intimidate and shock walt and jesse
this show, is beyond brilliant.
great video as always
Not to mention he made meth without daddy's permission
@@Vivi_9 that too yes.
i love how gus gets into the lab (changes and stuff while walt pleads), goes around the lab, and only then notices the box cutter. "oh, a deadly weapon, how conveniant!"
As said in the video, Gus was very efficient. If you have to kill one of your goons, might as well get the most out of that kill.
Hes terrifying because he knows he can blend in hes one of the greatest villains put to screen and hes calm yet secure and that stare is deeply evil
He was truly bing chilling
🍦
The first time I saw mr. Esposito was in Breaking Bad and he left baffled by his acting, then he began to show up in a lot of good movies (mostly) and now he is even in Far Cry 6, this guy is yet (if not already) to become a legend. The scene after the explosion, he adjusting his tie just before he dies is epic!
Nacho is in the far cry universe too :D
Esposito was in the Mandalorian, but he was not as good as in Breaking Bad. Probably because the role was much less complex, and gave less leeway for nuance.
Its both poetic and profound how gus and walter were face with the same bad choice road with a clear outting yet they decided to make this choice and both lead to there down fall and subsequent death. Truly brilliant writing from Vince and the team. Bravo
Who you think made more bad decisions?
@@kentte8156by far Walter and his ego. You could argue that gus made just as much but he definitely was not well off in the beginning as walter was. Gus was born into a life of misfortune but walter had huge potential and decided to go the opposite purely because of his ego.
Saul also had a moment to turn back when Howard finally offered him a job at HHM
@@TheChannel32 Yeah that makes sense.
Hiding in plain sight and living a normal life is a master criminal move.
I believe he also had a *rent - a - family* in order to blend in, but I don't think we ever saw them.
It would have been very creepy.
Great video!
I literally just finished this show yesterday. It’s taking me over 10 years to watch it all the way through.
Perfect critique
I was going to say Lalo Salamanca is more terrifying but techincally you can say he is from Better Call Saul but in terms of the universe of Breaking Bad, Lalo blows Gus Fring out of the water.
Yea, he had Gus scared for sure. But dealing with Lalo also made Gus more Dangerous/Careful for BB because he had learned from personal experience what its like to deal with such a psychopath. I love Lalo. He was all the good qualities of all the villains balled up into one guy, he was dangerous, smart, charismatic and he actually got his own hands dirty when he got stuff done.
If Lalo blows his out of the water then why did Lalo end up berries beneath Gus’ business? 🤣🤣🤣 Lalo was definitely more charismatic and psycho scary but Gus was 100% the smarter criminal. It’s like lex Luther vs Deathstroke. I’d much rather right the bald guy without super strength but Lex will always be better in the long game.
@@Barrythebarnabas Lalo was very smart, Gus for sure is legendary but you gotta give props to Lalo my man
Gus was the superior villain to Lalo, first and foremost because Gus could hide in the middle of society, whilst Lalo would always stand outside, at any point risking being uncovered and jailed. When people looked closely at Lalo, they saw a psycho goon. A smart one, with strong instincts and good people skills, but still just a goon. He had to rely on people not looking directly at him for too long. When people looked closely at Gus Fring, they saw a business man, upstanding citizen, a pillar of the community. He build a alternative persona that would resist intense scrutiny, which gave him so much more control.
Secondly: Gus was much more creative and visionary. Whilst Lalo was good at solving isolated situations, reading and manipulating people, Gus had a long term vision and built something of his own, something that would not rely on his constant readiness and attention. Lalo was about short term fixes, Gus about long term building and problem solving.
Overall Gus Frings approach also made him much less disposable than any other criminal working for the cartel, even the individually talented ones like Lalo. It also made life more comfortable for Gus, yes he was still a workaholic, but he did not need to be, it was just who he is. Both villains were in a risky situation by the nature of their business, but Gus had much more leeway for error, whilst Lalo needed to watch his every step much more carefully. Not to speak of the simple day to day comforts. Whilst Gus had multiple nice apartments, Lalo hat to spent time in New Mexico in jail or in the sewers.
He is one of my all time favorite fictional characters, he is so cool.
The moments that made me terrified of Gus the most were killing Victor, threatening Nacho, firing Walt, his story to Hector, and of course his face getting blown off.
Lyle cleaning the fryer.
Shudder!
Fantastic watch 👊🏿
Both shows were so well conceived and written. The characters were all pretty good to great. I've been a fan of Giancarlo Esposito for decades now I guess.
Giancarlo put on a clinic in this role.
Bravo Vince
Honestly, they're all compelling characters. But yeah, Fring is next level.
Gustavo never ate his own fried chicken from Los Pollos Hermano's. He was only ever seen dining at home with old family recipes from Chile.
I think that is a metaphor for drug dealers not getting high on their own supply while people consume his junk food and take his drugs.
A lot of fast food workers don't eat their own food, bc they see it every day. They only eat it if they're desperate and can't afford anything else.
@@sumanadasawijayapala5372
That's probably it.
I bet Gus ate too much fried chicken when he was starting out and needed to save money.
I'd love for you to make a video-essay on Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell from Prison Break
While I enjoy your content and immediately clicked on this video,I've got to admit that,having seen Breaking Bad in its entirety,I certainly don't need to be told why Gus Fring was the show's most terrifying villain. Man,that guy was absolute zero ice cold! I'd be mortified if that guy wasn't fictional.
I like him, he seems like a nice man who loves chicken.
He runs a tight ship and he can be too much of a cleanliness freak.
Lyle will tell you all about that.
I always find it interesting to think this is the same actor who played Buggin out in Do the Right Thing.
Gus should have been the Final Boss; to see Walter go all out against him at the end?
It would have made BB one of the true all-time classics.
But yea, Unca Jack.
I remember seeing that box cutter scene for the first time and the way Gus said nothing at all was bone chilling.
Been a while since I've watched, but wasn't Fring introduced late in season 2? 🤔
It's very strange that you imagine that Gus *chose a dark path* when he walked away from the friendly sommelier.
That was one of his *good* moments.
He couldn't escape from Don Eladio until he killed him and choosing to be intimate with any other person would endanger that person (the superhero dilemma).
His real villain moment was when he bullied Lyle (who greatly admires him) about that fryer.
An horrific scene.
Gus Fring from Breaking Bad and Arthur Mitchell (the trinity killer) from Dexter are two of the most terrifying villains I've ever seen on TV 🫣
right, fully considered choices
This will always be my favourite tv drama.
The show is a true tragedy. But after watching better call saul, i feel like the real tragedy was killing gus. Mike was absolutely right, they had a good thing going, walt just had to go and blow it all up. Walt was the true villain of the show
I'd like to have seen Gus retire to his ranch in Mexico, and live like a philanthropic monk.
Lyle (his padawan) could have taken over Los Pollos Hermanos with make handling any labour problems.
The person Gus feared most was Lyle…….
Lyle should have been the man to kill him.
Really a superb video and analysis as always! I like to think that Gustavo's choice to abandon David, avoiding a potential romantic involvement, is due to the fact that he knows well how dangerous his life can be for the people close to him. completely focused on his revenge perhaps this is the only gesture of humanity he is capable of!
You know, Quasimodo predicted all this.
Who did what?
Za hunchback of notra dame
Nostradamus!
Any word on the kickstarter??
I never realised that the vine scene had such deep meaning
so many goosebumps.
Too bad they failed to channel his magic in The Boys and Mandalorian, imo very forgettable there. He's still an absolute legend though.
He's great in the boys
It is one thing to write an amazing story. It is another thing entirely to re-write a genius story on the fly due to unforeseen circumstances (Tuco's actor wanting to leave) and not losing any bit of quality in the process. Vince Gilligan is a genius.
The very first time you see Gus is genius in its subtlety. I completely wrote him off as a background character. The scene puts the viewer and Walt in the same position and we see just how effortlessly Gus can hide in plain sight.
yall have done this video already
Debuting S2E11
Video is good
Correction: Gus was introduced in Season *Two,* Episode 11, "Mandala."
Gus was the greatest villain ever. They need to do a spin-off on him. They could make additional shows and movies, based on most of the characters in the BB BCS universe.
One of the best, most unsettling, unpredictable villains in TV history. His arc was by far the high point of an also amazing show.
This formula did not work at all in The Boys... but so many other things in that show are eye-roll worthy, I wouldn't put it on him.
I didn't even know this guy was a villain. i just know him from the memes
That's why he was such a good villain. A drug dealer on a massive scale masquerading as a boring middle management type, the type you meet every day. Small business owner in the service industry, nothing to look at here. Even if he is wealthy and spends money on expensive things, nobody would think twice, other than "hey, his businesses must be doing okay, good for him"
You should do Lalo Salamanca
One of the best characters in the history of television, ever.
I interpreted the scene with David as Gus realizing that he would never move on from Max, which would be unfair to David in a relationship. He was fixated on getting revenge on Hector because he held that grudge for years and still held it until his death
The BEST villain from the Breaking Bad universe os Lalo Salamanca for sure.
But gustavo is more cunning, looks harmless yet dangerous
Lalo was chaotic in his own way.
Lalo is way inferior to Gus. A few reasons: Gus is long term planning and building something of your own. Lalo inherited his part in the business, never built anything of his own, did not plan long term and was all about short term fixes. Also whilst Gus built a persona able to withstand intense scrutiny, Lalo was always at high risk of getting stuck in prison or killed. Gus was way more efficient in the way he did things, and his setup gave him more more leeway to make mistakes. Both are ruthless, determined and methodical, but Lalo was always somewhat improvising.
Overall, Gus' efficiency, his long term planning and his way of making himself indisposable to the cartel, whilst looking like a regular small business owner on the U.S. side of things made him the far superior criminal, compared to Lalo. The only thing Lalo has going for him is: he is more scary in an individual encounter. So on a superficial level he might be the more imposing figure, but that alone does not make a good criminal. The best criminals are mastermind types, the godfather type of guy, not the thuggish goon, no matter how talented or high ranking that goon is.
Nope. Walter White takes that title.
By far the most complex villain in BB/BCS
Gus Fring is one of the greatest villains in TV history. That box cutter scene was great
chilling is that some ppl here know who i/we are lookin for,...
I thought the implied link was to the Chilean military dictatorship, rather than a Chilean cartel. Which I think makes Gus's line to Hank about human rights abuses in Chile more sinister, since he carried them out
Wait, how did he pronounce "Reuters" ? lol
Was Indeed chilling a lot throughout the show .
Rishi Sunak has always given me Gustavo Fring vibes.
0:55 it was season 2 bro...
1:51 Rooters? lmao
Gus Fring was a better Two-Face than Harvey Dent ever was.
Gus is really one of the best villains in media overall imo. Up there with Hans Landa, Heath's Joker, Twyin Lannister, etc.
Fring Chilling
Koba from Planet Of The Apes would be a fun villain dive
I would say Darth Vader held a pretty tight stranglehold on his henchmen for sure
0:52 actualy he was in season 2 also
immediately stopped watching and reported for fake news when i saw that too. i dont remember the periodidic table for shit but i remember every detail of breaking bad at least im not uncultured swine.
@@jmili9this better be a joke
He made homelander quake in his boots
Gus Fring is probably the greatest villain in the history of television - and I think he has also inspired several other villains in subesquent shows, one of them being Kanan from Power, in the sense that he has EVERYTHING planned out and is extremely elaborate and patient when it comes to revenge. What makes 'the chicken man' so terrifying, is that he takes 'hiding in plain sight' to a whole other level. He drives a low profile car, doesn't wear any designer clothes, doesn't show off with women or unnecessary luxuries. You could basically be walking into his restaurant, order a burger and (assuming he is just any regular takeaway manager), and then start being rude and arrogant to him because the food was little cold or it was taking long. And without knowing it, you have insulted the biggest meth Kingpin in the southern united states. And Gus wouldn't immediately do anything on sight either - he would slowly follow you, take the license plate of your car and track you down. He is the last person you would want coming after you because he would always be able to find you.
To be honest, Gus fring has a sympathetic past. He also shows a nice side when he works diligently alongside his workers in the fast food restaurant.
It is just that he couldn't let go of his traumatic past that he became obsessive and paranoid as a result. He is like Michael Corleone and Obito.
one thing narrator get gus fring first appearance in season 2 not 3
It would unerve most people to meet the likes of Tuco but the truly disturbing issue is how many times we could have already met Gus Fring.
Todd was also terrifying
After seeing his backstory, I wouldn’t call him a “villain.” He was just out for vengeance
He can be both, a villain out for vengeance.
Giancarlo Esposito supremacy gang represent
The best character in television history brilliant sheer brilliant 😅
I wouldn’t call him a terrifying villain. He would have been the best boss to work for in that line of work. Just don’t cross him and do your job and he’d treat you fine. Walt just happened to be a shitty employee, it should have been Walt who died instead of Gale. The outcome would be better but the series wouldn’t have been as good
Usually typecasting is a bad thing ... but in Giancarlos case I would being seen as the scheming villain.
gus fring is my favorite breaking bad character
Gus is ever politician!
Breaking Bad's most terryfying villain was Todd Alquist.
While not as dangerous as Villains such as Gus or Walt, what makes Todd so creepy is his complete lack of humanity and how casual he is. His eyes are empty
I want one but of Lalo
He debuted in SEASON 2, NOT season 3
The title of the video started the obvious
Gus first appeared in season 2, not 3.
Gus killed as if to proclaim "If you threaten myself or my business, I am death, and death is patient." Walt killed as if to say "Look at me, look at me!"