‘Better Call Saul’ star teases that Gus’ endgame this season will ‘be a surprise’ for fans

Giancarlo Esposito plays Gustavo Fring on “Better Call Saul.”Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television Warning: There are spoilers ahead for “Better Call Saul.” Giancarlo Esposito told Insider fans will be surprised to learn what Lalo does to Gustavo Fring. Esposito said Tony Dalton’s Lalo is “an appropriate nemesis” for Gus, comparing him to Walter White. “Better Call Saul” ended its mid-season finale with Lalo (Tony Dalton) returnng to New Mexico to shake things up for Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk), and Kim (Rhea Seehorn).Instead of executing revenge on his nemesis, Fring, Monday’s episode shockingly ended with Lalo killing Howard  Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) in front of Jimmy and Kim. But don’t worry. Fring is definitely in Lalo’s crosshairs.Esposito, who plays the usually calm and calculated restauranteer on the AMC series, teased that the ongoing cerebral chess match between Lalo and Gus will build up to a shocker in the coming episodes.”It’s gonna be a surprise to the audience, what Lalo does to me, and it’s gonna be a surprise to the audience what Gus’s final endgame in this particular season is,” Esposito told Insider over Zoom in April while speaking about show’s final season.Lalo was recently seen in Germany on season six, episode five trying to ascertain proof that Gustavo Fring is up to no good.Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures TelevisionOn the season’s first seven episodes, Lalo Salamanca used a failed attempt on his life by Gus to his advantage by trying to convince his enemies they succeeded in murdering him. Though Lalo believes he’s a step ahead, there’s no fooling Gus, one of the most shrewd characters in the “Breaking Bad” universe, who surmises that Lalo’s alive and lurking somewhere.As a result, Gus has been uncharacteristically unnerved the past few episodes. His crew has taken extra precautions to be on the lookout for Lalo, uncertain of his next moves and how and when he may retaliate. It’s one of the few times we’ve seen Gus exhibit any sign of not being completely in control across both series as he tries to anticipate Lalo’s next move. As a result, Gus begins wearing a concealed gun, something which clearly makes him uncomfortable as he becomes unfocused at work.Of playing a more vulnerable Gus on these seven episodes, Esposito told Insider that he “didn’t like being in a position where I’m being threatened.”Gus is in a more vulnerable state on the season’s first half of episodes as he tries to anticipate Lalo’s next move.Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television”Lalo certainly is smart. It pisses Gus off,” Esposito said of having a worthy adversary in Lalo. “Gus has always been ahead of everyone. He stays ahead in my brain, has to. But to be able to play the moments where you see…Lalo gaining ground is frustrating to Gus.”Esposito added: “For me in these final moments of Gustavo, I feel as if I had a chance to mine something new and different and to find some different feelings surrounding how he takes the idea of an appropriate nemesis. It feels a lot like Walter White returning in Tony Dalton’s incredible performance of Lalo Salamanca.”Whatever happens next for Gus, fans can take some solace in knowing that he’ll survive “Better Call Saul” to make it to “Breaking Bad.” Currently, we know that Gus is well on his way to having his own meth super lab in place, but, as the show’s trailers have teased, Esposito reminded us that “Better Call Saul” likely isn’t going to go down the way fans may be expecting.”This is a show that’s delicately human,” Esposito said, adding that it’s “very explosive and has a synchronicity about it that allows moments to breathe, both in its violence and also in its comedy and also in its vision for being the mirror of who we really are.””This is an explosive, incredible season,” he added. “You’re gonna be on the edge of your seat — even knowing that certain characters make it and certain characters don’t.””Better Call Saul” will return to AMC to air its final episodes on July 11.Read the original article on Insider