The series finale of the neo-Western crime drama, Breaking Bad, may have already aired last 2013, but the entire experience of watching it still feels brand new. This must be how it feels to encounter a gem of a series that still remains to be impactful even after its five-season run. The series followed the fascinating story of Walter White, portrayed by Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), a high school chemistry teacher who teams up with Jesse Pinkman, portrayed by Aaron Paul (Big Love), a former student, to become one of the biggest local distributors of crystal meth in order to make ends meet after a cancer diagnosis. The two partners form an unlikely bond that goes through the test of time. We have rejoiced and cried with the pair over the years, and we would not have it any other way. Here are five scenes from Breaking Bad where we empathized with Jesse Pinkman:
5. When Jesse got kicked out of his house
Jesse has been a misunderstood kid all his life. He refused to show his vulnerability to others, as this may have been used against him in the past. This might be the very reason why only those people who are really close to him get to see his kind and sensitive side. The scene where Jesse got kicked out of his house by his own mother was heavy to witness. She made him feel like a lost cause and did not seem to care if he ended up homeless. Moments like this push Jesse to the wall, and makes him act out even more. At the end of the day, problematic children need all the love and understanding. Unfortunately, Jesse was not able to find this in his own home.
4. When Jane died
Jane Margolis, portrayed by Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones), made such a huge impact on Jesse’s life. She was a tattoo artist, who became Jesse’s neighbor and landlord. It was during this time that the two characters fell in love with each other. Jane was also a recovering addict, who was not yet fully done battling her demons. Jesse may have connected with her in a deeper level, but they were in no way good for each other. Both were troubled and could be easily swayed to the dark side. Old habits die hard—Jane eventually fell back into her heroin addiction and brought Jesse along with her. Walter figured this out early on, which was the scene where he allowed her to choke on her own vomit induced by a heroin overdose was a pivotal moment. Jesse did not take Jane’s death well, but Walter made the tough choice to see him heartbroken rather than dead from an overdose.
3. When Jesse played peekaboo with a kid
Jesse always seemed to find himself in difficult situations that took much effort to get out of. Take for the time a meth addict named Spooge, portrayed by David Ury (Birds of Prey), stole his money. Jesse took matters into his own hands and confront Spooge in his own home. The scene where Jesse arrived in Spooge’s dilapidated home, only to find his young son all alone struck a nerve. It was evident how neglected the child was, and Jesse found it difficult to look away. He prepared some food for him and even engaged in a game of peekaboo while waiting for Spooge to arrive. It was not difficult for Jesse to form connections with other people, especially if he could relate to them. This was just one of the more lighthearted moments in the series that showed Jesse’s soft spot.
2. When Jesse ended up in the hospital
There comes a time when a person gets fed up with all the negativity and bad things happening around. Jesse hit a wall after he was brutally attacked by Hank because the drug case he was building against Walter’s alter ego, Heisenberg, was unsuccessful. Walter tried to appease Jesse from ratting him out by offering a partnership in his new lab. The scene where Jesse fiercely rejected Walter’s offer showed how pained he was about everything that was happening in his life. He lost a lot of people he cared for and also lost himself in the process. He might have made a lot of money with Walter, but the consequences of their actions turned out to be a different kind of monster.
1. When Jesse and Walter had their final face-off
The fifth season felt like the end of a wild rollercoaster. We witnessed the multi-faceted journey of Walter and Jesse, and it has certainly been one hell of a ride. We saw Jesse being held captive and forced to cook meth by a group of white supremacists, led by Jack Welker, portrayed by Michael Bowen (Breaking Bad), in the last few episodes of the series. The scene where Walter gets rid of Jack and his criminal gang made us sigh a breath of relief. Walter and Jesse’s relationship may have been strained beyond repair, but we knew deep in our hearts that they still somewhat cared for each other. A wounded Walter also presented Jesse with an opportunity to shoot him, but the latter refused and chose to walk away. The moment where the two shared a final farewell glance before Jesse sped away to his freedom in one of the gang members’ car felt like a bittersweet goodbye. Walter and Jesse ended the series as two broken people, who were ultimately survivors until the end. The series might have already ended, but their story lives on in our hearts and minds.Aaron Paul
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