There is no question that Jesse Pinkman has not had the easiest journey over the course of the Breaking Bad series. So it makes sense that when we pick up right where we left him in the finale, that he would still be struggling with finding his own happiness and getting out of the mess Walt had created in El Camino.
During Breaking Bad, there were several moments that had our hearts absolutely breaking for Jesse and what he was currently going through. The same is to be said for many moments in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. So grab your tissues because these are the 10 Most Heartbreaking Jesse Moments in El Camino.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers.
His Daring Escape
When we first see Jesse Pinkman again, it is the same exact moment we left him in the series finale of Breaking Bad. He is escaping his captors—the neo-Nazis—after Walt killed them and sacrificed himself in the process.
He is, of course, escaping in an El Camino. As soon as we see him driving in the car, he is sobbing and screaming at the top of his lungs, clearly in disbelief that he is finally free from their torturous ways. It immediately makes you feel sorrow for Jesse and all that he has likely been through during his time there.
Jesse’s Flashbacks To His Captivity
Throughout the entirety of El Camino, we see different flashbacks during Jesse’s time in captivity and it gives quite a glimpse into what it is he went through during this time period. Let us tell you, it was not pretty.
The neo-Nazis that had Todd’s Uncle Jack at the helm did quite a number on Jesse and you could tell that what they had done to him would haunt him for years to come. He’s already been through a lot in the past few years, so it was heart-wrenching to see him go through so much in such a short amount of time while in captivity.
A Conversation With Mike
At the very beginning of the film, we see a flashback of Jesse with Mike, Gus Fring’s former right-hand man turned-friend and partner to Jesse. He was giving him advice on what to do now that Jesse would be free to start over somewhere anew.
The sad part about this is two-fold. One, Mike is no longer with us and this was just before Walter fatally shot him, which devastated Jesse. But two, the conversation itself was a tough one. Mike told Jesse that basically there’s no way to fully clear a conscience, not after everything he’d done. That alone is a tough pill to swallow. But at least he told him where to start over—Alaska.
His Interactions With Skinny Pete
Skinny Pete and Badger were absolutely great in El Camino. They were literally there for Jesse when no one else was. This is especially true when it comes to Skinny Pete, who helped him in many ways the moment he knocked on his door. You could tell that Skinny was being a great friend to Jesse and likely because he admired him and wanted to see him make it out of this alive and free. He even told Jesse as much when he stated he was doing this because Jesse was his “hero”.
While this was a really sweet interaction to have with a long-time friend, it was also difficult knowing Jesse wouldn’t see his friend ever again once he made it out.
When He Couldn’t Shoot Todd
In a flashback we saw in El Camino, Jesse was brought out of his literal cage the neo-Nazis kept him in by Todd. It was clear that this wasn’t just out of the goodness of Todd’s heart, but that he had his own ulterior motive.
Evidently, he wanted Jesse to help him clean up after a murder he had committed – his own housekeeper. He even made Jesse bury her body in the desert. But then he asks Jesse to get cigarettes out of the glove compartment, where Jesse finds a gun. It’s finally his opportunity to shoot Todd and get the hell out of there, but he can’t do it. When he gives the gun to Todd, he begins to sob, and instantly your heart breaks for him.
Giving Himself Up To The (Fake) Cops
At one point in the film, Jesse is back at Todd’s apartment because he remembers that he was stashing a lot of his money there in a secret hiding place. He literally tears the whole apartment apart searching for his stash of cash. He finally figures out where he’s hiding it within the mechanism of his fridge when he sees law enforcement entering the apartment. He initially hides until he holds one at gunpoint, planning to use him as leverage to get his money and get out of there alive.
He decides, instead, to give himself up and go to jail. He’s more than distraught at this moment and has given up, and to make matters worse, it turned out they weren’t even cops. They were a part of the welding company that helped imprison him in the first place. Truly awful.
His Phone Call To His Parents
Easily one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the entire film was when Jesse made a final phone call to his parents. Throughout the show, they were constantly saddened and disappointed by Jesse’s life choices. Not much has changed when we see them appear on the news after he escapes from imprisonment.
He needed to get them out of the house and lure the cops at their home away, though, to get to their safe where their guns were, which is why he called. But he also was very genuine when he told them that they “did their best” and basically not to blame themselves for his actions because it was all on him. Knowing that was his final words to them just made the sentiment so bittersweet.
Being The Neo-Nazis’ Entertainment
In yet another depressing flashback for our beloved Jesse, we see him humiliated by his captors once again. It specifically showed when the neo-Nazis were at the Kandy Welding Company to work on their meth lab that Jesse would be forced to be working in.
Jesse, of course, was there and chained to a mechanism that let him move back and forth in a harness track sort of system. They felt that he could “easily” break it and had him run back and forth as hard as he could to prove their point. It was all to entertain them and torture him in the process and it was very hard to watch.
Jesse’s Conversation With Jane
There’s no doubt that Jane Margolis was the love of Jesse’s life. When she lost her life at the end of season 2, we couldn’t help but feel completely devastated on Jesse’s behalf. So when we were nearing the end of El Camino, we were both sad and thrilled to see Jane return in a flashback that was a perfect moment between Jesse and Jane.
After a drive in Jesse’s car, he and Jane talk about philosophy and have a sweet moment together that beautifully reminded us of how much they loved each other. It was still difficult to be reminded of why Jane is no longer with us, and the fact that Jesse still misses her every day.
When He Finally Gets To Alaska
This heartbreaking Jesse moment was actually more bittersweet than anything. It closed a chapter on Jesse’s life that needed to be closed yet will surely haunt him for a very long time.
We were glad to see Jesse take Mike’s advice from the beginning of the movie and finally make it to Alaska to start over in his new life. It was the ending that Jesse deserved, after all. But it will always be hard for us—and for Jesse—to forget all of the detrimental events that occurred before this. We can only hope he finds his peace now.
