When the Breaking Bad series finale aired in 2013, creator Vince Gilligan gave viewers the hope that Jesse Pinkman had a relatively happy ending. But with the movie El Camino, fans will get to see exactly what happened to Jesse after the Breaking Bad series finale. Even the smallest details matter in the exacting world of Breaking Bad, so you'll want to remember everything that occurred in "Felina" before embarking on Jesse's journey in El Camino. Unfortunately, a recap of the Breaking Bad finale will make you realize just how grave Jesse's situation is in El Camino.
Gilligan has been highly secretive when it comes to details about the Breaking Bad film sequel. But the movie will follow Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman immediately after Bryan Cranston's Walter White died in the series finale. In the penultimate episode, Walt himself predicted the ending of the AMC series to his lawyer Saul Goodman.
"I am going to kill Jack and his entire crew and I am going to take back what is mine and give it to my children. And then, and only then, am I through," Walt said. But here's exactly how Walt's story ended in Breaking Bad — and how it will play a part in Jesse's story in El Camino.
Walt Pays A Visit To The Schwartzes
After seeing Elliott and Gretchen Schwartz on TV at a bar in New Hampshire during the penultimate episode, Walt is inspired to go out with a bang. He visits his former Grey Matter Technologies colleagues and orders them to give Walt Jr./Flynn $9,720,000 through a trust. That's all the money Walt had left after the Aryan Brotherhood stole the rest of it from his hiding place in the desert.
In order to ensure the Schwartzes see his wish through, Walt claims he hired the "two best hitmen west of the Mississippi" — who turn out to be Badger and Skinny Pete shining laser pointers at the Schwartzes. (Both of Jesse's friends will come to his aid in El Camino.) But Walt's deception allows him to scare the people he feels most betrayed him and ensures his family's future.
Jesse Is Still Being Held Hostage
Badger and Skinny Pete inadvertently reveal to Walt that Jesse is still cooking meth. Walt is furious that Jesse and the white supremacist gang are producing his patented Blue Sky. But Heisenberg doesn't know the circumstances Jesse is cooking in.
Jesse has been Uncle Jack and Todd's prisoner for months now. He's only kept alive to keep the meth's purity levels to standards that Lydia's connections in the Czech Republic expect and he can't escape since Todd killed Andrea and threatened to kill Brock if he did. As he's enslaved, Jesse seeks comfort by daydreaming of the time he made a perfect wood box in his woodworking class. As he discussed while in recovery in Season 3, he ended trading that box for an ounce of weed. But the sense of accomplishment from his high school memory dissipates when he's brought back to his harsh reality of cooking meth in chains.
Walt Sets His Trap
Knowing the Aryan Brotherhood is cooking his meth, Walt intercepts Lydia and Todd's meeting at the café. He claims he has a new method of cooking meth that doesn't require methylamine. Lydia pretends to be interested, but instead, she has Todd organize a meet-up with Uncle Jack so that they can kill Walt. Right on schedule, Lydia puts her stevia in her chamomile tea with soy milk.
After the café, Walt fashions one last deadly science project in the desert. With the machine gun and its instruction manual in sight, Walt creates a contraption that rotates and begins spinning with the click of his car remote.
Walt Says Goodbye To Skyler
Marie calls Skyler to warn her that Walk is in town. But turns out, Walt was standing in Skyler's kitchen the entire phone conversation. Walt gives Skyler the lottery ticket with the coordinates of where Hank and Gomez are buried to trade for a deal with the prosecutor. And after always saying he built his drug empire for his family, Walt finally tells his wife the truth. "I did it for me. I liked it and I was good at it," Walt says. "I was alive." Skyler lets Walt see Holly one last time and he spies on Walt Jr. coming home from school before sneaking off to avoid the DEA seeing him.
Walt Goes To The Aryan Brotherhood Hideout
With his goodbyes said, Walt goes to the Aryan Brotherhood's clubhouse where he makes sure he positions his car for his master plan. Uncle Jack is about to have Walt killed when Walt yells at Jack for partnering with Jesse. Jack takes this as an insult and makes Todd bring Jesse to Walt so that he can see the state of his former partner.
When Jesse is presented to him, Walt seemingly attacks Jesse. But it's only so that he can protect Jesse as he activates the rotating machine gun with his car remote. Gilligan confirmed to The Guardian that Walt had intended to kill Jesse too — until he saw he was being held prisoner. The surprise gun fire kills all of the gang except for Todd and Uncle Jack. Jesse strangles Todd to death with his chains and Walt shoots Jack. They aren't the only casualties of the night since when Lydia calls Todd to see if they've killed Walt, Heisenberg reveals he slipped ricin in "that stevia crap that you're always putting in your tea."
Jesse Doesn't Kill Mr. White
With the Aryan Brotherhood gone, Walt then offers Jesse the gun. "Do it. You want this," Walt says. But after being manipulated by Mr. White so many times, Jesse calls out his former science teacher. "Say the words. Say you want this! Nothing happens until I hear you say it," Jesse demands. Like with Skyler, Walt drops the pretense and admits, "I want this." But upon Jesse seeing Walt's shot anyway, he drops the gun and tells him, "Then do it yourself."
Jesse takes off in one of the Brotherhood's El Camino and sheds happy tears about his freedom. Walt stays behind and enters the meth lab. He smiles at this place that brought him power and collapses to the ground. As Badfinger's "Baby Blue" plays, the cops enter and surround the meth kitchen while one officer stands over Walt's dead body.
With all of the Aryan Brotherhood and Walt dead, the El Camino trailer showed that Jesse is the number one person of interest. That means his ending wasn't as happy as it seemed back when the Breaking Bad finale aired. But if anyone deserves to find peace after Breaking Bad, it's Jesse Pinkman. So here's hoping his taped confession to Hank and Gomez will somehow lead Jesse to freedom with Brock in Alaska.