For the most part, Better Call Saul has told its own story about a petty crook who becomes a lawyer, struggles to get any respect, and ends up returning to his old duplicitous ways. But, as the prequel to Breaking Bad, viewers have also expected a certain level of fan service in connecting to the flagship series.
While Better Call Saul has reintroduced such fan-favorites as Mike, Gus, and Huell, Breaking Bad’s central duo – chemistry teacher-turned-meth kingpin Walter White and his embattled protégé Jesse Pinkman – still have yet to make an appearance. There are arguments both for and against their inclusion in Saul’s final season.
Should: Breaking Bad Fans Are Expecting It
Every year that Better Call Saul has been on the air, Vince Gilligan has been asked by just about every interviewer if Walt and Jesse are going to show up, and every time, he teases it as a possibility.
At this point, Breaking Bad fans are expecting to see Walt and Jesse in Better Call Saul. The final season is their last chance to make an appearance.
Shouldn’t: Better Call Saul Should Focus On Saul Himself
It’s one thing to take a supporting character from Breaking Bad like Gus or Mike and turn them into a supporting character in Better Call Saul, but it’s another thing to bring the star of one show into another show.
Walt and Jesse were the lead characters of Breaking Bad. If Better Call Saul reintroduces them, then it could take the focus away from Saul himself.
Should: He Could Be One Of Kim’s Pro Bono Clients
A cameo appearance by Jesse Pinkman doesn’t have to be shameless fan service. He can be used to serve Kim’s arc as she takes on young delinquents who can’t afford a skilled attorney as pro bono clients.
With Jesse’s old partner-in-crime Krazy-8 appearing as one of Saul’s clients in the spin-off, it’s only a matter of time before Jesse himself ends up on the wrong side of the law.
Shouldn’t: It Would Detract From Better Call Saul As A Standalone Piece
One of the greatest things about Better Call Saul is that it stands on its own as a standalone story. Viewers who haven’t seen Breaking Bad can still engage with the saga of Jimmy McGill.
If Jesse Pinkman appears in Better Call Saul, then it will detract from Saul being a standalone piece and reinforce the idea that it’s just an offshoot of another series.
Should: El Camino Proved Aaron Paul Hasn’t Lost What It Takes To Play Jesse
Aaron Paul’s lead performance in the sequel movie El Camino proved that he still has what it takes to play Jesse Pinkman effectively. He perfectly recaptured Jesse’s youthful spirit and intensity in El Camino’s explosive western-inspired conclusion to his arc.
Paul may have looked a little old to be playing Jesse right after the events of the Breaking Bad finale, but his performance was great enough for viewers to look past that.
Shouldn’t: Aaron Paul Is Too Old To Play Jesse On Better Call Saul’s Timeline
While Paul’s performance in El Camino was terrific, he had visibly aged in the years since Breaking Bad went off the air. When Better Call Saul takes place on the timeline, Jesse is still basically a kid, whereas the actor who played him is now in his 40s.
Audiences were willing to overlook Paul’s age in El Camino, but that was set at the end of the Breaking Bad timeline, not the beginning, and it was a couple of years ago.
Should: He Could Appear In The Gene Timeline
Jesse doesn’t necessarily have to appear in the pre-Breaking Bad timeline of Better Call Saul; he could show up in the black-and-white post-Breaking Bad timeline with Jimmy living in Nebraska under the name Gene.
Whatever the writers have planned for Better Call Saul’s final season, it’ll heavily involve the Gene storyline. Jesse might resurface in this time when the Heisenberg case is inevitably reopened.
Shouldn’t: All Of Saul’s Important Interactions With Jesse Already Took Place In Breaking Bad
Saul Goodman only ever appeared in Breaking Bad in the context of his relationship with Walt and Jesse, so all of his most important interactions with them have already been depicted on-screen. Better Call Saul has instead been focusing on the rest of Saul’s life.
Rather than rehashing the most familiar aspect of Saul’s life, the series needs to stay focused on everything else. There are already plenty of Better Call Saul’s own characters with arcs to wrap up.
Should: Jesse Was The Heart & Soul Of Breaking Bad
Since Breaking Bad charted Walt’s transformation from a bad guy trapped in a mild-mannered shell to the embodiment of pure evil, the show relied on Jesse to be its heart and soul.
Compared to Walt, Jesse was an angel. Walt was a bad person under good circumstances; Jesse was a good person under bad circumstances.
Shouldn’t: Jesse’s Arc Was Concluded Perfectly In El Camino
Back in 2019, the Breaking Bad universe expanded to movies with El Camino, which picked up right where the series finale left off with Jesse fleeing from Uncle Jack’s compound and desperately trying to get out of Albuquerque with the cops bearing down on him.
The final scene of this movie, in which Jesse managed to relocate to Alaska to start a new life, brought his character arc to a perfect conclusion.