El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is the best kind of fan service, as it offers an unnecessary, yet satisfying sendoff to a beloved character. It also relies heavily on prior knowledge of Breaking Bad in order to be enjoyed properly (we shudder to think of anyone out there watching this without having seen the series first). As such, El Camino contains a lot of stuff that is meant to get Breaking Bad fans excited; from returning characters to the same cinematic quality that made the original series must-watch prestige TV.
There are a lot of hidden details crammed into El Camino’s two hour run time but only the most eagle-eyed Breaking Bad fans will have caught the following 10 Easter eggs.
The River
El Camino opens with a flashback to a previously unseen conversation between Jesse and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks). This scene foreshadows the film’s ending, as Mike reveals that he would head to Alaska if he were in Jesse’s position. However, what really stands out about the scene is the setting, as it’s the very same river bank where Walt will later shoot and kill Mike. The scene also serves as a reminder of how underrated a pair Jesse and Mike were, as the latter was a great mentor to the former in Breaking Bad’s later seasons.
Old Joe - “Magnets!”
The return of Old Joe is one of El Camino’s more pleasant surprises, as the junkyard owner helped Walt and Jesse get out a number of jams in his time. The most famous of these is arguably the super-powered magnet the gang used to wipe Gus Fring’s laptop clean while it was being held by the DEA (Jesse’s idea, by the way). The sequence ended with Jesse uttering the iconic “Yeah, bitch! Magnets!”— a phrase that clearly left an impression on Old Joe as he brings it up while speaking to Jesse in El Camino.
Holly Ave & Arroz Road
A significant portion of El Camino takes place at Todd’s apartment, which is located at the intersection of Holly Avenue and Arroz Road. Why is this location significant? As most Breaking Bad fans will know, Holly is the name of Walter White’s daughter. However, it’s also the name of Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan’s longtime partner, Holly Rice. Any Spanish speakers out there will tell you “Arroz” translates to “Rice”, so Todd’s apartment location is also a reference to Gilligan’s girlfriend. Let’s just hope she appreciates a bit of dark humor!
Lydia On The Radio
One of the challenges of watching El Camino is familiarizing yourself with the events of Breaking Bad’s finale (unless you watched it recently, of course). As you’ll recall, Walt poisoned Lydia (Laura Fraser) with ricin before confronting Uncle Jack, essentially sealing her fate.
In El Camino, Jesse hears a radio broadcast mentioning a police investigation into a woman who was poisoned by Walter White. The woman is still alive at the time of the broadcast, but is in critical condition and not expected to survive. While she’s not mentioned by name, it’s pretty clear that the report is talking about Lydia.
Lydia Snowglobe
Speaking of Lydia, El Camino includes another reference to the ill-fated corporate criminal. Creepbag Todd had an obsession with Lydia and so it’s unsurprising to find that he’s essentially made a shrine to her in his bedroom. We see one of these items firsthand in the form of a snow globe depicting the pair meeting in a cafe. Even more disturbingly, Lydia is seated in a teacup, which of course is the vessel that delivered her to death.
Todd’s Pet
Lydia snow globes aren’t the only disturbing items to be found in Todd’s room. As Jesse discovers, Todd also has a pet tarantula. While Todd is exactly the kind of guy we’d expect to own a pet spider, this tarantula is significant since it’s the one that belonged to Drew Sharp — the boy Todd killed during Season 5’s train heist sequence. Seeing the Drew’s pet is surely a haunting moment for Jesse but caring guy he is, he makes a point to feed the spider.
Clarence The Man Mountain
After Jesse sneaks into Kandy’s Welding Company, a group of sex workers show up, escorted by the imposing Clarance. Looks familiar, right? As it turns out, this isn’t actor David Mattey’s first time in the Breaking Bad universe, as he previously appeared as Man Mountain in Better Call Saul’s first season. It’s unclear if Clarence and Man Mountain are the same person, but it’s possible since the latter survives his encounter with Mike Ehrmantraut in the episode “Pimento”.
Yeah, Science!
Whether this is an Easter egg or not is a matter of debate. However, the manner in which Jesse blows up Kandy’s Welding Company does feel like a tip of the cap to his deceased former mentor. To cover up the deaths of Neil and Casey, Jesse leaves some large propane tanks exposed to an open flame, triggering a massive explosion. Sure, it doesn’t take a genius to know that pressurized gas + fire = explosion, but it’s clear that Mr. White’s many science lessons have rubbed off on Jesse to some degree.
Flashback Within A Flashback
Shout out to The Hollywood Reporter for catching this one. The final flashback with Jesse and Jane can be traced back to being set roughly during season three, episode 11’s “Abiquiu”, which sees the couple visit the Georgia O’Keeffe museum. Of course, this itself was a flashback, since Jane died at the end of season two.
The pair’s date actually took place at the beginning of the season two episode “Four Days Out”. This is also significant, as El Camino’s Walt and Jesse scene is set during the events of that episode. In the words of Marty McFly, “This is heavy Doc”.
The Closing Song
El Camino closes Jesse’s story in much the same way Breaking Bad did - driving into the distance with a clean slate. Unfortunately, even with a new identity in America’s “last frontier”, it’s impossible to say whether Jesse will be able to fully outrun his past once the credits roll. As if to hammer this point home, the end credits song, “Static on the Radio”, is by Jim White. Walter White may be dead and gone but it’s likely he will cast a shadow over Jesse for the rest of his life.