Were Walter White and Jesse Pinkman friends or foes throughout their journey on ‘Breaking Bad’?
Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are one of television’s best duos, but they share a complicated relationship throughout ‘Breaking Bad’. They started out as a teacher and student even though it was a journey we never had the opportunity to witness.
Highlights —
- Do Walter White and Jesse Pinkman like each other?
- Don’t forget, Walter wanted Jesse dead!
- Did Jesse ever forgive Walt?
Walt and Jesse went on to become New Mexico’s biggest meth manufacturers, but was there a friendship beyond their working-relationship? They’re an iconic duo who shared a volatile relationship, saved each other’s lives, but also wanted to never see each other again.
They share opposite personalities, Jesse is sensitive and affectionate but tries not to show it. His wannabe-gangster attitude conceals his sympathetic nature but Walter White couldn’t be further from it.
Walt starts out like a broken man and the show slowly reveals his sense of entitlement solidified by his meth creation. He is a habitual liar, a ruthless drug lord, and unsparing when it comes to violence. So were they ever friends? Frenemies maybe, but did they ever share true friendship? Keep reading to find out.
Do Walter White and Jesse Pinkman like each other?
Walt and Jesse have shared some memorable moments. From the pilot episode where the duo strike a deal to run a meth business suggests the possibility of friendship. Through the seasons, there have been times viewers were convinced of their camaraderie!
For instance, remember in season 2 when Jesse inspired Walt when he’s at his lowest point, and the RV breaks down? If it wasn’t for Jesse, Walt was ready to give up! The third season’s penultimate episode saw Jesse almost die at the hands of the dealers. Before they could go on with their plan, Walt’s car bursts onto the scene and takes down one of them before killing the other one.
He looks at Jesse and asks him to run, despite the tension that had been ensuing between them. It went on to prove that no matter how far Walt strayed off, how much of a villain he became, he’d always have Jesse’s back. Walter White and Jesse Pinkman might not have been best friends, but they shared a mutual sense of respect.
Don’t forget, Walter wanted Jesse dead!
Unfortunately, in ‘Breaking Bad’, there is a bad memory for every good one. Walter White never explicitly mentioned wanting Jesse dead, but surely had ways to prove it. Jesse betrayed him by becoming Hank’s informant, which accidentally caused Hank to die.
Walt handed Jesse over to the neo-nazis because he thought Jesse intended to kill him. On discovering that he actually worked for Hank who died anyway, Walter blamed Jesse for his death. He only changed his mind about wanting Jesse dead after he saw how tormented he was. Their relationship was a tangled, confusing mess where they worked with each other and against each other.
Did Jesse ever forgive Walt?
Walt’s decision to save Jesse is a genuinely selfish act. Their relationship never changed until the last moment, even when Walt decided to save him. After torturing him for years, their explosive relationship finally ended with a bullet wounding Walt.
He saved Jesse after years of devious manipulation, abusive actions, and gaslighting him. Jesse was only ever a pawn to Walt and his dubious plans to build a meth empire, never a partner or a friend. He had warped Jesse’s mind and manipulated him into complying with everything they went through until Jesse became the worst version of himself.
Saving him was a selfish act because Jesse is the memory of Walt’s legendary life, and he was all that was left. At the end of ‘Breaking Bad’. Walt’s only loyal companion is his illness and saving Jesse was a way of accepting the suffering he caused him. Walter White crossed every line, let Jesse’s girlfriend die, poisoned his other girlfriend’s son, and even forced him to kill Gale.
Jesse Pinkman isn’t as ruthless as his meth-making partner, but forgiving Walt isn’t an option after putting him through a life full of nightmares. Walt not only ruined his life but dragged him to the far end of the cliff, a place Jesse could never return from. So did Jesse ever forgive Walt? We hope not.
What do you think of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s unbelievable relationship? Let us know in the comments.
