All across Breaking Bad‘s emotional and nail-biting run, one character that stole the hearts of millions – largely because he was the closest thing to morally straight as you could get in Vince Gilligan’s brooding drugs drama – was Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman.
Now that Gilligan’s standalone series Better Call Saul is up and running, there have been mooted reports that Paul could reprise his defining role in a future season, perhaps even alongside his old partner-in-crime, Bryan Cranston.
When quizzed on the possibility of a cameo by Collider, Paul expressed an interest in the idea, so long as it’s “for the right reasons” and not simply for the sake of fan service.
“To be honest, yeah. I think it would be great. I know that if it happens, it’s going to be for the right reasons. They’ll certainly do it the right way. They’re not just going to throw Jesse in, just to throw him in. It’s gotta make sense to the story. And I think it would be great. That’s what they’re doing with the show. They’re reintroducing the world of these characters and giving them a deeper look inside these characters’ lives, before Breaking Bad began, and before Walt and Jesse are introduced to Saul Goodman. But, who knows? Jesse introduced Walt to Saul, so Jesse knew about that world. So, you never know.”
You never know indeed. Of course, Better Call Saul has been celebrated for its ability to step out of the shadow of Breaking Bad, carving out a compelling and often heart-wrenching story between Bob Odenkirk and Michael McKean siblings. As such, a Pinkman cameo could feel forced unless Paul’s former methhead is introduced in the right circumstances – i.e. in a way that doesn’t detract from Slippin’ Jimmy’s rise to prominence.
Cameo, bitch? Mid-way through Better Call Saul‘s sophomore run, AMC renewed the standalone series for a third season. Could it potentially be the one to introduce Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman and the dreaded Heisenberg?