Paul confirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he would no longer be playing Jesse Pinkman going forward following Better Call Saul but did vocalize how great it was to play him again. Paul was also sure to make it clear that the role has been important to him over the years.
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While Paul vocalized his appreciation for the character, he made it clear that he was done as Jesse. “I love Pinkman,” Paul said. “He will always have a special place inside of me, but I can confidently say that [Better Call Saul] was the last time we’re going to see Pinkman. So it was a nice farewell.” As clear as Paul was about Pinkman’s future, he also talked about what it was like to play the character who gave him his big break in acting. “It’s kinda like reconnecting with a very familiar friend. You can be away from that friend for some time, but when you are back in each other’s company, it’s like no time has passed. We all know our characters so well having played them for years, so it felt good.”
Paul has been in several popular projects since the end of Breaking Bad. These days, Paul is currently best known for his role on Westworld, but before that, he was also Todd Chavez in the Netflix dark comedy Bojack Horseman and starred in the Hulu drama The Path. Even though he will probably be best remembered as Jesse Pinkman, it’s clear Paul has established himself as a good enough actor that he can play more than the one character who suffered the most from Walter White’s actions.
While Breaking Bad fans would certainly love to see more of Pinkman if they ever got the chance, it is better that they let the character stay how he is without any further troubles his way. While El Camino received a mostly positive reception, fans justifiably believed that following up on Pinkman after all that transpired on Breaking Bad wasn’t entirely necessary. In his case, it was a happy enough ending that he got out of being a meth slave from the neo-nazis while simultaneously never having to deal with Walter White again. To see him have to deal with even more issues after what he had already been through would have been overkill.
If a show goes that route, it potentially ruins such a good character. It’s typical for show business to run a successful, popular franchise into the ground. When they do that, they can potentially ruin something that fans felt so attached to. Remember how a sizable portion of the Star Wars fanbase hated what The Last Jedi did with Luke Skywalker? That is what would be at play if they continued Pinkman’s story. Sometimes, leaving good alone is the right choice, and Jesse Pinkman’s arc staying signed, sealed, and delivered is the best way to go.
Better Call Saul can currently be streamed on Netflix.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
