The movie is set in the Breaking Bad universe. It comes with the territory, especially since it focuses on the one that suffered the most:
- The Emmys trailer
. Jesse sits in the titular car, smoking a cigarette when he catches news of Walt's compound massacre. As soon as the reporter mentions that one person got away, Jesse starts breathing heavily, clearly having a panic attack which carries through all the way to the title card. - The second trailer. Jesse is seen scavenging around Todd's house for his share of Walt's cash. Finding nothing, Jesse suffers another panic attack.
- When Jesse first arrives at his house, Skinny Pete initially doesn't recognize him and thinks he's some random drunk or something.
- Jesse scarfing down instant ramen as if it was the ambrosia of the gods at Skinny Pete's house shows how badly he was treated when he was forced to cook meth.
- After seeing Jesse crash in his bed, Skinny Pete is dragged into the living room by Badger to see the news coverage about the massacre at the compound, and it's implied they watched it all night and into the morning.Badger: [quietly] Come check out what's on TV.
Skinny Pete: [quietly; annoyed] Man, what's wrong with you? I ain't watching no TV right now.
Badger: [quietly] It's the news.- Upon waking up, Jesse doesn't immediately remember he's at Skinny Pete's; he thinks he is still with the Neo-Nazis and, in a panic, begins tearing apart the room to try and get out via the window. When Badger and Skinny Pete rush over, he busts out his gun and almost fires.
- Right as Jesse is about to take a shower, Badger can't help but sheepishly ask if it's true that he was kept in a cage. Jesse can't bring himself to answer; all he can do is quietly shut the door. Both Badger and Skinny Pete are horrified and heartbroken at just how badly their friend was treated.
- Jesse's shower itself is a whirlwind of emotions. The amount of dirt and grime seen washing off his body and into the drain illustrates just how long he's been living in his own filth. And then, the rush of water causes him to have even more flashbacks to when the Neo-Nazis were spraying him against the wall with a hose just for fun, forcing him to shut it off. The poor dude can't even take a simple shower without being reminded of his trauma.
- And then there's the shot of the scars on his back.
- After years of fan speculation, it's confirmed on a random news report that Walt is dead and Lydia is not going to survive. That Jesse is unable to hide a palpable sense of relief when Walt's fate is confirmed reinforces how irretrievably broken the relationship between the two had become.
- The flashback of Jesse being unable to kill Todd even when he has a gun in his hand. Todd doesn't even have to bring up Brock and instead says he'll buy pizza and beer since Jesse worked hard today. Jesse lowers the gun and starts crying as he hands it over.
- Jesse being talked down by the "cops" to surrender, especially as the tears well up in Jesse's eyes as he realizes there's no way out. Thankfully, he quickly realizes they weren't cops after all and starts fighting back again.
- Whilst pleading with Ed to give him a chance to escape town, Jesse at one point mentions that he doesn't even know what month it is.
- The flashback on how cocky and somewhat proud Jesse was with Walt when they were eating at a cafe. Jesse proudly gives the waiter a big tip, as if he can finally live like a king. Given how he turns out in the end, it's a real shame to see him stripped of all that.
- It's also tragic because this was probably the last time Walt was just 'Walt', a bumbling dad and teacher still full of good intentions. That line about Jesse being lucky not having to wait his entire life to do something special is proof that this was the moment Walt became Heisenberg, the murderous, manipulative drug kingpin who won and lost it all.
- And Jesse was a punk with a potential future ahead of him, with Walt suggesting that he go to college with the money he would now have. After this, greed and crime would tear his life apart, and everything he loved would be turned to ash.
- The Bittersweet Ending. Although Jesse has earned his freedom and can now start a fresh new life in Alaska, all of his past experiences as a drug dealer have likely traumatized him for the rest of his life. Not to mention that he can never contact any of his old friends and family ever again, or else he will risk being discovered and arrested for his many crimes.Jesse: Alaska. Start over... start fresh.
Mike: One could.
Jesse: Put things right.
Mike: No... Sorry kid, that's the one thing you can never do.
