I have recently finished Breaking Bad and it has become one of my favourite TV shows. Is this film a fitting epilogue to the satisfying conclusion of that series? Definitely.
Jesse is my favourite character from the show, and while I was happy with where his story ended in Felina, I do think more should have been done with him. He is the protagonist just behind Walt after all. This film more than rectifies that.
The plot is a slow-burn but tense and thrilling, with flashbacks interspersed to help contextualise why Jesse is now as he is. The villain is pretty good. He's no Gus or Jack, but is surprisingly hateable and memorable for a Post-Final Boss.
Aaron Paul has always been incredible as Jesse, but here he gives a career best. Jesse has changed so much over the series (arguably more than Walt) and Paul perfectly matched that. Here, he perfectly portrays a battered but not yet broken Jesse. Jesse himself is written brilliantly, and the film is a fitting conclusion to the character.
Though this is very much Jesse's story, the returning characters are portrayed well, from a poignant return of Mike (in a flashback), to a humorous yet heart warming reunion with Skinny Pete and Badger, to flashbacks that show Todd to be even more terrifying then he even was in the show (Jesse Plemons was always unnerving in the role, and it reaches it's apex here), to a fantastic flashback scene with Walt (set during Season 2) that adds even more to their dynamic and provides a nice little final farewell for the viewer towards the two's partnership, and finally an amazing return of Jane (showing she is an important part of who Jesse now is). There's even fantastic closure to Jesse's relationship with his parents.
This is a great end for Jesse's character. In the terribly dark world of Breaking Bad, it's nice that at least one character gets a happy-ish ending. And that final letter to Brock: what a fantastic conclusion to Jesse's story.
I will say, this feels less like a film and more like a 2 hour season of Breaking Bad. That's not a criticism, if anything it improves the film by increasing its connections to its parent show and makes it really feel like an epilogue to it all (it helps that the film begins literally straight after Felina).
This film is a fantastic epilogue to the series. I disagree with criticisms that it is superfluous. Walt was the main character of Breaking Bad, but it wasn't just about him. This epilogue rectifies the only issue I had with the final by giving Jesse a brilliant conclusion. And while it isn't his story, Walt's ghost still feels felt in this film, and the flashback with him does further add to his development and character from the original show, even if just by a bit.
If you are a fan of the original show, I would certainly recommend this film.
A fitting epilogue
I have recently finished Breaking Bad and it has become one of my favourite TV shows. Is this film a fitting epilogue to the satisfying conclusion of that series? Definitely.
Jesse is my favourite character from the show, and while I was happy with where his story ended in Felina, I do think more should have been done with him. He is the protagonist just behind Walt after all. This film more than rectifies that.
The plot is a slow-burn but tense and thrilling, with flashbacks interspersed to help contextualise why Jesse is now as he is. The villain is pretty good. He's no Gus or Jack, but is surprisingly hateable and memorable for a Post-Final Boss.
Aaron Paul has always been incredible as Jesse, but here he gives a career best. Jesse has changed so much over the series (arguably more than Walt) and Paul perfectly matched that. Here, he perfectly portrays a battered but not yet broken Jesse. Jesse himself is written brilliantly, and the film is a fitting conclusion to the character.
Though this is very much Jesse's story, the returning characters are portrayed well, from a poignant return of Mike (in a flashback), to a humorous yet heart warming reunion with Skinny Pete and Badger, to flashbacks that show Todd to be even more terrifying then he even was in the show (Jesse Plemons was always unnerving in the role, and it reaches it's apex here), to a fantastic flashback scene with Walt (set during Season 2) that adds even more to their dynamic and provides a nice little final farewell for the viewer towards the two's partnership, and finally an amazing return of Jane (showing she is an important part of who Jesse now is). There's even fantastic closure to Jesse's relationship with his parents.
This is a great end for Jesse's character. In the terribly dark world of Breaking Bad, it's nice that at least one character gets a happy-ish ending. And that final letter to Brock: what a fantastic conclusion to Jesse's story.
I will say, this feels less like a film and more like a 2 hour season of Breaking Bad. That's not a criticism, if anything it improves the film by increasing its connections to its parent show and makes it really feel like an epilogue to it all (it helps that the film begins literally straight after Felina).
This film is a fantastic epilogue to the series. I disagree with criticisms that it is superfluous. Walt was the main character of Breaking Bad, but it wasn't just about him. This epilogue rectifies the only issue I had with the final by giving Jesse a brilliant conclusion. And while it isn't his story, Walt's ghost still feels felt in this film, and the flashback with him does further add to his development and character from the original show, even if just by a bit.
If you are a fan of the original show, I would certainly recommend this film.