‘Breaking Bad’: Aaron Paul Put His Own Spin on Series Finale
Breaking Bad has gone down in history as one of the best dramas in recent history — and as an example of how a series should wrap itself up successfully. When Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul got together to read the script for the first time, they were blown away by the ending. However, Jesse Pinkman’s actor did make a small change, adding his own spin to the Breaking Bad finale.
‘Breaking Bad’: Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston read the finale together
Breaking Bad co-stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston developed a close friendship while working together on the show — one that they’ve maintained since their time together. The two often appear incredibly chummy during interviews, so perhaps it’s no surprise that they got together to hang out at Cranston’s house and go over the final script.
In fact, there’s a video of the two Breaking Bad stars reading together on YouTube. When Cranston reads the details of Walter White’s rigged trunk gun killing Jack’s gang, Aaron Paul is suitably wowed, mouth wide in shock, he exclaims, “Hoh!
When the script describes the machine gun moving back and forth as “Satan’s windshield wiper,” Aaron Paul looks at the camera and says, “Prepare yourselves people, because it’s happening.”
When the two finish going over the final scene together, they take a moment to talk about what they just read.
“Wow,” said Cranston, before folding up the script and taking off his glasses. “So I guess there won’t be a sequel. But Jesse stays alive.” He then pats Aaron Paul’s arm. “How ya feeling?”
“Aw man. I feel sad. It’s great, I mean it’s you know, it’s perfect,” Aaron Paul replied, summing up just about everyone’s feelings when it comes to the Breaking Bad finale.
Thankfully for fans, Cranston turned out to be wrong about a sequel — Vince Gilligan saw to that with El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
Jesse Pinkman actor added his own spin to the final scene
Interestingly, the Breaking Bad script read between Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul features a slightly different end scene for Jesse Pinkman than what fans saw on the show.
“[Walter White] and Jesse share one last long look, and then Jesse chuck’s the car into gear and punches it. The El Camino goes squealing away into the night. Walt stands there watching it go. Jesse speeds into the chainlink locked gate,” reads Cranston.
“Bam! He smashed through it like it was nothing. We leave the compound behind. Close angle on Jesse, grimly determined, fearing nothing, he speeds toward the darkness.”
While the script originally describes a grim, determined Pinkman, Aaron Paul put his own spin on the scene. Fans will remember Pinkman driving away, laughing and crying hysterically in a mix of shock, grief and relief, before releasing an animalistic scream.
Most fans will probably agree that Aaron Paul’s addition to the Breaking Bad finale was a successful one — an elevation of the script he was provided.
“Love how Aaron Paul put his own spin on Jesse at the very end, I think that primal yell as he’s driving away fits much better than the ‘grim determination’ of the script,” wrote one Redditor under a post featuring the two reading together.
“Jesse driving out of the compound crazed, relieved, happy, free, broken is such a powerful scene. Gives me chills,” commented another Redditor.
