Walt and Jesse: The Most Conflicting Relationship in Breaking Bad 

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walter cared about jesse, he just cared about himself more

Jesse has the saddest character development in the show

Arguably the best relationship in television history. I genuinely can’t tell sometimes if Walt actually cares for Jessie or if he’s just trying to use him to the very end

It's crazy to me that jessie was meant to be killed off in season 1. I can't imagine a version of the show without him.

The victim of a narcissistic parental figure still desires the love and approval from them, and it can be damn hard to let go of.

They loved each other. But that doesn't mean that they didn't also hate each other.

This all makes me remember that flashback scene in el Camino where Walt talks to Jesse about what they’ll do after the make their money. He encourages Jesse to go back to college and do economics. Saying Jesse might as well teach that class. I think this is probably the only time In Jesse’s life where someone believed in him

When Walt first approaches Jack and his men to kill Jesse he refers to him as family. Rewatching the show recently I noticed more moments like these that show that Walt did always care for him as a son of sorts, he was just an abusive father figure. Great analysis as always.

You know the show is good when you can analyze a hug for 17 minutes

"You know that I love you." And despite herself, Coraline nodded. It was true. The other mother loved her. But she loved Coraline as a miser loves money, or a dragon loves its gold. In the other mother's button eyes, Coraline knew knew that the other mother loved her as a possession, nothing more, a tolerated pet whose behavior was no longer amusing"

People who think that Walt didn't care for Jesse are literally watching with their eyes closed and ears shut.

Honestly sick of most BB discussion assuming Walt is just a complete psychopath. Great work!

After rewatching Breaking Bad multiple times, I always get the sense that Walt has more love for Jesse than his own son.

It is ironic Jesse never met Flynn, I think the two would have been decent friends. The two sons negatively impacted by Walter white. It’s clear Jesse when he met skyler for dinner he did show care for the family. It is so telling of how Walter ruined his family and Jesse, his other family

Few things make me more sad than remembering the early days in the friend/partnership. Seeing the early scenes with Walt&Jesse while knowing what happens to Jesse later on really hits me. Brilliant video, I always remember Gus' words about Jesse- "Never trust a drug addict.". He was so adamant about it and we have no reason to doubt Gus. But Jesse ultimately proved Gus wrong when he killed Gale. Walt trusted him with the hardest task he would ever have to do and Jesse did it, saving Walt and Jesse's lifes. Thanks for the hard work. I love Breaking Bad and your videos.

I believe Walt’s hug is in a way a “goodbye” to Jesse, in the sense that after this hug all bets are off, Jesse can leave or die and Walt will no longer help him (or hinder him), Walt is making Jesse an independent person basically, of course this changes in the final episode but at this stage Walt is in full Heisenberg mode and only thinking of self preservation. I don’t think Walt ever actually wanted Jesse to die, but was prepared for it to happen when Jesse went to Hank.

I thought was obvious, he truly cared and loved him, maybe it’s a toxic love, but still he loved him. Great video btw

There isn't a single bad episode of this show. I can't believe I saw it a year and a half ago and am still in shock at how amazing it is. Truly one of the greatest tv shows ever created.

I personally believe Walt cares for Jesse very deeply, maybe as deeply as he's capable of caring for anyone. I think the clearest example of this is when Jesse and Walt get in that huge fight & Jesse kicks him out of his house and Walt gets drunk and misses his own sons birthday b/c he's so hungover the next day. Then when Walt Jr comes to check on him all he can do is break down sobbing b/c he's so regretful of how he'd treated Jesse instead of being present for his own son on his birthday. *Then* the biggest tell of all is that he actually calls Walt Jr. "Jesse" as he's leaving the room. To me this doesn't mean that Walt doesn't really love his own son, I have no doubt he does, again albeit in his very limited way. But what it shows IMO is that the connection he feels to Jesse as his "spiritual son" is much greater than that he feels to Walt Jr, his biological son. I think he cares for Jesse deeply actually, much much more than he would ever want to admit to Jesse or even to himself probably. Even the idea of losing Jesse, like when Jesse finally does quit cooking with him for good is enough to send him into a complete rage...screaming at him like a lunatic and trying to bribe the poor guy with his own damn money. Now you could argue that he knows that his product is going to come out best working with Jesse or that he just thinks Jesse's his puppet and wants to control him...& you would probably be right to a degree. But what I see most of all in that scene is someone terrified of losing the person who they love most in this world. And no I don't mean romantic love, I just mean that Jesse is the person he feels most connected to and bonded with. I also think that's why Walt feels *so* utterly betrayed when he finds out that Jesse is secretly working with Hank behind his back...again I'm not suggesting it's really a romantic relationship of any kind but it's such a unique relationship that I don't really know what else to compare it to. In a way it would be like if he found out Skylar was cheating on him with Hank or something, it's that serious to him & I don't think it's just about the fact that by doing so Hank could arrest him. I don't even think it's mostly about that. I think it's more about the level of betrayal & hurt really that he feels towards Jesse for stabbing him in the back/heart like that. That's why he rataliates by telling him that he watched Jane OD and die, because he knows that's what will hurt Jesse the most & he wants him to hurt like he's hurting. I could give a lot of other examples but the last one that's the most important is the fact that after all that, in the end he literally takes a bullet for Jesse and saves his life despite the fact that there's nothing in it for him. Maybe he didn't go there with that intention but when he sees what they've done to him & how he's chained up like a dog and just a shell of himself, he risks his own life to save him. And I'm not saying there's not guilt involved, of course there is, & yes he knows he's dying anyway but he wasn't necessarily going to die that night, he'd taken out Jack's crew, saving Jesse didn't bring him any personal gain & actually ended up being what killed him. So if you ask me why he did it, well to me the main reason is simply that he cared deeply for him. Yes he also manipulated him and used him plenty along the way but that's just Walt (aka Heisenberg)....he manipulates & uses everyone, and maybe Jesse more than others but that's only because he's who he's closest to. It's an extremely complicated and complex relationship which is what makes it such a fascinating one but at the end of the day...he loves him. He might not be his biological son but he's his chosen one which in a way makes it all the more powerful.

Man, I never realized he said "that's good, Jessie" when Junior turned off the light.

I see it as Walt being somewhat of a narcissist, but narcissists can still love, just never as much as they love themselves.

When I was watching Bojack horseman, the relationship between Bojack and Todd reminded me so much of Walt and Jesse's relationship. (Also because Aaron Paul was the voice actor of Todd)

I wish I could erase my memories just to experience this masterpiece again

You should do a video about Mike and Jesse's relationship, and draw comparisons between their relationship, and the one that existed between Walt and Jesse. As for Jesse, his was really a coming of age, story. We so go from the care-free kid in the beginning, to a jaded adult at the end.

I think another part of their relationship that goes under the radar was the budding relationship during Jesse's high-school days. Slacker kid getting under the skin of the slacker teacher usually ends up with a good relationship between teacher and student. Walt legitimately sees himself in Jesse at that time. Someone who felt they were too good to be in high-school chemistry

i’ve never felt more heartbroken for a character than jesse pinkman

I think it’s interesting that despite the overwhelming negatives and traumas of their relationship, their relationship was the strongest bond that either of them ever experienced in their life. They saw and understood each other better than anyone ever had. No one ever saw Walt for who he was, the docile high school teacher, and vice versa for Jesse, the immature stoner. That’s why they find it hard to move on and hard to forget.

I loved the commentary on "the hug", both on the DVD extras and the insider podcast. aaron said there were a few takes done, one where he kind of tries to push away from walt before submitting, and one where he doesn't, etc. i don't have the exact quote but he said that he thought jesse he was even MORE terrified of walt after the hug. not sure if it was aaron or another member of the crew/cast, but someone also mentioned how creepy it was of walt. and the thing is? that doesn't even contradict anything said in this video. it's a complicated, very codependent, unhealthy, abusive relationship, a lot of the turmoil and intrigue of it coming from, NOT in spite of, the fact that Walt loves Jesse. brr.

Walt definitely cared for Jesse in his own sick, twisted way. He'd come to view him as a second son of sorts, the son he always wanted. It's important to note that at the start of the show Walt Jr was more attached to Hank as a father figure than Walt himself, and turned on Walt the moment he found out his uncle was dead. I'd argue that Walt had a much more intimate connection with Jesse as his 'son' than his real son. In 'Salud', Walt Jr helps his father to bed and the latter mistakenly refers to him as 'Jesse'. Walt was in absolute shambles during that episode following the fight with Jesse and felt deeply responsible for losing his surrogate son to Gus and Mike. It's arguably one of the most revealing moments about how deeply Walt feels for his partner. Jesse is Walt's attempt at being a more masculine father who's directly involved in his 'son's' life. I think Walt's relationship with Jesse is what caused him to partly kill Mike. Mike was a rival father figure who took Jesse under his wing, and Walt felt that threatened his masculinity and power, and so in that moment of frustration shot him. It's why Walt was willing to try and talk to Jesse even when he knew he was out to kill him during the lead up to 'Ozymandias'. Their relationship completely tanks when Hank arrests Walt with Jesse's help, almost as if Walts pathetic little fantasy about Jesse being a loyal criminal son has been shattered. That's the moment when Walts love turns into hate- he realizes he's been betrayed by his own son

I'd love to see a similar essay about the relationship between Jimmy and Kim in Better Call Saul, one of the only relationships that I think comes close to the compelling complexity of Walt and Jesse.

One of the things I liked the most about BB. The relationship between Walter and Jesse is a very honest and realistic look at how an abusive/toxic relationship works. Rather than being just a "victim who only wants the approval of the abuser" + "manipulator that doesn't actually care for the victim" deal, you have so many emotions going on here with Walter being both like a mentor and a father figure to Jesse whose positive emotions end up being suffocated by his greed and ego that by the end of the series only manages to resurface in very few moments.

Totally agree with your point about how Walt's lack of verbal response is really a confirmation of what Jesse says. It's similar to S3 E1 when Skyler confronts Walt about being a drug dealer and, after first protesting it, he becomes silent as she asks which drug he deals, until he finally admits "methamphetamine". He never actually admits to lying, he just suddenly switches to acting as if he had been telling the truth the whole time.

I just realized how close Jesse was to resembling Walt in terms of hair and facial hair.

It made me almost cry when Jesse yelled about being worked and then Walt hugs him and he crumbles into it.

Hugging someone can also be used as a way to avoid having to look that person in the eye if you have something to hide from them

Just finished breaking bad so this was nice to see afterwards. Honestly I always felt like Walter always cared about Jesse but still valued other things like himself more. Felt like an abusive relationship really. Walter greatly cared but also used Jesse for his own purposes. Granted Jesse wasnt perfect either. Anyhow great video! Breaking Bad was a pretty good show.

Walt was simultaneously kind, caring, loving, selfish, stubborn, ruthless, intelligent yet ignorant…dude had like 6 personalities depending on what lie he’s trying to stick to.

Human relationships are often more complicated and multi-faceted than we like to admit. Honestly, it's because of our most inner fears of our darker sides that we choose to view such relationships as being wholly one way or the other. Truthfully, they are a multitude of the grey area in between. You can love someone you intend to use - both less more so than that intention. We can feel, even wish harm upon our most loved ones, while also wishing them the best. Perhaps many would say it's the darker tone that takes the lead but some people while wishing two seemingly "opposing" desires upon someone, often wish for the greater intent for the other person. Even if to the detriment of their inner most desires. This fear is what makes most shows so 1-dimensional in both characters and relationships that are illustrated. It's also the reason why people love Breaking Bad so very much. Because in the shows where there is no inherently purely good or evil intentioned character, all characters become relatable. Because they are human. Confusing actual situations with our idealistic desires both insults and dilutes them as well as prevents their potential for something even greater. Interview a dozen married couples of 20+ years and you'll get all the answers you need to understand this multitude. And that's just one example.

So we can't say whether Jesse is Walt's son, but definitely Heisenberg's. Toxic father-son relationship, yes, care inextricably intertwines with control.

Walt and Jesse helped each other realize each of their true potentials while also destroying both of their lives in the process. Really fascinating concept for a relationship.

Jesse is the only "loose end" Walt wouldnt kill until Jesse took it too far and made it clear that he wouldnt stop until 1 or both of them were dead.

"I would always choose my family and my power over you. I just love them more. But mind you, I love you too, but just not as much." I find it funny, how seemingly most people would think that you either love someone 100% or 0% but nothing in between. Often it's a hierarchy and grey zones instead of black/ white. But it hurts a bit because humans don't like cognitive dissonance all that much. Maybe you can train to like and use it though.

Funny thing is that Skyler and Hank out of all people was totally fine, and insistent on Walter killing Jesse, yet Walter decided against it. Both just wanted to get what they wanted, and Walt just wanted to repair the damage he has done. Keep in mind that Walter wanted to turn himself in, Skyler pushed him back into it saying “we’ve come this far.”

I feel that, by Felina, Walt had the kick up the backside he needed to realise his original purpose but using the status and mindset he developed through being a "hardened criminal" to his advantage, saving Jesse, ensuring his family's legal security and dying as he knows he is his own worst enemy

I grew up on and off the streets, and I think the reason (well, one of many) that Jesse as a character as well as his relationship to Walt is so gripping to me is because it's...I mean unfortunately it's a relationship that happens all too often. In Jesse I see myself, and so many other street kids I grew up with, many of them now dead. For a screen relationship, it's unique and complex and incredibly well-executed, but in real life this type of thing is standard out there. You get these runaway kids, right? Usually from damaged homes. A lot of them have no idea what a healthy dynamic looks like; the concept of not experiencing abuse is foreign to them. We expect it, it's comfortable, and a lot of times we don't even realize it's abuse because to us it's just...life. We grew up too fast, so we're like, hyper-mature and independent, but due to the emotionally stunting effects of a broken childhood, we're also still kinda scared little kids. Like, a scared five-year-old who just wants to be loved and wanted, plus the real-life knowledge and independence that most middle aged people never achieve, all while being stuck in the body of like, a teenager or a young adult. So you end up on the streets one way or another, run away or get kicked out or age outta care, and really you're fighting for survival. You're tough, you're chill, you're good shit, you're not to be fucked with. You don't get scared on the streets because you can't. You can't be afraid or cry or whatever cause people will pry that crack open. But deep down you're a fucking shattered little kid who just wants to be held. Sooner or later, someone comes along, takes you under their wing, gives you an opportunity, whether it be gang shit or running drugs or sex work or whatever. You a) need to survive somehow, and b) are desperate for the validation and approval and care you never got at home (whatever the fuck home is, amirite?). These kinds of "street parents" are a mixed bag. Some really do care for you as best they can given their own, usually fucked up circumstances, and it's dysfunctional but caring, and while not perfect , their hearts are in the right place. Others though, well, they're like Walt. And I think the most awful part about it is that they KNOW exactly how they're exploiting you. They use you as a disposable pawn, someone who gets arrested or beat up instead of them, someone who does the dirty work and takes the fall. And like, we kinda know that. We're not stupid. But that scared little kid inside? That kid is so so desperate to just have someone, anyone, who even sort of gives a shit about them, and even if we kinda know we're being used, the older adult will give us *just enough* that we stay hooked. And when you're so desperate, you believe what you want to believe. It's easy to lie to someone who really, really fucking wants to believe what you're telling them. So you know you're being fucked over, but just when you're about to say fuck this I'm done, the older adult will say something like, "you know what, you're like the son I never had," or they'll give you this iconic Walter White hug and you break down cause you realize like, what the fuck else am I gonna do? Who else do I have? Certainly is a fascinating and complex dynamic, on or off screen, and Cranston and Paul execute it brilliantly. So brilliantly that it kinda hurts me to watch it. Wish it wasn't so real.

Since I started the show, I remember saying, “everyone needs to hug more”. Like I would say in scenes when the tension would defuse if a hug was given. Then, that hug happened and I audibly gasped. I have a screenshot on my computer of it. I’m planning on framing it for my wall lol. It’s one of my favorite parts of the show.

Havent watched full yet but I always thought that Jesse's important to Walt because there's noone else appreciate and understands Walts talent in this line of work. He sometimes treats him as his son because He's the only one he can talk about what he does and genuinely appreciates him.

They had a father-son like relationship before Gail died, everything after that, their relationship deteriorated.

14:09 Hey, Octopath Traveler music! Great breakdown btw. It’s so sad to hear in El Camino when Jesse is talking to Ed how desperately he wishes he would have gotten in that van. So much would have changed.

I love it how this kind of shows can teach us so much about how humans conflicting behavior

there’s definitely co-dependency in their relationship. Jesse validates Walt’s dark heisenberg side, while Walt validates Jesse’s feelings cuz his own real parents couldn’t

The thing i always loved about their relationship throughout the series is that the answer to 'does walt care about jesse' has a million different answers. Made watching their relationship grow and develop for the first time such a treat, and made subsequent rewatches and analysis like this evergreen and immensely deep.

This whole video was an analysis of a single hug and it's relevance to the entire series... This is why breaking bad is a masterpiece, but also why Alex is a genius 😂

this video is SO good dude. Walters and Jesses relationship is one of my favorite things about brba , and you made wonderful points glad im not the only one crazy about the hug lol

Jessie is one of the best characters to ever be written

It's almost like everybody forgot what their relationship was and to a degree, still is. Walt was Jesse's teacher and now sort of mentor. That hug can easily be seen as Walt seeing Jesse "graduate". Like Walt was proud of Jesse as a teacher and a mentor to see him figure and understand everything on his own.

He treated him like shit since day 1, took away everything he loved and is responsible for inevitable PTSD.

It's honestly tragic. When diving into a character this real and complex, it's common for people to just write him off as "oh he's just using Jesse".... I feel it definitely goes deeper than that. I feel Walt very much cares for Jesse, despite their experiences with Gus, Tuco, and Mike. He uses Jesse, emotionally manipulates him, and plays games with his mind. In the end though, despite how fucked up it is, he wants Jesse with him. In the end of Season 5, that care is still there, however, Walt is still attempting to look out for himself without further bloodshed, so he gives Jesse the out and talking with him. In my mind, the hug is genuine in a messed up sense. Yes, it's there to emotionally manipulate Jesse, but at the same time, it was genuine for Walt.

Walter objectively did care about Jesse. Better Call Saul makes this extremely clear in the rare flashbacks we get of Walt. In a conversation of Walt's and Jimmy's regrets, Walt hesitates, looks at the watch Jesse gave him, and then talks about something else. Walter regretted his decisions towards Jesse and truly did care about him despite his horrible treatment of him I find this to be one of the best character dynamics I've ever seen in my life. Brilliance all around

Man I just wanna give Jesse a hug, he deserved so much better

Whenever you upload I know it's gonna be a great time.

the fact that you could talk about nothing more than a hug for 10 whole minutes straight without running out of things to analyze is the perfect example of why this show is perfect, and it is exactly what vince wanted.

This is one of the best videos explaining the relationship between Jesse and Walter. And sadly I believe this is how actual toxic relations happen in real life. Abusers usually actually do love and like their victims, but they are evil and they can't help hurting them, sometimes they don't even realize they are causing them damage. Walter is evil and is undoubtedly an abuser, but he can't see himself as such, because he truly loves Jesse. This is a very common thing in toxic relationships, that's why it is so hard for victims to leave their abuser, because they know that the abuser actually loves them, he just can't help hurting them

When Walt hugs Jesse in that scene, he doesn't realize that he is the cause of Jesse's pain. Walt genuinely believes that his actions have always in Jesse's best interest, and that Jesse just needs to realize Walt is right and looking out for him. In El Camino, Walt says that Jesse is lucky to not have had to wait his whole life to accomplish something great. Walt has no idea he is Jesse's abuser.

These two relationship made me genuinely cry, even though all the undescribable awful reasons and things, It's still a ride worth taking.

What I love about this show is how its nuances inspires the fans to write deeply thought out pieces that end up revealing relevant truths about the human experience that we will all end up inevitably facing. Great video.

Even in the end. Even when both men have practically no wills to go on living. Neither can bring themselves to shoot the other. After everything they've been through, they still care for each other.

jesse has no self love or self respect (I blame his parents for that). when you don't love yourself, you gravitate towards destructive things and destructive people that cause you pain, cause you feel you deserve that pain. jesse is a masochist. he gravitates towards walter cause walt is a sadist. the most twisted thing about toxic relationships is this: the victim is not just 'putting up' with the abuse, the victim CRAVES for the abuse as much as they crave for the little moments of approval. the sadist uses both the carrot and the stick. the victim wants the carrot, but feels like they only deserve the stick, so in a twisted way they want both. is only when jesse learns to love himself, that he can get away from destructive/abusive things.

Trying to define jeese and walts relationship is like me trying to define my relationship with my dad..... I will never know whether he loves me or is ashamed of me and just spawned me out of his selfish need to continue the bloodline.

Something that is interesting when you compare Walt and Jesse is how they handle murder. Walt murders more people than Jesse over the course of the show I believe, and he never really struggles with it (iirc). However, after Jesse kills Gale he is lowkey broken. Completely filling every part of his life with extra stimuli and adding more and more excess to blank it out. Jesse, who has had a much bigger struggle than Walt up until they start cooking with his addiction and feeling kinda worthless, is a very compassionate and tragic character. While Walt… Walt and his pride trumped everything else in his life.

4:00 I 100% agree with you. The moment Jesse gave Walt that watch on his birthday I knew Walt would never forget that.

I feel so bad for jesse man. Ya he wasnt exactly a saint but he was just a kid who wore his heart on his sleeve and always did his best to obey his own moral compass and basically at every moment in the show someone is trying their damndest to tear him down. His escape was so earned

Their relationship reminds me of the relationships found in paul thomas anderson films. People inexplicably bonded together, with a constantly fluid dynamic. Oscillating between being paternal, professional and even romantic. Great stuff.

Great breakdown! Individually I always liked to think that Walt was a bad guy pretending to be good and Jesse was a good guy pretending to be bad. I personally always felt bad for Jesse, even though he's made all the wrong choices to put himself in the wrong situations. He just never grew up, and was constantly taken advantage of. I think all that he went through was hell enough to repay his terrible choices, and him making it out by the end of El Camino was essential to see, just as much as Walt dying.

You have easily the best character analyses. I watch a hell of a lot of those and yours are easily the most well thought out and well articulated. 👌🏼 Keep up the good work.

So glad there are still videos coming out about this show goddam thank you

I still hope that there will be a Series that took me on such a wild ride like Breaking Bad, The Wire or Deadwood.

I have recently started rewatching the show with my mother and I got chills watching certain scenes because I remembered what happens later. My mother also was hooked from the start.

Episode 4 days out had the best chemistry between their relationship and i got really hooked onto their bonding after this episode. Walt had sacrificed and done many things for jesse. I wish jesse would have not turn against him on s5.

SO EXCITED FOR NEW ALECZANDXR VIDEO

You´re right about Walt's fatherly feelings for Jesse; after all, he ran over Gus dealers. And even Hank in the final season concludes that Walt is willing to go through all the lies to convince Jesse that it wasn't him who poisoned Brock or sent Mike to Belize, just so Jesse wouldn't hate him.

it made me SOOOOOOOOO mad when jesse goes to meet walk when he was wired by hank and the dea and then sees like suspicious guy and thinks its a setup walt was planning. it made me so mad

The way you explained Jesse needing comfort from Walt, despite Walt's terrible actions, totally reminded me of a moment from my childhood. I only ever remember my mom spanking my younger sister once, my entire childhood. When it happened, my sister, three years old at the time, burst into tears and began to pivot in place with her arms out, looking for someone to hug. When she had completed a 360 degree rotation, she found herself back at our mom, and had to instantly reconcile in her head that the person who hurt her, was also the person who loved her most, in the world. They then hugged, of course. 😅

Wow this was such an excellent video man!!!! The level of depth you went into analysing the very complex relationship dynamic between Walter and Jesse is just mesmerising. And I absolutely agree with every single point you made in the vid too - that they both genuinely cared for each other and had times when they really enjoyed each other's company. Although gone bad, it is a true bond that they both shared, one that will never be forgotten nor lost. And this is the truth even the faulty characteristics of both Walter and Jesse (mainly of Walt, because of his narcissistic traits) and the tragic consequences they had to face in the end, will never be able to rob of.

I'm sorry for obviating the rich content of this video with my comment, but I just have to insist on what a wonderful voice you have. Your clear enunciation and sincere intonation really carries through, and it is all around a pleasure to listen to.

I think if you asked Bryan Cranston, he would 100% say that Jesse was a son to Walt, or maybe to 'Heisenberg'. But considering Walt's last act was to save Jesse's life, there was definitely a genuine love and care there, somewhere.

IVE BEEN WAITING TO WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR SO LONG. SO GLAD I FINALLY CAN

I always felt like maybe Walt isn't even aware of half his manipulations like he's fooling himself too.

In a life of crime there is no one more valuable than the loyalty of someone you can trust. There was no one Walter could trust more than Jesse. Jesse and Walt went through terrible things together that they could never tell anyone about. That brought them closer.

Jesse was the son of Heisenburg. Easiest way to put it. I honestly agree with you and the fact that Walt did care for Jesse but had a bad way of showing it. He manipulated Jesse a lot but deep down he did have a unmistakable bond with Jesse

Walt absolutely loved and cared for and about Jesse. The gold standard for television. The absolute best show ever! 💙💙💙

Oh man, that's exactly how I felt. It's just that I wouldn't ever be able to put it into words that well.

This is a really great analysis. One thing I thought was really interesting was when you played that part of the DVD commentary where the writer Gennifer Hutchinson was talking--I listen to the Insider podcast, and Aaron Paul had a very different take on that whole scene (he really didn't seem to like Walt)

Countless times when Walter began yelling at Jesse for simple mistakes, it reminded me of my own abusive father. I can put myself in Jesse’s place greatly, so I was sort of tricked by Walter at certain points, but realized just how terrible Walter had been right alongside Jesse. I feel like Mike and Jesse’s relationship was a catharsis to the constantly unraveling relationship between Walter and Jesse. Mike wasn’t selfish like Walt was, and became a better father figure to Jesse.

What hurts is looking back at every time Walter vouched, defended, and supported Jesse, and pitting those moments against every single other moment that he's manipulated, gaslighted, or emotionally abused Jesse. I completely understand Jesse's conflicted emotions toward Walt. Walter is great when he is kind, when he's trying to provide advice, and when he shows that he cares, but looking at all of that greatness and also seeing a being full of malice, rage, and intellect, it makes it hard to know how to feel, and it makes it hurt to try and pull yourself away from that.

i love these two characters so much, man. great vid !

Benevolent denial is an interesting concept.

After watching the entirety of Better Call Saul, even though I love both shows… I’m kinda pissed that Gus and Mike got bested by Walt

the most telling thing about their relationship is that during the buildup to the finale they are both actively trying to kill each other but when they both finally get the chance, neither do