Of all the things that Breaking Bad was, it was not a show meant for viewers to live vicariously through the characters, even if we still wanted to see certain things happen with Walt, Jesse and the rest through the show's run. The stars are no different, either, as both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have particular story threads that they wish had played out for their respective characters, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Here's Cranston's idea, which I think would have somehow painted Walt in even darker shades.
It was just all in my fantasy. I thought, 'Well, if we're exploring not just his transformation occupationally, emotionally, why not have him go a little off?' There was a thought: What if he has this wild affair with Wendy or someone? I thought that would be interesting in the exploration of losing himself. . . . There was that scene when [Jesse goes] to that drug den and we are walking though and everybody is messed up --- that kind of sensibility where you go so deep. My character might display it in a different [way].
Plenty of times during Breaking Bad, Walt came across as someone losing his grip on how to approach any given situation, but more often than not, he kept the sanctity of his marriage as a guiding force. Or perhaps the illusion of said sanctity. The One Who Knocks certainly had chances to let part of his personality loose as a philanderer, with cash and opportunity usually at the ready, but didn't let his libido get the best of his ideals. (Imagine how the Skyler backlash would have transformed, if at all.) His slow waltz into Heisenberg-dom certainly took him deep into the pit of desperate behavior, but it didn't involve ringing up any dependable prostitutes. Even if Bryan Cranston wanted it to happen in some way.
To step back for a quick second, let's all appreciate that Walt hooking up with Julia Minesci's sex worker Wendy would have meant he and Jesse had been intimate with the same woman. Which would have led to some wholly different awkward talks in the days when Walt and Jesse's relationship hadn't been stretched beyond all means. I like to think Badger and Skinny Pete would have also joined the conversation, saying they also had sex with Wendy at some point, which could possibly become another screenplay idea for Badger to write up. Good times.
I was waiting for the time that Jesse was going to meet Walt Jr. I remember that scene when Walt is in a sleep deprived state, exhausted, falling asleep and he calls Flynn by Jesse's name. That was just so heartbreaking and Flynn was confused, but he had no idea what that really meant at that time.
While Jesse was often viewed as a son figure to Walt, he was almost nothing like Walt Jr. himself, beyond the stubbornness and the occasional anger at Walt. So it would have been great to see some layered scenes between the two younger men at different points in their lives, with Walt Jr. recognizing just how unhinged Jesse was becoming. I guess I can always pretend like those scenes happened whenever the cameras weren't recording.
We're hoping to see Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul on Better Call Saul one day, which the actors recently spoke about as well. Be sure to check out Season 4 of the Breaking Bad prequel when it premieres on AMC on Monday, August 6, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Check out what Bob Odenkirk has to say about such crossover moments, and head to our summer premiere schedule to see everything else that's hitting the small screen soon.
