lionelhutz123
Dinner at 80 mph
Great points. I actually forgot to address the PTSD criticism because I got too preoccupied with how to properly structure and gel the multiple points I wanted to get across. I'll probably edit this in though because I agree. The PTSD aspect is definitely an oversight on Vince's part, especially since it would help balance the uncertainty of Jesse's well-being (which is the ending I believe he's going for) considering there's no geographic solution to a psychological/emotional problem. I'm sure if Vince Gilligan was asked, "Wouldn't smuggling Jesse all the way to Alaska in that tight space be a harrowing experience for him specifically?", his answer would be yes. Maybe he thought the audience just didn't have to see that and maybe his adoration for his own character got the better of him, but it is a misstep for brushing that aside.
Your second point is definitely a thinker because I still feel like it worked on some level. I think that whole scene is meant to challenge our perspective of him. I mean yeah, the explosion was a bit much. In terms of the gunfight though, it shows that Jesse may pull on our heartstrings but he's not exactly the tragic saint we chalk him up to be. Like Mike, he's walking into this situation with a code, but code or no code, he's still a killer (Better Call Saul has shown that even the older, wiser Mike doesn't have all his bases covered and doesn't think everything through).
It's three people Jesse's killed prior as you've said but how many bodies has he buried/dissolved? How much death and murder has he seen altogether? I can't imagine how desensitized he must be from all the shit he saw and took part in throughout the series. Also, Walt didn't make Jesse murder Gale. Jesse chose to go all the way over to his apartment and pull that trigger despite the tears that would follow. That particular moment is like a nightmarish johari window of finding out something horrifically unknown about yourself (of what your capable of).
That's what I feel like the movie is about. He didn't shoot Todd and I think he feels pained that he wasn't even enough of a human at that point to take that stand. He didn't shoot Neil and Casey when under the disguise of police officers (again we're reminded in that scene of how he can't muster to fight for himself as they show a vision of Todd reaching for his gun again). He keeps not pulling the trigger and it only gets him restrained (not that he would have shot cops). But now he knows who these guys are and what they've done to him. I don't think its so much that he needs to become a badass to earn his freedom, but by putting himself in the position to pull the trigger again, he's coming to terms with himself in full transparency that his life has worth and this is who he is and this is what he's done. If he has to kill anyone who takes a shot at him and feel bad about it, that's the hell he knows.
You know, I dunno either though lol. I'm taking the opposition on this just to see what we might be missing. I think it's a messy, morally gray scene for a reason but it is a valid point you make. Perhaps we should have seen him struggle with it though, which again goes back to the PTSD thing.
Your second point is definitely a thinker because I still feel like it worked on some level. I think that whole scene is meant to challenge our perspective of him. I mean yeah, the explosion was a bit much. In terms of the gunfight though, it shows that Jesse may pull on our heartstrings but he's not exactly the tragic saint we chalk him up to be. Like Mike, he's walking into this situation with a code, but code or no code, he's still a killer (Better Call Saul has shown that even the older, wiser Mike doesn't have all his bases covered and doesn't think everything through).
It's three people Jesse's killed prior as you've said but how many bodies has he buried/dissolved? How much death and murder has he seen altogether? I can't imagine how desensitized he must be from all the shit he saw and took part in throughout the series. Also, Walt didn't make Jesse murder Gale. Jesse chose to go all the way over to his apartment and pull that trigger despite the tears that would follow. That particular moment is like a nightmarish johari window of finding out something horrifically unknown about yourself (of what your capable of).
That's what I feel like the movie is about. He didn't shoot Todd and I think he feels pained that he wasn't even enough of a human at that point to take that stand. He didn't shoot Neil and Casey when under the disguise of police officers (again we're reminded in that scene of how he can't muster to fight for himself as they show a vision of Todd reaching for his gun again). He keeps not pulling the trigger and it only gets him restrained (not that he would have shot cops). But now he knows who these guys are and what they've done to him. I don't think its so much that he needs to become a badass to earn his freedom, but by putting himself in the position to pull the trigger again, he's coming to terms with himself in full transparency that his life has worth and this is who he is and this is what he's done. If he has to kill anyone who takes a shot at him and feel bad about it, that's the hell he knows.
You know, I dunno either though lol. I'm taking the opposition on this just to see what we might be missing. I think it's a messy, morally gray scene for a reason but it is a valid point you make. Perhaps we should have seen him struggle with it though, which again goes back to the PTSD thing.