'Why Does Walt Let Jane Die?' | Fireside Chat | Breaking Bad

In this excerpt, Vince Gilligan talks about Walter White's decision to let Jane die.

Breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan sits for Signature YouTube Fireside Chat At YouTube Space LA with Comedian, Host, and Nerdist founder/CEO Chris Hardwick to discuss Breaking Bad’s 10th anniversary. Vince revisits pivotal moments in the history of Breaking Bad, both in front of and behind the camera, adding new insight and detail to the experience of making the show while also sharing his perspectives on storytelling gleaned throughout his career.

[manuman]

This is the kind of serie where I feel sorry for basically every character...

[avyntide]

The saddest part of Jane’s death, to me, is how Walter might not have even gone to her/Jesse’s house if he hadn’t had that little chat with her father in the bar earlier that night. Tragic how Donald Margolis expressing to Walter the importance of not giving up on your family, is, in a way, exactly what tore his only family from him.

[rainbow]

I think the reason he GETS there is because of Jesse, after talking to Jane's father, but at that critical moment she starts choking, her death becomes just too convenient for him, one that will solve big problems, so he doesn't save her for self-preservation in the moment.

[ccrikmoon]

I think it was because Walt knew that if Jane lived Jesse would leave with her leaving Walt without a partner

[RaferJeffersonIII]

I think Walter is over tyrant-ised by fans. Right till the end, he was never a full psychopath. He tried to trade all for Hanks life. He made that call to save Skyler. He accepted his only son hating him, for his family to be safe. He certainly drank at the cup of power and lost sight of why he was doing it. His “I did it for me” speech I felt was half-truth and partly to help skyler not feel the responsibility. Walter is complex and not all good or all bad. There is a lot about hank I don’t like and he’s supposed to be the good guy.

[KutWrite]

Interesting... "It's communal property now."

Such respect for the fans!

Actually, this channel also shows that respect.

Thanks twice, Vince!

[eliteknight]

She blackmailed him. Nobody who blackmails Heisenberg live long.

[tjhall]

When a writer can see a character they create or write in several different angles, and even they don’t know which “side” they’re on on - this is why Vince can create such amazing stories. Everyone is gray, reality is gray - a fictional story must respect the dynamic of life.

[tommyx]

It’s interesting how the writer himself doesn’t even know exactly why

[greenbeagle]

Dang..., now I gotta' binge on this AWESOME series - AGAIN...!!!

[stevenschmidt]

I would agree that he was saving Jesse because he is looking at what has happened to Jesse right in front of his eyes and he believes its because of her

[RoboticSnowman]

id say he did it too keep jesse on his side & eliminate any chance of him getting exposed, after his first reaction to save her of course

[lordtachanka]

if i get a penny for everytime vince said “i think” id be a billionaire

[alexandrelima]

I see it the same way the creator. A big part of the intention was protecting jesse

[Coolguy-esmq]

I thought at the time when it first aired that Walt let her die because he wanted to teach Jesse. Jesse was, in a way, a son figure to Walt, and Walt realized that the only way to teach him the consequences of using drugs was for him to wake up next to a deceased person who he cared about.

[obediahhinton]

Its because Jane’s dad told Walt not to give up ti his family. Paradoxically he killed his own daughter

[hashylarry]

Definitely self preservation and acting out of what he viewed would be good for Jesse. However, Walt’s view of reality is so warped as to think he is somehow a central key to Jesse’s life. Obviously when it comes to cooking, Jane is no good for Jesse, but I think its pretty obvious Walter is an infinitely worse influence.

[shengcheng]

Walter killed everyone lol Mike, Gus, Hank

[PsicólogoNoProfesional]

I have a counter theory and its that walter literally didnt had to let her die why?because he has a future, a new daughter, all money he need, and no offense but if he was to no caring to let her die, it would be more inteligent to dont care about jesse.

[Monk-owok]

I thought it was pretty obvious. Jane was a liability to Walt and Jesse