Breaking Bad: No, Mike Wasn’t Future Jesse (& Why The Theory Is So Ridiculous)
There's a Breaking Bad fan theory that suggests Mike was a future version of Jesse who tried to help his past self, but it can so easily be debunked.
There’s been an array of compelling fan theories surrounding Breaking Bad but there’s one that has absolutely no chance at being true. The head-scratching theory suggested that Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) was Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) from the future. Yes, there was a belief among some viewers that Mike and Jesse were the same person on the AMC series created by Vince Gilligan. Here’s why the theory can be so easily debunked based on several factors.
Jesse was one of the key figures of Breaking Bad and appeared in all 62 episodes. He was the young partner of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in the methamphetamine drug trade. Despite being thrust into a dangerous world, Jesse remained loyal to Walt until he could no longer overlook the constant manipulation from his partner. Mike made his Breaking Bad debut in season 2 as an associate of Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). He also worked for Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) and kept an eye on Walt and Jesse when the pair were hired to cook meth on a larger scale. During that time, Mike took Jesse under his wing and served as a mentor of sorts.
Due to Mike’s interest in Jesse’s actions, a fan theory emerged that suggested Mike was from the future on a mission to save his past self. It was no question that Mike and Jesse were both extremely loyal, explained by Jesse’s relationship with Walt and Mike’s work at Gus’ right-hand man. The theory believed that the two men shared other similar qualities, including the fact that they constantly put their lives in danger for loved ones. The main point of the theory then focused on Mike trying to steer Jesse away from the drug trade. The idea was that Mike wanted to save his younger self from a life full of death and despair. Though it would make sense that Mike saw a lot of himself in Jesse, there was no chance that they were two versions of the same exact person.
Mike Being A Future Version Of Jesse Makes Zero Sense On Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad featured a handful of shocking twists and turns, but time travel was not one of them. Gilligan set out to create a neo-Western, not a sci-fi with multidimensional elements. The series contained no evidence suggesting that Mike traveled back to the past to encounter his past self. The idea would have been poorly received by fans had it come to fruition. It also would have ruined the organic relationship between Jesse and Mike, including how they learned from one another. Even after Mike was killed by Walt, Jesse never forgot how much of an impact he made. In El Camino, it was his conversation with Mike that motivated him to acquire a new start.
Another reason why the Breaking Bad theory had no legs to stand on was the fact that Mike’s backstory was fleshed out in Better Call Saul. The prequel series dove into how Mike encountered Saul and Gus while also providing background information into his past. Before the events of both series, Mike was a corrupt cop in Philadelphia and had a son named Matt, who was killed by fellow officers. Since none of these details matched with Jesse’s arc, it just further proved that Mike was an entirely different character in the Breaking Bad universe. Sure, the two shared some similarities, but there was no time-traveling involved.
