Forget Breaking Bad’s Jesse Pinkman, Aaron Paul Needs To Reprise Another Great TV Character

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Spoilers for Westworld and Breaking Bad

I’ve always been a huge fan of Aaron Paul, and I think his career really centers around two major roles: his incredible performance as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, and his work in science fiction. A lot of people say Westworld lost its way after the first season, but I honestly believe the later seasons – especially season 3 – are much better than they get credit for. I’ve been saying it for a while now!

I really loved Paul’s performance as Caleb Nichols in seasons three and four of Westworld. He played this former soldier turned construction worker, who’d fallen into a life of crime, so well. Caleb and Jesse were both criminals, but totally different people, and honestly, if I could see Paul revisit any of his roles, it would be Caleb. He brought something special to that character.

Aaron Paul Needs To Reprise His Role As Westworld’s Caleb

Caleb Nichols is introduced in the first episode of Westworld season 3. This season marks a shift from the show’s original setting within the Westworld park. Instead of focusing on the hosts – artificial beings gaining consciousness – the story now centers on real people gradually losing control of their choices because of advanced technology.

Caleb, a former special forces soldier, is haunted by a tragic past. Early exposure to an advanced AI program led him to kill his close friend, and the trauma of war and this event left him deeply cynical. Meeting Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) began to change his perspective.

Caleb is a compelling character marked by hardship. Though he appears jaded, he’s actually very bright and resourceful. His transformation from someone who’d lost hope to a person determined to liberate both humans and hosts echoes Dolores’s own journey beautifully.

The show’s most touching scenes often revolved around Caleb rediscovering hope. Sadly, Westworld was canceled before it could air its intended final season. While the fourth season showed Caleb’s artificial body breaking down, the setup for a new park by Dolores strongly suggested he would have returned in the future.

Aaron Paul Doesn’t Need To Play Jesse Pinkman Again

With his work on El Camino, Better Call Saul, and Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul has fully explored the character of Jesse Pinkman. Jesse is a standout TV character of the 21st century, largely because his story has been so thoroughly and satisfyingly developed – we’ve seen all sides of him.

Although it doesn’t seem like Jesse Pinkman will reappear in a new show soon, a studio would likely be very eager to create another spin-off featuring someone from the Breaking Bad world. However, I think it’s best to leave Jesse’s story alone – his final scene in El Camino felt like a fitting and perfect ending.

If Aaron Paul were to reprise any role, it should be Caleb Nichols from Westworld. The character has a lot of untapped potential, and we’ve only seen a glimpse of his depth so far. Paul brought something new to the role, and it would be great to see him explore it further.

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2026-04-02 21:38