AMC's critically acclaimed drama, Breaking Bad, almost looked very different in its second season. That's because Aaron Paul's compelling Jesse Pinkman was meant to die in the premiere season. Not only that, but Dean Norris' character Hank Schrader was also on the chopping block.
Starring Bryan Cranston as the morally corrupt Walter White, the crime drama largely explored the complex relationship between Walt and his former student Jesse, which eventually led to the end of their meth-making partnership. Breaking Bad also reached high levels of suspense, in part, because of Walt's brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank Schrader, who was driven to discover the true identity of Heisenberg, the fabled new drug kingpin of Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to Screen Rant, however, series creator Vince Gilligan had originally planned to kill both Jesse and Hank by the end of Season 1.
2007's WGA Strike Saved Breaking Bad's Hank and Jesse
Breaking Bad Season 1 was wrapping up filming in 2007, which was when the first Writers Guild of America strike occurred. The freshman season originally consisted of nine episodes, but was cut down to seven due to the WGA strike. Hank was meant to meet his end in Episode 9. Jesse was also meant to die in Season 1 as a way of showcasing that even the main characters in the series were not safe -- but once Gilligan saw Paul's performance, he knew that killing off the character would be a creative mistake, according to another Screen Rant article.
Had Hank met his demise in Season 1 rather than in Breaking Bad's infamous episode "Ozymandias" years later, the show would have certainly been radically different. Hank constantly trying to figure out the identity of Heisenberg was one of the most complicated and enjoyable parts of the series. Walter White's moral descent throughout the show was complemented by the fact that his own brother-in-law was tasked with uncovering his crime syndicate.
Had Gilligan gone through with his initial plans, Breaking Bad would have lost out on additional layers of its theme of doing whatever is possible for one's family. Walter White's primary inspiration for starting a meth business was his need to financially provide for his immediate family before he died from lung cancer. However, Hank functioned as a perfect tool with which to disrupt this theme: he was family, but also an opponent to Walt's covert mission.
Walter White and Jesse Pinkman's pairing proved to be instrumental to the success of the series, and it's difficult to imagine the show without Jesse. The character would go on to outlive Walter and Aaron Paul reprised the role in El Camino -- a film which never would have happened if Jesse had been offed in Season 1. Fortunately for the series, Hank Schrader and Jesse Pinkman were spared. It's unlikely Breaking Bad would have garnered as much popularity or as many accolades without these two fan-favorite characters.