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I'm asking in the context of this dialogue in El Camino between Walt and Jesse:

Walt: First step, get your GED, that's no problem.
Jesse: What do I need a GED for? I got my diploma.
Walt: Oh. Of course, yeah, right. Right, right, right.
Jesse: Yo, you were standing right on stage when they handed it to me.
Walt: I know, it just slipped my mind.
Jesse: I totally graduated high school, dick.

I've watched all of Breaking Bad but like Walter White in El Camino, I didn't know or forgot that Jesse graduated high school. Before El Camino, I've assumed that Jesse was a high school dropout as Walt, in Breaking Bad, has repeatedly mentioned Jesse's poor academic performance in high school.

Because of this, while I was watching Breaking Bad, I also had a low opinion of Jesse's academic intelligence, and was surprised by this dialogue in El Camino, where it was shown that Jesse is actually smart enough to graduate high school. This scene was set at the same time as Season 2 of Breaking Bad; if this had been shown in Breaking Bad, I would have had a different view of Jesse Pinkman.

Is this the first time in the Breaking Bad franchise that it is confirmed to the audience that Jesse graduated high school? If not, in what episode of Breaking Bad was it previously made known to the audience?

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    "This scene was set at the same time as Season 2 of Breaking Bad, so if this was shown back in Season 2, I'd have a different view of Jesse Pinkman." Why would it specifically need to be shown in season 2? Jesse graduating happens well before the first season begins.
    – Flater
    Commented Oct 20, 2019 at 16:13
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    @Flater I didn't say that the scene specifically needed to be shown in Season 2. Keyword: if. It could have been shown in any other season. Maybe except Season 1, because that scene won't make sense chronologically (the diner scene happens within the events of S02E09). Commented Oct 21, 2019 at 3:18
  • @T.J.L. I've already edited it. Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 3:58
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    I'd say the 5 seasons of Breaking Bad (esp. 1-4) give rather the impression that Jesse failed high school (without specifically mentioning it).
    – Déjà vu
    Commented Jan 19, 2020 at 3:49

1 Answer 1

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From my memory of the show and a few quick google searches, it doesn't seem like whether or not Jesse graduated was explicitly mentioned in the series.

There's a few places where Walt called Jesse a "drop-out" which would makes the scene in El Camino make a little more sense (Walt assuming Jesse was a dropout the entire time until Jesse corrects him).

Unless someone can find a quote that I'm missing where they discuss it, I think you're correct in assuming that it wasn't mentioned before this movie.

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