Breaking Bad - Season 5 - Aaron Paul Interview

The A.V. Club: What’s motivating Jesse this season? He was pretty nihilistic for a lot of season four.
Aaron Paul: Yeah. I think this season, he’s always looking for someone to—I don’t know if he’s looking for a father figure or what, but he just wants Walt’s approval, really. And he would do anything for Mr. White, and I think that’s what’s driving him. He doesn’t need to be in this business anymore, and he’s terrified of it, but he wants Walt’s approval. This season especially, Walter White is such a puppeteer; he’s such a manipulator, and we’re just all on his little strings. He absolutely has Jesse in the palm of his hand.

AVC: Jesse seems pretty confident in the first episode, helping conceive and implement this plan they have. Do you think, as the season goes on, we’re going to see him more in that mode and not just at a loss, like he was for a lot of last season?
AP: Yeah. I mean, Jesse, especially after that idea—because he has ideas, they just usually don’t stick, and they’re usually not that great. [Laughs.] So yeah, he starts to have more confidence, and they definitely play around with that this season, and it becomes pretty interesting.

Read the Full Interview @ The A.V. Club