Toy Story 5 Is Officially Repeating One of the Saddest Moments in Pixar History, 27 Years Later

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The first trailer for Toy Story 5 has just been released, giving a look at Bonnie’s toys as they face off against a new threat to toykind: the Lilypad. When Bonnie is gifted this technological entertainment device, the toys realize that they are being replaced. So, they decide that they have to save Bonnie and return things to the status quo.

Toy Story 5’s First Trailer Contains A Glimpse Of Jessie’s First Owner

Jessie is now the female lead of the Toy Story franchise, which is surprising, considering that she wasn’t introduced until Toy Story 2. There, Woody met Jessie alongside the other members of the Woody’s Roundup collection. Woody finds Jessie in the hands of a collector who came across Jessie sometime after she was abandoned by her first owner, Emily. A tragic flashback scene set to Sarah McLachlan’s “When She Loved Me” shows Emily playing with Jessie, only for her to outgrow the toy and leave Jessie on the side of the road.

This scene is remembered for being the most heartbreaking moment in the Toy Story franchise, with it being the root cause of Jessie’s fear of abandonment throughout the franchise. The Toy Story 5 trailer teases that this scene will be featured again in the franchise’s fifth outing, as one shot shows Jessie being swung in a field by a human girl’s arms. This shot is a direct recreation of a shot from Toy Story 2‘s flashback scene, meaning that this moment is definitely coming back.

Although the shot is shown in the Toy Story 5 trailer, the context of it hasn’t been revealed yet. It would be odd for the movie to simply play the same scene again, so it will presumably be recontextualized in the upcoming movie. More scenes of Jessie and Emily could be shown, fleshing out Jessie’s backstory even further. The shot could also be a cinematic parallel, with Jessie being spun around by a different kid in Toy Story 5, reflecting her relationship with her original owner.

However, there is a chance that Toy Story 5 is simply playing the flashback scene again. Toy Story 2 came out in 1999, meaning that it has been 27 years since Jessie’s flashback was first in theaters. Many younger viewers of Toy Story 5 may not have seen Toy Story 2, meaning that reiterating the flashback would be helpful for these kids. While it may not be the best artistic choice for viewers familiar with the franchise, it is still a real possibility.

The Return Of Jessie’s Flashback Cements Her As Toy Story 5’s Main Character

There have long been rumors that Jessie will take center-stage in Toy Story 5, and the first trailer for the film has made this a lot more likely. Jessie is prominently featured throughout the footage, with tons of shots centering on her and putting characters like Buzz and Woody in the periphery. This is a great way to keep the franchise fresh, as after four movies centered on Woody and Buzz, it’ll be nice to focus on a new main protagonist.

Since much of Toy Story 5 is about the toys’ fears of being replaced by technology, it makes sense for Jessie’s flashback to come back into play. The Lilypad poses a threat to Jessie, as it could cause Bonnie to lose interest in Jessie, much like how Emily grew up and lost interest in her years ago. This will undoubtedly be a big motivator for Jessie, driving her to lead the charge with the rest of the toys.

There are still a lot of questions surrounding the story of Toy Story 5, but the role of Jessie’s flashback is one of the biggest. A greater focus on Jessie is arguably the most exciting aspect of Toy Story 5, and hopefully, the movie is able to characterize her in an even more significant way than the previous three films did.

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