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Since Toy Story 2 arrived in theaters more than two decades ago, I've had a soft spot for Jessie. I think I'm always going to be drawn to characters who've not only experienced tragedy or trauma, but have found the strength to move forward. Life is harder for those with that kind of baggage, and I find these characters to be inspiring. Yes, that applies to animated characters like those in the Toy Story movies. When it became clear through the promotions that Jessie -- voiced by Joan Cusack, "yeehaw!" -- would be taking center stage for Toy Story 5, I was not only excited, but also a little bit hopeful that this new movie would somehow find a way to set Jessie on the path to healing.
Spoilers for Toy Story 5 ahead! 🛑
Jessie Has Never Fully Gotten Over Losing Emily
We learned in Toy Story 2 that Jessie’s original owner, Emily, grew up, lost interest in her toys, and donated Jessie along with a box of other unwanted stuff. Though Jessie is tough as nails and always willing to stand up for herself and her fellow toys, it clearly took effort for her to move forward and allow herself to be taken in by another kid -- first Andy, then Bonnie.
Even with new friends and new kids to love, the franchise never forgot what she'd been through. In Toy Story of Terror (a TV special that came out in 2013), Jessie's fear of being boxed up resurfaced as part of the story. And before that, in Toy Story 3, we saw Jessie begin to go into full-on panic mode at the thought of being abandoned by Andy when he was going off to college.
For years, some fans have theorized that Andy's mom was actually Emily, though I'm not sure how Jessie wouldn't have recognized her, even in adulthood. I never really liked that theory, and I realized as Toy Story 5 approached and I saw some fans theorizing that Emily might return in the movie, that it's because I didn't want to meet Emily in the present.
I don't think she's a villain -- Emily's only crime was outgrowing her toys, a thing we've all done, right? Still, it's hard not to associate Emily with the pain and panic Jessie has experienced in the decades since she was abandoned, and I couldn't see how bringing the character into a present story could fix that. Honestly, I couldn’t think of any way Jessie could be healed from what she went through.
Just like Combat Carl, Toy Story Found A Way
Emily doesn't return in Toy Story 5, but her childhood home is featured when Jessie ends up there (due to being separated from Bonnie and having her original owner's street address printed on the back of her chaps). It's at the old farm that Jessie comes across a lunch box time capsule buried near the rope swing tree. Inside it, Jessie finds some old things -- including one of those knocker-ball hair ties I remember from my own '80s youth (the tops of my fingernails hurt just thinking about the snap of those things) -- and a card from Emily, written to her daughter, whose name is Jessie. Emily named her daughter Jessie.
I have to credit the filmmakers for working this into the story (it's incredible to me that it was a late addition to the plot!). I really couldn't picture Emily returning and somehow conveying to Jessie just how much she really meant to her in a scene that didn't feel forced. Jessie learning that Emily named her own daughter after her was perfect. It showed Jessie just how much she meant to her, and that's all that really matters to a toy. She wasn't unloved, nor was she ever forgotten.
Beyond knowing that Emily always loved her (and wearing her daughter's hair tie as a way to carry that with her), I really appreciated how Jessie came to terms with her purpose as a toy. By the end of Toy Story 5, it's clear that she understands that what's most important is that she's there for Bonnie for as long as she needs her. So not only is Jessie in a better place over what happened with Emily, it seems like she's more prepared for the inevitable day that Bonnie outgrows her toys.
The level of care that Pixar has taken with the Toy Story franchise over the years is why I've had no problem sticking with it for three decades. It's probably also why I'm not even remotely embarrassed to admit my level of investment in these characters and their stories.
