Toy Story 5 cut a powerful Jessie ending that would have rewritten her entire story

‘Toy Story 5′ premiered last week, bringing Andy’s toys—now Bonnie’s—back for another adventure. This time, the film focuses on Jessie as she returns to a place she never could have imagined. And even though the story works much better than what we saw in ‘Toy Story 4,’ one of its possible endings could have been much more emotional.

Warning: Toy Story 5 spoilers ahead:

Beyond giving Jessie a central role, the film imbues her with tremendous emotional weight throughout—from her memories of Emily, her first owner who ultimately abandoned her, to her efforts to help Bonnie make friends beyond the confines of the internet. As if that weren’t enough, she also ends up returning to the house where she spent so many years with Emily, where a girl named Blaze now lives.

According to ‘The Art of Toy Story 5,’ co-writer and director Kenna Harris notes that there was once a scene that would have completely changed the ending, with Jessie and Emily—now a grandmother—reuniting. “Emily was now a grandmother and introduced her beloved childhood doll to her grandbaby in a touching climactic sequence,” they said. “I drew this in exploration of that special, nostalgia-filled moment.” The illustration, which you can watch below, shows an elderly Emily, holding Jessie. “Though the film ultimately went in a different direction, we always knew that Jessie’s special connection to Emily would be key to ‘Toy Story 5,’” said Harris.

A reunion that would have changed the ending

Although this scene would have served as a perfect conclusion to Jessie’s story arc, it would also have led to other changes. Would Jessie and Bullseye have had to part ways with Bonnie’s toys? Would this change the current perspective in ‘Toy Story’ that the toys have—that their owners may be constantly changing? Yet the reunion was different: Jessie found a time capsule, discovering that her legacy had continued, with Emily naming her daughter after her.

“We knew from the beginning that this scene was integral to Jessie’s arc, and therefore would be one of the most difficult to execute,” story artist Tessa Abrams added in a further comment. “So I felt incredibly grateful that our directors entrusted me with the scene. [Jessie] defined her time with Emily by how it ended — being forgotten and thrown away, but here, she finally understands that it was worth much more than that.”

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