Breaking Bad Series Review (Spoiler-free!)
Breaking Bad has been many things over its five seasons: glum, sterile, exact, clever, unforgiving, unrelenting. And yet, the series finale seemed like something else entirely. It was, for once, satisfying. With "Felina," Bad dealt with every plot line as neatly as Walter White had once organized his high school lab. Where other television series have slunk away from firm resolution, Bad resolved with cold relish, knocking out viewers' questions with the efficiency of an assassin.
It was a marvelous end to a marvelous season, but I can't help feeling that something small went missing in Bad's careful, exacting pursuit of viewer satisfaction. It was precisely Bad's reliably dissatisfying elements that precipitated our greatest, most challenging conversations. Again and again, the series fooled us into celebrating with Walt: every time he caught a lucky break or outwitted another enemy, he'd pay the price in collateral damage and further complications. It was this cycle—euphoric celebration as Walt's plans seemed to succeed, then sickening dread as new complications arose—that gave the series a drug-like addiction. We wanted more even as it made us feel terrible. The final episode, in contrast, bordered on utopian: perfect, idyllic, and as a consequence, ever so slightly off-putting.
You might say that Lost ended in just the opposite way: it was muddled, dissatisfying, inconclusive, but strangely profound. Lost answered few of its most pressing questions, but in so doing, may have shown that we were asking the wrong questions all along. While I have an intense admiration for Bad, I don't expect I'll spend near the same amount of time puzzling over its final stanza.
Still, to focus so exclusively on Bad's atomically precise coda would be unfair to the show as a whole. To me, the series remains the most consistently stellar TV programming I've ever seen, mixing gorgeous camerawork, near-flawless acting, and impossibly efficient storytelling. Even my favorite shows tend to have clips here or subplots there that end up feeling unnecessary. But with Bad? I wouldn't cut two minutes from its 50+ hours; like good chemistry, every milliliter mattered. In its own calculating way, science can be as beautiful as art.
Counting Down My Favorite Breaking Bad Episodes (Spoilers)
Honorable Mentions
"Grilled" - Season 2, Episode 2
Tuco threatens to ship Walt and Jesse off to Mexico. Walt tries to poison Tuco, but Hector Salamanca (mute, wheelchair-ridden) warns Tuco by repeatedly ringing a bell. Dialogue-less tension at its best.
"Crawl Space" - Season 4, Episode 11
Walt ends the episode under his house (in a crawl space), laughing maniacally. It's one of the series' most brutal, raw, and unsettling moments. Bryan Cranston nails it.
"Granite State" - Season 5, Episode 15
The penultimate episode, we get 75 minutes of a pathetic Walt watching his life waste away in a solitary cabin. It's a dull tragedy, and one that might have properly ended the series. "Granite State" provides a welcome—almost haunting—pause between the violent episodes before and after.
#10 "Felina" - Season 5, Episode 16
"Grilled" - Season 2, Episode 2
Tuco threatens to ship Walt and Jesse off to Mexico. Walt tries to poison Tuco, but Hector Salamanca (mute, wheelchair-ridden) warns Tuco by repeatedly ringing a bell. Dialogue-less tension at its best.
"Crawl Space" - Season 4, Episode 11
Walt ends the episode under his house (in a crawl space), laughing maniacally. It's one of the series' most brutal, raw, and unsettling moments. Bryan Cranston nails it.
"Granite State" - Season 5, Episode 15
The penultimate episode, we get 75 minutes of a pathetic Walt watching his life waste away in a solitary cabin. It's a dull tragedy, and one that might have properly ended the series. "Granite State" provides a welcome—almost haunting—pause between the violent episodes before and after.
#10 "Felina" - Season 5, Episode 16
What happens: The series finale. Walt threatens his former business partners into laundering his money, poisons Lydia, says goodbye to his wife, kills the Nazis, saves Jesse, and dies in a pristine meth lab.
Why it's great: Though things work out a little too well for Walt, the episode is as clever, creative, and fun as a Bond film. Vince Gilligan (show creator and director of this episode) trades in complexity for a bit of neat resolution, but by this point, maybe we all deserve it. The creepy Schwartz house break-in and final Skyler conversation are both series stand-outs.
#9 "...And the Bag's in the River" - Season 1, Episode 3
Why it's great: Though things work out a little too well for Walt, the episode is as clever, creative, and fun as a Bond film. Vince Gilligan (show creator and director of this episode) trades in complexity for a bit of neat resolution, but by this point, maybe we all deserve it. The creepy Schwartz house break-in and final Skyler conversation are both series stand-outs.
#9 "...And the Bag's in the River" - Season 1, Episode 3
What happens: Walt must decide whether to kill Crazy 8 (small-time meth dealer) or unlock him from a basement pipe. The two men chat about their lives, friends, and ambitions. Walt softens up. Just before he resolves to unlock his prisoner, Walt discovers that Crazy 8 has concealed a knife-like shard of a glass plate. Realizing that the dealer plans to kill him, Walt sobs while choking his victim to death.
Why it's great: After a series of brash moves and quick judgment calls, Walt must stew with a single, horrible decision. From his scientific pro/con list ("Con: he'll kill your entire family if you let him go") to his tortured epiphany about what must be done, Walt somehow wins us over while simultaneously repulsing us. It's a microcosm of Walt's psychological journey throughout the series.
#8 "Fly" - Season 3, Episode 10
Why it's great: After a series of brash moves and quick judgment calls, Walt must stew with a single, horrible decision. From his scientific pro/con list ("Con: he'll kill your entire family if you let him go") to his tortured epiphany about what must be done, Walt somehow wins us over while simultaneously repulsing us. It's a microcosm of Walt's psychological journey throughout the series.
#8 "Fly" - Season 3, Episode 10
What happens: Walt goes crazy trying to kill a fly that has "contaminated" his lab. He and Jesse quarrel over the importance of the task, before sharing one of the most vulnerable conversations in the series.
Why it's great: A textbook "bottle" episode (low-budget, undercast, money-saving), "Fly" begins as a bit of a nuisance, before transforming into something strangely significant and character-focused. Director Rian Johnson puts Walt's demand for perfection and control on symbolic display, and creates more tension in a single room with two characters than most shows do with three crime scenes and a serial killer: storytelling economy at its best.
#7 "One Minute" - Season 3, Episode 7
Why it's great: A textbook "bottle" episode (low-budget, undercast, money-saving), "Fly" begins as a bit of a nuisance, before transforming into something strangely significant and character-focused. Director Rian Johnson puts Walt's demand for perfection and control on symbolic display, and creates more tension in a single room with two characters than most shows do with three crime scenes and a serial killer: storytelling economy at its best.
#7 "One Minute" - Season 3, Episode 7
What happens: In a fit of rage, Hank storms Jesse's house and beats him, as punishment for Pinkman's fake-phone-call shenanigans in the previous episode. After a bit of legal positioning following the assault, the episode ends in a mall parking lot, where Hank receives a call telling him he has "one minute" before he'll be attacked and killed. "The Cousins" (near-silent Mexican Cartel twins who dress well and butcher even better) arrive on scene wielding a gun and axe. Hank smashes one twin with his car and scrambles to grab a gun. He shoots the second twin, just before he get chopped in two.
Why it's great: Directed by the action-minded Michelle MacLaren, "One Minute's" final scene might just be the most harrowing sequence of the entire series. Unlike Walt and Jesse—whom by now viewers have come to expect will live to the final season—Hank is fair game. I still couldn't believe he was still alive, fully ten seconds into the closing credits. While the mid-episode Jesse-Hank vendetta plays well, it's the last five minutes that earn "One Minute" its spot among the greatest entries in the series.
#6 "Full Measure" - Season 3, Episode 13
Why it's great: Directed by the action-minded Michelle MacLaren, "One Minute's" final scene might just be the most harrowing sequence of the entire series. Unlike Walt and Jesse—whom by now viewers have come to expect will live to the final season—Hank is fair game. I still couldn't believe he was still alive, fully ten seconds into the closing credits. While the mid-episode Jesse-Hank vendetta plays well, it's the last five minutes that earn "One Minute" its spot among the greatest entries in the series.
#6 "Full Measure" - Season 3, Episode 13
What happens: With Walt killing dealers and making increasingly untenable demands, Gus plots to have Walt killed. Late in the episode, one of Gus's men tricks Walt into visiting the lab late at night, where Walt realizes he is about to be killed. He begs for his life and offers to lead Gus's men to Jesse. Walt calls Jesse, but quickly yells, "Do it now!" Jesse speeds over to Gale's house and kills the cook point blank, even as Gale quietly pleads.
Why it's great: Like much of Breaking Bad, Walt's genius, improvised plan carries with it a sickening undercurrent. Among all the drug empire's characters, Gale is by far the most gracious, giving, and harmless, a good-natured geek who once said that chemistry was still "magic" to him. Worse, his killer is Jesse, who until this point, could arguably have been excused for his prior dealings, an unlucky kid in a bad spot. If Walt crossed a point of no return in season 1, Jesse finally crosses the same point here.
#5 "Gliding Over All" - Season 5, Episode 8
Why it's great: Like much of Breaking Bad, Walt's genius, improvised plan carries with it a sickening undercurrent. Among all the drug empire's characters, Gale is by far the most gracious, giving, and harmless, a good-natured geek who once said that chemistry was still "magic" to him. Worse, his killer is Jesse, who until this point, could arguably have been excused for his prior dealings, an unlucky kid in a bad spot. If Walt crossed a point of no return in season 1, Jesse finally crosses the same point here.
#5 "Gliding Over All" - Season 5, Episode 8
What happens: Walt organizes a prison multi-murder, ascends to the height of his empire, then retires in order to return to a normal life. Hank finally discovers Walt's alter-ego just before the credits hit.
Why it's great: With the possible exception of "Felina," "Gliding Over All" covers more story, includes more plot development, and spans a greater portion of time than any other Breaking Bad episode. Most remarkable of all, it doesn't seem rushed, making for the perfect (mid-)season finale. Bonus points for the "Crystal Blue Persuasion" cooking/empire-building montage…in my mind, the best montage of the series.
#4 "Salud" - Season 4, Episode 10
Why it's great: With the possible exception of "Felina," "Gliding Over All" covers more story, includes more plot development, and spans a greater portion of time than any other Breaking Bad episode. Most remarkable of all, it doesn't seem rushed, making for the perfect (mid-)season finale. Bonus points for the "Crystal Blue Persuasion" cooking/empire-building montage…in my mind, the best montage of the series.
#4 "Salud" - Season 4, Episode 10
What happens: Gus and Mike fly Jesse to Mexico, where he is slotted to become the Mexican Cartel's new head meth chef. With their lives hanging in the balance, Jesse takes charge of the lab and pulls off a phenomenal cook. Gus, Mike, Jesse, and the Cartel return to head honcho Don Eladio's house, where Gus offers a toast of fine tequila to honor the new partnership. Gus drinks first, then Don and his men follow. Gus retreats to the bathroom, vomits, and returns to the poolside as Don and his goons drop dead, one-by-one. After a firefight, Jesse speeds the trio away from the house.
Why it's great: "Salud" is a rare episode. The primary setting is Mexico, and Walt plays more of a bit role, the spotlight reserved for Jesse and Gus. It's a delightful change of pace for longtime viewers, as we see Jesse succeed under pressure and Gus pull one of the most clever tricks of the series. The greatest moment of all: Gus's precise, orderly bathroom trip, in which he carefully removes his jacket, folds it, places a towel under his knees, and calmly chokes himself to remove the poison tequila. Horrifying, awesome, and vintage Gus.
#3 "Dead Freight" - Season 5, Episode 5
Why it's great: "Salud" is a rare episode. The primary setting is Mexico, and Walt plays more of a bit role, the spotlight reserved for Jesse and Gus. It's a delightful change of pace for longtime viewers, as we see Jesse succeed under pressure and Gus pull one of the most clever tricks of the series. The greatest moment of all: Gus's precise, orderly bathroom trip, in which he carefully removes his jacket, folds it, places a towel under his knees, and calmly chokes himself to remove the poison tequila. Horrifying, awesome, and vintage Gus.
#3 "Dead Freight" - Season 5, Episode 5
What happens: Walt, Jesse, and Todd perform a good-old-fashioned railway robbery by stealing 1,000 gallons of methylamine from a freight train. The operation takes precise timing and a bit of clever distraction, but in the end, they just pull it off. As they celebrate the successful robbery, a little boy rides up on a bike and waves. Todd draws his gun and kills the kid, so as to eliminate any witnesses.
Why it's great: "Dead Freight" is easily Breaking Bad's most fun episode, with a heist sequence that would make Ocean's 11 and The Italian Job proud. The excitement alone would have earned "Dead Freight" a spot in the top ten, but the chilling final shot sends the merriment into a profound tailspin, forcing viewers to reevaluate the very thing they were just cheering. Breaking Bad plays this punch-in-the-stomach trick several times, but nowhere more effectively than here.
#2 "Face Off" - Season 4, Episode 13
Why it's great: "Dead Freight" is easily Breaking Bad's most fun episode, with a heist sequence that would make Ocean's 11 and The Italian Job proud. The excitement alone would have earned "Dead Freight" a spot in the top ten, but the chilling final shot sends the merriment into a profound tailspin, forcing viewers to reevaluate the very thing they were just cheering. Breaking Bad plays this punch-in-the-stomach trick several times, but nowhere more effectively than here.
#2 "Face Off" - Season 4, Episode 13
What happens: After several failed attempts at Gus's life, Walt hatches a final plan. He will lure Gus to Hector Salamanca's retirement home by having Hector visit the DEA. Hector will play along: though he dislikes Walt, he despises Gus for murdering Don Eladio and all of his men. The plan set in motion, Gus hears of Hector's DEA visit. Furious that Hector would snitch on the meth business, Gus visits Hector to kill him personally. Hector stares back, ringing his infamous bell over and over. Gus sees a bomb attached to Hector's wheelchair, but it's too late. After the explosion, we see a Terminator-style Gus stroll from the room, straighten his tie, and drop to the ground, half of his face having been blown off in the blast.
Why it's great: Outside of "Felina," "Face Off" catalogues Walt's most successful scheme, executed to perfection. What's more, we get a nice tie-off to the bad blood feud between Gus and the Mexican Cartel. Even if Gus's tequila scheme worked, it's old-and-senile Hector Salamanca who gets to play the last sinister move. But what bumps "Face Off" up to #2 is the iconic, terrifying, unforgettable shot of Gus blown half to bits, still every bit as rigid and exact as he's always been. Some found the sequence unrealistic, but I ate it up. It's the most memorable ten seconds of the entire series.
#1 "Ozymandias" - Season 5, Episode 14
Why it's great: Outside of "Felina," "Face Off" catalogues Walt's most successful scheme, executed to perfection. What's more, we get a nice tie-off to the bad blood feud between Gus and the Mexican Cartel. Even if Gus's tequila scheme worked, it's old-and-senile Hector Salamanca who gets to play the last sinister move. But what bumps "Face Off" up to #2 is the iconic, terrifying, unforgettable shot of Gus blown half to bits, still every bit as rigid and exact as he's always been. Some found the sequence unrealistic, but I ate it up. It's the most memorable ten seconds of the entire series.
#1 "Ozymandias" - Season 5, Episode 14
What happens: The Nazis kill Hank right in front of Walt, take his money, and drag Jesse back to their base. Walt, left with a single barrel of his cash, rolls his way home, pathetic and devastated. He tells his family they all need to leave immediately, but Skyler draws a knife on him, demanding to know Hank's whereabouts. After grappling with Skyler, Walt grabs his infant daughter and drives off. Hours later, he calls back, shouting contemptuously and demanding that Skyler "tow the line"…or else. He leaves his daughter in a fire truck and drives off.
Why it's great: Named after the famous poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ozymandias" depicts the crumbling of Walt's empire, step by painful step. Even after an opening gun fight, Hank execution, and Jesse kidnapping, it's the Walt-Skyler knife fight that scars the most; from that moment forward, Walt loses all chance to reconcile with the very people for whom he'd always claimed he'd built his empire. While "Felina" allowed viewers to celebrate Walt's genius one last time, "Ozymandias" is arguably the spiritual finale, an indictment of Walt's choices and a proper Shakespearean end to the tragedy of Breaking Bad.
Why it's great: Named after the famous poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ozymandias" depicts the crumbling of Walt's empire, step by painful step. Even after an opening gun fight, Hank execution, and Jesse kidnapping, it's the Walt-Skyler knife fight that scars the most; from that moment forward, Walt loses all chance to reconcile with the very people for whom he'd always claimed he'd built his empire. While "Felina" allowed viewers to celebrate Walt's genius one last time, "Ozymandias" is arguably the spiritual finale, an indictment of Walt's choices and a proper Shakespearean end to the tragedy of Breaking Bad.
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