Top 20 Breaking Bad Episodes v. I'm back...with a vengeance. *SPOILERS*

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I had planned to do this for a while now, and figured I'd start right after the show ended. I have my list together, but it's late right now, so I should be able to start it off tomorrow afternoon! If anybody else is interested in doing a list as well, send me a PM and I will edit this post for you guys. I didn't want to do this within the actual Breaking Bad thread because of people who may not be finished with the show. Thanks!

[KevShmev]

Will be following.  Bring 'em on.

[Bolsters]

Is there anything DTF won't rank?

I'll be following too, though, don't worry. I'll be interested to see which episodes were the standouts for all of you.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

#20. Box Cutter (Season 4)

"Get back to work."



 In the opening scene of "Box Cutter" , a flashback takes place in which Gus decides whether or not Gale would make a good partner to Walt. He has his doubts at first, saying the two wouldn't make a nice pair, but Gale says otherwise. He then persuades Gus to hire him. Good fucking job, Gale. You just signed your death warrant. Afterwards, the episode starts to take place right where the end of "Full Measure" left off. Victor arrives to find Gale dead and beyond. He then finds Jesse just sitting in his car. He doesn't try to run, as he is shocked. Later, Skyler has another funny scene, in which she tricks the locksmith into letting her into Walt's apartment. Hank, however, is not the spotlight of this episode. Still recovering from the gun wound, and even worse: dealing with Marie's horse shit.

"Box Cutter" is a bit of a slower episode, but it doesn't fail to deliver one of the most memorable scenes in the show's history.

Favorite Scene: The drawn out scene with Gus killing Victor with the box cutter takes the cake. What's great about this scene is that nobody saw it coming. Walt and Jesse are definitely thinking they are done for, but Fring pulls a 180 and kills the annoying fuck rat, with no reaction. He just goes on his way, taking his precious time.  Hell, even Mike is showing fear. That's a rarity, considering he's usually the one putting fear in others. This is definitely one of the most chilling scenes in the show, and it displays how menacing Gustavo really is.

EDIT: Also, Victor dying was great. I hated him.

[KevShmev]

Yep, that scene would easily be top 5 on the "OMG, did that really just happen?!" scale.  Going back and watching it again, once Victor reveals to Mike that he was seen at the scene of the crime (Gale's murder), his death becomes a lot more obvious, but on the first view, it wasn't at all.  I mean, I didn't think Gus was gonna kill Walt or Jesse, but I didn't know what was gonna happen. That is great writing.

Overall though, I do think the parts with Skyler trying to find Walt make the episode lag a bit, and that pulls the episode down a notch, so I am not sure I would call it top 20 for me, but even the least best BB episodes are really good, so I am just splitting hairs. 

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Yes, my list probably isn't going to be very surprising, as I think the show got better with each season. And I agree, I felt bad leaving episodes out of this

[KevShmev]

Since I brought up the "OMG, did that really just happen?!" thing, my top 5 of those would be:

-Gus killing Victor.
-"Run."
-The cousins trying to kill Hank in the parking lot.
-Hank dying (even though we knew it was coming, it was still shocking when it happened).
-The whole scene with Walt, Skyler and Flynn in Ozymandias, from their fight over the knife to Flynn calling the cops on his dad to Walt leaving with Holly.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

The remaining 4 of those could possibly be in this list

[senecadawg2]

That was a good episode, albeit a bit on the slow end of things.

Definitely a top Gus scene.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

#19. Pilot (Season 1)

"Fuck you! And your eyebrows!"



What’s a good list without the pilot, right? Well, I’ve seen some pretty shitty pilots of shows in my past, and this isn’t one. This is where you meet the characters that will be with you for seasons to come. Walt finds out he has lung cancer, as told by the mustard shirt doctor. I didn’t think there would ever be a show where I’ve bonded to the characters so quickly. He’s working two jobs, and his dickbag student finds it hilarious for some reason. You can just tell at this point he is not doing what he really wants to do (as you can expect).  Walt and Jesse form a partnership, and this is only the beginning of that relationship. This is also where we see Hank cracking his usual terrible jokes. I seriously thought Hank was going to be like this the whole time. Though, bringing Saul in did kind of shift the comedy factor away from him. It’s funny thinking back when I first saw this. Skyler and Walt Jr. grew on me, because I was in the majority crowd who was like “Oh, look, a bitch wife!” Walt Jr, I thought was kind of a prick when it came to the breakfast side of things. By the end of the episode, my reaction was as follows: “Holy shit, this teacher is cooking meth! How could this get any bigger?” Yes, the stakes aren’t very high at this point. There’s no Gus or Tuco in the picture just yet, but you do have Emilio and Krazy , who are big threats at this point. This episode is what started it all, and that, I think, gives it a permanent spot in my favorites.

Favorite Scene: Emilio and Krazy 8 force Walt to show them his method, and in the process, he produces a deadly gas and flees quickly. He has his back on the door of the Winnebago as the two inside shoot at him. This is only a sliver of Walt is capable of doing. The pair of pants flying in the air was beautiful as well.

[senecadawg2]

It's been so long since I've seen this. I wasn't hooked as early as you were, but I still do remember enjoying the pilot a great deal. Maybe I'll rewatch it some time in the future.

[KevShmev]

I absolutely loved the pilot! It sucked me in from the start; I was immediately engrossed in the story.  Not only was the story compelling from the very start, but I loved the directing: the opening shot of the pants falling, the POV angle when Walt notices the mustard on the doctor's shot, the zoom away when we reconnect with Walt in the middle of the road with the gun drawn, etc.  As much props as the acting and writing both get, and deservedly so, the directing was always top notch as well (which I think I said already in this thread or the other...cannot remember ).

[FlyingBIZKIT]

#18. 4 Days Out (Season 2)

"Smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos and masturbating do not constitute 'plans' in my book"



Maybe a surprising pick for my top 20, but this episode stands out because it’s different. Walt tells Skyler he’s going to visit his mother, but he actually means he’s going to cook up a big ass batch of the blue with little Jesse. They rack up a big amount of potential cash too. Walt claims that’s enough to get them nearly $700k a piece, just for two days of cooking. However, just when things seem to be going better than ever, the RV will not start. Jesse leaving the keys in the ignition might have been the cause of it, and he only makes the situation worse from there. He spills gas on the generator, setting it ablaze, and as a result, he pours the remaining drinking water on it, when Walt was about to use the handy dandy fire extinguisher. What other option do they have now? Ah, they can call for help! Well, Jesse’s phone can’t pick up a signal, but Walt’s is sure to work. So he gives Jesse his phone so he can call Skinny Pete, who isn’t the brightest of the bunch. Hours later, he ends up being lost, and then the phone’s battery is drained. Now, they have no contact, no water, nothing. Jesse displayed an insane amount of stupidity in this episode, but he did generate the great idea of making a homemade battery, along with a dune buggy, a homing device, and a robot.  Luckily, they get it started, and head home. Later, Walt finds out his cancer is in remission and his tumor shrunk greatly.

What I love about this episode is how laid back it is. It’s simple, straight-forward, and actually very funny. Looking where the show was the last few seasons, it was nice seeing traditional scenes with Walt and Jesse, where they’re actually getting along. This is an episode I truly appreciate, after watching the dark, more serious episodes later in the show.

Favorite Scene: The very end, when Walt starts punching the towel dispenser. At first, I didn’t think much of it, and didn’t understand it. I mean, why be so angry when you hear great news about your health? In Walt’s mind, hearing that he’s less likely to die is truly upsetting. He told all these lies and cooked all this meth for his family, because he initially thought he was not going to live long. It’s a really simple scene, but a lot can be learned from it.

[Dimitrius]

I love that episode, but goddamn did Jesse go full retard in it!

[senecadawg2]

That was a very funny one. Great quote too. Two thumbs up my ass 

[reneranucci]

Great review, very well written. I would highlights two things from that episode:

- The "a robot?" scene still cracks me up.

- This is the episode where Walt realized that living on was unbearable for him, and one of the first episodes where we see his angry in full rage. My explanation for his anger is this: he was ready to die. If he would get bad news that day, he would die as a hero: Jesse would give the money to his family, they would recognize what a great guy he was, he was in good terms with almost everybody. Living on suddenly meant that he had to live with himself, with all the lies, the anger, the blood and the bad conscience. He couldn't bear living with himself. That's why in the next 2-3 episodes we see him acting like a total jerk: the realization that he had to try to go back to his family and "normal" life was a nightmare to him.

[reneranucci]

BTW, the pilot is possible in my Top 2 list. No other episode has ever made me want more and more from a TV show. It's a masterpiece, and it sets many themes of the show early on: the amazing opening sequences, the unpredictability accompanied by the "a-ha" moments, the action-pack episodes (it is amazing how much they can cram in 45 without it feeling rushed), the bleak atmosphere with delicate touches of melancholy and a desperate sense of humor, the emotional roller coasters, the cliffhangers and the end, and the ambiguity of our feelings towards most of the characters.

[KevShmev]

"A robot?" 

[Bolsters]

Yeah! Science, bitch!

[FlyingBIZKIT]

#17. Cornered (Season 4)

"I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger!"



There is so much in this episode to love. The 2009 Challenger Walt Jr receives (and a breakfast scene!), Walt's awesome monologue, Bogdan's first dollar being used in a vending machine and TUCKER! This is a big point in the show where Jesse and Mike are starting to have, almost what you could call, a friendship. Walt doesn't like that and realizes Gus is trying to turn Jesse away from him. Of course the prideful and egoistic Walt claims all this is about himself, and Jesse doesn't deserve the spotlight. When does he ever acknowledge Jesse as any thing more than a side kick? Walt claims he needs Jesse, but we all know the truth, he just hires three women to do his cleaning for him. Mike and Jesse head out to TUCKER!'s house, where they try and retrieve the Los Pollos "batter" bucket. Mike thinks they should take a cautious approach, and wait for the junkies in the house to leave. Jesse thinks otherwise, and knocks on the door. After a failed attempt, he goes back to the car and grabs a shovel out of the trunk. After the marvelous "shovel camera" shot, Jesse starts digging a hole in their front yard. Then, the infamous TUCKER! walks out and switches shifts with Jesse. He then goes inside the house and a more dangerous junkie with a shotgun approaches him, talking a bunch of nonsense. After a noise distraction, the junkie looks away, and Jesse takes him out with a bong. There's no better way to take out a junkie than with his own bong. They get what they came for, and leave. Mike is impressed. Hell, even Gus is impressed. Gus told Jesse "I like to think I see things in people." That's a compliment if I ever heard one, especially from a man with that power. Tyrus ruins the fiesta, and sends the women to Honduras. Walt is annoyed. If anyone should be annoyed, it should be Walt Jr. He had his car, for one damn episode (it may return later)

Favorite Scene: Walt's speech to Skyler. It's one of the most famous moments from the show, and even people that haven't seen the show know this scene. He leaves Skyler speechless and afraid, and it's awesome. This made me say, "Damn Walt is one BAMF."

[KevShmev]

Walt's "I am the one who knocks!" speech was epic and one of the most memorable moments of the series, but I don't think this episode as a whole would rate nearly this high for me.  Again, every BB episode was nothing less than really good, but this one rates for me as just very good, while many others range from great to magnificent.

[senecadawg2]

Walt's "I am the one who knocks!" speech was epic and one of the most memorable moments of the series, but I don't think this episode as a whole would rate nearly this high for me.

Seconded. I absolutely loved that scene, but honestly can't remember much else from this episode.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Yeah, there's a lot of episodes I really wanted to have in here, but I feel pretty good about my placement. 

[Lolzeez]

Fly for #1.

[KevShmev]

Fly really is outstanding.  The first time through, I liked it, but I didn't like the fact that the storyline came to a screeching halt for that episode, after always moving at such a rapid pace, but having gone back and watched it again, it is pretty great.  Definitely one of the funniest of the series, too.

[GuineaPig]

Walt's "I am the one who knocks!" speech was epic and one of the most memorable moments of the series, but I don't think this episode as a whole would rate nearly this high for me. 

It is also has provided perhaps the most wildly misinterpreted quote in recent pop culture history.

[senecadawg2]

Fly for #1.

I hope not. That episode really pissed me off. Sure it's well acted, and it helps us delve deeper into the characterization of Walt, but which episodes aren't, and don't? And most of them manage to succeed in both regards while being a hell of a lot more entertaining.

Just my 2 cents

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Fly is #1



No it isn't




Yes it is





No





Yes







Who Knows

[GuineaPig]

It should be number 1.

As for entertainment, I know I've watched it more times than any other episode.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

#16. Grilled (Season 2)

"Ding! Ding!"



Grilled was my favorite episode for a LONG time, but that was before I watched the latter half of season 3. This episode was so tense, and my nails were pretty much gone by the end of it. At the time, Tuco was the main antagonist (excluding Hank) and he was bat shit crazy. He pretty much kidnaps Walt and Jesse, and takes them to his uncle, Hector Salamanca. Hector is a mute bell ringer, but he has an eye for suspicion. Tuco wants his cousins to smuggle Walt and himself into Mexico. He wants Walt to cook meth for him, all day, every day. He doesn't care one bit about Jesse, who he used to simply get Walt. Walt and Jesse are being held hostage, and made to sit on the couch, close to Hector. Jesse, with his wisdom, claims the new meth they made (which is actually poison) has a new secret ingredient: chili powder. Tuco says he hates chili powder. Tuco 1, Jesse 0. Tuco starts to cook a meal for them all and explains they have a long road ahead of them. Suddenly, a news report on the tv shows Gonzo and the other guy, both dead. Walt nervously changes the channel in fear that Tuco will think he ratted him out. When the food is done, Jesse and Walt head to the dinner table. As Tuco talks to Hector and brings him to the table, Walt attempts and successfully places the ricin in Tuco's burrito. Hecta knows. He rings his bell and tries to warn Tuco of the wrongdoing, but Tuco just thinks he's being greedy. They switch plates, and Hector knocks his plate off the table, while pointing at Walt. Tuco gets pissed, and gets even more enraged when he realizes Walt and Jesse are trying to play him like a fool. He takes Jesse outside holding the assault rifle to his head, when Walt admits he tried to poison him. While Tuco is distracted, Jesse hits that fucking asshole in the head with a rock. A big ass rock. Jesse grabs Tuco's pistol and shoots him. They go to Jesse's car, but don't have the keys. They then see a car approaching, they run because they think it's Tuco's cousins. Thank God it wasn't. After reaching a safe place, they watch a gun fight between Tuco and someone else. It's Hank, and he's here to save the day. He guns Tuco in the head, as Jesse and Walt flee.

Also, thanks, Marie, for the second cell-phone idea. Bitch.

Favorite Scene: When Jesse smashes Tuco's head with a rock. The excitement just ran through me, because it was nice seeing Jesse stand up and do something for himself. Tuco treats everybody like shit, but especially Jesse, so it was nice seeing some revenge.

[KevShmev]

One of the best episodes, for sure.  I loved Jesse yelling, "Who's the bitch now?!" at Tuco while he was kicking him.  After Tuco basically treated him like a rag doll, it was nice to see Jesse get a bit of revenge there.

However, this was the first tragic mistake made by Walter White: "Let him bleed."  Had Hank not come by and killed Tuco, a surviving Tuco would have come off after Walter and Jesse with everything he had, once he recovered from the gunshot wound.  Walt and Jesse lucked out that Hank took out Tuco. 

[KevShmev]

Also, I loved the tension in this episode.  I was literally on the edge of my seat for most of it, which was really a first at the time for this show.

And a great moment was Jesse telling Walt that he should be all sacrificial.

"So, I'm gonna be dead soon anyway, so my life is worth less.  THAT's your point?!"

"Uh..yeah."

 

[KevShmev]

It should be number 1.

As for entertainment, I know I've watched it more times than any other episode.

"You know what they put in hot dogs? Pig lips and assholes.  But hey, I say, 'Have at it, bitches," cause I love hot dogs."

[The King in Crimson]

This is a great idea.

I haven't really done an official favorites episodes list or anything yet, but I can see any one of these being on there (especially "Pilot" and "Grilled") except for "Cornered." Good episode but it's kind of a typical Season 4 episode in that it's a bit overly drawn out. Good, memorable scene with Walt though.

[Dimitrius]

It should be number 1.

As for entertainment, I know I've watched it more times than any other episode.

"You know what they put in hot dogs? Pig lips and assholes.  But hey, I say, 'Have at it, bitches," cause I love hot dogs."

And who can forget the timeless: "Yo! Gatorade me, bitch!"