Many fans and critics alike consider Breaking Bad to be one of the most consistently high-quality television shows in recent history, without a bad season to its name, or many episodes where the show is considered to slump. Instead, most episodes are considered to be well-written, beautifully acted, and compellingly directed.
Some episodes have to be worse than others, however, and even with the show's typical high quality, there are episodes that dip below the admittedly high margin set by the rest of the show. Whether they stall the plot, feature disliked characters, or simply aren't as enjoyable to watch, some enjoy lower rankings than others.
10 'I.F.T.' (8.5) Takes Too Much Time
The tenth-lowest rated episode of Breaking Bad (tied with many others at 8.5), 'I.F.T.' would be considered an excellent episode by many shows. It has numerous plot developments, from the further fraying of Walt and Skyler's relationship, to Gus Fring revealing that he plans to have Walt killed when he is no longer useful.
Furthermore, it also explores several characters, including Jesse as he attempts to cope with the death of his partner, Jane. One reason for its low rating may be that it focuses heavily on Skyler - who drops the bombshell that the title stands for - who at this point in the show had a contingent of haters amongst fans.
9 'Breakage' (8.4) Takes A Breather As It Sets Up New Plot Lines
Heading up a pack of episodes rated at 8.4, 'Breakage' slows the show's often-breakneck pace down in order to begin setting up a series of storylines, some short-term and others longer-term.
Much of the episode's action focuses on the accounting of drug distribution, rather than the production and criminal violence that the show is best known for while setting up Jesse and Walt taking on more roles in the criminal world and also showing the beginnings of the toll Hank's work is having for him.
8 'Gray Matter' (8.4) Doesn't Have A Lot Of Action
Still ranked highly for many shows, 'Gray Matter' is one of the more important episodes in the show's early run. It details Walt agreeing to his family's demands that he undergoes cancer treatment, while also rejecting an offer from his former friends Elliot and Gretchen to work for them and receive high wages and healthcare.
Meanwhile, Jesse in parallel realizes that alone he cannot make meth as high-quality as what he and Walt make, this episode has the two understand that they need their partnership for a variety of reasons and ends with Walt offering to work again. Nonetheless, it is still an episode heavy in set-up, without too much action of its own.
7 'Bit By A Dead Bee' (8.4) Lacks The Thrill Of Its Predecessors
On the comedown from the very well-received 'Grilled', 'Bit By A Dead Bee' shows the consequences to the previous episode's tense escape and a knuckle-biting firefight between Hank and the unstable Tuco Salamanca.
This episode lacks the thrills and the drama of the previous episode, and goes for more sedate storytelling, but is nonetheless admired by critics for doing a good job exploring how the characters are feeling and what they do to cover for prior events.
6 'Thirty-Eight Snub' (8.3) Is A Setup For Season 4
A lot of Breaking Bad's worse-received episodes tend to be ones full of set-up, that slowly creep up the tension, with the episodes where that tension is released experiencing widespread acclaim.
The prior episode 'Box Cutter', received a much higher 9.3, and is considered one of the best episodes of the series. 'Thirty-Eight Snub,' in contrast, sets up the core conflicts for the show's Season 4, with Jesse suffering after killing Gale Boetticher, and Walt realizing that killing Gustavo Fring preemptively will be near-impossible.
5 'Cancer Man' (8.3) Doesn't Do Anything New
Breaking Bad's first three episodes, and especially its pilot, are acclaimed for their introduction to the show, and for the consistent tension throughout Walt and Jesse's conflict with Emilio and Krazy-88 - not to mention their shocking and disgusting moments.
'Cancer Man,' by contrast, takes a slower approach and doesn't openly set up any new plotlines. Instead, it focuses on Walt receiving more information about his cancer, and Jesse approaching his parents before ultimately getting kicked out by them again. In contrast to the first three, less happens, but it is nonetheless considered good watching.
4 'Down' (8.3) Has Not Big Stakes
One of the four episodes foreshadowing the explosive and tragic finale of Season 2, 'Down' is viewed better by fans in that light. As a standalone episode, it largely focuses on Jesse's attempts to steal back his RV after he is kicked out of his aunt's house by his family, and eventually his attempts to demand money he is owned by Walt.
Jesse-centric episodes often please audiences, but this one's relatively low stakes, and the underwhelming revelation that Skyler keeps disappearing so she can smoke while pregnant, left some disappointed.
3 'Green Light' (8.3) Is A Little Underwhelming
'Green Light' is another episode without much action - best remembered by viewers for Walt's unsuccessful attempt to break into Ted's office to confront him about his affair with Skyler. It also furthers the tension between Walt, Jesse, and Gus, as Gus courts Jesse's inferior meth in an attempt to convince Walt to resume cooking.
Nonetheless, the episode is largely centered around the character's emotional and dramatic reactions to things that have happened, rather than exploring new ground, and much of the plot development revolves around a single batch of meth made by Jesse, leaving some underwhelmed.
2 'Open House' (8.1) Doesn't See Very Much Happen
This episode's primary focus is on continuing Jesse's storyline from 'Thirty-Eight Snub,' where he throws all-night parties in an attempt to distract himself from his murder of Gale, which slowly descend as Jesse gets more and more guilty, and more and more desperate.
There is some levity from the plotline surrounding Walter and Skyler buying the carwash Walt used to work at. However, what largely dims the episode in the eyes of viewers is that, despite Aaron Paul's acclaimed performance, it is ultimately not very fun or tense, with Jesse's plotline instead being an unflinching and miserable look at emotional repression.
1 'Fly' (7.9) Is Sometimes Seen As A Waste Of Time
The only episode of Breaking Bad's tenure to receive lower than an 8 on IMDb, 'Fly' has always been controversial. Filmed as a bottle episode to save on budget, it revolves solely around Jesse and Walt trying to rid their laboratory of a single fly that risks contaminating their supply.
The episode mixes slapstick hijinks of two grown men attempting to ambush a single fly, with tearjerking acting from Bryan Cranston as Walt worries about whether he is hurting his family, and whether he should have already died. Some fans admire it for its strengths and its differences from other episodes in the series, but others view it as a waste of time.
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