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This discussion is far more divisive than it should be, so it's ripe for discussion. Breaking Bad was truly one of the greatest television dramas of all-time, but it became so good and so palatable to elitist critics, that the glaring flaws of its final season somehow evaded criticism. For the sake of clarity, I will (as many do) divide season 5 into 5A and 5B.
So, how do you rank the seasons?
I go:
1. Season 4
Season 4 of Breaking Bad will almost certainly go down as one of the greatest seasons of any drama series in television history. After leaving audiences hanging for 18 months following season 3's phenomenal cliffhanger, season 4 actually wasn't entirely popular for much of its run: fans consistently complained about the slow-burning plot and lack of action, feeling that the season's branding as Walter as "the danger" was entirely misleading. However, upon its spectacular completion, the season became extremely satisfying in its totality and, especially with regard to symbolism and foreshadowing, proved itself to have impeccable replay-ability despite its relatively measured plot. Alongside its masterful writing and direction, this season also hosts by far the greatest acting performances of the series' tenure. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul both give their most rangey and expressive showcases, and Giancarlo Esposito provides one of the most enthralling villains (or antihero? protagonist?) in television history. However, the season allows for unexpectedly brilliant performances from (previously unspectacular) side characters like Marie (played by Betsy Brandt).
Best episode: Crawl Space (S4/E11)
2. Season 2
Season 2 sticks out as by far the most enjoyable, mainly because (a) Walter still retained some of the good nature that allowed him to be identifiable, (b) the sophomore season had grown out of the awkward growing pains in production and budget constraints of the first season, (c) the show had not yet achieved critical acclaim, so it did not yet take on its debatable pretension and obsession with slow burn, maintaining a remarkably faster pace, and (d) the subject matter was still fairly light compared to later seasons.
Best episode: Phoenix (S2/E12)
3. Season 1
As most pilot seasons tend to be, Season 1 doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the seasons, as we are rushed through Walt's pre-cancer prelude, his diagnosis, and his subsequent break bad. However, the first season has an element of black humor that was nearly completely lost upon its return for a second season. While later seasons would retain homages to the show's black comedy roots with undeniably pretentious scenes such as the final transition of the first episode of the fourth season, the charming clumsiness of Walt and Jesse's initial foray into drug dealing is never quite replicated.
Best episode: ...And the Bag's in the River (S1/E3)
4. Season 3
Season 3 saw the show significantly slow its pace and show just what it could do with an ample budget. While Season 4 got the most complaints for its lack of action, I actually found Season 3 to be by far the most frustrating and least satisfying. Despite its mediocre pace and somewhat sloppy integration of the Mexican cartel subplot, the elaboration of characters Gus and Mike do wonders for the show's artistic appeal, and the final two episodes of the season are some of the very best in the series.
Best episode: Half Measures (S3/E12)
5. Season 5B
Besides the boringly formulaic, exceedingly silly, and wildly impractical series finale, the final chapter of the series mostly suffers from having clearly been rushed. The first few episodes of the season are wildly superior to any of those in the preceding season, but (besides being rushed) the plot ultimately suffers from poor structure. Having killed the Big Bad in the S4 finale, the final season had the simple duty of focusing on the showdown the entire series had been building to: Hank and Walt. However, wanting to maintain its moral ambiguity and some semblance of vindication (a certain betrayal of the show's premise), the writers opted instead to substitute in a needless alternative antagonist in the form of a group of hill billy Trump voters. The season and series finale, on its logistical silliness alone, betrays the quality of the season's earlier episodes.
Best episode: Ozymandias (S5/E14)
6. Season 5A
Wow.
Talk about a drop off. After putting forth one of the best drama seasons in television history, the whole staff really dropped a big old poopie to start out season 5. From the illogical and inorganic character pivots (Walt losing every bit of humanity gained in S4 and parlaying it into being a cheesy movie villain) to the shameless product promotion (see picture above), to the laughable plot devices, the show completely jumps the ship, clearly drunk on its own fame.
However, strangely enough, the show also contains one of the series' most enjoyable episodes, mostly due to its showcasing of Mike (Jonathan Banks). But, ultimately, the first part of season 5 suffers both from silliness in pursuing the show's foreboded character development ends and in setting up an ill-conceived showdown for the season's second half.
You see it has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? That's 100% ridiculous.
So, how do you rank 'em?
So, how do you rank the seasons?
I go:
1. Season 4
Season 4 of Breaking Bad will almost certainly go down as one of the greatest seasons of any drama series in television history. After leaving audiences hanging for 18 months following season 3's phenomenal cliffhanger, season 4 actually wasn't entirely popular for much of its run: fans consistently complained about the slow-burning plot and lack of action, feeling that the season's branding as Walter as "the danger" was entirely misleading. However, upon its spectacular completion, the season became extremely satisfying in its totality and, especially with regard to symbolism and foreshadowing, proved itself to have impeccable replay-ability despite its relatively measured plot. Alongside its masterful writing and direction, this season also hosts by far the greatest acting performances of the series' tenure. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul both give their most rangey and expressive showcases, and Giancarlo Esposito provides one of the most enthralling villains (or antihero? protagonist?) in television history. However, the season allows for unexpectedly brilliant performances from (previously unspectacular) side characters like Marie (played by Betsy Brandt).
Best episode: Crawl Space (S4/E11)
2. Season 2
Season 2 sticks out as by far the most enjoyable, mainly because (a) Walter still retained some of the good nature that allowed him to be identifiable, (b) the sophomore season had grown out of the awkward growing pains in production and budget constraints of the first season, (c) the show had not yet achieved critical acclaim, so it did not yet take on its debatable pretension and obsession with slow burn, maintaining a remarkably faster pace, and (d) the subject matter was still fairly light compared to later seasons.
Best episode: Phoenix (S2/E12)
3. Season 1
As most pilot seasons tend to be, Season 1 doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the seasons, as we are rushed through Walt's pre-cancer prelude, his diagnosis, and his subsequent break bad. However, the first season has an element of black humor that was nearly completely lost upon its return for a second season. While later seasons would retain homages to the show's black comedy roots with undeniably pretentious scenes such as the final transition of the first episode of the fourth season, the charming clumsiness of Walt and Jesse's initial foray into drug dealing is never quite replicated.
Best episode: ...And the Bag's in the River (S1/E3)
4. Season 3
Season 3 saw the show significantly slow its pace and show just what it could do with an ample budget. While Season 4 got the most complaints for its lack of action, I actually found Season 3 to be by far the most frustrating and least satisfying. Despite its mediocre pace and somewhat sloppy integration of the Mexican cartel subplot, the elaboration of characters Gus and Mike do wonders for the show's artistic appeal, and the final two episodes of the season are some of the very best in the series.
Best episode: Half Measures (S3/E12)
5. Season 5B
Besides the boringly formulaic, exceedingly silly, and wildly impractical series finale, the final chapter of the series mostly suffers from having clearly been rushed. The first few episodes of the season are wildly superior to any of those in the preceding season, but (besides being rushed) the plot ultimately suffers from poor structure. Having killed the Big Bad in the S4 finale, the final season had the simple duty of focusing on the showdown the entire series had been building to: Hank and Walt. However, wanting to maintain its moral ambiguity and some semblance of vindication (a certain betrayal of the show's premise), the writers opted instead to substitute in a needless alternative antagonist in the form of a group of hill billy Trump voters. The season and series finale, on its logistical silliness alone, betrays the quality of the season's earlier episodes.
Best episode: Ozymandias (S5/E14)
6. Season 5A
Wow.
Talk about a drop off. After putting forth one of the best drama seasons in television history, the whole staff really dropped a big old poopie to start out season 5. From the illogical and inorganic character pivots (Walt losing every bit of humanity gained in S4 and parlaying it into being a cheesy movie villain) to the shameless product promotion (see picture above), to the laughable plot devices, the show completely jumps the ship, clearly drunk on its own fame.
However, strangely enough, the show also contains one of the series' most enjoyable episodes, mostly due to its showcasing of Mike (Jonathan Banks). But, ultimately, the first part of season 5 suffers both from silliness in pursuing the show's foreboded character development ends and in setting up an ill-conceived showdown for the season's second half.
You see it has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? That's 100% ridiculous.
So, how do you rank 'em?
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