Breaking Bad is the only show to have an episode with a perfect score of 10/10 on IMDb, but the impressive achievement came with an unexpected cost for the award-winning crime drama. With Breaking Bad widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time, such an accolade is perhaps not all that surprising.
That said, the Breaking Bad cast and crew faced an interesting challenge after the episode in question aired. It featured one of the moments that defined Breaking Bad and set a new standard for narrative milestones in the television industry. On the other hand, the show created a massive obstacle for itself that it failed to overcome.
Breaking Bad’s “Ozymandias” Is The Only 10/10 Episode Of TV On IMDb
Vince Gilligan’s Show Is Breathing Exclusive Air
IMDb‘s scoring system allows viewers to rate TV episodes on a scale of 1-10, and Breaking Bad season 5, episode 14, “Ozymandias,” is the only installment from across the industry to emerge from this process with a perfect score of 10/10. For a little context, everything from 2nd to 20th place on the same list currently has a score of 9.9/10.
Written by Moira Walley-Beckett and directed by Rian Johnson, “Ozymandias” is flawless in its execution and its placement within the larger Breaking Bad story. It chronicles the immediate fallout of Walter “White” White’s (Bryan Cranston) secret life as the leader of a meth empire being irrefutably outed by his brother-in-law, Dean Norris’ Agent Hank Schrader.
Hank’s death boldly takes place before the episode’s first act is even complete, but “Ozymandias” is so densely packed with tension, drama, and long-awaited narrative payoffs that it doesn’t lull for a single second. Viewers have all come to the same conclusion that there’s nothing to be done to improve “Ozymandias,” which is an incredible feat.
Even the episode’s title, which is a reference to a famous sonnet by Bysshe Shelley, has been perfectly selected. The literary work centers around its title character, who is also known as Pharaoh Ramses II of Ancient Egypt. It heavily references the ruins of a Ramses II/Ozymandias statue and the fall of his empire, which feels very fitting given Walt’s defeat.
Breaking Bad’s Final 2 Episodes Fail To Live Up To “Ozymandias”
“Granite State” & “Felina” Had An Impossible Task
There is no doubting the quality of “Ozymandias.” It was as great as it was, and that’s just how the episode needed to be. However, there were still two more episodes to go before Breaking Bad could conclude. The issue with that is that “Ozymandias” was so incredible that “Granite State” and “Felina” had a lot to live up to.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, neither episode was able to uphold the perfect rating awarded to “Ozymandias.” So, it could be argued that Breaking Bad peaked too soon. A show’s very last episode can routinely be its finest effort, but Breaking Bad, through no real fault of its own, doesn’t fit that pattern.
One of the biggest questions in Breaking Bad was when/if Walt was going to get caught. Season 5 has a gradual ramp-up to that moment, and it comes in the form of a massive turning point in the story. In “Ozymandias,” Walt has completely lost control of the situation, and the rest of the show handles what remains of the aftermath.
So, even though there was more story to tell after “Ozymandias,” the questions of where Walt would go and what he would do next were brand-new. As such, they were very slightly less engaging, although obviously still vital to his arc. In short, placing “Ozymandias” where it fell in the show’s final season was a necessary evil.
Breaking Bad would go on to have one more chance at returning to the heights of “Ozymandias.” Six years later, 2019’s El Camino movie acted as an epilogue to the show and essentially served as its 63rd episode. Seeing what Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) did after the finale was a worthwhile endeavor, but the movie was still haunted by the success of “Ozymandias.”
“Granite State” & “Felina” Are Still Fantastic Breaking Bad Episodes
Breaking Bad Needed All 3 Installments To Suitably End The Show
“Granite State” is ranked seventh in the list of best Breaking Bad episodes on IMDb with a rating of 9.7/10, and “Felina” is third, with a rating of 9.9/10. “Felina” is even 11th on IMDb‘s list of the best TV episodes overall. While neither installment is quite as good as “Ozymandias,” the difference in quality is not very big at all.
Breaking Bad‘s penultimate episode, “Granite State,” continues the events of “Ozymandias” brilliantly, and sees the final appearance of Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman in the show. The time jump that then leads to “Felina” is what allows the show to provide itself with an outstanding finale, and eventual sequel movie with El Camino.
“Ozymandias” essentially serves as the first installment in what goes on to be a three-part finale for the show, with El Camino taking up epilogue duties. So, the explosive moments like Hank’s death were always going to steal the show for their shock value, but that doesn’t mean the Breaking Bad episodes that follow aren’t part of the same masterpiece.
Source: IMDb
Breaking Bad
10/10
- Release Date
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2008 – 2013-00-00
- Showrunner
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Vince Gilligan
