Breaking Bad: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 4182 Ratings

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9.2

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9.2	Your Score
9.2	User Score Universal acclaim based on 4182 Ratings

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Breaking Bad

Now Playing: Breaking Bad

Season Details & Credits

AMC | Season Premiere Date: January 20, 2008

Starring: Giancarlo Esposito, Bryan Cranston, Bob Odenkirk

Summary: A chemistry teacher decides to start a Meth lab.

Creator: Vince Gilligan

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Suspense

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Season 1 Episodes

8.1
S1:E7. A No-Rough-Stuff Type Deal
Air Date: March 9, 2008
8.7
S1:E6. Crazy Handful of Nothin'
Air Date: March 2, 2008
8.2
S1:E5. Gray Matter
Air Date: February 24, 2008

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Linda Stasi

The acting is as good as you'll see on TV (take a hard look at the genius of RJ Mitte, who really does have CP). And the script and plot are as out-there as creator/writer/producer Vince Gilligan's other series, "The X-Files." Read full review

San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa Times

Charlie McCollum

Occasionally, something will pop up to remind us of just how good television can be when smart writers come up with an intriguing concept and execute it well. A case in point is Breaking Bad, an edgy, challenging new series. Read full review

Barry Garron

Give Gilligan credit for a pilot, written mostly as one long flashback, that is suspenseful and surprising. Cranston is always fun to watch and Bad is no exception. What's more, a strong supporting cast suggests there is a lot of room for this series to grow. Read full review

Julie Hinds

It sets up a scenario that sends Walt, played by Bryan Cranston ("Malcolm in the Middle"), on an unpredictable, surprisingly fun-to-watch journey that frees him from his law-abiding past. Read full review

Alan Sepinwall

Cranston's performance alone is enough to keep me watching for a while, but I'd like to see something resembling a completed formula, and soon.

Rob Owen

In such rare instances [in the second episode], Breaking Bad achieves a perfect moment of nerdy believability, but too often the series fails to provide details that would help explain its characters' illogical choices. Read full review

Doug Elfman

Breaking could be a good study of acting, since Cranston and Aaron Paul (as his partner, Jesse) get under the grimy skin of their characters. But there's not enough of the good stuff, like writing, directing, mood, cinematography--you get the point. Read full review

SEE ALL 27 REVIEWS

User Score

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9.2

User Reviews

bugrakurban

Jun 28, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This series is directed very well. And I can say that Bryan Cranston is an brilliant actor. Moreover, Aaron Paul should be respected for his performance.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

BrandonR

Mar 31, 2010

The best show I've seen on TV in years.

46 of 54 users found this helpful

tehslyness

Sep 6, 2013

Without a doubt the best show on TV. The spot on acting and separate but intertwining storylines keep it fresh and unpredictable. This will be the biggest finale ever.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Vulthuryol

Mar 9, 2017

this show is really good like really good if you haven't watched it get a netflix account and watch is now the characters are great with fantastic arcs and no moment in the show is bad at any moment

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

mexognosis

Jan 19, 2012

It's actually sort of tough to rate the first season of Breaking Bad, because despite setting up the remainder of the show, it's just so damn different from the later seasons. The directing, cinematography, acting, and screenwriting are all fantastic, even if there aren't quite as many greatIt's actually sort of tough to rate the first season of Breaking Bad, because despite setting up the remainder of the show, it's just so damn different from the later seasons. The directing, cinematography, acting, and screenwriting are all fantastic, even if there aren't quite as many great moments as in seasons 2, 3, and 4. Some of the 'yeah, science!' moments were a bit annoying at first glance, but looking deeper there's actually a sort of satirical humor even there, and in any case, that aspect of the show was one of the first to disappear. The writers strike also makes it tough to evaluate the end of the season - I like to think of the second episode of season 2 as the final episode of this arc, which really makes a difference.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Amandahenry

May 4, 2015

Are you looking for a television series that is filled with action and drama? Not looking for just another sitcom or a criminal investigation show like Criminal Minds, NCIS, or CSI? Breaking Bad is the show for you. Breaking Bad is a drama television series that aired from 2008 to 2013. ItAre you looking for a television series that is filled with action and drama? Not looking for just another sitcom or a criminal investigation show like Criminal Minds, NCIS, or CSI? Breaking Bad is the show for you. Breaking Bad is a drama television series that aired from 2008 to 2013. It is an AMC series that falls under the drama/thriller genre. The show won two Golden Globe Awards, and Emmy for Outstanding Drama, another 117 wins, and 189 nominations. It was also rated 5 out of 5 stars on Rotten Tomatoes and 9.5 out of 10 stars on IMDb. The writer of the show is Vince Gilligan and Michelle MacLaren is the director. The main characters are Walter White played by Bryan Cranston, Jesse Pinkman played by Aaron Paul, and Skyler White played by Anna Gunn.
The plot is about a middle-aged man, Walter, who is over qualified to be a public high school chemistry teacher who was recently diagnosed with stage III lung cancer. He has a 15-year-old son with cerebral palsy and a wife on maternity leave with a baby on the way. Walter considers the future of his cancer. How will he pay for the treatment and provide for his family without debt? He discovers a way make quick money for his chemotherapy and provide for his family when he is eventually gone. Walter teams up with an old student, Jesse, who is experienced in selling illegal drugs on the streets. Together they cook and sell the purest form of methamphetamine sold on the street they call “blue meth”. Walt and Jesse quickly become well known and popular in the drug world. Their lives soon become filled with crime and drama that they cannot escape from. They encounter some very dangerous criminals and eventually become criminals themselves. Walt’s brother in law, Hank, is a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) agent. Hank is investigating crimes Walt is secretly the cause of or involved in.
This television series will hook any type of person in. The show is aimed toward older teens and adults no matter on gender or interests. Each episode is so unpredictable that anything can happen and will make you want to keep watching. Each season is very organized and planned so there are no open-ended questions. Everyone appreciates and enjoys good acting with a creative story with some dry humor. The plot is very unique and not copied or modeled off of anything done before.
Besides everything I think was done well, there were a few things I did not like within the series. My main complaint was what some of the characters turned into as the show progressed. For example, Walter’s character starts out as a quiet, nice, timid, and very intelligent father. Once he starts cooking and selling drugs, he becomes very greedy and merciless. Cooking methamphetamine comes very easy to him, which leads to large money flow that blinds him from knowing when enough is enough. By the end of the show, he becomes too greedy and his main priorities are lost.
The father, Walter, is simply a teacher and the mother, Skyler, is pregnant. They are a quiet family that acts and dresses proper and conservative. These details are relevant because you would never expect their situation from an outside perspective. The family is very relatable because to the rest of the world, the Whites are average family. The setting takes place in New Mexico because the use of methamphetamine is more popular and active than it is in Pennsylvania, for example. In my opinion, the acting was terrific and very professional. The main actors have had multiple awards for their performance.
This series was by far one of my favorites. Within all five seasons, I found minimal flaws. This show is very organized and leaves you without questions or wonders. I recommend this show to anyone because it is not aimed toward one specific audience.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

thesoothsayer17

Apr 2, 2021

This is literally THE most over-hyped show of all time, and it definitely does NOT live up to it. I actually watched Better Call Saul first, and fell in love with that show, the story, the characters, and the acting, so I figured I'd give Breaking Bad a try and wow, was I disappointed. TheThis is literally THE most over-hyped show of all time, and it definitely does NOT live up to it. I actually watched Better Call Saul first, and fell in love with that show, the story, the characters, and the acting, so I figured I'd give Breaking Bad a try and wow, was I disappointed. The characters are horrible, unbelievable, and thoroughly unlikable, the plot makes zero sense as it meanders around in some half-assed attempt to tell a story, and you are left constantly wondering why you are even watching it to begin with as you are bored to tears. Even Walt, who has cancer, is nearly impossible to sympathize with, and Jesse plays the most unconvincing drug addict/dealer of any show I have ever watched. It is like watching something written by a person that has never even been in the same room with a drug, let alone ever done one themselves. I literally can't even finish the third season because every time I try it feels like pulling teeth, and I feel like I would literally watch just about any other show than this one. The first season actually showed some promise but with each episode the show just gets worse and worse and worse. I honestly don't think I will even be finishing the show because it doesn't even make me want to know what happens because of how completely awful the writing and storytelling is. I literally cannot believe that so many people like this show when most shows I have watched in my life are much better than this. If you have never tried watching this show by now my advice is don't even try. It is not worth your time. Even a Nic Cage movie is more entertaining and has better writing, and that is really saying something. Honestly, the only bright spot in an otherwise terrible show was the character Saul Goodman and the acting of Bob Odenkirk. I personally cannot wait for the last season of Better Call Saul, but I feel like the show is permanently stained due to the fact it was inspired by such a horrible and uninteresting show as Breaking Bad. I literally made this account solely to review this show because it was so horrible that I was compelled to let other people know so they could avoid the horrible experience of having to watch it. One of the all-time worst shows ever produced.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 437 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

87

Series Overview
Season 5

99
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: July 15, 2012
Season 4

96
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: July 17, 2011
Season 3

89
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: March 21, 2010
Season 2

84
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: March 8, 2009
Season 1

73
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: January 20, 2008
- 8.1
  S1:E7. A No-Rough-Stuff Type Deal
  Air Date: March 9, 2008
- 8.7
  S1:E6. Crazy Handful of Nothin'
  Air Date: March 2, 2008
- 8.2
  S1:E5. Gray Matter
  Air Date: February 24, 2008
- 8.3
  S1:E4. Cancer Man
  Air Date: February 17, 2008
- 8.3
  S1:E3. ...and the Bag's in the River
  Air Date: February 10, 2008
- 7.5
  S1:E2. Cat's in the Bag...
  Air Date: January 27, 2008
- 7.5
  S1:E1. Pilot
  Air Date: January 20, 2008