Breaking Bad

:

Season 5
  • Network: AMC
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 20, 2008
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
9.7

Universal acclaim- based on 4750 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,614 out of 4750
  2. Mixed: 42 out of 4750
  3. Negative: 94 out of 4750
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  1. RFX
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    The acting? Amazing. The screenplay? Outstanding. The twists, turns and nail-biting suspense that the show is known for? Yes ma'am. Breaking Bad is back, and it's better than ever.
  2. Lkaam
    Jul 16, 2012
    10
    the first 4 mins killed it for me..amazing to say the least. the acting, suspense, the plot all indicates Breaking Bad is still the at its best, where other tv shows have fallen flat right at the end, breaking bad is not one of them.
  3. MikeNIke
    Jul 16, 2012
    10
    Season 5 is as good as it ever was and has the potential to out-do itself for the 5th consecutive time. The best way to watch it is to steer clear of spoilers, sit-back, and enjoy it, just as it deserves to be enjoyed.
  4. cahssio
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    Just terrific.
    Breaking Bad still the best cinematic effort of 2000s, The acting in this premiere was beyond anything we have on cinema or television nowdays (see the genius of Jonathan Banks). The super-magnet scene was more than epic.
  5. IronBoundKevin
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    Breaking Bad is back, boys & girls. & it's better than ever. The cast is still superb, the suspense is still nail-biting, and the plot is filled with twists & turns. I can easily tell that this will be the best season yet. I can't wait to see what sort of trouble Walt & co. get into this time. I didn't want the premiere to end; It's gonna suck waiting until next Sunday for the next one. SUPERB!
  6. phAtBenJ
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    HANDS DOWN the best show on television. Season 5 stands to up the ante more than any one prior, with fantastic twists, incredibly tense moments, more great standout music to fit the scenes properly, and acting that can't be beat. I personally came out of season 4 saying that there was no way to top the amazing conclusion to one of the greatest television seasons ever, but they have seemedHANDS DOWN the best show on television. Season 5 stands to up the ante more than any one prior, with fantastic twists, incredibly tense moments, more great standout music to fit the scenes properly, and acting that can't be beat. I personally came out of season 4 saying that there was no way to top the amazing conclusion to one of the greatest television seasons ever, but they have seemed to manage just that. Without giving too much away, relationships are tested, characters die, new bonds form, and more meth is cooked (WHOOPS! SPOILERS!!). I think it should be a crime to not watch this show, maybe equal to cooking meth with the intent to distribute. If you are reading this, and do not watch Breaking Bad already, do yourself and AMC a service, and buy the show's four seasons and catch up on this Goliath of a program.… Expand
  7. Jakobwitha_k
    Oct 22, 2013
    10
    I couldn't stop watching it from the start. Every episode just gets better and better until it has to end. Vince Gilligan set course for one of the most brilliant shows the world may ever see.
  8. Tarboy
    Nov 2, 2013
    10
    I have seen al ot of shows in my days, but Breaking Bad beats them all. The actors are amazingly good. The storyline is REAL. You WILL love the ending of this show.
  9. anothercoolguy
    Dec 9, 2012
    10
    Best show ever made .
  10. Spangle
    Sep 5, 2013
    10
    Easily my favorite season thus far and maybe one of my favorite seasons of any show. As the intensity grows and everything begins to crumble, the show becomes the most riveting it has ever been.
  11. OverlyWhiteMale
    Sep 8, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Over five years, Breaking Bad has indeed become the single greatest television show in creation.

    Just for a second, forget all aspects but one. Forget the dark, risky premise. Forget the affecting, mesmerizing performances. Forget the gritty, cinematic, oddly hallucinatory way that the show is shot. Forget the ingenious writing. Besides all of these, what makes Breaking Bad surpass the likes of The Wire, The Sopranos, and all of the other shows with which it's constantly mentioned in the same sentence?

    Shortly put: its ability to shock, amaze, and affect.

    From the very beginning, Breaking Bad has taken audience expectations and trounced them with a gleeful cruelty, taking a run-down schmuck and turning him into a cold-hearted bad-ass and showing unflinchingly how this transformation has ruined the lives of countless people.

    It's not enough to show that, however. Even with shows like The Wire or The Sopranos, you could sometimes predict where the action would go. With Breaking Bad, your expectations are constantly built up and trounced. You prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster by trying to convince yourself that this show can't possibly get away with doing what you think is going to happen, and it doesn't: it does something ten times worse, and your emotions are affected ten times as much; and you love every single second of it.

    To see Walter White go from "Mr. Chips to Scarface" is fascinating to watch because from the first episode we are sympathetic to the character. Over the show's run, Walt has become completely reprehensible, lying to others and himself with no apparent qualms, and the audience still roots for him at some level. Vince Gilligan reportedly cast Bryan Cranston based on his performance as a somewhat sympathetic anti-Semite in the X-Files episode, "Drive," saying that only Cranston can make a completely disgusting human being sympathetic. Mr. Gilligan, when you're right, boy are you ever right...

    Aaron Paul, relatively unknown at the beginning of the series, has proved himself a master of his craft. At the beginning of the series, Jesse Pinkman is an irritating, unintelligent sleaze whom you're sure will die within episodes. Over the last five seasons, completely against anyone's expectations, Jesse has become the one truly sympathetic character in the entire show. He has slowly become aware of his own intelligence and ingenuity, and his futile attempts to save lives is constantly heart-breaking. Aaron Paul, like Bryan Cranston, has never made a misstep in portraying his character's evolution.

    I only have 5000 characters, so sadly I won't be able to go into the countless supporting roles that make this show even better than it would've been otherwise. Anna Gunn's put-upon, long-suffering Skyler White; Dean Norris's more-than-able DEA agent brimming with machismo; Jonathan Banks's dead-eyed, honor-bound former cop; Giancarlo Esposito's machine-like drug kingpin.... the list just goes on and on. The supporting characters are a collective who's-who of well-developed cogs in the machine that is Breaking Bad.

    It's hard to believe that this show was made into what it became, in part, by a writer's strike. Originally, Jesse was to be killed near the end of the first season and Walt's descent into evil was much faster. The writer's strike of 2007-08 forced Gilligan and the other writers to reconsider, helping to change this show from a dark drama to a compelling human epic. We become more invested in the story of Walt's decent because he is sympathetic for a longer period of time, and the relationship between Walt and Jesse has become the heart of the show. Vince Gilligan and his team of true geniuses prove that television can be written like the greatest of the great plays or films. I haven't even scratched the surface regarding the symbolism, the color-coding, and the recurring motifs within the series.

    I've barely scratched the surface of what makes this show the greatest in television history. I've hardly said anything that hasn't been said before.

    What else can I say except that to know what everyone is raving about, you need to experience it for yourself. And it IS an experience. The likes of which probably won't be met for quite some time.    … Expand
  12. jonoawesomeguy
    Oct 10, 2013
    10
    Breaking Bad, or as I like to call it, "The Tragedy of Walter White" is definitely one of the best TV dramas of all time. The writing, the acting and also the cinematography of the show is unlike any other. This last season has been extremely moving and an emotional experience for me and I believe that it couldn't have ended any better than it did.

    If you didn't see the reference from    Breaking Bad, or as I like to call it, "The Tragedy of Walter White" is definitely one of the best TV dramas of all time. The writing, the acting and also the cinematography of the show is unlike any other. This last season has been extremely moving and an emotional experience for me and I believe that it couldn't have ended any better than it did.

    If you didn't see the reference from my nickname of the show, I believe that this series is the modern equivalent of Shakespeare and it has parallels with many of his works, particularly Macbeth. Ever wondered why they split season 5 into 2 parts? Or why Breaking Bad only has 5 seasons? It's to comply with the structure of a Shakespearean tragedy- all of them have 5 acts.

    This TV series has to be seen for itself to be fully comprehended and appreciated. Do yourself a favour and watch this show- a showcase of all the things which make a TV show or a movie great. And season 5 is undoubtedly the series' conclusion that it deserves.    … Expand
  13. Epik_Ninnja
    May 22, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is my favorite season of my favorite show and it almost earns a 10/10 in my book. It concludes the suspenseful and all-around excellent story of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. There are so many plot twists and memorable episodes here! It's just some of the best TV you'll ever watch (probably). Drama, action, and a little dark comedy make up this tragic finale. It ends just how it should, too. Hank's death is handled well, too. Some of the moments aren't prime, which is why it's not a ten (a few boring scenes or non-critical episodes that aren't quite to the standard) but it's still well, well worth watching!… Expand
  14. thejanxxmaster
    Oct 3, 2013
    10
    Tense and thrilling action, phenomenal writing and incredible character development have been the primary ingredients in Breaking Bad's riveting, 5 season long run where each season seemingly improves upon the immense quality of the previous season. Walter White stands out as one of the greatest characters in TV history through a comical, kind, and goofy high school chemistry teacher'sTense and thrilling action, phenomenal writing and incredible character development have been the primary ingredients in Breaking Bad's riveting, 5 season long run where each season seemingly improves upon the immense quality of the previous season. Walter White stands out as one of the greatest characters in TV history through a comical, kind, and goofy high school chemistry teacher's descent into villainy as the ruthless,arrogant, and twisted Heisenberg. Bryan Cranston deserves all the credit for this and the genius of Vince Gilligan. The supporting cast is outstanding too making Breaking Bad easily one of the greatest TV experiences currently available.… Expand
  15. Sebas236
    Jun 8, 2014
    10
    Ammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  16. Nikola
    Jun 24, 2015
    10
    The best written TV series of all time.
    In this series is really all masterfully.
    Acting, directing, an idea, a scenario, all everything.
    Many university professors who teach screenplay, proposed to his students to watch this TV show, because it is the best indicator of how make the real story.
  17. DexMorgan
    Sep 3, 2012
    9
    The first half of season 5 is just awesome! I love almost every episode, only 1 or 2 slow paste episodes through this season, but you gotta have that too y`know. Aside from that this has been a tense and exciting season with different conflicts and an entirely new plot. It keeps bringing highlights, great plots and very good character development. Watch season 1 and you will see anThe first half of season 5 is just awesome! I love almost every episode, only 1 or 2 slow paste episodes through this season, but you gotta have that too y`know. Aside from that this has been a tense and exciting season with different conflicts and an entirely new plot. It keeps bringing highlights, great plots and very good character development. Watch season 1 and you will see an entirely different Walt, (Heisenberg has kind of taken over now). What I think is so good about this season is that it`s so different, they`re bringing new characters, new environments, new working spots, but most important is that we get to see the business/dealing from a new point of view. Mike, Jesse and Walt is now the kings of the market (at least for a while). I`d never thought they were able to keep season 5 as epic as the 4-5 last episodes of season 4, but they definitely did! Also ending this first half with a (sort of) cliffhanger -------- My rating for these 8 episodes is gonna be 9/10, with my favorite episodes being 1 & 8. Really excited to see the rest off season 5. Peace… Expand
  18. dev92
    Oct 6, 2013
    10
    Perhaps the greatest show that I have ever watched, Vince Gilligan and co have done a fantastic job with Breaking Bad leading to a fantastic conclusion in this fifth season. I thought the pacing was perhaps a little quick towards the end but I can't think of any way to improve this by a great deal. Almost perfection, I think 96% is good enough for Walt.
  19. DeckardPain
    Aug 17, 2012
    9
    Let me begin by saying the writing in this show is unmatched. I could present various examples of how the writing is fantastic, but I'm going to avoid spoiling anything. This season may not be the most action / drama packed as the previous ones, but it still has that Breaking Bad feel that we all have come to love. The acting is top notch all around, the cast could not have been chosenLet me begin by saying the writing in this show is unmatched. I could present various examples of how the writing is fantastic, but I'm going to avoid spoiling anything. This season may not be the most action / drama packed as the previous ones, but it still has that Breaking Bad feel that we all have come to love. The acting is top notch all around, the cast could not have been chosen better, and the suspense is intense. If you're already a fan of the previous seasons, this season will not disappoint.… Expand
  20. Onarpost
    Sep 13, 2012
    9
    IV read some reviews that are saying that bn season 5 isn't living up to the previous seasons. In my opinion I think that now that gus fring is dead and walt has in his own words ' won'. The show has become even more of a must watch now , more than ever. Now w.w is the king , he's loving the power that he undeniably has got. When he says to declan in I think ep 6 to say my name , was IIV read some reviews that are saying that bn season 5 isn't living up to the previous seasons. In my opinion I think that now that gus fring is dead and walt has in his own words ' won'. The show has become even more of a must watch now , more than ever. Now w.w is the king , he's loving the power that he undeniably has got. When he says to declan in I think ep 6 to say my name , was I think one of the best scenes in the entire shows history. The whole cooking in tented houses , the excellent methlamyne heist and the final scene of ep 8. Are pure class. I'm not at all impressed with how long we've got to wait to see the last 8 eps. Talk about keepin the viewer on tenterhooks. It's bad enough hiatus's in shows lasting about a month. But 12 months is a real pain in the arse. But to finish. My point is that if viewing figures are down by around 20%. They can't have been much of a bb fan in the first place. Cos with tv programmes of this class. I doubt it could even be improved upon. It's a masterclass in everything from the storylines , the script , the casting. , directing and definitely the acting. It's easily the best programme on tv. And iv had to have every episode of every season off the net. Cos it aint shown in the uk. Which is a joke , and an awful lot of British viewers are missing out big time. On one of the all time best tv programmes ever produced.… Expand
  21. azoz16
    Nov 3, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ŲØŁˆŁ„).
    ŲØŲÆŲ£ 20 2008 AMCŲŒ 29 2013.[1][2][3][4][5]     … Expand
  22. mrwho
    Jan 3, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really liked season 5, but not as much as season 4. I'll start with the positives. The writing was mostly superb, the acting consistently so. I won't go into much detail, as it has probably already been done so, but I do have to voice my views of Skyler, who gets a LOT of hatred that many times is clearly misogynistic. The Skyler story arc in season 5 has been exceptional and I deeply, deeply sympathise with her.

    Anyway, so why not a 10? A few reasons.

    For one, some arcs didn't seem to go anywhere. The strongest example of this is the kid getting shot. Almost nothing happened from it. It felt cheap and just for the thrills. Walt is possibly becoming a bit too one-dimensional. This season lacked the edge-of-your-seat tension of seasons past; the train heist felt forced, but not very tense. Finally, the cliffhanger, in all honesty, was a tad pathetic. It was obvious Hank would find out, so obvious in fact that I was expecting it to happen a week earlier to give way to a real cliffhanger. It didn't. Then I thought he might find out in the last 20-minutes, to have one of the exceptional breaking bad-style cliffhangers that we had in the past ("run", jesse shooting Gale, Walt turning insane, etc). Instead we got it right at the end. It feels like we've only had a build-up so far, which of course is, true, but I count what we had as season 5 and what we'll get as season 6, and what we had in season 5 was an extremely strong opener to what will be an even stronger conclusion that we just haven't gotten yet.    … Expand
  23. M_Hakenson6990
    Oct 27, 2012
    9
    I haven't been quite as impressed with Season 5 as I was with the other Seasons yet but it should kick into high gear when it returns next summer. I wasnt big on following TV shows until this one and The Walking Dead. AMC's shows are something special!! Hope they end this one right!
  24. liVetoair
    Dec 4, 2012
    9
    Well acted, well written and well paced. BB season 5 maintains Vince Gilligans positive track record. Breaking bad is no doubt one of the best paced dramas out there.
  25. QwertyPJM
    Jun 2, 2014
    10
    This is the greatest show of all time. Period. There are fantastic shows like Dexter and The Sopranos which amaze you for the most part, but lose ideas and focus sometimes, whilst losing the viewers attention.
    With Breaking Bad, there was not a single episode that didn't fascinate me. From the unusually moving cinematography displayed throughout, to the multiple-Emmy-award winning    This is the greatest show of all time. Period. There are fantastic shows like Dexter and The Sopranos which amaze you for the most part, but lose ideas and focus sometimes, whilst losing the viewers attention.
    With Breaking Bad, there was not a single episode that didn't fascinate me. From the unusually moving cinematography displayed throughout, to the multiple-Emmy-award winning performances from the stars of the show; from the action packed, heart stopping thrills to the intense character studies, this show has it all. If you've heard of Breaking Bad and haven't watched it, I'm not sure what you're doing. If these reviews are the first you're reading about this ground-breaking show, sign up to NetFlix right now and start the series!    … Expand
  26. Thegodfatherson
    Oct 28, 2013
    10
    THE END. I will desperately miss you my friend. BREAKING BAD HAS ENDED. This season was one of the best seasons out of this show in a whole. This show ended with such a good bang that it was amazing to just watch and cry. THE BEST SHOW EVER MADE. EVERR MADE IN HISTORY. Breaking Bad may have ended on AMC but not in my heart. LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH BROS. REALLY NOT KIDDING. Vince Gilligan isTHE END. I will desperately miss you my friend. BREAKING BAD HAS ENDED. This season was one of the best seasons out of this show in a whole. This show ended with such a good bang that it was amazing to just watch and cry. THE BEST SHOW EVER MADE. EVERR MADE IN HISTORY. Breaking Bad may have ended on AMC but not in my heart. LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH BROS. REALLY NOT KIDDING. Vince Gilligan is GOD to me for this creation. Bryan Cranston is the best tv show actors ever. Aaron Paul, love ya man. Bye. Bye.… Expand
  27. karmanaut
    Nov 8, 2013
    10
    Breaking Bad is for the 21st century what Mozart is for the 18th century. What Van Gogh is for the 19th. This is what the human species has best to offer. It belongs in a museum.. This is the TV Series that acquitted humans for all the genocides of the past centuries. Perfection/10
  28. BritishCritic
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Through the many seasons of Breaking Bad there have been some heart pumping moments, also times when you thought something bad was about to happen. However in Season 5 all of these feelings and moments are repeated time and time again keeping the viewer constantly in excitement. There was a moment in the first part of season 5 when Walt and the gang succeed robbing a train. They are happy and laughing and the viewer starts to feel excited as well. Then a kid shows up and everything just stops, Todd then shoots the kid leaving the viewer in a sort of "oh god" sort of feel. However nothing else in Season 5 will compare to the episode To'hajiilee where the fate of Hank starts to come into play. At the end of the episode my Breathing was getting louder and my thoughts were all mixed up "Can they really do this? What is happening?" then the moment Hank is killed all of my feelings just died. I felt what Walt was feeling, he just lost a person so very close to him and it was all his fault. As for the finale which people seem to be mixed about, I personally was glad with the way the show ended. It had the perfect closure that also left speculation and interpretation open to the audience. Such as "I wonder what happened to Jessie" and people begin to have their own opinions as to what happened during and after the finale. I believe that Walt was going to just go in guns blazing against Jack and his gang, that was until he saw his old partner in a terrible state, Walt believed he needed another chance after all he wasn't the one making the meth because he wanted, he was being held captive, a prisoner to the brutal red-neck gang. So in his darkest hour Walt had a brief moment when the old chemistry teacher came back to save his old partner. The Character of Walt/Heisenberg in the season is great to watch as you see him have a new look towards meth making. He is on top, he is the king of meth, he is the great Heisenberg. This was my favourite season of the show and I thank Vince Gilligan for the best TV I have ever seen.… Expand
  29. CheckGamesList
    Sep 18, 2013
    9
    It's quite an amazing show; there's not too much else to say about it. While the scores of critics and users being 99/100 and. 9.6/10, respectively, may be slightly high for a show even like this in my opinion (however, this may be due to all the possible ratings being a bit limited), it's not to say that this show doesn't deserve all the awards that it has gotten.
    There aren't many    It's quite an amazing show; there's not too much else to say about it. While the scores of critics and users being 99/100 and. 9.6/10, respectively, may be slightly high for a show even like this in my opinion (however, this may be due to all the possible ratings being a bit limited), it's not to say that this show doesn't deserve all the awards that it has gotten.
    There aren't many episodes left, but the intense drama of the main parts of the plot, the incredible acting by lead actor Bryan Cranston, as well as the harsh and indulging events of the show earn this at least a 9 from me.    … Expand
  30. MGorfain
    Sep 25, 2013
    10
    for me the first half of season was worst than season 3 and 4, less excitment maybe

    second half of season: WOW, NO WAY, WOW, YES, NOOO, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, UNBELIAVLE, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW WOW so i want to give the season a 1000 if i can
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best TV Season of 2012
1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
1
#1 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
99

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Emily Nussbaum
    Aug 22, 2012
    100
    Breaking Bad [is] a radical type of television, and also a very strange kind of must-watch: a show that you dread and crave at the same time.
    Read full review
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Laura Emerick
    Jul 16, 2012
    100
    The season five preĀ­miere "Live Free or Die", more than maintains the series' record of excellence.
    Read full review
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Jul 16, 2012
    100
    The arc of this character--series creator Vince Gilligan's invention of Walter White as a sick soul--is, it's clear now. one of the great narratives in Television histpory. [13 Jul 2012, p.62]
See all critic reviews »