10 Worst Breaking Bad Episodes
2. Down
Down is the fourth episode in season two, and was written by Sam Catlin and directed by John Dahl.
The episode revolves around the deteriorating dynamics between Walt and Jesse in the aftermath of their ordeal with Tuco. Jesse meets with his parents and an attorney after being kicked out of his aunt's house after they discover a meth lab in the basement, leading to a harsh series of exchanges that end with him being slapped by his mother. Jesse's parents are some of the most frustrating characters to watch in the show, and seeing them turn on him in such a harsh manner is one of the most infuriating scenes in the show's opening seasons.
Skylar is also one of the show's more divisive characters, and her arc during the course of Down is also a tough watch at times, with the closing scene of her choosing to smoke a cigarette, even after discovering her pregnancy, not winning her friends in the audience.
Down is an episode with not a lot of plot development going on, but an abundance of the show's least-liked characters going at the two protagonists are encouraged to be rooting for, making it one of the hardest episodes in the Breaking Bad library to return to.