8 Hated TV Episodes That Deserve Redemption

Despite being one of the most critically acclaimed television shows of all time, Breaking Bad still has one episode that divides opinion squarely down the middle.

Season three’s Fly takes place almost entirely within the large meth lab hidden underneath a laundromat and only two main characters appear, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Many criticise the episode for being uneventful, choosing to focus on Walt’s obsession with a fly in the meth lab that could contaminate his and Jesse’s product.

But what the episode does so well is explore Walt’s increasingly frayed mental state, as well as his relationship with Jesse. The fly is a genius metaphor for Walt’s guilt over both his role in Jane’s death and Hank nearly being killed. Walt’s failure to swat the fly represents how he cannot silence his conscience no matter how hard he tries.

The audience gets a glimpse at the last flickers of goodness still left in Walt before Jesse, oblivious to Walt’s true role in Jane’s death, assures him that it wasn’t his fault and literally kills his conscience for him.

But Walt still sees the fly on his smoke alarm at the episode’s conclusion, letting the audience know that his secrets can’t stay buried forever.