1. Fly (Season 3, Episode 10)
From the opening few seconds, with close-ups of a Fly whilst Skyler sings a lullaby to Holly in the background, you know this is going to be something unique. Already youre unnerved and intrigued, and youve good reason to be. Much of this is down to the chap who directs it- Rian Johnson, he of Looper and Brick fame. Johnson also directed a later episode and directs one of the series closing episodes yet to be aired, but Fly is his crowning achievement thus far. This is a classic example of a bottle episode, but it transcends your common-or-garden bottle episode because so much goodness is crammed into it. For a start, it focuses on the best thing about Breaking Bad- Jesse and Walters constant bickering and fractured relationship. On one hand you dont know whether they are going to bust each other up or unite against even seedier people than them. Great as Walter White is as a character, the show just wouldnt be the same without this relationship. Johnson and Sam Catlin & Moira Walley-Beckett (the latter two wrote this episode) understand Bryan Cranstons comedic abilities, and we get another rare and much-appreciate dash of slapstick humour. Surely I cant have been the only one to laugh when Walt slips from the labs balcony and smacks straight into one of the cooling vats! Its, dare I say, light touches like this that makes Fly a more human and less plot-driven story that lets Jesse and Walt breathe as characters. Walts speech to Jesse is one of the series strongest, up there with his confession to the family towards the end of Season One, I
am the danger, and Say my name. As Jesse slips Walter a bunch of sleeping pills, your breath is taken away as you nervously await him to slip up and reveal to Jesse that he was there the night that Jane died, and he didnt attempt to intervene. But though Walter seems to drop hints too subtle for Jesse to pick up on, the moment never quite comes. You feel it could be the end if he did- but instead he withholds the information and instead the episode ends with Walter warning Jesse. We get a summation of his feelings towards Jesse in this one moment- as concerned as he is for his own safety, he does care for Jesse deep down. At least for now And the end of the episode seeing a return of a Fly- well, that wraps everything up in a nice ironic package. If I had never met these characters or watched the show before, this would be the episode to get me hooked. And that is why, as an individual standout, it transcends every other episode to become the greatest thus far. Lets see if any of the remaining 8 episodes can top Fly.
Breaking Bad Season 5, Part 2 will return to AMC on August 11. A UK airdate has yet to be announced.