The 62 Greatest Scenes of 'Breaking Bad': Part 1, #62 - #31

SPOILERS AHEAD

(though I imagine most needn't worry)

HM: Any funny one-liner with Saul 

Saul, and Bob Odenkirk's performance, are probably two of the most underrated aspects of the Breaking Bad series, and I'm glad that he has a spin-off series that I'll be checking out very soon. I do mention a few of his scenes underneath, but a lot of his highlights in the series aren't individual scenes but rather moments, one-liners and reaction shots at the margins of both comedic and non-comedic scenes that help lighten the mood.

62. 'Aint no Skank - 'Peekaboo' 

Season 2 has a span of episodes where the going gets slightly easier for Jesse (Aaron Paul) and Walt (Bryan Cranston) as they enter the world of meth dealing. The episode for 'Peekaboo' is notable in that we get some insight into Jesse's love of kids, as well as giving him a taste of how drugs can truly mess up lives. This brief but haunting scene, bolstered by Dale Dickey's unnerving portrayal of a deranged drug addict, is effective in not only shocking the audience but also Jesse, and setting the stage for his gradual disillusionment over the series regarding the drug trade.

61. 'How much is enough?' - 'Gliding Over All'

Skyler, and the performance of Anna Gunn, are two elements that progressively improve throughout the series, to the point that she's actually rather great by the final season or so. This scene is another short but effective scene, in terms of the darkly comedic Scrooge McDuck setting of the money (which sets up a hilarious Huell and Kuby scene later on), and a short but cutting interrogation of Walt by Skyler as she expresses such disbelief at how far Walr wants to go with the drugs trade.

60. Gateway drug - 'Cat's in the Bag' 

The Hank (Dean Norris) and Walt Jr (RJ Mitte) dynamic is one of the most tenderly sketched relationships in the whole series. Wheter it's Hank playfully insulting his brother-in-law's oldest son, or Walt Jr eagerly asking his DEA uncle for stories, every moment with them feels so genuine and heartwarming even as the series progressively darkens. This early scene is particularly golden, as we see Hank, suspecting that Walt Jr might be partaking in the occasional whiff of marijuana, tries to educate him in his own very Hank way. It's a crass, loud and very funny scene, but also a moving moment of family bonding so early on in the series, that helps enhance the emotional impact of this relationship later on in the series.

59. An awkward dinner - 'Buyout'

On the other side, we have the strained beyond repair relationship of Walter and Skyler in Season 5, shooting daggers at one another across the dinner table as Jesse (unwillingly) joins them for dinner. The scene is hilarious thanks to Paul's perfect delivery of Jesse's small-talk attempts, but also rather disturbing when it's revealed that Walt's intent in this scene was to show how badly his home life has deteriorated, and why Jesse helping him with cooking meth is all he has in his life.

58. Hector sends the DEA a message - 'Face Off'

There's a limit to how endearing a wheelchair bound psychopath and former Mexican Drug Cartel right hand man can be, and the more we learn about Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) the less sympathy one will feel for this man. Still, like many other characters in the series he's compelling despite all his detestable qualities, and this particular scene has the old and infirm man trolling with the DEA as a means to a very explosive end. Margolis and Norris are pitch perfect in playing off one another in this scene, and I particularly love the little wink Hector gives at the very end.

57. Traffic Lights - 'I See You' 

A simple but beautiful scene. Gennifer Hutchison's writing for this particular monologue so eloquently expresses what remains of Walter White's more sympathetic side as he uses his own struggle with cancer to provide comfort to Marie (Betsy Brandt) as Hank lies in the hospital bed, gravely wounded from his infamous encounter with the Mexican Cartel. It's wonderfully delivered by Cranston, and powerful without being overbearing. Plus, it's around this juncture in the series where the writers seemed to get a hang of Marie as a character; in contrast to the muddled way they wrote her quirks beforehand, Brandt and the screenwriters have a much better handle on how she fits in the show after this point, to great effect.

56. Mike rescues Chow - 'Full Measure'

Just a plain enjoyable action sequence, one of the few in Breaking Bad which does not involve tragedy. It's just fun to watch everyone's favourite badass hitman/cleaner Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) take on a few cartel members harassing one of Gus' lackeys with precision, efficiency and even a bit of dry wit. For a few minutes we enter into a slightly breezier action comedy of sorts, and it's an enjoyable diversion from the otherwise dark and moody end to Season 3. Plus, the cinematography and lighting in this scene is particularly atmospheric.

55. Chekov Pie Eating Competition - 'Blood Money

Part of the brilliance of Badger (Matt L. Jones) and Skinny Pete (Charles Baker) as comic relief characters is how humorous and endearing they can be, while at the same time having an underlying poignancy as they show how drugs can affect the lives of otherwise not untalented, and kind-hearted young men. These two guys have their own standout scenes in the series, whether it's Badger trying to figure out if he's talking to an undercover cop, or Skinny Pete revealing hidden piano talents (and lack of aptitude at spelling). This is my favourite of their little interludes, as they shoot the breeze about a ridiculous (ly funny) Star Trek scenario that, like so many other comedic scenes, offers a welcome diversion from all the gloom and doom.

54. The bathtub - 'Cat's in the bag'

The first time Walt is exposed to the full brunt of Jesse's idiocy. Moments like these become increasingly infrequent over the series, as conflicts between Walt and Jesse morph from rows about the latter's ineptitude, into arguments over the former's morality. This early scene, where Walt watches in horror as Jesse neglects a very specific instruction of his, is a pitch-perfect black comedy scene, with an absolutely perfect reaction from Cranston.

53. 'A man provides for his family' - Más

One of those small little scenes that become a lot more effective upon finishing the series as a whole. Watching Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) gently nudge Walt towards becoming a part of his empire by so subtly yet incisively contributing to his personal philosophy, involves terrific understated acting by both actors, and an awareness of both what has happened and will happen between these two characters.

52. 'Just the right amount of dirty' - 'Abiquiu'

Saul at his sleaziest, Skyler at her most 'no-nonsense' mood, and Walt's hilarious exasperated look make for one of the most memorable comic moments in the whole series.

51. 'Stop whining like a little bitch, and do as I say' - 'Salud' 

With Walt momentarily out of the picture, Jesse briefly takes over the role of Heisenberg in the Mexican Cartel world. There's something extremely carthatic about how he sidesteps every difficulty he encounters in this sequence, from combating his lack of Spanish and phenylacetic acid with his customary swagger. It's strangely exciting to see Jesse be so adept at something, and bonus points for Mike and Gus looking like two very (silently) proud parents Jesse never really had.

50. Crystal Blue Persuasion - 'Gliding Over All'

I'll admit the montages are not my favourite part of Breaking Bad, although I don't dislike them, and they're certainly all very well directed. Michelle MacLaren directs this particular one to perfection, though, as each transition and the song are all so fitting to the casual rhythm which Walt and Co. have settled into with the meth business, but with also a certain underlying emptiness through the absence of Jesse.

49. 'It's all contaminated' - 'Fly'

I love 'Fly' as an episode. It's a filler episode, admittedly, which doesn't progress that plot whatsoever, yet provides such a compelling showcase for Cranston and Paul throughout that it doesn't really matter to me. This climactic moment in the episode, where Jesse comes so close to killing the fly and Walter comes so close to telling Jesse the truth about Jane, is a remarkably tense moment. You can feel the mutual pain of both characters about what happened to Jane, as well as the symbolism of the fly being Walter's way of trying to remove all 'contamination' from his life, his past...but in the end, 'it's all contaminated'. He's in too deep already to ever be truly clean again. Bonus points for Rian Johnson's great use of the blue lighting so expertly used throughout the series.

48. 'Do it' - 'Hermanos'

The whole of 'Hermanos' is an extended showcase for Esposito, and this is one of the many gems throughout. It's a taut and exciting sequence for starters, as Johan Renck, Sam Catlin and George Mastras subvert the usual 'placing a tracking device' trope by focusing the tension not on being discovered by the 'villain', but on alerting the 'villain' to Walt's actions. Only Esposito could make a friendly, smiling fast food store owner taking an order so quietly terrifying; what he does with his eyes and mouth while saying such pleasantries is incredible.

47. Hank interrogates Mike - 'Madrigal'

It's not really a complaint, but I do wish we'd gotten more scenes between Mike and Hank throughout the series. They balance each other perfectly, with Mike's deadpan and reserved ex-cop playing off the abrasive and wisecracking DEA agent as two highly competent, highly intelligent men trying to pry through cracks in each others' facade. And of course ol' Gomie (Steven Michael Quezada) always to help play the (sort of) good cop to Hank's bad cop. It's also a rather enigmatic and intriguing scene with what Hank digs up from Mike's past, and I look forward to see what exactly transpired in Better Call Saul.

46. Walt's 'confession' - 'Confessions' 

A scene truly needed to be seen to be believed, as Walt's lies reach a point of no return as he issues a warning/blackmail to Hank and Marie that's so ridiculous, and yet so well thought-out by Heisenberg himself. The shock factor amplifies the scene, of course, but not to be neglected are the performances of Norris and Brandt as they watch their resolve to capture Walt gradually dwindle.

45. Walt, Jesse and Mike interrogate Lydia - 'Dead Freight' 

Laura Fraser's Lydia is one of the weak links of the series, but I do think her performance and character works very well in this particular scene. Lydia's manic desperation not to be killed contrasts very well with Mike's casual desire to kill her off ASAP (and as we soon find out, for good reason), Jesse's desperation not to take other life, and Walt quietly presiding over the best possible outcome. It's just a very well acted scene. 

44. Confrontation in the Junkyard - 'Sunset' 

An extremely tense scene, perhaps slightly nullified for me in that I knew there was no way they'd get found out by Hank. Hank comes ever so close to nabbing Jesse and Walt, and what results is a complex game of cat-and-mouse between the two, culminating in a great performance by Norris as Walt plays off his greatest weakness, and hilarious moments like Jesse reading off his legal rights with a resounding 'Bitch' at the end.

43. Jesse and Walt vs Tuco and Hector vs Hank - 'Grilled'

Not quite the best shootout of the series, but it's up there. The whole gradual buildup to this confrontation is what really makes it work as a belated finale to Season 1. From Hector revealing himself to not be catatonic and very much aware of his surroundings, to Tuco (Raymond Cruz) and his raving antics, to his bloody shootout with Hank, this is more of a series of very good scenes strung out into one amazing sequence.

42. Donald and Jesse find Jane's body - 'ABQ'

John de Lancie's performance as Jane's well-intentioned father Donald is one of the most underrated in the whole series, and he should have received a guest performance Emmy nomination for his work in Season 2. Him and Jesse's reactions to the death of Jane are increidble, as they reveal the shattering effect of death, through one of the first truly affecting fatalities in the series.

41. 'I won' - 'Face Off' 

A brilliant deconstruction of the 'victorious hero' trope, rather we see how one villain has usurped another, with the morality scale still firmly planted down on the dark side of things. Cranston and Gunn's performances are essential to the finale of Season 4 carrying the right amount of both satisfaction at Walt having 'won', but at the same time ruminating of how much of his humanity he has 'lost' in the process.

40. 'I am the one who knocks' - 'Cornered

More of an amazing quote than an amazing scene, in my opinion, though it's still quite a great scene. This is the first time where Skyler sees Walt morph into Heisenberg before her very eyes, and it's terrifying as she watches all his seething, underlying frustrations manifest themselves into his alter-ego, the 'danger', the 'one who knocks'. Credit to Cranston for handling lines that could have come off as cartoonish in the wrong hands.

39. 'What about a magnet? - 'Live Free or Die' 

There are so many great scenes between the trio of Walt, Jesse and Mike that I left several off the list - the 'Jesse James' discussion and their conflict over the divison of money being a notable one, Mike's pep talk to the pest control squad - just to spread the wealth a bit. This is a great humorous scene as we watch Walt and Mike butt heads over how to extract Gus Fring's computer from police custody, their personal ideals of self-preservation, and loyalty conflicting, as an out-of-focus Jesse hilariously plays the role of the Donny, and recommends what proves to be their ultimate plan in the background.

38. Send you to Belize - 'Buried'

Saul, king of beating around the bush with colourful metaphors, makes one of his most daring ones here, to Walt's indignant response of 'I'll send you to Belize'. It's a hilarious moment for sure, but also a very dark one that shows just how far Walt has come from the meek and obedient chemistry teacher he used to be.

37. The shootout begins - 'To'hajiilee'

Hank, committing the error of phoning ahead to his wife and ensuring that 'it'll all be over', and Gomie come head-to-head with the Neo-Nazis led by Michael Bowen's Uncle Jack here. The scene's sudden change to intense violence is perfection, especially with the hopeless way we watched Walt surrender himself to the authorities in the previous scene. Cranston's acting amplifies the intensity here as we watch him desperately yell for a shootout he never intended to happen, yet also initiated with his command, to stop. The sound editing and soundtrack only add up too the sheer horror of the shootout, and it's a perfect precursor to the more subdued intensity of 'Ozymandias'.

36. Todd kills Andrea - 'Granite State' 

Of all the villains in Breaking Bad, Todd (Jesse Plemons) is quite possibly the creepiest of them all. He seems to have no concept whatsoever of guilt, and his detached yet enthusiastic way of carrying out everything from uncomfortably flirting with Lydia, to killing people, makes Plemons' performance one of the most unsung masterstrokes of the series. This is up there with his other most horrible act of the series. The murder of Andrea is one of the most senseless in the series since it's not even required to tie up loose ends, it's just to teach Jesse a lesson. A dark and heartbreaking scene, made even more so by Plemon's chilling delivery of 'don't take this personally'.

35. 'This is what comes from blood for blood, Hector' - 'Hermanos'

I'll be reiterating my love for Gus and Hector scenes repeatedly over the course of this list, since together they really do create some of the most unforgettable moments of the series. This first one-on-one interaction we see between them has Gus giving the 'highlights' of how he disposed of Hector's two remaining nephews. The way this interaction provides the framework for this great episode, and concludes mysteriously with that image of blood on water, is an inspired and atmospheric opening to an episode fixated on what made Gus, Gus. We watch his cordiality in dealing with such horrible deeds he's done, that completely earns how cool and reserved he is while dealing with the DEA agents interrogating him later on, while also seeing hints of instability and anger at Hector that surface again and again throughout the episode through his reserve. And Hector, technically one of Walt and Jesse's biggest adversaries, gains our sympathy oh so momentarily with how broken he is by Gus' words. A great scene.

34. Hank realizes what W.W. stands for (and reference to another great earlier scene) - 'Gliding Over All'

A great scene that calls back to another great scene, allowing me to discuss the cumulative greatness of these two scenes across two seasons. Hank's reaction to seeing Gale's (David Costabile) dedication to 'W.W.' inscribed in Walt's copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass is superb and I must assume was an excruciating cliffhanger back in the day. The scene which it flashes back to is another great scene where Hank does in a way come very close to breaking through Walt's facade, and the way the lighting and shadows on Walt's face make his delivery of 'you got me' so much more creepy is perfectly utilized for 'Gliding All Over'. These scenes culminate in the deterioration of a deeply heartfelt friendship, and all it takes is a wordless reaction shot and a seemingly insignificant 'close call'.

33. 'If you believe there's a hell' - 'Say My Name'

A brilliantly written scene where Walt plays the devil's advocate by presenting Hell as the inevitable route for Jesse, as Thomas Schnauz writes yet another unforgettable Walter White monologue where he selfishly manipulates his partner into doing things his way, Jesse's own morality be damned. Cranston's performance here is magnificent in how he uses the kindly teacher's disposition of Walt to espouse the teachings of Heisenberg, so gently reminding Jesse of his murder of Gale and shifting over all the guilt to Jesse's already unstable state. It's a scene that truly makes you hate Walt, yet you can't take your eyes off of him.

32. 'What happens now' - 'One Minute'

Midway through season 3, we get a taste of how truly threatening and terrifying Jesse can be, but in a very different way to Heisenberg. In that we get a glimpse of a Jesse's crumbling psyche and vindictive desire for revenge against Hank, that is encapsulated in this great scene, perfectly performed by Paul. The camera slowly zooms in to Jesse's battered face as we too grow more and more deeply entrenched into Jesse's vendetta against one of the few truly 'heroic' characters of the series thus far, making the audience question their loyalties.

31. Hank and Walt trade blows - 'Blood Money' 

A great thing about Breaking Bad is its pacing. It never stops for a breather outside of 'Fly', and the plot is always on the move. The confrontation between Hank and Walt, which a lesser show might unnecssarily turn the wheels with across a season, is dealt with very swiftly after Hank finds out about Walt's secret persona. It's a brilliant scene, from Walt's double-edged line 'looks like you've got the work coming to you' and how he moves in and out from his Heisenberg persona, to Hank's vindictive response of 'rot you son of a bitch'. It's both satisfying to see Hank call out Heisenberg for his actions, but also sad to see two close friends become enemies in the span of a few minutes.