Vince Gilligan created what is possibly the greatest television show of all time with Breaking Bad. The critically acclaimed series ran for five seasons and is full of some truly unpredictable, enthralling, and cathartic moments that are the reason the story of Walter White is so revered. However, one episode, which happens to be the show’s highest-rated one, stands above all.
During an interview, Gilligan admitted that he was well aware the episode could not be topped. As a result, Gilligan already knew he had struck gold with the episode, which even managed to surpass the show’s universally beloved series finale. Here is what Vince Gilligan had to say about the best Breaking Bad episode.
Vince Gilligan Knew This Breaking Bad Episode Would Be the Show’s Best Before it Aired
Vince Gilligan served as the creator and showrunner for Breaking Bad, which explores the rise of a chemistry teacher in the drug business. The series reached its narrative crescendo with the fourteenth episode of its fifth and final season, titled Ozymandias.
The episode brought several boiling conflicts and plot points to a head, culminating with Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, crossing a point of no return. As a result, the episode became one of the show’s highest-rated entries, with a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb, something even the finale could not achieve.
During an interview with TV Fanatic, conducted even before the episode aired, Gilligan was confident that Ozymandias would be the zenith of the show’s quality in every aspect and hard to top. He said:
I think for my money, is the best episode we ever had or ever will have.
Gilligan claimed that people would be left gasping for breath after the episode aired and described it as a great house of television.
The showrunner’s comments could not be more true as the entire episode was one big “This Is Cinema” moment, with Walt’s crimes and his family drama catching up to him in an unexpected yet narratively sound manner, making viewers revel in the episode’s excellence.
Vince Gilligan Had the Most Humble Reaction to People Calling Breaking Bad the Best TV Show
During the same interview, Gilligan also spoke about many critics and fans hailing Breaking Bad as one of the greatest television shows of all time. The showrunner was asked about how he managed to wrap his head around the highest order of praise for his creation.
It’s insanely flattering and feels good to hear anyone say that but it also scares me greatly for the future.
Gilligan made the above statement, explaining that he would’ve enjoyed the praise more had he announced his retirement from the entertainment business. However, since the writer-director wanted to continue telling stories, he was slightly scared by the praise as he believed it would be impossible to top the effort.
Nonetheless, Gilligan went on to capture lightning in a bottle for a second time when he delivered six critically acclaimed seasons of the spin-off/prequel series Better Call Saul. Following the conclusion of that series, Gilligan’s next project is a yet-untitled sci-fi series for Apple TV+. Thus, it will be interesting to see if the creator can top his previous work once more.
Breaking Bad is streaming on Netflix.
