Breaking Bad (season 1)

The first season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on January 20, 2008 and concluded on March 9, 2008. It consisted of seven episodes, each running approximately 48 minutes in length, except the pilot episode which runs for approximately 58 minutes. AMC broadcast the first season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States. The first season was originally going to consist of nine episodes, but was reduced to seven by the writer's strike. The complete first season was released on Region 1 DVD on February 24, 2009[1] and Region A Blu-ray on March 16, 2010.[2]

Breaking Bad
Season 1
Season 1 DVD cover
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes7
Release
Original networkAMC
Original releaseJanuary 20 –
March 9, 2008 (2008-03-09)
Season chronology

Cast
See also: List of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul characters

Main

Recurring

Episodes
See also: List of Breaking Bad episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
11"Pilot"Vince GilliganVince GilliganJanuary 20, 2008 (2008-01-20)1.41[3]
Walter White, a 50-year-old high school chemistry teacher facing a midlife crisis, finds out he has Stage 3, inoperable lung cancer. After riding along with his brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank Schraeder, on a raid of a methamphetamine lab, Walt realizes he can use his knowledge of chemistry to cook meth and make enough to support his family after he dies. Walt tracks down a former student-turned-meth cook/dealer, Jesse Pinkman, whose lab the DEA had raided, and enlists his help; they begin cooking in Jesse's RV. When Jesse tries to sell the meth they made, the dealers, one of whom, Emilio, is his ex-partner who got busted by the DEA, snatch him and make him show them the lab. Walt, knowing the dealers intend to kill them after learning his recipe, poisons them with phosphine gas.
22"Cat's in the Bag..."Adam BernsteinVince GilliganJanuary 27, 2008 (2008-01-27)1.49[4]
Walt and Jesse try to dispose of the two bodies in the RV, which becomes increasingly complicated when one of them, Krazy-8, wakes up. They eventually imprison him in Jesse's basement. Meanwhile, Skyler grows suspicious of Walter's recent behavior, and they learn that they're expecting a daughter. She asks him about Jesse, whom she discovers after he calls Walt at their home, and Walt covers by telling her that Jesse sells him marijuana. Jesse disposes of Emilio's body using hydrofluoric acid as Walt instructs, but he ignores Walt's warning to use a plastic bin and uses his bathtub instead, resulting in a heavy clean-up when the acid eats through the floor below.
33"...And the Bag's in the River"Adam BernsteinVince GilliganFebruary 10, 2008 (2008-02-10)1.08[5]
Walt cannot decide whether to kill Krazy-8 or release him. Meanwhile, Marie believes that Walter Jr. is smoking marijuana and asks Hank to scare him straight. Walt brings Krazy-8 food, but he collapses while descending the basement stairs. When he wakes up, he tells Krazy-8 that he has lung cancer--the first person he tells--and they start sharing the unexpected things they have in common. Walt eventually decides to release Krazy-8, but while disposing of the shards of a broken plate he sees that a shard is missing, and realizes that Krazy-8 has concealed it to use as a weapon. When Walt confronts Krazy-8 with this information, Krazy-8 attacks him, and Walt strangles his prisoner with the bicycle lock restraint. That night, Walter tells Skyler that he has something to tell her, and, off-camera, reveals his cancer diagnosis.
44"Cancer Man"Jim McKayVince GilliganFebruary 17, 2008 (2008-02-17)1.09[6]
As Jesse and Walt's meth begins to spread in Albuquerque, Hank starts looking for the new drug kingpin, unaware that it's Walt. At a family barbecue, Walt reveals to Hank, Walter Jr., and sister-in-law Marie that he has cancer. Jesse visits his family and finds out that his younger brother, who is very successful in sports and music, is smoking marijuana to deal with the intense pressure from their parents. Jesse covers for him, but is forced to leave his parents' house, as they believe the marijuana is his.
55"Gray Matter"Tricia BrockPatty LinFebruary 24, 2008 (2008-02-24)0.97[lower-alpha 1]
Walt declines an offer of financial help from an old grad school friend, Elliott, and his wife, Gretchen, with whom Walt used to have a relationship. Jesse attempts to cook meth on his own but cannot replicate the quality of Walt's product; while Walter Jr. gets caught trying to buy beer. Walt's family attempts an intervention to persuade him to undergo chemotherapy; he initially refuses, but relents the following day. He tells Skyler he will accept Gretchen and Elliott's assistance, but instead tells Gretchen it isn't needed before returning to Jesse's house and asking to resume their partnership.
66"Crazy Handful of Nothin'"Bronwen HughesGeorge MastrasMarch 2, 2008 (2008-03-02)1.07[7]
Walt and Jesse come to an agreement in which Walt will cook the meth while Jesse sells it. Jesse soon discovers Walt's motivation for their collaboration. Meanwhile, Hank ties a recovered respirator to Walt's high school's chemistry lab and investigates further. After discovering the start of hair loss, Walt shaves his head. When their initial batch of meth only yields $2,600, Walt demands that Jesse find a new distributor, so they can sell on a larger scale and make more money. Jesse gets connected to Tuco, the drug dealer who replaced Krazy-8, but when Jesse goes to make a deal, Tuco severely beats him and steals the meth. Walt then visits, causes an explosion in Tuco's hideout, and gets their money; Tuco decides to deal with Walt.
77"A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal"Tim HunterPeter GouldMarch 9, 2008 (2008-03-09)1.50[8]
Walt and Jesse face difficulties producing the large amount of meth Walt has promised to Tuco. Skyler has a baby shower at which Marie gives her a diamond tiara for the baby. Skyler decides to return the tiara given to her by Marie, only to be detained at the store and informed that it had been stolen; when she confronts Marie, Marie flatly denies stealing it. Walt and Jesse break into a warehouse and steal a large barrel of methylamine, which they need for a new recipe that produces much more meth in much less time. They deliver the promised amount to Tuco and his associates, No-Doze and Gonzo; when No-Doze makes an offhanded remark to Walt, Tuco becomes enraged and savagely beats him.

Music

Breaking Bad's original score is composed by Dave Porter. The show also uses music from other recording artists with music supervision by Thomas Golubić. Select songs from Season 1 are featured on the Breaking Bad Soundtrack available through iTunes and Amazon.[9]

Home video releases

The first season was released on DVD in Region 1 on February 24, 2009,[1] in Region 2 on December 14, 2009,[10] and in Region 4 on July 8, 2009.[11] It was released on Blu-ray in Region A on March 16, 2010.[2] Special features on the DVD and Blu-ray include two audio commentaries—"Pilot" by creator Vince Gilligan, cast members Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, and RJ Mitte, and editor Lynne Willingham and "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, and writer George Mastras; "The Making of Breaking Bad"; "Inside Breaking Bad"; AMC Shootout – Interview with Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, and Mark Johnson; deleted scenes; screen tests; and Vince Gilligan's photo gallery.[12]

Reception

Reviews

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of the series has an approval rating of 86% based on 42 reviews, with an average rating of 8.28/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Though at times it feels forced and its imagery can be gruesome, Breaking Bad is darkly gripping and features a strong sympathetic lead in Bryan Cranston."[13] The first season of Breaking Bad also received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic, scoring a 73 out of 100.[14] New York Post critic Linda Stasi praised the series, particularly the acting of Cranston and Paul, stating "Cranston and Paul are so good, it's astounding. I'd say the two have created great chemistry, but I'm ashamed to say such a cheap thing."[15] Robert Bianco of USA Today also praised Cranston and Paul, exclaiming "There is humor in the show, mostly in Walt's efforts to impose scholarly logic on the business and on his idiot apprentice, a role Paul plays very well. But even their scenes lean toward the suspenseful, as the duo learns that killing someone, even in self-defense, is ugly, messy work."[16]

Awards and nominations

The first season received numerous awards and nominations, including four Primetime Emmy Award nominations with two wins. Bryan Cranston won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Lynne Willingham won for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series. Vince Gilligan was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the pilot episode and John Toll was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series for the pilot episode. Cranston also won a Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. The series was nominated for Outstanding New Program of the Year at the Television Critics Association Awards. The series also received three Writers Guild of America Award nominations with one win. It was nominated for Best New Series, Patty Lin was nominated for Best Episodic Drama for "Gray Matter", and Vince Gilligan won for Best Episodic Drama for his work on the pilot.[17]

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2008Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Actor in a Drama SeriesBryan Cranston
for "Pilot"		Won[18]
Outstanding Directing for a Drama SeriesVince Gilligan
for "Pilot"		Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour)John Toll
for "Pilot"		Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing - Drama SeriesLynne Willingham
for "Pilot"		Won

Notes
  1. The data can be calculated by taking the season's total number of viewers (8.61 million) and subtracting the official totals from each of the other season one episodes.

References
  1. "Breaking Bad - The Complete First Season (2008)". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  2. Lambert, David (January 15, 2010). "Breaking Bad - Slight Delay for Season 2 DVD and Blu-ray (and also Season 1 Blu-ray)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  3. O'Connell, Michael (September 30, 2013). "TV Ratings: 'Breaking Bad' Finale Smashes Records With 10.3 Million Viewers". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  4. Yanan, Travis (January 29, 2008). "Sunday original finals: 1/27/08". The Programming Insider. Archived from the original on February 1, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  5. Yanan, Travis (February 13, 2008). "Sunday original finals: 2/10/08". The Programming Insider. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  6. Yanan, Travis (February 20, 2008). "Sunday original finals: 2/17/08". The Programming Insider. Archived from the original on February 27, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  7. Berman, Marc (January 31, 2010). "Breaking Bad Ratings". Mediaweek. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  8. Levin, Gary (March 11, 2008). "Nielsens: 'Runway' finale rules on cable". USA Today. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  9. "Music From Breaking Bad Season 1". AMCTV.com. January 18, 2008. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  10. "Breaking Bad - Season 1". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  11. "Breaking Bad - The Complete 1st Season (2 Disc Set)". EzyDVD. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  12. "Breaking Bad - 1st Season DVD Set Gets Detailed in the Studio's Press Release". TVShowsOnDVD.com. December 16, 2008. Archived from the original on July 12, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  13. "Breaking Bad: Season 1 (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  14. "Breaking Bad: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  15. Stasi, Linda (January 17, 2008). "TOUR DE PANTS, Breaking Bad is Not Your Typical Drama". New York Post. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  16. Bianco, Robert (January 17, 2008). "'Breaking' is far from bad; it's fantastic". USA Today. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  17. "Awards for "Breaking Bad" (2008)". IMDB. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  18. "Breaking Bad - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins". Emmys.com. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
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