Breaking Bad is a crime drama series, revolving around a disillusioned chemistry teacher who decides to become a drug dealer, with his reasons for doing it gradually and twistedly transforming over time. The show ran on AMC from 2008 to 2013.
Unmarked spoilers are present throughout the episode pages as well as some of the synopses below. If you haven't seen the series yet, it is suggested that you tread lightly.
Walter White, a 50-year-old high school chemistry teacher from Albuquerque, New Mexico, discovers that he has lung cancer. As he fears for how his family would get by financially without him, he discovers from his brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank Schrader, that there is money to be made in the manufacture and sale of methamphetamine. He teams up with Jesse Pinkman, a former student and long time veteran in the drug trade, to create meth to sell so he can secure his family's financial future. Little does he know, the drug trade is far more dangerous than he realizes...
- "Pilot"note : After discovering how lucrative cooking meth can be, Walt and Jesse form a partnership and take their first uneasy steps into making drugs and money.
- "The Cat's in the Bag...": Following an unfortunate run-in with Jesse's drug business acquaintances, Walt and Jesse need to deal with a dead body and a living witness.
- "...And the Bag's in the River": Walt's home life is in chaos as he struggles to find a way to deal with a possibly vengeful witness.
- "Cancer Man": Walt finally comes clean to his family about his cancer, and must decide whether undergoing treatment - and cooking the meth to afford it - is worth it. Jesse considers his potential during an inadvertent family visit.
- "Gray Matter": A reunion with old friends causes friction in Walt's life as Jesse tries to replicate Walt's cook.
- "Crazy Handful Of Nothin'": To increase their profits, Walt and Jesse attempt to enter into a business arrangement with Tuco, a successful - if unhinged - drug lord.
- "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal": With their old cooking methods causing them to miss Tuco's quotas, Walt and Jesse must formulate a new recipe.
At first, Walt and Jesse find themselves at the mercy of a psychotic drug lord named Tuco Salamanca. After managing to escape with their lives, Walt intends to fill the power vacuum left in New Mexico's drug industry following Tuco's demise. As they stand to make even greater gains in their illegal enterprise, however, the personal cost for selling meth begins to hit Walt and Jesse where it truly hurts, as Walt's home life begins to fall apart and Jesse learns all too well of the dangers of overstepping one's boundaries in a deadly game where one misstep can prove fatal...
- "Seven Thirty-Seven": Walt and Jesse find their lives in danger from Tuco's wrath and try to form a plan to deal with the drug lord.
- "Grilled": Walt and Jesse are held captive by Tuco as the feds close in on him. They must escape, or risk capture - or death.
- "Bit By A Dead Bee": Free from Tuco's captivity, Walt and Jesse must account for their extended absences to their family and the authorities.
- "Down": Jesse is evicted from his house and struggles to cope with a run of bad luck. Walt tries to bridge the gulf between him and his family after his "fugue state".
- "Breakage": Walt and Jesse expand their operations to increase their profits. Unfortunately, the customers prove to be very dangerous. Hank tries to enjoy his newfound fame, but the stress of killing Tuco weighs on him.
- "Peekaboo": Jesse tries to get back the dope and money that was stolen from one of his friends as Walt contends with an old friend who has caught on to his lies.
- "Negro Y Azul"note : Walt wants to use Heisenberg's newfound notoriety to expand their operation. Hank tries to adjust to his new position at the El Paso DEA. Skyler gets a job to pay for Walt's bills.
- "Better Call Saul": One of Jesse's friends and dealers is busted, forcing Walt to elicit the aid of a morally-bankrupt lawyer.
- "4 Days Out": Worried that he may not have long to live, Walt takes Jesse out to the desert on their biggest cook to date.
- "Over": Good news: Walt is in remission! Bad news: now, Walt has no idea what to do with his life...
- "Mandala": One of Jesse's friends is killed by rival dealers, causing Jesse to spiral as Walt attempts to broker a new partnership with a lucrative - and safe - drug lord.
- "Phoenix": Jesse wants his half of the money made from their last cook, but Walt refuses to fund his burgeoning drug habit. When Jesse's girlfriend threatens to out him, however...
- "ABQ": Jesse's girlfriend dies of a heroin overdose, leaving behind misery that spirals unpredictably. Walt's deceit weighs on him in the busy days leading to his surgery.
Walt finds himself torn between his need to make money to leave his family when cancer claims his life, and his desire to keep his family together as his wife, Skyler, discovers just what he does when she's not looking. He and Jesse soon find themselves in the employ of the American southwest's most powerful drug kingpin, Gustavo Fring, who has the resources to make meth in volumes they could never before have imagined, and make millions in the process. As Jesse continues to prove an unstable asset, however, Walt will need to decide how far he is willing to go, and how much he will risk, to protect his partner...
- "No Mas"note : Skyler discovers Walt's double life and demands a divorce, leaving Walt reluctant to continue cooking. Jesse comes to terms with his actions during rehab.
- "Caballo Sin Nombre"note : Walt tries to get himself back home and in Skyler's good graces, but it is a tall order. Unbeknownst to him, he is now in the cartel's crosshairs...
- "I. F. T."note : Skyler must contend with Walt forcing himself back into her home. If she can't drive him away, she'll make his life miserable in whatever way she can. Gus is concerned about the Salamancas throwing their weight around. Hank deals with his issues about returning to El Paso in an unhealthy way.
- "Green Light": Jesse strikes out on his own, and Gus uses the opportunity to manipulate an unstable Walt back into his employ. Hank finds a way to get out of El Paso: a breakthrough in the Heisenberg case!
- "Mas"note : Gus shows Walt the superlab he had built to cook meth and makes him an offer he could never refuse. Skyler's affair reveals to herself how much she is willing to compromise her morals. Marie is concerned about a determined Hank's quest to bring down Heisenberg.
- "Sunset": Hank is closing in on Jesse's RV lab! Walt must have it disposed of before it's too late. Gus must find a way to keep his businesses running smoothly when the cartel intrudes once again.
- "One Minute": Hank lashes out at Jesse following the RV lab's destruction. It's not only his career that is in danger, however, but his life as the cartel set their sights on him! Walt must figure out a way to get a vengeful Jesse back on his side in order to defuse a high-pressure situation.
- "I See You": Hank is brought into the hospital, his life hanging in the balance, leaving Walt concerned about the blurring line between his work and his family.
- "Kafkaesque": Jesse indulges his outlaw fantasies by skimming some of the product he makes for Gus and enlisting his friends to sell it. Walt takes measures to protect and support his family in the wake of the attack on Hank.
- "Fly": A typical day at the office takes a turn for the bizarre (and somber) when Walt becomes consumed by the desire to kill a fly in the superlab.
- "Abiquiu": Skyler decides to involve herself in laundering Walt's money, to his and Saul's chagrin. Jesse becomes cozy with a lady from rehab whom he tries to hook on meth, only to learn something disconcerting about Gus...
- "Half Measures": Jesse becomes obsessed by a desire for revenge after finding out the truth about the death of a friend. Walt must decide how to deal with him, especially with his criminal associates pressuring him about a permanent solution...
- "Full Measure": Walt is at odds with Gus as a result of his reckless actions to protect Jesse. Walt's potential replacement becomes a weapon when their cold war threatens to boil over...
Walt and Jesse find themselves in Gustavo Fring's crosshairs. Both are still too invaluable to his drug empire to dispose of, but their days are clearly numbered. Walt must pull out all the stops to stay one step ahead of Gus, on top of continuing to accrue money to leave behind for his family. Is it possible for him to outsmart one of the most devious and dangerous criminals north of the border?
- "Box Cutter": After having Walt's potential replacement killed, Walt and Jesse are detained by Gus's men and await their fate.
- "Thirty-Eight Snub": With his life in danger, Walt buys a gun and tries to get Mike as an ally while Jesse struggles with guilt over the murder he committed. Hank shares his misery on being confined to his bed with his wife.
- "Open House": Walt and Skyler buy a car wash to use as a money-laundering front while Jesse continues to spiral. Marie falls back into bad habits as a result of a hostile home life.
- "Bullet Points": Walt and Skyler prepare a script to explain their purchase of a business to launder their money while Jesse's increasingly self-destructive behavior proves to be a liability. Gale's death raises more issues.
- "Shotgun": Jesse must fill in as Mike's partner as Walt takes out his helplessness in self-destructive ways. Hank investigates a mysterious murder...
- "Cornered": Walt's relationship with Skyler grows precarious as Jesse helps Gus and Mike deal with the cartel's increasingly aggressive tactics.
- "Problem Dog": Walt concocts a plan to have Gus killed with Jesse's aid, whose success as Mike's partner make him hesitant to pick sides. Meanwhile, Hank's investigation has an unexpected breakthrough...
- "Hermanos": With the DEA now questioning him, Gus reminisces about his dealings with the cartel as Hank enlists a conflicted Walt in conducting his own off-the-books investigation.
- "Bug": Walt has Jesse arrange a meeting with Gus to get rid of him... but can Jesse really go through with it? Skyler is forced into action when Ted's troubles with the IRS threaten to expose her.
- "Salud": Gus takes Jesse to Mexico to deal with the cartel once and for all while Walter Jr. deals with a wounded Walt. Skyler brings in Saul to deal with Ted's bills.
- "Crawl Space": After destroying the cartel, Gus must decide what to do with Walt now that he has become an immutable liability to his operation. Skyler takes decisive action with Ted, to violent effect.
- "End Times": Gus is closing in on Walt, who must concoct a deadlier plan than ever if he is to survive. His loyalties in flux, Jesse receives horrifying news that could change everything.
- "Face Off": After their first attempt failed, Walt and Jesse must use whatever assets they have to find a way to kill Gus. They find a chink in his armor: one of his oldest enemies...
Season 5A (2012)
Gustavo Fring is dead, and Walt stands as the undisputed kingpin of the American southwest. From his new position of power, he can make meth in unrivaled quantities, and profits beyond his wildest expectations. As Walt enjoys his newfound power, however, his reasons for continuing his criminal enterprise is called into question: is he still trying to make money to support his family, or is he simply building his empire to satisfy his growing ego? And will his unchecked pride and greed ultimately bring about his downfall?
- "Live Free Or Die": With the authorities now investigating Gus's operation in full earnest, a triumphant Walt must destroy the evidence tying him to his drug empire.
- "Madrigal": Gus' nest egg for Mike's granddaughter is taken by the feds, along with the hush money for Gus' other associates, forcing Mike into an uneasy alliance with Walt. Madrigal Electromotive (the conglomerate that owned Los Pollos Hermanos) pledges to work with the DEA to root out anyone related to Gus's empire, to the distress of one of their executives.
- "Hazard Pay": Walt, Jesse, and Mike begin to use a new tactic for cooking and selling their meth, but running a less profitable solo operation raises tempers. An outburst from Skyler brings Marie to Walt for answers.
- "Fifty-One": As Walt's birthday comes, Skyler's mental state worsens. The DEA tightens the screws on Madrigal, leaving Heisenberg's empire in a tempestuous state.
- "Dead Freight": With their methylamine running low, Walt, Jesse, and Mike enlist the aid of a less-than-trusting business partner to secure more from a passing train, along with an associate from the exterminator company front.
- "Buyout": With the stresses of the job and attention from the authorities becoming too much, Jesse and Mike plan to leave the business and take their shares of their money with them while warding off Walt's manipulations.
- "Say My Name": As Walt recruits Mike's contact from another state to distribute his product, Mike finds himself forced to flee. Jesse makes an effort to break away from his teacher and quit the business.
- "Gliding Over All": Walt uses his remaining partner's contacts with Neo-Nazis to deal with the rest of Mike's associates as he grows his business. A period of unprecedented success, however, leaves him contemplative about his empire and his family...
Season 5B (2013)
Just as Walt finally makes the decision to call it quits and leave the drug trade behind, his worst nightmare comes true once Hank realizes his own brother-in-law is the infamous Heisenberg he's been hunting for nearly two years. To make matters worse, Jesse turns against Walt upon discovering a horrible truth and teams up with Hank to take him down. Meanwhile, a gang of Neo-Nazis, who were hired by Walt on a previous venture, end up striking him where it hurts the most, even more than his pocketbook: his family. As Walt reaches his Darkest Hour when both his family and empire start crumbling apart, what will he do to emerge victorious, one final time?
- "Blood Money": Hank has discovered Walt's darkest secret, and the two brothers-in-law are set to clash with each other. Jesse's simmering guilt over his actions boils over.
- "Buried": Walt has his immense profits buried in the desert as Hank deals with the fact that his brother-in-law is a drug kingpin. Marie confronts her sister with her complicity in laundering drug money, who takes a side in the familial conflict. Lydia tries to keep Heisenberg's empire profitable.
- "Confessions": With Hank doggedly determined to bring him in, Walt must find a way to get him off his back. Jesse is given a reality check and decides what's best for his future.
- "Rabid Dog": Jesse discovers one of Walt's darkest secrets, and enters into an alliance with Hank to see him arrested. Skyler forces Walt to consider what's going to keep their family safe.
- "To'hajiilee": With their first attempt to bring Walt in failing, Jesse suggests exploiting Walt's one weakness: his insatiable greed. Meanwhile, Walt gets involved in the meth business again in order to finally deal with Jesse.
- "Ozymandias": Walt's Neo-Nazi associates kill Hank and take most of his money. His family is afraid of him. The authorities are closing in on him as his criminal empire collapses.
- "Granite State": Walt goes on the run as Jesse is forced to work as the Neo-Nazis' slave and Skyler is scared into silence by them.
- "Felina"note : Walt returns to New Mexico to make amends with his family, secure his children's financial future, and settle the score with his enemies.
Although the series has concluded, a sequel film starring Jesse Pinkman premiered on Netflix six years later.
- El Camino: After the climatic events of the series finale, Jesse escapes the Neo-Nazis' captivity, but is now on the run as a fugitive from law enforcement. As he attempts to flee New Mexico in search of a new life elsewhere, Jesse must also confront the traumas of his past.
- "Good Cop, Bad Cop": Hank and Marie attempt to roleplay in the bedroom on Valentine's Day only for the session to quickly derail into an argument.
- "Wedding Day": A soon-to-be-married Hank confides in Walt about a one-night stand he had the previous night.
- "TwaughtHammer": A teenage Jesse tries to shoot a documentary about his band TwaughtHammer.
- "Marie's Confession": Marie shoots a video diary for her therapist that quickly devolves into absent-minded rambling.
- "The Break-In": Skyler accidentally sold Walt's vacuum cleaner to an old lady down the street, and Walt's hidden cache of drug money is stashed inside. So Walt employs Badger's help so he can break into her home and recover the money.
Season 2 (2010)
- "Live Saul Cam": A fly-on-the-wall look inside the professional life of Saul Goodman.
- "Fernando": Fernando appears in a Saul Goodman commercial recounting how he got him off the hook for grand theft auto.
- "Carl": Carl gives a testimonial for Saul on how he helped him with legal troubles concerning his ex.
- "Wendy": Wendy recounts for a commercial how Saul Goodman saved her from prison time.
- "Badger": Badger gives an overenthusiastic testimonial attesting to the quality of Saul Goodman's legal work.
- "Wayfarer 515": Saul Goodman addresses the horrific tragedy of the Wayfarer 515 incident and offers advice on how to seek justice (and hefty compensation) from the airplane companies.
- "Letters to Saul": Saul opens some letters and responds with some dubious legal advice.
- "Tiger Trouble? Better Call Saul!": If the tiger that you definitely don't own has landed you in some legal hot water, there's only one man to call!
- "Saul Says: 'Sue 'Em Now'": Who can you sue for millions of dollars and on what grounds? Let Saul Goodman answer that question!
- "Team S.C.I.E.N.C.E.": Jesse re-imagines the cast as a superhero team.
Season 3 (2011)
- "Fatty Fat Fat": The best way to lose weight? By suing the hell out of fast food restaurants, of course!
- "Fighting For You": Saul recounts a story about representing two boxers.
El Camino (2020)
One more short was produced in 2020 to promote the television premiere of El Camino.
- "Snow Globe: A Breaking Bad Short": Todd builds a custom snowglobe to impress his crush Lydia.
