Many fans and critics alike consider Breaking Bad to be one of the most consistently high-quality television shows in recent history, without a bad season to its name or many episodes where the show is considered to slump. Instead, most episodes are considered to be well-written, beautifully acted, and compellingly directed.

Some episodes have to be worse than others, however, and even with Breaking Bad's typical high quality, there are a few episodes that dip below the admittedly lofty margin set by the rest of the show. Whether they stall the plot, feature disliked characters, or simply aren't as enjoyable to watch, some episodes have poorer receptions from the fandom.

Updated by Ajay Aravind on April 10, 2024: Breaking Bad is a hugely popular television show, but even it has bad episodes. New fans and longtime fans alike will be curious to know which episodes are the lowest rated according to viewer opinions, so we've revamped this list with some more relevant information about the worst Breaking Bad episodes.

15 "No Más" Doesn't Have Enough High-Octane Action

Breaking Bad opens Season 3 with "No Más," a pivotal episode that sets the stage for important events in the future. Marco and Leonel Salamanca are shown crossing the Mexico-US border in order to find and assassinate the mysterious Heisenberg, but not before paying tribute at an ominous shrine somewhere in Mexico.

The rest of the episode details the aftermath of the devastating mid-air plane collision over the city of Albuquerque. Skyler finally plucks up the courage to divorce Walt, while Jesse struggles to deal with Jane's death in rehab. All things considered, audiences would have probably preferred some high-octane action thrown in. However, "No Más" is the best Breaking Bad episode on this list because it's thematically stronger than all the others.

14 "Over" Highlights Walter White's Descent Into Darkness

Walter's first remission report is a source of joy for his extended family, who throw him a lovely party to celebrate. Unfortunately, Walt uses the opportunity to ply his underage son with tequila, forcing Flynn to drink a lot more than he could handle. He nearly gets into a fistfight with Hank when the latter tries to get his brother-in-law to calm down. Skyler's reaction compels Walt to apologize, but she rejects his calls because she knows that he's not going to be entirely honest.

Jesse meets Jane's father for the first time, which is when she pretends that she doesn't know him. Walter White ends the episode shopping at a hardware store, where he observes a pair of men trying to mimic him. He proceeds to warn them against selling meth in his "territory." As with most poorly received Breaking Bad episodes, there's very little action in "Over."

13 "Abiquiu" Has Very Few Consequential Events Taking Place

Jesse recalls nostalgic moments with his now-dead girlfriend in "Abiquiu," particularly their visit to the Georgia O'Keeffe museum in a flashback. Meanwhile, Hank struggles to acclimate to physical therapy, leaving his family in dire financial straits. Skyler promises to pay for the treatment and asks Walter to make his earnings "unimpeachable."

Walt and Skyler have a meeting with Saul Goodman, who proposes a laser tag place to launder Walt's money. Skyler, however, correctly notes that this would be completely out of character for her husband. Jesse decides to sell some of Walter's meth at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, where he meets Andrea Cantillo. Although nothing of serious consequence happens in this episode, it ends with Walter receiving a coveted dinner invite to Gus Fring's house.

12 "Kafkaesque" Is Profound But Cannot Compare With The Other Episodes

In "Kafkaesque," Jesse begs Walt to skim some of their excess product, claiming that their earnings are nothing compared to Gus' overall profit margins. Walter refuses by calling Jesse ungrateful and ordering him not to mess with their boss' noblesse. Skyler's suspicions are raised when Hank explains the reason for his survival — a last-minute call right before the Salamanca brothers' attack. For his part, Hank learns that his favorite drug has once again reared its ugly blue head.

Walt then learns Gus' role in pointing the blame at Hank and consequently wresting control of the meth market. Gus reminds Walt that he's a valuable employee and even asks him to extend the contract for another 12 months. Ultimately, Walt is convinced to continue the project, demonstrating that it wasn't about his family after all. There's a lot that happens in this episode, but it wasn't enough to be one of the best.

11 "Cornered" Has Great Lines But Very Little Action

"Cornered" contains one of the most epic lines in Breaking Bad and arguably one of the most important lines in television. When a distraught Skyler begs Walt to contact the police and keep their family safe, he violently announces that they're not in danger because he's "the one who knocks." Fans who love this line, which includes most viewers, should check out the Season 4 bloopers video on YouTube.

Walt also mocks Bogdan by using his special dollar in a vending machine and later buys an unnecessarily expensive car for his son. Meanwhile, Mike and Jesse discover the cartel's cautionary message and communicate with Gus, who seemingly agrees to negotiate with the enemy. Gale's murder doesn't really make the headlines, but it still terrifies Skyler since she believes that her husband's life might be at stake.

10 "I.F.T." Focuses Too Heavily On Skyler's Character Arc

Breaking Bad's "I.F.T." would be considered an excellent episode in many other shows. It has numerous plot developments, from the further fraying of Walt and Skyler's relationship to Gus Fring revealing that he plans to have Walt killed when he's no longer useful. There's even a flashback scene revealing how Tortuga was decapitated as well as the identities of his killers.

Furthermore, "I.F.T." also explores several characters, including Jesse, as he attempts to cope with the death of his partner Jane. One reason for its mediocre fan response may be that it focuses heavily on Skyler — who drops the bombshell that the title stands for — and, at this point in the show, had a contingent of haters among the fandom. In any case, there are a few Breaking Bad episodes on this list worse than "I.F.T."

9 "Breakage" Slows Down The Show's Breakneck Pace Considerably

"Breakage" slows Breaking Bad's often-breakneck pace down considerably, explaining its relatively poor reception from the audience. This episode begins setting up a series of storylines, some that come to fruition in the short term, whereas others take much longer. Walter discovers Skyler's smoking habit and chooses to say nothing, whereas Jesse actually keeps his promise to Clovis and finds an apartment to rent.

Much of the episode's action focuses on the accounting of drug distribution rather than the production and criminal violence that the show is best known for. "Breakage" sets up Jesse and Walt to take on more roles in the criminal world. More importantly, this episode highlights the toll that Hank's job is beginning to take on him, especially after he becomes a DEA liaison.

8 "Gray Matter" Has Far Too Much Set-Up And Not Enough Payout

"Gray Matter" is one of the more important episodes in Breaking Bad's early run. It details Walt agreeing to his family's demands that he undergo cancer treatment while also rejecting an offer from his former friends, Elliot and Gretchen, to work for them and receive high wages and healthcare. Skyler is dumbstruck by Walter's decision and suspects that his refusal to accept "charity" has everything to do with his monumental ego.

Meanwhile, Jesse realizes that alone he cannot make meth as high-quality as Walt's version, despite having a solid distribution network. "Gray Matter" has the two protagonists understand that they need their partnership for a variety of reasons and ends with Walt offering to work again. Nonetheless, it is still an episode heavy in set-up and lacking in action.

7 "Bit By A Dead Bee" Lacks The Thrills And Drama Of The Previous Episode

On the comedown from the very well-received "Grilled," "Bit By A Dead Bee" shows the consequences of the previous episode's tense escape. This episode also features a knuckle-biting firefight between Hank and the unstable Tuco Salamanca, which ends in the latter's death. Walter fakes a fugue state via an extremely complicated and watertight plan, although Skyler isn't entirely convinced by his alleged story.

"Bit By A Dead Bee" lacks the thrills and drama of the previous episode, and it goes for more sedate storytelling. Nonetheless, critics admire it for doing a good job of exploring how the characters are feeling and what they do to cover for prior events. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Breaking Bad fans didn't feel the same way, explaining why it has such a relatively low rating across the board.

6 "Thirty-Eight Snub" Establishes The Season's Narrative Framework

A lot of Breaking Bad's poorly received episodes tend to be ones full of narrative triggers and set-ups that slowly creep up the tension. On the other hand, the episodes where that tension is released usually experience widespread acclaim. The prior episode, "Box Cutter," was very well-received by fans and is considered one of the best episodes of the series.

"Thirty-Eight Snub," in contrast, sets up the core conflicts for Breaking Bad Season 4, with Jesse suffering after killing Gale Boetticher and Walt realizing that killing Gustavo Fring preemptively will be next to impossible. Walter even buys a gun to murder Gus, but he never shows up at the lab, rendering this plan obsolete. Jesse, on the other hand, is still reeling from Gale's murder and goes on a spending spree.

5 "Cancer Man" Doesn't Open Up Any New Plotlines

Breaking Bad's first three episodes are acclaimed for their introduction to the show. Also celebrated is the consistent tension throughout Walt and Jesse's conflict with Emilio and Krazy-88 — not to mention their shocking and disgusting moments. "Cancer Man," in comparison, takes a gentler approach and doesn't openly set up any new plotlines.

Instead, it focuses on Walt receiving more information about his cancer and Jesse approaching his parents before ultimately getting kicked out by them again. Hank realizes that there is a new drug kingpin in the city, having learned of the extremely pure blue meth. Overall, less happens in "Cancer Man," but this episode remains narratively significant. And yet, there are four Breaking Bad episodes that fans consider worse than "Cancer Man."

4 "Down" Is One Of The Show's Most Low-Stakes Episodes

One of the four episodes foreshadowing the explosive and tragic finale of Season 2, "Down" is viewed better by fans in that macabre light. As a standalone episode, however, it largely focuses on Jesse scheming to steal back his RV after he is evicted from his aunt's house by his family. He breaks into the storage lot and accidentally falls inside a portable toilet, forcing him to sleep in his filthy clothes.

"Down" also chronicles his attempts to demand his share of the money from Walt, who'd rather be giving his son Flynn a driving lesson for the first time. Jesse-centric episodes often please audiences, but "Down" is relatively low stakes. Further, the underwhelming revelation that Skyler keeps disappearing so she can smoke while pregnant left some viewers disappointed.

3 "Green Light" Is Centered Around Characters' Emotional Reactions

"Green Light" is another episode without much action — best remembered by viewers for Walt's unsuccessful attempt to break into Ted's office and confront him about his affair with Skyler. Walter even attempts to flirt with Vice-Principal Carmen Molina, who asks him to leave the school immediately. The episode also furthers the tension between Walt, Jesse, and Gus as Gus courts Jesse's inferior meth in an attempt to convince Walt to resume cooking.

Nonetheless, "Green Light" is largely centered around the characters' emotional and dramatic reactions to things that have happened rather than exploring new ground. Unfortunately, much of the plot development revolves around a single batch of meth made by Jesse. When Victor only offers him half the promised money, Jesse learns that the rest would be delivered to Walter.

2 "Open House" Is Not As Fun Or Tense As It Could Have Been

This episode's primary focus is on continuing Jesse's storyline from "Thirty-Eight Snub," where he throws all-night parties in an attempt to distract himself from Gale's murder. The entire situation slowly collapses as Jesse gets more and more guilty and desperate. He even begins tossing cash at the crowd, demonstrating his inability to care about anything anymore.

There is some levity in the plotline surrounding Walter and Skyler buying the carwash Walt used to work at. However, what largely dims the episode in the eyes of viewers is that, despite Aaron Paul's acclaimed performance, it is ultimately not very fun or tense, with Jesse's plotline being an unflinching look at emotional repression.

1 "Fly" Is One Of The Most Controversial Episodes In Breaking Bad

Arguably one of the most controversial episodes in the show's canon, "Fly" is also considered the worst Breaking Bad episode by the general fandom. Filmed as a bottle episode to save on budget, it revolves solely around Jesse and Walt trying to rid their laboratory of a single fly that risks contaminating their supply.

"Fly" mixes the slapstick hijinks of two grown men attempting to ambush a single fly with tearjerking acting from Bryan Cranston, as Walt worries whether his actions are hurting his family. Some fans admire "Fly" for its strengths and its differences from other episodes. Interestingly, it is also the worst Breaking Bad episode, according to IMDb. On the other hand, most critics considered "Fly" to be one of the best Breaking Bad episodes overall, highlighting the gulf between viewer and reviewer appreciation.