Breaking Bad Episode Ratings Heatmap
2008 · 5 Seasons · 62 Episodes · Overall Score: 8.6/10 (62 rated)
Season 5 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 5 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0.31), maintaining an average of 8.4.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Ep 2 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 8.4 |
| Ep 3 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 8.4 |
| Ep 4 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.3 |
| Ep 5 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 9.2 |
| Ep 6 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 8.1 | 8.6 |
| Ep 7 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 9.1 |
| Ep 8 | – | 8.9 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 9.2 |
| Ep 9 | – | 8.8 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 9.0 |
| Ep 10 | – | 8.2 | 7.8 | 9.1 | 8.7 |
| Ep 11 | – | 8.5 | 8.1 | 9.3 | 9.2 |
| Ep 12 | – | 8.8 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.8 |
| Ep 13 | – | 8.8 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.4 |
| Ep 14 | – | – | – | – | 9.4 |
| Ep 15 | – | – | – | – | 9.2 |
| Ep 16 | – | – | – | – | 9.3 |
| Season Avg | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.9 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 5 seasons and 62 episodes, Breaking Bad has earned an overall series rating of 8.6 out of 10. The series demonstrates an upward quality trajectory, with later seasons sustaining higher viewer acclaim than its debut.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 5, Episode 14 ("Ozymandias"), rated at an extraordinary 9.4/10 with 390 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 3, Episode 10 ("Fly"), landing at 7.8/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 4 between Episode 1 ("Box Cutter", 8.8) and Episode 2 ("Thirty-Eight Snub", 7.9), a swing of 0.9 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of Breaking Bad
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 5, Ep 14 | Ozymandias | 9.4 | 390 | Sep 15, 2013 |
| #2 | Season 5, Ep 13 | To'hajiilee | 9.4 | 236 | Sep 8, 2013 |
| #3 | Season 5, Ep 16 | Felina | 9.3 | 322 | Sep 29, 2013 |
| #4 | Season 4, Ep 13 | Face Off | 9.3 | 249 | Oct 9, 2011 |
| #5 | Season 4, Ep 11 | Crawl Space | 9.3 | 209 | Sep 25, 2011 |
| #6 | Season 5, Ep 15 | Granite State | 9.2 | 236 | Sep 22, 2013 |
| #7 | Season 5, Ep 5 | Dead Freight | 9.2 | 223 | Aug 12, 2012 |
| #8 | Season 5, Ep 8 | Gliding Over All | 9.2 | 219 | Sep 2, 2012 |
| #9 | Season 5, Ep 11 | Confessions | 9.2 | 218 | Aug 25, 2013 |
| #10 | Season 3, Ep 13 | Full Measure | 9.2 | 216 | Jun 13, 2010 |