The Episode That Made Breaking Bad A Masterpiece 

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This episode contains the single most brilliant line spoken in any piece of fiction ever: *Ah...wire*

This episode is “the good old days” point of the show

The fact that people still talk about this show after 8 years just shows how memorable and deep it was.

The reason that tumor shrink to 80%. Is because Walter ate a Funyun when Jesse and Walt are sitting looking at the sunset.

The contrast and fade in those opening scenes is so sad.. "Everything you did, you did for your family!" *fades to that family scared of him and fending him off with a knife* "....Right?"

The El Camino flashback being during this episode was kind of a flag to me of how much it really was a turning point episode in a lot of ways.

"A robot?" "Ah, wire!" Two best lines. Spoiler: Strangely Walt does end up building a sort-of robot at the end of the series that shoots.

Season 2 is so under appreciated. It often gets ranked pretty low but I love how simple and down to earth it’s stories are.

As someone mentioned, this is Aaron Paul's favourite episode. He says it's a great representation of who Walt and Jesse deep down and how much they need each other at this moment in time. And as you aptly pointed out, that wonderfully weird and dark dispenser scene is the cherry on top.

I love walt's face when Jesse Rolls up to the airport in the meth lab 🤣 the sheer "what the fuck is he doing?" It's so relatable yet hilarious

i recently finished breaking bad... what a masterpiece

It is Aaron Paul's favorite episode. He really enjoyed doing the diner scene with Bryan Cranston in El Camino

Fantastic analysis. Had forgotten how good that scene of Walt punching the towel dispenser was.

Walt is such an awful human being, yet such a brilliantly written character. I was so confused by his anger at the end of the episode, but I grew to understand it more as the show went on. It deliberately hides things about Walt from the viewer and slowly unravels his motivations as time passes. It just so good

The fact that Jesse calls Walt Mr. White during the entire series shows, even though in the end he pretty much hated Walt, he still had respect for him! Walt saves Jesse's life from Uncle Jack and he even gets to kill Todd. I like how in the end so much is silently communicated between them. They don't have to say anything because their body language is saying for them.

"This episode has no explosions." Me wondering what the Jesse generator scene was: 🤔🧐

The sad truth was that Jessie was always treated like a son from Walt, yet Walt hardly ever got to know his own son

14:27 I don't know if the show intended this metaphor or if you created it but either way its a beautifully ominous observation. geeez

“ it’s either you die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”

I wish chemistry was used more to solve his problems. The way he explained the homemade battery to Jesse felt like he was his teacher again

I'd love this show to death but deep down i just want a non-canon different scenario series where walt and jesse trust in each other like father and son and its a light-hearted show. I just need more of that starting fresh feeling they had in S1

The damaged dispenser comes back in a later season (forget which one) and it remains damaged, perhaps to further represent how Walt's transformation and the consequences of his actions are irreversible or just as a fun little call back. Not everything has to be symbolic, but it does makes things more interesting.

There's a flashback scene in El Camino where Walt and Jesse are in some sort of restaurant. Jesse's digging in, and mentions to Walt he should eat something to get electrolytes - which Walt mentioned in this episode they would be getting low on. So this BB episode itself is a good self-summary of the relationship between Jesse and Walt, and its glimmer of positivity... given that they basically destroy each other.

14:29 There's a scene in mid season 5 where Walt looks at his reflection here again but this time his expression is wildly different than the one here as if he was seemingly looking down on his past self: "Huh, I remember how silly I was at that moment, too afraid and powerless" basically after he became what the "old" Walt feared the most, it's kinda hard to put it into words

After pretty much binging Breaking Bad at an insane pace way after it aired, it's difficult for me to really remember it episode by episode. Really cool seeing how well episodes worked even as individual pieces.

I’ve watched this series numerous times, and I’ve never noticed the dead coyote at 11:18

Man, for me my favorite scene of the whole show is probably when Walt has Jesse stay over for dinner with him and Skylar. Shit was the most awkward thing ever and Aaron played that scene so good to give the viewers 2nd hand embarrassment. I loved it

“4 Days Out” is literally my favorite episode out of the entire series.

"That's how it starts. The rage. The feelings of...powerlessness. That turns good men...cruel."

Woah that's freaky, I was just talking to someone yesterday about this very episode and feeling that it was special, although not for the same reasons as you explained. I thought the narrative direction of this episode by keeping the focus for the entire episode (or atleast the trip) on Walt and Jesse was a brilliant idea, not once does it cut away to Skyler or Hank or even Skinny Pete, it makes you feel like you're stranded in the desert WITH them, and I found that brilliant.

In the scene where he punches the towel dispenser, his image and reflection is distorted. He’s already corrupted and has already changed, it’s too late to go back. But then if you watch the finale, as he dies and sees his reflection, it’s a lot more clear. As if he’s come to terms with himself and his decisions and then dies at peace. Man I love this show.. great video 👍🏻

This is probably my favorite episode of the entire show. He’s still pretty much Walt (not to much Heisenberg at that point), his family still loves him, it has a lot of Walt and Jesse moments (funny, fighting, comradery, wholesomeness, reflecting, and more), it has the iconic scene at the end and the majority of the episode is them in the RV, in the desert, with beautiful scenery, cooking meth, which is probably the most iconic image of Breaking Bad.

One of the only moments in Breaking Bad when i almost cried was when Walt's family heard the good news about his treatment. It just showed how much he means to them.

I think the episode that really hooked me on BB was S1E3. The whole conflict with Krazy-8 showed us exactly how this series was gonna pan out.

You have no idea how much I appreciate your music choice, specifically Desert Wasteland. It's loneliness encapsulates those days Jesse and Walt spent in the desert perfectly for me.

I remember when I first finished breaking bad and I was trying to get my family into the show, I wanted to show an episode to my mom and i didnt want to scare her with season one’s brutality so I showed her this episode. She was so impressed and engaged in the episode without knowing anything about the characters or the story. Thats when I knew breaking bad was the greatest show of all time. To be able to grab a viewers attention without any prior knowledge about the show is pure genius

"Maybe he likes Breaking Bad" Who doesn't!

Maybe I was just staring at the sunset and shadows but I never realized walt threw away the chips, which is hilarious

Ahhh more proof you're the best analyst out. Quality, voice, and choice of media all 10/10. Another great video under your belt, gonna have to rewatch BB again now.

5:09 ”After which, the only place to go is down”. Funny that the next episode is called ”Down” 😂 I always thought it was just because of the plane-thing.

"It is growth, then decay, then transformation!" The writing in this show is genius

11:03 "Is he trapped once again as a passenger without any say on how things turn out". This hit me hard.

Ayyyyye, finish Breaking Bad yesterday and now I'm watching Better Call Saul. Sheesh, BB is a quality series and I ignored the hype! Shame on me!

"You brought a meth lab to the airport?" LMAO Brilliant

This was the best television show/episode analysis I’ve ever come across on RU-vid. Thank you. You covered your three main points very thoroughly.

I love this breakdown. I've watched this episode so many times, I show it to people who've never watched the series and have no plans to because you can get so much out of with without the context of the rest of the story. But what I love most is what you've outlined. I've always watched that fit of rage he has and just simply thought he was pissed that he wouldn't be dying, that it wasn't part of his plan, and that even his own death is not within his control. This video adds so much more to that moment though and now I feel like I can watch it again with a fresh perspective. Thank you! Fantastic work.

The moment Walt punched the dispenser is truly the moment he turned into Heisenberg.

I am so, so glad to see this episode get the attention it deserves. This is my favourite Breaking Bad episode ever, and you've brilliantly explained why that's the case. I've noticed that '4 Days Out' and 'Fly' seem to come as a pair in many people's eyes. They're both episodes that are almost entirely set in one location, and basically only star Walt and Jesse. This makes them very rewatchable. But there's a third episode that I associate with these two as well, and that's 'I See You' (or as I like to call it, the 'hospital episode'). This episode is also set in one location (the hospital), but this time it's just Walt with his family instead of Jesse. All this downtime gives room for some fantastically-written scenes, like when Walt is comforting Marie in the café, or when Walt. Jr is talking about Pablo Escobar. I especially love when Walt and Gus are talking business whilst being completely surrounded by cops. The scenes with Jesse alone in the lab are also hilarious! It's one of my go-to episodes. I absolutely love it.

Clearly the pilot is when the show became a masterpiece

I'm also of the belief that Walter truly cared for Jesse (referring to him often as "son"), being closer to him than he was his actual son. In part, that's probably due to his having no one else to share in his victories and having something of a colleague. But even after Jesse quit cooking, I don't think Walt ever intended to kill him.

This was the episode that made me realize I was in it for the father/son relationship between Walt and Jesse.

My favorite episode might just be the pilot. So much happened in that first episode that was just draw dropping, incredible show!

This episode stuck with me more than most on my first watch and it was one of my most anticipated upon my first re watch. You put into words my thoughts on this episode and I thank you lol

I love that there’s still video essay type videos about this show so far after the ending. It proves how great it was

This one goes straight from my Watch Later playlist to my Favorites. I'm surprised I don't think I've seen your videos before, looking forward to seeing more.

What about that moment when Jesse hugged Walt tightly and cried after the death of Jane Margolis?That's the time when we see how much Walt loves Jesse and how much Jesse loves Walt.Thats a father-son moment. ❤️

I remember watching breaking bad for the first time in 2017 - 2018 when I was in 10th grade chemistry and this episode among others in season 2 were my favorites. That was a good time for me, breaking bad helped me to really get interested in the chemistry class I was in at the time.

starts out father and son duo making meth together but went to dowhill because of walt’s greed and power, destroying his own families and best friend betrayal this is truly tragic for walter white life

Jan 1st 2022. Time to start the new year off right, with my 7th rewatch of Breaking Bad! Came across a few of your vids today and now i really wanna watch lmao

This episode was Breaking Bad tackles slice of life in the desert with just enough grimdark existential crisis tragedy to make things interesting

dude i JUST was watching breaking bad and looked up videos going in-depth in some episodes. i was expecting videos years old- i was just in time!!

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. Even dying before, Walter would have never could be a hero, but that were what he wants when he finally passes away. Eventually, he found in himself the villain that he tried prevent to become, because he lived enough time to become one.

I literally knew in first 1/2/3 episodes that this show is great and will be big. Its just unique and great.

Excellent analysis. A true surprise. I'm not much of an anime viewer now but if this is the level of thought you bring to your videos then I am here for it.

When I watched the scene where Walt gets the news for the first time, I felt like his relief was faked on behalf of his family. to me, the face he makes as he embraces Skylar is one of pain and worry rather than relief, and he's having genuine anxiety over the fact the he may have to face the consequences for his actions, rather than let it all wash away with his death.

4 days out is my favorite episode by far. The camera work, the scenes, the environment, and the whole plot of the episode was some of the best work I have ever seen imo

Great video as usual, appreciate the use of the Corel theme from FF7 to give off that desert vibe lol

"maybe he likes breaking bad" As he should, it's a great show

10 years later and I’m still slightly obsessed,I saw it in real time but it’s like the finale just happened. The time feels as long ago as it was but the show still feels fresh

this is the whole damn reason this serious hurts so much, their relationship is so well, hell, beautifuly developed that all the backstabs along the rest of their path hurt for real, might even make you physically feel bad, I blame it on the emotions displayed being so three dimensional that the drama that happens later feels too real

just wanted to say you had the perfect mix between your voice and the backing music! so many vids today have the music loud enough that its distracting, lol

Great vid. This episode stuck with me for such a long time.

Loved this analysis! Been on a BB-RU-vid scene/analysis binge and this definitely highlights an episode I previously didn't think much about when thinking about the entirety the series and my favorite moments. Also - datFF7 track? 👌🏾 A1 usage.

More people need to watch Breaking Bad. It's probably one of the best fiction ever made

Great video. I love the Final Fantasy music being used in the background as well.

I love videos like this. That editing at the beginning was brilliant.

This is the moment Jessie started representing the ABQ

Breaking bad clips and analysis videos keep popping up in my feed. Guess it's time to binge watch all series for 3rd time

Absolutely brilliant analysis. So so good. Please, post more!!!

Love it that we‘re still talking about this amazing series

My wife and I love this episode too, we always quote Jessie, "wait...we're making a robot?" Lol hilarious

So, I discovered your channel just last night and am already resuming my binge this morning of all of your BB videos I can find. Not only do I find your commentary and analysis so beautifully spot on, but I really enjoying reading your comments section. I am moving thru my binge much more slowly, because of this. I feel as if I have found my BB home and true family....such a thoughtful, funny and intelligent community! While I have never been a fan of anime and video games, (therefore ignorant of these genres of potential bliss?).....now I am intrigued about these worlds as well! After all, if you all love and appreciate the BB world as much as I do, then you gotta have great taste, right?? I'm so curious and intrigued. Thanks to all of you! I'm very glad to have found you.

The "Corel Prison" music in the back 👌 Sooo perfectly used 👏👏 Amazing analysis as well, love this episode.

Brilliant video. As someone who has just finished watching the show, I completely agree that this was the episode that upped the show in its quality. When I watched 4 Days Out, it felt...special. You felt like Walt and Jesse had come to a new understanding about each other, and their desperate situation is what drove them closer together in that episode. In many ways, this is the moment Walt began to view Jesse like a second son. Oh, and you're goddamn right about this being the last of the 'good times'. There really is a dramatic shift in tone and plot going into season 3, and you kind of long for the simpler times of seasons 1 and 2. :)

At the beginning of the episode skyler said to walt that he should expect good news but walt doesn't, instead prepares for bad news which is dying soon. But in a way he did prepare for good news, he wanted bad news which is good news for him but instead he got good news which is bad news. Walter should of prepared for good news

13:26 my friend when he finally watched breaking bad

That punch was the moment for me as well. It’s been years since I first watched the show and I still vividly remember how that moment made me feel

I just finished my third rewatch of the show and my god it’s just the greatest thing on television ever

I always found myself going back to “4 days out” just to watch that episode, I’ve probably watched that episode 100 times & never knew why I enjoyed it so much.

Your analysis is excellent. I love the writing and pacing. Great video essay bro. Something I strive to be able to create

Great breakdown!! And Kudos for the FFVII Cosmo Canyon background music 😎

Along with "The Sopranos," this was my favorite series. Everything about the show was fantastic, the videography, sets, actors, scripts...on and on. Something that the great authors would be proud of since it tells such an epic story. Man against nature, man against man, and man against himself. Somebody told me that once and said it covers the greatest books ever written. You gave an excellent analysis of deep insights into the show. Thank you.

Loved the scene where Walter explains to Skyler, that he is the breaking bad. Bravo Vince

Your dissections are amazing.

This video was so awesome man. Well Done.

one of my favorites i’m glad someone finally gave it some respect

It's been half a decade since I watched this show and every time I watch it, it somehow gets better. The best show ever. Nothing comes close.

I'm glad I found this channel.. awesome content

Listening to Aleczandxr talk about the name of this ep: "This guy's Canadian!" (I am too brother, I get it)