Breaking Bad's 10 greatest scenes (so far)

By Cory Casciato Fri., Jul. 13 2012 at 10:01 AM

Categories: Film and TV

For four seasons, Breaking Bad has chronicled the journey of Walter White from "Mr Chips to Scarface," as creator Vince Gilligan puts it. The end of the last season saw White taking out his number one adversary in spectacular fashion, marking the beginning of the final phase of his transformation. Season five kicks off this Sunday, and the Denver Film Society is throwing a watching party at the Denver Film Center/Colfax.

To get you ready, we've compiled this list of a dozen of the series's best scenes so far. Most of these are key to the plot. The majority are gut-wrenchingly intense. And all of them are among the most finely crafted moments the medium of television has yet to offer. Let's hope season five offers just as many more.

(It should go without saying, but this list is nothing but spoilers, from beginning to end. If you aren't caught up with the show's first four seasons, proceed at your own risk.)

Season 1

From the beginning, Breaking Bad has tempered its high-tension drama with moments of the blackest humor. One of the most memorable of those moments is season one's infamous acid bathtub scene. It also marks an early occurrence of the recurring theme of White's knucklehead partner Jesse Pinkman screwing things up royally simply by refusing to follow simple instructions. The results here are ... messy.

It doesn't take long before Walt breaks his "no violence" promise to himself -- he kills one drug dealer in the very first episode. That's in the heat of the moment, but in this scene he has to make a decision to kill, a decision that haunts him to the point he's sure he can't do it. Then a telltale piece of a plate helps him realize it's kill or be killed, and that's the end of the road for Krazy-8.

At certain points, Walt's done a damn fine job of putting the "hero" in "anti-hero," like in this classic scene. Calling himself Heisenberg, he confronts the maniacal drug lord Tuco on his home turf, intent on getting not only what he's owed, but payment for Jesse's pain and suffering at Tuco's hands. Thanks to a clever plan and a little chemistry he pulls off that seemingly impossible task, and leaves a hell of an impression on the drug kingpin in the process.