Pilot

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

Walter White is a high school chemistry teacher who learns that he has lung cancer. With a new lease on life, Walter becomes a drug dealer to secure his family's financial security.
9.1
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
465 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Netflix
Subscription
Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy
VUDU
Buy/Rent

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (14)

See All

  • Now THIS is how you start a show! This is the first episode I have watched, and I am addicted already! We meet Walt and Jesse, who go into the meth business together. This had humor, thrills, and an epic conclusion. A fantastic pilot.moreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By DumbDawg2694, Dec 08, 2011 Report Abuse
    In this, the pilot of Breaking Bad, we meet Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher, who due to an accident at a car wash, develops terminal lung cancer. In order to make money (and cushion his family's future), he and one of his former students go into the meth-making business. And along the way, the two encounter trouble from competition.
    Usually, pilots don't hook me immediately. But this show is an exception. This pilot is for a lack of a better phrase, epically awesome! The emotions are real, the humor is fresh and new, and the action was impressive. I was surprised at the humor, and how funny it actually was. The acting, especially by Walt, helps buy the character(s), and makes you believe the characters are real. The action surprised me too, and I was on the edge of my seat... well, bed.
    I just got done with the pilot, and if this is this good, I can't wait to see the rest! Considder me addicted!
    My Score: Amoreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

  • We meet Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in the fantastic pilot

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Oct 17, 2011 Report Abuse
    The pilot of Breaking Bad, for me, was like a breath of fresh air. I was coming off of "The Shield" finale, and I knew that Lost and 24, two shows that I grew up with, would be ending soon. Therefore, I turned to two separate shows to keep me grounded: Dexter and Breaking Bad. Dexter is great, don't get me wrong, but this show just grabbed me in a completely different way.

    First off, the show seems to take ideas that are boilerplate for dramas or for television shows period and flip them on their head. We get the typical "show something exciting at the beginning and go back a few weeks to show how it happened!" which is one of the oldest tricks in the book. However, Breaking Bad does it with such energy and vigor that it's hard to complain about it. We meet Walter White, a Chemistry teacher who just turned fifty and suffers from inoperable lung cancer.. but he hasn't told his family this. His life seems to be one dull moment after the other, and we learn that he was once involved in research that lead to a Nobel prize.. from that to this? It seems like a depressing step down, but Walt does what he can. His wife is pregnant with their second child and his first son has a mild case of cerebral palsy.

    So what does he do? After watching his DEA brother-in-law take down a few bad guys at a meth lab, he decides to put his chemistry skills to good use. With the aid of one of his former students, Jesse, he begins cooking meth, presumably for money to help pay for any operation or chemo bills. From here, we get an incredible build-up, from an innocent chemistry teacher to a guy who has nothing to lose and is willing to break the law, or "break bad," for a chance to get money for him and his family. It's the usual anti-hero set-up, as the protagonist prepares to do things we wouldn't normally do but he still cheer for him.

    The episode is incredible for a pilot, setting up future plots, establishing background (at least minor background) for certain characters and giving us incredible performances all around. Bryan Cranston is amazing here, and he won a well-deserved Emmy for this episode. Aaron Paul also proves himself to be a great actor too. As for the supporting characters, I would call them the weakest part of a nearly perfect show, but as someone who has already seen the show, I can say that the characters get better over time.

    Just watch the way the episode unfolds and the way we lead up to that eerie and incredible first and final scene. This was just a taste of what was to come in the future for the show.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    2 0

  • this was kind of sorta maybe awesome

    10
    "Perfect"
    By futuramarama, Sep 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    Before I got into this show, people told me how great the start to it was. How the first like 3 episodes were really strong starts to the show and how the quality only gets better and better. So, I watched this pilot episode. I rewatched it recently, and yea; it's kind of awesome. I loved it. Scenes i really liked were Walt telling Jesse if he did not cook with him, he would turn him in to the police, Walt using what he learned earlier in the episode to kill those two guys in the RV, Walt standing on the guy's leg who was making fun of Walt Jr., amongst other things. My favorite thing about the first couple seasons are the interactions between Jesse and Walt, and this was a fantastic opener to a fantastic show. Not only is the plot pretty great, but the acting, particularly Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, is great. Best acting I've seen in a while, maybe even ever. Definitely an awesome start to the tv series Breaking Bad. A+ grade (though you probably knew that already).moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Weeds on Meth?

    8.0
    "Great"
    By diovoib, Dec 08, 2010 Report Abuse
    In the boredom of a quiet 2am I found this show. As much as I am a fan of his work on Malcolm in the Middle I was pleasantly surprised by Bryan Cranston performance in tis new show which is essential Weeds but without the gloss and soft pedaling.

    Gritter but still with humour and heart, from a somewhat slow first few acts it does suck yo in like any good show should. Crisp indie direction, relaxed solid performance, a subtle musical score and another look at life in the shadows of American sunshine. I look forward to the rest of the season.

    :JR:moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 2

  • Pilot episode.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Canogaparkcindy, Oct 15, 2010 Report Abuse
    One of the best new shows of the decade, I'm telling you this with only watching the first episode. Excellent writing, original plot, amazing acting, intriguing characters, shall I go on? I have a feeling that this show will be one of my all time favorites, a really excellent pilot episode.

    From the first scene, I was immediately enticed and intrigued in to the show. Every second kept me in suspense, I feel as though this show needs some recognition. Not a lot of people watch it considering on TV.com we only got over 2000 votes on the rating.

    I think not a lot of people know about this show, and I was one of those people, all I know is that if anyone asks about this show, I will definitely recommend it. The plot is amazing, a chemistry teacher/car washer goes through a mid life crisis and decides to make meth.

    The interactions between Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston were amazing. I was astonished at Bryan Cranston's wonderful acting right after getting off a sitcom, must have been quite a transition and I commend him for that. We've got a lot of intense scenes, and intriguing characters. I guess I should tune in to AMC more often.

    Amazing show, definitely recommend it, perfect pilot episode.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA

    • Unlike the episode, Walt would never be able to actually ride-along with DEA agents. They have strict rules about this and civilians are not even able to enter the DEA cars.

      Edit

    • Vince Gilligan admitted in a Season 4 episode podcast that the location of the show was supposed to be set in Riverside, California. The original pilot was filmed there but they learned of the incentive ABQ was giving out for production teams to film there. They ended up staying in ABQ.

      Edit
    • Bryan Cranston and Dean Norris were interestingly also cast in "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006). This movie had a part when the family makes a sleep-over stop in Albuquerque. Both actors showed up in the movie at this point. Therefore, it's possible that they were already scouting or starting production on Breaking Bad as far back as 2005. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES

    • Featured Music:
      "Come on Home and Have Your Next Affair With Me" by Stonewall Jackson
      "Dirty South Hustla" by Carolina Slim
      "Tamacun" by Rodrigo y Gabriela
      "Mango Walk" by The In-Crowd
      "Dead Fingers" by Working for a Nuclear Free City
      "A Gosar" by SDK (feat. Tori Papa)
      "Get Low" by Pudge
      "Apocalypsh*t" by Molotov
      "Out of Time Man" by Mick Harvey

      Edit
    • Original International Air Dates: United Kingdom: September 28, 2008 on FX Czech Republic: January 14, 2011 on Nova Cinema Edit
    • Awards and Nominations: 2008 - Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Bryan Cranston) (won) 2008 - Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series (won) 2008 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series (nominated) 2008 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (nominated) Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Walter: Chemisty, it is the study of what?...Ben Ben: Chemicals? Walter: Chemicals...no. Chemistry is, well technically, chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change. Edit
    • Jesse: (to Walt) Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, age what? Sixty? He's just gonna break bad? Edit
    • (Walt gets handed a gun) Walt: This is heavy. Hank: (Referring to the police force) That's why they hire men. Edit

  • Allusions

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch Breaking Bad Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 1 Episodes

See All
Ep 7
A No-Rough-Stuff Type Deal
Ep 6
Crazy Handful of Nothin'
Ep 5
Gray Matter
Ep 4
Cancer Man
Ep 3
...and the Bag's in the River
Ep 2
Cat's in the Bag...
Ep 1
Pilot

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use