The second season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on March 8, 2009, and concluded on May 31, 2009. It consisted of 13 episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length. AMC broadcast the second season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States. The complete second season was released on Region 1 DVD and Region A Blu-ray on March 16, 2010.[1]
| Breaking Bad | |
|---|---|
| Season 2 | |
 Season 2 DVD cover | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Release | |
| Original network | AMC |
| Original release | March 8 – May 31, 2009 |
| Season chronology | |
Cast
Main
- Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a terminally ill high school chemistry teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Walt runs a drug business with his partner Jesse.
- Anna Gunn as Skyler White, Walt's pregnant wife and a bookkeeper for the firm Beneke Fabricators.
- Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, a laid-back, small-time drug dealer and cooker who is in partnership with Walter White.
- Dean Norris as Hank Schrader, Walt and Skyler's brother-in-law and a DEA agent.
- Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader, Skyler's sister and Hank's wife.
- RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr., Walt and Skyler's teenage son, who has cerebral palsy.
Recurring
- Krysten Ritter as Jane Margolis, Jesse's drug addicted landlord and later girlfriend.
- Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez, Hank's partner at the DEA.
- Charles Baker as Skinny Pete, one of Jesse's friends who helps sell Walt and Jesse's meth.
- Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke, Skyler's former boss whom she begins a brief affair with.
- Matt L. Jones as Badger, one of Jesse's friends who helps sell Walt and Jesse's meth.
- Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, a sleazy lawyer who becomes affiliated with Walt's crimes.
- John de Lancie as Donald Margolis, Jane's father and Jesse's landlord who also works as an air traffic controller.
- Tom Kiesche as Clovis, Badger's cousin.
- Rodney Rush as Combo, one of Jesse's friends who helps sell Walt and Jesse's meth.
- Michael Shamus Wiles as George Merkert, the head of the Alburquerque DEA office, Hank and Steve's boss.
- Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca, a wrathful drug kingpin and formerly the distributor of Walt and Jesse's meth.
- Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, the owner of the fictional fast-food chain, Los Pollos Hermanos, and secretly a drug kingpin associated with the Cartel who is the new distributor of Walt and Jesse's meth.
- Tess Harper as Diane Pinkman, Jesse's mother.
- Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca, Tuco's mute and wheelchair-bound uncle who only communicates with a bell. He is also later revealed to be Gus' arch nemesis.
- Sam McMurray as Dr. Victor Bravenec, one of Walt's surgeons.
- Carmen Serano as Principal Carmen Molina, The principal of J.P. Wynne High School, the school that Walter Jr. attends and Walt works at.
Guest
- Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor, Gus' loyal henchman.
- Nigel Gibbs as APD Detective Tim Roberts, a homicide investigator for the Alberquerque Police Department and one of Hank's colleagues.
- Jessica Hecht as Gretchen Schwartz, Walt's old friend and former fiancee.
- Danny Trejo as Tortuga, a member of the Cartel who's working as an informant for the DEA.
- Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, a "cleaner" and one of Saul's associates who also works for Gus.
Episodes
The titles of the first, fourth, tenth, and thirteenth episodes form a sentence that reveals an event that takes place in the season finale (Seven Thirty-Seven Down Over ABQ).[2]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | "Seven Thirty-Seven" | Bryan Cranston | J. Roberts | March 8, 2009 | 1.66[3] |
| 9 | 2 | "Grilled" | Charles Haid | George Mastras | March 15, 2009 | 1.60[4] |
| 10 | 3 | "Bit by a Dead Bee" | Terry McDonough | Peter Gould | March 22, 2009 | 1.13[5] |
| 11 | 4 | "Down" | John Dahl | Sam Catlin | March 29, 2009 | 1.29[6] |
| 12 | 5 | "Breakage" | Johan Renck | Moira Walley-Beckett | April 5, 2009 | 1.21[7] |
| 13 | 6 | "Peekaboo" | Peter Medak | J. Roberts & Vince Gilligan | April 12, 2009 | 1.41[8] |
| 14 | 7 | "Negro y Azul" | Felix Alcala | John Shiban | April 19, 2009 | 1.20[9] |
| 15 | 8 | "Better Call Saul" | Terry McDonough | Peter Gould | April 26, 2009 | 1.04[10] |
| 16 | 9 | "4 Days Out" | Michelle MacLaren | Sam Catlin | May 3, 2009 | 1.27[11] |
| 17 | 10 | "Over" | Phil Abraham | Moira Walley-Beckett | May 10, 2009 | 1.19[12] |
| 18 | 11 | "Mandala" | Adam Bernstein | George Mastras | May 17, 2009 | 1.29[13] |
| 19 | 12 | "Phoenix" | Colin Bucksey | John Shiban | May 24, 2009 | 1.19[14] |
| 20 | 13 | "ABQ" | Adam Bernstein | Vince Gilligan | May 31, 2009 | 1.50[15] |
Production
The writers of Breaking Bad planned the storyline for the entire season in advance of filming and knew how the season would end right from the beginning. That differed from subsequent seasons, in which the writers did not have a complete plan and developed the storyline as the episodes progressed. Series creator Vince Gilligan said of season two, "That came about through many, many hours of beating our heads against the wall—very laborious work, which is probably why we haven't repeated that formula since."[16]
Music
The original score for Breaking Bad was composed by Dave Porter. The show also uses music from other recording artists with music supervision by Thomas Golubić. Selected songs from Season 2 are featured on the Breaking Bad soundtrack available through iTunes and Amazon.[17]
Home video releases
The second season was released on DVD in Region 1 and Blu-ray in Region A on March 16, 2010.[1] It was released on DVD in Region 2 on July 26, 2010[18] and in Region 4 on February 8, 2010.[19]
Reception
Reviews
The second season of Breaking Bad received very positive reviews from critics, scoring 84 out of 100 on Metacritic.[20] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 97% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Breaking Bad continues to soar, thanks to its artsy style and suspenseful thrills."[21] Entertainment Weekly critic Ken Tucker stated "Bad is a superlatively fresh metaphor for a middle-age crisis: It took cancer and lawbreaking to jolt Walt out of his suburban stupor, to experience life again—to take chances, risk danger, do things he didn't think himself capable of doing. None of this would work, of course, without Emmy winner Cranston's ferocious, funny selflessness as an actor. For all its bleakness and darkness, there's a glowing exhilaration about this series: It's a feel-good show about feeling really bad."[22] San Francisco Chronicle's Tim Goodman claimed "The first three episodes of Season 2 that AMC sent out continue that level of achievement with no evident missteps. In fact, it looks as if Gilligan's bold vision for Breaking Bad, now duly rewarded against all odds, has invigorated everyone involved in the project. You can sense its maturity and rising ambition in each episode."[23] Horror novelist Stephen King lauded the series, comparing it to Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet.[24] Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger praised the season, calling it "brilliant". He lauded the sound design as well as the cinematography, enjoying the "emphasis of beautiful desert vistas and disturbing tableaux". He also compared the series to The Sopranos, more specifically on the similarity of Walter White and Tony Soprano and their respective reactions to similar situations.[25] David Hinckley of the New York Daily News praised Cranston's performance of Walter White calling him "one of the best played characters on television".[26]
Awards and nominations
The second season received numerous awards and nominations, including five Primetime Emmy Award nominations with two wins. Bryan Cranston won his second consecutive award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Lynne Willingham won her second consecutive award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series for "ABQ". The series received its first nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, Aaron Paul received his first nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and Michael Slovis was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series for "ABQ".[27]
Cranston won the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama, with the series being nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. Cranston won his second consecutive Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, with the series winning the award for Best Drama Series. Aaron Paul won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television, with the series winning the award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series. The series received two Writers Guild of America Award nominations, for Best Drama Series, and John Shiban for Best Episodic Drama for "Phoenix".[27]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Breaking Bad | Nominated | [28] |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Bryan Cranston for the episode: "Phoenix" |
Won | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Aaron Paul for the episode: "Peekaboo" |
Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) | Michael Slovis for the episode: "ABQ" |
Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing - Drama Series | Lynne Willingham for the episode: "ABQ" |
Won |
References
- ^ a b David Lambert (January 15, 2010). "Breaking Bad - Slight Delay for Season 2 DVD and Blu-ray (and also Season 1 Blu-ray)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
- ^ "The Big Secret of 'Breaking Bad': Walter White Was Always a Bad Guy". The Atlantic. August 31, 2012. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (March 10, 2009). "iCarly, Burn Notice and WWE RAW top cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 17, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
- ^ Crupi, Anthony (April 2, 2009). "AMC Renews Breaking Bad". Mediaweek. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (March 30, 2009). "Sunday Ratings: NCAA Tourney Lifts CBS To Victory, Fox Captures Youth Demo". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (April 1, 2009). "My Wednesday viewing dwindles with finales of Life on Mars, Damages and Life". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (April 7, 2009). "Damages season finale draws few, WWE RAW, NCIS lead cable viewing". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (April 14, 2009). "WWE RAW and Nora Roberts Tribute bookend cable top 20, Rescue Me premieres". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending April 19, 2009". Ratings Ryan. August 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (April 28, 2009). "Updated: WWE RAW, NFL Draft and Yankees / Red Sox Lead Weekly Cable Viewing". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 3, 2009". Ratings Ryan. August 20, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 10, 2009". Ratings Ryan. August 24, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 17, 2009". Ratings Ryan. August 26, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 24, 2009". Ratings Ryan. August 27, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ Levin, Gary (June 5, 2009). "Nielsens: 'Jon & Kate' plus big ratings". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
- ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (October 10, 2011). "Vince Gilligan walks us through season four of Breaking Bad (part 1 of 4)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ "Music From Breaking Bad Season 2". AMCTV.com. January 18, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
- ^ "Breaking Bad - Season 2". Amazon.co.uk. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
- ^ "Breaking Bad - The Complete 2nd Season (4 Disc Set)". EzyDVD. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
- ^ "Breaking Bad: Season 2". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
- ^ "Breaking Bad: Season 2 (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (March 8, 2009). "Breaking Bad review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
- ^ Goodman, Tim (March 6, 2009). "TV review: 'Breaking Bad' proves anything but". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
- ^ King, Stephen (March 6, 2009). "Stephen King: I Love 'Breaking Bad'!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (May 29, 2009). "'Breaking Bad' ends killer second season". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Hinckley, David (March 6, 2009). "'Breaking Bad' still dealing good stuff". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ a b "Awards for "Breaking Bad"". IMDB. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
- ^ "Breaking Bad - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins". Emmys.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
External links
- Breaking Bad at IMDb