Breaking Bad — Season 2

13 episodes ★ 9.5/10 our take

Season 2 Review

As their partnership reaches new heights, Walt and Jesse begin to see the extremes of the drug trafficking business. Their trademark blue meth is making them rich, but it’s getting more difficult than ever for Walt to conceal the truth from his wife Skyler, his son Walter Jr., and his DEA agent brother-in-law Hank. Walt struggles to maintain control of his life as he contends with vicious drug dealers, an increasingly distant wife and son, the impending birth of his daughter, and a strung-out business partner – all while battling terminal lung cancer.

Season Review

Season 2 widens the world: Tuco, then Saul, then the pink teddy bear — the show’s first great structural trick. The black-and-white cold opens pay off in ABQ as a season of small decisions lands a 737 on Walt’s doorstep. Jane’s death — Walt watching, doing nothing — is the moment the show stopped being about a man doing bad things for good reasons.

Episodes

Seven Thirty-Seven

SummarySeason 2 kicks off with Walt and Jesse once again bearing witness to Tuco's incendiary disposition, which leads them to the conclusion that it's time to put an end to…

2009-03-08 ★ 7.9

Grilled

SummaryTrying to dissociate themselves from the volatile Tuco takes a bad turn when Walt and Jesse get trapped with the dealer, and Skyler, worried about her missing husband, receives comfort…

2009-03-15 ★ 8.3

Bit by a Dead Bee

SummaryWalt and Jesse attempt to cover their tracks and distance themselves from Tuco, but they soon find that business is taking a hit along with their financial situation. Meanwhile, Hank…

2009-03-22 ★ 7.9

Down

SummaryDespite Walt's attempt to reconnect with the family, a suspicious Skyler keeps him at arm's length and worries about what he's been up to while he's been away from the…

2009-03-29 ★ 7.5

Breakage

SummaryHank deals with some lingering aftereffects from his confrontation with Tuco; bills are piling up at the White house and tensions are beginning to run high; Jesse organizes a crew…

2009-04-05 ★ 7.9

Peekaboo

SummaryWalt returns to teaching at the high school; when Skinny Pete gets taken advantage of and ripped off, Jesse steps in, but bites off more than he can chew; Skyler…

2009-04-12 ★ 8.2

Negro Y Azul

SummaryWalt and Jesse contemplate an expansion of their business; Hank experiences a hassle in El Paso as he tries to adapt to his new coworkers; Skyler's new job opportunity leads…

2009-04-19 ★ 8.1

Better Call Saul

SummaryBadger's brush with the law leads Walt and Jesse to call in a shady lawyer; the DEA believes it has a line on the mysterious and elusive "Heisenberg"; Hank's stint…

2009-04-26 ★ 8.7

4 Days Out

SummaryAfter undergoing a PET-CAT scan and fearing the worst, Walt takes lawyer Saul's advice and hunkers down for a marathon session of cooking product; Jesse's romance with his landlady is…

2009-05-03 ★ 8.4

Over

SummaryThe Whites throw a party to thank family and friends for their support through Walt's trying time, but it turns ugly when he and Hank get into a bitter argument;…

2009-05-10 ★ 8

Mandala

SummarySaul suggests a new business partner for Walt and Jesse after they begin to lose their dealers to some unforeseen circumstances. At work, Skyler confronts Ted after she uncovers some…

2009-05-17 ★ 8

Phoenix

SummaryA new addition joins the White family as Walter Jr. attempts to help out his struggling family by launching a new Web site. Elsewhere, Jesse's addiction worsens and his relationship…

2009-05-24 ★ 8.8

ABQ

SummaryIn the Season 2 finale, Skyler's frustration with Walt's secrecy boils over; Jesse is dealt a devastating blow that leads him down a path of self-destruction, and only Walt is…

2009-05-31 ★ 8.3