Breaking Bad season 2

Lore & Background

The writers planned the entire season's storyline in advance of filming, knowing the ending from the beginning. This approach differed from subsequent seasons, where the storyline developed as episodes progressed. Series creator Vince Gilligan described the process as 'many, many hours of beating our heads against the wall—very laborious work.' The titles of the first, fourth, tenth, and thirteenth episodes form a sentence that reveals an event in the season finale: 'Seven Thirty-Seven Down Over ABQ.'

The season featured main cast members Bryan Cranston as Walter White, Anna Gunn as Skyler White, Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, Dean Norris as Hank Schrader, Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader, and RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr. Recurring characters included Krysten Ritter as Jane Margolis, Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, and Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, among others.

The original score was composed by Dave Porter, with music supervision by Thomas Golubić. Selected songs from the season were featured on the Breaking Bad soundtrack available through iTunes and Amazon.

Reader's Guide

The second season of Breaking Bad received critical acclaim, scoring 84 out of 100 on Metacritic and a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews. Critics praised the series' artsy style, suspenseful thrills, and Bryan Cranston's performance. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker called it 'a feel-good show about feeling really bad,' while Stephen King compared it to Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet. Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger lauded the sound design and cinematography, comparing the series to The Sopranos.

The season earned five Primetime Emmy Award nominations with two wins: Bryan Cranston won his second consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Lynne Willingham won her second consecutive Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series for 'ABQ.' The series received its first nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, and Aaron Paul received his first nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Cranston also won the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama and his second consecutive Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. The series won the Satellite Award for Best Drama Series and the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series.

Did You Know?

• The titles of the first, fourth, tenth, and thirteenth episodes form the sentence 'Seven Thirty-Seven Down Over ABQ,' revealing an event in the season finale.
• The writers planned the entire season's storyline in advance, a method not repeated in subsequent seasons.
• Bryan Cranston won his second consecutive Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for this season.
• The season was released on Region 1 DVD and Region A Blu-ray on March 16, 2010.