Breaking Bad (season 2)
Encyclopedia
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.
(Bryan Cranston
) and Jesse
(Aaron Paul
), planning to take them to a superlab in Mexico
after the DEA raids his operation in Albuquerque. After an unsuccessful attempt to poison Tuco with a small amount of ricin
that Walter had synthesized, the two manage to incapacitate Tuco and escape. Hank (Dean Norris
), in his search for Walt, has tracked Jesse's car and comes across a wounded Tuco. A shootout occurs, resulting in Hank killing Tuco. Walter engineers a return home, claiming to have been in a fugue state
, but this excuse has numerous holes and creates an uneasy distrust in his relationship with Skyler. The DEA seizes Jesse's "drug" money
, putting a strain on his partnership with Walter after he demands half of Walter's meth profit to save himself from homelessness.
Jesse rents a new place and becomes romantically involved with his landlord's daughter, Jane (Krysten Ritter
), a recovering heroin addict. With Tuco dead, Walter and Jesse decide to move their business into new territory, but more problems arise as their enterprise expands. One of their dealers, Skinny Pete, is mugged, so Jesse is forced to confront the perpetrators. One of the addicts is killed by his girlfriend, but Jesse receives the credit, earning him fear and respect and further solidifying the reputation of "Heisenberg" in the area. Another dealer, Badger, is arrested by the Albuquerque police, forcing Walter to deal with Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk
), a crooked lawyer who offers a solution to keep Badger from snitching
while also keeping him out of prison. Walter and Jesse attempt to intimidate Saul, but Saul makes a deal with Walter for a cut of the meth profit in return for being Walter and Jesse's legal counsel and advisor in their drug operation.
Considered a hero for killing Tuco, Hank is promoted and sent to El Paso
. In private, he suffers panic attacks due to the unexpected shootout with Tuco. El Paso unsettles Hank after he witnesses the severed head of a DEA informant (Danny Trejo
) attached to the back of a tortoise
explode. The IED
also kills a Federale and severely injures three fellow DEA
officers. Hank is immediately sent back to Albuquerque by his superiors. Gretchen (Jessica Hecht
), Walter's former lover and executive at Gray Matter, discovers Walter has been lying to his family about the money for his cancer treatment. She is horrified when an angry and bitter Walt blames her and her husband, Elliott (Adam Godley
), for profiting off his research, although she doesn't disclose Walter's secret for his family's sake. Skyler goes back to work for Ted Beneke (Christopher Cousins), her former boss who apparently groped her at a holiday party when drunk, and caused her to quit her bookkeeper job. She increasingly relies on Ted for emotional support due to Walter's frequent absences and unexplainable behavior.
Walter believes his cancer has worsened when he sees a dark area on the latest PET/CT scan of his lungs. With only $16,000 remaining of the meth money after the numerous setbacks, he and Jesse spend several days in the desert cooking 38 pounds of meth to sell off before Walter dies. Later, at the doctor's office, Walter discovers his cancer has not spread and his tumor has actually shrunk by 80%; the dark area on his lung was only inflammation. Walt plans to end the meth operation after the 38 pounds are sold, but soon finds his mundane life boring and continues to seek out dangerous situations.
When one of Walter and Jesse's dealers, Combo, is killed by rival dealers, Jesse is sent spiraling into a drug addiction that also drags Jane out of her sobriety. With their remaining dealers backing out, Walter and Jesse turn to Saul for help. Saul uses his connections' connections to arrange a meeting at a fast food restaurant with Gus (Giancarlo Esposito
), a discreet, cautious, yet successful drug distributor. Unbeknownst to Walter, Jesse, or Saul, Gus owns and manages a number of fast food restaurants and has purposely scheduled the meeting at one of his own restaurants in order to observe Walter and Jesse. Jesse arrives for the meeting late and high on drugs and leaves the restaurant after briefly arguing with Walter. Having seen this, Gus deems them unreliable and chooses not to approach Walter, who initially assumes that Gus has stood them up. Walter eventually deduces that the owner of the restaurant was in fact the man they were to meet, and later approaches him for a second chance. Gus reluctantly offers to buy Walter's product for 1.2 million dollars and offers him only one hour to deliver the drugs. Walter attempts to contact Jesse to complete the exchange, but he and Jane are incapacitated after an injection of heroin. Walter is able to revive Jesse long enough to get him to tell Walter where he has hidden the product. Walter is forced to carry out the trade himself just as Skyler (Anna Gunn
) goes into labor
. He manages to complete the transaction at the cost of missing the birth of his daughter.
Walter loses trust in Jesse and promises to give him his share of the payout only if he agrees to get sober. Upon learning of the money and Jesse's relationship with Walter, Jane concocts a plan to blackmail
Walter and convinces a reluctant Jesse to go along. Jane calls Walter and threatens to turn him in to the authorities if he doesn't give Jesse his share of the money. Walter reluctantly complies and the two agree to go their separate ways, but Walter feels obligated to help Jesse. Coincidentally, he meets Jane's father Donald (John de Lancie
) in a local bar. Unaware of their mutual acquaintances, the two men share perspectives on the challenges of raising children, a subject Walter raises by describing his troubled "nephew." He returns to Jesse, only to discover that he and Jane have taken heroin again. After attempting to awaken Jesse, he intentionally allows Jane to asphyxiate in her own vomit. When Jesse wakes up, he tries to revive Jane without success. Unaware of Walter's visit, Jesse believes he is responsible for her death and spirals into a depression. Walter attempts to help Jesse by taking him to a drug rehabilitation clinic. Meanwhile, Gus discovers that Hank is Walter's brother-in-law and that Walter has cancer.
As Walter undergoes anesthesia for his lung cancer surgery, he accidentally confirms to Skyler the existence of his secret second cell phone. This prompts her to leave him several weeks later, after she systematically investigates and uncovers his lies. Walter offers to explain everything to Skyler, but she responds that she is too afraid to know the truth. After Skyler leaves, Walter sees an explosion in the skies above his home. A grieving Donald, an air traffic control
ler, has mistakenly directed two airplanes into each other in the sky above Albuquerque. In an image foreshadowed throughout the season, a charred pink teddy bear lands in the Whites' pool and floats there until it is collected as evidence by NTSB
agents.
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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."
, and cast members Bryan Cranston
, Anna Gunn
, Aaron Paul
, Betsy Brandt
, and RJ Mitte
; "Better Call Saul" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, writer Peter Gould
, and director of photography Michael Slovis; "4 Days Out" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, director Michelle MacLaren
, and Michael Slovis; and "ABQ" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, and John de Lancie
. Behind-the-scene featurettes include "Inside Breaking Bad" on all 13 episodes. Other featurettes include "The Cast on Season 2", "Season 2: What's in a Name?", "Making of Negro y Azul Music Video", "The Tortoise Scene", "A Look Ahead", "The Special Effects", "The Props", "The Sets", "Locked in the Trunk", "Inside the RV with Aaron Paul" and "The Crew". Also included are deleted scenes from various episodes, a gag reel, six original minisodes, season 3 sneak peak, "Better Call Saul" commercial, "Negro y Azul" music video, "Cop Talk with Dean Norris
", and "Walt's Warning", a look at the viral video. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is "The Writer's Lab: An Interactive Guide to the Elements of ABQ".
.
The second season received numerous awards and nominations, including five 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. 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.
Cranston won his second consecutive Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama; and the series won for Best Television Series, Drama. Cranston also won a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama, with the series being nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. The series received two Writers Guild of America Award
nominations, for Best Drama Series, and John Shiban
for Best Episodic Drama for "Phoenix".
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
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.
Plot
After killing one of his deputies, Tuco kidnaps WalterWalter White (Breaking Bad)
Walter Hartwell "Walt" White is a fictional character and the antihero of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Bryan Cranston and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan...
(Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
) and Jesse
Jesse Pinkman
Jesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Aaron Paul and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan.-Background:...
(Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul
Aaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
), planning to take them to a superlab in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
after the DEA raids his operation in Albuquerque. After an unsuccessful attempt to poison Tuco with a small amount of ricin
Ricin
Ricin , from the castor oil plant Ricinus communis, is a highly toxic, naturally occurring protein. A dose as small as a few grains of salt can kill an adult. The LD50 of ricin is around 22 micrograms per kilogram Ricin , from the castor oil plant Ricinus communis, is a highly toxic, naturally...
that Walter had synthesized, the two manage to incapacitate Tuco and escape. Hank (Dean Norris
Dean Norris
Dean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
), in his search for Walt, has tracked Jesse's car and comes across a wounded Tuco. A shootout occurs, resulting in Hank killing Tuco. Walter engineers a return home, claiming to have been in a fugue state
Fugue state
A fugue state, formally dissociative fugue or psychogenic fugue , is a rare psychiatric disorder characterized by reversible amnesia for personal identity, including the memories, personality and other identifying characteristics of individuality...
, but this excuse has numerous holes and creates an uneasy distrust in his relationship with Skyler. The DEA seizes Jesse's "drug" money
Asset forfeiture
Asset forfeiture is confiscation, by the State, of assets which are either the alleged proceeds of crime or the alleged instrumentalities of crime, and more recently, alleged terrorism. Instrumentalities of crime are property that was allegedly used to facilitate crime, for example cars...
, putting a strain on his partnership with Walter after he demands half of Walter's meth profit to save himself from homelessness.
Jesse rents a new place and becomes romantically involved with his landlord's daughter, Jane (Krysten Ritter
Krysten Ritter
Krysten Alyce Ritter is an American actress and former model. Ritter is well known for her critically acclaimed turn as Jane Margolis on AMC's Breaking Bad where she first appeared as the property manager and neighbor of Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman...
), a recovering heroin addict. With Tuco dead, Walter and Jesse decide to move their business into new territory, but more problems arise as their enterprise expands. One of their dealers, Skinny Pete, is mugged, so Jesse is forced to confront the perpetrators. One of the addicts is killed by his girlfriend, but Jesse receives the credit, earning him fear and respect and further solidifying the reputation of "Heisenberg" in the area. Another dealer, Badger, is arrested by the Albuquerque police, forcing Walter to deal with Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk
Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...
), a crooked lawyer who offers a solution to keep Badger from snitching
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
while also keeping him out of prison. Walter and Jesse attempt to intimidate Saul, but Saul makes a deal with Walter for a cut of the meth profit in return for being Walter and Jesse's legal counsel and advisor in their drug operation.
Considered a hero for killing Tuco, Hank is promoted and sent to El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. In private, he suffers panic attacks due to the unexpected shootout with Tuco. El Paso unsettles Hank after he witnesses the severed head of a DEA informant (Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
) attached to the back of a tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
explode. The IED
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
also kills a Federale and severely injures three fellow DEA
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
officers. Hank is immediately sent back to Albuquerque by his superiors. Gretchen (Jessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht is an American actress, known for numerous Broadway appearances and TV roles.-Background:Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Lenore, a psychotherapist, and Richard Hecht, a physicist. Jessica moved with her parents and her sister to Bloomfield, CT, at the age of...
), Walter's former lover and executive at Gray Matter, discovers Walter has been lying to his family about the money for his cancer treatment. She is horrified when an angry and bitter Walt blames her and her husband, Elliott (Adam Godley
Adam Godley
Adam Godley is an English actor.-Biography:Adam Godley has appeared in numerous movies including Love Actually, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ....
), for profiting off his research, although she doesn't disclose Walter's secret for his family's sake. Skyler goes back to work for Ted Beneke (Christopher Cousins), her former boss who apparently groped her at a holiday party when drunk, and caused her to quit her bookkeeper job. She increasingly relies on Ted for emotional support due to Walter's frequent absences and unexplainable behavior.
Walter believes his cancer has worsened when he sees a dark area on the latest PET/CT scan of his lungs. With only $16,000 remaining of the meth money after the numerous setbacks, he and Jesse spend several days in the desert cooking 38 pounds of meth to sell off before Walter dies. Later, at the doctor's office, Walter discovers his cancer has not spread and his tumor has actually shrunk by 80%; the dark area on his lung was only inflammation. Walt plans to end the meth operation after the 38 pounds are sold, but soon finds his mundane life boring and continues to seek out dangerous situations.
When one of Walter and Jesse's dealers, Combo, is killed by rival dealers, Jesse is sent spiraling into a drug addiction that also drags Jane out of her sobriety. With their remaining dealers backing out, Walter and Jesse turn to Saul for help. Saul uses his connections' connections to arrange a meeting at a fast food restaurant with Gus (Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
), a discreet, cautious, yet successful drug distributor. Unbeknownst to Walter, Jesse, or Saul, Gus owns and manages a number of fast food restaurants and has purposely scheduled the meeting at one of his own restaurants in order to observe Walter and Jesse. Jesse arrives for the meeting late and high on drugs and leaves the restaurant after briefly arguing with Walter. Having seen this, Gus deems them unreliable and chooses not to approach Walter, who initially assumes that Gus has stood them up. Walter eventually deduces that the owner of the restaurant was in fact the man they were to meet, and later approaches him for a second chance. Gus reluctantly offers to buy Walter's product for 1.2 million dollars and offers him only one hour to deliver the drugs. Walter attempts to contact Jesse to complete the exchange, but he and Jane are incapacitated after an injection of heroin. Walter is able to revive Jesse long enough to get him to tell Walter where he has hidden the product. Walter is forced to carry out the trade himself just as Skyler (Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
) goes into labor
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
. He manages to complete the transaction at the cost of missing the birth of his daughter.
Walter loses trust in Jesse and promises to give him his share of the payout only if he agrees to get sober. Upon learning of the money and Jesse's relationship with Walter, Jane concocts a plan to blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
Walter and convinces a reluctant Jesse to go along. Jane calls Walter and threatens to turn him in to the authorities if he doesn't give Jesse his share of the money. Walter reluctantly complies and the two agree to go their separate ways, but Walter feels obligated to help Jesse. Coincidentally, he meets Jane's father Donald (John de Lancie
John de Lancie
John de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
) in a local bar. Unaware of their mutual acquaintances, the two men share perspectives on the challenges of raising children, a subject Walter raises by describing his troubled "nephew." He returns to Jesse, only to discover that he and Jane have taken heroin again. After attempting to awaken Jesse, he intentionally allows Jane to asphyxiate in her own vomit. When Jesse wakes up, he tries to revive Jane without success. Unaware of Walter's visit, Jesse believes he is responsible for her death and spirals into a depression. Walter attempts to help Jesse by taking him to a drug rehabilitation clinic. Meanwhile, Gus discovers that Hank is Walter's brother-in-law and that Walter has cancer.
As Walter undergoes anesthesia for his lung cancer surgery, he accidentally confirms to Skyler the existence of his secret second cell phone. This prompts her to leave him several weeks later, after she systematically investigates and uncovers his lies. Walter offers to explain everything to Skyler, but she responds that she is too afraid to know the truth. After Skyler leaves, Walter sees an explosion in the skies above his home. A grieving Donald, an air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
ler, has mistakenly directed two airplanes into each other in the sky above Albuquerque. In an image foreshadowed throughout the season, a charred pink teddy bear lands in the Whites' pool and floats there until it is collected as evidence by NTSB
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
agents.
Main cast
- Bryan CranstonBryan CranstonBryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
as Walter WhiteWalter White (Breaking Bad)Walter Hartwell "Walt" White is a fictional character and the antihero of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Bryan Cranston and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan... - Anna GunnAnna GunnAnna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
as Skyler White - Aaron PaulAaron PaulAaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
as Jesse PinkmanJesse PinkmanJesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Aaron Paul and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan.-Background:... - Dean NorrisDean NorrisDean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
as Hank Schrader - Betsy BrandtBetsy BrandtBetsy Brandt is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad-Early life:Brandt is a native of Bay City, Michigan. Betsy graduated from Western High School in 1991....
as Marie Schrader - RJ MitteRJ MitteRoy Frank “RJ” Mitte III is an American actor best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC television series, Breaking Bad....
as Walter White, Jr.
Guest starring
- Krysten RitterKrysten RitterKrysten Alyce Ritter is an American actress and former model. Ritter is well known for her critically acclaimed turn as Jane Margolis on AMC's Breaking Bad where she first appeared as the property manager and neighbor of Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman...
as Jane Margolis - Bob OdenkirkBob OdenkirkRobert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...
as Saul Goodman - Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez
- Matt L. JonesMatt L. JonesMatthew L. "Matt" Jones is an American actor and comedian best known for his recurring role as Badger on Breaking Bad and for voicing Gunther on the animated series Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil.-Life and career:...
as Badger - Charles Baker as Skinny Pete
- Rodney Rush as Combo
- Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke
- Jessica HechtJessica HechtJessica Hecht is an American actress, known for numerous Broadway appearances and TV roles.-Background:Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Lenore, a psychotherapist, and Richard Hecht, a physicist. Jessica moved with her parents and her sister to Bloomfield, CT, at the age of...
as Gretchen Schwartz - Giancarlo EspositoGiancarlo EspositoGiancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
as Gustavo "Gus" FringGus FringGustavo 'Gus' Fring is a fictional character in the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan. Gus is one of the most prominent methamphetamine distributors in the southwest... - John de LancieJohn de LancieJohn de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
as Donald Margolis - DJ Qualls as Getz
- Sam McMurraySam McMurraySam McMurray is an American television, film and voice actor.-Early life:McMurray was born in New York City, the son of Jane and Richard McMurray, both actors...
as Dr. Victor Bravenec
Special guest stars
- Raymond CruzRaymond CruzRaymond Cruz is a Mexican American actor. He is mostly known for playing military roles. Since 2005 he has been a regular cast member on the TV series The Closer, playing the character Detective Julio Sanchez...
as Tuco Salamanca - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
as Tortuga
Episodes
- The first column refers to the episode's number in the overall series.
- The second column refers to the episode's number in that particular season.
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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 seasons three and four, in which the writers did not have a complete plan and developed the storyline as the episodes progressed. Series creator Vince GilliganVince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan is an American writer, director and producer. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. Gilligan has also worked on the hit series The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University...
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."
Home video releases
The second season was released on DVD in Region 1 and Blu-ray in Region A on March 16, 2010. It was released on DVD in Region 2 on July 26, 2010 and in Region 4 on February 8, 2010. Special features on the DVD and Blu-ray include four audio commentaries—"Seven Thirty-Seven" by creator Vince GilliganVince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan is an American writer, director and producer. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. Gilligan has also worked on the hit series The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University...
, and cast members Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
, Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
, Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul
Aaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
, Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad-Early life:Brandt is a native of Bay City, Michigan. Betsy graduated from Western High School in 1991....
, and RJ Mitte
RJ Mitte
Roy Frank “RJ” Mitte III is an American actor best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC television series, Breaking Bad....
; "Better Call Saul" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, writer Peter Gould
Peter Gould
Peter Gould was an Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus of Geography at Penn State University. Throughout his tenure at Penn State University, Gould received many awards including the Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud, the Retzius Gold Metal of the Swedish Society for Anthropology and...
, and director of photography Michael Slovis; "4 Days Out" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, director Michelle MacLaren
Michelle MacLaren
Michelle Maxwell MacLaren is a Canadian television director and producer who has worked on numerous series both in Canada and the United States, and is perhaps best known for her work on shows such as The X-Files, Breaking Bad and most recently Frank Darabont's acclaimed series The Walking Dead...
, and Michael Slovis; and "ABQ" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, and John de Lancie
John de Lancie
John de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
. Behind-the-scene featurettes include "Inside Breaking Bad" on all 13 episodes. Other featurettes include "The Cast on Season 2", "Season 2: What's in a Name?", "Making of Negro y Azul Music Video", "The Tortoise Scene", "A Look Ahead", "The Special Effects", "The Props", "The Sets", "Locked in the Trunk", "Inside the RV with Aaron Paul" and "The Crew". Also included are deleted scenes from various episodes, a gag reel, six original minisodes, season 3 sneak peak, "Better Call Saul" commercial, "Negro y Azul" music video, "Cop Talk with Dean Norris
Dean Norris
Dean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
", and "Walt's Warning", a look at the viral video. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is "The Writer's Lab: An Interactive Guide to the Elements of ABQ".
Reception
The second season of Breaking Bad received universal acclaim from critics, scoring 85 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
The second season received numerous awards and nominations, including five Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations with two wins. Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
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. The series received its first nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul
Aaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
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.
Cranston won his second consecutive Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama; and the series won for Best Television Series, Drama. Cranston also won a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama, with the series being nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. The series received two Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
nominations, for Best Drama Series, and John Shiban
John Shiban
John Shiban is an Emmy Award nominated American television writer and producer. He worked in both capacities on The X-Files and its spin-off The Lone Gunmen, Star Trek: Enterprise, Smallville, Supernatural, Legend of the Seeker, Breaking Bad and The Vampire Diaries...
for Best Episodic Drama for "Phoenix".