If you are looking for the creme de la creme of TV, then the wait is over because only one episode takes the top spot.
There are plenty of TV shows over the years that have blown fans away and cemented themselves in cultural history.
Game of Thrones had an acclaimed run until it fumbled the ball with a controversial final season; the classic crime drama, Dexter, captivated an entire generation; and the first season of True Detective remains one of the most standout examples of television ever created.
And there have even been more recent rivals like Apple TV+ series Severance and HBO’s Succession, to name a few.
And while several of the episodes featured in these shows have been near-perfect – there’s only one that has secured an immaculate score on IMDb.
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Breaking Bad season five episode 14, Ozymandias, whose placement comes just three episodes from the end of the show.
For those who have watched the US thriller starring Bryan Cranston, this news will likely come as no surprise.
The multi-Emmy-winning series, which ran from 2008 to 2013, follows chemistry teacher Walt Whitman who starts a meth-making business to pay for his mounting medical debt – to deadly consequences.
The show has been praised by countless fans and critics as a ‘masterpiece’ offering stark social commentary and sublime character development as we watch Walt’s life completely spiral out of control.
But it is the culmination of the full five seasons that make this truly worth the watch, according to many. And lucky for you, if you are yet to embark on this journey, all five seasons are available to stream on Netflix.
Just to whet the appetite, the synopsis reads: ‘Walter faces the devastating consequences of his actions as his world unravels. Meanwhile, Jesse’s [his partner] fate takes a dark turn, and the fallout threatens everyone he cares about.’
You’ll have to watch 59 episodes before you can reach what has been touted as TV perfection, however.
The episode title itself contains a metaphorical layer as it is named after the 19th-century sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which explores themes of crumbling power and the legacy it leaves behind.
And its acclaimed legacy has remained consistent over the years. As recently as late 2024, Rolling Stone ranked it the best episode of television of all time.
In their glowing review, the publication praised it as ‘the power of dramatic television, fully realized’.
It continued: ‘Ozymandias [written by Moira Walley-Beckett and directed by Rian Johnson] tops our list not only because of how well it builds on what came before, but for how perfect it is as an individual hour of storytelling, packed with one indelible moment after another.’
For those curious about what almost pipped Ozymandias to the post, there are plenty of highly-rated IMDb episodes nipping at its heels.
These include Game of Thrones season six episodes nine and ten, Battle of the Bastards and The Winds of Winter, coming in at an impressive 9.9 rating.
There’s also Dexter season one episode 12, Born Free; True Detective season one episode four, Who Goes There; and even hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother’s season nine episode 16,How Your Mother Met Me.
Other TV shows cropping up range from BBC’s Sherlock to the sitcom Community to the comedy-drama series Fargo.
But still, none quite eclipse Ozymandias, so what are you waiting for?
Breaking Bad is available to stream on Netflix now.
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