For nearly 13 years, Breaking Bad fans took pride in a unique bragging right. The show’s fifth season episode, Ozymandias, stood alone as the only TV episode in history to hold a perfect 10/10 user rating on IMDb. That exclusive status officially ended this week.
The episode, which first aired in 2013 and is widely considered one of the greatest hours of television ever produced, has dropped to a 9.9 score. The change comes after a sudden flood of one-star reviews hit the page, and the reason points to an all-out online battle between the loyal fan bases of Breaking Bad and HBO’s newest hit, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms .
How a Perfect Score Finally Fell
Ozymandias, the 14th episode of the final season, had amassed over 300,000 user ratings during its decade-plus run, with the average holding steady at a flawless 10. Directed by Rian Johnson and written by Moira Walley-Beckett, the episode is infamous for its brutal emotional gut-punch as Walter White’s empire and family completely collapse.
The peace was broken when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the new Game of Thrones prequel, released its fifth episode on February 15. Titled In the Name of the Mother, the episode received massive praise and briefly achieved a perfect 10/10 score on IMDb as well . For a moment, it looked like Ozymandias might finally have company at the top of the mountain.
That is when things turned ugly.
‘For Heisenberg’ and ‘For Dunk and Egg’: The Retaliation Begins
According to reports from multiple entertainment outlets, the conflict started when some Breaking Bad supporters allegedly began review-bombing the new A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode. The apparent goal was to drive its score down to ensure Ozymandias remained the sole occupant of the 10/10 club .
The plan backfired. Fans of the Game of Thrones spin-off quickly organized online and retaliated. They flooded the Ozymandias page with thousands of one-star reviews, openly admitting their reasoning in the comments.
“In the name of the Mother!” one user wrote, adding that the Lannisters send their regards .
“For Dunk and Egg,” others posted while casting their low votes .
Breaking Bad fans fired back in kind, leaving one-star reviews on the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode with the phrase “For Heisenberg” .
As of February 20, the damage is done. Ozymandias now sits at a 9.9 rating with over 339,000 total votes, including more than 52,000 one-star ratings, most of which appear to have been cast in the last week . The target episode from the prequel currently holds a 9.7 rating from roughly 97,000 reviews .
Social Media Reacts to the IMDb Shake-Up
The online feud has generated massive buzz, with fans on both sides taking to social media to express frustration or amusement at the chaos.
“Go look at the recent 1/10 reviews in the past few days. Just jealous review bombing it won’t change this 10/10 masterpiece. Ever,” one Breaking Bad fan posted on X (formerly Twitter) .
“I was about to say what happened? Gotta be people hating suddenly to get that score down…..masterpiece!” another user commented .
Others pointed out the absurdity of the situation. “Movie fandoms are wild 😂 Breaking Bad’s ‘Ozymandias’ held a perfect IMDb 10/10 for years. Recently, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5 also hit 10/10, then fans on both sides started review-bombing to protect their favorite. Now both ratings have dropped. This is crazy😂💀,” one observer noted .
What This Means for the Ratings
While the drop from a perfect 10 to 9.9 is symbolic, it does not erase the episode’s legacy. Ozymandias remains one of the most critically acclaimed episodes in television history. It is still ranked among the top episodes of all time on IMDb, though it has slipped to the ninth position overall .
The top spot on IMDb is now held by the series finale of Six Feet Under, also rated 9.9, followed by episodes of BoJack Horseman and Vinland Saga .
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About the Contenders
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, starred Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. It ran for five seasons on AMC and spawned the successful spin-offs Better Call Saul and the film El Camino. The series remains a cultural touchstone for quality television .
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. It stars Peter Claffey as the hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as his squire, Egg. Set roughly 100 years before Game of Thrones, the series has earned strong reviews. HBO recently renewed the show for a second season ahead of its first season finale .
It remains unclear whether IMDb will take action to address the coordinated voting. For now, the 13-year streak of perfection for Ozymandias is officially over, a casualty of one of the most intense fan wars the streaming era has seen.
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