In the penultimate episodes "Crawl Space" and "End Times", the desperation peaked. Who could forget the image of Walt laughing maniacally in the dirt beneath his home, realizing his money—his only escape—was gone? It was the sound of a man who had finally lost his mind, or perhaps, finally found the ruthlessness needed to win.

Critics often point to the mid-season episodes as a deliberate "boil" that builds toward the intense final four episodes, starting with "Salud".

The fourth season of Breaking Bad consists of . This season, which aired on AMC in 2011, is often cited by fans on Reddit as one of the most intense arcs in television history. The Long Walk to the "Face Off"