I.F.T. (Breaking Bad)
"I.F.T." | |
---|---|
Breaking Bad episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 3 |
Directed by | Michelle MacLaren |
Written by | George Mastras |
Cinematography by | Michael Slovis |
Editing by | Skip Macdonald |
Original air date | April 4, 2010 |
Running time | 47 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"I.F.T." is the third episode of the
Plot
In a flashback,
Leonel and Marco steal a minivan, bringing
Hank Schrader is still stressed and provokes a fight at a bar. He uses his status as a DEA agent to prevent the others at the bar from attacking him.
Walt shows the money he has earned to Skyler, in an attempt to get her to accept it, as he says it will help with the mortgage and Walter Jr.'s college tuition. He asks her to at least think about it; however, when she gets home from work later, in an attempt to get Walt to distance himself, she says, "I fucked Ted".
Production
The episode was written by George Mastras, and directed by Michelle MacLaren; it aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on April 4, 2010. The episode's title stands for "I fucked Ted", said by Skyler to Walt at the end.[1] It marks the first appearance of Juan Bolsa.[2]
Dedication
The episode is dedicated to Shari Rhodes, who died from breast cancer during the filming of the third season.
Reception
Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A, writing: "Its genius lies in its penetrating gaze inside each character, some at their most vulnerable, others staring out from behind a carefully-constructed protective shell."[1] Seth Amitin of IGN wrote that although it was weaker compared to other episodes of the series, one of its strengths was that "Elements that don't deserve an entire episode were amalgamated into this one. It was succinct and still very interesting"[3]
In The Bible in Crime Fiction and Drama: Murderous Texts, Caroline Blyth and Alison Jack compare Skyler's cuckolding of Walt to Delilah's emasculation of Samson in the Book of Judges.[4]
In The Methods of Breaking Bad: Essays on Narrative, Character and Ethics, edited by Jacob Blevins and Dafydd Wood, the authors argue that this episode is the most important in Skyler's character arc.[5]
In 2019, The Ringer ranked "I.F.T." 41st out of 62 episodes.[6]
Viewership
The episode's original broadcast was viewed by 1.33 million people,[7] which was a decrease from the 1.55 million of the previous episode, "Caballo sin Nombre".
Notes
- ^ During the events of "Negro y Azul".
References
- ^ a b Bowman, Donna (April 4, 2010). "Breaking Bad: "I.F.T."". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "Better Call Saul Season 3 Episode 10: References and Easter Eggs". Den of Geek. 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
- ^ Amitin, Seth (May 9, 2012). "Breaking Bad: "I.F.T." Review". IGN. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
- ^ Blyth, Caroline; Jack, Alison (2019). The Bible in Crime Fiction and Drama: Murderous Texts. T&T Clark.
- ^ Jacob Blevins; Dafydd Wood, eds. (2014). The Methods of Breaking Bad: Essays on Narrative, Character and Ethics. McFarland.
- ^ Dan Devine (September 30, 2019). "The Ringer's Definitive 'Breaking Bad' Episodes Ranking". The Ringer.
- ^ Julia (April 7, 2010). "Breaking Bad Season 3 Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2010.