Say My Name (Breaking Bad)
"Say My Name" | |
---|---|
Breaking Bad episode | |
Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 7 |
Directed by | Thomas Schnauz |
Written by | Thomas Schnauz |
Produced by | Bryan Cranston, Diane Mercer |
Featured music | "Goin' Down" by The Monkees |
Cinematography by | Michael Slovis |
Editing by | Skip Macdonald |
Original air date | August 26, 2012 |
Running time | 47 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Say My Name" (originally titled "Everybody Wins")
The title of the episode is repeated by Walt (Bryan Cranston) during his encounter with Declan (Louis Ferreira).
The episode marks the final series appearance of Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, though he subsequently reprised the role in Better Call Saul and El Camino.
Plot
Walt avoids Jesse's attempts to leave with his share of the money. Meanwhile, Mike learns through the bugs that the DEA has a
Jesse confronts Walt and demands his share of the money. Walt angrily accuses Jesse of having nothing in his life, but his attempts to manipulate Jesse fail, and he ultimately leaves without his money, angering Walt further. Walt is forced to cook his next batch of meth with
Mike asks
Production
The episode was written and directed by Thomas Schnauz and aired on AMC on August 26, 2012.
This episode marks the final Breaking Bad appearance of Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) as a series regular. Show creator Vince Gilligan talked about Mike's death and why it was one of his favorite moments of the series:[2]
In season 5A, as we call it, the character of Mike gets brought down by Walt in a moment that Walt himself I don't think sees coming, and it's just a sad moment, beautifully written and directed by one of my oldest friends, a writer named Thomas Schnauz, who I've known since NYU film school, and in his first professional directing gig he just did a fantastic job with that episode and that scene.
Banks claimed Mike's death did not surprise him because he always believed the character would die at some point.[3] Banks reprised his role as Mike Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul and El Camino.
Reception
Ratings
"Say My Name" was watched by 2.98 million viewers and received a 1.4
Critical reception
TV Fanatic's Matt Richenthal gave "Say My Name" a five-star rating, calling it "one of the best in series history."[5] Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a 9 out of 10 rating, calling it "mind-blowing", but stating that "I hate to see Mike go out like that. He deserved more. I literally can't give this higher than a 9.0, it was just too sad of an ending."[6] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix thought the episode was "a mostly tremendous episode of a drama", adding the death of Mike "is just a gorgeous, devastating scene", but he was unimpressed by the plotting that led to Mike showing any trust for Walt in that situation, writing that it was a contrived way to ensure that Walt would be in a position to kill Mike per the requirements of the overall show story.[7]
Thomas Schnauz was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for writing this episode.[8]
In 2019, The Ringer ranked "Say My Name" as the 8th best out of the 62 total Breaking Bad episodes.[9]
References
- ^ "The Futon Critic – Breaking Bad schedule". Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ Plumb, Ali (May 30, 2013). "Vince Gilligan's Five Favourite Breaking Bad Moments". Empire. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ Molloy, Tim (August 27, 2012). "'Breaking Bad' Star Jonathan Banks: 'The Bad Guy's Gotta Die'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (August 28, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Blood' Finale Dominates, + 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', 'Breaking Bad', 'Real Housewives of NJ', 'Army Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ Richenthal, Matt (August 27, 2012). "Breaking Bad Review: Simply the Best". TV Fanatic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ Amitin, Seth (August 26, 2012). "Breaking Bad: "Say My Name" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (August 27, 2012). "Review: 'Breaking Bad' – 'Say My Name': I like Mike". HitFix. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ "Breaking Bad". emmys.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
- ^ Miles Surrey (September 30, 2019). "The Ringer's Definitive 'Breaking Bad' Episodes Ranking". The Ringer. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
External links
- "Say My Name" at the official Breaking Bad site
- "Say My Name" at IMDb