‘Breaking Bad’s 10 Greatest Monologues, Ranked

Breaking Bad is one of the greatest shows of all time, and that’s in large part because it was so masterfully written. Creator and showrunner Vince Gilligan is the main one to thank, but it took a number of brilliant writers to carve this world onto the page and sustain its extremely high quality. This is one of those series that knew when it’s time to have the characters shut up, when to have them talk at a normal pace, and when it’s time for one particular character to have much more to say than usual.

A good monologue is no easy feat, but Breaking Bad‘s writers (and actors) sure make it look easy. The show is full of epic speeches, and the greatest ones helped define the show as one of the most outstanding series in the post-Sopranos era of television. Of course, some famous lines aren’t technically in a monologue. For instance, despite the fact that Walt (Bryan Cranston) dominates the “Say my name” conversation, his dialogue is interrupted too many times for the scene to really feel like a proper monologue. The following entries have the speaker talking on their own for long enough to feel like proper speeches. Let’s say, at least 40 seconds. Whether they’re key to someone’s character arc, intense, or comedic, the following monologues have a lot to teach about the craft.

10

Saul Threatens Jesse’s Parents

Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk)

In “Caballo Sin Nombre,” Jesse (Aaron Paul) uses his lawyer to get some sweet, sweet revenge on his parents. Saul (Bob Odenkirk) offers to buy the house in cash, but he’s only offering them $400,000. That’s less than half of what they planned to sell it for, which makes Jesse’s parents and their lawyer stand up. Just as they’re about to exit the room, however, Saul brings up the meth lab.

Suddenly they’re listening again. They didn’t think that anyone knew about that, and they didn’t anticipate that someone would use that knowledge against them. This entire speech is so satisfying to watch, as Saul cordially threatens to file a suit and “encumber this property indefinitely” or “start some criminal proceedings” unless they let him take it off their hands. It’s so much fun to watch Saul in his element, and this speech encapsulates his charm perfectly.

9

“I’m in the empire business.”

Walter White (Bryan Cranston)

In season five, Jesse tries to convince Mr. White to take a buyout of about five million dollars. He knows that Walt wasn’t going into the meth business to make even one million, and he says as much. But Walt has very different goals now, and he communicates them with a little backstory. He tells Jesse about the company Gray Matter, remembering how he and his co-founders “all knew the potential” at their fingertips.

Technically the monologue ends when Heisenburg asks Jesse to guess what the company is worth, but that stretch is enough to communicate that he feels like he missed out on something huge—of being somebody. So when he says that he’s not interested in money anymore, that he’s in “the empire business,” we can see (as twisted as it is) where that self-destructive ambition comes from. This scene is just as captivating today as when it came out.

8

Walt’s Speech to the School Gym

Walter White (Bryan Cranston)

Season three’s “Caballo Sin Nombre” has some of the funniest examples of dark humor in the series: Walt’s speech at the school gym. He wasn’t planning on addressing the student body, but a brief outburst leads Principal Carmen (Carmen Serano) to hand him the mic. This guy can think on his feet in dire situations, and he is so articulate. How bad could an off-the-cuff speech possibly be?

Terrible. The children need some comfort, some empathy, but Walt gives them cold statistics and details about many other plane crashes that had even more casualties than the one they know. Those shots of the kids in the crowd are hilarious, and the teachers don’t look happier. Walt tries to tell the high-schoolers that people move on, but Carmen literally has to take the microphone out of his hands. Overall, this spectacularly ill-advised monologue shows us just how good television can be.

7

“What’s the point?”

Walter White (Bryan Cranston)

The tension is palpable when Hank (Dean Norris) closes the garage door in season five’s “Blood Money.” He punches Walt in the face, yells at him, and Walt tries to calm him down. He then tells Hank that his cancer is back, and still receives no sympathy. The opposite, actually: “Good. Rot, you son of a b***h.” Walt has such a polite response—”I’m sorry you feel that way”— to begin one of the most strategic monologues of the series.

He makes a few points that try to make Hank’s suspicions seem either moot or not worth his time. Firstly, Walt’s cancer is going to kill him too quickly for any legal proceedings to get the time they’re due. Second, he would “never see the inside of a jail cell” anyway. Without explicitly denying or admitting to the accusations, Walt’s attempts to fend Hank off have a clever, emotionally detached logic. The speech doesn’t work, of course, but it was still a nice try.

6

The Talking Pillow

Walter White (Bryan Cranston)

One of season one’s best sequences is in “Gray Matter.” Skyler (Anna Gunn) staging an intervention for the family to talk to Walt about getting cancer treatment holds potential for humor and some serious acting. Well, this entire scene delivers on both fronts. The most affecting speech comes from Walt, who gets the “talking pillow” last.

He says a lot, but the main theme is that he never felt like he ever really made any decisions for himself. His cancer feels like the last opportunity for him to feel like he can take some control over his life. He doesn’t want to be stuck in the hospital, unable to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, “just marking time.” Thanks to the writing and Bryan Cranston’s touching performance, we’re given a convincing argument for not getting the treatment while accruing further insight into why Walt’s cooking meth.

5

Walt’s Video Confession

Walter White (Bryan Cranston)

After Hank told Walt he was coming after him, the great Heisenburg had to come up with a plan. That advice about treading lightly wouldn’t be enough, so he came up with an absolutely brilliant threat: he recorded a confession, claiming that Hank was the mastermind behind everything and that he took advantage of Walt. By portraying himself as the victim and his brother-in-law as the maniac, Walt shows Hank that if one of them goes down, they both go down.

The way he ties everything together into a completely believable narrative is spectacular. How Hank was attacked by the cartel (him and his partner Gustavo had a falling out), how Walt paid for Hank’s medical bills (Hank was Walt’s boss), how Walt’s bruise came from Hank (which is true, but not for the reason Walt claims). As Hank tells Marie after viewing this, it feels like Walt has Hank in “checkmate.”

4

Jesse Turns Down $1.5 Million

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul)

In season two’s “One Minute,” Jesse winds up in the hospital after taking some enormous punches from Hank. When Walt visits him, he offers him one and a half million bucks to get back into a fifty-fifty partnership. No deal. Walt says he doesn’t think that Pinkman heard him clearly, but “I heard you fine.” Jesse goes on to explain, his face burning red and bulging with bruises, that he wants nothing to do with Walt.

With as much intensity as we’ve seen from Jesse in the show, he tells Walt that everything in his life has “gone to s***” since he met him. He is alone, he has nothing, and he is absolutely furious. This marks a turning point for Pinkman, who is clearly starting to care less about money and more about his own well-being. The end of the speech indicates that a lot of this rage also comes from Walt insulting his meth, which adds another layer to it. Yes, Jesse changes his mind soon after, but this speech echoes throughout the rest of the series.

3

Mike’s Beat-Cop Story

Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks)

Season three’s “Half Measures” is named after its classic monologue, and for good reason. Mike (Jonathan Banks) sitting down with Walt, telling him a story of when he used to be a beat cop. There was a domestic situation that he would get called out for week after week, and he was never able to convince the frightened woman to leave her abusive partner. So, one night, he took a different approach.

Mike tells this story in his typical hardened, straightforward way. It’s one of the longest monologues on this list, if not the longest, but the monologue is so well-written that we’re with him every step of the way. You also have to love how the angle on Mike changes when he says “instead of left, I go right out into nowhere.” The moral of the story is also indicative of how dark this masterpiece of drama had become by late-season three.

2

The Rehab Group Leader’s Speech

Group Leader (Jere Burns)

This may seem a little random, since this entry concerns a very minor character who doesn’t get nearly as much space as the rest of the cast. We never even learn this guy’s name! Yet that just makes it all the more impressive that this monologue is so moving. We’re talking about the support group leader (Jere Burns), whom Jesse first meets in rehab. Sitting ’round a campfire, Jesse challenges him: “Did you ever really hurt someone?”

The man’s reply is devastating: “I killed my daughter.” He then goes on to explain how, a few decades back, he accidentally ran over his daughter in a rush to get some vodka. Although this speech lasts maybe a minute and a half, it seems to transcend time. The delivery here isn’t casual, exactly, but we sense that he’s become comfortable with telling his story to those who need to hear it. The support group leader relays it so well that we feel as if we’re there, ultimately conveying with startling tragedy what true loss and true acceptance sound like.

1

“I am the one who knocks!”

Walter White (Bryan Cranston)

We all know it, we all love it. In season four’s “Cornered,” Skyler tries as hard as she can to convince Walt that he has to get out of the meth business somehow. It’s not safe, and he’s in danger. Skyler is sitting on the bed, and Walt is standing several steps away with his back to her. But at her final remark, he turns around: “Who are you talking to right now?” Then he walks over, glaring down at her.

What follows is some of the angriest, most defensive gloating you can find. He tells his wife she wouldn’t believe how much he makes a year, that his business could be listed on the Nasdaq. He says he’s not in danger: “I am the danger!” Without even raising his voice that much, Cranston manages to genuinely disturb us. How telling that Walt needs to feel important so badly. It goes without saying that this semi-unhinged display of machismo helped make Breaking Bad among the most electrifying thrillers in recent memory.