An Ode to Ozymandias 🙌

Today marks the five year anniversary of the best television episode I have ever witnessed: Breaking Bad’'s Ozymandias.

Note: I typically use a couplet, or if I’m feeling really inspired, an alternate rhyme scheme for my stanzas. Given the intensity of the episode, I decided to use (mostly) monorhyme to mimic the pulsating heartbeat I had while watching it.

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Season 5B was Breaking Bad’s absolute apex.

Of this batch, the magnum opus? Ozymandias.

It tied many plot points together, it was seamless:

The opening scene’s pilot flashback was ingenious,

Hank’s final scene was legendary, it left me speechless,

Walt’s confession to Jesse about Jane was the meanest.

Marie’s talk at the car wash left me feeling depressed.

Walt’s barrel roll had me rolling: a needed recess!

The White family knife fight was viscerally grievous,

Walt’s motto of “We’re a family” never did mean less.

There was so much destruction, it was almost fiendish:

Seeing Jesse in captivity made me squeamish,

Walt’s call with Skyler—Heisenberg’s a goddamn genius.

It was so incredibly intense, it made me breathe less!

A perfect hour of television—simply the best!

Reminiscing and Rhyming About Breaking Bad 📝

Happy Anniversary, Breaking Bad—10 years old,

And one of the best television shows ever.
I tip my pork pie hat to Vince Gilligan and Co.,
For their indelible artistic endeavour! 

I’ll be honest, I was skeptical initially.
Really? Cranston? The guy from Malcolm in the Middle?
A teacher cooking meth to support his family?
Tried it out and won me over little by little.
Bryan also won over critics—four Emmys!
Walter White did not often play second fiddle.


My first time in awe was “...And the Bag's in the River,”

That’s when I knew it had the potential to be great,

Watching Walt kill Krazy-8 made me gasp and quiver,
Almost as much as the reveal of the broken plate.

Season 1 got cut short, but it birthed a co-star,

The Writer’s Strike was a blessing in disguise,

Aaron Paul’s performances further raised the bar,

Killing Jesse Pinkman would not have been wise.

I was unequivocally mortified,
By the end of Season 2 Walt was so repulsive,
He just stood there and did nothing, letting Jane die,
By then it was too late—the show was too compulsive!

For a show this gripping, you need great actors to make it work,

Like the dauntless Dean Norris, Jonathan Banks who was lethal,

The amazing Anna Gunn and boisterous Bob Odenkirk,

And of course, the godly Giancarlo Esposito.

From box cutters to called hits and poisoned liquor,

Gustavo Fring was creative in his killing.

That doesn’t even include Mike the Fixer,

Responsible for much of the blood spilling.

However, Gus’ creepy, cool demeanour,
Is what made him such an iconic villain.

With the intensity of nightmares and dreams,

Breaking Bad had breathtaking direction,

They crafted so many memorable scenes,

That often warranted further inspection.

And “One Minute” to praise the writing team,

You were the masters of misdirection,

Funny lines, classic quotes, and complex themes,

You helped cook up a classic confection!

Thanks for not treading lightly, not taking Half Measures,

From the start of Season 1 to the end of Season 5,

Watching Breaking Bad was one of life’s greatest pleasures.

As Walt said to Skyler: “I liked it...I was alive.”