For almost 13 years, a single episode reigned supreme on IMDb’s television rankings: “Ozymandias,” a pivotal installment from the final season of “Breaking Bad.” Regarded as a flawless piece of television, it maintained a perfect 10/10 user rating since its original broadcast in 2013.
However, this week, that long-standing record came to an end. The episode’s rating slipped to 9.9, marking the first time in over a decade that it failed to uphold its perfection. The timing of this shift has sparked discussions of a potential clash among online fans rather than an abrupt reevaluation of its excellence.
The catalyst for this change seems to be Episode 5 of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” the HBO prequel to “Game of Thrones” based on George R.R. Martin’s novellas. Entitled “In the Name of the Mother,” this episode briefly attained a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb following its premiere on February 15, making it only the second TV episode to reach the milestone alongside “Ozymandias.”
Taking place nearly a century before the events of “Game of Thrones,” the new series has garnered significant critical acclaim and audience approval. However, shortly after reaching the coveted rating, its score began to decline, dropping to 9.8 and then to 9.7. Supporters of the show alleged that fans of “Breaking Bad” orchestrated a coordinated effort to lower its rating in defense of their beloved episode.
Subsequently, a form of retaliation emerged. Supporters of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” reportedly mobilized online, encouraging others to downvote “Ozymandias.” This led to a sudden influx of one-star ratings for the once-unassailable episode, causing its rating to decrease to 9.9. At the current moment, it has received over 339,000 ratings, with tens of thousands of one-star reviews, many of which are believed to be recent submissions.
Although IMDb employs a weighted rating system rather than a straightforward average, the symbolic descent from a perfect 10 is noteworthy. “Ozymandias,” directed by Rian Johnson and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, has long been hailed as one of the finest episodes in TV history for more than a decade.
In contrast, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” created by Ira Parker, continues to gain momentum. The series follows hedge knight Dunk (portrayed by Peter Claffey) and his unlikely squire Egg (played by Dexter Sol Ansell), who is secretly Prince Aegon Targaryen in disguise. The first-season finale is scheduled to air this weekend.
The resolution of this rating upheaval remains uncertain. Nevertheless, after 13 years of perfection, a new era has dawned, not due to a creative misstep, but as a result of a digital showdown between two passionately devoted fan bases.