Blu-ray, DVD Release: Breaking Bad Series & Final Season

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Nov. 26, 2013
Price: Complete Series Blu-ray $299.99, Final Season DVD $55.99, Blu-ray $65.99
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment


Breaking BadThe seven-time Emmy Award-winning Breaking Bad rolled to its end with season five in 2013.

A critical darling, the ground-breaking TV show, which aired on AMC, was hailed for just about every aspect of its production, and although it didn’t win an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, Breaking Bad was nominated for the honor every year.

The crime television series stars Bryan Cranston (Argo) as Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who, after he’s diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, partners with his junkie student Jesse (Aaron Paul, TV’s Big Love) to cook and sell meth. Over the five seasons of the drama, White transforms into a powerful and ruthless drug kingpin, trying to balance his criminal life with his family, including his DEA brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris, TV’s Under the Dome). It’s a brilliant look at the journey of man desperate to provide for his family before he dies, as well as to feel that he has achieved something, no matter what he has to do to achieve it.

Breaking Bad also stars Anna Gunn (TV’s Deadwood) as Walter’s wife Skyler, trying to hold together her family while following her husband into the rabbit hole; Betsy Brandt (Magic Mike) as Skyler’s nosey and manipulative sister; Bob Odenkirk (The Spectacular Now) as Walter’s colorful and unscrupulous lawyer Saul Goodman, and Giancarlo Esposito (TV’s Revolution) as the ruthless drug kingpin Gus Fring.

The Final Season DVD and Blu-ray contain these special features:

  • cast and crew commentary on every episode
  • three-minute alternate ending for the series
  • deleted and extended scenes
  • gag reel
  • “Walt’s Confession”
  • “The Layers of a Sound Mix”
  • more than 15 episodes of “Inside Breaking Bad
  • uncensored and extended episodes
  • and four featurettes:
    • “The Main Event”
    • “The Final Showdown”
    • “Life of a Show Runner”
    • “Behind the Scenes of the Alternate Ending”
  • digital copy via UltraViolet.

The Blu-ray also adds:

  • “Blood Money” table read, a rare look at the only table read from the TV show’s final season.

Breaking Bad: The Complete SeriesThe Breaking Bad: The Complete Series Blu-ray set comes in a barrel, in homage to where Walter kept his money. The 16-disc set also comes with a Los Pollos Hermanos apron, a collectible booklet with a letter from show creator Vince Gilligan and a commemorative Breaking Bad challenge coin designed by Gilligan as a token of appreciation to fans for making the show’s journey.

As well as all 62 episodes of the series, the discs carry more than 55 hours of extras, including all the special features in the season sets, plus these:

  • “No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad” two-hour documentary about the filming of the show’s last eight episodes
  • “Bad Memories” – Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul talk about the show ending and some of their favorite moments
  • “Bryan Cranston: Director” – Go on set with Bryan Cranston as he directs the first episode of the season entitled “Blood Money.”
  • “Scene Envy” – The cast tell us which scene they wish they could have been in.
  • “Shocking Moments” – The stars reveal the moments that shocked them most.
  • “From Walt to Heisenberg” – From high school teacher to deadly meth dealer, watch as Walter White quickly transforms into Heisenberg.
  • “How Will It End?” – At the beginning of the season, the cast was asked to give their thoughts on how they thought the show would end.
  • “Avenging Agent: Dean Norris as Hank Schrader” – A look at the character Hank Schrader and the man who played him, Dean Norris.
  • “Scene Stealer: Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader” – A look at the character Marie Schrader and the woman who plays her, Betsy Brandt.
  • “A Criminal Attorney: Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman” – A look at the character Saul Goodman and the man who played him, Bob Odenkirk.
  • “Jesse’s Journey:  Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman” – A look at the character Jesse Pinkman and the man who played him, Aaron Paul.
  • “Skyler Breaks Bad:  Anna Gunn on Season Four” – Actress Anna Gunn and series creator Vince Gilligan explore Skyler’s character evolution through the fourth season.
  • “Growing Up in the White House:  RJ Mitte on Walter, Jr.” – RJ Mitte (House of Last Things), Anna Gunn, Bryan Cranston and series creator Vince Gilligan discuss the extraordinary dynamics of the White family, and Walter, Jr.’s unique role.
  • “The Ultimate Chess Match” – Members of the cast and crew discuss Walter White and Gus Fring’s extraordinary and complicated battle of wits and their struggle for Jesse’s allegiance.
  • “Looking Back:  A Season Four Retrospective” – Season Four’s most surprising and memorable moments.
  • “Ted’s Wipeout” – In Episode 411, “Crawl Space,” Ted Beneke suffers a head injury while trying to escape from Saul’s goons.  In this featurette, Christopher Cousins (Ted) explains how this shocking stunt was accomplished.
  • “The Truck Attack Storyboard Comparison” – A side-by-side comparison of the Los Pollos Hermanos truck attack and the brilliant shot-by-shot storyboards that were created for the episode “Bullet Points.”
  • “Walt and the Challenger Storyboard Comparison” – A side-by-side comparison of the sequence where Walt indulges in some crazy stunt driving in Walt Jr.’s Dodge Challenger and the storyboards that were created.
  • digital copies via UltraViolet.

Some of these were available in retail exclusive season-set packages.

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Buy or Rent Breaking Bad: The Final Season
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About S. Clark

Sam Clark is the former Managing Editor/Online Editor of Video Business magazine. With 19 years experience in journalism, 12 in the home entertainment industry, Sam has been hooked on movies on since she saw E.T. then stared into the sky waiting to meet her own friendly alien. Thanks to her husband’s shared love of movies, Sam reviews Blu-ray discs in a true home theater, with a 118-inch screen, projector and cushy recliners with cup holders.