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.” Widely acclaimed for its excellence, the episode held a perfect user rating of 10/10 since its debut in 2013.
However, this week marked a shift in this longstanding dominance.
The once flawless score of “Ozymandias” has now slipped to 9.9, breaking its streak of perfection after more than a decade. The timing of this dip has sparked speculation that it may be a result of a clash among online fans rather than a sudden reevaluation of its quality.
The catalyst for this change seems to be Episode 5 of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel 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, becoming only the second television episode to reach such a milestone alongside “Ozymandias.”
Taking place nearly a century before the events of “Game of Thrones,” the new series has garnered strong critical acclaim and audience support. However, shortly after achieving the perfect score, its rating began to decline, first to 9.8 and then to 9.7. Supporters of the show alleged that fans of “Breaking Bad” orchestrated a coordinated effort to lower the rating in defense of their cherished episode.
In response, fans of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” reportedly mobilized online, encouraging others to downvote “Ozymandias.” The repercussions were immediate, with a surge in one-star ratings causing the once pristine episode to drop to 9.9. As of the latest update, it has accumulated over 339,000 ratings, including a significant number of recent one-star reviews.
Although IMDb employs a weighted rating system rather than a simple average, the symbolic descent from a perfect 10 remains notable. “Ozymandias,” directed by Rian Johnson and featuring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, has long been regarded as a standout episode in television history.
On the other hand, “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 premiere this weekend.
The resolution of the ratings fluctuations remains uncertain. Nevertheless, the 13-year reign of perfection has come to an end—not due to a creative misstep, but as a result of a digital showdown between two fervent fan bases.
