A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms vs. Breaking Bad

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms concluded its first season last week, proving that George R. R. Martin’s world does not require a massive CGI spectacle to capture its emotional core. Despite the absence of dragons or world-ending peril, the most striking thing about the series is how disarmingly simple it remains. And somehow, it works. At its heart, the story is modest to a fault: Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight with little more than borrowed armour and good intentions, is joined by Egg – a boy whose true identity he is only beginning to understand – on a journey whose stakes are refreshingly, almost defiantly small. Instead of dragon fire or political conspiracies, the drama emerges from the quiet bond forming between the two – an unlikely partnership that gives the series a warmth rarely found in Westeros. Yet the reaction to the show online has been far less quiet.

When HBO announced its adaptation, anticipation for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was high after the scale of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragons. But in the strange ecosystem of online fandoms, success isn’t simple. After the fifth episode “In the Name of the Mother” was aired on 15^th February, it was praised by audiences and deemed as one of the best episodes across the entire Game of Thrones universe – even briefly hitting a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb. Until then, only the Breaking Bad episode “Ozymandias” (Season 5, Episode 14), which is often cited as the highest-rated television episode ever, had maintained a perfect IMDb score since its release in 2013. However, as of 3^rd March 2026,  “Ozymandias” has reached a rating as low as 9.5/10 – the same score as “In the Name of the Mother”. What could have happened to bring down the once perfect scores from two of the most well-known television franchises? 

What seems to have occurred is a review-bombing war between Breaking Bad fans, who had intentionally voted the fifth episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with 1-star ratings to preserve “Ozymandias” in its record spot, and Game of Thrones fans, who backlashed by doing the same to “Ozymandias”. This battle has been fuelled by social media, with Breaking Bad fans writing IMDB reviews like “I’m a big fan of Breaking Bad, so I have to rate this episode one” and Game of Thrones fans responding with “The Lannisters send their regards” or “An eye for an eye.” This somehow-hilarious but rewardless encounter with online fans has now left us with two great episodes fallen behind. 

"I’m a big fan of Breaking Bad, so I have to rate this episode 1/10." – IMDb review for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Somewhat ironically, the thing about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is that it doesn’t need spectacle to survive. Dunk often thinks he is the least impressive man in the room. But his greatness isn’t cinematic – it’s ethical. And maybe that’s why, despite rating wars and online turf battles, the story continues to resonate. Because long after algorithms settle and fanbases move on, what lingers isn’t the number beside a title. It’s the image of a big, uncertain knight choosing – again and again – to stand up for someone smaller than himself.