2) Breaking Bad – The Fly
Breaking Bad is one of those rare dramas that achieved legendary status while still on the air, elevating Bryan Cranston to the A-list. Those still unconvinced that the show is worth trying should look no further than “The Fly,” a highlight from season three that used the bottle episode format to delve even deeper into the disturbed psyches of the two main leads.
As with all great bottle episodes, the premise is remarkably simple. After discovering that there is a fly in the duos meth lab, Walter White shuts down production in fear of contamination. The rest of “The Fly” then follows the two as they try and dispose of the titular bug in order to resume business.
For a show already renowned for its sophisticated direction, guest filmmaker Rian Johnson stepped things up a notch further, using claustrophobic camera work and point of view shots from the fly’s perspective to immerse viewers in the episode. It’s hard to imagine a storyline better suited to the bottle episode format, and it easily stands among one the greatest shown yet on TV.