If there is one particular episode that stands out in the whole show of Breaking Bad, the Fly episode will be one of the first out of most people's mouths. Their opinion thereafter is either it being the worst episode or one of the best. The episode divides opinion because it is so different to all other episodes that usually involve some kind of intense drama or action. 'Fly' however, was a slow paced look at the characters, originally put forth due to budgetary reasons, but later admitted that it was the kind of episode that they did want to make and all were happy with having made it.
Vince Gilligan, the writer of Breaking Bad, told the A.V. club that even if there weren't financial concerns, he still feels the episode would have been a good choice, this is - in general - due to the ebb and flow of a good story. Good stories don't pummel you with action from start to finish, they have moments of quiet that make the explosions more explosive, they have some character development in order to make the moments have bigger impact.
Before I go any further, allow me to explain 'Fly' episode for anyone who hasn't seen Breaking Bad. This episode happens as the 10th episode of season 3 and is a bottle episode. This means that all of the scenes take place very few standing sets with minimal characters involved. In 'Fly' - the main character, Walter White spends most of the episode chasing a fly around a laboratory in order to cleanse the place from contamination. This happens amidst Walter's insomnia and the return of his cancer and his partner, Jesse, is dragged along for the fly catching ride. This gives time for the characters to talk, develop and potentially divulge secrets. I shall leave the explanation at that vagueness to avoid any real spoilers.
Now, for those that hate the episode - it is likely that they thought it was boring and brought the action to a halt. Though those that love the episode praise it for it's metaphor, cinematography and development of character. While those reasons might seem a little pretentious in comparison, I am generalising. It is certainly worth nothing, however, that characters are the story. What I mean by this is that we need moments of getting to know the characters before we can really be invested in the characters.
When a show is fast paced, it can be difficult to keep up with characters and their developments - so 'Fly' remedies that for Breaking Bad. It stands as not only an episode to show Walt's lack of control and little escalating troubles, but also for us to get to know who he has become now he has 'broke bad'. This is also true of Jesse who ends up spending so much time with Walt that it becomes a personal goal for him to catch the fly, even if it is for different reasons to Walt. By stopping and seeing what the characters are like now, it allows the viewer to reflect on exactly how far they have come, up to this point. This point is pressed home at the end with Walt's monologue about exactly when he thought it would have been a good time for him to die. This recaps previous events, reminds the viewer of how this all started and really gives perspective of what has happened to this stage. This sets the viewer in the mindset of a calm clarity which will aid to give much more gravity to the events that follow this one. A calm before a storm, if you will.
The truth is, I love bottle episodes for this reason. It gives us time to just see the characters being who they are, rather than having to keep up with multiple stories and how they act around different people in bizarre scenarios. We get to observe the characters as people, which puts weight behind any punch we'll be given as well as just giving us, as the viewer, time to think or collate certain events. This is something that can make or break a series or movie. When a story given to you is filled with quick paced moments, each of them fighting for the limelight of importance with no rest between - it is too much an the story becomes a mess. If you want an example of this in practice, I recommend (or don't) the Batman vs Superman movie.
The use of calms in stories are commonly and effectively also used as death flags. One thing that is particularly common in a story (particularly TV media) is that a character might explain some of their history or an important moment in their life. This is used to humanise the character and make us care a little more when they inevitably die in the following scene. This works for the exact same reason that an entire episode based on a character not being able to swat a fly works - it gives us time to humanise the character (in this case, Walt) rather than consider them the wrecking ball of a plot mover.
So whether you think it is the best or worst episode, it is certainly a memorable one - however, it is there for a reason and that reason is really rather important. I can guarantee you learned more about the two main characters in this episode than you did in any other three combined (except, perhaps the first episode, obviously).
Thanks for reading.
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