Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones Fans Are at War at IMDb, and It Broke a 13-Year-Old Record

Back in the day, ratings for television shows used to be just a number tucked away at the back of an entertainment magazine. However, in light of recent events, these ratings have turned into a battlefield. Recently, an episode of the Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, threatened one of the most sacred records in television, the 10/10 IMDb score of the Breaking Bad episode, Ozymandias.

Now, in the context of the entertainment industry, this was a cause for celebration, but as it turns out, things went in a rather opposite direction. A full-blown rating war erupted among fans, causing a decade-old perfect 1o IMDb rating for Breaking Bad’s Ozymandias to drop, and here is all you need to know about it.

A Perfect Score Sparked an Imperfect Response Towards Game of Thrones

Episode 5 of A Knight of Seven Kingdoms debuted to an extraordinary reception, as a result of which, its ratings rapidly approached a perfect 10 score on IMDb. However, gradually, it got extremely close and rested at a solid 9.8. For multiple fans of the franchise, this is a rather massive achievement, considering the lukewarm conclusion the final season of Game of Thrones received. However, for another section of the internet, this was not a victory but rather a serious threat.

This near-perfect score threatened the long-standing record of Breaking Bad’s episode Ozymandias. Soon after Episode 5 of A Knight of Seven Kingdoms was crawling towards a perfect 10, something unusual happened. A series of negative reviews bombarded the episode’s IMDb page as a result of which, the ratings dropped from 9.8 to 9.7. It was more than obvious that Breaking Bad fans have review-bombed Episode 5 of A Knight of Seven Kingdoms to make sure it does not dethrone the perfect 10 of Ozymandias.

Following this, retalliation was was seen from the fans of A Knight of Seven Kingdoms who review bombed the Breaking Bad episode, and as a result, the IMDb Rating of Ozymandias dropped from a 10/10 IMDb rating to a 9.9, ending the 13-year-old streak. Now, neither of the sides has solid proof of such a conspired attack, but as we all know, how obsessive online communities can get, it is pretty obvious who is behind this ratings bloodbath.

The Passion of Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones Fans Poisoned the Spirit of Entertainment

While no doubt witnessing online rivalries is quite fun, sometimes things go a bit too far. Whatever went down with the review bombing and rating drops turned enthusiasm into bitter rivalry. Instead of awarding and appreciating excellence, this online war punished it and repalces thouhgtful and constructive criticism with a mindless tribal mentality, converting freedom of speech and expression into ammunition.

The repercussions of such an action are faced by casual viewers who rely completely on ratings from reliable sources such as IMDb, and such an act can seriously distort public perception. This would result in the fall of viewership, and eventually, shows that are actually good would lose new viewers. Moreover, the people who spend their blood and sweat in creating these shows become victims of a war they never asked for.

The behaviour we witnessed is also a reflection of an ongoing trend that is very troubling. Fans these days treat cultural and creative achievements as trophies to be defended rather than an experience to be shared with everyone.

Not just with shows, we also witnessed a similar reaction from Man of Steel fans when Superman (2025) came out. Great television and movies are not a finite source. One masterpiece does not diminish another one. However, the sad truth is that obsessive fandoms often reward outrage more than appreciation. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments.