'Walter Sends His Wishes' — Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad Fans Are Destroying Each Other's Ratings as Part of a Review Bomb War

Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad fans are embroiled successful a reappraisal weaponry warfare aft an occurrence of spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms threatened to dethrone Breaking Bad's Ozymandias' presumption arsenic the lone 10/10 occurrence of TV connected IMDb.

For years Ozymandias enjoyed legendary presumption online arsenic the lone occurrence of TV with a 10/10 idiosyncratic reappraisal standing connected IMDb, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5, titled In the Name of the Mother, threatened to execute the aforesaid standing aft it released connected HBO Max earlier this month.

It’s hard to cognize who changeable first, but Breaking Bad fans began review-bombing A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms successful a bid to resistance its idiosyncratic reappraisal standing down from 10/10, thus, theoretically astatine least, preserving Breaking Bad’s spot astatine the top. Predictably, this successful crook activated Game of Thrones fans, who launched a antagonistic violative against Breaking Bad that likewise dragged Ozymandias down. The 2 sides person been trading 1/10 reappraisal scores ever since.

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As it stands, Ozymandias, archetypal aired September 2013, is down to a 9.5/10 idiosyncratic reappraisal standing connected IMDb. “Good show, but this occurrence was a fto down,” reads 1 1/10 reappraisal near connected Ozymandias. “They should person done a amended occupation with quality development. This occurrence was an ovum erstwhile it should person been a slam Dunk. I truly wanted this the to beryllium the quintessential defining occurrence but the writers truly knocked the rider disconnected the equine connected this one.”

“Changed my standing cuz of BB fans,” said another. “This occurrence deserves a 10 and I had it arsenic a 10 for 13 years. But I'm bushed of Breaking Bad fans review-bombing virtually thing that comes adjacent to 10. You ‘fans’ person review-bombed The Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men, Bands of Brothers, Six Feet Under, present A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and galore more. I'm bittersweet that I had to go petty similar you, but honestly, that's connected you guys. Grow immoderate *** and fto everyone bask the things they enjoy. I anticipation immoderate time I alteration my reappraisal backmost to 10 due to the fact that this is 1 of the champion episodes of TV.”

Another different 1/10 reappraisal reads: “Womp womp, if ya'll conscionable accepted the information that different shows tin beryllium conscionable arsenic bully I wouldn't person to beryllium here. We are taught however to stock astatine a precise young property and it amazes maine however adults don't recognize it still. You don't person to ruin different shows reviews conscionable due to the fact that you deliberation your favourite amusement should beryllium astatine the top, clump of babies....”

25 champion Game of Thrones episodes

25 champion Game of Thrones episodes

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5, In the Name of the Mother, meanwhile, besides has a 9.5 idiosyncratic reappraisal standing connected IMDb.

“I americium conscionable a unfortunate of the reappraisal bombing,” said 1 idiosyncratic who near a 1/10 reappraisal score. “I person ne'er been a broadside for reappraisal bombing oregon person ne'er been a Game of Thrones hater. I personally deliberation that some of the bid are truly bully and some of the episodes merit a cleanable 10. But I cognize 1 happening good and that is Ozymandias deserves a cleanable 10. So present I am, conscionable defending the honour of Breaking Bad and Ozymandias.”

“REVENGE FOR OZYMANDIAS,” declares different 1/10 review. “I rated this occurrence 1 prima purely retired of loyalty. As a hardcore Breaking Bad fan, I can't hide however Game of Thrones fans review-bombed BB with 1 stars. So this is payback energy.

“Episode 5 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wasn't adjacent bad, but this standing isn't astir quality, it's astir history. Petty? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. 1 star. Justice served.”

Now, this review-bomb warfare has spilled implicit into the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 1 finale, The Morrow, which deed HBO Max implicit the weekend. “I ne'er review-bombed thing before, and to each bully GoT fans I person to accidental that I americium sorry,” reads 1 1/10 reappraisal near connected February 24. “But you made Ozymandias 9.5. This is insane, I didn't adjacent cognize that we were successful a struggle until you started review-bombing. And each those radical talking astir ‘winter came’ and ‘the northbound remembers’ is brainsick corny.”

“Leave Breaking Bad alone,” reads another. “Y’all got problems. Attacking Ozymandiaz due to the fact that you don't wanna stock a 10/10? Quit being petty and fto crippled admit game! I'll region this erstwhile y’all alteration your ways but for present I person 100 much characters to constitute until this happening lets maine station this. This amusement is great, occurrence is great, but you're fools for starting this beef.”

“Walter sends his wishes,” says different 1/10 review.

The upshot of this online warfare of reappraisal words is that Breaking Bad’s Ozymandias has ended its 13-year tally arsenic the lone perfectly-scored IMDb amusement retired of millions of TV episodes. Episode 14 of Season 5 is the climax of the series, the occurrence successful which each the hostility built up implicit the people of the erstwhile seasons yet comes to a caput arsenic Walt is forced to look the consequences of his actions. IGN’s reappraisal of Breaking Bad Ozymandias returned a 10/10. We called it a masterpiece.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5, In the Name of the Mother, depicts the Trial of the Seven and reveals Ser Dunk the Tall’s (played by Peter Claffey) tragic backstory. IGN’s reappraisal returned a 9/10. We said: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms nears the extremity of its archetypal play with a big, bloody, heartbreaking bang.”

As immoderate fans respond to the concern to telephone it pathetic, HBO is present leaning into this review-bomb conflict successful its societal media posts. The authoritative HBO Max Nordic societal media squad posted a cheeky clip of Game of Thrones' iconic Battle of the Bastards, pitting fans of some shows connected either side. “The fans called the banners quickly,” reads the caption.

@hbomaxnordic The fans called the banners rapidly 😭😭 #aknightofthesevenkingdoms #gameofthrones #edit #breakingbad #imdb ♬ archetypal dependable - caroline:)

The irony, of course, is that Breaking Bad fans could person ended the week sharing the 10/10 spot with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. But present they've mislaid it themselves.

Underneath the jokes is simply a superior contented with idiosyncratic reappraisal ratings, which we’ve seen go taxable to the whims of online reappraisal weaponry campaigns aggregate times implicit the years. Most recently, successful December Netflix amusement Stranger Things suffered from reappraisal bombing arsenic portion of a backlash to Episode 7, called The Bridge. And successful 2023, we reported connected however a azygous person's grudge against AI: The Somnium Files propelled an obscure 2010 DSiWare crippled to the apical of Metacritic. In the satellite of video games, PC gaming level Steam is nary alien to reappraisal bombing campaigns, with immoderate idiosyncratic user reviews to explicit their disatisfaction.

Photograph by Steffan Hill/HBO.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].