As AMC's spectacular "Breaking Bad" reached its penultimate episode, "Granite State," ratings soared Sunday night, breaking previous viewer records even while competing with the 2013 Emmy Awards, NFL football and series finale of "Dexter," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
On Sunday, Sept. 22., "Breaking Bad" drew in a whopping 6.6 million viewers, up from its previous record of 6.3 million viewers set last week. Last night at the Emmys, the hit show simultaneously took home two Emmys, including "Best Oustanding Drama Series" and a "Best Supporting Actress" award for Anna Gunn, who plays Skyler White. The series hit a high with adults aged 18-49 with 4.3 million views, its final 8 episodes raising the bar twice more in one month.
This year, "Breaking Bad" was awarded the title of highest-rated television series of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records.
As for what's to come on the highly anticipated series finale, co-executive producer and writer, Peter Gould, dished to Entertainment Weekly that the latest "episode was really about people hitting the worst of the worst, about hitting bottom," especially for Walter White in particular.
"We always used to say, 'When is Walt really going to see himself for what he really is? When is he going to really see himself kind of the way we did in the writers room when we are our most judgmental?' Then we would say, 'That's the end of the show.' When he really sees himself, that is the very end. For me, that was the privilege of getting to do this particular episode, because this was really about taking Walt to that final stage of change."
As for how viewers should prepare themselves for the final episode, Gould recommends deep breathing, a comfy chair and not eating 45 minutes prior to the premiere.
"I think it brings home everything that we've been doing," he said. "I think it's totally true to the show that we've done so far. I really hope people like it."
The finale episode of "Breaking Bad" airs at 9/8c Sunday on AMC.
