When high-school chemistry teacher Walter White learns that he has terminal cancer, he decides that the best way to leave his family with a sizeable nest egg is to start cooking methamphetamine.  He soon learns that the drug underworld is much more harrowing than a high school chem lab.  For disturbingly violent scenes, Breaking Bad (Sundays, 10:00 p.m. ET) has been named Worst Cable TV Show of the Week.

At a junkyard, Walter and his former student turned drug associate Jesse drop off a shipment of meth to a ruthless local kingpin, Tuco. Tuco is flanked by two of his thugs, No-Doze and Gonzo.  Tuco samples the product and immediately feels amped.  “Alright, we’re gonna make a lot of money together,” Tuco proclaims to Walter.

No-Doze interjects, “Just remember who you’re working for.”

“What did you say?”  Tuco asks.

“I’m just saying,” No-Doze explains, “they gotta know that they’re working for you.”

“Like they don’t already know that?” Tuco grows increasingly more agitated.  “Are you saying that they’re stupid?” 

“Naw, I’m just saying,” No-Doze stammers.

“Okay, so you’re not saying that they’re stupid.  So I don’t understand.  Are you saying that I’m stupid?  Is that it?  Is that what you’re doing?” Tuco steps up to No-Doze’s face.  Walter suggests that they all relax.  “I’m relaxed, I’m relaxed,” Tuco insists … before he suddenly sucker punches No-Doze in the face.  Tuco stands over the unconscious man and delivers one brutal blow after another.  Finally, Tuco hops up with his hands raised like a champion and shows-off his bloody knuckles.  “Whooah!  Damn, man.  Look at that!  Look!”  Gonzo drags No-Doze’s limp body to the SUV and they drive off.  Walter and Jesse take a moment to collect themselves, then leave as well. 

Unexpectedly, Tuco’s SUV stops them in their tracks.  Tuco dumps No-Doze’s convulsing body onto the ground.  “What’s matter with you?” Tuco screams at No-Doze, “Can’t take an ass-beating, bitch?”  Tuco forces Walter to perform CPR, but it’s too late.  There is no pulse.  Foam oozes from No-Doze’s mouth.  Tuco kicks No-Doze’s carcass and orders Gonzo to get rid of him.  Walter and Jesse drive away.

Later, the police discover No-Doze’s body along with Gonzo’s.  When the police examine Gonzo’s body, his arm rips from the socket.  Apparently, while Gonzo tried to conceal the body under a pile of cars, Gonzo’s arm became pinned when the stack shifted.  He eventually bled to death.  The officers laugh at the hapless thug’s misfortune and take pictures with the bloody, mangled carcass.  “Hey, hey, get a photo of me with this guy, right.  Old stumpy here.  Make sure you get the stump in there,” a gleeful officer says.

Cable networks like to laud themselves as bastions of gritty, ground-breaking, quality dramas.  Unfortunately, they feel that this also give them license to air sadistic, disturbing violence.  For this, Breaking Bad has been named Worst Cable TV Show of the Week.