The best and worst seasons of 15 popular TV shows

Meghan CookNov 9, 2020, 20:08 IST

Some TV seasons soar while others flop.Sony Pictures Television

Insider rounded up the highest-scoring and lowest-scoring seasons for 15 popular shows using critic reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.
Shows like "Insecure," "One Day at a Time," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," had consistently high ratings across multiple seasons.
Other shows, like "Supernatural," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Game of Thrones" saw more dramatic dips in critical ratings as the shows went on.

Although many series gain a following as they progress, even your favorite shows have both seat-gripping seasons and lackluster low points.

Here are the best and worst seasons of 15 popular television shows, according to critical scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

Note: Rotten Tomatoes scores are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change. If a critic-score average was the same across multiple seasons, the season with the highest amount of critical reviews was prioritized.

Season three of "Breaking Bad" delivered in spades.

Bryan Cranston on "Breaking Bad." AMC

But the first season left room for improvement.

Aaron Paul on "Breaking Bad." AMC

"The Office" hit its stride halfway through.

Rainn Wilson on "The Office." NBCUniversal

But the show saw a large dip in ratings during its eighth season.

The cast of "The Office." NBC

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" earned rave reviews across five consecutive seasons.

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" scored 100% ratings across five consecutive seasons. FX

The first season of the show is its lowest-rated.

Kaitlin Olson on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." FX

"Game of Thrones" was a critical darling.

Maisie Williams on "Game of Thrones." HBO

However, the fantasy series ended on a low note.

Emilia Clarke on "Game of Thrones." Helen Sloan/HBO

"The Walking Dead" regained critical acclaim during its 10th season.

"The Walking Dead" made a comeback. AMC

But the show hit a rough patch during season eight.

Chandler Riggs on "The Walking Dead." AMC

"Parks and Recreation" found its voice during season three.

Nick Offerman on "Parks and Recreation." NBC

But the NBC show stumbled out of the gate at first.

Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones on "Parks and Recreation." NBC

Similarly, "New Girl" also seemed to get better with time.

Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, and Jake Johnson on "New Girl." FOX

Even so, the first season received promising ratings.

Zooey Deschanel on "New Girl." 20th Century Fox Television

The latest season of "One Day at a Time" was a critical success.

"One Day at a Time" follows a Cuban-American family. Netflix

And the show started off strong with near-perfect ratings.

Justina Machado and Marcel Ruiz on "One Day at a Time." Netflix

"Community" knocked it out of the park during its second season.

Donald Glover on "Community." NBC

However, season four's reviews were less enthusiastic.

The fourth season of "Community" critically flopped compared to the others. NBC

The premiere season of "Insecure" earned perfect ratings.

Issa Rae on "Insecure." Anne Marie Fox/HBO

Even the lowest-rated season of "Insecure" earned critical acclaim.

The lowest-rated season of "Insecure" still wowed critics. HBO

Some installments of "American Horror Story" have been hit-or-miss, but the latest season won over most critics.

Emma Roberts on "American Horror Story: 1984." FX Networks

However, the fifth season's dark turn off-put critics.

Lady Gaga starred on the fifth season of "American Horror Story." FX

"Lost" has a critically acclaimed sophomore season.

"Lost" had a strong start. ABC

But the show failed to keep up that momentum as the series progressed.

Matthew Fox on "Lost." ABC screenshot

Season nine marked a comeback for "Supernatural."

Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins on "Supernatural." CW

"Supernatural" hit a low during its eighth season.

"Supernatural" is currently on its final season. CW

"The Handmaid's Tale" made a strong first impression.

"The Handmaid's Tale" is based on Margaret Atwood's novel by the same name. KRAYCHYK/HULU

However, the show has recently started to slip in ratings.

Elisabeth Moss on "The Handmaid's Tale." Hulu

Season five was "How I Met Your Mother" at its best.

"How I Met Your Mother" ran for nine seasons. Richard Cartwright/CBS

"How I Met Your Mother" hit its lowest point during its penultimate season.

Josh Radnor on "How I Met Your Mother." CBS

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