25 Best TV Seasons of All Time, Ranked According IMDb

There’s nothing quite like a great season of television. Whether binging them in one sitting or spacing out each episode to take the time to absorb them, it’s hard to deny that they’re always an entertaining adventure. When done right, a good season of TV can be utterly enthralling, as it follows a captivating story that makes it impossible to not want to move on to the next episode right after one is over.

Many of history’s best TV shows have produced riveting seasons full of intriguing storylines, rich character development, and satisfying payoffs to interesting setups. From Breaking Bad to Attack on Titan, these shows’ best seasons have garnered lots of praise for each individual episode on IMDb, and when you calculate the average rating of those episodes, you get a good idea of just how beloved the season is.

25 Season 2 of ‘The Bear’ (2023)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 8.7/10

The Bear took the world by storm in 2022 with its colorful characters and depiction of the fast-paced chaos of restaurant culture. There were high expectations for its second season, and if IMDb reviewers are to be believed, it perfectly lived up to the hype. With the same terrific performances and delicious character writing that made the first season a hit, the continuation of the story of Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and his team instantly connected with viewers.

This season is more contemplative than its predecessor, with a bigger focus on the quiet moments of peace that really make the characters grow and let their defining qualities shine through, while still having just a healthy dose of chaos and some of The Bear‘s truly hilarious episodes. The second season of The Bear earned the love of fans on IMDb thanks to its delightful sense of humor, clever writing, and brilliant directing.

24 Season 6 of ‘The Sopranos’ (2006 – 2007)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 8.7/10

It’s not an overstatement, but a fact, to say that The Sopranos revolutionized television. It changed the notion of seriality, proved that TV could be as dark and mature as cinema could, and pretty much gave birth to the concept of prestige television. Over the course of the six seasons that it ran for, it kept racking up loyal fans who were eager to see how it would all end. Said conclusion is still considered one of the best seasons of TV ever, and one of the best endings in the medium’s history.

With some of the best episodes of The Sopranos‘ run, its sixth season is the culmination of every plot point, every character arc, and every plot twist that had been accumulating and waiting to boil. Dramatic and meditative, it presents a complex view of the mob and the most fascinating part of protagonist Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) character development. Though not everyone loves the final episode, it’s impossible to deny that it’s certainly a subversive way to end such a popular show.

23 Season 6 of ‘BoJack Horseman’ (2019 – 2020)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 8.8/10

Who would have expected an animated comedy about a washed-up actor who also happens to be a talking horse to be as profound, mature, and surprisingly human as BoJack Horseman? What starts out like your typical crude animated sitcom soon starts to become something else entirely. While hilarious, what with its clever running gags and absurd sense of humor, the show stands out thanks to its complex take on themes like addiction, identity, and depression.

With BoJack Horseman’s likable characters (and some that aren’t as much) and a bunch of interesting directions to take the protagonist’s (voiced by Will Arnett) character in, the final season of the show is as close to perfect as fans could have ever hoped for it to be. BoJack‘s ending is a gorgeous celebration of the courage in the act of living – even in the face of terrible adversity, simply choosing to go on for one more day and try to be just a little bit better is what life is all about.

22 Season 3 of ‘Succession’ (2021)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 8.8/10

Succession is widely regarded to be one of those shows that get better and better with each passing season, so it came as no surprise when Season 3 proved to be the pinnacle of the story up to that point. With more of the same Shakespearean narratives and cerebral writing that fans had gotten used to, it was a game-changing turning point for all of the show’s main characters.

Bringing the series’ signature hilarious comedy, jaw-dropping twists, and riveting themes of family and betrayal to their highest point yet, Season 3 of Succession has multiple of the show’s highest-rated episodes on IMDb, for good reason. It’s the defining moment when the story truly goes all out, turning it into one of television fans’ favorite seasons of all time.

21 Season 1 of ‘Westworld’ (2016)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 8.9/10

In spite of its tragic cancelation due to declining viewership, Westworld remains one of HBO’s best original drama series ever. The show’s highest-rated season on IMDb is its very first, where viewers were first introduced to this gripping sci-fi dystopia about a world nestled between the near future and a reimagined past, where every human appetite can be indulged without consequences.

Co-created by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan (Christopher Nolan‘s younger brother), the series is an elite-quality remake of the iconic ’70s movie of the same name. Smart, addictive, visually striking, and full of profound philosophical meditations balanced with cool sci-fi concepts, season one of Westworld is the perfect introduction to this enthralling world and the characters that inhabit it.

20 Season 3 of ‘Daredevil’ (2018)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 8.9/10

Short-lived though it was, Netflix’s MCU run delivered one of the greatest pieces of content the franchise has seen thus far: Daredevil, an exceptional adaptation of the story of the Man Without Fear. The show’s third and final season is by far its best, following Matt Murdock as, following Wilson Fisk’s release from prison, he has to decide between continuing to hide from the world or embracing his life as Hell’s Kitchen’s vigilante guardian.

This incredible season of TV is built on the foundation of the fascinating dynamic between Daredevil and Kingpin, the latter one of the best villains in television history. On IMDb, fans love each of the season’s thirteen episodes, praising their dark and gritty tone, marvelously shot and choreographed action scenes, and riveting character development.

19 Season 7 of ‘Game of Thrones’ (2017)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.0/10

Although it’s pretty much universally agreed that the HBO epic show Game of Thrones, one of the best fantasy TV shows ever, went off the rails in its last season, the penultimate one still managed to garner fans’ appreciation, as proved by its high IMDb average score. While not often considered one of the show’s best chapters, the IMDb ratings of many of its best episodes prove that it nevertheless had plenty to offer.

Though it is the second shortest season of the whole show (just behind the final one), Season 7 of Game of Thrones still manages to pack in a few interesting surprises, fresh and unique character development, and perhaps the most impressive technical qualities up to that point in the show’s history, making it one of the best seasons to watch for fantasy fans.

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18 Season 3 of ‘Mr. Robot’ (2017)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.0/10

For the four seasons that it ran, Mr. Robot was one of the best television psychological thrillers viewers could tune into. Even all these years later, it still remains a masterclass in the genre. The show’s second-to-last season somehow managed to reinvent the whole show in numerous fascinating ways, offering just as much quasi-prophetic social commentary as the previous two seasons, but delivered within a fresh and exciting structure.

With seductive visuals, smart scripts full of insightful commentary on contemporary society, and Rami Malek at the top of his game, Season 3 of Mr. Robot was the best that the series had been up to that point. Showcasing some of the show’s best moments and most intriguing characters, the season masterfully builds suspense and shocks audiences without the need for many huge, groundbreaking twists.

17 Season 5 of ‘Suits’ (2015 – 2016)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.0/10

Praised by IMDb reviewers as a shockingly explosive and intelligent legal dramedy full of smart twists and addicting storylines, Suits kept going up and up in quality over the years until reaching its peak in the fifth season. With its recent explosion in popularity over on Netflix, it has become more intriguing than ever for newcomers to get into the series, if only to get to watch this masterpiece of a season.

Emotionally hard-hitting and with some really interesting creative choices, it’s not surprising that it typically tops any Suits‘ best seasons list. Fans particularly enjoyed how the season adapts its storylines to the biggest strengths of its charming cast. While many shows rely on repetitive beats in their later seasons, the fifth one of Suits brings a bunch of new and fresh stories to the table, proving that it still had more than enough gas left in the tank.

16 Season 3 of ‘The Leftovers’ (2017)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.0/10

Another one of HBO’s greatest dramas ever, The Leftovers is one of the highest-rated thriller TV series on IMDb — and for plenty of good reasons. Its third season follows multiple storylines, centering on its characters’ crisis of faith on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the sudden and mysterious disappearance of 2% of the global population.

Almost half of the season’s ten episodes comfortably sit at a 9/10 rating or above, a highly commendable achievement on IMDb. There, fans show their amazement at how such an ambitious story about the end of the world could be capped off in such a perfect way. The performances are amazing, the writing is impeccable, and the finale is beyond flawless.

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15 Season 1 of ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.0/10

It’s now permanently ingrained in the collective memory of pop culture fans, but George R.R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novel series was originally not nearly as popular as it became after HBO turned it into a hit show. Where many other fantasy shows’ first seasons fail, the first season of Game of Thrones succeeds, and then some.

Each episode of Game of Thrones‘ first season is packed with amazing introductions to memorable characters, gripping storylines, and stunning set pieces that fans would immediately fall in love with and follow for nearly a decade. Sticking closely to Martin’s seminal novel (while still offering some interesting changes in the GoT series), this introduction should have any television fan hooked from the very second the pilot starts.

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14 Season 2 of ‘Hannibal’ (2014)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.0/10

Largely thanks to Anthony Hopkins‘s iconic portrayal in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter is nowadays one of the best-known characters of the horror and thriller genres. NBC’s Hannibal, only further cemented his place in the parthenon of pop culture, thanks to Mads Mikkelsen‘s larger-than-life portrayal and seasons as amazing as the series’ second one.

Twisty and mysterious, elegant and layered, the middle season of Hannibal is a masterclass in suspense, character development, and intelligent television writing. Thanks to some top-tier acting and one of the best season finales in television history, Hannibal season two stands out as one of the greatest seasons of television in the medium’s history.

13 Season 4 of ‘Breaking Bad’ (2011)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.0/10

Before it was syndicated on Netflix, the global phenomenon Breaking Bad wasn’t nearly as popular as it became once it was available on the streaming giant. By the start of season four, it became the huge hit that it’s remembered as today. Even with the huge weight on its shoulders of continuing to show the rise of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) to fearsome kingpin, the season exceeded expectations.

The penultimate chapter of this enthralling crime drama is arguably Breaking Bad‘s slowest burner, and all the better for it. It takes its time to develop its characters and evolve its story, until finally letting it all out in a series of explosive episodes and one of the most impactful season finales of any TV show ever. The whole season is an outstanding character study, and it more than lives up to its fame.

12 Season 5 of ‘Person of Interest’ (2016)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.1/10

It may not exactly be underrated per se, but the outstanding sci-fi crime thriller Person of Interest most definitely deserves more praise than it gets, as proved by its outstanding final season and its average score on IMDb. It’s one of the best thriller TV shows of the 21st century without a doubt, and it admirably managed to go out with a bang.

The fifth season of Person of Interest is by far the shortest, but it slickly proves that less is more, and that quality beats quantity every time. Like all the best final seasons of great shows, it’s a satisfying ending that also manages to sprinkle in a few surprises and subversions of expectations. It deepens the characters and narrative wonderfully, and while you can definitely feel that the team didn’t want to end things there (the show was canceled way before its time), they did a phenomenal job at closing things off with the time they were given.

11 Season 2 of ‘Sherlock’ (2012)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.1/10

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary human character in film and television, so there’s a lot of material to pick from when looking for good adaptations of the character. One of the most beloved is the BBC’s Sherlock, which brings the detective’s cases to contemporary London, sporting in Benedict Cumberbatch‘s take on the title role. This of course ends up being one of the best portrayals of Sherlock.

The second season, comprised of three 90-minute episodes, is the show’s highest-rated. Although the episode in the middle isn’t exactly adored by fans, the first and third are absolutely engrossing pieces of TV that really showcase the heights that Sherlock could reach. Mysterious and thrilling, it’s an outstanding season of television that begs to be binged despite the tremendous runtime of each episode.

10 Season 5 of ‘Better Call Saul’ (2020)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.1/10

Prequels can often turn out to be catastrophic, particularly prequels of pieces of media as beloved and highly praised as Breaking Bad, whose fame didn’t exactly set an easy bar for any successor to reach. Much to audiences’ surprise, however, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould made in Better Call Saul a series that turned out to be as good as its predecessor, if not even better in some noteworthy areas.

There’s a good reason why IMDb users consider this one of the top Better Call Saul seasons to watch. It explores the final steps in Jimmy’s transformation into Saul, as well as the effects of the mysterious Lalo on Gus’s operation. It’s a riveting character drama with some of the show’s best episodes and scenes, and it even does a few things better than Breaking Bad‘s fifth and final season.

9 Season 6 of ‘Better Call Saul’ (2022)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.1/10

Not all shows could improve upon a season of television as amazing as Better Call Saul‘s fifth, but Gilligan and Gould pulled off such a feat with the conclusion of their legendary Breaking Bad spin-off prequel. This is one of the best legal drama shows on Netflix right now, and its closing season certainly doesn’t disappoint.

The conclusion closes off every element of the narrative perfectly with masterful writing, stunning performances led by Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn, and better technical qualities than the show ever had. It’s a slow, methodical, and exquisitely unique way to end one of the best TV shows in history. If this is to be the last fans ever see of the Breaking Bad universe, they’ll undoubtedly be happy.

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8 Season 2 of ‘Dark’ (2019)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.2/10

Praised as one of the most fascinating sci-fi thrillers to ever hit television screens, Dark is a family saga with a supernatural touch set in a German town, where the disappearance of two children exposes the complex relationships between four families. TV shows in foreign languages aren’t often relished by IMDb users, which makes this particular one all the more special.

Fans of the show were left speechless by the middle season of this German Netflix original. Mysterious, thought-provoking, and breathtakingly tense, Dark Season 2 is incredibly binge-worthy television that grabs viewers’ attention and never lets go. Its story won’t be easy to follow for those not paying close attention, but those that do will have a hell of a blast with this strange but fascinating drama.

7 Season 1 of ‘True Detective’ (2014)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.2/10

Very few shows manage to have a genuinely amazing first season, let alone one that stands above the ones that come after it. True Detective, an anthology series about various sprawling police investigations, is one such show. You wouldn’t typically expect profound philosophical themes and mind-bogglingly complex writing in detective dramas, but True Detective is full of such surprises.

The series stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as detective partners, one of the television duos that defined the 21st century. Directed in its entirety by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the first season of this modern HBO classic is a thoughtful slow-burner with absorbing storylines and phenomenal characters. Praised for its mysterious narrative and engaging characters, it’s a series that fans of the genre won’t want to miss.

6 Season 4 of ‘Mr. Robot’ (2019)

IMDb Average Season Rating: 9.2/10

In 2019 came the final season of Mr. Robot, a transfixing crime thriller about Elliot (Rami Malek), a brilliant but unstable young man who becomes a key part of a complex game of global domination. The show’s themes are as timely as they were back when it started in 2015, and its exploration of the cyber-thriller genre is one of the most complex it has ever seen in any medium.

Mr. Robot got fantastic reviews on IMDb all throughout its four-season run, but never as much as in its final thirteen episodes. Mr. Robot‘s concluding season is often considered one of the best TV show seasons of all time; a mind-blowing, edge-of-your-seat ending that was every bit as satisfying as it was shocking and subversive.