Given the state that the entertainment industry is in, there should be no further debate about whether television is in any way a “lesser” medium compared to film. Over the course of the past several decades,great drama showshave proven to be more complex and dynamic than many of the films that hit theaters.Dramatic television has proven to be the preferred medium for adult entertainment. While cinemas are largely dominated by superhero movies, television has become a place where audiences can expect rich, nuanced stories told over an extended period of time.
While there are certainly many great drama shows,not every season is created equal.Some shows likeGame of ThronesandHouse of Cardspeaked early with standout seasons, only tohave very disappointing conclusions. It’s impressive when a series can pull off a strong season-long arc that satisfies the investment that fans have made in the series thus far. Here are the ten best television drama seasons, ranked.
10‘The Americans’ (2013-2018)
The Americanswas a dynamic espionage show that addressed both marriage and political tensionwith its Cold War storyline. Set during the 1980s, the series focused on the Russian spies Phillip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) as they went undercover as an average family in the United States. While early seasons detailed the couples’ conflicting loyalties, the sixth and final installment of the show forced the characters to go on the run when their identity is discovered by the FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich).
The Americanspulled off a perfect finalethat left just the right amount of story beats ambiguous; while it gave Phillip and Elizabeth an opportunity to reflect upon their experiences, it did not overlook the ramifications that their extended stay in America had on their relationship. With better espionage sequences and some of the most emotional moments of the entire series,The Americanstruly saved the best for last with its final season.
The Americans
The Americanscan be streamed on Hulu in the U.S.
Watch on Hulu
9‘The Leftovers’ (2014-2017)
ShowrunnerDamon Lindelofreceived serious criticism for his role in crafting the conclusion ofLost, a show that many fans felt did not sufficiently pay off their investment with its disappointing plot twist. However, Lindelof managed to craft a far more emotional and satisfying series finale with his science fiction mystery seriesThe Leftovers.The third and final season ofThe Leftoversis the most emotional and artistic of its entire run; Lindelof brought each of the character arcs to a satisfying conclusion, whilst leaving elements of the mystery ambiguous.
The Leftoversseason three wasunique among post-apocalyptic shows,as it was more focused on the characters’ maturation than exploring the root of the world’s collapse. The excellent music byMax Richterand staggering performances byJustin TherouxandCarrie Coonallowed this offbeat genre series to go out on a very high note.
The Leftovers
The Leftoverscan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
Watch on Max
There’s a good reason whyBreaking Badis often cited as one of thegreatest television thrillers of all-time. Over the course of the series, audiences got to watch the good man Walter White (Bryan Craston) transform into the monstrous criminal mastermind “Heisenberg.”The final season ofBreaking Badforced Walter to confront his egregious actionsand atone for the trauma that his family went through. The last episode “Felina” was a thrilling installment that brought Walter’s intense story to a tragic conclusion.
In addition to giving Cranston some of the best material he ever had to work with,the final season ofBreaking Badfeatured Aaron Paul’s best work as Jesse Pinkman. Jesse is put through horrific circumstances throughout the season, yet emerges with a desire to reshape his life. The series provided the perfect setup for his next adventure in the spinoff filmEl Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Badcan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
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7‘Better Call Saul’ (2015-2022)
Prequels are inherently hard to make work, as audiences may be less interested in seeing a story where they already know the conclusion ahead of time. However,Better Call Saulinverted expectations with its final season by serving as both a prequel and sequel toBreaking Bad. The season confirmed how a shady lawyer like Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) could transform into a criminal like Saul Goodman, and recreated moments fromBreaking Bad’s final season from a different point-of-view. The final season managed to bringVince Gilligan’s entire universe to a satisfying conclusion, giving memorable final turns for Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and Mike (Jonathan Banks).
Better Call Saulfeatured some of its best performances in the final season. Rhea Seehornhad simply never been better as Kim Wexler, anda guest performance byCarol Burnettwas simply the icing on the cake of a perfect season.
Better Call Saul
Better Call Saulcan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
6‘The Sopranos’ (1999-2007)
The Sopranoschanged television forever, as it signified that HBO was capable of making thrilling gangster dramas that rivaledThe GodfatherandGoodfellas. While its the rare show that doesn’t really have a bad season,The Sopranoshit a creative high in its fifth season, which featured the shocking death ofDrea de Matteo’s Adriana La Cervain the episode “Long Term Parking.”Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) had always been a morally dubious character, but the fifth season confirmed that he was downright evil, and incapable of redemption.
The Sopranos’ fifth season benefited from a great guest role by Steve Buscemi, who appeared as the reformed gangster Tony B. Tony B’s attempts to reshape his life, only to once again be caught up in a world of violence, made for one of the most tragic storylines in the entire series.
The Sopranos
The Sopranoscan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
5‘The Wire’ (2002-2008)
The Wirewas unlike any other crime drama in television history; praised for its authenticdepiction of police procedures, each season grew steadily more complex by exploring a different level of infrastructure in Baltimore. While previous seasons focused on the drug trade, shipping ports, and electoral politics of the city,The Wiretook a deep dive into the flaws of the education system in its fourth season.The attention granted to the younger cast of characters proved to be the most emotional storyline in the entire series.
While worth watching as a piece of brilliant entertainment,The Wire’s fourth season helped raise awareness about systematic issues that are still relevant today.The show’s complex narrative addressed the trauma that real people face, and put a spotlight on a diverse set of perspectives that are rarely granted attention in other crime dramas.
The Wirecan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
A unique historical drama praised for its great characters,Mad Menexplored some of the most significant events of the 1960s through the perspective of the advertising agency Sterling Cooper and its enigmatic creative director, Don Draper (Jon Hamm).Following the shocking end of the third season,the fourth season ofMad Menexplored Sterling Cooper’s attempts to become an independent business.This created more tension, as it was unclear if the show’s characters would be able to replicate their previous successes.
Although there was a strong focus on the business side,Mad Men’s fourth season turned Don into a more empathetic character, as he was coping with the ramifications of his recent divorce to Betty (January Jones). Don’s bonding with his daughter Sally (Kiernan Shipka) allowed the fourth season to become more profound than previous installments had ever been.
Mad Mencan be streamed on AMC+ in the U.S.
Watch on AMC+
3‘Mr. Robot’ (2015-2019)
Beforecreating the hit Netflix thrillerLeave The World Behind, writer/directorSam Esmailmade an ingenious psychological drama with the hacker seriesMr. Robot. Although it was a series that frequently delivered shocking plot twists,Mr. Robotreleased some of its most experimental episodes in its third season.The intense episode “eps3.4_runtime-error.r00” utilized the “one continuous shot” camera trick used byAlejandro Gonzales InarrituinBirdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and the emotional installment “eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko” took a deep dive into the psychology of Ellio Alderson (Rami Malek).
Mr. Robot’s third season was also its most emotional,as Elliot is forced to help his longtime best friend Angela (Portia Doubleday) recover from a series of traumatic incidents. While it set up plot twists that would pay off in the subsequent season,Mr. Robot’s third season was its most exciting and enthralling.
Mr. Robotcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
Watch on Prime
2‘Succession’ (2018-2023)
Ever since its first season,Successionset up a mystery regarding the future of the Waystar RoyCo company, and whether it would be inherited by Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), or Shiv (Sarah Snook).The fourth season ofSuccessionwas its best, as it forced the three siblings to work together in order to preserve the legacy of their father, Logan (Brian Cox). While often darkly funny,Successionproved in its fourth season that the flawed characters were capable of showing vulnerability and empathy.
Successionmanaged to deliver a perfect series finale with the episode “With Open Eyes,”which concluded the Roy family’s arc on a tragic note. Between the excellent music byNicholas Britelland the pitch-perfect performances from the entire cast,Successionwas both a harsh indictment of wealthy privilege and a deeply moving drama about familial dysfunction.
Succession
Successioncan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
1‘Twin Peaks’ (1990-2017)
The first two seasons ofTwin Peakswere revolutionary works of television that created a “water cooler effect” that ensured it a passionate group of lifelong fans. Although the show was tragicallycanceled at the end of its second season, series creatorDavid Lynchrevitalized the show with the legacy continuationTwin Peaks: The Return. Twin Peaks: The Returnwas a dark recontextualization of the show’s mythology that provoked even more questions; part of the show’s genius was letting the audience interpret what critical events were intended to mean.
Between the return ofKyle MacLachlan’s Dale Cooper and an excellent cast of original characters,Twin Peaks: The Returnwas the perfect mix of nostalgia and new elements. Rumors persist that Lynch could be interested in picking up the series once more for a fourth season, but its hard to imagine anything topping the perfection ofTwin Peaks: The Return.
