When it comes to TV shows, it’s almost inevitable that quality will not be consistent throughout. When you have dozens (or even hundreds) of episodes playing out over the years, even the best shows are likely to have a stumble or two along the way. Holding a viewer’s attention for several years is not at all the same as holding a viewer’s attention for just a couple of hours, as is the case with a movie, and so these shifts in quality are generally forgivable if the show’s highs are high enough.

IMDb allows users to rate each episode of a TV show individually, making it easy to see how a show fits the show from episode to episode. Because these rankings can change over time, it’s hard to find which shows objectively have the biggest difference in quality between their “best” and “worst” episodes, but the following seven examples represent some of the most significant differences. These are all generally popular series that do have less-stellar episodes nonetheless, but in general this may be due to the abundance of great episodes that make smaller episodes seem worse than they really are.

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Arrested Development (2003-2019): Arrested Development (9.2/10) and Trial Day Save (6.7/10)

retarded development it’s arguably the most beloved sitcom of the 2000s…although not when it was actually on the air, as it was a critically acclaimed show that never got high ratings. This is evident from the fact that the series was canceled during the third season, although despite the fact that it happened abruptly, the writers were able to craft a reasonably convincing Season 3 finale, “Delay in Development”, which is still considered the highest rated episode ever. in the series. with a score of 9.2/10 on IMDb.

Cut before 2013 and the show was revived thanks to Netflix. It ended up getting a fourth and fifth season before finally ending in 2019. The fourth season has its fans and is generally considered ambitious and sometimes very funny, but it certainly wasn’t as great as the show’s first three seasons. However, Season 5 was another step down in quality and also contains the lowest rated episode of the show, “Indictment Day Save”, which is 2.5 points lower than the highest rated episode.

The Office (2005–2013): Endgame (9.8/10) and Get the Girl (6.4/10).

Office lasted for nine seasons and ended with almost 200 episodes. Surprisingly, the highest rated of all these episodes is the most recent, appropriately titled Endgame. It’s almost an hour long episode and is great for wrapping up the show’s various storylines and seeing off all of its characters. It’s not the funniest or most memorable episode otherwise, but it’s good that the show had an audible series finale after a shaky eighth and ninth season.

Speaking of the last two seasons, they’re not very good. The show probably got a little worn out by season 6 or 7 and then when Steve Carell gone, the show suffered further. So it’s no surprise that the lowest rated episode on IMDb, “Get the Girl”, is from Season 8. With a main plot that focuses on the rather controversial Andy and a B plot that focuses on an even more controversial character. Nelly, it’s clear that this is such a low rating as Office receives.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003): Body (9.7/10) and Bad Beer (6.2/10)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a thrillingly ambitious show for a network show that required over 20 episodes a year on a relatively limited budget. His wildest episodes were often his best and most memorable. Three such episodes received a 9.7 out of 10 rating on IMDb: “The Body”, a dark and heartbreaking episode about death and grief, “Once More, with Feeling”, this is a musical episode it feels organic and influences the current story, and “Hush,” an episode that makes it impossible for everyone to speak, playing out almost entirely without dialogue.

For those highs, of course, there were some lows. Among the show’s 144 episodes, there are surprisingly few really bad hours… with the exception of “Bad Beer”, which is 3.5 points below the best episodes of the show. A clumsy and awkward story about how beer is, well, bad, in which the main character turns into a cave woman because of some damn beer. Aside from a couple of funny moments, this is quite possible to miss.

Rick and Morty (2013-): “Riklantis’ Confusion” (9.8/10) and “Rick’s Addiction Spray” (5.7/10)

When Rick and Morty at its best, it fantasy science fiction/comedy/animated series. Thanks to the beloved seasons 1 and 2 and the occasional divisive season 3, the show was unstoppable for several years, back in the 2010s. The highest rated episode is from the third season: “The Ricklantis Mixup” which packs so much into just 22 minutes and gets a 9.8/10 rating for being extremely ambitious and completely unique to the show as a whole.

But once the series got to its fourth and fifth seasons, the quality became less consistent and the fan base was more divided than ever before. The less said about the lowest rated episode - Season 5’s “Addiction Spray” - the better. While the show was often rude and awkward, this meant it may have gone too far, a sentiment reflected in its ratings, which are 4.1 points lower than the episode that presents Rick and Morty at its best.

“Dexter” (2006-2013): “Escape” (9.8/10) and “Remember the Monsters?” (4.7/10)

dexter was a great show for its first four seasons. Well… ok, Season 3 wasn’t as good as the first two super entertaining seasons, of course, but it was still pretty solid. But then season 4 came out and amazed the audience by showing dexter at its best. With a show going full blast and a great guest star in John Lithgow - The season ended well with “Escape” which has a near-perfect IMDb rating of 9.8/10.

And then, four years and four seasons later, dexter aired his last episode… and with the lowest rating. Although the last four seasons dexter it had its moments, season 8 was pretty much a flash in the pan, with no excitement, tension, mystery or anything particularly compelling. There was even a feeling that the writers and actors were tired of the show, and “Monsters Remembered” turned out to be one of the most languid and mysterious series finales in recent television history. newcomers to dexter honestly it’s better to stop after season 4 as the show’s early years are still quality TV.

The Simpsons (1989-): “Homer’s Enemy” (9.3/10) and “Lisa Becomes Gaga” (4/10).

Nobody should be surprised that The Simpsons has a huge difference between the highest and lowest rated episodes. Since 1989, more than 700 episodes have aired, with 33 seasons behind them. At this stage, it’s an epic TV show, with early seasons being some of the most beloved sitcom seasons of all time, and later seasons considered mostly forgettable by even the show’s biggest fans.

However, it’s interesting that the show’s highest-rated episode, “Homer’s Enemy,” aired near the end of the show’s eighth season, while its lowest-rated episode, “Lisa Becomes Gaga,” aired over a decade ago. Quality may not drop linearly, though it’s safe to say that the show’s glory days are behind us for now.

Game of Thrones (2011-2019): The Winds of Winter (9.9.10) and The Iron Throne (4.1/10)

Infamous at best Game of Thrones The Iron Throne ending isn’t as bad as some say. In the worst case this unforgivable and destructive. In any case, very few people can sincerely say they found this to be a fitting ending, let alone one of the show’s best episodes.

The backlash against it is evident in its dismal 4.1/10 rating on IMDb. On the other hand, the Season 6 finale is the highest rated episode of the series, with a near-perfect rating of 9.9/10. Aired just three years before the end of the show, it’s a shame the series finale couldn’t deliver the same spectacle and excitement as the season 6 finale.