Testlist

In 2013, Orange Is the New Black put Netflix on the map as one of the platform's first original series, back when releasing a season of TV all at once was unheard of. The story begins with privileged Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) serving a prison sentence for a crime she committed several years prior, but soon shifts into a finely balanced comedy-drama exploring the lives of the massive, diverse ensemble of women in the prison. The fourth season largely continued the status quo of the first three, but upset many fans with the bold move to have one of the most beloved characters, Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley), die at the hands of a correctional officer in the finale.

Season 5 thus begins with the inmates entering full rebellion for Poussey's murder, as well as the other inhumane treatment they've experienced. The entire season takes places over the course of a three-day prison riot. Both fans and critics were divided about this structural conceit; many found it gimmicky and melodramatic, or else felt losing the character of Poussey was not worth it to set up this story. Other fans enjoyed the show's willingness to do something new after so many years, plus the chance for Taystee (Danielle Brooks) to take more of a leading role as the the de facto leader of the riot, navigating discussions with the prison leadership and the press on the inmates' behalf.

The premise for Buffy the Vampire Slayer is simple: a teenager who slays vampires while trying to be an ordinary high school student. Early seasons found success by balancing Buffy's personal drama and coming-of-age stories with the supernatural threats she faced with the aid of Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), Xander (Nicholas Brendan), and Willow (Alyson Hannigan). In addition to the average vampires and monsters each week, each seasons typically centered a more dangerous ongoing antagonist, informally dubbed the “big bad.”

After Season 5 prepared to potentially end the series by having Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) sacrifice her life to stop that season's big bad, the all-powerful Glory, Season 6 brought Buffy back to life and had her face a very different enemy: life itself. If adjusting to being alive again isn't enough stress for Buffy, she also has to care for her teen sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) due to their mother's sudden death in the previous season. On top of saving the world, Buffy has to pay the bills - since Slaying doesn't pay, she picks up jobs at a fast food restaurant and a construction site, all while struggling with guilt and depression that leads her to a self-loathing affair with the vampire Spike (James Marsters). Consequently, some fans found Season 6 boring or dark compared to the previous installments, while others appreciated the more mature tone and the exploration of how difficult Buffy's situation really is, seeing this season as a “coming of age” for the show itself.

Community Season 4 upset a lot of die-hard fans due to the departure of creator Dan Harmon, whose voice and vision set the tone for the community college-set sitcom's bizarre and often meta humor. In fact, Season 4 went over so poorly that the network brought Harmon back for the fifth season, with characters in the show even remarking on how the previous year felt strange due to a school-wide “gas leak."

Even with the creator's return, plus beloved actor Jonathan Banks joining the cast as Professor Buzz Hickey, some fans felt the show still lacked the charm of the early seasons. Notably, the situation wasn't helped by the departures of two lead characters, Pierce (Chevy Chase) and Troy (Donald Glover). Regardless of how fans felt about those particular characters, the dynamic of the infamous study group was changed forever once the original roster of seven was changed, leading to mixed feelings about the fifth season overall.

Community Season 4 upset a lot of die-hard fans due to the departure of creator Dan Harmon, whose voice and vision set the tone for the community college-set sitcom's bizarre and often meta humor. In fact, Season 4 went over so poorly that the network brought Harmon back for the fifth season, with characters in the show even remarking on how the previous year felt strange due to a school-wide “gas leak."

Even with the creator's return, plus beloved actor Jonathan Banks joining the cast as Professor Buzz Hickey, some fans felt the show still lacked the charm of the early seasons. Notably, the situation wasn't helped by the departures of two lead characters, Pierce (Chevy Chase) and Troy (Donald Glover). Regardless of how fans felt about those particular characters, the dynamic of the infamous study group was changed forever once the original roster of seven was changed, leading to mixed feelings about the fifth season overall.

The X-Files holds a special place in the hearts of fans who love paranormal mysteries. Even decades after the show's main run, it retains a number of loyal fans - who will provide very different answers when asked which is the best season of the series. While many agree the quality dipped toward the end of the nine-season original run, especially after one half of the main duo left, Season 7 remains controversial.

The pair of open-minded Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and skeptic Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) were the core of The X-Files, so naturally any season that features both is enjoyed more than those where Duchovny stepped back, and other characters began to take more of a leading focus. Season 7 also maintains a mixed reception because it felt like it was written with the possibility it would end the show. In fact, Duchovny was locked in a lawsuit against the network at the time, and much was up in the air as the question of whether the show could continue without Mulder was raised. While some fans group Season 7 as one of the last good seasons, others mark it as the start of the show's decline.

Shameless became a hit for Showtime, following the highly dysfunctional Gallagher family as they try to carve out fulfilling lives in the South Side of Chicago. One of the show's greatest strengths was its ability to balance comedy and drama - vital since the show's premise, of Fiona (Emmy Rossum) and her younger siblings largely taking care of themselves while their alcoholic father Frank (William H. Macy) mooches off of them - could be very bleak if not handled right.

The fourth season surprised viewers by angling more towards the darkness, as Fiona's personal life unravels with bad choices that lead to her endangering her toddler brother Liam by exposing him to cocaine. Meanwhile, Frank becomes deathly ill as his liver fails, Ian (Cameron Monaghan) begins to show symptoms of bipolar disorder like his mother, and Lip (Jeremy Allen White) discovers that his ex-girlfriend is now trapped in an abusive relationship. Viewers were torn, with some praising the chance for the actors to navigate such heavy material, while others found it too depressing to be enjoyable. Fortunately, the controversial direction didn't impact the show as it ran for seven more seasons, mostly getting back to the right balance of levity and darkness.

The key to Killing Eve's appeal is the complex relationship between determined British intelligence officer Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and the playful assassin she sets out to catch, Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Though some felt the second season was a bit repetitive with the first, fans agreed that the simultaneously antagonistic and erotic dynamic between the two leads was vital, and their chemistry was sizzling.

Season 3 of Killing Eve shook up the format, putting the chase on the back burner to widen the lens on characters beyond the main duo. While the first two seasons are shown almost entirely from the perspectives of Eve and Villanelle, the third season introduces a number of minor characters and gives supporting players Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) and Konstantin (Kim Bodnia) their own independent storylines. For fans of the cat-and-mouse formula of the previous two seasons, this felt like a hard pause on the pulsating action. However, for fans who wanted more exploration of the mysterious antagonist organization called the Twelve, this change of pace was just what they wanted.