Episode Ratings Grid

M
Loading chart...
Great
Good
Mid
Bad

Episode Power Rankings

The peaks and the valleys. Find the essential episodes — and the ones to skip.

#1
S1E22 8.8
Chapter Twenty-Two

Lauren gets a gun to protect herself from Daniel, only to get a two-month suspension for pulling it on school grounds. Jeremy won't tell Marilyn what happened to his mother. Daniel's parents reveal that their son has serious psychological problems and that his History textbook was plagiarized. Marla gives Winslow High's first student to get accepted to Harvard an F. In order to bolster Winslow's reputation and prevent a lawsuit from the parents, Harper convinces Lipschultz to re-evaluate Marla's F Grade and doctor it to a D. At prom, Kevin Jackson gives a speech bemoaning the lack of heroes in their generation but praises the faculty for being real heroes. Guber gets a special award from the students. Jeremy Peter's mother is shown locked in the basement, tied to a chair with a gag over her mouth.

#2
S1E10 8.6
Chapter Ten

Sheryl Holt breaks the news about Milton and Lisa's secret affair on her website. Suspicious, Harper confronts Buttle about his sexual involvement, but Milton disavows any wrongdoing, claiming that he and Lisa have started a "Shakespeare Club." However, Riley has his hands full with another explosive situation - an anonymous bully has severely beaten three male students. Meanwhile, Marilyn suspects that a girl in her class is a victim of incest when the student writes a "fictional" essay about her father molesting her. In the middle of this crisis, Guber asks Lipschultz to resign after accusing him of being a racist.

#3
S1E13 8.6
Chapter Thirteen

When Coach Riley is fired for withholding information about Buttle's affair, he hires the best attorneys in Boston - Ellenor Frutt and Jimmy Berluti. Ellenor immediately begins subpoenaing witnesses, sending a message to Winslow High that she means business. Meanwhile, Lauren discovers that Harry had dated another co-worker, Jenna, before her. Disturbed that Harry would have a relationship with a woman Lauren deems unsavory, she becomes concerned about her own relationship with Senate. In court, the reputations of the entire faculty at Winslow are smeared, but the closing argument (given by Steven Harper himself) convinces the judge to uphold the termination. Kevin angrily tells Harper that his decision demonstrated the he cared less about the students than protecting his own authority. The episode ends with Kevin and Milton saying goodbye to the faculty, excluding Harper and Guber.

#4 Chapter Three S1E3 8.5
#5 Chapter Eighteen S1E18 8.4
#6 Chapter Forty S2E18 8.4
#7 Chapter Forty-One S2E19 8.4
#8 Chapter Sixty-Six S3E22 8.4
#9 Chapter One S1E1 8.3
#10 Chapter Five S1E5 8.3

Lowlights

#81 S2E6 Chapter Twenty-Eight 5.5

A statutory-rape case entangles Ronnie with the enraged parents of the 15-year-old victim; an illicit-drug situation embroils Harper with his unsettled daughter.

#80 Chapter Seventy-Six S4E10 6.4
#79 Chapter Twenty-Seven S2E5 6.4
#78 Chapter Seventy-Four S4E8 6.7
#77 Chapter Sixty-Seven S4E1 6.7

The Quality Arc

Each point is an episode, plotted in order. Colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for the rise, the plateau, or the decline.

Loading chart...

Episode Engagement

High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.

Loading chart...

Series Trajectory

One point per season. Smooths out the episode-to-episode noise to reveal the bigger arc.

Loading chart...

Season Momentum

Did each season build or fizzle? Green means the finale outscored the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows, bigger swings.

Loading chart...

Season Consistency

How steady is each season? Tightly clustered dots mean reliable quality. Scattered dots mean a wild ride.

Loading chart...