10 TV Shows That Peaked In Their First Season
7. True Detective
True Detective is an anthology series, with each season dealing with a different set of detectives investigating a different crime.
They’re held together by a gritty, southern noir tone, deep character introspection, and Season 3 confirmed in an Easter egg that they take place within the same universe.
Because each season is fresh, it’s arguably easier to judge the relative quality of each; there’s no holdover story arcs which span various seasons, for example. Also, each character must be introduced and developed anew, instead of just building on groundwork laid previously.
With that in mind, Season 1 is clearly the peak. Season 2 was viewed as an all-around disappointment, and while Season 3 was a marked improvement, it couldn’t really compare to the original.
The cyclical nature means Season 4 will have its own opportunity to establish itself, and the huge step up from 2 to 3 suggests the show is heading in the right direction.
With a masterclass performance by Matthew McConaughey, a gripping mystery and twists which felt earned, Season 1 remains the show’s peak. Mahershala Ali did a great job in the third run but there were too many inconsistencies with the ending to match the epic original.