All 8 Game of Thrones seasons, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes score
By Bryce Olin
6. Game of Thrones season 1
- Audience Score: 96%
- Critics Score: 90%
Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in 2011. The first season introduces viewers to Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms and the main players all the way from the Wall to Winterfell to the Eyrie to King’s Landing to Pentos and the Dothraki Sea.
The first season of Game of Thrones doesn’t deserve to be this low on the list. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is a bit low compared to the other seasons, in my opinion. It’s such a good season of TV, and it sets the tone for what’s to come in future seasons, specifically the second and third seasons, which are easily two of the show’s best.
In the beginning, the show did an incredible job of weaving necessary background information about the history between the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, and Targaryens into a political drama full of twists, turns, mystery, and intrigue. Who killed Jon Arryn? Will Bran remember what he saw after he got pushed off the tower? The whole continent is a powder keg waiting to blow.
Obviously, there were bound to be some complaints about the first season. Most of those complaints revolve around the number of characters and confusing motivations. Then there’s the graphic sexual violence and incest. Clearly, the show would have been better without that.
All in all, Game of Thrones season 1 is a terrific first season, and it sets the show up for so much success. Is it really the sixth-best season? If it is, it’s only because the rest of the series is truly extraordinary.