All 8 Game of Thrones seasons, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes score

3. Game of Thrones season 2

• Audience Score: 96%
• Critics Score: 96%

Game of Thrones season 2 is another exquisite season of TV. After an explosive end to season 1 that saw the death of Ned Stark, the second season brings in a bunch of new characters and also expands on the stories of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and the Stark family (Arya, Sansa, Bran, Robb, and Catelyn) in important ways.

There are five Kings fighting for either independence of the Iron Throne, and it gets so messy (but in a good way). And so begins the War of the Five Kings that continues for the bulk of two seasons. It’s the most devastating conflict that we’d seen in Game of Thrones up to this point.

Overall, there are few complaints about Game of Thrones season 2. Sure, the show gets a bit confusing at times, as any complex political drama would; there are so many characters to keep track of. But the creative team moves through Westeros, Essos, and this story like a Braavosi water dancer. It’s that well-made!

Season 2 is truly one of the best seasons of TV out there, and it’s still only the third-best season of Game of Thrones, according to Rotten Tomatoes. We’re really splitting hairs, though. The top two seasons are literally less than 2 percent better than season 2.