Surviving R. Kelly — 2019-2023 · 3 seasons · 15 eps

★ 7.4

Surviving R. Kelly

Name: Surviving R. Kelly
Genre: Crime, Documentary, Music
Released: 2019
Rating: 7.4

2019-2023 3 seasons 15 episodes

★ 7.4 (6,081 votes) Bottom 46%

IMDb

Celebrated as one of the greatest R&B singers of all time, R. Kelly’s genre defining career and playboy lifestyle has been riddled with rumors of abuse, predatory behavior, and pedophilia. Despite damning evidence and multiple witnesses, to date, none of these accusations have seemingly affected him. For the first time ever, survivors and people from R. Kelly’s inner circle, are coming forward with new allegations about his sexual, mental, and physical abuse. They are now finally ready to share their full story and shed light on the secret life the public has never seen.

Episode Ratings Grid

Every episode at a glance, color-coded by rating. Rows are episode numbers within each season, columns are seasons.

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Episode Power Rankings

The best and worst episodes at a glance. Use this to find must-watch episodes or ones you might want to skip.

🏆 Top Episodes

#1 7.9

S3E2 Taking a Stand

Faith, Jane Doe #6, prepares to face R. Kelly in the courtroom. R. Kelly supporters make their presence known while others face charges and accusations alongside Kelly.

S1E3 7.7

Sex Tape Scandal

As journalists uncover a trail of lawsuits and confidential settlements concerning underage girls, an underground sex tape emerges that puts R. Kelly in a compromising position.

S1E5 7.7

All the Missing Girls

Parents of girls in R.Kelly's camp accuse him of keeping them psychologically and sexually imprisoned. One mother fights to get her daughter back - and wins.

4. S1E6 "Black Girls Matter." 7.7
5. S1E2 "Hiding in Plain Sight" 7.6
6. S1E4 "The People vs. R. Kelly" 7.6
7. S1E1 "The Pied Piper of R&B" 7.5
8. S3E3 "Jane Doe #1" 7.5
9. S3E4 "The Verdict" 7.3
10. S3E1 "30 Years in the Making" 7.2

📉 Bottom Episodes

#15

S2E5 6.5

Bring Our Girls Home

As R. Kelly is taken into federal custody without bail, the families of Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary wonder if their daughters will ever return home.

14. S2E4 "After the Rescue" 6.7
13. S2E3 "Please Come Forward" 6.8
12. S2E2 "The Settlement Factory" 6.8
11. S2E1 "It Hasn't Stopped" 6.9

The Quality Arc

Each point is an episode, plotted chronologically. The colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for upward or downward trends to see if quality improved or declined over time.

Trend

Episode Engagement

Vote count shows how many people cared enough to rate. High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.

Rating threshold:

6 Standouts

2 Infamous

2 Hidden Gems

5 Forgettable

Top Standout: S1E1 The Pied Piper of R&B

Most Infamous: S2E1 It Hasn't Stopped

Best Hidden Gem: S3E2 Taking a Stand

Episodes plotted by rating vs. vote count. The vertical line marks the rating threshold (7.5). More votes = more engagement. Toggle above to compare against global or show-specific median.

Series Trajectory

A simplified view: one point per season. This smooths out episode-to-episode noise to show the overall arc of the series.

Trend

Season Momentum

Did each season build momentum or fizzle out? Green arrows mean the finale rated higher than the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows = bigger swings.

Season Consistency

Some seasons are reliable bangers. Others are hit-or-miss. Each dot is an episode. Tightly clustered dots mean consistent quality. Scattered dots mean a mixed bag.

Each dot is an episode. Clustered dots = consistent quality. Scattered dots = variable season. Hover for episode details.