True Detective poster

True Detective

2014-present 5 seasons

8.8 Top 8%

(737,034 votes)

31 episodes

IMDb
This show averages 8.0, which is 0.6 points above the global average of 7.4 Top 28%
7.4 8.0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IMDb Rating
All 806,989 TV Episodes
This Show (30 episodes)
Click to pin Pinned
L
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
8.9
7.5
8.5
7.1
E2
8.8
7.6
8.0
6.8
E3
9.1
7.3
7.7
6.3
E4
9.6
8.1
8.0
6.2
E5
9.5
7.6
8.3
6.8
E6
9.2
8.2
8.3
5.4
E7
9.2
8.5
8.5
E8
9.6
8.0
8.0
Avg
9.2
7.8
8.2
6.4
Excellent
Great
Good
Regular
Bad

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.

S1 S2 S3 S4 4.55.66.77.88.910 Rating 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 Episode 10 9 8 7 6 5

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:
11 Standouts
4 Infamous
12 Hidden Gems
3 Forgettable
Standouts Infamous Hidden Gems Forgettable Global: 7.5 5.46.27.17.98.89.6 Rating 8k 12k 18k 28k 42k Votes (log scale)
Top Standout: S1E4 Who Goes There
Most Infamous: S4E6 Night Country: Part 6
Best Hidden Gem: S2E7 Black Maps and Motel Rooms

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.

Season Trajectory

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

5.56.47.38.29.110 Rating S1 S2 S3 S4 Season 9.2 7.8 8.2 6.4 10 9 8 7 6 5

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.

4567891011 Rating S1 8.9 9.6 +0.7 S2 7.5 8.0 +0.5 S3 8.5 8.0 -0.5 S4 7.1 5.4 -1.7

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.

4568910 Rating S1 Steady avg 9.2 S2 Typical avg 7.8 S3 Steady avg 8.2 S4 Uneven avg 6.4 Episode Premiere/Finale

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

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 10 Episodes Season 1 dominates (8/10)

  1. 1 S1E4 Who Goes There 9.6
  2. 2 S1E8 Form and Void 9.6
  3. 3 S1E5 The Secret Fate of All Life 9.5
  4. 4 S1E6 Haunted Houses 9.2
  5. 5 S1E7 After You've Gone 9.2
  6. 6 S1E3 The Locked Room 9.1
  7. 7 S1E1 The Long Bright Dark 8.9
  8. 8 S1E2 Seeing Things 8.8
  9. 9 S2E7 Black Maps and Motel Rooms 8.5
  10. 10 S3E1 The Great War and Modern Memory 8.5

📉 Bottom 5 Episodes Season 4 dominates (5/5)

  1. 26 S4E6 Night Country: Part 6 5.4
  2. 27 S4E4 Night Country: Part 4 6.2
  3. 28 S4E3 Night Country: Part 3 6.3
  4. 29 S4E5 Night Country: Part 5 6.8
  5. 30 S4E2 Night Country: Part 2 6.8
30 Total Episodes
9.6 Highest Rating
6.8 Lowest Rating
2.8 Range