Best Drama Series 2022

It took six seasons for Jimmy McGill to complete his transformation into Saul Goodman — a full season longer than it took for us to witness Walter White’s rise and fall — but the end result was a critical hit. Anchored by fantastic performances from Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn, the sixth season of Better Call Saul garnered near-universal praise to beat the likes of Cobra Kai, Peaky Blinders, Black Bird, and Pachinkko, among others.

The order reflects Tomatometer scores (as of December 31, 2022) after adjustment from our ranking formula, which compensates for variation in the number of reviews when comparing movies or TV shows.

Better Call Saul: Season 6

#1

Adjusted Score: 103256%

Critics Consensus: Better Call Saul remains as masterfully in control as Jimmy McGill keeps insisting he is in this final season, where years of simmering storytelling come to a scintillating boil.

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Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando, Patrick Fabian

Directed By: Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein

Bad Sisters: Season 1

#2

Adjusted Score: 105049%

Critics Consensus: Dark secrets are a family affair in Bad Sisters, a riotously funny murder mystery that makes fine use of its gifted ensemble while exemplifying creator and star Sharon Horgan's penchant for salty warmth.

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Starring: Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Claes Bang, Eva Birthistle

Directed By: Sharon Horgan, Faye Dorn, Clelia Mountford, Brett Baer

Cobra Kai: Season 5

#3

Adjusted Score: 101760%

Critics Consensus: Deftly managing an expanded roster of punchy personalities, Cobra Kai graduates to a black belt proficiency in heartfelt melodrama and sly humor.

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Starring: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña

Directed By: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, James Lassiter

Peaky Blinders: Season 6

#4

Adjusted Score: 101678%

Critics Consensus: Peaky Blinders' sixth season gracefully addresses the untimely passing of star Helen McCrory while setting the stage for a fitting climax to this epic saga of likable scalawags.

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Starring: Cillian Murphy, Natasha O'Keeffe, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle

Directed By: Anthony Byrne

The Serpent Queen: Season 1

#5

Adjusted Score: 101678%

Critics Consensus: The Serpent Queen dramatizes one of history's most infamous monarchs with a deft, sardonic touch, with Samantha Morton's commanding star turn likely to swallow viewers' attention whole.

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Starring: Samantha Morton, Amrita Acharia, Barry Atsma, Enzo Cilenti

Directed By:

Black Bird: Limited Series

#6

Adjusted Score: 104937%

Critics Consensus: Dennis Lehane's penchant for authentic grit is on full display in Blackbird, an absorbing prison drama distinguished by its moral complexity and elevated by an outstanding ensemble.

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Starring: Taron Egerton, Ray Liotta, Greg Kinnear, Sepideh Moafi

Directed By: Dennis Lehane, Taron Egerton, Michaël R. Roskam, Bradley Thomas

Pachinko: Season 1

#7

Adjusted Score: 102151%

Critics Consensus: Intricate yet intimate, Pachinko is a sweeping epic that captures the arc of history as well as the enduring bonds of family.

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Starring: Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-Ho, Kim Min-ha, Soji Arai

Directed By: Richard Middleton, Theresa Kang-Lowe, Lindsey Springer, Michael Ellenberg

A League of Their Own: Season 1

#8

Adjusted Score: 103028%

Critics Consensus: A League of Their Own puts some spin on its pitch, lobbing a serialized expansion that swerves dangerously close to anachronism but hits home thanks to a roster filled with all-stars and a field rich with possibilities.

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Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D'Arcy Carden, Roberta Colindrez

Directed By: Abbi Jacobson, Will Graham, Hailey Wierengo, Desta Tedros Reff

The Responder: Season 1

#9

Adjusted Score: 101282%

Critics Consensus: The Responder is unrelentingly dark and inescapably absorbing, with Martin Freeman's hangdog performance carrying the drama.

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Starring: Martin Freeman, Adelayo Adedayo, Warren Brown, MyAnna Buring

Directed By: Tim Mielants, Fien Troch

Industry: Season 2

#10

Adjusted Score: 97480%

Critics Consensus: Finessing complicated financial jargon into scathing repartee, Industry's stock is way up in this superlative sophomore season full of frustrated ambitions and tested loyalties.

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Starring: Myha'la Herrold, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, David Jonsson

Directed By: Jane Tranter, Lachlan MacKinnon, Ryan Rasmussen, Lena Dunham