4 Incredible TV Shows Where Every Episode Got Better

Even some of the best TV shows have highs and lows, so it’s rare to find a series that gets better with every single episode. Fortunately for those looking for a binge with momentum, there are a few standouts that pull it off. They’re usually shows with just a single season. After all, the longer a story goes on, the harder it is to have zero dips in quality throughout. Series like Breaking Bad and Succession may improve with each season, but there are still a few lulls between their most masterful episodes.

Miniseries have a better chance to avoid such fluctuations, especially when they’re on the shorter side. From a horror masterpiece that brings its moving pieces together in a surprisingly heartwarming way to a harrowing dramatization of history, these shows keep building on the last chapter to create something better in the next.

4) The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

Most of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series qualify as shows with no bad episodes, and in the case of The Haunting of Hill House, things genuinely do keep getting better. The 10-episode series starts strong, making it all too easy to get invested in the Crain family and their shared traumas. The central mystery surrounding why the Crains fled Hill House is intriguing, and the premiere ends on a shocking cliffhanger — one that will leave viewers slamming play on the next installment. From there, Flanagan knows how to expertly build tensions while deepening these characters and their relationships. Their story gets more compelling from episode to episode, until finally, The Haunting of Hill House nails its conclusion. It’s a show with a perfect ending, one that’s equal parts gutting and moving. Clearly, Flanagan has a knack for delivering excellence from start to finish, as The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass also benefit from such high quality throughout.

3) The Queen’s Gambit

Another Netflix miniseries that earns its positive reputation from one episode to the next is The Queen’s Gambit. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy in one of her best roles, the show tells the tale of chess prodigy Beth Harmon, exploring how she goes from life in an orphanage to being a famed champion at the game. It digs into the darker side of that journey, and it truly is a masterclass when it comes to character work. It also manages to make its depictions of chess tense and gripping. Its strengths come down to the writing, acting, camera work, and scoring — all of which remain seamless across its seven episodes. It ends on a high note, too, with the finale paying off everything that comes before it in a truly satisfying fashion. After a steady but strong build-up, it’s easily the best episode of the bunch. It’s exactly the trajectory you’d want from any show, but especially one with such a short run.

2) Adolescence

Netflix’s Adolescence is just four episodes long, which explains how it manages to keep getting better from beginning to end. And when say “better,” I don’t mean it gets any easier to watch. The crime drama is a difficult viewing experience, as it tackles the heavy topic of online radicalization among young boys, along with the violence it can lead to. While it’s a fictional story, it doesn’t hold back in its analysis of its timely themes. Each episode unfolds in a single shot, and Owen Cooper — who plays the 13-year-old boy arrested for killing a classmate — is utterly convincing. In addition to being one of the most important series to emerge in recent years, Adolescence is one of the strongest throughout. While some viewers don’t appreciate how the finale differs from the prior three chapters, I’d argue it’s the best way to get the series’ points across. It’s how Adolescence needs to end, and it upholds the quality when it comes to writing and acting while packing a powerful punch.

1) Chernobyl

Whether you agree that HBO’s Chernobyl improves with every episode will largely depend on which part of the story interests you the most: the fictionalized depiction of the 1986 nuclear disaster or the aftermath of it. The way the 2019 miniseries is structured allows viewers to fully absorb both in a way that’s informative and drives home the impact. I don’t think there’s any other way the series could realistically unfold, as it builds on every installment by continuously widening its scope. Its first episode thrusts audiences fully into the confusion and horror of the Chernobyl disaster, which saw a reactor exploding at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. The terror felt by those in its immediate vicinity is palpable, and it’s harrowing enough that you’ll need to see the next four episodes just to know what comes next. As the series expands to show the efforts to prevent further damage — then shifts to explore what caused the devastation — it paints a full picture that leaves a lasting impression. It’s easily one of HBO’s best limited series to date.

What’s a TV show you feel gets better with every episode? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!