This Is The Worst Season Of Vampire Diaries, According To IMDB

The supernatural drama "The Vampire Diaries" was consistently one of The CW's most popular shows during its eight-season run on the network, and the series has found many new fans through streaming on Netflix, occasionally sneaking its way into the Top 10 Most-Watched cue in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you watched the show when it debuted on The CW in 2009 or have only now discovered it, there's no arguing some seasons are better than others. 

While not every fan can agree on the show's best and worst episodes, there's at least one way to judge which seasons stood out and which ones floundered: IMDB user ratings. It's no surprise the second season is rated the highest, with an average episode rating of 8.7. One could argue Season 1 built the foundation for series stars Ian Somerhalder (Damon), Paul Wesley (Stefan), and Nina Dobrev (Elena) to put their own stamp on the classic love triangle of two brothers in love with the same woman. But, Season 2 added new and exciting characters such as Klaus while expanding on the relationships of its original characters.

While viewers might expect one of the last seasons to claim the worst season spot, they'd be surprised to learn another is ranked the lowest on IMDB.

The fifth season of "The Vampire Diaries" has an 8.2 rating on IMDB, even though some of its episodes are fan favorites and rated highly on the website. For example, its finale, "Home," is ranked the highest of the season with a 9.0 rating. In the episode, his friends try valiantly to save a lifeless Stefan, whose spirit watches on alongside his deceased best friend, Lexi, played by recurring guest star Arielle Kebbel. The episode sees beloved characters such as Alaric, who'd been killed in previous episodes, resurrected to the land of the living while Damon and Stefan appear to die permanently, together.

However, the episodes that precede "Home" focus on the season's primary villains, The Travelers, an ancient community of witches who have the ability to take over another person's body and, by season's end, have entrapped the citizens of Mystic Falls in a spell that prevents nonhumans from crossing the town's barrier. They come to Mystic Falls in search of the blood of the doppelgängers of Silas and Amara, who happen to be Stefan and Elena. Meanwhile, earlier plots include Dr. Wes Maxfield, a doctor who attempts to make vampires prey on other vampires, and the Augustine Society, who once kidnapped and tortured Damon for research.

While the fifth season was the lowest rated, the sixth season was a close second with a rating of 8.3, according to IMDB. In it, Elena returns to college while grieving the loss of her boyfriend and best friend, and Stefan travels the Southeast in search of someone capable of connecting him with the dead. Meanwhile, Damon and Bonnie (Kat Graham) find themselves trapped as the only people in a time loop, creating a friendship and unbreakable bond between the two former frenemies. The season's main villains are also a new set of witches known as the Gemini Coven, which introduce the diabolical Kai (Chris Wood), who wreaks havoc near the season's end.

The first episode, "I'll Remember," is one of the lowest-rated on IMDB, possibly because longtime viewers were hoping for a fast reunion between the show's primary couple at the time, Damon and Elena. Instead, they found Caroline (Candice King) and Elena at odds, Stefan in a relationship with a new woman, and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) living a slacker's lifestyle. Elena is addicted to a potion that allows her to see visions of her lost love, Damon, although it caused her to lose control and prey on humans. Fortunately, the season improved, culminating in Jo and Alaric's fatal and unforgettable wedding and its aftermath.