Subpar TV Show Seasons With One Redeeming Episode

As our favorite TV shows run through season after season, it's easy for any of them to occasionally miss the mark. Whether it's due to writer room mayhem, an actor taking unexpected leave, a beloved character dying, creative discrepancies behind the scenes, or whatever else, someone can always drop the ball. 

But tucked away within even the worst seasons, there's often an episode worth waiting around for. These are the episodes where our hero finally makes headway in their journey, or maybe there's some much-needed comedic relief, or we see a new point of view, or it's the "filler" episode that explores a more nuanced part of a character's story. While one good apple doesn't make up for an entire season of bad ones, it gives hope that the writer's room may have what it takes to turn it around for future seasons. Here are our picks for shows with letdown seasons that still had one stellar episode.

The last several seasons of "Supernatural" largely wavered between repetitive and redundant. By the final season, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) had died countless times, sacrificed themselves for each other even more often, and done wrong by Jack (Alexander Calvert) and Castiel (Misha Collins) way too frequently to mention. By Season 15, it was evident that everyone was ready to move on. 

"Supernatural" was known for its funny filler episodes, too. Usually, things would take a hilarious turn for the worse, leaving one or both Winchester boys to find a way out of some slapstick situation. "The Last Holiday" did that for Season 15. Landing an 8.5/10 rating from IMDb, the lighthearted episode was a casual viewing experience for anyone who needed a break from watching Sam, Dean, and Cass jump into the fire for each other. A hibernating wood nymph is discovered by accident in the Winchesters' home and they adopt her as a makeshift live-in housekeeper. Mrs. Butters (Meagen Fay), as she calls herself, puts together holiday celebrations and birthday dinners, makes smoothies for fun, and Dean finally has a never-ending supply of perfect pie.

Throughout its extensive run, one main reason people have continued tuning in to "The Walking Dead" is the chemistry between the characters. Of course, after killing off so many B-list characters, you run the risk of closing in on the A-listers pretty quickly. Season 10 left viewers without Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan), arguably two of the most prominent characters on the show at that point. Their companions shuffle through the apocalypse, seemingly lost without their fearless leaders and wishing for their return. The relationship between Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) hit an all-time low as well, which did not sit well with fans of the platonic couple. 

Despite some low ratings throughout the season, "Squeeze" had to be one of the best episodes in the bunch. A group of our beloved zombie fighters blindly make their way through a cramped underground cave system while trying to avoid getting stuck with hundreds of the undead. Leave it to the "Walking Dead" writers to get creative about where and how zombies will likely eat someone's face off. This episode is full of narrow escapes, tight spaces, and sighs of relief.

Michael Schur and Greg Daniels rarely create less than compelling television. That being said, "Parks and Recreation" falls under the You Have to Get Through the First Season, Then It Gets Good subgenre of TV shows. The initial season of "Parks and Rec" lacks much of the flair that makes the subsequent seasons sparkle, but the show's character arcs and personalities started showing significant improvement during Season 2. 

That turnaround arguably gets started during the Season 1 finale episode, "Rock Show." Andy Dwyer's (Chris Pratt) mildly idiotic decision-making is one of the central plots in the story. Not only does it set up the rest of the episode for some easy laughs, but it's a kickoff point for the entire next season — and, eventually, the rest of the show. More often than not, you're OK to simply skip over Season 1 and move on to the juicier stuff in Season 2.

"New Girl" often managed to be charming, witty, and silly all at once. But when Zooey Deschanel took a mid-season hiatus from the show in Season 5, it left a gap that needed filling. Several episodes had Jess sequestered away thanks to jury duty, but Deschanel was actually on maternity leave after having her daughter. As creative as the storyline was, the show was missing a spark while its namesake character was gone.

To help fill the void, Megan Fox joined the cast as Regan, and viewers met the new arrival with mixed emotions. Since Regan and Nick's (Jake Johnson) involvement, and the absence of Jess, put an indefinite pin on Nick and Jess' relationship, the hiatus left many fans with a sour taste. Several episodes later, a refreshed Jess made her way back into the story in time for the season finale. The wedding of Cece (Hannah Simone) and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) in "Landing Gear" makes up for any absences along the way. Schmidt finds himself nearly missing his nuptials as he attempts to convince Cece's mother to be in attendance on her daughter's big day and give them her blessing. So romantic.

Creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels gave us a masterpiece of comedy in "The Office," but there was a distinct point when the show took a weird turn. Season 8 was difficult to watch without the show's best and worst boss. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) had audiences on the edge of their seats at every turn. It seemed like the show had no way to go on once Steve Carell parted ways, but continue it did, and Season 8 proved to be even more chaotic as viewers adjusted to Andy being the new boss and Robert California (James Spader) being an erratic wild card who popped in to share his intimidating nuggets of wisdom. 

The episode that makes this wacky season worth watching has to be "Garden Party." Much of the cast is present during this installment, so it's fun to watch different combinations of people interact. Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) awkward cousin Mose (played by Schur) makes an appearance, and what's an episode of "The Office" without a few cruel pranks on Dwight by Jim (John Krasinski)? This episode includes an entire book Jim made just to trick Dwight into hosting a ridiculously over-the-top garden party for the staff.

The seventh (and second-to-last) season of this beloved cop show was generally clunky, but if you're looking to lean into the squad's shenanigans, you can find a measure of redemption in the fifth episode, titled "Debbie." The Nine-Nine is under investigation when weapons and drugs go missing from evidence lock-up. A nervous-looking officer named Debbie (played by "Saturday Night Live" veteran Vanessa Bayer) soon becomes the suspect. Things unfold for her quickly after she's unable to follow through on her plans and she falls into a cocaine-charged spiral, starts grabbing hostages, and makes a clumsy getaway. The whole episode has the energy of a child who's just been caught stealing from the cookie jar, is already sitting in time out, and still somehow thinks there's a chance to make a break for it. In the midst of a relatively uninspired run, the madcap madness really stands out in a wonderful way.