With 12 seasons and 279 episodes making up The Big Bang Theory experience, there’s a lot of ground to cover for new fans. Audiences who checked out Leonard, Penny, Sheldon, Raj, and Howard’s adventures over the dozen years tend to have their favorite seasons picked out, which place them at the top in of binge-watch potential.
Fans on Ranker have cast hundreds of votes in deciding which of The Big Bang Theory’s seasons deserve special mention as the very best. It’s worth looking into this because it reveals what fans liked in particular within each season. Whether it’s a story-themed year like the fourth season or a breezy time like the seventh, Ranker voters have established which ones should be seen first.
Season 8
The eighth season is about Penny leaving behind her acting career and her relationship with Leonard developing to the point where they elope. Meanwhile, Sheldon becomes too overbearing while refusing to compromise, which leads to Amy breaking up with him in the finale.
Although the season has many funny episodes, it’s largely ed for points like the falling out between Shamy and Penny’s haircut, which was met with massive negative reception. It was the last season where The Big Bang Theory went with a heavy-handed finale.
Season 9
The first half of the season brings down the overall quality of the season, but the second half is far better. Season 9 starts off with Sheldon being something of a jerk towards Amy for breaking up with him and there’s quite a bit of tension in the group because of it.
Thankfully, the show went back to funny material after Amy and Sheldon reconciled, while Leonard and Penny’s initial marriage issues subside without much drama. The remaining episodes build back the group’s dynamic to include hilarious episodes like the guys watching Star Wars and Shamy’s first hookup.
Season 11
There were some The Big Bang Theory during this season, which saw the build-up toward Sheldon and Amy’s wedding. It’s a solid season overall that hypes up the big occasion but also suffers from filler episodes that don’t contribute much.
Bernadette sits out quite a few of the storylines because of her pregnancy, which confines some episodes to her bedroom since she can’t move. Great highlights like Raj learning to become more confident and group-centric episodes such as the one where everyone meets Bill Gates remain memorable.
Season 10
A significant shift in the show’s presentation arrived with this season when Leonard and Sheldon started living separately with their partners. This change in tone is great for the most part, but some fans tend to miss the original template of the episodes.
Occasions like Leonard and Penny’s second wedding and Sheldon’s proposal to Amy moved the characters’ arcs forward. Although it's not a fan-favorite season, The Big Bang Theory deserves credit for keeping comedy as its main asset even after a decade on-air.
Season 12
No matter what, The Big Bang Theory, and the show signed off on a good note. Season 12 is about Leonard and Penny coming to with having children, Shamy’s marriage settling down, and Raj realizing that his friends’ love is better than compromising with Anu.
Although the finale can feel rushed, there’s an overall feel-good aura for the way the group remains close. The last season completes Sheldon’s character development, as he finally credits his friends for sticking by him all these years.
Season 7
It was around this point that The Big Bang Theory did away with long-term storytelling and focused on delivering funny episodes each time around. The seventh season doesn’t have much apart from the relationships progressing between the main characters.
However, it’s more than worth a watch for funny episodes, from Sheldon’s meltdown after his new element is disproved to Sheldon getting freaked out by James Earl Jones’ singing. It’s one of the most rewatchable seasons even if there isn’t much of a plot to follow.
Season 6
The sixth season starts with Howard getting bigheaded about his time in space, following which it turns into about the couples’ adjustment to their long-term relationships. Raj and Stuart begin a new friendship and they even out all the romantic material with their single-life escapades.
The season introduces fan-favorite characters like Professor Proton and completes Leonard and Penny’s love story when she finally its she’s in love with him. All in all, the sixth season brings in wholesome moments wrapped up in the show’s signature style.
Season 4
The season with the most heavy-handed storyline, the drama within it is easy to overlook because of the introduction of The Big Bang Theory. In addition, Bernadette also cements herself as part of the group to make it three women in the social circle.
The heavy material comes from Raj’s sister Priya, who becomes something of a nuisance by forcing Leonard to stop talking to Penny, which causes the group to be fractured. Still, fans enjoy things like Sheldon and Amy’s new relationship and the girls’ trio kickstarting their friendship.
Season 1
The season that started it all remains a can’t-miss experience because it introduces everyone’s quirks and mannerisms. Moreover, the premise of geeky guys in contrast to the beautiful girl is best established here, with episodes showing how hilariously out of place their dynamic is.
Many episodes center around Sheldon’s quirky habits that the group has to figure out how they’re going to solve. Others have Leonard pining over Penny without the latter realizing it, which establishes the main outline of the series to go with the barrel of laughs it contains.
Season 5
This season cemented all the couples to go forward until the end of the series, with Leonard and Penny getting back together for good. It saw Shamy officially becoming an item when Sheldon itted he wanted to be with her, while Howard and Bernadette finally got married.
Raj’s role as the single outsider was also highlighted, along with hilarious pratfalls where he got dumped by potential love interests. The wedding of Howard and Bernadette remains a memorable moment for how the entire gang officiated it before he was sent off to space.