The 100: Every Season, Ranked By IMDb Average | ScreenRant
It's almost too fitting that the CW's The 100 ran for exactly 100 episodes. Throughout its seven-season run, the series was not only well-received but also something that developed a very loyal fanbase. Those who adore the show continue to go back and watch it multiple times, especially after it ended several months back. Of course, some seasons are less enjoyable to watch again than others.
At its best, The 100 was among the most innovative and unique sci-fi shows found on television. At its worst, it tried to do too much and overextended its reach. Regardless, there was never a dull moment. When looking back at each season, it's interesting to see which ones scored the highest on average on IMDb, as there's not a consistent trend of it getting better or worse as time went on.
7 Season 3 (7.4)
Whenever it comes to the ratings of a season, there seems to always be something you can point to that explains it. For the most part, season three of The 100 featured interesting storytelling and high drama. However, they made a few moves that really rubbed fans the wrong way. First, the show killed off fan-favorite Lexa in an episode that scored the lowest IMDb rating of the season, "Thirteen" (6.2). Fans were furious about how she was taken out, especially given she had just cemented her romance with Clarke.
Two episodes later, in "Stealing Fire," (6.5) the show also killed off Lincoln, another popular character. Both moves remain controversial ones. Before Lexa's death, no episode in season three scored under 8.0 but most after were under 7.0, with the highest being 7.6. Fans were just not happy with the show's direction. Although the ALIE storyline was intense and the introduction of new characters was welcome, there were too many missteps here.
6 Season 7 (7.6)
When a show has been running for so long, it can be difficult to make sure it ends in satisfying fashion. In some ways, season seven did that with a handful of characters getting fitting conclusions. In others, aspects made no sense and it led to many upset viewers. All one needs to do is look at "Blood Giant," which scored the show's lowest rating in history at a mere 4.8. It was there that Bellamy was killed by Clarke after spending several episodes going down a route that nobody wanted to see.
Most of the season's scores were strong to that point but after Bellamy's death, the last few episodes were rated at 6.1, 6.6, and 6.9. Some of the excess sci-fi elements didn't click and the concept of bringing in an entire bunch of new people for such a major arc wasn't a good move. The highlight of the entire season was "Anaconda" (9.2), which was meant to work as a backdoor pilot for a possible spin-off.
5 Season 1 (8.0)
At the start of The 100, it seemed like some viewers wrote it off as just another overly sappy teen drama. Indeed, it took a handful of episodes before the show really found its footing. When Wells Jaha was shockingly killed, it marked a change for the plot that proved anything could and would happen.
This season set the tone for everything going forward, starting arcs like Octavia finding her place, Murphy being hard to kill, Raven's genius moments, and the struggle between Clarke and Bellamy to be the true leader. Things got progressively better, capping with a two-part finale, "We Are Grounders," that had the highest ratings to that point (8.4 and 8.9).
4 Season 4 (8.3)
After fighting off ALIE, it seemed like the heroes of the show had faced their toughest battle. However, that ended with the reveal that something was coming that would wipe out everything on Earth. Known as both the death wave and Praimfaya, the fourth season put the focus on that and how the characters handled it all. The entire string of episodes was gripping and marked more prominent roles for the likes of Emori and Echo, who stuck around until the end of the series.
The show threw in tons of wrenches into the plans for survival. The best was arguably the Conclave, a massive battle that took place in "Die All, Die Merrily" (9.2), where Octavia beat everyone for the bunker that could save everyone, only for Jaha and others to turn on her. There was also the incredible finale, "Praimfaya" (9.3), which saw the bunker close, several characters escape to space to safety, and Clarke remain on Earth having sacrificed herself. The time jump made for a stunning cliffhanger.
3 Season 2 (8.5)
One of the biggest tests that the characters faced came in the form of Mount Weather. They originally believed that place would be their safe haven but it turned out to house survivors who had some pretty awful intentions for them. In fact, they were such a threat that it caused the "sky people" to form a partnership with The Grounders, which changed everything.
The relationship between Octavia and Lincoln grew, as did her connection to Indra. Throw in the addition of Lexa and the Grounders got more discussed when it came to their lore. This season also saw the debut of Emori, the death of Finn, and the first official look at ALIE. The "Blood Must Have Blood" two-part finale was also fantastic (8.8 and 9.3).
2 Season 6 (8.6)
Time jumps in TV shows happen often. They're a way to advance the story in major fashion without spending too much time getting there. Season five pulled off one of six years but season six took it several steps further. After believing they'd be in cryosleep for only a few years, it turned out that Monty and Harper kept most of the main characters under for over a century, making for one of the biggest time jumps in history.
That was a huge risk but it mostly paid off. This season saw a change as the setting was on an entirely new planet and a whole new set of characters were brought in. The shocking call to basically kill off Clarke and have her battle with Josephine in their shared mind made for one of the more unique arcs on the show. The finale involving more of the mystery of the anomaly sent the show further down the wild sci-fi road.
1 Season 5 (8.7)
Following the shocking time jump at the end of season four, fans were eager to see how things would play out. There were totally new dynamics in play that were fascinating. Clarke was now a mother figure for a young girl named Madi, Octavia's time in the bunker turned her into Blodreina, Echo and Bellamy were now in love, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
This season also saw the introduction of Dioyza and set the tone for the huge time jump that was coming in the finale. Some of the best episodes of the show came during this run including "Red Queen" (8.8), "Sleeping Giants" (9.0), and "Damocles" (9.0 and 9.6).