Melrose Place Seasons (Ranked From Best to Worst)

You’ve probably asked yourself, what’s the best season of Melrose Place? For those unaware, Melrose Place aired for seven seasons from 1992 through 1999. Fans and critics argue about which season was the best and which was the worst.

At Circa 98, we like to put things in context and deliver a fair ranking. So let’s take a look at our order for the best Melrose Place seasons:

Season 2 is the most famous Season of Melrose Place and, frankly, the best season. Kimberly’s car accident and shocking return from her coma surprised viewers across the world.

In addition, Sydney’s pursuit and blackmail of Micheal remains a television classic.

We can’t forget Amanda’s first season serving as the apartment complex owner, which dramatically changed Melrose Place’s dynamic.

While the second season traded realism for engagement (like, why is a wealthy advertising executive living in this dump?), viewers were more than willing to suspend their disbelief for the addictive plots delivered by the characters.

Sydney’s transition from a part-time character to a full-time resident put the show over the top, both with ratings and drama.

We’d be remiss not to mention that writers buried Melrose Place’s innocence in Season 2, but it received more viewers, more buzz, and more money in exchange.

If you can move beyond the show’s unrealistic storylines, you will find yourself hooked on Season 2 in a binge-worthy fashion.

Season 5 was Melrose Place’s second peak and, ultimately, the last season that mainstream viewers watched. Several top characters like Sydney, Alison, Jake, Kimberly, and Jane would depart during or after the season ended. 

Melrose’s Place certainly understood how to go out with a bang despite the mass exodus of integral cast members. The problem, of course, was that the series wasn’t over.

Aaron Spelling would not leave money on the table (and who could blame him?), but Season 5 was the final season in many respects.

So many plot points converged during the fifth season. So much so that looking away seemed risky to viewers. While Melrose became a far cry from its initial concept, the soap opera it evolved into was never more appealing than this season.

Sydney’s death in the finale seemed fitting since, for many viewers, the show died along with her.

Melrose’s inaugural season was panned by critics and failed to generate as many viewers as one would expect from a Beverly Hills 90210 spinoff. However, in some ways, the first season was the most realistic group of episodes.

As evidenced by its lack of popularity, Season 1 is almost an entirely different show than its subsequent seasons.

Though lower-than-expected network ratings precipitated a philosophical shift from an episodic series into a full-fledged soap opera, the original concept was far more appealing in retrospect.

Season 1 explores the lives of working-class 30somethings, contrasting the glamour of the series’ predecessor, Beverly Hills 90210.

Though perhaps too boring for its target audience’s tastes, the first season was the most realistic, thanks primarily to short-lived characters like Rhonda and Sandy, who represented regular people working regular jobs.

Ultimately, the characters showcased more diversity, with each of them working in separate locations and leading mutually exclusive lives. Take Billy Campbell, for example, an aspiring screenwriter who drives cabs as a side gig.

The first season exhibited wonder and a genuine curiosity about these people’s lives but failed to engage enough of its target market to sustain a watchable series.

Season 3 feels like the natural continuation of the previous season and is nearly as compelling. While the initial season’s idealism is long gone, Season 3 is quite entertaining.

As an over-the-top soap opera, the third season of Melrose gives the people what they want. 

The series’ reach was so extensive that Seinfeld parodied the season in their episode, The Beard. Most viewers related to Jerry Seinfeld’s sentiment, framing Melrose Place as a guilty pleasure that is both addictive and inexplicable.

From Jo chasing down her baby’s armed grandparents to Kimberly blowing up the entire Melrose Place complex, Season 3 left an indelible impression, albeit one where some viewers didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

By the season finale, Melrose Place was unapologetically campy. The show’s deliberate absurdity became comedic without losing its entertainment appeal.

Characters like Michael Mancini and Kimberly Shaw transitioned into parodies while simultaneously playing it straight enough to avoid full-fledged satire.

Tenured viewers billed Season 7 as a last-ditch effort to revitalize a series on life support. For example, Jane Mancini (an original cast member) returns to placate long-standing fans with a thirst for yesteryear.

While her reappearance certainly helps the show, it falls short of delaying its inevitable demise. 

The final season’s writing is superior to its most recent predecessor though considerably beneath its peak level.

Characters like Kyle Mcbride, Eve Clearly, and Ryan McBride put forth admirable performances, but none of them are enough to fill the voids left by departed cast members.

Despite its apparent flaws, Melrose Place’s Swan Song is decidedly watchable due mainly to the evolution of characters like Lexi and Peter Burns.

In addition, original staples like Michael and Jane provide enough foundation for newer characters to flourish.  The final episode (series finale) failed viewers on multiple fronts, but the season itself was enough to keep the last of them around.

Season 4 is atrocious. While the show remains watchable because of its star-studded cast, the episodes during the fourth season leave viewers in a state of perpetual misery.

For example, the pilot reveals that all the characters miraculously survived the apartment building’s explosion, with only Alison suffering long-term effects.

Perhaps most insanely, Kimberly Shaw’s plot extends beyond any semblance of reality. Dr. Shaw gains control of a mental health asylum by convincing doctors that Peter Burns, who admitted her, is the mentally unstable one rather than her.

Viewers who hadn’t taken a moment to process how far removed from reality the series had become accepted such absurd storylines as commonplace. Nevertheless, for those who remember the pilot, Season 4 was a disgrace to the series’ legacy.