TV Series Ratings Analysis

Law & Order Episode Ratings Heatmap

1990 · 26 Seasons · 548 Episodes · Overall Score: 7.5/10 (544 rated)

Highest Rated Episode

9.2/10

S23E5: Last Dance (6 votes)

View Episode →

Best Season

8.38/10

Season 23 holds the highest collective average score across the series.

Season 23 Details →

Most Consistent Season

Season 1

Lowest score variance (σ = 0.35), maintaining an average of 7.5.

Strongest Finale

8.7/10

Season 25 finale: "Liberty"

Episode Recap →

Complete Episode Rating Matrix

Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.

8.5+ (Outstanding) 7.5 – 8.4 (Great) 6.0 – 7.4 (Average) < 6.0 (Underwhelming) Few votes

Episode	Season 1	Season 2	Season 3	Season 4	Season 5	Season 6	Season 7	Season 8	Season 9	Season 10	Season 11	Season 12	Season 13	Season 14	Season 15	Season 16	Season 17	Season 18	Season 19	Season 20	Season 21	Season 22	Season 23	Season 24	Season 25	Season 26
Ep 1	7.2	7.5	7.0	8.1	7.9	7.9	7.9	7.4	7.8	7.3	7.3	7.6	7.2	8.4	6.9	8.1	7.1	7.5	7.6	6.7	7.8	7.0	7.8	8.4	8.2	–
Ep 2	7.8	7.4	7.4	7.6	7.9	7.5	7.9	6.1	7.7	7.9	7.2	7.5	7.9	7.4	7.3	7.6	6.0	7.3	7.3	7.4	7.2	7.0	8.0	8.3	8.0	–
Ep 3	6.8	7.6	7.4	7.8	7.8	8.2	7.4	6.7	7.6	7.6	7.1	7.9	7.4	7.6	7.8	7.4	7.6	5.4	7.0	7.0	7.2	8.0	8.8	8.2	8.0	–
Ep 4	7.5	7.3	8.1	8.1	7.6	7.9	8.2	7.9	7.6	7.4	7.2	7.2	7.6	7.3	7.1	6.4	6.9	7.6	7.1	6.4	7.5	7.5	8.6	8.2	8.0	–
Ep 5	7.4	7.7	7.2	7.7	7.0	7.9	8.0	7.9	7.9	8.0	7.2	7.9	8.2	7.0	7.6	7.3	6.9	7.3	7.9	6.6	7.0	8.0	9.2	8.8	8.8	–
Ep 6	7.5	7.4	8.6	7.8	7.7	7.7	7.8	7.8	7.0	7.2	7.3	7.0	7.9	8.2	7.0	7.5	7.6	7.0	6.8	7.1	8.0	8.0	8.3	8.5	8.7	–
Ep 7	7.7	6.2	7.6	6.2	7.9	6.8	7.4	7.9	7.1	7.9	7.6	7.9	8.1	7.6	7.3	6.8	7.4	7.7	8.0	6.3	8.0	7.5	8.3	8.3	8.5	–
Ep 8	7.5	7.1	7.9	8.6	8.0	7.9	5.9	7.8	8.0	8.0	7.0	7.2	6.9	6.9	6.6	7.0	5.9	8.0	7.7	7.0	7.5	8.0	7.6	8.5	8.0	–
Ep 9	8.2	7.5	7.8	7.4	7.4	7.6	7.1	7.4	7.5	7.0	8.0	7.1	7.0	7.0	6.6	8.3	7.6	7.1	7.8	6.0	6.8	8.0	8.0	8.8	8.3	–
Ep 10	7.1	7.7	7.6	7.2	8.0	7.9	8.0	7.8	7.8	7.4	6.4	7.8	7.0	6.7	6.7	7.8	7.1	7.0	7.1	7.2	7.0	7.0	8.5	7.3	8.5	–
Ep 11	6.6	6.7	7.7	7.6	7.4	7.7	7.7	8.0	7.8	7.2	7.3	7.1	7.5	7.1	6.9	6.9	7.4	7.0	7.6	7.4	–	7.5	8.5	8.2	8.0	–
Ep 12	7.4	7.8	7.5	7.8	7.9	8.4	7.6	7.3	6.5	7.3	7.9	7.4	7.0	7.1	7.3	7.1	7.2	6.3	5.8	7.2	–	8.3	8.8	7.2	8.2	–
Ep 13	7.1	7.3	7.6	7.8	8.3	8.2	6.2	5.8	7.5	7.3	7.6	7.9	8.0	7.3	7.5	7.1	6.9	7.1	6.8	7.0	–	8.0	8.6	7.8	6.6	–
Ep 14	7.4	7.8	7.6	7.9	8.2	7.4	6.1	7.4	6.6	7.4	7.1	7.8	7.6	7.0	7.9	7.1	7.0	7.7	6.8	7.0	–	8.0	–	8.0	6.2	–
Ep 15	7.6	8.0	7.8	7.5	6.7	8.2	6.1	7.4	7.2	7.8	7.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	7.3	7.6	6.8	7.3	6.5	7.6	–	8.7	–	8.5	8.0	–
Ep 16	7.7	7.6	7.7	7.9	7.8	7.8	7.7	7.6	7.5	7.2	8.0	7.2	7.5	6.4	6.8	7.6	7.3	8.1	7.0	7.8	–	7.3	–	6.4	8.7	–
Ep 17	7.7	7.9	6.7	8.1	6.6	6.0	8.1	7.5	7.2	7.3	7.8	7.8	7.9	7.4	7.7	6.8	7.1	7.3	7.4	7.7	–	7.7	–	7.3	8.5	–
Ep 18	7.2	7.8	7.9	7.3	7.9	7.7	8.0	7.9	7.6	7.7	6.5	7.1	7.1	7.2	7.1	8.1	7.1	6.3	7.2	7.0	–	8.0	–	7.3	8.7	–
Ep 19	7.4	7.5	7.7	7.8	8.3	8.0	8.0	7.4	7.7	7.1	7.6	7.4	7.3	7.7	7.4	6.5	7.8	–	7.7	5.5	–	8.3	–	8.8	8.0	–
Ep 20	7.6	7.6	7.2	7.5	8.6	6.1	7.7	7.3	7.3	6.8	7.4	7.7	7.4	7.0	7.8	7.3	7.7	–	7.4	7.8	–	8.0	–	7.3	8.0	–
Ep 21	7.6	7.8	7.8	6.9	7.8	8.6	7.6	7.7	7.2	7.5	7.9	6.8	7.4	7.5	7.4	7.5	7.6	–	6.8	7.7	–	7.5	–	8.3	8.7	–
Ep 22	7.8	7.4	7.4	8.3	7.6	7.9	7.6	8.2	7.3	6.5	7.6	7.4	8.3	7.4	7.2	8.1	7.8	–	6.1	7.7	–	7.6	–	8.3	–	–
Ep 23	–	–	–	–	6.3	7.7	7.9	7.4	8.1	7.5	7.2	8.0	8.7	7.1	7.3	–	–	–	–	7.8	–	–	–	–	–	–
Ep 24	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.9	8.2	7.4	7.8	7.2	8.0	8.4	7.0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Season Avg	7.5	7.5	7.6	7.7	7.7	7.7	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.4	7.4	7.5	7.6	7.3	7.2	7.4	7.2	7.2	7.2	7.1	7.4	7.8	8.4	8.0	8.1	–

Ratings Analysis & Trajectory

Across 26 seasons and 548 episodes, Law & Order has earned an overall series rating of 7.5 out of 10. The series demonstrates an upward quality trajectory, with later seasons sustaining higher viewer acclaim than its debut.

The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 23, Episode 5 ("Last Dance"), rated at an extraordinary 9.2/10 with 6 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 18, Episode 3 ("Misbegotten"), landing at 5.4/10.

The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 24 between Episode 15 ("Crossing Lines", 8.5) and Episode 16 ("Folk Hero", 6.4), a swing of 2.1 points.

Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of Law & Order

Rank	Episode	Title	Score	Votes	Air Date
#1	Season 23, Ep 5	Last Dance	9.2	6	Feb 22, 2024
#2	Season 23, Ep 3	Turn the Page	8.8	6	Feb 1, 2024
#3	Season 24, Ep 5	Report Card	8.8	5	Oct 31, 2024
#4	Season 24, Ep 9	Enemy of the State	8.8	5	Jan 16, 2025
#5	Season 23, Ep 12	No Good Deed	8.8	4	May 9, 2024
#6	Season 24, Ep 19	Play with Fire (I)	8.8	4	Apr 17, 2025
#7	Season 25, Ep 5	Bend the Knee	8.8	4	Oct 23, 2025
#8	Season 13, Ep 23	Couples	8.7	9	May 21, 2003
#9	Season 25, Ep 6	Brotherly Love	8.7	5	Oct 30, 2025
#10	Season 22, Ep 15	Fear and Loathing	8.7	3	Feb 23, 2023