The Golden Girls Episode Ratings Heatmap
1985 · 5 Seasons · 128 Episodes · Overall Score: 8.2/10 (25 rated)
Season 1 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 1 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0.64), maintaining an average of 8.2.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 8.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 2 | 8.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 3 | 8.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 4 | 8.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 5 | 8.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 6 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 7 | 8.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 8 | 8.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 9 | 8.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 10 | 8.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 11 | 8.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 12 | 8.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 13 | 8.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 14 | 6.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 15 | 6.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 16 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 17 | 8.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 18 | 8.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 19 | 8.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 20 | 8.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 21 | 8.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 22 | 8.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 23 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 24 | 7.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 25 | 8.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 26 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Season Avg | 8.2 | – | – | – | – |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 5 seasons and 128 episodes, The Golden Girls has earned an overall series rating of 8.2 out of 10. The series displays remarkable consistency across its narrative arc, maintaining reliable ratings from premiere to conclusion.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 1, Episode 7 ("The Competition"), rated at an extraordinary 8.8/10 with 6 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 1, Episode 14 ("That Was No Lady"), landing at 6.0/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 1 between Episode 13 ("A Little Romance", 8.6) and Episode 14 ("That Was No Lady", 6), a swing of 2.6 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of The Golden Girls
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 1, Ep 7 | The Competition | 8.8 | 6 | Nov 2, 1985 |
| #2 | Season 1, Ep 21 | Flu Attack | 8.8 | 5 | Mar 1, 1986 |
| #3 | Season 1, Ep 25 | The Way We Met | 8.8 | 5 | May 10, 1986 |
| #4 | Season 1, Ep 8 | The Break-In | 8.6 | 5 | Nov 9, 1985 |
| #5 | Season 1, Ep 13 | A Little Romance | 8.6 | 5 | Dec 14, 1985 |
| #6 | Season 1, Ep 5 | The Triangle | 8.5 | 6 | Oct 19, 1985 |
| #7 | Season 1, Ep 1 | The Engagement | 8.4 | 10 | Sep 14, 1985 |
| #8 | Season 1, Ep 2 | Guess Who's Coming to the Wedding? | 8.4 | 8 | Sep 21, 1985 |
| #9 | Season 1, Ep 9 | Blanche and the Younger Man | 8.4 | 5 | Nov 16, 1985 |
| #10 | Season 1, Ep 11 | The Return of Dorothy's Ex | 8.4 | 5 | Nov 30, 1985 |