The Practice Episode Ratings Heatmap
1997 · 8 Seasons · 168 Episodes · Overall Score: 7.9/10 (95 rated)
Season 5 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 5 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0.41), 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 | Season 6 | Season 7 | Season 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | 8.0 | – | 7.0 |
| Ep 2 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 3 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | 8.0 | – | 1.0 |
| Ep 4 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | 8.0 | – | 8.0 |
| Ep 5 | 8.0 | – | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 6 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 7 | – | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 8 | – | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 9 | – | 8.5 | 7.0 | – | – | 7.0 | – | – |
| Ep 10 | – | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | – | 7.0 | – | – |
| Ep 11 | – | 10.0 | 7.0 | – | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 12 | – | 8.0 | 7.0 | – | – | 8.0 | – | 8.0 |
| Ep 13 | – | 9.0 | 8.0 | – | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 14 | – | 8.0 | 7.0 | – | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 15 | – | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | – | 7.0 | – | – |
| Ep 16 | – | 8.0 | 9.0 | – | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 17 | – | 8.0 | 9.0 | 2.0 | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 18 | – | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 19 | – | 8.0 | 9.5 | – | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 20 | – | 8.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | – | 7.0 | – | – |
| Ep 21 | – | 9.0 | 8.0 | – | – | 7.0 | – | – |
| Ep 22 | – | 8.0 | 8.0 | – | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 23 | – | 8.0 | 9.0 | – | – | 8.0 | – | – |
| Ep 24 | – | 8.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 25 | – | 8.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 26 | – | 8.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 27 | – | 8.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 28 | – | 8.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Season Avg | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 6.0 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 8 seasons and 168 episodes, The Practice has earned an overall series rating of 7.9 out of 10. The series reached its critical peak early, showing a slight contraction in audience satisfaction in later chapters.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 2, Episode 2 ("Betrayal"), rated at an extraordinary 10.0/10 with 1 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 8, Episode 3 ("Cause of Action (2)"), landing at 1.0/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 2 between Episode 11 ("Hide and Seek", 10) and Episode 12 ("Race with the Devil", 8), a swing of 2 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of The Practice
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 2, Ep 2 | Betrayal | 10.0 | 1 | Sep 23, 1997 |
| #2 | Season 2, Ep 11 | Hide and Seek | 10.0 | 1 | Nov 29, 1997 |
| #3 | Season 3, Ep 19 | Closet Justice | 9.5 | 2 | Mar 28, 1999 |
| #4 | Season 1, Ep 1 | Part I (Pilot) | 9.0 | 4 | Mar 4, 1997 |
| #5 | Season 2, Ep 3 | The Blessing | 9.0 | 2 | Sep 27, 1997 |
| #6 | Season 2, Ep 4 | Dog Bite | 9.0 | 2 | Oct 4, 1997 |
| #7 | Season 2, Ep 13 | The Civil Right | 9.0 | 2 | Dec 20, 1997 |
| #8 | Season 2, Ep 21 | In Deep | 9.0 | 2 | Mar 2, 1998 |
| #9 | Season 3, Ep 17 | Target Practice | 9.0 | 2 | Mar 7, 1999 |
| #10 | Season 3, Ep 16 | End Games | 9.0 | 1 | Feb 28, 1999 |