Don’t Let These 6 Shows’ Low Rotten Tomatoes Score Fool You – They Are Definitely Worth Watching

Rotten Tomatoes can often be the first stop for TV fans who are curious about whether something is worth their time, but the site’s scoring system isn’t always reflective of overall quality. There can be any number of reasons why critics may dislike a TV show, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it should be avoided.

Various TV shows have scored the sought-after 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and they often deserve the masterpiece status that’s thrust upon them. However, it’s not only perfect productions that can thrill and entertain. Sometimes, a show can be unfairly swept aside by audiences by Rotten Tomatoes’ often-respected scoring system. On the other hand, it can be tough to argue with the platform’s 0%-rated TV shows.

Rotten Tomatoes’ audience scores, which fall on something the site calls its “Popcornmeter,” don’t always align with the “Tomatometer,” with the latter being derived from the opinion of TV critics. This list will focus on the Tomatometer, although the Popcornmeter ratings will also be included for context.

6

Wayward Pines (2015-2016)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%

Wayward Pines is a sci-fi thriller like no other, and was brought to life with the help of industry legends such as M. Night. Shyamalan and the Duffer Brothers. Season 1 is an adaptation of a book trilogy by Blake Crouch, and it’s done very well, as proven by its 78% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Unfortunately, Wayward Pines season 2’s spirited attempts to continue Crouch’s story with new storylines and a heavy recasting effort meant it didn’t live up to the quality of its first run of episodes. However, season 2 is still enjoyable, and it’s interesting to see where the story could have headed after the conclusion of the source material.

While I understand why Wayward Pines season 3 never happened, I’m still disappointed that season 2’s cliffhanger wasn’t resolved. On the other hand, the show’s high-concept and unintentional ending could easily be interpreted as artfully open-ended, avoiding that dreaded feeling of a lack of closure.

5

Space Force (2020-2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59%

Netflix felt very much like it was trying to emulate The Office‘s success when Space Force debuted in 2020. It reunited the sitcom’s leading man, Steve Carell, and showrunner Greg Daniels. It was a military workplace comedy that was a little short on belly laughs, but did manage to touch upon certain elements that had made The Office so appealing.

After season 1’s appalling Rotten Tomatoes score of 39%, Space Force season 2 reworked its formula and racked up a much-improved rating of 80%, which bumped up the overall average. Fans’ scores were quite consistent across both seasons, and they continued to come back for the show’s star-studded cast, which also placed John Malkovich and Lisa Kudrow alongside Carell.

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Space Force is a great show to just kick back and relax with. It doesn’t require a huge amount of concentration, and it subverts several sitcom tropes in creative ways. I think that if it hadn’t been compared so unfairly to The Office that it could have been more of a hit.

4

Behind Her Eyes (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%

Beginning as a 2017 novel by Sarah Pinborough, Netflix brought Behind Her Eyes to life as a limited series in 2021. The six-episode run is dressed as a story about infidelity and initially seems unremarkable, although the subtle presence of unanswerable questions does hang over the narrative. It’s a slow burn, but worth the wait.

As Behind Her Eyes goes on, it becomes more and more obvious that it’s a story with something far more sinister lurking below its surface. I remain convinced that its lack of big-name cast members contributed to its flying under the radar, but it’s worth checking out, even with such a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score.

Behind Her Eyes drip feeds clues about its hidden genre label throughout its run, although they only start to make real sense as the story’s biggest reveal crystallizes. It’s a deceptively lore-heavy show that requires more concentration than it seems, so make sure to give it your full focus when watching.

3

Joey (2004-2005)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50%

2004 saw the end of Friends, which left NBC with a void to fill after the award-winning sitcom’s emotional finale. The network tried to plug the hole with Joey, a direct spinoff/sequel to Friends that aired shortly after the parent program ended. Matt LeBlanc was the only real Friends star to appear in Joey as the actor reprised the title role in the new setting of Los Angeles.

Friends set a new standard for sitcoms that has very arguably not been surpassed since it ended. Not even Joey succeeded in maintaining the success of the show that spawned it, which perhaps isn’t surprising considering one of the best TV ensembles of all time had been whittled down to just one actor.

Regardless, Joey isn’t as bad as its reputation and Rotten Tomatoes score suggest. Sure, it wasn’t as good as Friends, but that has been true of countless other sitcoms that have been released in its wake. It’s very watchable and puts a beloved character in the limelight for two fun seasons. Its Popcornmeter score of 74% supports Joey‘s status as an underrated show.

2

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 56%

The Star Trek timeline is impressively vast, and none of the shows can really be ignored if a full picture of the canon is to be gleaned from the franchise. Still, some Trekkies do try and deny the existence of some of their lesser-enjoyed additions to the saga. Rotten Tomatoes would seem to agree that Star Trek: Enterprise isn’t up to scratch.

After the successive productions of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise shook things up by serving as a prequel to everything, which some long-serving fans didn’t seem to take to as an idea.

Although Enterprise takes big swings with the established Star Trek canon, it’s still a love letter to the franchise while also telling its own rewarding story. Not all four seasons of Enterprise are equal in quality, but they are all good overall. The show shouldn’t be avoided for would-be Trekkies taking on the daunting task of exploring the Star Trek universe.

1

Marvel’s Iron Fist (2017-2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 37%

Now, bear with me on this one. I will openly admit that Iron Fist is the worst of Netflix’s Defenders-era Marvel shows. However, I still think it gets way too much hate. Some of the criticisms are valid, but many seem to have arisen as the result of its place in the pecking order compared to its contemporaries like Daredevil and Jessica Jones.

Iron Fist was part of a larger Marvel worldbuilding effort by Netflix, with the platform doing its best to make it seem as though its efforts belonged in the main MCU. Certain licensing scenarios have resulted in Iron Fist​​​​​​’s canon status changing a few times through the years, but the recent release of Daredevil: Born Again cements Iron Fist as canon.

Iron Fist isn’t essential viewing, but it does offer up a fairly unique experience for Marvel fans. Its mystical nature allows it to serve as a soft-of companion piece to 2016’s Doctor Strange, although Benedict Cumberbatch has reprised that movie’s title role far more recently than Danny Rand has played Iron Fist‘s Finn Jones.

Either way, Iron Fist is a worthwhile endeavor for fans looking to expand their knowledge of the MCU’s deepest corners. Plus, Daredevil: Born Again season 2 could realistically bring Danny Rand back to screens, and Rotten Tomatoes‘ fan-rating of 66% for Iron Fist should encourage those on the fence about doing their research.