Grade Each Season

Season 1 - A-
A very solid start. Some very minor bugs were worked out pretty quickly, and the characters established themselves very quickly and fluidly.

Season 2 - A
A fantastic season, with everyone on their game and the writing at an all time high.

Season 3 - A
In the same league as Season 2. This is the peak era for the show.

Season 4 - B+
Some very slight signs of wear begin to creep in, but the for the most part, the show is still very solid. My favorite episode, the Secret Santa one, comes from this season. But they dragged out the Avery / Nancy triangle and the Wesley story lines a bit too far.

Season 5 - B-
There's a definite dip in quality this season; in particular, I thought Carol (Matt Damon) was a very palpable low ebb for the show. Tracy, Kenneth and Jenna start slowly morphing into caricatures of themselves

Season 6 - I'm torn on B- and C+
There are long stretches where this season is achingly dull. Storylines drag on and go nowhere, especially the one with Jack and Avery's mother. There's still some great episodes here, such as the Leap Day one, and the live show (episode 18) is one of the funniest of the entire series. I thought Kenneth becoming a janitor was a real 'jumping the shark' moment.

Season 7 - either A- or B+
I thought the show rebounded very solidly in its last year. The characters feel more grounded, the story lines don't drag out any more, everyone seems more on their game. Tracy Morgan in particular finally stepped up his game anddid some of his best work this season. Really good way to end it all.