Bill Burr and Michael Price’s F is for Family gave a funny yet real look at American suburban life in the ’70s, following the Murphy family. Burr voiced the central character, and for five seasons, the sitcom delivered consistently funny and emotional episodes. Its 44-episode run made it one of the best Netflix comedies.
What began as a scrappy Netflix curiosity grew into one of the platform’s most emotionally honest adult animated comedies, balancing Frank Murphy’s short fuse against real questions about masculinity, addiction, and generational trauma.
With the show now complete, here’s every season ranked from weakest to strongest, weighing character growth, emotional balance, pacing, and how well each finale pays off.
| Show Name | F is for Family |
| Created By | Bill Burr, Michael Price |
| Main Cast | Bill Burr, Laura Dern, Justin Long, Sam Rockwell, Hailey Reinhart |
| Number of Seasons | 5 |
| Network | Netflix |
5. Season 3 is F is for Family at Its Most Repetitive
The third season of F is for Family saw an unplanned pregnancy for Sue and Frank’s complicated relationship with his new neighbor, Chet. The storyline is interesting, starting with a messy summer break and Sue’s relationship with her boss, Vivian. The highlight of the show is how Frank’s admiration for Chet breaks after he learns that Chet is abusive.
While it is an interesting story and explores one avenue of ’70s domestic life, it is often repetitive in its structure and feels like a filler season. It does more for the character than the plot, and hence ranks the lowest.
4. The Show Finally Found its Footing in Season 2
Season 2 is where F is for Family found its real identity. The characters already had their introductions in the first season, and we are familiar with them. Now, it is just a story. Picking up just weeks after Frank is fired on Christmas Eve, the season follows his slide into unemployment and depression before he lands a job stocking vending machines.
Sue takes a job at Plast-a-Ware only to watch her boss steal credit for her salad-tosser idea. The tension boils over in a genuinely gripping finale, where Frank’s scheme to sabotage his replacement collides with an attempted plane hijacking that leaves two people dead and Frank himself shot. It’s the season where the show’s comedy and its stakes finally match.
3. Season 1 is Rougher Than the Others But It’s a Great Start
The freshman season of F is for Family only had six episodes, compared to the others’ 10 and the final season’s eight. All sitcoms are still in the early legs of their growth in their first seasons, and this show is no different. It gives a good introduction to the world of Frank and his family, but the comedy is still not up there compared to some seasons.
It is, however, a perfectly good start to the show, and the cliffhanger ending leads directly to season 2. The performances are already perfectly in tune, and the writing makes the world so interesting, thus bringing it up to rank 3.
2. F is for Family Swings Big with Season 4 and Delivers
Coming in as the runner-up, Season 4 is where the show’s ambitions and execution finally lined up almost perfectly. Frank’s abusive father, Big Bill, enters his life for the first time as a recurring presence, forcing Frank to confront exactly where his own anger came from, while Mohican Airways buckles under new FAA security rules in the wake of the hijacking, and Bob Pogo returns to work after a heart attack.
Kevin’s relationship with Alice Goldman gives the show some of its warmest material, Rosie’s run for neighborhood alderman adds a new civic angle, and Vic returns to radio work while bracing for fatherhood. The season juggles more plates than any other and rarely drops one.
1. Season 5 is the Perfect Ending for an Amazing Show
Final seasons are hard to pull off (just ask Game of Thrones or Stranger Things). However, few of them manage to land their endings like F is for Family. It pays off everything set up since the first season, including Frank’s relationship with his abusive father before his death. Sue works to reconcile with her estranged parents and her gay brother Louis, and Mohican Airways is absorbed into rival Alaquippa Airlines, upending Frank’s career all over again.
Vic becomes a father, Kevin and Alice’s relationship matures, and Bill finds his own path forward. At only eight tightly paced episodes, the season closes on a note that deliberately mirrors the series premiere, sending the Murphys off exactly right.
Here’s an overview of the rankings:
| Rank | F is for Family Seasons | Rotten Tomatoes – Tomatometer | Popcornmeter (As of July 15, 2026) |
| 1. | Season 5 | 89% (Popcornmeter) |
| 2. | Season 4 | 93% (Popcornmeter) |
| 3. | Season 1 | 85% | 91% |
| 4. | Season 2 | 89% | 95% |
| 5. | Season 3 | 96% (Popcornmeter) |
Which season do you think is the best? Comment below.
