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TV Shows That Went From Good to Great in Season 2

There was no sophomore slump with these shows

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Amanda Bell

There are plenty of TV shows that start out strong enough but just cannot recapture that magic in their second seasons. Some may be able to power through and return to form later on, while others could wind up on the chopping block. As common as the sophomore slump might be, though, there are also several series that followed up solid first seasons with material that completely elevated the show.

Recently, there've been quite a few examples of that: shows which already enjoyed some critical revelry but really blew audiences away with their second seasons. Consider how long it'd take to count all of the trophies on Phoebe Waller-Bridge's wall after Fleabag Season 2, after the show outgrew her one-woman play and reached heavenly new heights. And who didn't delight in the waySuccession narrowed its focus on the Roy family and raised the stakes in Season 2? We have also forgotten just how many times we've had to tell friends to just power through The Leftovers' somewhat slower first season because of just how much reward they'd get out of "International Assassin." You get the idea. 

To read more on these and the others shows the staffers of TV Guide chose as second season wonders, click through the gallery below. 

PHOTOS: These Shows Went From Good to Great in Season 2

Fleabag, Justified, and Succession

FleabagJustified, and Succession

Amazon, FX, HBO