After Graham Lineham stopped writing/directing (after season one) for the show, it wasn't quite the same, though still great. Season two had some missteps. Season three came back and was almost as good as the first. The S3 episode where Bernard and Manny attempt to write a children's book is absolute gold.
so, season one > season three > season two.
It's one of my favorite shows ever. Possibly the finest sitcom to grace God's green Earth. My favorite episode is S1E3, "The Grapes Of Wrath."
And yeah, I can see a lot of myself in Bernard.