diff --git a/.sqlx/query-e6f5f116e453756eb57d58da32dd32a53984f9884b179346b1faf07032b08187.json b/.sqlx/query-580e3bf81062d253fd08c9a4e1a879a0e57d6357ab9b278503cdf8fb5252886a.json
similarity index 92%
rename from .sqlx/query-e6f5f116e453756eb57d58da32dd32a53984f9884b179346b1faf07032b08187.json
rename to .sqlx/query-580e3bf81062d253fd08c9a4e1a879a0e57d6357ab9b278503cdf8fb5252886a.json
index e22fd02..ac2fc80 100644
--- a/.sqlx/query-e6f5f116e453756eb57d58da32dd32a53984f9884b179346b1faf07032b08187.json
+++ b/.sqlx/query-580e3bf81062d253fd08c9a4e1a879a0e57d6357ab9b278503cdf8fb5252886a.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "db_name": "SQLite",
-  "query": "SELECT se.series_id AS \"series_id!: i64\", e.id AS \"id!: i64\", e.season_id AS \"season_id!: i64\", se.number AS \"season_number!: i64\", e.number AS \"number!: i64\", e.title AS \"title!: String\", e.air_date, e.wanted AS \"wanted!: bool\", e.state AS \"state!: String\", e.vanished AS \"vanished!: bool\", e.search_attempts AS \"search_attempts!: i64\", e.last_searched_at\n           FROM episodes e JOIN seasons se ON se.id = e.season_id WHERE se.series_id = ? ORDER BY se.number, e.number",
+  "query": "SELECT se.series_id AS \"series_id!: i64\", e.id AS \"id!: i64\", e.season_id AS \"season_id!: i64\", se.number AS \"season_number!: i64\", e.number AS \"number!: i64\", e.title AS \"title!: String\", e.air_date, e.wanted AS \"wanted!: bool\", e.state AS \"state!: String\", e.vanished AS \"vanished!: bool\", e.search_attempts AS \"search_attempts!: i64\", e.last_searched_at\n           FROM episodes e JOIN seasons se ON se.id = e.season_id WHERE se.series_id = ? ORDER BY se.number DESC, e.number DESC",
   "describe": {
     "columns": [
       {
@@ -82,5 +82,5 @@
       true
     ]
   },
-  "hash": "e6f5f116e453756eb57d58da32dd32a53984f9884b179346b1faf07032b08187"
+  "hash": "580e3bf81062d253fd08c9a4e1a879a0e57d6357ab9b278503cdf8fb5252886a"
 }
diff --git a/.sqlx/query-583b48cc8a0c618294361f606a9c8a4b3a42000c96343ff9a5490bb518700f81.json b/.sqlx/query-f52980596624a03ae4c704926a443c5665c865f9d3d3699105790fe09d8b3fc9.json
similarity index 89%
rename from .sqlx/query-583b48cc8a0c618294361f606a9c8a4b3a42000c96343ff9a5490bb518700f81.json
rename to .sqlx/query-f52980596624a03ae4c704926a443c5665c865f9d3d3699105790fe09d8b3fc9.json
index 52f33f0..68a8d8c 100644
--- a/.sqlx/query-583b48cc8a0c618294361f606a9c8a4b3a42000c96343ff9a5490bb518700f81.json
+++ b/.sqlx/query-f52980596624a03ae4c704926a443c5665c865f9d3d3699105790fe09d8b3fc9.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "db_name": "SQLite",
-  "query": "SELECT id AS \"id!: i64\", series_id AS \"series_id!: i64\", number AS \"number!: i64\", tracked AS \"tracked!: bool\", vanished AS \"vanished!: bool\" FROM seasons WHERE series_id = ? ORDER BY number",
+  "query": "SELECT id AS \"id!: i64\", series_id AS \"series_id!: i64\", number AS \"number!: i64\", tracked AS \"tracked!: bool\", vanished AS \"vanished!: bool\" FROM seasons WHERE series_id = ? ORDER BY number DESC",
   "describe": {
     "columns": [
       {
@@ -40,5 +40,5 @@
       false
     ]
   },
-  "hash": "583b48cc8a0c618294361f606a9c8a4b3a42000c96343ff9a5490bb518700f81"
+  "hash": "f52980596624a03ae4c704926a443c5665c865f9d3d3699105790fe09d8b3fc9"
 }
diff --git a/crates/arr-api/src/series.rs b/crates/arr-api/src/series.rs
index ea32782..bace102 100644
--- a/crates/arr-api/src/series.rs
+++ b/crates/arr-api/src/series.rs
@@ -655,7 +655,9 @@ async fn remove_library_files(state: &AppState, id: i64) -> Result<(), ApiError>
 
 async fn load_seasons(state: &AppState, series_id: i64) -> Result<Vec<Season>, ApiError> {
     let seasons = sqlx::query!(
-        r#"SELECT id AS "id!: i64", series_id AS "series_id!: i64", number AS "number!: i64", tracked AS "tracked!: bool", vanished AS "vanished!: bool" FROM seasons WHERE series_id = ? ORDER BY number"#,
+        // §9.6: newest-first, so season 0 lands last under plain numeric
+        // descending order — exactly where the design puts it.
+        r#"SELECT id AS "id!: i64", series_id AS "series_id!: i64", number AS "number!: i64", tracked AS "tracked!: bool", vanished AS "vanished!: bool" FROM seasons WHERE series_id = ? ORDER BY number DESC"#,
         series_id
     )
     .fetch_all(pool(state)?)
@@ -663,7 +665,7 @@ async fn load_seasons(state: &AppState, series_id: i64) -> Result<Vec<Season>, A
     let episodes = sqlx::query_as!(
         EpisodeRow,
         r#"SELECT se.series_id AS "series_id!: i64", e.id AS "id!: i64", e.season_id AS "season_id!: i64", se.number AS "season_number!: i64", e.number AS "number!: i64", e.title AS "title!: String", e.air_date, e.wanted AS "wanted!: bool", e.state AS "state!: String", e.vanished AS "vanished!: bool", e.search_attempts AS "search_attempts!: i64", e.last_searched_at
-           FROM episodes e JOIN seasons se ON se.id = e.season_id WHERE se.series_id = ? ORDER BY se.number, e.number"#,
+           FROM episodes e JOIN seasons se ON se.id = e.season_id WHERE se.series_id = ? ORDER BY se.number DESC, e.number DESC"#,
         series_id
     )
     .fetch_all(pool(state)?)
@@ -1637,13 +1639,83 @@ mod tests {
             .await
             .expect("seasons json");
         let seasons = seasons.as_array().expect("seasons array");
-        assert_eq!(seasons[0]["vanished"], false);
+        let vanished = |number: i64| {
+            seasons
+                .iter()
+                .find(|season| season["number"] == number)
+                .expect("season")["vanished"]
+                .clone()
+        };
+        assert_eq!(vanished(1), false);
         assert_eq!(
-            seasons[1]["vanished"], true,
+            vanished(2),
+            true,
             "#141: the conflict flag is not stopped at the database"
         );
     }
 
+    /// §9.6: seasons come back newest-first within a series and episodes
+    /// newest-first within each season, with season 0 wherever descending
+    /// numeric order puts it — last. The SPA renders this order as given,
+    /// so it is the API's to get right (#162).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn seasons_and_episodes_are_returned_newest_first() {
+        let (_dir, state, base) = application().await;
+        let root_id = tv_root(&state, "main").await;
+        let series = add_series(&base, root_id, false).await;
+        let series_id = series["id"].as_i64().expect("id");
+        for (season, episodes) in [
+            (
+                0,
+                serde_json::json!([
+                    {"number": 1, "title": "Special one"},
+                    {"number": 2, "title": "Special two"}
+                ]),
+            ),
+            (1, serde_json::json!([{"number": 1, "title": "Pilot"}])),
+            (
+                2,
+                serde_json::json!([
+                    {"number": 1, "title": "One"},
+                    {"number": 2, "title": "Two"},
+                    {"number": 3, "title": "Three"}
+                ]),
+            ),
+        ] {
+            add_season(&base, series_id, season, episodes).await;
+        }
+
+        let seasons: serde_json::Value =
+            reqwest::get(format!("{base}/api/series/{series_id}/seasons"))
+                .await
+                .expect("list seasons")
+                .json()
+                .await
+                .expect("seasons json");
+        let seasons = seasons.as_array().expect("seasons array");
+        let numbers: Vec<i64> = seasons
+            .iter()
+            .map(|season| season["number"].as_i64().expect("number"))
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(numbers, [2, 1, 0], "§9.6: newest-first within the series");
+
+        let episode_numbers = |index: usize| -> Vec<i64> {
+            seasons[index]["episodes"]
+                .as_array()
+                .expect("episodes")
+                .iter()
+                .map(|episode| episode["number"].as_i64().expect("episode number"))
+                .collect()
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            episode_numbers(0),
+            [3, 2, 1],
+            "§9.6: newest-first in a season"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(episode_numbers(1), [1]);
+        assert_eq!(episode_numbers(2), [2, 1]);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn intent_is_set_on_seasons_and_on_single_episodes() {
         let (_dir, state, base) = application().await;