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The Worst Episodes of A Year in the Life

Every episode of A Year in the Life ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of A Year in the Life!

Following the success of the three-part miniseries of the same name, the drama series follows the daily lives of Seattle's Gardner family. Joe Gardner is...
Genre:Drama
Network:NBC

Worst Episodes Summary

"Dixie Chicken" is the worst rated episode of "A Year in the Life". It scored N/A/10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Michael Toshiyuki Uno and written by Pamela Douglas, it aired on 10/14/1987. This episode scored NaN points lower than the second lowest rated, "Acts of Faith".

  • Dixie Chicken
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    #1 - Dixie Chicken

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/14/1987

    Anne's college boyfriend reenters her life. Guilt takes its toll on working mother Lindley. Sam asks for Joe's assistance in a scheme to help Kay "sell" herself in her real-estate job.

    Director: Michael Toshiyuki Uno

    Writer: Pamela Douglas

  • Acts of Faith
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    #2 - Acts of Faith

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/28/1987

    Joe believes David's social studies teacher has gone overboard to instill a fear of nuclear disaster in his students. Sam thinks his new mother-in-law is an aging hippie and fears Kay could follow in her footsteps. Lindley invents an infant walker.

    Director: Kevin Hooks

    Writer: N/A

  • So Much Water, So Close to Home
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    #3 - So Much Water, So Close to Home

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/25/1987

    Sunny becomes a vegetarian after a visit to a turkey farm. Anne and Sam are stuck in Spokane after a storm and struggle to get back home. A blackout forces the Gardners to improvise on cooking their Thanksgiving bird. Jack spends an empty holiday with a new friend.

    Director: Arthur Allan Seidelman

    Writer: N/A

  • I Think You Know Something I Don't Know
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    #4 - I Think You Know Something I Don't Know

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/2/1987

    Lindley and Jim's efforts to market the baby walker meet with stumbling blocks. Joe is protective of David after a vagrant attacks the boy. Kay feels remorseful after selling a dilapidated home. Sam tires of constant surprises.

    Director: Helaine Head

    Writer: N/A

  • At the Last Moment, Enormous Changes
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    #5 - At the Last Moment, Enormous Changes

    Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/20/1988

    Joe agonizes over a sudden decrease in company profits. Sunny agonizes over a good friend's hostility. Car troubles get the best of Kay.

    Director: Gabrielle Beaumont

    Writer: N/A

  • The Go-Between
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    #6 - The Go-Between

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/10/1988

    Sunny realizes the consequences of her actions too late when she asks a friend to flirt with David. Joe's erratic behavior has the kids worried, but he thinks the truth would leave them more troubled.

    Director: Michael Ray Rhodes

    Writer: N/A

  • Fathers and Other Strangers
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    #7 - Fathers and Other Strangers

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/17/1988

    David tries to be civil around his visiting father. Anne reflects on the bitterness of her first divorce. Joe attends an old Navy buddy's funeral. Kay serves as a juror.

    Director: Kim Friedman

    Writer: N/A

  • Glory Days
    NaN/100 votes
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    #8 - Glory Days

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 3/16/1988

    A friend's death causes Jim to worry about his own mortality. A fallen chandelier prompts Joe and Anne to redecorate, An old flame appears at Jack's high-school reunion.

    Director: Mimi Leder

    Writer: N/A

  • The Politics of Being
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    #9 - The Politics of Being

    Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 3/23/1988

    Anne risks being fired when she stands her ground before an important ad presentation. Joe's quick thinking in an emergency brings fleeting fame. Lindley can't forgive Jim for an accident involving Ruthie.

    Director: Joel Oliansky

    Writer: N/A

  • Love Mother
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    #10 - Love Mother

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 4/13/1988

    A journey to visit her ailing mother is a painful one for Alice. Anne refuses to celebrate her thirty-something birthday. Kay learns she's pregnant. A sick baby wearies Lindley.

    Director: Joshua Brand

    Writer: N/A

  • The Little Disturbance of Man
    7.8/106 votes
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    #11 - The Little Disturbance of Man

    Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/6/1988

    Marketing plans for Jim and Lindley's baby walker take a new turn, with the help of Billy. Anne fails to give up smoking. Sam considers cheating on Kay.

    Director: Mimi Leder

    Writer: N/A

  • While Someone Else is Eating or Opening a Window
    8.0/106 votes
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    #12 - While Someone Else is Eating or Opening a Window

    Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/16/1987

    Sunny's behavior around the house annoys Joe. Billy Putzi becomes a disruptive force in the Eisenberg home. Kay's classes begin to dominate her life, much to Sam's dismay.

    Director: Rob Cohen

    Writer: N/A

  • Don't I Know You From Somewhere?
    8.1/108 votes
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    #13 - Don't I Know You From Somewhere?

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/16/1987

    As her divorce proceedings draw near, Anne accepts a date with a co-worker. Lindley and Jim consider candidates for a full-time babysitter. Joe loses a valued employee.

    Director: Thomas Carter

    Writer: N/A

  • In Dreams Begin Responsibilities
    8.2/107 votes
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    #14 - In Dreams Begin Responsibilities

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/18/1987

    Tempers flare during tryouts for a football team that Jack is coaching. A lonely Anne gives in to temptation on a business trip. Joe is reluctant with being selected as treasurer by a ladies' garden club.

    Director: Kevin Hooks

    Writer: N/A

  • Goodbye to All That
    8.2/106 votes
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    #15 - Goodbye to All That

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/3/1988

    Jack may have discovered "the real thing" when he and his wife receive $1000 in prize money. Joe longs to mend his relationship with Alice. David admires a fellow worker at the bowling alley.

    Director: Helaine Head

    Writer: N/A

  • Common Ground
    8.2/106 votes
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    #16 - Common Ground

    Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 3/9/1988

    A strike breaks out at Joe's ailing plastics plant. David's school play causes stress for Anne and David. Kay gets her hopes up over the perfect house, assuming Joe will co-sign.

    Director: Gabrielle Beaumont

    Writer: N/A

  • What Do You Think Love Is?
    8.3/107 votes
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    #17 - What Do You Think Love Is?

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/30/1987

    A baby-naming ceremony for Ruthie causes dissension. Lindley seems overwhelmed by the commitment to Judaism. A fishing trip causes friction between Jack and David. Sam is in Kay's doghouse after inviting his father to dinner.

    Director: Michael Ray Rhodes

    Writer: N/A

  • Sometimes It's Hard to Remember
    8.4/106 votes
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    #18 - Sometimes It's Hard to Remember

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/13/1988

    Jack encounters racism on the job. Joe vows to beat an arrogant neighbor in a tennis match. Anne stands up Lindley.

    Director: Stephen Cragg

    Writer: N/A

  • What Do People Do All Day?
    8.6/106 votes
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    #19 - What Do People Do All Day?

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/7/1987

    Joe assembles his family after mustering the courage to propose to Alice. Anne is a bundle of nerves while teaching Sunny to drive. Kay is pressured into taking her co-worker's advice before meeting with a potential buyer.

    Director: Jack Bender

    Writer: N/A

  • E.M. 7 Grizzlies Minus 3 1/2 for a Nickel
    8.7/107 votes
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    #20 - E.M. 7 Grizzlies Minus 3 1/2 for a Nickel

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/4/1987

    Jim's flimflam artist father visits, bringing back feelings of embarrassment and resentment for Jim. David is humiliated by a school bully. Jack paints a house for a bickering couple.

    Director: Michael Ray Rhodes

    Writer: N/A

  • Peter Creek Road
    9.0/109 votes
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    #21 - Peter Creek Road

    Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 4/6/1988

    Sunny accepts a date with a boy, unaware of the effect it has on his former girlfriend. Joe's plans for a nostalgic journey are derailed on a train trip to Chicago. Jim decides to build a new TV stand.

    Director: Michael Ray Rhodes

    Writer: N/A

  • Things You Should Know Before and After
    9.5/107 votes
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    #22 - Things You Should Know Before and After

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/23/1987

    Sunny is embarrassed about her lack of experience with boys. Joe and a neighbor have an unneighborly exchange over the Gardners' dog. Jack awaits news from the Seattle police academy.

    Director: Michael Toshiyuki Uno

    Writer: N/A