The Best Episodes of Any Day Now

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
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   REVEAL THE WINNER
   

   9.4/10(27 votes)

   #1 - Just the Beginning (2)

   S4:E223/10/2002

   Present: M.E. takes over the wedding plans when Rene is forced to attend a hearing; Rene returns home to a perfectly planned wedding, and marries Turk; Catherine and Sara make peace; Kelly and Ajoni announce that they're staying in Birmingham; M.E. and Rene reminisce about their friendship. Past: Teresa wants to move to Hollywood in hopes of becoming a movie star; M.E. plans to run away to Atlantic City to attend a march; Rene is barred from a pageant because she's black.

   Director:Artie Mandelberg

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Artie Mandelberg

   Writer:Unknown
2. 

   9.3/10(20 votes)

   #2 - Three Lucky Ladies on the Line

   S3:E58/20/2000

   Present: Tillie Sims arrives for a visit and once again puts her son in jeopardy when a loan shark follows her from Florida looking for the money she owes him, prompting M.E. to give Tillie an ultimatum; worried that April's incoherent behavior means that she has a substance abuse problem, Rene forces her to take a drug test, which turns out negative; when April begins to exhibit delusional behavior, Rene gets Mrs. Samuels' permission to take her to a doctor. Past: After James is attacked by the police during the march on Selma, Elston and James disagree about the effectiveness of non-violent protest; after federal troops are sent in to protect the marchers, the entire Jackson family joins the march; Rene is forced to reconsider the practice of non-violence when she is tormented by Tully's constant bullying; Colliar's mother doesn't intervene when he is abused by his father.

   Director:Joanna Kerns

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Joanna Kerns

   Writer:Unknown
3. 

   9.0/10(45 votes)

   #3 - Unfinished Symphony

   S1:E18/18/1998

   Present: Mary Elizabeth Sims, a Birmingham wife, mother, and aspiring writer, reaches out to her estranged childhood friend Rene Jackson, a prominent Washington attorney, when she returns home upon the death of her father. The friends reconcile, and Rene decides to remain in Birmingtham and take over her father's law practice. Past: It's 1962, and Mary Elizabeth and Rene strike up a friendship over a shoplifted pack of cigarettes. Rene, a recent transplant from Detroit, has difficulty adjusting to the segregated South.

   Director:Jeff Bleckner

   Writer:Deborah Joy LeVine

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   Director:Jeff Bleckner

   Writer:Deborah Joy LeVine
4. 

   8.8/10(27 votes)

   #4 - It's Not About the Butter (1)

   S2:E910/24/1999

   While dining at a restaurant with Rene, Mary Elizabeth (M.E.) mistakenly assumes a black woman walking by is a waitress. The incident ignites a heated debate between Rene and M.E. about modern day racism and leads M.E. to examine the topic in a freelance article for the magazine she was recently fired from. As part of her investigation, M.E. interviews her Uncle Jimmy, who is in the Ku Klux Klan, and learns that racism still exists in its harshest forms. After the article is published, M.E. finds a cross burning in her front yard. Meanwhile, Rene searches for a new office assistant and is upset that Bill, who is away at a seminar, has not called her. Past: Rene's father, James, prosecutes a legal case against the city for preventing black men from taking the exam to become police officers. Rene pleads with her father to drop the case after M.E.'s Uncle Jimmy threatens that something bad will happen to their family if he does not.

   Director:Artie Mandelberg

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Artie Mandelberg

   Writer:Unknown
5. 

   8.6/10(28 votes)

   #5 - Please Don't Tell My Mother

   S1:E710/6/1998

   Present: After M.E. finds an empty beer bottle in the living room the morning after Kelly's party, she grounds her daughter for three weeks, even though Kelly tells her she didn't see anyone drinking; Rene pleads Kelly's case to M.E. by reminding M.E. how wild her own teenage years were and M.E. tells her to mind her own business, so she remains silent when she sees Kelly sneaking out of the house; Kelly is arrested for underage drinking when the driver of the car she's riding in is pulled over for driving under the influence, and she calls Rene from jail instead of her parents, which causes another argument between M.E. and Rene; Rene represents a woman whose son was threatened by a fellow student with a gun and who tragically takes matters into his own hands when the school administration fails to move quickly enough to help him; M.E. patches up her differences with Kelly and Rene. Past: Teresa takes her revenge after she discovers M.E. and Rene spying on her makeout session with her

   Director:Sharron Miller

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Sharron Miller

   Writer:Unknown
6. 

   8.6/10(16 votes)

   #6 - Quit Bein' Such a Scaredy Cat

   S1:E1412/15/1998

   Rene's stalker is still around and she has to get a restraining order. M.E. and Colliar are beginning their own construction business. Past: Rene and M.E. sneak out to a carnival and stumble upon a Klan rally.

   Director:James Hayman

   Writer:Dee Johnson

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   Director:James Hayman

   Writer:Dee Johnson
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7. 

   8.6/10(19 votes)

   #7 - It's Not About the Butter (2)

   S2:E1010/24/1999

   Present: M.E. and Colliar are proven correct in blaming Uncle Jimmy for coordinating the cross burning when his name is discovered on the membership list of an online hate group that has targeted Rene and Sara on their ""hit list""; Rene files a civil suit against Uncle Jimmy; Bill and Rene discuss the future of their relationship. Past: As James proceeds with his civil rights suit against the police department, Sara and Rene are pulled over and threatened by a police officer while they are driving on an isolated road, and they see Jimmy O'Brien sitting in the patrol car; James and Sara discuss whether they should stay and fight or return to Detroit.

   Director:Artie Mandelberg

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Artie Mandelberg

   Writer:Unknown
8. 

   8.6/10(24 votes)

   #8 - Lighten Up, Rene

   S3:E1212/3/2000

   Present: Nick hires an election strategist who rubs Rene the wrong way when she attempts to ""lighten up"" Rene's image by setting her up for an endorsement by a politically influential group whose color-struck policies and members she abhors; although the Sims and Williams families agree to support Kelly and Ajoni in keeping their baby, Colliar continues to have a hard time dealing with Kelly's pregnancy. Past: M.E. humiliates Rene in front of Henry when she pushes her in the pool and ruins her hair, so Rene forces M.E. to sit with her through the four-hour ordeal of getting her hair relaxed.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
9. 

   8.6/10(18 votes)

   #9 - Children Are the Most Important Thing

   S3:E203/11/2001

   Present: Rene represents a woman who was fired when she protested against her employer's preferential treatment of workers with children; M.E. helps Kelly and Ajoni move into their new apartment; Matthew's demetia worsens; Rene realizes why she lives alone as M.E. begins to wear out her welcome; Colliar seeks out Rene's help when M.E. seriously begins to contemplate a divorce; inspired by how Catherine cares for Matthew during difficult times, M.E. moves back home, but into Kelly's old room. Past: The O'Briens are devastated when Johnny is killed in Vietnam; when the Jacksons come to pay their respects, Matthew asks Rene to come into the house and visit with M.E.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
10. 

    8.6/10(16 votes)

    #10 - No More Forever

    S4:E27/22/2001

    Present: Stacy introduces Rene to a handsome and opinionated judge, who ends up hearing the case of a Native American artist Rene represents when a controversy arises over a Holocaust mural he painted for a museum; M.E.'s back goes out, and she wiles away her recuperation by making friends with her new neighbor's little boy. Past: Rene tries to keep her father from discovering that she's dating a senior.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
11. 

    8.5/10(20 votes)

    #11 - Huh?

    S1:E28/25/1998

    Present: Rene represents a woman whose rapist is suing her for shared custody and visitation rights to the child conceived during the rape; M.E. confronts Kelly about her failing grades at school. Past: After M.E. learns something about black families from Rene, she begins to confront the bigoted attitudes voiced by her parents and their opposition to her friendship with Rene.

    Director:Oz Scott

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Oz Scott

    Writer:Unknown
12. 

    8.5/10(17 votes)

    #12 - Tick, Tick, Tick

    S3:E172/18/2001

    Tension runs high as M.E. helps Kelly get ready for the wedding. Rene tries to convince one of her clients to leave her abusive husband. Ajoni and a very pregnant Kelly get married and spend their wedding night at the Sims house. Past: M.E. smokes Theresa's marijuana, mistaking it for a cigarette. Rene and M.E. argue about courage as Rene prepares a care package for Elston in Canada.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
13. 

    8.4/10(24 votes)

    #13 - Courage ... It Means Heart

    S1:E810/13/1998

    Mary Elizabeth solicits the help of her family and Rene in caring for her aging Grandma Otis. Meanwhile, Rene is asked to represent a boy whose family refuses to give him his inheritance because he belongs to a spiritual group they believe is a cult. Past: With Rene's help, Grandma Otis teaches M.E. how to have a loving heart.

    Director:Oz Scott

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Oz Scott

    Writer:Unknown
14. 

    8.4/10(18 votes)

    #14 - Blue

    S1:E151/5/1999

    Rene is reunited with her cousin who has spent the past 20 years passing for a white man. M.E. and Colliar bid on a construction company. Past: Rene worships her aunt who encourages her to sing in the church choir, while M.E. gets pushed aside.

    Director:Artie Mandelberg

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Artie Mandelberg

    Writer:Unknown
15. 

    8.4/10(19 votes)

    #15 - It's a Mother-Daughter Thing

    S3:E1111/5/2000

    Present: When Kelly follows in her mother's footsteps, M.E. and Colliar are thrilled by her being elected to the homecoming court and have a complete meltdown after she reveals that she's pregnant; Rene is appalled when she discovers that rapes are being deliberately underreported by the police and underprosecuted by her opponent. Past: M.E. and Colliar go through a difficult patch; Rene gets a new boyfriend named Henry.

    Director:Artie Mandelberg

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Artie Mandelberg

    Writer:Unknown
16. 

    8.4/10(15 votes)

    #16 - The Real Thing

    S4:E151/6/2002

    Present: After M.E. is selected for jury duty, she mounts a one-woman jury nullification campaign when she refuses to convict an elderly woman who was charged with drug trafficking for growing and distributing marijuana to cancer patients; Rene represents Charley Majors when the U.S. Attorney's Office goes after him for painting pictures of U.S. currency; M.E. continues to meet with a therapist to uncover the reasons for her eating disorder; Rene wonders exactly what she and Turk are to each other, and begins to pull away when he introduces her to his former flame as a ""friend and colleague""; Turk tells her he loves her and is determined not to let her go, even though she is afraid to get close to him; after a few days apart, Rene realizes how much she loves him, and they are reunited. Past: M.E.'s and Rene's teacher begins to date Uncle Jimmy, and Rene suffers the consequences when they tell her that he's a member of the Klan.

    Director:Tom McLoughlin

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Tom McLoughlin

    Writer:Unknown
17. 

    8.4/10(16 votes)

    #17 - Truth Hurts

    S4:E181/27/2002

    Present: Rene represents a 14-year-old boy in a custody dispute; M.E., Colliar, Rene, and Turk go to a night club where the ""comedian"" targets M.E. and another woman with offensive comments about their size; when the other woman asks M.E. to join her in a class-action lawsuit to protest this harassment, M.E., with the help of a little straight talking from Rene, is forced to face the truth about about her body image and weight obsession issues; Colliar and M.E. take turns speaking to Turk about his intentions towards Rene; after M.E. gives her some wise advice about marriage and relationships, Rene faces the truth about her feelings and proposes to Turk. Past: Rene and M.E. trace their family histories for a school project and discover the historical links between their races; after Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated, the girls arrange for their mothers to meet, and Sara and Catherine realize that they share a common bond of grief over his death.

    Director:Tom McLoughlin

    Writer:Mark Israel

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    Director:Tom McLoughlin

    Writer:Mark Israel
18. 

    8.3/10(17 votes)

    #18 - Five Golden Rings

    S3:E1412/17/2000

    Rene embraces the holiday season, but things turn sour when her attempts at planning a holiday party for the lawyers association fall flat. Luckily, she is still able to have a great Christmas with Elston, his partner and their son, Victor. M.E. is determined to have one more old-fashioned family Christmas, but things go awry when Ajoni proposes to Kelly on Christmas Day. Past: The girls begin a tradition of donating gifts to those who are less fortunate.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
19. 

    8.2/10(23 votes)

    #19 - Eve of Destruction

    S1:E39/1/1998

    Present: Rene falls for the reporter assigned to do a story on her for the ""Birmingham Daily"" while turning down both Garrett and Graham; Colliar gets a job as a car salesman after he discovers that his back injury means that he can't do manual labor any longer; M.E. and Colliar sue their litigious and cantankerous neighbor after she has Scout impounded for knocking her down while trying to protect Davis and Kelly when she attacked them with a rake. Past: During the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, M.E. becomes very frightened that Birmingham will be bombed and stays close to home, leading Rene to question whether they're still friends. Grandma Otis invites the girls over for a slumber party.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Dee Johnson

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Dee Johnson
20. 

    8.2/10(20 votes)

    #20 - You Really Believe in That Stuff?

    S2:E28/22/1999

    Rene is sued for malpractice by a former client and his wife; so she hires Joe Lozano, an attractive attorney to whom she rents office space, to defend her. However, Rene learns that the way Joe wins cases isn't all that ethical....M.E.'s daughter, Kelly, dyes her hair black and hangs goth paraphernalia in her room. While M.E. struggles to accept Kelly's new lifestyle, Kelly insists that being into goth has nothing to do with contemplating suicide. M.E. also worries that Kelly doesn't want to go to college. Past: After attending a service at a Baptist church with Rene, M.E. decides to convert from Catholicism, which makes her mother furious.

    Director:Artie Mandelberg

    Writer:Dee Johnson

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    Director:Artie Mandelberg

    Writer:Dee Johnson
21. 

    8.2/10(17 votes)

    #21 - Love Is Love

    S3:E810/8/2000

    Present: The fur flies at the Sims and Williams households when M.E discovers Ajoni asleep in Kelly's room one morning, even though both teenagers insist that nothing is going on between them; Ajoni's parents are upset about the interracial relationship and concerned that Kelly will keep Ajoni from attending college; after Ajoni's father throws him out of the house when he persists in dating Kelly, M.E. and Colliar allow him to stay with them; Rene and Joe explore the possibility of expanding their relationship. Past: Rene incurs the wrath of her beloved Cookie Grandma when M.E. reveals that Rene has a crush on a white boy.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Mark Israel

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Mark Israel
22. 

    8.2/10(15 votes)

    #22 - Don't Tell Me It's Not About Frankie

    S3:E182/25/2001

    Colliar tells M.E. that he's moving out. When he returns after a few days with an idea to give Kelly and Ajoni $5,000 so they can get their own place, everyone is furious with him and accuse him of being a racist. M.E. and Colliar have a huge fight which ends with M.E. moving into Rene's house; Meanwhile, Rene represents the a woman who accuses the new district attorney's nephew of rape. Past: A bewildered M.E. and Rene watch Colliar and Henry become supercompetitive at the Spring Fair.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
23. 

    8.2/10(17 votes)

    #23 - Still My Little Soldier

    S4:E1312/2/2001

    Present: Rene starts down the long slow road to recovery at breakneck speed. Although she is weak and in pain, she is determined to tough it out on her own without any help from anyone, both at home and the office. While she is in the hospital, she dreams that her father is at her bedside telling her, ""My little soldier can take care of herself"", something he said often when she was younger. Despite pleas by Sara, M.E., Turk and Joe to take it slowly and let them support her, she remembers her father's words and rushes to regain control of her life and get things back to normal, even after Sara tells her that her normal has changed. Against the advice of her doctor, she insists upon getting a copy of the videotape that was made during her surgery. As soon as she is home, she shoos everyone anyway and watches the tape. The stress of seeing the video, coupled with how hard she has pushed herself to recover, causes her to collapse and be rushed to the emergency room. When she returns from

    Director:Janice Cooke

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Janice Cooke

    Writer:Unknown
24. 

    8.1/10(20 votes)

    #24 - No Comment

    S1:E69/29/1998

    Present: When an old family friend who is now a city councilman asks Rene to defend him against corruption charges, Rene agrees after being convinced by some members of the black community that the charges are baseless and rooted in racism; M.E. is appalled that her friend would represent someone so lacking in ethics, and is further dismayed when Colliar excuses the man's dishonesty as ""the way of the world""; after being lied to by her client and realizing that he is guilty of the charges, Rene withdraws from the case and is subjected to hate mail and a brick thrown through the window of the Jackson home; M.E. and Rene decide that politics will be one of the very few things they don't discuss. Past: As the Jackson family prepares to participate in the March on Birmingham, M.E. gives Rene her St. Christopher medal for protection.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
25. 

    8.1/10(18 votes)

    #25 - Music from My Life

    S1:E213/2/1999

    Mary Elizabeth and Rene go to Los Angeles to visit Mary Elizabeth's sister Teresa, whom they must help come to terms with her fiancé's less-than-honorable motives. When lovesick Teresa returns to Birmingham with Mary Elizabeth, she confronts the chilling memory of being molested by her piano teacher - the same man who now gives Kelly piano lessons. Past: M.E. and Rene run away from home, forcing Matt and James to work together to find them

    Director:Arvin Brown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Arvin Brown

    Writer:Unknown