Every season of Cagney & Lacey ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of Cagney & Lacey!

The detectives again go undercover as prostitutes

You Call This Plain Clothes? (aka Bang, Bang, You're Dead)

The first appearance of Dick O'Neill as Charlie Cagney. The case occurs in Chinatown, where Charlie just happened to work, so he helps out. This is the episode where Lacey shoots and kills a fleeing perp.

Pop Used to Work Chinatown

An illegal immigrant is murdered, and the trail leads to a large racket in modern-day slave trading.

Beyond the Golden Door

Street Scene

Cagney and Lacey become involved in an investigation of child abuse and possible murder when they rescue a child from a window ledge.

Suffer the Children

C&L are assigned to protect a feminist, only not a Gloria Steinem type, but a Phyllis Schlafy type. This episode was very controversial, and several stations refused to run it.

Better Than Equal

One of the uniforms accidentally kills a civilian, mistaking him for a perp. C&L both see it, but they have very different recollections of the event. Marquette and Samuels pressure Lacey to agree with Cagney, but you know how stubborn she is. The bad guy is a crewman on a foreign ship, and it ends with a chase on the ship.

Witness to An Incident

A uniform cop is shot in a restaurant. The assumption is that the cop was shot because he knew too much, but it was actually mistaken identity. The B story is that the precinct is going to field a softball team. Of course, Cagney wants to play and drags Lacey along. Isbecki is the captain and tries to keep them out but eventually has to allow them in when he learns that the team must include both men and women

One of Our Own

A group of baddies is preying on wealthy patrons of beauty shops. They get into these shops by pretending to be policemen. C&L get to head up the task force, and Cagney befriends one of the victims

Beauty Burglars

A construction worker falls to his death, and everyone thinks it's an accident, including Isbecki, who lets the ladies take over the case. You see, Harvey knew the fellow, and he thinks there's something funny. It turns out that the victim was on the take, and Harvey and Mary Beth go out to the construction site to inspect first hand.

High Steel

A group of unrelated stranglings has the NYPD very worried. Turns out all the women work for telephone erotic hotlines. There's a very funny scene where C&L go to investigate and the hotline manager thinks they're looking for work.

Hot Line

The 14th precinct has an informer in its midst. The undercover agents working on a truck hijacking are getting exposed. IAD ""asks"" C&L to investigate, since they're ""outsiders."" When Cagney refuses, the IAD lieutenant smirkily tells her that Charlie was on the take when he was a cop. All they turn up is that LaGuardia has a girlfriend and Samuels is seeing aa psychiatrist because of the effect of his divorce.

Internal Affairs

A farmer from Vermont comes in looking for his wife, who has disappeared in New York City. Seems that she has ""married"" several men, and is collecting money from all of them.

Mr. Lonelyhearts

C&L and another detective are working on a case involving some illegal weapons. The catch is that the third detective has just had his picture turn up in a gay magazine. Is he gay? Will he be suspended before he helps C&L catch the bad guy?

Conduct Unbecoming

A Christmas episode, lighter than usual. The ""villain"" is a nebbish who steals from parking meters. When he gets arrested, he makes off with a squad car, which so enrages Samuels that nobody gets to leave early on Christmas Eve. The villain is played by character actor David Masur The ""B"" story is that Petri's Lauren daughter is born. We first meet Dory McKenna as Chris' boyfriend.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

C&L are assigned to work for Sgt. Dory McKenna on a murder investigation. The baddy is a slumlord who is trying to get rid of his tenants so he can make a co-op out of his building. The kicker is that Dory is using cocaine. After he snorts up at Mary Beth's and doesn't show up as backup, Chris threatens to turn him in unless he gets help for his addiction.

Recreational Use

A gang of thieves have an intriguing modus operandi. They wait until a family is at a funeral and then break in and steal everything. One of the victims is a crippled girl.

Hopes and Dreams

Albert Grand is the most famous jewel thief in the world. He has even written a book about his career. Can the elegant dog lover who stops a petty crime really be the great thief?

The Grandest Jewel Thief of Them All

A new detective has been assigned to the 14th. Lacey thinks it's nice to have another woman; Cagney thinks she's incompetent

Affirmative Action

Lacey is the main witness in an open-and-shut case, only it isn't that open-and-shut. in the ""B"" story, a witness in an old rape case has to testify. The defendants' strategy is stall and stall, and C&L have to support her when she wants to quit

Open and Shut Case

a bag lady, is murdered. Only Cagney cares what happened, and strives to find the woman's real name. The ""B"" plot is very funny: our heroines are assigned to do recruiting, and wind up trying to do a commercial for the NYPD. Of course, they get replaced by ""real"" actresses.

Jane Doe #37

It's a rape case, but the victim knew her assailant, which makes it date rape. Cagney and Harvey think the woman asked for it; Lacey is more supportive. The ""B"" story is that the guys in the precinct are playing practical jokes such as fixing Isbecki up with a female impersonator and Samuels with a prostitute. Cagney thinks it's funny and points out that it's a great step forward for them to be included in this

Date Rape

The ""A"" story is that Cagney goes undercover as a nun to investigate the theft of drugs from a hospital. The ""B"" story is that she goes alone because Lacey has gone off AWOL. After her vacation is canceled at the last minute, she just says, ""the hell with it"" and disappears

Burn Out

When C&L screw up a backup assignment, Isbecki is taken hostage. The situation gets worse when Petri kills a child. As the child is black, public relations thinks they can solve the problem by putting Petri's picture in the paper, so everyone can see he's also black

Chop Shop

A poor Jewish man is hit by a car, and we know who did it. The problem is that he's the son of an Arabian diplomat, and safe as long as he stays in the embassy. After he escapes twice, the women had better work something out.

Let Them Eat Pretzels

To celebrate Petri's promotion to detective first grade, the gang goes out to celebrate. Alas, they get robbed (including their guns and shields), and have to restore face. LaGuardia is so upset that he threatens to quit.

The Gang's All Here

The "A" story is that a con man is doing very well, but when he's arrested as he's fleeing, there's nothing of value in his suitcase. The "B" story is that one of the cops working with them, who Mary Beth has known since academy days, is beating his wife.

A Cry for Help

To find out who's selling drugs to high school students, C&L use a teenage informer. But the youth is not to be trusted, and the detectives wind up with eggs on their face when it turns out that he's selling drugs himself.

The Informant

A wealthy Westchester housewife is found dead in the city. Since Cagney comes from a well- off family in Westchester, we get to learn a little bit about her background. The ""B"" story is that Samuels' son David gets arrested for car theft, and relations between the two are very strained

Matinee

The uniforms are on strike, and the detectives must wear uniforms and go back on the street, all the while solving the case of the ""Don Juan Strangler."" This is the first episode in which Cagney plays poker.

A Killer's Dozen

The ladies happen on a porno movie filming, and the next day the leading man dies. The female star would make a great witness, but she doesn't want to talk

Victimless Crime

This time it's clear who the bad guy is. But he's being pursued for bail jumping by a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter not only has a legal right, if he can find him, but he makes a point of irritating Cagney.

The Bounty Hunter

When an abandoned infant is turned in, C&L go to work on a baby-broker scheme. The baby is deaf, and Mary Beth wants to take it home for child #3. (This was shown before Tyne Daly's pregnancy.) In the B plot, Cagney is dating a glamorous playwright, but he doesn't think much of her career.

Baby Broker

Cagney gets show by a bad guy early in the episode. Not to worry, she solves the case from her hospital bed. She has to, because Mary Beth gets stuck with a real dweeb as a replacement. In a role reversal, Mary Beth is the ""hot dog"" and the guy is only interested in getting home on time

Partners

The crime story is a sequel to #16 (slumlord trying to get rid of tenants.) The witness has died, since the defense strategy is to stall, so C&L have to find new witnesses.

Choices

A little girl appears to have been molested by her babysitter, but the girl's father doesn't want her to testify, not because he's a bad guy, but because he doesn't want her to face a trial

Child Witness

Mary Beth is taken hostage by a very dangerous man.

Heat

Dory McKenna is back, rehabilitated from cocaine, and C&L again get to assist him. Meanwhile, Samuels must deal with a former subordinate who is now a captain and wants to ""improve"" the 14th Precinct.

Insubordination

A cop killer has just been paroled. C&L have to guard him for only a little while, but of course he gets killed on their shift. This was a popular killing, but the ladies don't like anybody messing with them, so they track down the killer.

Old Debts

Both the wife and daughter confess to a killing, but they can't both have done it. ADA Feldberg has a great time sarcastically pointing out how two confessions are not better than one

Fathers and Daughters

This is the only episode with the title displayed. The cabbies of New York are disappearing, and the detectives drive shifts to find the killer. This so worries Michael Lacey that he runs off to Christine's to get reassurance.

Taxicab Murders

Cagney shoots an Hispanic teenager. It doesn't matter that he attacked her or that he was full of angel dust - the local press has her drawn and quartered.

Unusual Occurrence

The 14th Precinct has done its paperwork so badly that everyone (except for Petrie) has to come in over the weekend and clear it up. but C&L discover a statute of limitations that's about to expire and they must serve the warrant that weekend. The paperwork doesn't get done. Petrie is no better off - Claudia makes him spend the weekend painting the place.

Thank God It's Monday

Dory's sponsor in the cocaine rehabilitation program is caught with cocaine. When Dory defends him, Chris has to consider the possibility that Dory is still using it himself

Hooked

The episode begins with Mary Beth talking a successful businesswoman out of jumping off a ledge. Not so successful - she has a good income, but horrendous gambling debts. When she dies they must track down the loan shark. To make contacts, C&L go out gambling themselves

Lady Luck

The crime story concerns a cat burglar who never uses a gun. Yet somebody gets shot. Chris is now sufficiently involved with Dory to meet his kids by a prior marriage

Out of Control

A company is getting ahead in business by some well-placed fires. The small firms can choose between burning and blackmail

American Dream

Dory finally pops the question. Will Christine marry him? Of course he will; there's just a few things to iron out. The crime story concerns a fellow who works in the credit department of a store and is making good money by stealing one penny from each refund

Happily Ever After

C&L think it's wonderful to be assigned to a hot case under the hot Captain Hennessey. it seems that his interest in Chris is more personal than professional. Finally, Chris announces that she will file departmental charges against him for sexual harassment.

Rules of the Game

Cagney is a witness to a stabbing. The bad guy has the charming habit of erasing people he doesn't like, such as witnesses, and he goes after her

Stress

A two parter where Mary Beth discovers that she has a lump in her breast, but she refuses to talk about it or do anything about it. Chris finds out when Harvey gets worried and sneaks out to tell her. Chris finally convinces Mary Beth to see a doctor and then to get a second opinion. Meanwhile the detectives must find a missing child. Cagney thinks the kid ran away because the mother was unfit. The mother thinks that they would look harder for a white child. Finally he turns up in an underground passage and Chris goes in after him. Mary Beth goes in for her surgery, but Chris can't be there because she is taking the sergeant's exam. But she gets back in time to learn that the operation is a success

Who Says It's Fair (1)

Who Says It's Fair (2)

Cagney's car (a yellow Corvette) has been stolen and boy is she mad. She doesn't get much help from Mary Beth, who is convalescing at home and considering quitting for good. The good news is that the second half of the sergeants exam has a question about auto theft technique.The episode introduces Hector (El Vengeador). It is later learned that Cagney's nemesis Mansfield had him murdered for his role as a drug informant in the episode ""The Man Who Shot Trotsky

Lost and Found

In a sequel to #18, the noted jewel thief Albert Grand returns. All Chris asks of him is that he not give her anything stolen. It is considered a classic episode for Albert Grand's confession to Cagney

Two Grand

Cagney's sexual harassment case comes to trial (follow up to #49). Lacey is busy with the bunco squad. She manages to get approached by a completely different bunco scam and reels them in.

Con Games

A teenager is thrown into a very tough jail by mistake for am minor offense and gets raped. The angry parents file a lawsuit for $7 million dollars against the NYPD

Violation

When a nun is killed, C&L assume it's their case. However, the nun's family was friends with the Godfather, and the ladies find themselves with some very efficient but unwanted assistance.

Organized Crime

A teenager has run away from her wealthy home, preferring prostitution to Princeton. Cagney and Lacey need her to testify against her pimp

On the Street

Cagney and Lacey have no trouble with a case, thanks to their star witness. Alas, he's an illegal alien, who can only stay in the country until the trial ends. When the baddy takes a plea bargain, the witness and family are going to be deported

Ordinary Hero

A psychic is hired to find a missing woman (hired by the family of the woman). Cagney senses trouble.

The Psychic

After the New York State Lottery has paid out millions, here comes another ticket. Somebody has a fake, but who? In the B story, Harvey and Mary Beth must face an IRS audit

Lottery

Cagney and Lacey try to nail drug dealer Mansfield. But their case rests on Chris' unsubstantiated conversation with him. Mary Beth would rather go bowling than lie, but she has to stick up for Chris.

Entrapment

Cagney and Lacey escort a poor Latina to an abortion clinic, as she's afraid to run the gauntlet of protestors. When the clinic is firebombed and someone dies, it becomes murder. When the baddy is discovered, Lacey points out that since she's pregnant, attacking her is just like killing a baby. This was a controversial episode, not shown by every affiliate.

The Clinic

There's good evidence against a suspect, but his mother insists that he was at home with her. As long as the suspect has an alibi, he's all right

Mothers & Sons

Charlie Cagney's drinking begins to catch up with him and he winds up in the hospital. Lacey, now well advanced in her pregnancy, wants to get off the street and into a desk

Filial Duty

Cagney sees a robbery in progress, gives chase, loses the perp, and then gets into trouble because she didn't catch the guy. She doesn't like being accused of cowardice. Brother Brian shows up from L.A. to see how Charlie is doing.

Old Ghosts

Samuels' absence gives Cagney a chance to shine as temporary commander. Inspector Knelman gives her her orders - put Lacey on maternity leave. This is considered a classic episode because it is the one in which Cagney takes her turn as watch commande

Power

A Christmas episode, where Cagney is teamed with Newman to solve a dispute over who has rights to a song. Since Chris just had a fight with David, maybe Newman will be a romantic prospect? See Cagney dressed up as a Santa with big elf shoes on

Play It Again, Santa

Also given to me as ""The Rapist, Part 1"")"" As a temporary replacement for Lacey, Sara Jones seems like a fine detective, and very gungho on finding a rapist. Too gungho - she decides to take matters into her own hands when it seems it is taking too long to nail the suspected rapist. A very, very sad ending to this episode.

The Rapist (aka Rebukes)

Cagney's new partner, Michael Moriarty, is famous - he ""ratted"" on some cops on the take. The other police officers will have nothing to do with him - in fact, Coleman has a ""book"" on how long the guy will last.

Act of Conscience

To gain more command experience, Cagney commands the night shift, with its own bunch of wackos. The cop case is a hit-and-run drunken driver. Cagney must convince the driver's girlfriend to testify. This episode is one of the first to talk about Cagney's drinking

Handicapped people are being robbed, and a wheelchair activist wants the NYPD to do something about it. Cagney goes undercover by appearing as a handicapped individual in a wheelchair and falls for the activist.

The Gimp

This is sometimes referred to as Cagney & Lacey's ""Lucy and Ethel"" episode for its comedic touches. At last, Lacey has baby Alice. (It did seem like the longest pregnancy on record, didn't it?) Cagney has to drive her to the hospital in the obligatory get-me-to-the-hospital-on-time scene. Chris has another problem - Charlie has a girlfriend, Donna.

Family Connections

A West Point cadet is facing court martial and refuses to talk because of his honor code. David Keeler is sure that the cadet is innocent, so Chris goes up to help out. Lacey has a visitor - her long-lost father, who ran out on her mother when Mary Beth was a child. Now he wants to see his grandchildren

Post Partum

In a sequel to #62,Cagney and a back-on-duty-again Lacey go after Mansfield again. Cagney's informant is a street-smart Hispanic youth - is he tough enough to handle Mansfield?

The Man Who Shot Trotsky

An actress in a play has died, and it appears to be suicide. However, when the ladies start digging around, they discover that everybody in the play hates everybody else - plenty of reason for murder. We learn that Cagney tried acting in college.

Exit Stage Centre

A Cambodian lawyer who specialized in helping his fellow countrymen is killed. Further investigation reveals that he made a lot of money off other Cambodian's misfortunes.

Capitalism

Cagney and Lacey get a sweetheart trip - to Los Angeles to bring back a bail jumper

Extradition

A thief gets more than he expected, when the goods include plutonium. He needs to be caught quickly, so that his radiation sickness can be treated

A Safe Place

A labor leader is killed. Once again, the victim seems to have led a blameless life, yet someone wanted him dead.

Model Citizen

A labor leader is killed. Once again, the victim seems to have led a blameless life, yet someone wanted him dead. In the B plot, Cagney's niece (who we met in #78) comes for a visit.

Parting Shots

Detective Newman is just walking down the street, celebrating a successful collar, when he is shot down. A cop killed is always taken very seriously.

Schedule One

An Islamic girl from a very devout family wants to be more American. No arranged marriage for her; she'd rather go to Malibu.When she turns up dead, Cagney and Lacey must face her angry family. They're also being considered for a very select task force that Cagney sees as her path to sta

Culture Clash

Lacey and Isbecki are trapped in an elevator. Of course it's the hottest day of the year, and Victor is claustrophobic. The episode also features character actor Stanley Kamel as Det. Solomon

Sorry, Right Number

(Also given to me as ""Incest."") A girl says that their father is molesting the younger daughter, who is too young to testify. How does she know? Because she was molested herself. Cagney and Lacey get the children away from their parents, but have to split up the girls to do so.

Disenfranchised (aka Incest)

In a self-referential show, the 14th is visited by a TV star, ""Detective Deedee,"" who has permission from the brass to learn how real policemen work. She especially wants to learn from Cagney and Lacey.

Role Call

An assistant D.A. has devoted his entire career to prosecuting child pornography. When he turns up dead, Cagney (who would have liked to have gotten to know him better) thinks one of those scuzzy pornographers had killed him.

The Zealot

The 14th precinct has to help support the annual New York City marathon. One of the (white) runners is from South Africa, and is facing death threats if she runs. Cagney and Lacey are assigned to talk her out of running but if they can't, then they must protect her.

The Marathon

A college sorority initiate falls off a building. The detectives suspect a hazing prank gone sour, but the sorority sisters won't talk.

Rites of Passage

When someone who Petrie held a grudge against is killed, Marcus is the suspect. In the B plot, Chris dates a reporter and discovers that he has a hidden agenda.

Revenge

In a sequel to episode #69, Sara Jones goes on trial. She wants Cagney to back up her story, but Cagney won't do it.

To Thine Own Self Be True (aka The Rapist II)

In a sequel to episode #75, Mansfield goes on trial. He's done something clever - he's hired David Keeler to defend him. David explains how principled he is. Chris tells him to go to hell.

Cost of Living

A toy company is dumping toxic wastes, and a gungho environmentalist is willing to do whatever it takes to get Cagney and Lacey to investigate.

Waste Deep

The detectives go after a corrupt judge. but he has an ""in"" - he's an old friend of Charlie Cagney's. Cagney also has to do the performance reviews, and smoke flies when she doesn't give Lacey top ranking.

Favors

Story by Allison Hock. The crime story hits close to home here. The Laceys are burglarized and Mary Beth must deal with Detective Dupnick from Queens. Of course, she's neglected all the precautions that she lectures civilians about. Cagney attends the Emerald Ball, while dealing with a high school athlete who dropped dead of steroid overuse

Ahead of the Game

The detectives go undercover at Alcoholics Anonymous to find out who's holding up AA meetings. At a session for co-dependents they meet Donna, Charlie's girlfriend, who's figured out that Charlie's an alcoholic.

Easy Does It

Story by Sandy Sprung and Marcy Vosburgh. Samuels is getting the Distinguished Service Award at a banquet. All Cagney and Lacey have to do is plan the banquet, coordinate the entertainment, get the balloons, and make cannoli. Very funny, especially the cannoli scene.

To Sir, With Love

A spiritualist has a new gimmick. She charges people to get messages to their dead loved ones by hiring terminally ill people as messengers. The funny thing is that everyone except Cagney and Lacey are happy with the setup.

Divine Couriers

A deaf girl is suspected of murder. Could someone with such a severe handicap commit a crime like that? Also, a drunken David Keeler appears on Cagney's door step begging her forgiveness. She hadn't seen him since ""the Cost of Living"" although he left numerous messages on her answering machine.

Right to Remain Silent

Lacey participates in a protest march against nuclear weapons. She gets arrested and thrown to the tender mercies of Detective Dupnick.

Special Treatment

Mary Beth Lacey and Chris Cagney are teamed up as NYPD police detectives. Their opposing personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) mesh to make this one of the great crime-fighting duos of all time.

The Best Seasons of Cagney & Lacey

The Best Seasons of Cagney & Lacey

Season 5

Season 4

Season 2

Season 3

Season 7

Season 1

Season 6