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The Worst Episodes of Cagney & Lacey

Every episode of Cagney & Lacey ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Cagney & Lacey!

The Worst Episodes of Cagney & Lacey

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...

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  1. Background image for Jane Doe #37
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    #1 - Jane Doe #37

    S2:E15

    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.

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  2. Background image for Date Rape
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    #2 - Date Rape

    S2:E16

    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

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  3. Background image for The Informant
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    #3 - The Informant

    S2:E22

    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.

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  4. Background image for A Killer's Dozen
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    #4 - A Killer's Dozen

    S3:E2

    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.

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  5. Background image for The Bounty Hunter
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    #5 - The Bounty Hunter

    S3:E4

    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.

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    Director:Bill Duke
    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for Baby Broker
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    #6 - Baby Broker

    S3:E5

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
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  8. Background image for Partners
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    #7 - Partners

    S3:E6

    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

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    Director:Joel Oliansky
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for Choices
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    #8 - Choices

    S3:E7

    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.

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    Director:Karen Arthur
    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for On the Street
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    #9 - On the Street

    S5:E1

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

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    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for Ordinary Hero
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    #10 - Ordinary Hero

    S5:E2

    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

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    Director:Reza Badiyi
    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for The Psychic
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    #11 - The Psychic

    S5:E3

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

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  13. Background image for Lottery
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    #12 - Lottery

    S5:E4

    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

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    Director:James Frawley
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for Entrapment
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    #13 - Entrapment

    S5:E5

    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.

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    Director:Al Waxman
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for The Clinic
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    #14 - The Clinic

    S5:E6

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for Mothers & Sons
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    #15 - Mothers & Sons

    S5:E7

    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

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    Director:Ray Danton
  17. Background image for Filial Duty
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    #16 - Filial Duty

    S5:E8

    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

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    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Old Ghosts
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    #17 - Old Ghosts

    S5:E9

    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.

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  19. Background image for Power
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    #18 - Power

    S5:E10

    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

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  20. Background image for Play It Again, Santa
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    #19 - Play It Again, Santa

    S5:E11

    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

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    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for The Rapist (aka Rebukes)
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    #20 - The Rapist (aka Rebukes)

    S5:E12

    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.

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    Director:James Frawley
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for Act of Conscience
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    #21 - Act of Conscience

    S5:E13

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for DWI
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    #22 - DWI

    S5:E14

    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

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  24. Background image for The Gimp
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    #23 - The Gimp

    S5:E15

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Family Connections
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    #24 - Family Connections

    S5:E16

    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.

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    Director:James Frawley
    Writer:Unknown
  26. Background image for Post Partum
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    #25 - Post Partum

    S5:E17

    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

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Jane Doe #37" is the worst rated episode of "Cagney & Lacey". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Stan Lathan and written by Peter Lefcourt, it aired on 2/14/1983. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Date Rape".