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The Best Episodes of Designing Women

Every episode of Designing Women ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Designing Women!

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Julia Sugarbaker, Mary Jo Shively, Charlene Frazier-Stillfield and Suzanne Sugarbaker are associates at their design firm, Sugarbaker and Associates. Julia is the owner and is very outspoken and strong-willed. Mary Jo is a divorced single-parent

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Designing Women Season 2 Episode 4 - Killing All the Right People
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Killing All the Right People

    S2:E4

    "Killing All the Right People" is the 26th episode of the sitcom Designing Women. Originally airing on October 5, 1987, as the fourth episode of the second season, it features Tony Goldwyn as Kendall Dobbs, a young man dying of AIDS who asks the women to design his funeral. Series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's mother died of AIDS and her experience with her mother's disease and the prejudice associated with it inspired the episode.

    Director:Harry Thomason
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  2. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 22 - Reservations for Eight
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #2 - Reservations for Eight

    S2:E22

    A romantic ski weekend becomes a battle of the sexes when an avalanche sidelines the Sugarbakers ladies and their boyfriends.

    Director:Hal Holbrook
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  3. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 2 - The Beauty Contest
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - The Beauty Contest

    S1:E2

    Charlene sponsors Mary Jo's daughter in the Miss Pre-Teen Atlanta contest, and despite her depression over her own upcoming 30th birthday, Suzanne coaches Claudia on how to walk and smile.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  4. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 4 - Julia's Son
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #4 - Julia's Son

    S1:E4

    Julia's nineteen-year-old son, Payne, is bringing his girlfriend home from college for a visit, and Julia wants everything to be perfect for her ""baby."" Payne then presents his girl, Primmie, who is tall, attractive...and forty years old!

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  5. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 6 - Design House
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #5 - Design House

    S1:E6

    Since Suzanne has money invested in Sugarbaker's and is tired of her image as a front bimbo for the firm, Julia assigns her to do the decorating of their next project. Unfortunately, the house burns to the ground while Suzanne is working on it.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 8 - I Do, I Don't
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #6 - I Do, I Don't

    S1:E8

    The dinner is perfect, the champagne flows, Julia is presented with a single rose, and on a lark she and her current beau Reese get married. The next morning both parties regret their hastiness, and Reese appears with annulment papers. An argument ensues, and Julia finally agrees to sign the papers, thereby annuling their marriage and their entire relationship.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Unknown

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    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Designing Women

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  7. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 12 - Old Spouses Never Die (1)
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #7 - Old Spouses Never Die (1)

    S1:E12

    Mary Jo is brooding about her ex-husband's interference in her life, while Charlene distrusts her doctor's cavalier attitude toward the lump he found in her breast.

    Director:Barnet Kellman
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  8. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 22 - Bachelor Suite
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - Bachelor Suite

    S1:E22

    When Mary Jo undertakes the decoration of Hence Winchester's new home, she finds herself the object of sexual harassment by her wealthy client.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  9. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 7 - Heart Attacks
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - Heart Attacks

    S2:E7

    Reese's fitness demonstration - arm wrestling an old buddy and sometime-rival -- causes a heart attack, and subsequent different treatment from Julia.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  10. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 8 - Cruising
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - Cruising

    S2:E8

    Suzanne and Mary Jo become romantic rivals while doing a job aboard a cruise ship.

    Director:Harry Thomason
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  11. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 11 - Howard the Date
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - Howard the Date

    S2:E11

    It's the mercy date from Hell when the female Sugarbakers staff accompany dateless Howard the nerd to his high-school reunion. Their sympathy quickly wears off when he begins to boast about handling his ""four women.""

    Director:Harry Thomason
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  12. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 12 - I'll Be Home For Christmas
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - I'll Be Home For Christmas

    S2:E12

    Charlene and Anthony scheme to outsmart Mary Jo's disbelieving son on Christmas Eve -- until their hired Santa beats them to it, by swiping the Sugarbakers' Christmas gifts.

    Director:Harry Thomason
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  13. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 18 - High Rollers
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #13 - High Rollers

    S2:E18

    After Charlene unwittingly puts a bug in Suzanne's ear by relating the success story of Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, Suzanne flits off to Atlantic City with Charlene and Anthony in hopes of winning a bundle to pay off debts by employing Anthony's gambling expertise.

    Director:Harry Thomason
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  14. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 5 - Mary Jo's First Date
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - Mary Jo's First Date

    S1:E5

    Concerned that Mary Jo hasn't dated since she and Ted broke up, Suzanne arranges a bind date for her with an old acquaintance, J.D. Shackelford, head scout for the Atlanta Braves baseball team, while Julia struggles through an I.R.S. audit conducted by the same Ray Don Simpson who tried to pick up the women at a restaurant and suffered a tonguelashing from Julia.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 9 - The IT Men
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #15 - The IT Men

    S1:E9

    When her boyfriend Mason takes a job in Japan, Charlene finds she has chemistry with another man, a man who happens to be married to one of the Sugarbaker clients.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 1 - 101 Ways to Decorate a Gas Station
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #16 - 101 Ways to Decorate a Gas Station

    S2:E1

    A scruffy gas-station owner wins free interior decoration from Sugarbakers, Charlene consults a psychic about her future.

    Director:Harry Thomason
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  17. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 3 - Anthony, Jr.
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - Anthony, Jr.

    S2:E3

    Anthony goes to extremes to impress his girlfriends' wealthy parents, inventing a pedigreed family -- then an uninvited dinner guest informs him he is the father of her child.

    Director:David Trainer
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  18. Designing Women Season 2 Episode 13 - Great Expectations
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #18 - Great Expectations

    S2:E13

    Anthony is dismayed when an old prison cellmate arrives at Sugarbaker's with a business proposition -- he wants Anthony to become his partner.

    Director:David Trainer
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  19. Designing Women Season 4 Episode 26 - Their Finest Hour
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #19 - Their Finest Hour

    S4:E26

    An hour-long clip show of highlights from the previous seasons, including: razor-tongued Julia standing up for Suzanne against an insolent beauty pageant contestant, Julia defending Bernice's eccentricities, Mary Jo commenting on men and bra sizes, Charlene wondering about everything from killer bees to the personal habits of other women, Suzanne displaying a series of wacky dresses, and Anthony being plagued by a variety of indignities.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  20. Designing Women Season 4 Episode 23 - Suzanne Goes Looking For a Friend
    1.0/10(2 votes)

    #20 - Suzanne Goes Looking For a Friend

    S4:E23

    A lonely Suzanne digs through her old pageant connections for a best girlfriend, not realizing that her friend's "coming out" meant that she was a lesbian and not just the oldest living debutante.

    Director:David Trainer
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 1 - Designing Women
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #21 - Designing Women

    S1:E1

    Suzanne visits a new gynecologist, Mary Jo's ex-husband Ted, and a maelstrom of emotions is unleashed when she announces she is dating him.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  22. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 3 - A Big Affair
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #22 - A Big Affair

    S1:E3

    Suzanne's intimate dinner party, planned to impress an important client, goes awry before it begins when she arranges a date between a more-than-hefty man and a reluctant Charlene.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  23. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 7 - Perky's Visit
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #23 - Perky's Visit

    S1:E7

    Perky Sugarbaker, Julia and Suzanne's mother, and her friend Bernice hope to escape the dull routine of their lives in the retirement home by joining the girls and their ex-con handyman Anthony for the festive occasion, considering it an exhilarating change.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  24. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 10 - The Slumber Party
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #24 - The Slumber Party

    S1:E10

    Arriving at work one morning, Suzanne tells Julia, Mary Jo, and Charlene that when she tried to fire her maid, she put a voodoo death curse on her and proclaimed that Suzanne would be gone by midnight. Mary Jo invites Charlene, Julia and Suzanne to help her with Claudia's slumber party.

    Director:Jack Shea
    Writer:Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

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  25. Designing Women Season 1 Episode 11 - New Year's Daze
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #25 - New Year's Daze

    S1:E11

    It is New Year's Eve, and everyone is dressed in their finery, anticipating a fun-filled night on the town. The identity of Charlene's date is kept secret until a news flash reports that the infamous ""Shadow"" is the subject of a massive manhunt.

    Director:David Steinberg
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Killing All the Right People" is the best rated episode of "Designing Women". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Harry Thomason and written by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, it aired on 10/5/1987. This episode scored 1.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Reservations for Eight".