7.5/1092 votes#1 - Sam's Missing (1)
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 9/27/1985
A family whose little boy died, forces the father to kidnap Sam, who is shopping for some snacks in a grocery store. After the kidnapping, the man threatens to kill Sam's parents if he attempts in any way to escape.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
7.2/1084 votes#2 - Sam's Missing (2)
Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 9/27/1985
The Drummonds, desperate to get Sam back, go on the news to try and advertise to get Sam back. In the meantime Sam risks everything to tell the Drummonds where he is.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
6.5/1069 votes#3 - Bully for Arnold
Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 10/4/1985
Guarding the school bully's girlfriend, Ramona, seems like a simple task to Arnold, until his natural Jackson ""charm"" creates some problems, Ramona falls head over heels for him and Herman, the bully, wants to rearrange his face.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
6.8/1070 votes#4 - Love on the Run
Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 10/11/1985
Sam and Arnold fear that the time their parents are spending apart is a symptom of an ailing marriage and the boys attempt to give them a dose of romance, hoping it will be the cure that will keep them from divorce.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
6.8/1068 votes#5 - Willis Goes to College
Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 10/18/1985
Willis takes a big step when he leave home for college, but fears his initiation to dorm life is only one of the freshman experiences he may not be ready to handle.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.0/1071 votes#6 - Arnold's Job
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 10/25/1985
Arnold's dream of becoming an ""overnight"" success as a photo-journalist run headlong into reality when he gets his first job on a local newspaper.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
6.8/1069 votes#7 - A Tale of Two Teachers
Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 11/8/1985
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar guest stars as a high school English teacher who gives Arnold a ""classic"" punishment for ""goofing off"" in class and the freshman quickly learns his lesson when his penace is teaching ""A Tale of Two Cities"" to his rowdy classmates.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
6.3/1074 votes#8 - So You Want to Be a Rock Star
Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 11/15/1985
A music instructor ""backs up"" Arnold after he claims to be an expert sax player in order to impress a girl.
Director: Mel Ferber
Writer: N/A
6.5/1068 votes#9 - Speak No Evil
Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 11/29/1985
Father and son are feuding over First Amendment rights when an outraged Arnold objects to a white supremacy organization speaking at his high school and a discerning Drummond can't support Arnold's fury on the basis of the American right to free speech.
Director: Gerren Keith, Glenn Padnick
Writer: N/A
7.0/1064 votes#10 - Arnold's Bad Rep
Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 12/6/1985
Arnold succumbs to peer pressure and boasts he went ""all the way"" with his girlfriend, but his lie puts him in a more awkward position once the girl finds out about his claim to fame.
Director: Mel Ferber
Writer: N/A
6.7/1065 votes#11 - It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 12/13/1985
Drummond has ""insured"" that Sam will have an unforgettable birthday party by arranging for a local television personality to be the main attraction, until the swash-buckling ""Captain Jack"" steals the show and the birthday boy jumps ship.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
7.1/1075 votes#12 - Arnold's Initiation
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 1/10/1986
Arnold's initiation into the ""cool"" club at school jeopardizes his friendship with the mildly-retarded dishwasher at the Hamburger Hangar, after a prank Arnold ""must"" pull causes the man to lose his job.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.1/1070 votes#13 - Bulimia
Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 1/17/1986
Arnold suspects that Kimberly has an eating disorder when his slender sister is secretly gorging himself, but not gaining any weight. Arnold seeks Drummond's help in confronting Kimberly with her problem and the family comes together to help her fight the eating disorder, bulimia.
Director: Barbara Schultz
Writer: N/A
6.8/1063 votes#14 - Sam's Big Brother
Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 1/24/1986
Arnold's preoccupation with girls and school leaves younger brother Sam alone and bored until Willis steps in, takes over as ""big bro"" and causes a row when Arnold decides to fight back for the title.
Director: Mel Ferber
Writer: N/A
6.9/1069 votes#15 - Arnold's Tangled Web
Season 8 Episode 15 - Aired 1/31/1986
To prevent Drummond from seeing his ""F"" in geometry, Arnold arranges to have Drummond's signature forged on his report on his report card, but the scheme backfires when Drummond insists on a personal inspection of Arnold's grades.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.1/1063 votes#16 - Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown
Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 2/7/1986
Sam's contempt for a classmate who incessantly insults and badgers him is pacified when he learns that the boy is an orphan who's jealous of Sam's ""perfect"" family life.
Director: Mel Ferber
Writer: N/A
7.4/1068 votes#17 - The Big Bribe
Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 2/21/1986
A date with a gorgeous girl has Arnold walking on a cloud, until he learns she was bribed by Willis to go out with him.
Director: Mel Ferber
Writer: N/A
7.4/1071 votes#18 - The Photo Club
Season 8 Episode 18 - Aired 2/28/1986
Arnold is disgruntled over being partnered with archenemy Lisa in photography class but his frustration soars when the two are accidentally locked together in the basement darkroom.
Director: Jeremiah Morris
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#19 - The Front Page
Season 8 Episode 19 - Aired 3/7/1986
Arnold's feature story about his high school football team threatens to turn into a controversial expose for the school newspaper when he witnesses team members buying steroids.
Director: Gerren Keith
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes Season 8
Every episode of Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes Season 8!
The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a...
Genres:ComedyFamilyDrama
Season 8 Ratings Summary
"Sam's Missing (1)" is the best rated episode of "Diff'rent Strokes" season 8. It scored 7.5/10 based on 92 votes. Directed by Gerren Keith and written by N/A, it aired on 9/27/1985. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Sam's Missing (2)".