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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!

Binge this in 1h 24m•Peaking at 7.5/10

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 rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond and his

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 1 - Sam's Missing (1)
    7.5/10(98 votes)

    #1 - Sam's Missing (1)

    S8:E1

    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:Unknown

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  2. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 2 - Sam's Missing (2)
    7.3/10(88 votes)

    #2 - Sam's Missing (2)

    S8:E2

    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:Unknown

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  3. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 3 - Bully for Arnold
    6.5/10(73 votes)

    #3 - Bully for Arnold

    S8:E3

    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:Unknown

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  4. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 4 - Love on the Run
    6.8/10(73 votes)

    #4 - Love on the Run

    S8:E4

    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:Unknown

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  5. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 5 - Willis Goes to College
    6.8/10(72 votes)

    #5 - Willis Goes to College

    S8:E5

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 6 - Arnold's Job
    7.0/10(75 votes)

    #6 - Arnold's Job

    S8:E6

    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:Unknown

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  7. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 7 - A Tale of Two Teachers
    6.7/10(72 votes)

    #7 - A Tale of Two Teachers

    S8:E7

    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:Unknown

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  8. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 8 - So You Want to Be a Rock Star
    6.3/10(77 votes)

    #8 - So You Want to Be a Rock Star

    S8:E8

    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:Unknown

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  9. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 9 - Speak No Evil
    6.5/10(71 votes)

    #9 - Speak No Evil

    S8:E9

    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.

    Directors:Gerren Keith, Glenn Padnick
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 10 - Arnold's Bad Rep
    6.9/10(67 votes)

    #10 - Arnold's Bad Rep

    S8:E10

    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:Unknown

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  11. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 11 - It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To
    6.7/10(68 votes)

    #11 - It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To

    S8:E11

    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:Unknown

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  12. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 12 - Arnold's Initiation
    7.3/10(80 votes)

    #12 - Arnold's Initiation

    S8:E12

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 13 - Bulimia
    7.1/10(74 votes)

    #13 - Bulimia

    S8:E13

    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:Unknown

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  14. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 14 - Sam's Big Brother
    6.8/10(67 votes)

    #14 - Sam's Big Brother

    S8:E14

    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:Unknown

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  15. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 15 - Arnold's Tangled Web
    6.8/10(72 votes)

    #15 - Arnold's Tangled Web

    S8:E15

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 16 - Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown
    7.0/10(67 votes)

    #16 - Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown

    S8:E16

    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:Unknown

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  17. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 17 - The Big Bribe
    7.3/10(73 votes)

    #17 - The Big Bribe

    S8:E17

    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:Unknown

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  18. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 18 - The Photo Club
    7.4/10(77 votes)

    #18 - The Photo Club

    S8:E18

    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:Unknown

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  19. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 19 - The Front Page
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #19 - The Front Page

    S8:E19

    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:Unknown

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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 98 votes. Directed by Gerren Keith and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/27/1985. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Sam's Missing (2)".