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The Best Episodes of Hill Street Blues

Every episode of Hill Street Blues ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Hill Street Blues!

Binge this in 1d 4h•Peaking at 8.7/10

A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 14 - Grace Under Pressure
    8.7/10(145 votes)

    #1 - Grace Under Pressure

    S4:E14

    Sergeant Esterhaus dies unexpectedly and the whole station house tries to deal with their grief as they eulogize the man. Meanwhile, Leo finds out his wife is cheating on him; Bates may get a unique promotion; Mrs. Furillo is mistakenly arrested for soliciting by a rookie; Sandy is raped.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writers:Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner, Karen Hall

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  2. Hill Street Blues Season 7 Episode 22 - It Ain't Over Till It's Over
    8.6/10(127 votes)

    #2 - It Ain't Over Till It's Over

    S7:E22

    Sid and Furillo work to find out who is setting up Buntz while Daniels publicly vilifies him; LaRue decides to beat a TV crew doing a live broadcast from a gangster's cellar to the punch; Bates agrees to go out with Sal the plumber; rumors are flying about what will happen to the station house after a three-alarm fire guts it.

    Director:Stan Lathan
    Writers:David Milch, John Romano

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  3. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 8 - Midway to What?
    8.2/10(111 votes)

    #3 - Midway to What?

    S4:E8

    Bates and Coffey clean up ""Buck Naked"" for a court appearance; a busted bookie turns over several tapes incriminating cops on the take, including a rookie Hunter; Belker pursues a paraplegic who spray painted his car; and Hill boxes for the precinct.

    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writers:Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner, Karen Hall

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  4. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 17 - The End of Logan's Run
    8.2/10(105 votes)

    #4 - The End of Logan's Run

    S4:E17

    Belker has a final run in with his bald headed pickpocket with many names; Joyce defends a man whose brother plans to threaten the prosecution witness into silence; and Operation Stop 'N Cop begins.

    Director:Christian I. Nyby II
    Writers:David Milch, Mark Frost

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  5. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 1 - Here's Adventure, Here's Romance
    8.1/10(116 votes)

    #5 - Here's Adventure, Here's Romance

    S4:E1

    The only witness to a massacre in a gay bar is an off duty cop; the Cisco Kid ties up traffic; and Goldblume offers to be Fay's natural childbirth coach.

    Director:Christian I. Nyby II
    Writers:David Milch, Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner

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  6. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 5 - Doris in Wonderland
    8.1/10(116 votes)

    #6 - Doris in Wonderland

    S4:E5

    Commander Ozzie Cleveland enters the mayoral race; Officer Perez accidentally shoots a little boy; Daniels begins ""Operation Tenderloin"" out of a sexual cafeteria; and Mahoney tries to make political capitol for Daniels out of a shooting.

    Director:Arthur Allan Seidelman
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Hill Street Blues

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  7. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 7 - Goodbye, Mr. Scripps
    8.1/10(105 votes)

    #7 - Goodbye, Mr. Scripps

    S4:E7

    On election day, Goldblume tries to keep a last minute candidate clear of the polling places; Mahoney turns on Daniels; Wachtel reports gangsters threatening to torch Murray's Wonderland; and Furillo tries to help Perez' family.

    Director:Corey Allen
    Writer:Mark Frost

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  8. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 12 - Nichols from Heaven
    8.1/10(97 votes)

    #8 - Nichols from Heaven

    S4:E12

    The rats return; Esterhaus is hospitalized for tests; Bates, Coffey and Joyce try to protect a woman and her children from her abusive husband; the latest cop killing looks to be a hired gun copying the random killer; and the corruption investigation strikes close to Hill Street; Hill Street gets word of the murder of Marty Nichols.

    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 9 - Honk if You're a Goose
    8.0/10(121 votes)

    #9 - Honk if You're a Goose

    S4:E9

    Hill has one last fight; Coffey and Bates take on Honky, the guard goose; Belker gets some unexpected help when he goes undercover in a wheelchair; bookie Ben Seltzer gives up a pay off drop point for a judge on the take; and Hunter refuses to admit he attempted suicide or needs any help.

    Director:Arthur Allan Seidelman
    Writers:David Milch, Mark Frost, Karen Hall

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  10. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 13 - Fuchs Me? Fuchs You!
    8.0/10(109 votes)

    #10 - Fuchs Me? Fuchs You!

    S4:E13

    Furillo loses an old friend as the corruption investigation winds up; a romantic triangle transfers to the Hill and comes to a boil; and Coffey gets shot by the cop killer.

    Director:Arthur Allan Seidelman
    Writers:David Milch, Karen Hall

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  11. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 18 - The Count of Monty Tasco
    8.0/10(96 votes)

    #11 - The Count of Monty Tasco

    S4:E18

    A census taker disappears while working in the precinct; the Mullins brothers promise Furillo that Joyce will die if she testifies against Timothy; Daniels relieves Furillo of command; and Daryl Ann asks Renko to marry her.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writers:Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner

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  12. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 19 - Nutcracker Suite
    8.0/10(108 votes)

    #12 - Nutcracker Suite

    S4:E19

    Goldblume and Calletano try to figure out station command as Furillo tries to resist taking a drink; LaRue and Washington dog William Mullins to protect Joyce; and Renko finds he has similar problems to Jesus Martinez.

    Director:Arthur Allan Seidelman
    Writers:David Milch, Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner

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  13. Hill Street Blues Season 5 Episode 16 - Washington Deceased
    8.0/10(95 votes)

    #13 - Washington Deceased

    S5:E16

    LaRue moonlights on a low budget horror picture and ""borrows"" one of the props for a joke on an obnoxious detective; a department accountant dogs Furillo; and Chief Daniels uses his position to punish Mayo for refusing his advances the night before.

    Director:Mark Frost
    Writer:Frank South

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  14. Hill Street Blues Season 7 Episode 18 - Dogsbreath Afternoon
    8.0/10(86 votes)

    #14 - Dogsbreath Afternoon

    S7:E18

    Buntz tracks down Belker's snitch as the whole station house works to find out who shot Mick; Renko is forced to be honest with Daryl Ann by a blackmailing hooker; and Russo and Flaherty stalk a reported lion.

    Director:Christian I. Nyby II
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 3 - The Long Law of the Arm
    7.9/10(103 votes)

    #15 - The Long Law of the Arm

    S4:E3

    LaRue and Washington salvage a man's severed arm; Joyce defends a frantic West Indian cabbie; Hector Ruiz takes one final hostage; and Hill alienates many of his friends with his new attitude.

    Director:Alexander Singer
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 10 - The Russians Are Coming
    7.9/10(108 votes)

    #16 - The Russians Are Coming

    S4:E10

    Three visiting Russians bring their personal problems to the Hill; Belker goes undercover as an ambulance attendant; LaRue's brother-in-law is busted for soliciting a police officer; Joyce, the judge, and the victim try hard to keep a mentally slow young man out of jail; and Fay and Goldblume worry about how Furillo will feel about their relationship.

    Director:Randa Haines
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 11 - Ratman and Bobbin
    7.9/10(107 votes)

    #17 - Ratman and Bobbin

    S4:E11

    Bates and Coffey take over a storefront police/community relations project; a cop killer seems to be roaming the streets; Daryl Ann buys the wrong motorcycle for Renko; Joyce behaves oddly about buying a house; Leo and Ray try out an unorthodox method to get rid of the rats; and Daniels tries to short circuit Cleveland's corruption task force by exposing a network within the special Vice detail.

    Director:Richard Compton
    Writers:Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner, Karen Hall

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  18. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 15 - The Other Side of Oneness
    7.9/10(112 votes)

    #18 - The Other Side of Oneness

    S4:E15

    Goldblume is fascinated by a call girl held on murder charges whose elite clientele has newspapers bidding for her story and her fearful clients threatening her life. Also, tributes to Esterhaus continue to roll in.

    Director:Alexander Singer
    Writers:David Milch, Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner

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  19. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 16 - Parting is Such Sweep Sorrow
    7.9/10(109 votes)

    #19 - Parting is Such Sweep Sorrow

    S4:E16

    A judge intent on elevating jail conditions releases the court's overflow back into the streets; Bates has a rocky start as roll call sergeant; another professional hit covers up the murder of Whitney Barnes; after his memorial service, Furillo follows Esterhaus' last wishes to scatter his ashes on the Hill.

    Director:Gregory Hoblit
    Writers:David Milch, Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner

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  20. Hill Street Blues Season 5 Episode 2 - Watt a Way to Go
    7.9/10(102 votes)

    #20 - Watt a Way to Go

    S5:E2

    Goldblume takes the law into his own hands when his ex-wife Rachel is raped and refuses to press charges; Belker's undercover at the Stratford Hotel ends with Calletano and the Fimpels taken hostage; Hunter tries to defend an EATer's callous remarks during the taking of a sniper; and Joyce continues to work for Celestine's life.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:David Milch

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  21. Hill Street Blues Season 5 Episode 6 - Ewe and Me, Babe
    7.9/10(105 votes)

    #21 - Ewe and Me, Babe

    S5:E6

    Furillo feels pressure from the press and Chief Daniels to clear up the shooting death of the Reverend Booker Simons; Joe Keenan interferes on the Hill in pursuit of some renegade Colombian drug dealers; Joyce tries to help a very young hooker straighten out; LaRue and Washington are forced to move early on a chop shop where Belker is undercover; Fay endangers the Simons investigation by revealing information to the victim's wife; Hill and Renko find a dead man and a live sheep in a compromising position; and Jesus (Martinez) rises again.

    Director:Jeff Bleckner
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Hill Street Blues Season 5 Episode 7 - Blues for Mr. Green
    7.9/10(98 votes)

    #22 - Blues for Mr. Green

    S5:E7

    Belker plans to accompany a prisoner to Las Vegas. Mayo and Garibaldi follow a juvenile murder suspect who has threatened witnesses. Bobby Hill faces an IRS audit and gets tips from Ray Calletano. LaRue and Washington catch a guy with stolen airline ticket forms. Joyce works with a burned out P.D. on the defense of Escobedo and Munoz on assault charges. Coffey and Bates bust a young black boy for shoplifting.

    Director:Bill Duke
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Hill Street Blues Season 5 Episode 11 - Last Chance Salon
    7.9/10(93 votes)

    #23 - Last Chance Salon

    S5:E11

    Renewed gang feuding involves a small local grocery store and its owners; Belker takes his anger about Robin's decision to stop seeing him out on his frightened informant during a beauty parlor undercover; Garibaldi cuts corners to help a young hooker and in his night school class; and Furillo must work against Daniels to head off a major gang battle.

    Director:Christian I. Nyby II
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Hill Street Blues Season 7 Episode 7 - Amazing Grace
    7.9/10(88 votes)

    #24 - Amazing Grace

    S7:E7

    Councilman Wade spends the day exposing and exploiting the crack problem on the Hill; Grace Gardiner returns as Sister Charity and recruits Flaherty; Belker goes under in a seafood joint serving soul food to locate drug traffickers; Goldblume receives an offer to publish Steve Merkur's book; and the manpower shortage delays Buntz' loan shark arrest and costs him part of his finger.

    Director:Don Weis
    Writer:Robert Ward

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  25. Hill Street Blues Season 7 Episode 15 - Norman Conquest
    7.9/10(87 votes)

    #25 - Norman Conquest

    S7:E15

    During his day in station command, Buntz mounts a campaign to confiscate $130,000 worth of illegal drugs; Belker busts a tough kid who bites and runs drugs; Scapizzi pushes Buntz to make time for his interior decorator girl friend; Russo and Flaherty bust a disowned snitch.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Grace Under Pressure" is the best rated episode of "Hill Street Blues". It scored 8.7/10 based on 145 votes. Directed by Rick Wallace and written by Mark Frost, Michael I. Wagner, Karen Hall, it aired on 2/2/1984. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "It Ain't Over Till It's Over".