9.2/10127 votesLoading...#1 - Rape
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 10/24/1989
After being released by his captors, the chief discovers that his abduction is part of a plot to assassinate a visiting civil rights leader.
Director: Harry Harris, Paul Lynch
Writer: N/A
9.0/1099 votesLoading...#2 - And Justice For Some
Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/1990
Gillespie and his officers are outraged when a drug courier who ran down the son of Virgil's next door neighbor makes a deal with the F.B.I. to avoid prosecution.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.9/10136 votesLoading...#3 - A Trip Upstate
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 2/7/1989
In this thought provoking episode.Gillespie is surprised when a man he arrested asks to see him on the eve of his execution.He must confront his feelings about the death penalty when the prisoner asks him to witness his death.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.9/1088 votesLoading...#4 - A Depraved Heart
Season 7 Episode 4 - Aired 9/23/1993
The daughter of an old friend asks Bubba to arrest the man who knowingly gave her AIDS.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.8/10112 votesLoading...#5 - Prisoners
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 12/20/1988
Sweet risks his life to prove that the Sheriff of a neighboring county is guilty of the racially motivated murder of a young man that Sweet was friends with in high school.
Director: Russ Mayberry
Writer: Lee Maddux
8.8/1083 votesLoading...#6 - The More Thing's Change
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 11/19/1991
A man murders his business partner and frames the man's illegitimate daughter for the crime in an attempt to gain the man's business and his wife.
Director: Russ Mayberry
Writer: N/A
8.7/10110 votesLoading...#7 - Don't Look Back (1)
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 12/4/1988
A copycat recreates a shocking unsolved murder from the past.Gillespie feels threatened after Ted Marcus suggests that Virgil should become the Chief.The situation becomes more tense after Virgil criticizes Parker and Bubba's actions.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.7/1086 votesLoading...#8 - Don't Look Back (2)
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 12/4/1988
Tibbs,Gillespie and Bubba pursue different leads in a bizarre murder case and the Chief realizes that the killer has plans for him.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.7/10105 votesLoading...#9 - First Girl
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 11/14/1989
An unhappy wife asks her lover to place a bomb in her abusive husband's truck.
Director: Winrich Kolbe, Gene Reynolds
Writer: N/A
8.7/1093 votesLoading...#10 - Citizen Trundel (2)
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 5/8/1990
Harriet's efforts to bring V.J. Trundel to trial are fruitless.The Chief does not believe they will ever get enough evidence to get an indictment,so he tries another method to bring Trundel to justice.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.7/1082 votesLoading...#11 - Perversions of Justice
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 10/2/1990
A mild mannered school teacher is accused of child molestation.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: Robert Bielak
8.7/10100 votesLoading...#12 - A Woman Much Admired
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 10/1/1991
Gillespie's old flame returns to Sparta to settle some business matters and see Bill. When she is murdered he travels to Gulfport and meets his daughter Lana for the first time.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.7/1072 votesLoading...#13 - Love, Honor and Obey
Season 5 Episode 14 - Aired 2/4/1992
Parkers investigation into a purse snatching reveals an abused woman.
Director: Reza Badiyi
Writer: N/A
- 8.7/1065 votesLoading...
#14 - Child's Play
Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 9/16/1993
Chief Gillespie is fired by the city council and Sparta's new police chief Hampton Forbes arrives in town.Bill's last case with Sparta P.D. is a murder investigation in which a young boy has been implicated.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
- 8.6/10104 votesLoading...
#15 - ...And Then You Die
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 5/3/1988
The Sparta police search for a killer and his girlfriend.But the case becomes personal when they take Althea and the grandson of one of the victims hostage.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.6/1098 votesLoading...#16 - Family Secret
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 12/6/1988
The murder of well respected man turns up a shocking secret about his family.
Director: Lee H. Katzin
Writer: Nancy Bond
8.6/1087 votesLoading...#17 - Vengeance
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 12/12/1989
An outlaw family seeks revenge against Bubba after he is forced to shoot one of them during a holdup.The chief wants him to stay out of sight until they are arrested - a suggestion that does not set well with Bubba.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.6/1088 votesLoading...#18 - Brotherly Love (1)
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/1990
Virgil goes to Philadelphia to investigate a friends death.And Bubba (reluctantly) fills in as Althea's Lamaze coach.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.6/10121 votesLoading...#19 - Sweet, Sweet Blues
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 11/26/1991
The lyrics to a blues song recall a murder that happened 50 years earlier.The victim - Sweet's grandfather.And the only people left with the answers are the bluesman who wrote the song and a retired sheriff.
Director: Vincent McEveety
Writer: N/A
8.6/1071 votesLoading...#20 - A Small War (1)
Season 6 Episode 1 - Aired 10/28/1992
Big city crack dealers invade Sparta.Eugene witnesses the drive by shooting of a friend and his offer to help the police identify the shooters leaves Harriet frightened and angry at Bill.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: Joe Gannon
- 8.6/1066 votesLoading...
#21 - Hatton's Turn (2)
Season 7 Episode 3 - Aired 9/18/1993
Wade and Sarah try to keep young Henry from being punished for a crime he did not commit and Forbes and his officers search for the two men who are really responsible.
Director: Carroll O'Connor
Writer: N/A
- 8.6/1070 votesLoading...
#22 - Singin' the Blues
Season 7 Episode 7 - Aired 10/28/1993
Luann moonlights as a singer at a nightclub and finds romance with the clubs owner.Her happiness is shortlived when she realizes that the bartender is dealing drugs.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.6/1063 votesLoading...
#23 - Dangerous Engagement
Season 7 Episode 22 - Aired 5/4/1994
Bill and Harriet's wedding plans are interrupted by a sniper who mistakes Bill for Sheriff McComb.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/10206 votesLoading...
#24 - Pilot (1)
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/6/1988
Virgil Tibbs returns to Sparta and joins the police force as chief of detectives.His arrival is met with resistance from police chief Bill Gillespie - who resents having an officer hired without his approval.Virgil has trouble adjusting to the small, antiquated police force.Tibbs' first case is a racially charged murder case that is soon complicated when the suspect is murdered in his cell.
Director: David Hemmings
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/1073 votesLoading...
#25 - Blind Spot (2)
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 4/5/1988
An angry Gillespie seeks answers when an old friend is shot.And Virgil narrowly escapes death after trying to ascertain the real reason behind an old adversary's return to Sparta.Nan finds herself in danger after she finds out the truth about her new love.
Director: David Hemmings
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of In the Heat of the Night
Every episode of In the Heat of the Night ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of In the Heat of the Night!
In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name starring Carroll O'Connor...
Genres:CrimeDrama
Network:CBS
Best Episodes Summary
"Rape" is the best rated episode of "In the Heat of the Night". It scored 9.2/10 based on 127 votes. Directed by Harry Harris, Paul Lynch and written by N/A, it aired on 10/24/1989. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "And Justice For Some".