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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!

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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 as the white police chief William Gillespie, and Howard Rollins

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    In the Heat of the Night Season 3 Episode 1 - Rape
    9.1/10(159 votes)

    #1 - Rape

    S3:E1

    After being released by his captors, the chief discovers that his abduction is part of a plot to assassinate a visiting civil rights leader.

    Directors:Paul Lynch, Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. In the Heat of the Night Season 4 Episode 5 - And Justice For Some
    9.0/10(112 votes)

    #2 - And Justice For Some

    S4:E5

    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:Unknown

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  3. In the Heat of the Night Season 7 Episode 4 - A Depraved Heart
    9.0/10(95 votes)

    #3 - A Depraved Heart

    S7:E4

    The daughter of an old friend asks Bubba to arrest the man who knowingly gave her AIDS.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. In the Heat of the Night Season 2 Episode 11 - A Trip Upstate
    8.9/10(156 votes)

    #4 - A Trip Upstate

    S2:E11

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. In the Heat of the Night Season 5 Episode 7 - The More Thing's Change
    8.9/10(92 votes)

    #5 - The More Thing's Change

    S5:E7

    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:Unknown

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  6. In the Heat of the Night Season 2 Episode 2 - Don't Look Back (2)
    8.8/10(110 votes)

    #6 - Don't Look Back (2)

    S2:E2

    Tibbs,Gillespie and Bubba pursue different leads in a bizarre murder case and the Chief realizes that the killer has plans for him.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of In the Heat of the Night

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  7. In the Heat of the Night Season 2 Episode 5 - Prisoners
    8.8/10(131 votes)

    #7 - Prisoners

    S2:E5

    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

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  8. In the Heat of the Night Season 3 Episode 22 - Citizen Trundel (2)
    8.7/10(105 votes)

    #8 - Citizen Trundel (2)

    S3:E22

    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:Unknown

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  9. In the Heat of the Night Season 4 Episode 4 - Perversions of Justice
    8.7/10(98 votes)

    #9 - Perversions of Justice

    S4:E4

    A mild mannered school teacher is accused of child molestation.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Robert Bielak

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  10. In the Heat of the Night Season 5 Episode 1 - A Woman Much Admired
    8.7/10(110 votes)

    #10 - A Woman Much Admired

    S5:E1

    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:Unknown

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  11. In the Heat of the Night Season 5 Episode 8 - Sweet, Sweet Blues
    8.7/10(128 votes)

    #11 - Sweet, Sweet Blues

    S5:E8

    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:Unknown

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  12. In the Heat of the Night Season 5 Episode 14 - Love, Honor and Obey
    8.7/10(77 votes)

    #12 - Love, Honor and Obey

    S5:E14

    Parkers investigation into a purse snatching reveals an abused woman.

    Director:Reza Badiyi
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. In the Heat of the Night Season 7 Episode 1 - Child's Play
    8.7/10(72 votes)

    #13 - Child's Play

    S7:E1

    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:Unknown

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  14. In the Heat of the Night Season 7 Episode 3 - Hatton's Turn (2)
    8.7/10(72 votes)

    #14 - Hatton's Turn (2)

    S7:E3

    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:Unknown

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  15. In the Heat of the Night Season 3 Episode 5 - Crackdown
    8.6/10(149 votes)

    #15 - Crackdown

    S3:E5

    Sparta P.D. gets it's first black policewoman.

    Director:Gene Reynolds
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. In the Heat of the Night Season 3 Episode 8 - Vengeance
    8.6/10(101 votes)

    #16 - Vengeance

    S3:E8

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. In the Heat of the Night Season 4 Episode 1 - Brotherly Love (1)
    8.6/10(99 votes)

    #17 - Brotherly Love (1)

    S4:E1

    Virgil goes to Philadelphia to investigate a friends death.And Bubba (reluctantly) fills in as Althea's Lamaze coach.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. In the Heat of the Night Season 6 Episode 1 - A Small War (1)
    8.6/10(79 votes)

    #18 - A Small War (1)

    S6:E1

    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

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  19. In the Heat of the Night Season 6 Episode 2 - A Small War (2)
    8.6/10(70 votes)

    #19 - A Small War (2)

    S6:E2

    The police wage war against the big city drug dealers who have moved into Sparta.Eugene identifies the men who murdered his friend.And Bubba is teamed with and intrigued by a lady police lieutenant from Jackson.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. In the Heat of the Night Season 6 Episode 22 - A Correct Settling
    8.6/10(58 votes)

    #20 - A Correct Settling

    S6:E22

    Eugene hopes a well known minister can save his father from Death Row.But someone runs the Reverend off the road on his way into town and the Sparta police try to protect him and track down his assailent.Meanwhile Harriet struggles with what her part in her ex-husbands appeal should be and is even more unsettled when Eugene demands that she break up with Bill.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. In the Heat of the Night Season 7 Episode 7 - Singin' the Blues
    8.6/10(79 votes)

    #21 - Singin' the Blues

    S7:E7

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. In the Heat of the Night Season 7 Episode 22 - Dangerous Engagement
    8.6/10(66 votes)

    #22 - Dangerous Engagement

    S7:E22

    Bill and Harriet's wedding plans are interrupted by a sniper who mistakes Bill for Sheriff McComb.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. In the Heat of the Night Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot (1)
    8.5/10(252 votes)

    #23 - Pilot (1)

    S1:E1

    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:Unknown

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  24. In the Heat of the Night Season 1 Episode 2 - Pilot (2)
    8.5/10(182 votes)

    #24 - Pilot (2)

    S1:E2

    The investigation into the brutal murders of a young girl and the suspect in her death, leads Tibbs and Gillespie to the son of one of Sparta's wealthiest and most influential citizens.As they come closer to the truth things become dangerous for Virgil.

    Director:Leo Penn
    Writer:Kathy McCormick

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  25. In the Heat of the Night Season 2 Episode 1 - Don't Look Back (1)
    8.5/10(139 votes)

    #25 - Don't Look Back (1)

    S2:E1

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Rape" is the best rated episode of "In the Heat of the Night". It scored 9.1/10 based on 159 votes. Directed by Paul Lynch, Harry Harris and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/24/1989. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "And Justice For Some".