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The Worst Episodes of In the Heat of the Night

Every episode of In the Heat of the Night ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of In the Heat of the Night!

The Worst 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...

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  1. 7.0/10(66 votes)

    #1 - King's Ransom

    S3:E10

    The F.B.I. tries to talk an ex-boxer into testifying against a mobster he once worked for, but the fighter sees the situation as an opportunity for blackmail.

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    Writer:N/A
  2. 7.1/10(74 votes)

    #2 - When the Music Stopped

    S6:E9

    Singer Eddie Larran returns to Sparta for a concert,but not everyone is a fan.An angry man insists that Eddie owes him money.And their dispute soon ends in violence.

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    Director:Russ Mayberry
    Writer:N/A
  3. 7.2/10(84 votes)

    #3 - The Pig Woman of Sparta

    S2:E21

    It seems that a serial killer has been burying his victims in a wooded area owned by a wealthy hermit that Virgil refers to as ""Sparta's Howard Hughes"". Suspicion immediately falls on an eccentric woman who lives in the woods with her pigs and chases away trespassers with a shotgun.The officers ask the landowner's disturbed son for help and Bubba is surprised to find that a woman he attended high school with is working as the man's ""nurse"".Also Parker and Sweet compete with one another to solve the case.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  4. 7.2/10(60 votes)

    #4 - The Rabbi

    S7:E18

    A Rabbi returns to Sparta after many years.Racists vandalize his synagogue and soon after their Torah is stolen.Forbes investigates but the Rabbi refuses to trust Bill because of his inaction while investigating a hate crime many years ago.

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  5. 7.2/10(115 votes)

    #5 - In the Heat of the Night: Give Me Your Life

    S7:E23

    In the Heat of the Night: Give Me Your Life is a film directed by Russ Mayberry released on May 11, 1994.

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    Director:Russ Mayberry
    Writer:N/A
  6. 7.4/10(115 votes)

    #6 - Who Was Geli Bendl ?

    S8:E2

    A famous Italian actress returns to Sparta to take care of some unfinished business and rescue her younger sister from a life of drugs and poverty.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
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  8. 7.4/10(131 votes)

    #7 - By Duty Bound

    S8:E3

    Acting Sheriff Gillespie must decide whether he should run for sheriff or retire from law enforcement.It soon becomes apparent that the other candidate is corrupt and dangerous.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  9. 7.5/10(86 votes)

    #8 - Hot Nights

    S2:E6

    Bubba is seduced by an alluring writer who has more on her mind than romance.Bill and Virgil worry that he is in over his head.Bubba tries to protect her from her estranged husband, but things get complicated after she shoots someone.

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  10. 7.5/10(54 votes)

    #9 - No Other Road

    S4:E21

    Harriet tries to keep Eugene from giving up when his father faces the death penalty.And the police search for three suspects in connection to a robbery/murder.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  11. 7.5/10(58 votes)

    #10 - A Turning

    S4:E22

    Althea thinks Virgil needs a new line of work after seeing the aftermath of a deadly shooting at a roadhouse.Virgil finds himself in danger when they arrest the man who committed the crime.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:Joe Gannon
  12. 7.5/10(48 votes)

    #11 - A Time to Trust

    S5:E16

    Althea fears for one of her students after her mother's boyfriend is linked to a criminal operation that has resulted in the deaths of several truckers.

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    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:N/A
  13. 7.5/10(61 votes)

    #12 - Incident at Brewer's Pond

    S7:E5

    A night of revelry at a local pond turns deadly.

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    Director:Russ Mayberry
    Writer:N/A
  14. 7.5/10(62 votes)

    #13 - Poor Relations

    S7:E21

    Comedic episode in which Parker's ne'er-do-well stepfather returns to Sparta with a new wife, a stolen painting and two inept art thieves who are determined to steal the painting back.

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    Director:Reza Badiyi
    Writer:N/A
  15. 7.6/10(78 votes)

    #14 - Epitaph for a Lady

    S3:E11

    A long time friend of the Chief makes threats against a doctor he believes is responsible for his wife's death .When the doctor is killed he becomes the prime suspect.But Gillespie doubts his guilt - even after he confesses.

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    Writer:N/A
  16. 7.6/10(75 votes)

    #15 - Home is Where The Heart Is

    S3:E17

    Maybelle the madam returns to Sparta with her "" nieces "".And sets up shop just out of Gillespie's jurisdiction.Her return is not without controversy and soon one of her most vocal critics is found murdered.

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    Director:Leo Penn
    Writer:N/A
  17. 7.6/10(56 votes)

    #16 - The Landlord

    S5:E12

    A drug dealing slumlord is murdered by his accomplices.

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    Director:Larry Hagman
    Writer:N/A
  18. 7.6/10(55 votes)

    #17 - A Step Removed

    S6:E14

    Parker's stepfather Roy threatens his former employer after an altercation.When the boss is murdered Roy is arrested.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  19. 7.6/10(62 votes)

    #18 - Even Nice People

    S6:E20

    Corrupt developers set their sights on Lana's farm. When she refuses to sell they enlist the services of an arsonist to force her out.

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    Writer:N/A
  20. 7.6/10(57 votes)

    #19 - Your Own Kind

    S7:E12

    No description available

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    Director:Dick Martin
    Writer:N/A
  21. 7.6/10(50 votes)

    #20 - Time's Long Shadow

    S7:E20

    Harriet tries to stop an arrogant developer from destroying an important archeological site.

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    Director:N/A
  22. 7.7/10(82 votes)

    #21 - Ladybug, Ladybug

    S2:E20

    With the Chief in Quantico Bubba and Virgil try to catch a serial arsonist.Things get complicated after a man dies in one of the fires.And Councilwoman White stirs things up by appointing Tom Dugan acting chief of police in Gillespie's absence.

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    Writer:N/A
  23. 7.7/10(75 votes)

    #22 - Time of the Stranger

    S3:E7

    After a private investigator searching for a missing child is found dead, the evidence points to a local dance teacher - a neighbor that Parker has become very fond of.

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    Director:Ivan Dixon
    Writer:N/A
  24. 7.7/10(83 votes)

    #23 - My Name is Hank

    S3:E9

    A young refugee claims to be the son of a Sparta cop who died in the war.But quickly becomes a suspect in a murder/robbery after he accepts a ride with the criminals who actually committed the crime.Gillespie looks into his story, while Virgil and the boys track down the shooter.Meanwhile, the young mans presence triggers a surprisingly bitter reaction from Parker, who views him as a painful reminder of the war.

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    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:N/A
  25. 7.7/10(70 votes)

    #24 - An Angry Woman

    S3:E18

    First the mother,then the father of two young children are murdered.Althea takes responsibility for the children. The killings appear to be related to a shady trucking firm.

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    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:N/A
  26. 7.7/10(63 votes)

    #25 - Family Matters

    S4:E11

    Virgil's dream of a better relationship with his Aunt Ruda and her son is shattered when his cousin takes part in a string of burglaries that result in murder.

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    Writer:N/A

Worst Episodes Summary

"King's Ransom" is the worst rated episode of "In the Heat of the Night". It scored 7/10 based on 66 votes. Directed by Jeffrey Hayden and written by N/A, it aired on 1/2/1990. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "When the Music Stopped".