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The Worst Episodes of Sanford

Every episode of Sanford ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Sanford!

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Redd Foxx isn’t done scheming and wise-cracking in the spin-off to one of America's most beloved sitcoms.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Sanford Season 1 Episode 7 - Retrospective (1)
    5.3/10(21 votes)

    #1 - Retrospective (1)

    S1:E7

    Evelyn gives Fred and Cal some things that she doesn't want anymore before she goes out with her maid. The cops all of a sudden arrest the two thinking that they are stealing from the posh building. After the arrest, Fred calls Evelyn's place and Winston answers the phone. After Fred talks and explains the conditions to Winston, Winston laughs and hangs up on him. As the two are in jail, they reminisce about past episodes from this season.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Sanford Season 2 Episode 5 - Love is Blind
    5.6/10(22 votes)

    #2 - Love is Blind

    S2:E5

    Cliff's girfriend is blind and he hasn't told Fred yet. After staying out all night, Fred gets mad and labels her as a ""hussy"". Fred then tells Cliff to invite her over, so that Cliff can prove that she is not a hussy. When Fred and Cal both find out that she's blind, Fred has a talk with him and makes serious sense. Cliff's girlfriend then sides with Fred and tells Cliff what he's getting himself into when it comes to the responsibilities and all.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Sanford Season 1 Episode 8 - Retrospective (2)
    5.7/10(20 votes)

    #3 - Retrospective (2)

    S1:E8

    Fred and Cal continue to reminisce. Evelyn finally gets a note that Winston left her about the situation and she comes to bail Fred out of jail. A cop then tells the two that they are free to go and that the goods that were in Fred's truck were stolen by a real theif. Mad at the cops for making thier mistake and costing them the goods, Fred gets angry and the cops lock him up again.....at least until he cools off.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Sanford Season 2 Episode 10 - Cal's Illegal Alien
    6.0/10(29 votes)

    #4 - Cal's Illegal Alien

    S2:E10

    Manny, a Mexican friend sneaks his illegal-alien sister Maria into the country. Maria offers service in exchange for Fred to take her under his wing. Along the way, Cal falls in love with Maria. As a way to make her more dependant, Cal sends her out to get a cake, but the bakery is raided by immigration. Cal and Fred head down to immigration to try and get her. Cal even proposes marriage to her and she lets him down. So it's back to Mexico for her as she gets deported.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Sanford Season 2 Episode 12 - To Keep a Thief
    6.1/10(26 votes)

    #5 - To Keep a Thief

    S2:E12

    Fred and Cal are on the watch for a neigborhood burglar. In the process, they catch him breaking in. It ends up to be a punk kid who stole $200 worth of stuff. A judge then sentences the kid to work at Fred's until he works off the money. The kid drives Fred crazy with his smart mouth and his rudeness. Fred then tells him a fake story about Lamont to put him back on track and it takes some impact.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Sanford Season 1 Episode 9 - Perfect Husband
    6.2/10(20 votes)

    #6 - Perfect Husband

    S1:E9

    Evelyn is depressed because she is haunted by the memories of her late husband John. Fred then talks her into talking about him and bringing her memories of him back to life. Fred all of a sudden starts to get a little jealous because she starts talking about him too much. Fred then ends up going home and looking over wedding photos of him and Elizabeth, and after talking to Cal, he goes to Evelyn and says that she needs to let go of him.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Patt Shea

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  7. Sanford Season 2 Episode 8 - Freeway
    6.2/10(28 votes)

    #7 - Freeway

    S2:E8

    With water dripping everywhere and the place falling apart, Fred decides that he wants to sell the house... that is until he learns that there are plans to build a freeway, either through a rich neighborhood or Fred's neighborhood. Worrying about their neighborhood, Fred and his neighbors plan on taking their case to the State Government. After a debate with the rich and them, Fred's persuasion hits and his side wins the case. Just after winning the case, an earthquake erupts, causing big damage to Fred's house and Fred saying ""Earthquake! I got to dump this dump!""

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Sanford Season 1 Episode 11 - Cissy and the Nephew
    6.6/10(22 votes)

    #8 - Cissy and the Nephew

    S1:E11

    Everyone is ending up at Sanford's. Cliff, Aunt Esther's son movies in with Fred while he is going to college. Cissy, Evelyn's daughter stays the night because she and her mom had a fight. When Cal tries to sleep on the couch, his fat body breaks the couch and sleeping areas are severely limited. I mean so limited that Fred and Cal end up having to share a bed. Eventually nobody gets any sleep.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Sanford Season 2 Episode 1 - Here Comes the Bride (1)
    6.6/10(27 votes)

    #9 - Here Comes the Bride (1)

    S2:E1

    Aunt Esther moves in to watch her son Cliff because she thinks that Fred's influence has caused him to slip in his grades. Then, she breaks Fred and Evelyn apart from kissing and degrades Evelyn by calling her names and tells Fred what a ""disgrace"" he is to Elizabeth. After getting a hold Fred's marriage license, Cal tells Fred that Fred and Esther are married. You see, it turns out that Elizabeth signed where the witness was suppose to sign and Esther signed where the bride was suppose to sign. This age-old mistake causes a lawyer to stop by to tell the ""newlyweds"" that they have to go back to the state of Missouri (Where Fred and Elizabeth originally got married) to fix the problem.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writers:Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller

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  10. Sanford Season 2 Episode 2 - Here Comes the Bride (2)
    6.6/10(26 votes)

    #10 - Here Comes the Bride (2)

    S2:E2

    After reaching Freemont Missouri, Fred and Esther try to get divorced, but they end up getting a judge that hates divorce. When Fred explains the problem, the judge understands but doesn't understand. He says the only way that he can fix the problem is if they get married officially and then get a divorce.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writers:Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller

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  11. Sanford Season 1 Episode 3 - The Meeting (3)
    6.8/10(29 votes)

    #11 - The Meeting (3)

    S1:E3

    After panicking at the engagement party, Fred pretends that he is sick. Evelyn gets wise to him and is very angry. The truth is that he just doesn't want to get married right now. When he tells her that she gets even more angry. The anger settles down though after he explains to her that things are moving too fast for him. With knowing that, Evelyn decides to wait until Fred is ready to marry.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Sanford Season 2 Episode 11 - Private Lives
    6.8/10(26 votes)

    #12 - Private Lives

    S2:E11

    Fred doesn't feel like taking Evelyn out to where she wants to go, so Fred and Evelyn both end up getting new dates. After the competition of who they end up with, it draws Fred and Evelyn closer together.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Sanford Season 1 Episode 1 - The Meeting (1)
    6.9/10(39 votes)

    #13 - The Meeting (1)

    S1:E1

    In this pilot to the sequel series of Sanford and Son, Fred meets a man named Cal. Cal worked with Lamont in Alaska. Before you know it,Fred and Cal partner up in the junk business together. Also, Fred meets a very nice customer who happens to be a widow. Her name is Evelyn Lewis. She buys something and when Fred personally delivers it to her apartment, he finds out that she is rich. There he meets the ""Ugly"" loud-mouth maid, her snobbish brother Winston, and her out of control liberal daughter Cissy. At the end of this episode, we find that Fred and Evelyn begin to fall in love.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Sanford Season 1 Episode 6 - Younger Than Springtime Am I
    6.9/10(20 votes)

    #14 - Younger Than Springtime Am I

    S1:E6

    One of Fred's customers, a shady salesman for a drug called methusadol, sells Fred a bottle of pills that he says will make him look younger and youthful again. Fred then takes these pill for $100 a bottle and he psychologically thinks that he is getting younger and that the pills are a breakthrough. When he takes it to Evelyn, she calls for a investigation on them and she tells him the bad news.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Michael G. Moye

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  15. Sanford Season 2 Episode 3 - Fred Has the Big One
    7.0/10(20 votes)

    #15 - Fred Has the Big One

    S2:E3

    Cal tries to get Fred to do some work around the house, but Fred says that he doesn't feel good. Cal then thinks he is fibbing like he has done many times before, just to get out of doing some chores. When Cal and Cliff go outside to get the truck loaded, Fred has a real heart attack and colapses. Cal and Cliff rush him to the hospital, but the hospital seems too busy to help. When they do finally find time for him, thanks to Cal and his hot violent temper, they realize that Fred needs to take better care of himself.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Sanford Season 2 Episode 9 - Jury Duty
    7.0/10(29 votes)

    #16 - Jury Duty

    S2:E9

    Fred tries to convince a jury that looks shouldn't determine whether someone is guilty or not guilty. In this case, a mob-looking man who looks guilty and who Fred is afraid of.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Sanford Season 1 Episode 2 - The Meeting (2)
    7.1/10(32 votes)

    #17 - The Meeting (2)

    S1:E2

    Fred gets the idea that Evelyn has marriage intentions towards Fred. When he asks to make sure, she says that the idea never crossed her mind. When he gets offended by her saying that, he asks her to marry him. Thinking that she will say ""no"" she says ""yes"". After the shock of that, Fred tries to go on with the engagement thinking that it might be best for him and her. Evelyn then throws an engagement party, but Fred has 2nd thoughts when he accidentally overhears Evelyn's rich friends making fun of him and his junk-man reputation.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Sanford Season 1 Episode 5 - Dinner at George's
    7.2/10(24 votes)

    #18 - Dinner at George's

    S1:E5

    Winston tells Fred that Evelyn's favorite restaraunt is a fancy one, so Fred decides to take her to that place. Thinking that Fred cannot handle the bill, Evelyn sneaks off to ""powder her nose"" so that she can pay the difference over the $34 Fred brought with him. Fred catches on and then offended, he leaves her at the restaraunt. He goes home to get money and comes across some silver dollars. He then gives them to Evelyn to pay her back for the bill and when she cashes them, it turns out that those silver dollars were old, rare, and worth $1,500. She gives him the money and out of that, he gives her the $100 she paid for dinner.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Mel Tolkin

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  19. Sanford Season 1 Episode 10 - The Ring
    7.2/10(20 votes)

    #19 - The Ring

    S1:E10

    After 3 months of going with Evelyn, Fred decides to get her a ring. After the jewlry store is robbed, the ring that Fred wants to buy her accidentally falls in his hat. After getting home, Fred realizes that the ring is stuck to his hair. When Fred calls the officers over to tell them about the ring, the officers tell Fred that the store doesn't care about the stolen jewlry since they can collect on the insurance money. However with the ball in Fred's court completely, he decides what the best thing is to do.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Judi Ann Mason

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  20. Sanford Season 1 Episode 12 - Cal's Diet (1)
    7.2/10(21 votes)

    #20 - Cal's Diet (1)

    S1:E12

    Upset about always being single, Cal decides to move back to Texas. He asks Fred for the $2000 he invested in the junk business at the beginning. Fred then suggests that Cal go on a diet and that he might look attractive after losing some pounds. Well Cal starts the diet, but it starts to get too hard for him.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Sanford Season 2 Episode 6 - Cal's Mom
    7.2/10(32 votes)

    #21 - Cal's Mom

    S2:E6

    Cal's mother visits and seems to like Fred, that is until he leaves the room. It is revealed that she is a racist and does not approve of her son living with a black man. She then ends up not wanting to stay at Fred's overnight. Cal then tries to break the news to Fred, who tries to get her to change her mind. When it looks like there is no other hope for her, Fred tells her a story that hurt him when he was young. She does not take it to heart and then has Cal decide who he would rather side with. Cal then makes a decision.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writers:Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller

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  22. Sanford Season 1 Episode 13 - Cal's Diet (2)
    7.3/10(23 votes)

    #22 - Cal's Diet (2)

    S1:E13

    Fred, Rollo, and Cliff take Cal to a singles bar where he meets a meter maid. Cal and the lady date, but the woman ends up not really liking Cal because he is so fat. She tells Fred that that is the reason why she won't go out with him anymore. After that, Fred sticks up for Cal and when he breaks the news to him about the girl, it's back to the refrigerator for him.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Sanford Season 2 Episode 4 - Cal the Coward
    7.3/10(24 votes)

    #23 - Cal the Coward

    S2:E4

    Fred is enjoying himself on the porch when all of a sudden a Police chase causes the crooks to ""dump"" a bag of gold which happens to land on Fred's property. Later crooks later end up at Fred's looking for the gold worth $65,000 at gunpoint. Fred makes up every excuse in the book and when things look good, Cal comes in and sits down on the couch. After feeling something weird he pulls out gold coins which cause the crooks to trap Fred and Cal in the closet. Risking everything Fred tries to chase them out by breaking out of the closet, but they left. Cal then gets depressed because he was too scared to do anything. Fred then comes up with some schemes to try and make Cal look like a hero.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Sanford Season 1 Episode 14 - The Benefit
    7.4/10(32 votes)

    #24 - The Benefit

    S1:E14

    Evelyn is trying to book a celebrity for her Children's Welfare charity and she remembers that Sammy Davis volunteered a year ago. On that information, Fred disguises himself as the Cello (Bass violin) player. After trying to hold Sammy to his year-old promise to perform, he mysteriously doesn't show up at the benefit. The guests start to get restless and Fred ends up dressing like Sammy Davis and pretending to be him to keep them happy. The real Sammy Davis then walks in on Fred's act, explains that his car broke down and that is why he was late, and the two sing ""Chicago, that tottlin' town"" together.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Sanford Season 2 Episode 7 - Gaslight
    7.4/10(27 votes)

    #25 - Gaslight

    S2:E7

    A series of misunderstandings (like rat poison, pills, a shovel, and doctor's advice to ""get rid of the old thing"") causes a sick Fred to think that Cal is trying to kill him.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Retrospective (1)" is the worst rated episode of "Sanford". It scored 5.3/10 based on 21 votes. Directed by Jim Drake and written by Unknown, it aired on 4/15/1980. This episode scored 0.3 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Love is Blind".