The Best Episodes of Soap
Every episode of Soap ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Soap!
The antics of a wealthy family, the Tates, and a working-class family, the Campbells, in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut.
Top Episode Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Soap" is "Episode 38", rated 8.3/10 from 139 user votes. It was directed by Jay Sandrich and written by Susan Harris. "Episode 38" aired on 12/21/1978 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Episode 39".
8.3/10 139 votes#1 - Episode 38
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 12/21/1978
Burt and Danny practice the ransom drop, Elaine is shot and killed while escaping, Chuck and Bob have a new mind-reading act, and Jessica tells Donohue that she loves him, too.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.2/10 110 votes#2 - Episode 39
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 1/4/1979
Burt tells Sally to find a new job, the Tates visit Dutch and Eunice, Danny goes after Elaine's killers, and Chester regains his memory only to lose it again.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.2/10 103 votes#3 - Episode 44
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 2/15/1979
Jessica tells Chester about her affair with Donohue. Billy runs into a former classmate who has joined a religious cult. Eunice visits Dutch in prison. Danny and Jodie engineer a reconciliation between Burt and Mary. Something strange is going on in the Tate nursery.
Director: N/A
Writer: Susan Harris
8.2/10 90 votes#4 - Episode 69
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 3/27/1980
Season #3 season finale was an expanded episode of 60 minutes. Now shown in two parts in syndication.
Director: N/A
Writer: Susan Harris
8.1/10 99 votes#5 - Episode 41
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 1/18/1979
Burt, Danny, Jodie, Chuck, and Bob drown their sorrows during a night on the town. Tim announces he's moving to a cave in hopes of making peace with God. The police catch up with Dutch. Jodie meets Alice, a suicidal lesbian, on the Tri-borough Bridge. Mary moves in with Jessica. Corinne goes into labor.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.1/10 102 votes#6 - Episode 45
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 3/1/1979
Jessica tells Chester and Donohue that she's torn between them. Jodie brings Alice home to meet the Campbells. Corinne tracks down Tim in his cave to tell him his son is possessed by the devil. Danny gets a lead on Elaine's killers. Burt tags along with Danny and spots a UFO.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 146 votes#7 - Episode 9
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/15/1977
Jodie goes into the hospital for his sex change operation; Dr. Medlow cures Burt's impotence; and Jessica finally witnesses Chester's infidelity.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 147 votes#8 - Episode 13
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/13/1977
Burt plans a party to celebrate his victory over impotency, but a tragic discovery leaves him in no mood for merrymaking.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 164 votes#9 - Episode 20
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 2/14/1978
Eunice and Walter race to recover some incriminating evidence, and Jessica and Chester receive a few shocks from their first meeting with the prosecutor and the Judge.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
- 8.0/10 157 votes
#10 - Episode 25
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 3/28/1978
Lefkowitz's threat to kill the entire Campbell clan and startling announcements by Father Tim and Mr. Mallu are temporarily overshadowed by the return of the verdict for Jessica.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 128 votes#11 - Episode 34
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 11/23/1978
Burt awakens next to Sally, Chester thinks he's Marlene Dietrich, Tim's first and last day at work goes badly, and Carol has a bridal shower.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 103 votes#12 - Episode 36
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 12/7/1978
Detective George Donohue tries to find Chester, Corinne's pregnancy is further along than can be explained, and Burt and Danny Negotiate with Elaine's kidnappers.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 126 votes#13 - Episode 37
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 12/14/1978
Danny is allowed to talk to Elaine, Donohue tells Jessica that he loves her and Carol leaves Jodie standing at the altar.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 101 votes#14 - Episode 43
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 2/8/1979
Burt learns that Inga Swenson is behind Sally's treachery. Danny meets Alice, his first lesbian. Jessica decides to have an affair with Detective Donohue, who proposes to her. Then, Chester returns home.
Director: N/A
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 101 votes#15 - Episode 46
Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 3/8/1979
No one believes Burt saw a UFO. Benson visits Billy at the Sunnies'. Jessica apologizes to Donohue for taking so long to decide between him and Chester. Jodie and Alice go on a ""date."" Tim returns home to take on the Devil.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 100 votes#16 - Episode 47
Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 3/15/1979
Jessica leads the family in the exorcism on Corrine's baby. Jodie and Alice grow closer. Danny finds himself in danger. Billy is taken hostage by the Sunnies. Jessica decides between Chester and Donohue. Burt disappears in the light.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 104 votes#17 - Episode 49
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 9/20/1979
Alien Burt has his way with Mary, and she's not complaining. Real Burt meets Saul, who tells Burt he cannot escape the spaceship. Billy resists the Sunnies' brainwashing. Mrs. David asks Jodie to choose between Wendy and Alice. Benson and ""the Step Brothers"" penetrate the Sunnies' compound but are stopped short of rescuing Billy.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 91 votes#18 - Episode 57
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 12/13/1979
Jessica catches Chester with another woman. Burt and Mary go for their annual physicals. Danny tries to find Polly. Jessica meets Leslie. An agent from Child Protective Services pays a visit to Jodie.
Director: N/A
Writer: Susan Harris
8.0/10 94 votes#19 - Episode 61
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 1/17/1980
Danny learns of Burt's illness and agrees to help Burt win a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records. Eunice asks Corinne to cover for her while she cheats on Dutch. Chester's attempts to resist the minister's sexy daughter prove futile. The Campbells host Polly's family at dinner. After Chester tells Jessica he has lapsed again, she kicks him out of the house.
Director: N/A
Writer: Susan Harris
- 8.0/10 95 votes
#20 - Episode 85
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 4/20/1981
Jodie, Maggie and Wendy are rescued from the fortress by Burt, Chuck, Bob, Billy, El Puerco, Juan One, the Major, Dutch, and Saunders; Jessica and Mary come to an understanding; Mary tells Jessica that she has a drinking problem, the baby may be an alien, and she fears she is losing Burt; Jodie decides to see a therapist so he can be sure about his relationship with Maggie; Danny blames Burt when Gwen runs away; Jodie signs up for hypnotherapy with Dr. Rudolph.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/10 144 votes
#21 - Episode 8
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/8/1977
Unable to bring himself to kill Burt, Danny goes into hiding from the mob; Bob, the ventriloquist's dummy, continues to make life horrible for the Campbells and the Tates.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
- 7.9/10 145 votes
#22 - Episode 10
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/22/1977
The Godfather visits Mary; Danny visits in disguise; Mary spurns Burt's advances; Corinne visits Father Tim; and Dennis has bad news for Jodie.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
- 7.9/10 159 votes
#23 - Episode 21
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 2/21/1978
Jessica's astonishing behavior on the first day of her trial for the murder of tennis pro Peter Campbell causes pandemonium in the courtroom.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
- 7.9/10 132 votes
#24 - Episode 30
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/12/1978
Jodie proposes to Carol, Mother Flotsky drops dead, Sally the secretary attempts to seduce Danny and Burt, and Chester needs brain surgery.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
- 7.9/10 134 votes
#25 - Episode 32
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/2/1978
The Tates visit Chester in the hospital, Carol tells her father about her impending wedding to Jodie, and Sally is still trying to seduce Burt.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris