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The Best Episodes of Spenser: For Hire

Every episode of Spenser: For Hire ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Spenser: For Hire!

Binge this in 2d 17h•Peaking at 8.5/10

Mystery and suspense series based on Robert Parker's "Spenser" novels. Spenser, a private investigator living in Boston, gets involved in a new murder mystery each episode.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 21 - Haunting
    8.5/10(45 votes)

    S3:E21

    Spenser investigates an old child kidnapping case when he tries to track down a teenage girl's biological parents.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 3 - The Heart of the Matter
    8.3/10(45 votes)

    S3:E3

    Lt. Quirk faces his mortality when he suffers a heart attack. Spenser and Hawk protect him from revenge-minded villains as he recovers.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Norma Safford Vela

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  3. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 6 - Consilum Abditum
    8.3/10(44 votes)

    S3:E6

    Susan is in trouble when her claims of sexual harassment lead her college counselor to retaliate by hiring a hit man to keep her quiet. Spenser gets arrested for getting involved in a fight.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 19 - The Road Back
    8.2/10(58 votes)

    S2:E19

    Spenser loses all feeling in his right arm after he's shot while guarding a politician.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 18 - Angel of Desolation
    8.1/10(58 votes)

    S1:E18

    Spenser is hired by the fashion model wife of a rich bank owner who says her life is in danger. After multiple attempted murders and one successful murder, Spenser realizes that the wife is not the target. When the wife's past comes to light, the investigation takes a whole new direction.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 16 - Trial and Error
    8.1/10(50 votes)

    S2:E16

    A pimp is wrongfully arrested for the murder of one of his girls. Spenser agonizes between pursuing the real murderer or letting the pimp take the rap.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Spenser: For Hire

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  7. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 11 - Among Friends
    8.0/10(56 votes)

    S2:E11

    Hawk is the main suspect when Lt. Quirk is shot, due to a recent fracas between the two. Spenser suspects a new man in town, trying to take Hawk down to make a name for himself.

    Director:Cliff Bole
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 14 - Personal Demons
    8.0/10(50 votes)

    S2:E14

    Spenser and Rita go after a corrupt African.

    Director:Cliff Bole
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 22 - Song of Orpheus
    8.0/10(47 votes)

    S2:E22

    A prison inmate with a grudge against Hawk hires outside muscle to rub him out.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 19 - Hawk's Eyes
    8.0/10(42 votes)

    S3:E19

    Spenser investigates the death of a friend apparently involved with white supremicists. Hawk is rendered blind by an explosion.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 14 - A Madness Most Discreet
    7.9/10(60 votes)

    S1:E14

    Spenser tries to protect a former Russian ballerina, when she hires him to help her find stolen papers, but he gets more than he bargained for once he discovers that she is a person of interest to dueling government agents employed by American and Russian forces.

    Director:Ray Austin
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 2 - Widow's Walk
    7.9/10(57 votes)

    S2:E2

    A small fishing family hires Spenser to investigate the death of their father. Spenser suspects a rival fishing family, the Almeidas.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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  13. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 21 - The Man Who Wasn't There
    7.9/10(45 votes)

    S2:E21

    Rita and her old college friends are reunited when a fictional person they created 20 years ago is found dead in his apartment.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 2 - My Enemy, My Friend
    7.9/10(56 votes)

    S3:E2

    A streetwise young kid gets involved over his head in the underworld. Spenser and Hawk try to protect him from would-be killers.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon

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  15. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 5 - Sleepless Dreams
    7.9/10(41 votes)

    S3:E5

    Spenser becomes obsessed with an apparently suicidal woman after a chance encounter on the street.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 9 - Child's Play
    7.9/10(44 votes)

    S3:E9

    A sniper takes some shots at Spenser and Susan, and a young boy ends up dead in the crossfire. Spenser sets out to determine why such a tragedy happened and track down the shooter.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 10 - Skeletons in the Closet
    7.9/10(42 votes)

    S3:E10

    Spenser and Hawk find themselves on opposite sides of the same case. Spenser is hired to retrieve a stolen journal containing information damaging to a judge's career. Hawk is hired by the thief to extort money from the judge.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 18 - Watercolors
    7.9/10(37 votes)

    S3:E18

    Spenser protects a child artist after the child witnesses a mob execution while painting in the forest.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 7 - Home is the Hero
    7.8/10(48 votes)

    S2:E7

    Rita hires Spenser to investigate a troubled teenager, yet another 'Spenser helps a misguided youth' episode.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 17 - One For My Daughter
    7.8/10(47 votes)

    S2:E17

    Spenser and Hawk protect a man who owes money to men of dubious ethics. When their client, Bo Braxton tries to blackmail his creditors, he and his alcoholic teenage daughter go on the run.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 1 - Homecoming
    7.8/10(58 votes)

    S3:E1

    A cop who helped send a gangster's son to prison years ago has been hiding, cause the gangster wants to get him. But now he wants to come home, so he and his father, asks Spenser to act as intermediary. While the gangster is unwilling to settle for nothing less than seeing him dead. Spenser tries to see what he can do. At the same time Spenser has to deal with Susan, who came back to town, and would like to see if they have a future, but this case is taking up all of his time.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 8 - Gone Fishin'
    7.8/10(45 votes)

    S3:E8

    Spenser's fishing trip is interrupted when he has to protect a young man who's not allowed to marry the girl he loves.

    Director:Bruce Bilson
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 12 - Arthur's Wake
    7.8/10(39 votes)

    S3:E12

    Spenser protects an old friend, Arthur, after he's assaulted and robbed. In the course of his investigation, Spenser comes across disturbing information connecting Arthur with racketeering.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 19 - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
    7.7/10(54 votes)

    S1:E19

    Detective Belson's ex-partner is murdered during his daughter's wedding reception. The dead cop is suspected of being involved in criminal activities, so Lt. Quirk asks Spenser to investigate the dead man and find out if Belson is dirty, too.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 22 - Hell Hath No Fury
    7.7/10(54 votes)

    S1:E22

    Partnering with an attractive TV news reporter, Spenser investigates the reason a newly constructed building collapsed, killing a boy.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Haunting" is the best rated episode of "Spenser: For Hire". It scored 8.5/10 based on 45 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 5/7/1988. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Heart of the Matter".