The Best Episodes of Spenser: For Hire Season 1

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   7.6/10(150 votes)

   #1 - Promised Land

   S1:E19/20/1985

   Spenser is hired to find the runaway wife of a wealthy businessman. Based on a story by Spenser novelist Robert B. Parker.

   Director:Lee H. Katzin

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Lee H. Katzin

   Writer:Unknown
2. 

   7.3/10(122 votes)

   #2 - No Room at the Inn

   S1:E29/27/1985

   Spenser's apartment burns down, but he's allowed to move into an old fire station as thanks for saving a firefighter's life. Meanwhile, Spenser and Hawk are hired to protect the life of grand jury witness. When it starts to look like someone on the inside might be trying to have the witness killed, and that the witness may not be who she says she is, things get convoluted.

   Director:Lee H. Katzin

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Lee H. Katzin

   Writer:Unknown
3. 

   7.6/10(114 votes)

   #3 - The Choice

   S1:E310/4/1985

   A old man whom Spenser and Hawk knows is shot. They discover that the killer are a couple who comes from an affluent background, which they hide behind. It turns into a cat and mouse game for Spenser and Hawk, who are determined to take them down.

   Director:William Wiard

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:William Wiard

   Writer:Unknown
4. 

   6.7/10(90 votes)

   #4 - Children of a Tempest Storm

   S1:E410/11/1985

   Spenser kills a would-be thief in the course of thwarting a robbery. He and Susan take in the man's two children while investigating his past. Susan discovers she's pregnant.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
5. 

   7.3/10(88 votes)

   #5 - Original Sin

   S1:E510/18/1985

   Spenser investigates the apparent suicide of a young nun, and stumbles onto a corrupt landlord.

   Director:Harvey Hart

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Harvey Hart

   Writer:Unknown
6. 

   7.2/10(79 votes)

   #6 - Discord in A Minor

   S1:E610/25/1985

   Spenser's been hired by a conductor to find his daughter who ran away with her boyfriend. When he finds them, she tells him that her father has been molesting her. Spenser then tells her father what she said which he denies. After Spenser leaves, he calls Hawk, who once did a job for him, to do something for him.

   Directors:Don Chaffey, Harvey Hart

   Writer:Unknown

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   Directors:Don Chaffey, Harvey Hart

   Writer:Unknown
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The 20 BEST Episodes of Spenser: For Hire
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7. 

   7.1/10(72 votes)

   #7 - The Killer Within

   S1:E711/12/1985

   Spenser is hired to protect a woman's identical twin sister from assassins, only to discover his employer suffers from a split personality.

   Director:Don Chaffey

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Don Chaffey

   Writer:Unknown
8. 

   7.6/10(70 votes)

   #8 - Autumn Thieves

   S1:E811/19/1985

   Spenser stumbles onto a ring of thieves while investigating a relic stolen from a museum.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
9. 

   7.5/10(60 votes)

   #9 - Blood Money

   S1:E911/26/1985

   The wife of a kidnapped oil tycoon hires Spenser to deliver $1 million in ransom money to a ring of terrorists while police have the drop-off area surrounded.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
10. 

    7.6/10(65 votes)

    #10 - Resurrection

    S1:E1012/3/1985

    Spenser investigates a crooked vice cop involved in the mugging of one of Susan's friends.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
11. 

    7.5/10(63 votes)

    #11 - Internal Affairs

    S1:E1112/17/1985

    Marital infidelity and suspected involvement in a gambling ring lead to Lt. Quirk's suspension. Belson is shot during a raid. Spenser works to clear Quirk's name and catch Belson's would-be killer.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
12. 

    7.1/10(55 votes)

    #12 - Death By Design

    S1:E121/7/1986

    Spenser and Hawk blame themselves for failing to protect their respective clients from the clutches of the underworld, and vow to settle the score with a big-time racketeer and his henchmen.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
13. 

    7.4/10(57 votes)

    #13 - A Day's Wages

    S1:E131/14/1986

    A young ex-con named Louis Harper steals from his boss, John Brady. Brady hires Spenser to prove it and Harper hires Hawk to protect him from leg-breakers. Spenser and Hawk team up to solve Louis' murder.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
14. 

    7.9/10(60 votes)

    #14 - A Madness Most Discreet

    S1:E141/21/1986

    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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    Director:Ray Austin

    Writer:Unknown
15. 

    7.4/10(56 votes)

    #15 - Brother to Dragons

    S1:E152/4/1986

    Spenser is going skiing with Susan, but when he picks her up at Smithfield High School where she works, he finds out one of her students died of a heroin overdose. Spenser gets hired by the superintendent and goes undercover as a teacher at her school to find out where the drugs are coming from. He obviously gets into it with the dealers.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
16. 

    6.9/10(56 votes)

    #16 - When Silence Speaks

    S1:E162/11/1986

    A deaf woman hires Spenser to find a man she had been corresponding with who had gone missing. As Spenser investigates, he realizes that the missing man is somehow involved with a gang of thieves who are trying to kill Spenser in revenge for busting up their diamond heist.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
17. 

    7.2/10(56 votes)

    #17 - In a Safe Place

    S1:E172/14/1986

    Spenser searches for the father of an undocumented boy killed by an unhinged unemployed man. The trail leads Spenser into a conspiracy involving the exploitation of undocumented workers on the waterfront.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
18. 

    8.1/10(59 votes)

    #18 - Angel of Desolation

    S1:E183/4/1986

    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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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
19. 

    7.7/10(54 votes)

    #19 - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

    S1:E193/11/1986

    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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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
20. 

    7.5/10(58 votes)

    #20 - At the River's Edge

    S1:E203/25/1986

    Spenser witnesses an ex-convict murder a 19 year-old girl, then kill himself. The girl's wealthy younger sister hires Spenser to find out why her sister was killed.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
21. 

    7.6/10(57 votes)

    #21 - Rage

    S1:E214/1/1986

    Spenser locates a runaway, and saves her from a psychotic man—but the man escapes.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
22. 

    7.7/10(54 votes)

    #22 - Hell Hath No Fury

    S1:E224/8/1986

    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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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown