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The Worst Episodes of Spenser: For Hire

Every episode of Spenser: For Hire ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Spenser: For Hire!

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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 Worst Episode
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    Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 14 - Play it Again, Sammy
    6.0/10(48 votes)

    #1 - Play it Again, Sammy

    S3:E14

    Sammy Backlin calls Spenser for protection when he's being hunted by a 'vicious horde of bloodthirsty assassins'.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 4 - Children of a Tempest Storm
    6.7/10(90 votes)

    #2 - Children of a Tempest Storm

    S1:E4

    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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  3. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 16 - When Silence Speaks
    6.9/10(56 votes)

    #3 - When Silence Speaks

    S1:E16

    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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  4. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 15 - The Big Fight
    6.9/10(41 votes)

    #4 - The Big Fight

    S3:E15

    One of Spenser's old trainers lures Spenser to a deserted warehouse where Spenser is supposed to be killed, to get out from under a gambling debt. Spenser survives, then turns around and protects his trainer from the goons now after him.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 7 - The Killer Within
    7.1/10(72 votes)

    #5 - The Killer Within

    S1:E7

    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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  6. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 12 - Death By Design
    7.1/10(55 votes)

    #6 - Death By Design

    S1:E12

    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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  7. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 6 - Discord in A Minor
    7.2/10(79 votes)

    #7 - Discord in A Minor

    S1:E6

    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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  8. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 17 - In a Safe Place
    7.2/10(56 votes)

    #8 - In a Safe Place

    S1:E17

    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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  9. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 9 - Shadowsight
    7.2/10(49 votes)

    #9 - Shadowsight

    S2:E9

    A girl who apparently has the unique ability to 'see' through both space and time, enlists Spenser's help to solve a rash of arsons.

    Director:Cliff Bole
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 15 - Mary Hamilton
    7.2/10(52 votes)

    #10 - Mary Hamilton

    S2:E15

    A girl comes to Boston looking for her estranged father. Spenser decides to help her.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 2 - No Room at the Inn
    7.3/10(122 votes)

    #11 - No Room at the Inn

    S1:E2

    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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  12. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 5 - Original Sin
    7.3/10(88 votes)

    #12 - Original Sin

    S1:E5

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

    Director:Harvey Hart
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 6 - The Long Hunt
    7.3/10(47 votes)

    #13 - The Long Hunt

    S2:E6

    Spenser travels to Maine to help hunt down an escaped murderer, but the tables are turned when the man's father stalks Spenser.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 11 - The Siege
    7.3/10(46 votes)

    #14 - The Siege

    S3:E11

    Hawk and Susan along with other people are held captive in a post office. Richard Brooks later seen on Law and Order during Season's 1 & 2 plays one of the hostage takers.

    Director:Bill Duke
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 13 - A Day's Wages
    7.4/10(57 votes)

    #15 - A Day's Wages

    S1:E13

    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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  16. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 15 - Brother to Dragons
    7.4/10(56 votes)

    #16 - Brother to Dragons

    S1:E15

    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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  17. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 10 - The Hopes and Fears
    7.4/10(56 votes)

    #17 - The Hopes and Fears

    S2:E10

    With the help of Hawk, a disgusted Spenser is determined to get rid of thugs who are terrorizing his Boston neighborhood.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 12 - I Confess
    7.4/10(48 votes)

    #18 - I Confess

    S2:E12

    A wealthy man is murdererd and, surprise, an innocent man is arrested. If you've seen one Spenser, you've seen them all.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 13 - Murder and Acquisitions
    7.4/10(42 votes)

    #19 - Murder and Acquisitions

    S2:E13

    Spenser investigates the apparent suicide of a philandering financier about to turn state's evidence to bring down insider trading. Rita has problems of her own when an old boyfriend shows up. Belson hires Spenser to find his missing wallet containing a winning lottery ticket.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 18 - My Brother's Keeper
    7.4/10(49 votes)

    #20 - My Brother's Keeper

    S2:E18

    Spenser becomes embroiled in the seamy Vietnamese organized crime racket after a Vietnamese crime boss uses Spenser to track down a former soldier.

    Director:Michael Vejar
    Writers:Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa

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  21. Spenser: For Hire Season 3 Episode 13 - To the End of the Line
    7.4/10(41 votes)

    #21 - To the End of the Line

    S3:E13

    When Frank's niece dies of a drug overdose, Spenser and Frank go after the men responsible.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 9 - Blood Money
    7.5/10(60 votes)

    #22 - Blood Money

    S1:E9

    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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  23. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 11 - Internal Affairs
    7.5/10(63 votes)

    #23 - Internal Affairs

    S1:E11

    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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  24. Spenser: For Hire Season 1 Episode 20 - At the River's Edge
    7.5/10(58 votes)

    #24 - At the River's Edge

    S1:E20

    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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  25. Spenser: For Hire Season 2 Episode 1 - An Eye for an Eye
    7.5/10(54 votes)

    #25 - An Eye for an Eye

    S2:E1

    New District Attorney Rita Fiori tries to prosecute Spenser for blackmail.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Play it Again, Sammy" is the worst rated episode of "Spenser: For Hire". It scored 6/10 based on 48 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/30/1988. This episode scored 0.7 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Children of a Tempest Storm".