The Best Episodes of Switched at Birth Season 1
Every episode of Switched at Birth Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Switched at Birth Season 1!
The story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.
Season 1 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Switched at Birth" season 1 is "This Is Not a Pipe", rated 8/10 from 300 user votes. It was directed by Steve Miner and written by Lizzy Weiss. "This Is Not a Pipe" aired on 6/6/2011 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "American Gothic".
8.0/10 300 votes#1 - This Is Not a Pipe
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 6/6/2011
In the series premiere of this drama, a hospital error that involved sending two newborns home with the wrong families is uncovered years later, when the girls are teenagers. The girls went on to lead very different lives: Artistic Bay Kennish (Vanessa Marano) grew up in a world of privilege, while athletic Daphne Vasquez (Katie Lecleric) was raised by a single mother and contracted an illness that left her deaf at a young age.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Lizzy Weiss
7.9/10 223 votes#2 - American Gothic
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 6/13/2011
Kathryn questions why Regina isn't joining in the lawsuit against the hospital. Meanwhile, Daphne goes out with Liam and encounters new difficulties dating a hearing person; and Bay finds a kindred spirit in Ty, who hails from Daphne's old neighborhood.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Lizzy Weiss
7.7/10 204 votes#3 - Portrait of My Father
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 6/20/2011
Bay becomes curious about her birth father. Meanwhile, Kathryn deals with her nosy neighbors; and John takes an interest in Daphne's basketball games and meets Melody (Marlee Matlin), a friend of Regina's who works at Daphne's school.
Director: Michael Schultz
Writer: Becky Hartman Edwards
7.8/10 194 votes#4 - Dance Amongst Daggers
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 6/27/2011
Kathryn hosts a fund-raiser for Buckner Hall, and Toby's band provides the evening's entertainment. Meanwhile, Daphne is crushed to find out that she's been dating Bay's ex-boyfriend; and John and Melody's new friendship makes Kathryn uneasy.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Chad Fiveash, James Patrick Stoteraux
7.5/10 181 votes#5 - Dogs Playing Poker
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 7/4/2011
Kathryn and John insist on having Ty over for dinner after they learn that Bay has been seeing him secretly. Elsewhere, Toby asks Daphne and Emmett to help him win a poker game, which puts Daphne in an uncomfortable position.
Director: Bethany Rooney
Writer: Joy Gregory
8.2/10 188 votes#6 - The Persistence of Memory
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 7/11/2011
Daphne struggles to keep up with a cooking class at Buckner Hall. Elsewhere, Bay and Emmett grow close while looking for clues about Bay's biological father; and Toby and Wilke try to break into school to swipe a test.
Director: James L. Conway
Writer: Henry Robles
8.5/10 200 votes#7 - The Stag Hunt
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 7/18/2011
Bay believes she's uncovered her birth father's identity online, so she asks Daphne and Emmett to accompany her when she meets him. Meanwhile, John and Kathryn suspect Regina is to blame for the hospital's recent actions regarding their lawsuit.
Director: Michael Lange
Writer: Sean Reycraft
8.5/10 198 votes#8 - Pandora's Box
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 7/25/2011
Regina pleads with Daphne to keep her secret about what was in the guitar case, but soon the hospital board reveals info that forces Regina to spill everything. Meanwhile, Bay and Emmett's bond intensifies.
Director: Elodie Keene
Writer: Becky Hartman Edwards, Lizzy Weiss
8.2/10 173 votes#9 - Paradise Lost
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 8/1/2011
Bay and Daphne receive cars from John and Kathryn on their birthday, but Daphne is uncomfortable accepting such a lavish present. Meanwhile, Regina stops hiding out at Melody's place; and Bay and Emmett's secret romance continues to flourish.
Director: Ron Lagomarsino
Writer: Chad Fiveash, James Patrick Stoteraux
8.2/10 197 votes#10 - The Homecoming
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 8/8/2011
Bay is shocked to meet her biological father (Gilles Marini) at her school's art show, and then she introduces him to her parents and Daphne. Meanwhile, Daphne opens up to Emmett regarding her feelings about him, forcing him to make a difficult decision.
Director: David Paymer
Writer: Lizzy Weiss
7.7/10 158 votes#11 - Starry Night
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1/3/2012
Daphne follows Emmett to a music festival, hoping to get some private time with him. Elsewhere, John requests that Regina be present when Bay sees Angelo again; and Kathryn secretly talks to a nurse who could assist in the lawsuit against the hospital.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Lizzy Weiss
7.9/10 142 votes#12 - The Tempest
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/10/2012
Bay fails to dazzle Melody with her American Sign Language skills. Elsewhere, Kathryn contemplates writing a book about her baby-swap experience; Daphne befriends an old pal of Bay's; and Wilke and Toby seek to make a profit by selling phony IDs.
Director: Mel Damski
Writer: Anne Kenney
7.9/10 152 votes#13 - Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/17/2012
Melody attributes Emmett's troublemaking behavior to Bay. Elsewhere, Regina becomes Angelo's business partner; Daphne's displeased with her basketball coach; and Kathryn and John face a possible setback in their lawsuit because of their lawyer.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Becky Hartman Edwards
7.8/10 141 votes#14 - Les Soeurs d'Estrees
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/24/2012
Daphne and Bay unite to help Emmett save his motorcycle. Elsewhere, Kathryn and John retain a new lawyer for their case against the hospital; and Angelo learns something that could jeopardize his business arrangement with Regina.
Director: Arlene Sanford
Writer: Joy Gregory
8.0/10 144 votes#15 - Expulsion From the Garden of Eden
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/31/2012
Angelo attends a dinner at the Kennishs' home. Meanwhile, Bay helps Emmett move into his dad's place, where they meet his father's girlfriend; and Daphne and Wilke go out on a date.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Chad Fiveash, James Patrick Stoteraux
7.7/10 133 votes#16 - Las Dos Fridas
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/7/2012
Kathryn's mother visits the family and forms a bond with Daphne, yet Daphne still feels a strong connection with where she was raised. Meanwhile, Bay and Regina look into Angelo's disappearance; and Toby realizes he can only please Simone if he changes.
Director: Chris Grismer
Writer: Henry Robles
7.7/10 130 votes#17 - Protect Me From What I Want
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/14/2012
Emmett photographs Bay and Daphne's blended family for a school assignment. Meanwhile, Regina gets acquainted with an art-gallery owner; Daphne questions Simone's trustworthiness; and Bay and Emmett divulge their true feelings to each other.
Director: David Paymer
Writer: Becky Hartman Edwards, Lizzy Weiss
7.9/10 139 votes#18 - The Art of Painting
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/21/2012
Things don't go well at Regina's art show, where Emmett's parents get into a big fight. Meanwhile, Kathryn's latest actions may jeopardize the lawsuit against the hospital; and Daphne feels caught in the middle regarding her two schools.
Director: Norman Buckley
Writer: Anne Kenney, Joy Gregory
7.8/10 133 votes#19 - Write a Lonely Soldier
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/28/2012
Daphne is unsure about her romance with Wilke, and then she meets a confrontational new student at school. Meanwhile, Emmett isn't happy to learn that Bay is still in contact with Ty, who may have been injured in Afghanistan.
Director: Bethany Rooney
Writer: Chad Fiveash, James Patrick Stoteraux
8.2/10 142 votes#20 - Game On
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 3/6/2012
Bay must testify in Emmett's custody case, and Emmett's actions threaten to end their relationship. Elsewhere, a nervous Daphne prepares for a basketball tournament between her current and former teams; and Kathryn has a meeting with a New York editor.
Director: Ron Lagomarsino
Writer: Becky Hartman Edwards, Lizzy Weiss
8.1/10 130 votes#21 - The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 3/13/2012
Bay and Daphne arrange an ASL zombie movie shoot for Emmett's birthday. Meanwhile, Emmett wrestles with whether to tell Bay about his betrayal; and Regina has doubts about assisting with Kathryn's book.
Director: Elodie Keene
Writer: Joy Gregory, Henry Robles
8.2/10 145 votes#22 - Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 3/20/2012
The Carlton prom gets underway, and Travis tags along with Daphne and Wilke, while Emmett feels the weight of the secret he's keeping from Bay. Elsewhere, Angelo resurfaces; and Kathryn and John's lawyer crosses a line.
Director: Michael Lange
Writer: Lizzy Weiss
8.2/10 144 votes#23 - This Is the Color of My Dreams
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 9/3/2012
Bay returns from a trip abroad with a new boyfriend, but she must face issues from her past concerning Emmett and Angelo. Meanwhile, Daphne seeks employment help from Kathryn; and Regina impulsively makes a big decision.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Lizzy Weiss
7.8/10 119 votes#24 - The Intruder
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 9/10/2012
Regina and Angelo face repercussions from their marriage. Meanwhile, Bay meets a fellow street artist; Daphne and Emmett enter their zombie movie in a film festival; and John's baseball record is in jeopardy of being broken.
Director: Patrick R. Norris
Writer: Chad Fiveash, James Patrick Stoteraux
8.0/10 120 votes#25 - The Shock of Being Seen
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 9/17/2012
Daphne causes a huge mishap at the restaurant, and she grows closer with her boss in the aftermath. Elsewhere, Bay manipulates a situation with her two dads to get what she wants; and Kathryn is envious of the attention an interviewer showers on Regina.
Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Becky Hartman Edwards, Joy Gregory