9.3/1012 votesLoading...#1 - Spare the Rod, Spoil the Buchanan
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/16/1994
The rest of the Buchanan ladies weasel their way out of babysitting Vivian's destructive twins, Lyndon and P.J., while she goes to the salon, so it's up to vulnerable Bree to watch them. But Bree quickly finds herself being terrorized by the twins, so the sisters-in-law encourage Vivian to discipline them, which Vivian does... only to wind up in jail for child abuse.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 9.2/109 votesLoading...
#2 - Becoming a Buchanan
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/21/1995
While preparing for a family portrait, Mother Buchanan insists that Bree stands on the left, so she can be cropped out of the picture if her marriage doesn't work. Horrified, Bree goes to her sisters-in-law for advice, and they each reveal how they became Buchanans. Alex, who was still a hippy protestor, got in good with Emma's mother-in-law; Vivian only got to marry Ed because she was pregnant; and Delilah married Charles, since she thought he was her ""guardian angel.""
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 9.0/1015 votesLoading...
#3 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/1994
To Mother Buchanan's initial delight, Bree joins the Buchanan clan. Her three sisters-in-law-to-be are initially displeased with her tacky antics and naivety, which have Mother Buchanan thinking she can control her new daughter-in-law. But when Bree politely refuses to wear Mother Buchanan's wedding dress, the war is on! It's up to Alex, Vivian, and Delilah to explain to the girl the inner workings of the family. Alex explains that Mother Buchanan would qualify for sainthood if it weren't for one tiny factor: ""she's a bitch!""
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Marc Cherry
- 8.8/108 votesLoading...
#4 - Five Buchanans and a Baby
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/26/1994
Delilah is overjoyed thinking that she's pregnant, but a trip to the doctor leaves her fearing that she can never have a child.... so she tries to pressure one of her sisters-in-law into being a surrogate mother. Meanwhile, Mother Buchanan pressures an unwilling Bree to have a baby of her own.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: Richard Vaczy, Tracy Gamble
- 8.6/1011 votesLoading...
#5 - The Mothers-in-Law
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/1994
Bree's trashy mother, Tink, comes to visit and convinces the newlyweds to move back to California with her - inciting the wrath of Mother Buchanan. Meanwhile, Vivian reluctantly begins working for Alex to raise the funds for a dress to wear to a swank dinner party that Dan Quayle is also attending.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: Richard Vaczy, Tracy Gamble
- 8.6/107 votesLoading...
#6 - Emma in Love
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/3/1994
When a new baker sets up shop in town and tries to woo Mother Buchanan, the ladies think that this could be the answer to their prayers -- if they can get him together with Mother Buchanan, it will keep the family matriarch out of their hair! All goes according to plan until Delilah discovers that Mother Buchanan's boyfriend may already be married.
Director: N/A
Writer: Richard Vaczy, Tracy Gamble
- 8.6/107 votesLoading...
#7 - The Heart of the Matter
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/14/1995
Alex encourages Roy to drop out of an alumni football game, despite the urging of Mother Buchanan, who wants her son to uphold the family tradition. After Roy follows his mother's wishes, he sustains a mild heart attack on the field and Mother Buchanan reveals a secret to her daughters-in-law that threatens to destroy her own relationship with Alex. Meanwhile, Bree acts as cheerleader for the home team.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: N/A
- 8.6/1013 votesLoading...
#8 - Never on the Road Again
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 3/11/1995
Delilah has plans to audition for Jeopardy, but her plans are altered when Mother Buchanan announces that a realitive (that none of the daughters-in-law knew) has died, and the ladies have to attend her funeral. But a few surprises lay in store for the ladies. First, Alex gets a speeding ticket. Then, during a break at a truck stop, Alex's car, Beeb, gets stolen. And when they finally arrive at the funeral home, they find out that the funeral's been postponed until the next day, so they're forced to spend the night in a sleazy hotel. After a night of catfights there was one detail that Mother Buchanan neglected to mention -- Great Aunt Velma was housebound and had to be buried in a packing crate because of her weight.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: Richard Vaczy, Tracy Gamble
- 8.2/109 votesLoading...
#9 - The Other Woman
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/1994
When newlywed Bree's lovelife becomes non-existant (since her husband, Jesse, can't get aroused in the same house with his mother), they decide to stay with Alex. This invigorates their sex life temporarily, but Jesse soon begins leaving the house early and coming home late, leading to suspician that he's with another woman. But no one ever dreamed that the other woman would be Mother Buchanan!
Director: David Trainer
Writer: Marc Cherry
- 8.2/1012 votesLoading...
#10 - Clyde and Vivian and Ed and Malice
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/1994
When an old beau reappears, Vivian has doubts about her marriage. So she agrees to go out to dinner with Clyde -- and is caught kissing him at the restaurant by Mother Buchanan. Meanwhile, Bree takes a job at the family store and finds herself exuberantly competing with Alex and Delilah to sell the most merchandise.
Director: David Trainer
Writer: John Pardee, Joey Murphy
- 8.2/108 votesLoading...
#11 - A Ring of Truth
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/1994
When Bree receives a belated engagement ring from Jesse, she's ecstatic -- until she learns that it's not a real stone. One by one, each of the sisters-in-law come to realize that their rings aren't real either. The husbands are on a fishing trip together and can't be reached, but when they reveal the secret of their rings to Mother Buchanan, she makes a revelation of her own.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: John Pardee
- 7.7/109 votesLoading...
#12 - Nothing on Delilah
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/21/1994
When one of the locals learns about Delilah's shady past as a stripper, it threatens her husband's job as a minister and her chances to become the president of the ladies auxiliary. So, it's up to Mother Buchanan to clear Delilah's name. Meanwhile, Vivian schemes to become vice president of the auxiliary... no matter who wins the presidency.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: David Flebotte
- 7.0/108 votesLoading...
#13 - All about Bree
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/7/1995
Vivian holds auditions for a local stage play of ""The Sound of Music."" Delilah has her heart set on getting the part of Maria, but Bree makes ""Julie Andrews look like a two-bit lounge singer."" Meanwhile, Mother Buchanan agrees to play the role of the mother superior -- if she can sing ""Eidelweiss."" But Emma has her restraints about working with Hubert Lombard, who's playing the part of Captain Von Trapp. And when no one's around, Alex, who once sang ""Happy Birthday"" off key (and keeps being reminded of this), does some incredible vocal work of her own.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: Richard Levine, Lynnie Greene
NaN/100 votesLoading...#14 - Alex, Then and N.O.W.
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 10/31/1994
Alex is embarrassed when she's reunited, on a talk-show, with two activist friends from college whose lives and careers continue to be dedicated to womens issues. Feeling inadequate, Alex stages a womens group meeting in Mercy.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: Jenny Bicks
- NaN/100 votesLoading...
#15 - What Child is This?
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/10/1994
When Alex accidentally breaks Emma's prized ceramic baby Jesus statue, there's hell to pay! Rather than telling her mother-in-law the truth, Alex decides to try to replace the hand-painted heirloom. Meanwhile, Bree goes all-out decorating Alex's house for Christmas to win a contest.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: Michael Patrick King
- NaN/100 votesLoading...
#16 - The Incredible Journey
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/17/1994
Alex's dog, Petey, who was lost on a trip to the Grand Canyon, finds his way home -- just in time to die. Though Alex spent all the time he was gone blaming Mother Buchanan for his escape, Delilah makes a new revealation at his funeral.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: John Pardee, Joey Murphy
- NaN/100 votesLoading...
#17 - Viv'acious
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/25/1995
On Ed's birthday, Vivian plans to give her annual gift of a night full of passion, but her plans are thwarted when Ed falls asleep and has an erotic dream about Delilah. Fearing that the romance has drained out of her marriage, Vivian is encouraged by her sisters-in-law to join them at a ""naughty nighties"" party, where she can acquire items to spice up her marriage. Meanwhile, Bree feels self-conscious and insists to everyone that she is better looking than Delilah.
Director: Linda Day
Writer: David Flebotte
The Best Episodes of The 5 Mrs. Buchanans
Every episode of The 5 Mrs. Buchanans ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The 5 Mrs. Buchanans!
The 5 Mrs. Buchanans is a U.S. television situation comedy that aired on CBS from September 24, 1994 to March 25, 1995. Set in the...
Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS
Best Episodes Summary
"Spare the Rod, Spoil the Buchanan" is the best rated episode of "The 5 Mrs. Buchanans". It scored 9.3/10 based on 12 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 11/16/1994. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Becoming a Buchanan".