Show cover for The Cosby Show

The Best Episodes of The Cosby Show Season 4

Every episode of The Cosby Show Season 4 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Cosby Show Season 4!

The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April...
Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:NBC

Season 4 Ratings Summary

"Call of the Wild" is the best rated episode of "The Cosby Show" season 4. It scored 7.4/10 based on 157 votes. Directed by Jay Sandrich and written by N/A, it aired on 9/24/1987. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Theogate".

  • Call of the Wild
    7.4/10157 votes

    #1 - Call of the Wild

    Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/1987

    The newlywed Sondra and Elvin return from their honeymoon with shocking news for Cliff and Clair: they want to abandon their dreams of being a lawyer and doctor and open an outdoorsman's "wilderness store." Geoffrey Owens (Elvin) becoms a regular cast member.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: N/A

  • Theogate
    7.5/10158 votes

    #2 - Theogate

    Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/1987

    Theo and Cockroach come home unusually late from a track meet, and the Huxtables got a phone message earlier from the track coach. They both deny anything out of the ordinary happened, but attorney Clair knows better. A mock trial is held for Theo and Cockroach at the Huxtables' for Clair to get to the bottom of the situation.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: N/A

  • It's Not Easy Being Green
    6.4/10143 votes

    #3 - It's Not Easy Being Green

    Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/1987

    Rudy wants to wear summer clothes in winter to a party, while Cliff tries to get rid of an old water heater.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • Cliff's Mistake
    7.2/10146 votes

    #4 - Cliff's Mistake

    Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/1987

    While setting up the house as a "haunted house" for Halloween, Cliff discover's he's lost a power drill that his neighbor loaned to him. First appearance of Wallace Shawn as Jeffrey Ingalls.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Janet Leahy

  • Shakespeare
    7.3/10171 votes

    #5 - Shakespeare

    Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/1987

    Christopher Plummer and Roscoe Lee Browne appear. Theo must read Julius Caesar for school, but complains that it is boring. Russel and his friends read scenes from the play aloud, and Theo is enthralled. Later, the men read from a different work of literature-a story Rudy wrote!

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: N/A

  • That's Not What I Said
    6.9/10132 votes

    #6 - That's Not What I Said

    Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/1987

    Cliff and Clair have a marital argument after Theo gets detained by police for riding in a car with an unlicensed driver.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • Autumn Gifts
    6.8/10130 votes

    #7 - Autumn Gifts

    Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 11/5/1987

    Rudy goes to an older widowed lady's house each afternoon to have tea and play cards, but notices that she refuses to take her daily medication for diabetes. She tells Cliff, who devises a plan to try to convince her that she needs the meds to live. Eileen Heckart appearance. Keshia Knight Pulliam appears on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Matt Williams

  • Looking Back (1)
    6.7/10133 votes

    #8 - Looking Back (1)

    Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 11/12/1987

    Sondra and Elvin have their first marital fight, and Elvin comes to the Huxtable house for comfort and support. Clair shares about the difficulties in their house as flashbacks are shown.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • Looking Back (2)
    6.6/10139 votes

    #9 - Looking Back (2)

    Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 11/12/1987

    Flashbacks are shown while history is shared with Elvin.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • Where's Rudy?
    6.7/10155 votes

    #10 - Where's Rudy?

    Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 11/19/1987

    Theo and Vanessa lose track of Rudy in a mall while Clair enters a squash exhibition. Earle Hyman (Russell) appears on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Dance Mania
    6.8/10148 votes

    #11 - Dance Mania

    Season 4 Episode 11 - Aired 12/3/1987

    Theo and Cockroach have tickets to appear on television on the dance show "Dance Mania", but are told that only one of them can enter the studio during the filming because of fire laws. Theo miscalculates by offering to let Cockroach go in (thinking he'll refuse) and gets angry when Cockroach takes him up on the offer.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Matt Williams

  • The Locker Room
    6.6/10142 votes

    #12 - The Locker Room

    Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 12/10/1987

    Theo and his classmates brag about their dates with girls in the locker room, but Theo's mood changes when one of the guys goes out with Vanessa and brags about it the next day. Troy Winbush as Denny. Adam Sandler as Smitty.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: Janet Leahy

  • The Show Must Go On
    7.0/10149 votes

    #13 - The Show Must Go On

    Season 4 Episode 13 - Aired 12/17/1987

    Vaudeville is shown to Rudy and her friends, who are unimpressed.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • Bookworm
    6.9/10127 votes

    #14 - Bookworm

    Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 1/7/1988

    Clair drags Cliff to her book club meeting, and he's the lone male there. Much to Clair's surprise, Cliff knows quite a bit about the book in question! Meanwhile, the kids attempt a sleepover at Sondra and Elvin's run-down studio apartment, but are overwhelmed by the noise and lack of utilities. Appearances by Angela Bassett and S. Epatha Merkerson.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: Janet Leahy

  • Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
    7.2/10150 votes

    #15 - Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

    Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 1/14/1988

    Rudy has to play the violin in music class at school, but gets jealous because she thinks her classmates' instruments are more fun. Deon Richmond as Kenny. Naoka Nakagawa as Kim.

    Director: Chuck Vinson

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • The Visit
    6.8/10134 votes

    #16 - The Visit

    Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 1/21/1988

    Theo visits a friend in the hospital who has cancer. Troy Winbush as Denny. Adam Sandler as Smitty. Special appearance by Armand Hammer.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • The Drum Major
    7.3/10145 votes

    #17 - The Drum Major

    Season 4 Episode 17 - Aired 2/4/1988

    Vanessa tries out for the drum major at school. Theo playfully mocks her efforts, but learns from friends that Vanessa is the target of sexism and intervenes on her behalf. Meanwhile, Cliff cooks up a batch of extremely spicy chili as Russell tries to pay off a loan from an old friend. Deon Richmond as Kenny. Troy Winbush as Denny. Guest appearance by Dub Taylor.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Waterworks
    5.7/10147 votes

    #18 - Waterworks

    Season 4 Episode 18 - Aired 2/11/1988

    Clair tries to stop Cliff from fixing a leaky pipe by hiring a team of professionals: friends of Sondra and Elvin from Princeton.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Janet Leahy

  • Once Upon a Time
    6.8/10133 votes

    #19 - Once Upon a Time

    Season 4 Episode 19 - Aired 2/18/1988

    Rudy writes a fairy tale, and the colorful story is acted out in her fantasy. Members of the family play the roles of a village full of happy people and a mean group that ruins their fun. At the end of the episode, Rudy declares that when she becomes "president of the world", she will put a stop to all mean people. Cliff and Clair proceed to watch news reports of weapons' testing and bombings, and urge her to "hurry, because we need you right now." Earle Hyman as Russell.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • Petanque
    6.8/10135 votes

    #20 - Petanque

    Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 2/25/1988

    Cliff and a friend play pétanque. First appearance of Sullivan Walker as Dr. James Harmon.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Matt Williams

  • Trust Me
    7.2/10128 votes

    #21 - Trust Me

    Season 4 Episode 21 - Aired 3/3/1988

    A friend of Clair's has marital problems; Cliff takes a "mini-vacation" in the house as Theo, Rudy, and Vanessa try to stump each other with riddles.

    Director: Jay Sandrich

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • Home for the Weekend
    7.1/10159 votes

    #22 - Home for the Weekend

    Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 3/17/1988

    Denise comes home from college, but seems to have more time for her friends than for the family.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Carmen Finestra

  • The Prom
    6.8/10125 votes

    #23 - The Prom

    Season 4 Episode 23 - Aired 3/24/1988

    Theo, Denny and Smitty go to great lengths to impress their dates for the senior prom but fail disastrously; Cliff and Clair relive their own prom. Troy Winbush as Denny. Adam Sandler as Smitty. First appearance of Michelle Thomas as Justine. Phylicia Rashād appears on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Janet Leahy

  • Gone Fishin'
    NaN/100 votes

    #24 - Gone Fishin'

    Season 4 Episode 24 - Aired 4/28/1988

    When the Huxtable men go fishing, Theo catches a dead body, and soon attracts attention from the media. This success goes to his head, while Rudy and Kenny find a nest of baby birds, but the mother bird is missing. The two stories eventually cross in a surprising-and rather humiliating-lesson for Theo. Deon Richmond as Kenny.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Carmen Finestra