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The Worst Episodes of The District

Every episode of The District ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The District!

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The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department.

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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The District Season 2 Episode 8 - Tug of War
    7.4/10(42 votes)

    #1 - Tug of War

    S2:E8

    When Mannion has Temple and Debreno investigate the woman's murder, he discovers that the criminals weren't going for the victim's cash or credit cards, but for the expensive purse itself. In response, Mannion immediately dispatches detectives to patrol subway cars, angering the chief of the Transit Authority, who believes that Mannion is trying to muscle in on his territory. Then, when Debreno and Temple set up a sting operation, Debreno's life is put in danger and Mannion's team must find a way to draw out the perpetrators of these crimes before they strike again. Also, Mannion's outrageous ex-fiancee comes back for a visit after hearing that Mannion and Sherry split up.

    Director:Robert Mandel
    Writers:Reed Steiner, Jason Wilborn

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  2. The District Season 1 Episode 2 - Dirty Laundry
    7.6/10(51 votes)

    #2 - Dirty Laundry

    S1:E2

    Mannion issues a mandate to get illegal guns off the streets and uncovers the surprising motive behind the murder of a well-connected young man.

    Director:Terry George
    Writer:Terry George

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  3. The District Season 4 Episode 14 - a.k.a.
    7.6/10(38 votes)

    #3 - a.k.a.

    S4:E14

    People in the witness protection program become victims, and the team sets out on the case to find the killer. Meanwhile, Chief Mannion gets a specialty sandwich named after him, which then becomes "hard to swallow."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Bruce Zimmerman

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  4. The District Season 4 Episode 15 - D.C. Confidential
    7.6/10(33 votes)

    #4 - D.C. Confidential

    S4:E15

    No description available

    Director:Oz Scott
    Writer:Patricia Green

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  5. The District Season 1 Episode 20 - Running Towards Fire
    7.8/10(47 votes)

    #5 - Running Towards Fire

    S1:E20

    Detective Travis Haywood is shot while performing an undercover operation by an off-duty cop. Mannion has to handle the manipulative press that keeps referring to the incident as the third time a black cop has been shot by a white cop. Detective Heywood dies and the issue of prejudice gets stronger as the black cops demand the shooter to be severely punished.

    Director:Terry George
    Writer:Terry George

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  6. The District Season 2 Episode 14 - Wasteland
    7.8/10(38 votes)

    #6 - Wasteland

    S2:E14

    A teacher, protesting the Board of Education's inattention to her cries, takes the board hostage at gunpoint and Mannion is called in to diffuse the situation. Frustrated by getting the run-around from the board and environmental agencies, she gives Mannion 12 hours to find answers to the teacher's and students' health problems before she opens fire. Mannion and his team must uncover a complex environmental cover-up while keeping the board and the teacher alive. Meanwhile, Ella asks Clive, the new man she is seeing and a lobbyist for the chemical industry, to look into the case from his end.

    Director:Jerry Levine
    Writers:Reed Steiner, Jason Wilborn

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  7. The District Season 4 Episode 9 - In God We Trust
    7.8/10(33 votes)

    #7 - In God We Trust

    S4:E9

    Mannion searches for a modern day Robin Hood after he distributes money and stolen goods from the roof of his own building to needy neighbors on the street. Meanwhile, Temple continues to deal with the shooting of Lester Richards.

    Director:David Jackson
    Writer:Anthony Sparks

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  8. The District Season 4 Episode 17 - Family Values
    7.8/10(34 votes)

    #8 - Family Values

    S4:E17

    No description available

    Director:Eric Laneuville
    Writer:Jonathan Lisco

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  9. The District Season 1 Episode 7 - Imperfect Victims
    7.9/10(44 votes)

    #9 - Imperfect Victims

    S1:E7

    Ella is fearful of what will happen to Ricky when he testifies against his father, who's on trial for murdering the boy's mother; Temple tries to convince the victim of a serial rapist to testify; Nick discovers some explosive evidence against the mayor.

    Director:Richard J. Lewis
    Writers:Lynn Marie Latham, Terry George

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  10. The District Season 1 Episode 21 - Don't Fence Me In
    7.9/10(37 votes)

    #10 - Don't Fence Me In

    S1:E21

    An operation to catch a theft mob is set and Temple goes undercover as a pawn shop salesman who also works selling stolen objects. After entering a scheme for stolen credit cards and laptops, the agents make the arrest for the two brothers who were the heads of the gang. Meanwhile, McGregor investigates the origins of a stolen bracelet caught on Temple's pawn shop, which leads to a case of rape/murder from five years ago. McGregor is convinced the prime suspect is the murderer, but can't make an arrest until he tries to fly outside the country. Nick is still trying to develop a good relationship with the community member, but can't because she won't date white men. Nick tries to make something to please her and stops a demolition in the name of Mannion, who wasn't pleased to hear that and ends up giving Nick a warning about mixing personal life with work. And Queenie, the presidential dog, runs away and a psychic is called to help find her.

    Director:Sandy Smolan
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The District Season 2 Episode 7 - Bulldog's Ghost
    7.9/10(41 votes)

    #11 - Bulldog's Ghost

    S2:E7

    After Nancy discovers a murdered homeless man, Mannion notices that the body has a distinct military tattoo. He identifies the man as a former Marine believed to have been held prisoner in a Vietnamese camp. They soon learn that the victim may have been one of many POW's who were returned to the United States in the 1980s after the government stated that there were no prisoners left in Vietnam. Now, as Mannion delves further into the case, he must battle the demons that continue to haunt him from the time he spent in Vietnam. (from CBS)

    Director:Rick Rosenthal
    Writers:John Wirth, Mike Ostrowski

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  12. The District Season 2 Episode 9 - Cop Hunt
    7.9/10(45 votes)

    #12 - Cop Hunt

    S2:E9

    A woman who was driving home late at night is found beaten and raped after being stopped by a police officer for a traffic violation. After talking to the woman, Mannion discovers that this is the latest in a series of attacks allegedly perpetrated by a police officer. Now, after Mannion conducts an internal investigation of his officers and fingers start pointing at Cutter, Debreno is thrown for a loop when his estranged wife (Farentino) informs him that she was attacked in the same exact way. Meanwhile, Preston Kembridge, a mayoral candidate, tempts Nick with an offer to run his campaign. (from CBS)

    Director:Deran Sarafian
    Writer:Pam Veasey

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  13. The District Season 4 Episode 18 - The Black Widow Maker
    7.9/10(35 votes)

    #13 - The Black Widow Maker

    S4:E18

    Mannion gets involved in a local murder investigation when he travels to a small town to fight a warrant for his arrest for a traffic violation. Meanwhile Temple and Debreno look into the disappearance of an armored truck owned by the company the Temple works for part time.

    Director:Jonathan LaPaglia
    Writer:Tom Spezialy

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  14. The District Season 1 Episode 18 - Night Moves
    8.0/10(38 votes)

    #14 - Night Moves

    S1:E18

    Mannion decides to declare war against street gangs after a drive by shooting kills an innocent pedestrian. Two Latino gangs (the "Colombian Guardian Crew" - C.G.C. - and "Los Muertos") - one Cuban and one Salvadorian - are in war with each other over territory limits and Mannion sends his best men to catch the main leader accused of killing the pedestrian: Carlos "El Gato" Cesar, one of the most dangerous gang members in the city. Meanwhile, Mannion has suspicions that the same man that reported a criminal fire is the one who started it; and Nick has to face his fears after being badly beaten up by a robber.

    Director:Kevin Dowling
    Writer:Pam Veasey

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  15. The District Season 2 Episode 6 - Melt Down
    8.0/10(38 votes)

    #15 - Melt Down

    S2:E6

    When two children are shot by a 7-year-old boy, Mannion makes it his mission to find exactly how the boy got his hands on a gun. When Mannion questions the 7-year-old, he learns that the youngster took the gun from his 15-year-old brother who reveals that he got the gun from a "guy on the street" near his school. With the help of Temple and Debreno, Mannion sets up a sting and discovers that the weapon was actually a gun that the police had confiscated in a "buy-back" program. Now, with the Public Safety Commission breathing down Mannion's neck, he must track down the culprits before any more guns hit the street or any more children get hurt.

    Director:Kevin Dowling
    Writers:Pam Veasey, Jonathan Lisco

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  16. The District Season 2 Episode 11 - Russian Winter (a.k.a.The Russian Wars)
    8.0/10(35 votes)

    #16 - Russian Winter (a.k.a.The Russian Wars)

    S2:E11

    Mannion confronts his No. 1 enemy, Dimitri Putin, and learns who killed Det. Danny McGregor in this pivotal episode. A Russian woman, Erin Vratalov, comes aboard Mannion's boat claiming she needs protection from Putin. She tells Mannion that Putin ordered her husband, Yuri, to kill the chief. But when Danny died in the assassination attempt instead, Putin had Yuri murdered and is now after her. She also claims Yuri had a tape recording of Putin giving the order to murder Mannion, but she doesn't know where it's hidden. So begins Mannion's race to find the incriminating evidence, a search that leads ultimately to a volatile face-to-face encounter. (CBS)

    Director:Sandy Smolan
    Writer:Andrew Dettmann

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  17. The District Season 2 Episode 16 - The Greenhouse Effect
    8.0/10(46 votes)

    #17 - The Greenhouse Effect

    S2:E16

    Mannion's friend Teddy Reed is the only witness to a Congressman's murder, and Mannion thinks she's lying about the whole situation. Meanwhile, the city erects a statue depicting a heroic act by three police officers, including Cutter, but many are infuriated when Cutter's figure is altered to represent someone of a different race.

    Director:Jim Charleston
    Writer:Mike Ostrowski

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  18. The District Season 3 Episode 14 - Blindsided
    8.0/10(37 votes)

    #18 - Blindsided

    S3:E14

    While in L.A. Mannion unexpectedly meets up with Vanessa Cavanaugh and offers her a ride. Unfortunately the rental care is carjacked and the pair find themselves stranded in a deserted part of town after they get carjacked. Back in Washington, Deputy Mayor Lockhart asks Debreno to help her find a blackmailer who has a scandalous videotape that could destroy her career; Kendall is threatened by her ex-boyfriend; and Ella is offered a job by the mayor.

    Director:Jim Charleston
    Writers:Pam Veasey, John Wirth

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  19. The District Season 4 Episode 8 - Acceptable Losses
    8.0/10(32 votes)

    #19 - Acceptable Losses

    S4:E8

    Ricky and a friend collapse at Ricky's birthday party and are taken to the hospital, where they are diagnosed with MDMA ingestion (a.k.a. ecstasy). Mannion and his men hit the streets trying to reach the source of the drug distribution network, which leads them all the way to a man in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Clive and Ella's sister fight over Ricky's custody, and Ricky chooses to go with his aunt to Florida. Debreno and Temple's friendship is shaken and Temple punches Debreno, still about the Lester Richards case. Brander and Cutter track down an ATM thief, a job usually done by the secret service agents, who offer Cutter a position on their staff.

    Director:Kevin Dowling
    Writer:Jasmine Love

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  20. The District Season 1 Episode 13 - Vigilante
    8.1/10(45 votes)

    #20 - Vigilante

    S1:E13

    Mannion searches for a vigilante who is killing convicted child molesters; Ella learns that one of her neighbors is a former sex offender.

    Director:Peter Markle
    Writer:Scott Williams

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  21. The District Season 1 Episode 22 - Fools Russian (1)
    8.1/10(45 votes)

    #21 - Fools Russian (1)

    S1:E22

    Two ex-cops who worked as bank securities are shot to death and Mannion suspects that the Russian mob is behind it. The FBI wants the case, but Mannion won't let go and decides to solve it by himself. He contacts Monya, a Russian gangster from NY with whom he has a history and Monya gives him a name to go after. The FBI wants to take over the investigation and Mannion refuses to help them given the issues he has with the bureau back from when they let his old partner die. After a few insults that cross the line of internal rivalship, compromising evidence from Jack's personal account appear to incriminate him, possibly planted by the federals. Meanwhile, Temple's marriage is approaching and he couldn't be happier. But his plans are suddenly interrupted when he pays his fiancée a visit at the hospital. Two men had just arrived from a neighbor fight over a fence, and one of the victim's brother goes insane and tries to shoot the other man. But McGregor throws himself to protect the man a

    Director:Rick Rosenthal
    Writer:Scott Williams

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  22. The District Season 2 Episode 3 - Night Shift (a.k.a. Back Fire)
    8.1/10(38 votes)

    #22 - Night Shift (a.k.a. Back Fire)

    S2:E3

    Temple and Debreno are working on a carjacking followed by murder case. Parras is suspicious when the victim's fiancé cries but no tears come from her eyes. The case is only solved with the help of a schizophrenic homeless man with multiple identities, who saw the suspect with another man just before the shooting. Temple and Debreno are not getting along, and Mannion has to interfere before Temple (who's much more religious since his fiancee's death, which annoys Debreno) tries to quit. Ella has to handle a strike/budget crisis. Parras is back on the streets and her partner takes it hard when another black man insults him. A snake is left loose around the office.

    Director:Julian Chojnacki
    Writer:John Wirth

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  23. The District Season 2 Episode 4 - The Project
    8.1/10(37 votes)

    #23 - The Project

    S2:E4

    After a women is stabbed to death outside her apartment building, and no witnesses are willing to speak to the police, Mannion moves in, hoping to gain the residents' trust. The housing project has been a dangerous place to live for a long time and the residents are weary of the police, who never seem to be there when they need them. Now, Mannion must convince them that this is not a media stunt -- he honestly wants to make their lives safer -- and that they need to speak up before the killer strikes again. (from CBS)

    Director:Deran Sarafian
    Writer:Linda Gase

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  24. The District Season 2 Episode 21 - Convictions
    8.1/10(47 votes)

    #24 - Convictions

    S2:E21

    When one of Debreno's first cases solved under Mannion goes to trial, the defense uses Debreno's troubled professional and personal past to discredit him, implying that he set up the defendant in order to impress Mannion. Now, as Mannion questions Debreno's motives, he must also decide whether or not Debreno has a future as a part of his team.

    Director:Craig T. Nelson
    Writer:Gar Anthony Haywood

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  25. The District Season 3 Episode 4 - Drug Money
    8.1/10(34 votes)

    #25 - Drug Money

    S3:E4

    Mannion investigates a series of robberies in which pharmaceuticals, mostly AIDS medications, were stolen; Temple worries about having to take a random drug test because of his failure to report that he used cocaine while undercover; Debreno reluctantly agrees to participate in a charity bachelor auction and is won by a sexy mayoral candidate (Kelly Rutherford).

    Director:Christopher Taylor
    Writer:Jason Wilborn

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Tug of War" is the worst rated episode of "The District". It scored 7.4/10 based on 42 votes. Directed by Robert Mandel and written by Reed Steiner, Jason Wilborn, it aired on 11/24/2001. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Dirty Laundry".