7.1/10132 votes#1 - Friends and Lovers/Sergeant Bull/Miss Mother
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 10/25/1980
Gopher convinces Julie to pose as his girlfriend to impress his abrasive fraternity brother. Complications arise when the two longtime friends begin falling for each other. Four men who served together in Korea hold their reunion on the ship. The other men ask a widowed cabin stewardess to woo their gung-ho buddy as a distraction, as he won't talk about anything but the army. A single mother-to-be finds romance with a fellow passenger, but fears that he won't react well to the news of her pregnancy.
Director: N/A
Writer: Carmen Finestra
- 7.4/10133 votes
#2 - The Promoter/The Judges/The Family Plan/Forever Engaged/May the Best Man Win (1)
Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 11/1/1980
A man organizes a ""marriage-a-thon"" cruise, with special prizes to be given to the couple found to be the most compatible. At the same time, he tries to save his own crumbling marriage. Doc tricks Gopher into taking his place as one of the judges, but comes to regret it when the two attractive female judges constantly try to make time with Gopher. The single parents of one of the engaged couples come aboard with the hopes of breaking up their kids, who they think are too young to be tying the knot. A couple tries to finally get married after ten years together--and nine broken engagements. A groom decides to dump his fiancée, but skips the cruise and leaves his best man to break the news to the bride. The best man is Marv, the young man who befriended Julie when he was best man for another wedding on the Alaska cruise. He cannot bring himself to tell the bride the truth, particularly because he also has feelings for her.
Director: N/A
Writer: Seaman Jacobs
- 7.4/10108 votes
#3 - The Promoter/The Judges/The Family Plan/Forever Engaged/May the Best Man Win (2)
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 11/1/1980
Vicki tries to play matchmaker for Capt. Stubing and Emily, whose husband still plans on winning her back. Gopher lands in a Curacao jail after Doc sends him on a wild goose chase so that he can get cozy with the marriage-a-thon judges. Carl and Mary Ann decide that they were wrong to interfere with their kids' wedding plans; but their new romance drives a wedge between the couple. Mary considers calling it quits with Tom, who is physically unable to say the words ""I do"" because of his subconscious fears about marriage. Emily accuses Marv of treachery after her fiancé suddenly reappears in Curacao and denies that he planned to leave her.
Director: N/A
Writer: Seaman Jacobs
- 6.8/1079 votes
#4 - Target Gopher/The Major's Wife/Strange Honeymoon/The Oilman Cometh
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 11/8/1980
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10114 votes
#5 - The Mallory Quest/The Offer/Julie, the Vamp (1)
Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 11/15/1980
Famed author Brian Mallory gives three people free tickets to a Caribbean cruise. He then presents each of them--and Gopher--with gold coins. He explains that they are among the last people to have spent time with his nephew; and offers them $100,000 if they can track down the young man, who is believed to be on one of the islands the ship will be visiting. One of the passengers taking part in the quest is about to donate a kidney to his brother. A young woman follows him around and seems to take a special interest in everything he does. Mallory's wife finally grows tired of his aloof and cruel behavior toward her. She leaves him, and seeks comfort with Doc. An old friend asks Capt. Stubing to leave the ship to help him run his business. A jealous woman accuses Julie of trying to steal her fiancé, a man who was a casual acquaintance of Julie's in college.
Director: N/A
Writer: Harvey Bullock
- 7.1/10101 votes
#6 - The Mallory Quest/The Offer/Julie, the Vamp (2)
Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 11/15/1980
As the search for Mallory's nephew continues, a mysterious man begins following Gopher, Marvin, Peter and Marcia and trying to thwart their efforts. Peter grows suspicious, and forces Mallory to come clean about his real reasons for wanting to track down his nephew. A suddenly repentant Mallory tries to make amends with his wife. Peter and his brother's fiancée grow attracted to each other. Capt. Stubing considers taking the job offer so that he can set aside more money for Vicki's college education. Julie's college friend and his crazy girlfriend continue to make her life difficult.
Director: N/A
Writer: Harvey Bullock
- 7.1/1084 votes
#7 - Secretary to the Stars/Julie's Decision/The Horse Lover/Gopher and Isaac Buy a Horse
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 11/22/1980
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10101 votes
#8 - Tell Her She's Great/Matchmaker, Matchmaker Times Two/The Baby Alarm
Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 11/29/1980
Isaac forces his friends to lie to his aunt about the quality of her performance in a local play, but his plan soon backfires. Two young people grow tired of their parents' constant attempts to push them together. A single mother hopes to find romance aboard the ship. She uses her son as a judge of character--she doesn't trust anyone who causes the baby to cry.
Director: Ray Austin
Writer: Seaman Jacobs
- 7.2/1082 votes
#9 - She Stole His Heart/Return of the Captain's Brother/Swag and Mag
Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 12/6/1980
A kleptomaniac seeks the help of a psychiatrist to deal with her problem. He tries to distance himself from her when they begin falling for each other. Capt. Stubing's brother Marshall returns to the ship to get married. He has second thoughts when his fiancée reveals that she is broke, and is tempted by a past fling. A television star comes aboard the ship to accept a hero award on behalf of his character, a tough detective. A loudmouth begins harassing him, causing him to look bad in front of both his manager/girlfriend and number one fan Vicki.
Director: Richard Kinon
Writer: Jack Turley
- 6.5/10104 votes
#10 - Captain's Triangle/Boomerang/Out of This World
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 12/13/1980
The captain's ex-girlfriend comes aboard the ship and constantly makes passes at him because she feels neglected by her husband. A model pretends to be married to keep away annoying suitors. A man is convinced that a fellow passenger is an alien who turns into a plant every night.
Director: N/A
Writer: Christopher Vane
7.8/10114 votes#11 - The Captain's Bird/That's My Dad/Captive Audience
Season 4 Episode 11 - Aired 12/20/1980
Capt. Stubing decides to get Vicki a parrot for Christmas. Unfortunately, it hasn't been trained to talk, and Gopher and Isaac's efforts to train it prove disastrous. A stowaway convinces the crew that a playboy passenger is his father. A father and son, who haven't spoken for ten years since the younger man left their singing act to go solo, resist their wives' efforts to reunite them.
Director: Allen Baron
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/1082 votes
#12 - The Frugal Pair/Doc's Dismissal/The Girl Next Door
Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 1/3/1981
A couple takes a cruise to celebrate its 40th anniversary, but considers breaking up after the husband learns that his wife secretly invested money in the stock market for years. They are now wealthy, but he is furious because he could have retired much sooner. A woman tries to get her husband's attention by claiming that Doc made a pass at her during an examination. A man sneaks on the cruise because he doesn't believe the man travelling with his girlfriend is her brother. He convinces the passenger in the cabin next to theirs to let him stay by claiming to be with the CIA.
Director: N/A
Writer: Christopher Vane
- 7.4/10114 votes
#13 - Isaac's Teacher/Seal of Approval/The Successor
Season 4 Episode 13 - Aired 1/10/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/1091 votes
#14 - From Here to Maternity/Jealousy/The Trigamist
Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 1/17/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.9/1086 votes
#15 - April the Ninny/The Loan Arranger/First Voyage, Last Voyage
Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 1/17/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/1093 votes
#16 - Gopher's Bride/Workaholic/On Second Thought
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 1/24/1981
Gopher worries about meeting his pen pal Nicole, at first. Ned, married to workaholic Margo meets widow Kay, who's willing to take his wife's place. Helen evicts her handsome cabin mate Jack, who is desperate to find a room.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/10102 votes
#17 - Lose One, Win One/For the Record/Mind My Wife
Season 4 Episode 17 - Aired 1/31/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.9/1085 votes#18 - Isaac and the Mermaids/Humpty, Dumpty/Aquaphobic
Season 4 Episode 18 - Aired 2/7/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1091 votes
#19 - Return of the Ninny/Touchdown Twins/Split Personality
Season 4 Episode 19 - Aired 2/14/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.8/1099 votes
#20 - Quiet, My Wife's Listening/Eye of the Beholder/The Nudist from Sunshine Gardens
Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 2/21/1981
No description available
Director: Harry Mastrogeorge
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1086 votes
#21 - Black Sheep/Hometown Doc/Clothes Make the Girl
Season 4 Episode 21 - Aired 2/28/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/1087 votes
#22 - I Love You Too, Smith/Mamma and Me/Sally's Paradise
Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 3/7/1981
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.9/10100 votes
#23 - Two for Julie/Aunt Hilly/The Duel
Season 4 Episode 23 - Aired 3/14/1981
No description available
Director: Ray Austin
Writer: N/A
- 6.9/1089 votes
#24 - Vicki and the Gambler/Love with a Skinny Stranger/That Old Gang of Mine
Season 4 Episode 24 - Aired 4/11/1981
No description available
Director: Howard Morris
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/10124 votes
#25 - This Year's Model/The Model Marriage/Vogue Rogue/Too Clothes for Comfort/Original Sin: Part 1
Season 4 Episode 25 - Aired 5/2/1981
On a special cruise to Acapulco for a fashion festival, designers Geoffrey Beene, Halston, Bob Mackie and Gloria Vanderbilt play themselves. First of two parts. Paris: Robert Vaughn. Priscilla: Anne Baxter.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of The Love Boat Season 4
Every episode of The Love Boat Season 4 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Love Boat Season 4!
Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation aboard the "Love Boat",...
Genres:DramaComedy
Network:ABC
Season 4 Ratings Summary
"Friends and Lovers/Sergeant Bull/Miss Mother" is the best rated episode of "The Love Boat" season 4. It scored 7.1/10 based on 132 votes. Directed by N/A and written by Carmen Finestra, it aired on 10/25/1980. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "The Promoter/The Judges/The Family Plan/Forever Engaged/May the Best Man Win (1)".