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The Best Episodes of The Powers That Be

Every episode of The Powers That Be ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Powers That Be!

The Powers That Be is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman that aired briefly on NBC from 1992 to 1993....
Genre:Comedy
Network:NBC

Best Episodes Summary

"A Chicken in Every Pot" is the best rated episode of "The Powers That Be". It scored 7.5/10 based on 19 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 11/7/1992. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Bill's Dead...Not".

  • A Chicken in Every Pot
    7.5/1019 votes
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    #1 - A Chicken in Every Pot

    Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 11/7/1992

    To curry favor, Margaret donates her chicken salad to the favorite charity of the new First Lady, who falls ill after eating it. Meanwhile, Theodore and Charlotte try to fight their attraction.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Bill's Dead...Not
    7.5/1014 votes
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    #2 - Bill's Dead...Not

    Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 11/7/1992

    The Senator takes a road trip to visit his elderly mother (Cloris Leachman) and picks up a hitchhiker -- who turns carjacker. As Bill then tries to make his way to his mother's home, the carjacker crashes the car into a gas tanker, leaving the family and the press to believe the Senator has been killed. As the Powers camp mourns Bill, Margaret contemplates accepting her husband's Senate seat.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Love Child (1)
    7.3/1016 votes
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    #3 - The Love Child (1)

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/7/1992

    Senator Powers, in the middle of a tough re-election campaign with a local hero, finds that he has an additional potential obstacle to his re-election -- an illegitimate daughter.

    Director: Norman Lear

    Writer: Marta Kauffman, David Crane

  • Charlerella
    7.1/1013 votes
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    #4 - Charlerella

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 4/18/1992

    The Powers household is invited to attend a ball in the Senator's honor, but Margaret conveniently forgets to invite Charlotte until it's too late. Theodore stays behind to wait for Caitlyn, but winds up spending a romantic evening with Charlotte when they get snowed in. Caitlyn, meanwhile, slinks off to Joe Bowman's hotel room, and the blizzard keeps the rest of the Powers clan trapped in their limo.

    Director: Art Wolff

    Writer: N/A

  • Bill Gets Shot
    7.0/1015 votes
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    #5 - Bill Gets Shot

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 3/14/1992

    It's Caitlyn and Theodore's anniversary and Margaret is insistent that Sophie not join the family for dinner. Meanwhile, the campaigning Senator is in need of some publicity, but he didn't expect it to come from Theodore's botched suicide attempt -- which results in Bill being shot in a very undignified location.

    Director: Art Wolff

    Writer: Graham Yost

  • Grammargate (1)
    6.8/1014 votes
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    #6 - Grammargate (1)

    Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 6/5/1993

    While drunk, Bradley makes the mistake of his life; as does Pierce when he hacks into the school's computer. Meanwhile, Theodore has troubles of his own.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Love Child (2)
    6.7/1014 votes
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    #7 - The Love Child (2)

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 3/7/1992

    Being accepted in Washington takes a back seat when Sophie goes head-to-head with the rest of the family.

    Director: Norman Lear

    Writer: Marta Kauffman, David Crane

  • Dirty Politics
    6.7/1014 votes
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    #8 - Dirty Politics

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 3/28/1992

    Margaret, Jordan and Bradley scheme to discredit the Senator's opponent, the now-handicapped, former-pro footballer, Joe Bowman. The result is a faked videotape of Bowman hopping out of his chair. The press discovers the tape is a fake, and as a last-ditch effort to save his aids from being fired, Bill visits Bowman and is startled by what he finds.

    Director: Art Wolff

    Writer: N/A

  • I'm Your Dummy
    6.7/1014 votes
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    #9 - I'm Your Dummy

    Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 11/14/1992

    Theodore volunteers to be the Senator's dummy in a ventriloquist act that everyone else finds embarrassingly bad.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Julie Thacker

  • Having a Ball
    6.7/1016 votes
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    #10 - Having a Ball

    Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 1/19/1993

    The Powers are ecstatic when they are invited the Presidential motorcade for Clinton's inauguration, but when Jordan is excluded, she tries to make Bill jealous by making plans with an old boyfriend. As the delayed Powers and a bicycling Bradley brave the icy roads in hopes of catching up with the President, Theodore worries that Charlotte thinks he forgot her birthday.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Graham Yost

  • How Sharper Than a Servant's Tooth
    6.6/1013 votes
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    #11 - How Sharper Than a Servant's Tooth

    Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 11/21/1992

    A crisis back in the Senator's home state is nothing compared to the crisis in the Senator's household -- Charlotte wants to quit because of her secret feelings for Theodore. Meanwhile, Jordan is frustrated that Margaret's problems are more important to Bill than celebrating the anniversary of their relationship together.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Oh, Mack
    6.5/1015 votes
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    #12 - Oh, Mack

    Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 12/12/1992

    A visiting Hollywood mogul charms everyone in the Senator's household -- except the Senator, who starts to suspect that something is amiss. Meanwhile, each of the ladies thinks that she's the object of their guest's desires.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Rod Parker

  • Kiss Me Caitlyn
    6.4/1014 votes
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    #13 - Kiss Me Caitlyn

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 4/4/1992

    The Senator and his aides have no choice but to offer Joe Bowman a public apology -- in spite of his paralysis secretly being a sham. Meanwhile, Bowman sets his sights on seducing Caitlyn to have someone inside the Senator's camp. Caitlyn finds herself simultanously charmed and repulsed by Mr. Bowman and contemplates having an affair. Meanwhile, Bill and Margaret share a spontanous night of passion.

    Director: Art Wolff

    Writer: Graham Yost

  • Sophie's Big Decision
    6.4/1016 votes
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    #14 - Sophie's Big Decision

    Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 12/5/1992

    Just as Sophie asks Margaret for some tips on fitting into the Washington scene, the boyfriend who always kept her down shows up to take her back to New Jersey. Meanwhile, Margaret is desperate to get a Supreme Court Justice to show up at her party, and Bradley and Jordan try to show each other up by getting the most influential guests at the event.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Graham Yost

  • Bradley Gets Fired
    6.4/1014 votes
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    #15 - Bradley Gets Fired

    Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 1/19/1993

    When a malingering Bradley is fired, Mrs. Powers takes over as press liaison.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Grandma's Big Decision
    6.4/1015 votes
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    #16 - Grandma's Big Decision

    Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 6/19/1993

    Bill's mother, Enid Powers (Cloris Leachman), shows up just before her 93rd birthday and announces that she's moving in until she dies. Then she asks her already frustrated daughter-in-law to kill her off! Meanwhile, Sophie surprises Jordan when she moves into her apartment building, leaving Jordan concerned that the Senator's nosy daughter will discover their affair.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Graham Yost

  • Bill and Margaret's Excellent Adventure
    6.2/1013 votes
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    #17 - Bill and Margaret's Excellent Adventure

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 4/11/1992

    After thier unexpected night of passion, Bill considers ending his relationship with Jordan in favor of the a chance at returning the fire to his marriage -- leaving Jordan fuming and shocked. Meanwhile, Caitlyn can't get Joe Bowman out of her head, and Bradley gets a major high from the pain killers he's taking for a kidney stone.

    Director: Art Wolff

    Writer: N/A

  • My Mother, My Self
    6.1/1014 votes
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    #18 - My Mother, My Self

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 3/21/1992

    Not being asked to a White House luncheon for Princess Diana is bad enough, but Margaret really gets upset when her efforts only result in Caitlyn being invited instead. Margaret then tries to play on Caitlyn's insecurities to secure the invitation for herself, including playing her trump card -- Sophie. Meanwhile, Bill just wants the family to get along.

    Director: Art Wolff

    Writer: N/A

  • The Intern
    6.1/1015 votes
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    #19 - The Intern

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 11/28/1992

    Jordan and Margaret both suspect that the Senator's new female intern has designs on him.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Grammargate (2)
    6.0/1012 votes
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    #20 - Grammargate (2)

    Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 6/12/1993

    While trying to rectify the situation for Pierce, Margaret and Caitlyn find they have their own trouble. Consummation is the answer to Bradley's problems, and Theodore conquers his fear.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • St. Caitlyn of Shears
    5.6/1014 votes
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    #21 - St. Caitlyn of Shears

    Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 1/2/1993

    A bad haircut causes Caitlyn to come to a personal crisis and decide she is too caught up in materialism. Meanwhile, Bradley is desperate to get the Senator media attention after his name is not included on the list of the most influential Democrats in the new administration.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A