The Practice backdrop
Drama

The Best Episodes of The Practice Season 8

Every episode of The Practice Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Practice Season 8!

Binge this in 16h 8m•Peaking at 8.6/10

A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”

Airs on
ABC
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons8

All12345678

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Practice Season 8 Episode 1 - We the People
    7.5/10(167 votes)

    #1 - We the People

    S8:E1

    Eleanor defends a man accused of killing his wife and unborn son. He contests that it was suicide. Eugene and Jimmy defend a woman who shot a crack dealer on her street. Alan Shore comes to Eleanor looking for a job after he was fired for embezzlement. He is given a case where a woman files charges against a homeless man who "Halle Berry'd" her (came out of nowhere and kissed her). He uses insurance fraud to coerce her into dropping the charges.

    Director:Dennis Smith
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. The Practice Season 8 Episode 2 - The Chosen (1)
    7.6/10(142 votes)

    #2 - The Chosen (1)

    S8:E2

    Alan Shore agrees to help friend Sheila Carlisle, a successful attorney who claims God speaks to her, and who has subsequently been fired from her law firm for being mentally incompetent. Meanwhile there are startling new developments in the case of Brad Stanfield, whom Ellenor and Jamie are defending for allegedly poisoning his pregnant wife.

    Director:Leslie Libman
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. The Practice Season 8 Episode 3 - Cause of Action (2)
    7.6/10(130 votes)

    #3 - Cause of Action (2)

    S8:E3

    Eccentric attorney Sheila Carlisle, whom Alan Shore hired on a temporary basis without consulting anyone else, takes on a lawsuit on behalf of the firm; and Ellenor finds herself in a moral dilemma when faced with the truth about her client.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. The Practice Season 8 Episode 4 - Blessed Are They (3)
    7.2/10(128 votes)

    #4 - Blessed Are They (3)

    S8:E4

    Alan Shore is troubled by Sheila Carlisle's increasingly erratic behavior and fears for her mental - and legal - competence. Meanwhile, Shore is ordered by the court to represent a man who refuses to divulge his identity for fear that the unsavory nature of his crime will be made public

    Director:Simon Curtis
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. The Practice Season 8 Episode 5 - The Heat of Passion (1)
    7.5/10(112 votes)

    #5 - The Heat of Passion (1)

    S8:E5

    A complex murder case implicating a white supremacist embroils Eugene; malpractice fears haunt Jamie; the defense of accused killer Roland Huff embattles Shore, whose tactics astonish Tara and precipitate a run-in with a judge.

    Director:Nick Gomez
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. The Practice Season 8 Episode 6 - The Lonely People (2)
    7.6/10(111 votes)

    #6 - The Lonely People (2)

    S8:E6

    Eugene and Jimmy's defense of the leader of a white supremacist group takes an unexpected turn when surprising new developments come to light. Meanwhile, Shore continues in his quest to free Roland Huff from prison, and Jamie and Eugene must come to terms with their differences.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of The Practice

    READ
  7. The Practice Season 8 Episode 7 - Rape Shield
    7.5/10(115 votes)

    #7 - Rape Shield

    S8:E7

    A rape case rattles Jimmy, ill-prepared to defend a client who maintains his innocence despite overwhelming evidence against him. Also, ethics violations catch up to Shore, who has a showdown with Eugene.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. The Practice Season 8 Episode 8 - Concealing Evidence
    8.2/10(111 votes)

    #8 - Concealing Evidence

    S8:E8

    Alan Shore uses questionable, if not illegal, tactics in representing his clients — Ted Grayson, a mentally unstable man accused of murder, and Karen Evanson, a woman who claims her husband's suicide was induced by a prescription drug.

    Director:Bill D'Elia
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. The Practice Season 8 Episode 9 - Victims' Rights
    7.8/10(155 votes)

    #9 - Victims' Rights

    S8:E9

    Alan Shore defends a twelve-year-old girl who is trying to escape an arranged marriage in her home country. Meanwhile, Eugene tries to help a man who is seeking justice for the brutal murder of his wife.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writers:Peter Blake, David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. The Practice Season 8 Episode 10 - Equal Justice
    7.8/10(111 votes)

    #10 - Equal Justice

    S8:E10

    Alan Shore uses unorthodox tactics when he's appointed by the court to defend a young man accused of murder. Meanwhile, Tara must try her first case when she's thrown into covering Shore's previously scheduled client.

    Director:Andy Wolk
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. The Practice Season 8 Episode 11 - Police State
    8.6/10(159 votes)

    #11 - Police State

    S8:E11

    When the police torture a man they believe shot one of their own, Eugene, barely able to contain his emotion, takes the lead in seeking justice.

    Director:Andy Wolk
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. The Practice Season 8 Episode 12 - Avenging Angels
    7.7/10(114 votes)

    #12 - Avenging Angels

    S8:E12

    Jimmy Berluti and Jamie Stringer defend an elderly man, Walter Josephson, who is accused of killing a member of the local Irish mob, and Alan Shore agrees to help a friend — by any means necessary — who discovers his wife is cheating on him.

    Director:Joseph Berger-Davis
    Writers:Peter Blake, David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. The Practice Season 8 Episode 13 - Going Home (1)
    8.1/10(135 votes)

    #13 - Going Home (1)

    S8:E13

    When his best friend from childhood is accused of murdering his mistress, Alan Shore returns home to defend him.

    Director:Michael Zinberg
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. The Practice Season 8 Episode 14 - Pre-Trial Blues (2)
    8.0/10(126 votes)

    #14 - Pre-Trial Blues (2)

    S8:E14

    An ongoing, sensational murder case besets Shore with pre-trial anxieties centering on jury selection; a hostile judge; a priest's confession; and suspicions of malpractice that involve a manipulative witness for the prosecution.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. The Practice Season 8 Episode 15 - Mr. Shore Goes to Town (3)
    8.2/10(148 votes)

    #15 - Mr. Shore Goes to Town (3)

    S8:E15

    Fireworks erupt at Dr. Stewart's trial when shocking testimony is elicited from the defendant's strong-willed mother, a conflicted priest and a crackpot.

    Director:Dennis Smith
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. The Practice Season 8 Episode 16 - In Good Conscience (1)
    7.7/10(122 votes)

    #16 - In Good Conscience (1)

    S8:E16

    There are major shake-ups at the firm, as tensions rise between Eugene and Alan Shore. Meanwhile, the firm takes the case of a young man who is suing the doctor he feels is responsible for the death of his wife during childbirth.

    Director:Kelli Williams
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. The Practice Season 8 Episode 17 - War of the Roses (2)
    7.8/10(130 votes)

    #17 - War of the Roses (2)

    S8:E17

    Tensions between Shore and Eugene rise to the boiling point when Shore retains the services of a high-profile law firm to go head-to-head with Young, Frutt & Berluti in the face of his abrupt firing from the firm.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. The Practice Season 8 Episode 18 - The Case Against Alan Shore (3)
    8.3/10(134 votes)

    #18 - The Case Against Alan Shore (3)

    S8:E18

    Eugene and his firm stand against Alan Shore and his "new" firm. The entire episode revolves around Eugene, Ellenor, and Jimmy testifing that Alan doesn't deserve the amount of money Alan proposed. Can Ellenor really testify against her friend? How will Alan go against his old firm?

    Director:Bill D'Elia
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. The Practice Season 8 Episode 19 - The Firm
    7.0/10(121 votes)

    #19 - The Firm

    S8:E19

    Friction at the firm gets to Jimmy, who's torn between loyalties and principles. Meanwhile, tension besets Shore as he crosses swords with his brilliant but erratic new boss, whose behavior raises questions of competence.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David E. Kelley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. The Practice Season 8 Episode 20 - Comings and Goings
    7.3/10(255 votes)

    #20 - Comings and Goings

    S8:E20

    Eugene is presented with an offer he finds hard to refuse, and Ellenor is shocked when she hears the news, knowing full well that any departure by Eugene would mean the beginning of the end of the practice. Meanwhile, Jimmy is confronted by crooked lawyer Lenny Pascatore), who claims that the neighborhood only has room for one practicing attorney. Across town at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Denny Crane ruffles some feathers by making Tara his personal paralegal, and Hannah Rose enlists Shore's help in handling an assault case involving two hockey players.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. The Practice Season 8 Episode 21 - New Hoods on the Block
    7.4/10(261 votes)

    #21 - New Hoods on the Block

    S8:E21

    Eugene considers an exciting new offer for his future... could this mean the end of the practice? Meanwhile, Jimmy is shaken by an ominous run-in with neighborhood lawyer Lenny Pescatore, as their turf war heats up, and Ellenor clashes with sexy and ruthless attorney Hannah Rose of Crane Poole & Schmidt.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. The Practice Season 8 Episode 22 - Cheers
    7.6/10(129 votes)

    #22 - Cheers

    S8:E22

    Denny and Alan make an appearance before Judge Eugene Young; Hannah Rose recovers from her bout with Ellenor; Jamie accepts a job with Berluti; Ellenor invites Bobby Donnell to help his former colleagues bid farewell to the firm.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Season 8 Ratings Summary

"We the People" is the best rated episode of "The Practice" season 8. It scored 7.5/10 based on 167 votes. Directed by Dennis Smith and written by David E. Kelley, it aired on 9/28/2003. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "The Chosen (1)".