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The Best Episodes of The White Shadow

Every episode of The White Shadow ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The White Shadow!

The Best Episodes of The White Shadow

The White Shadow is an American drama television series that ran on the CBS network from November 27 1978, to March 16 1981.

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  1. 8.9/10(22 votes)

    #1 - A Day in the Life

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    S3:E15

    Goldstein, Gomez, Hayward, and Reese all return for an ""alumni"" exhibition game, amid all the troubles the four have encountered in ""real life"" since graduating. Hayward is in college and wants to go to law school, but doesn't believe he'll be given the chance because of his skin color. Goldstein, after a year in the Marines, now believes he has the confidence to ask out a girl he admired while at Carver. Gomez is struggling to make ends meet as a car mechanic with a pregnant wife. And, finally, Reese is bouncing from job to job until he finally finds his niche as a phone counselor at a suicide prevention center.

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    Director:Victor Lobl
    Writer:N/A
  2. 8.8/10(32 votes)

    #2 - Sudden Death

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    S2:E4

    after a rookie basketball player dies of an anerism coach reeves goes blaming himself for his death

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    Director:Victor Lobl
    Writer:N/A
  3. 8.6/10(41 votes)

    #3 - Spare the Rod

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    S1:E11

    Coach Reeves substitute-teaches a P.E. class, loses his temper, and hits a student, Lucius Robinson, who refuses to participate. Reeves feels guilty about the incident, learns of Lucius' troubles, and offers to help him in any way. Reeves then quickly learns that some students can't be helped when Lucius tries to rape Mrs. Buchanan.

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    Director:Victor Lobl
    Writer:N/A
  4. 8.4/10(24 votes)

    #4 - On the Line

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    S2:E1

    The second season begins with Jackson, wanting to make some extra money, gets unknowingly involved with sports bookies. Things get especially difficult when they start offering him big money to shave points at Carver's games.

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    Director:Mark Tinker
    Writer:N/A
  5. 8.4/10(27 votes)

    #5 - Reunion (2)

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    S3:E2

    Coach Reeves heals his strained relationship with his dying father, breaks things off once and for all with Paula, and returns to Carver for the new school year, where some new players have joined the team: Wardell Stone, Mitchell, Rutherford, Paddy Falahey, and Eddie Franklin

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  6. 8.3/10(46 votes)

    #6 - Wanna Bet?

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    S1:E6

    No description available

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    Director:Jackie Cooper
    Writer:N/A
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The White Shadow

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  8. 8.3/10(25 votes)

    #7 - Albert Hodges

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    S2:E2

    Coach Reeves begins teaching a class on sex education, but comes under fire when he makes joking comments that Albert Hodges, a new black student who is very racially sensitive, interprets as insulting to blacks. Hodges then tries to rally the black players on the team against Reeves.

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    Director:Bruce Paltrow
    Writer:N/A
  9. 8.3/10(30 votes)

    #8 - The Hitter

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    S2:E21

    Coach Reeves suspects that Gomez is being physically abused at home by his father, but has trouble getting him to admit it.

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    Director:Marc Norman
    Writer:N/A
  10. 8.2/10(39 votes)

    #9 - The Offer

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    S1:E3

    No description available

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    Director:Bruce Paltrow
    Writer:N/A
  11. 8.2/10(28 votes)

    #10 - Little Orphan Abner

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    S1:E14

    Goldstein's grandmother is hospitalized and his grandfather stays at the hospital with her, so Coach Reeves asks the team to check in on him at home every so often. The other guys aren't too keen on this because Goldstein really doesn't fit in with them, but they agree to check on him and, in the process, take advantage of him and his hospitality. Goldstein threatens to quit the team, and Coach Reeves gives him a lecture on standing up for himself.

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    Writer:N/A
  12. 8.2/10(27 votes)

    #11 - LeGrand Finale

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    S1:E15

    The team wants to form a singing group, but elect not to include Thorpe, who begins a dating interest with Karen LeGrand, a white girl with an unsavory reputation around school.

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    Director:Mark Tinker
    Writer:N/A
  13. 8.2/10(20 votes)

    #12 - Globetrotters

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    S2:E7

    The basketball team is on a winning streak and proceeds to showboat and run up the score on their latest opponent, prompting a tongue-lashing from Reeves. With their newfound success gone to their head, the team gets cocky with the workers at a local car wash and challenges them to a pickup game at the Carver gym. The boys are unaware that the car wash workers are really members of the Harlem Globetrotters doing a benefit and Reeves has arranged for them to show the team they're really not as good as they think.

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    Director:Bruce Paltrow
    Writer:N/A
  14. 8.2/10(29 votes)

    #13 - Needle

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    S2:E9

    No description available

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    Director:Victor Lobl
    Writer:N/A
  15. 8.2/10(30 votes)

    #14 - Delores, Of Course

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    S2:E11

    a former girlfreind a jacksons comes to los angeles saying that shes fashion model but is really a hooker

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  16. 8.2/10(29 votes)

    #15 - Artist

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    S2:E14

    a nagging art teacher thinks that thorpe should go to art school but thorpe has no interest in it what so ever

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  17. 8.2/10(25 votes)

    #16 - Cops

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    S3:E13

    An elderly woman is mugged on the street at night by two big, tall black men, and the description she gives the police matches both Coolidge and Franklin, who happen to be out on the town that night. The police apprehend the two with Thorpe looking on. Thorpe observes what appears to be police brutality, reaches into his pocket to get a pen to write the cops' car number, and is shot by one of them.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  18. 8.1/10(42 votes)

    #17 - Bonus Baby

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    S1:E4

    No description available

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  19. 8.1/10(24 votes)

    #18 - No Blood, No Foul

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    S3:E6

    Salami faces possible jail time after breaking an opposing team's player's jaw during an on court brawl.

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    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writer:N/A
  20. 8.1/10(23 votes)

    #19 - Burnout

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    S3:E14

    Carver's baseball coach, who also teaches English, begins to experience teacher burnout. He begins handing out free grades, which hurts Rutherford, who works hard in his class. Vitaglia, too, is disappointed in his attitude because he wants to try out for the baseball team.

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    Director:Mark Tinker
    Writer:N/A
  21. 8.0/10(55 votes)

    #20 - (pilot)

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    S1:E1

    Ken Reeves, a forward with the Chicago Bulls, is forced to retire after suffering a serious knee injury. His old friend and high school teammate, Jim Willis, who is principal of Carver High near L.A., drops by to offer him a job as basketball coach. Reeves is reluctant, but agrees. Among the challenges he faces with the school and the team include a female vice principal who doesn't like him and a player, James Hayward, who has a lot of potential, but also is fatherless and may have to drop out of school to go to work and take care of his mom and little brother.

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  22. 8.0/10(45 votes)

    #21 - Here's Mud in Your Eye

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    S1:E2

    Coach Reeves and the team discover liquor in Jackson's locker, and fear he may have a drinking problem.

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  23. 8.0/10(29 votes)

    #22 - Sliding By

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    S2:E10

    No description available

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    Director:Victor Lobl
    Writer:N/A
  24. 8.0/10(46 votes)

    #23 - The Death of Me Yet

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    S2:E22

    No description available

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    Director:Victor Lobl
    Writer:N/A
  25. 8.0/10(21 votes)

    #24 - B.M.O.C

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    S3:E9

    Coolidge starts having problems stemming from his abnormal height and size, such as normal clothes not fitting. He gets self-conscious and defensive until Coach Reeves, who has dealt with the same problems, takes him under his wing and tries to let him know he's not alone. NBA Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell guest stars.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  26. 7.9/10(21 votes)

    #25 - Cross-Town Hustle

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    S2:E3

    A rival coach from a predominantly white high school in the area tries to convince Reese to transfer.

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    Director:Mark Tinker
    Writer:N/A

Best Episodes Summary

"A Day in the Life" is the best rated episode of "The White Shadow". It scored 8.9/10 based on 22 votes. Directed by Victor Lobl and written by N/A, it aired on 3/16/1981. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Sudden Death".