The BEST episodes of Amen
Every episode of Amen ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Amen!
One year after the demise of The Jeffersons, Sherman Hemsley returned to television to star in another hit sitcom as Ernest Frye, the lawyer and scheming deacon of First Community Church of Philadelphia, and who intended to keep it under his thumb. Unfortunately, the new minister, Rev. Reuben Gregory, had other ideas and every week he quietly deflated the strutting deacon. Both, of course, really had the church's best interests at heart. Frye's 30-year-old romantically frustrated daughter, Themla, developed a massive crush on the new pastor. Other members of the church board included chattering sisters, Amelia and Casietta Hetebrink and Rolly, the board's wise old voice of reason.
#1 - Rolly Falls in Love
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/8/1986
Rolly has his eye on the waitress at the diner around the corner, but he is too shy to approach her. So he asks Deacon Frye to approach her on his behalf. Deacon Frye meets the waitress named Leona and finds out she doesn't even know who Rolly is. But since she's so attractive, he decides to ask her out himself. But while having a romantic get-together at her place, they are surprised by the unexpected return of her husband. Deacon Frye narrowly escapes without getting caught, but when he stops by to tell Rolly what happened, Rolly makes a date with the real waitress he's had his eye on, Hannah. Oddly enough, he doesn't even know who Leona is.
#2 - The Courtship of Bess Richards
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/4/1986
After hearing a beautiful gospel singer sing at a wedding, Deacon Frye decides to woo her so she will join the church and sing in the choir. He flatters her, and wines her and dines her to compel her to come, but his plan backfires when all the attention she is receiving causes her to fall in love with Deacon Frye, and she thinks he wants to marry her. At his wits end, he decides to tell her the truth, unaware of the wrath of a scorned woman.
#3 - Maitre D'eacon
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/29/1986
A woman bequeaths the church members her eatery (a French restaurant) — providing they continue its successful operation. But the church runs into trouble meeting it's next balloon mortgage payment, which is due immediately. So, in order to save the church, they decide to sell the restaurant, but the terms of the will state that as long as it is a success, they can never sell it. What will the church do in order to meet its obligation to the bank?
#4 - Thelma's Choice
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/17/1987
The new man in Thelma's life seems like Mr. Right to everyone, especially Deacon Frye, who thinks he's the greatest. But as they head for the altar, the question becomes: Is Thelma's heart really for Larry, or is it still for Rev. Gregory?
#5 - Dueling Ministers
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/31/1987
Rev. Johnny returns to give a sermon at the church.
#6 - Sermon from the Cell
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/22/1986
Rev. Gregory is jailed for giving refugees sanctuary, and the Deacon, charged with contempt of court while trying to defend him, gets incarcerated for 1 day. While there, the Reverend realizes that it is the first Sunday he hadn't delivered the sermon in many years, and preaches a rousing sermon to the only person he has available to him, his cellmate Willie.
#7 - The Morning After
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/11/1986
Thelma intoxicates Reverend Gregory with her wine-cooked dinner, and he intoxicates her with a kiss. But the next morning, he has to break the news to her that he is not romantically interested in her, it was the alcohol that affected him. However, Thelma doesn't take the bad news very well, and gives him some charm of her own. Reuben also faces a dliemna with secretarial overstaffing.
#8 - The Deacon Delivers
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/1/1986
A wayward teen wants to be reinstated in the church choir after being away from it for a while. Pastor Gregory is anxious to reinstate her, until he finds out she is pregnant, and not married. Fearing that her example might be a bad one for other teens in the church, he asks her to leave the choir. But things come to a head when she goes into labor during a baby shower at Deacon Frye's house, and the deacon is the only one left to deliver the baby. Meanwhile, the gang is trying to learn to speak Italian.
#9 - Into the Night
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/21/1987
A date with Frye lands Reuben's aunt in jail.
#10 - Retreat, Heck!
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/15/1986
The church's planned retreat is not at all interesting to Deacon Frye, until he learns that a former client, whom he caused to spend 5 years in jail, is getting out, and blames him for his jail time. So now, Deacon Frye must join the rest of the church at the retreat so the angry former client can't find him.
#11 - Frye for the Defense
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/10/1987
A fund-raiser at the church takes an unexpected turn when the church gets sued for making someone sick with tainted macaroni salad. During the trial, Deacon Frye takes matters into his own hands to win the case for the church.
#12 - Yes Sir, That's Your Baby
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/14/1987
After attending the christening of Lynnette and Jerome's child, the Hetebrinks break down and cry because they believe they're too old to have any children of their own. But after the Reverend recommends that they consider adoption, they engage deacon Frye's legal services to adopt a baby son. And with the deacon's usual effectiveness, he arranges a super-quick adoption for a son for the Hetebrinks. But the child turns out to be an 18-year-old. Now the sisters must decide to send the child back or to dig deep and find the love in their hearts to provide a home for their new son Ricky.
#13 - Love, Deacon Style
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/17/1990
On her six-month anniversary, Thelma feels neglected because Reuben is teaching night school.
#14 - Thelma Frye, Dough Girl
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/16/1989
Thelma is home on a weekend pass for the Christmas holiday, which affords her the perfect opportunity to be the perfect hostess, the perfect cook and the perfect wife-to-be for Rev. Gregory.
#15 - Sergeant in Arms
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/6/1989
Fearing he's lost Thelma to Sgt. Burke, Rev. Gregory puts up a fight when she comes home on a weekend pass with the sergeant in tow.
#16 - Date with an Angel
Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/27/1991
At an auction, an insufferable woman wins a date with Frye.
#17 - You're in the Army Now (1)
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/25/1989
Thelma joins the Army, intending to become one lean, mean fighting machine.
#18 - Betting on the Boy
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/24/1987
Frye befriends a computer whiz who picks sports winners.
#19 - The Deacon's Donkey
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/10/1988
The animals in the congregation's live Nativity scene include a goat that sends Rev. Gregory up a tree and an ailing donkey that finds a place in the Deacon's heart.
#20 - Nothing but the Truth
Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/4/1989
Rev. Gregory's mother comes to town for a visit, and is smitten by the deacon's charms. So much so, that they get caught in a compromising situation with her taking the deacon's pants off. On the other hand, she disapproves of Thelma because of her large bone structure.
#21 - Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/7/1989
A rich widower is willing to make a substantial donation to the church, if the Deacon can match him up with a devout woman to be his bride. When the deacon invites him to a social at his house to introduce him to the eligible women in the church, he spots Thelma, and decides she is the one for him.
#22 - I Remember Mama
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/14/1989
Certain he is dying, Deacon Frye begins to reminisce about the love he had for Thelma's mother, and how she used to take care of him. He begins to tell Thelma about her late mother, about the day Thelma was brought home from the hospital, and about the day he had to tell her that her mother had died.
#23 - The Reverend Ernest Frye
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/28/1989
Thelma cares for Rev. Gregory, who's felled by the measles, and copes with the Deacon, who has appointed himself the new minister.
#24 - The Green Card
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/4/1989
The Deacon's Swedish housekeeper will be deported unless she finds an American citizen willing to marry her. When her husband-to-be drops out at the last minute, Deacon Frye volunteers to stage a marriage ceremony to fool immigration.
#25 - The Psychic (1)
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/11/1989
The Deacon and Thelma seek advice from a client whose psychic powers came from a bump on the head.