The BEST episodes of Baywatch

Every episode of Baywatch ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Baywatch!

This long-running series follows the adventures of a team of lifeguards on the crowded beaches of Los Angeles County. Veteran lifeguard Mitch Buchannon watches over the younger lifeguards that come and go with each passing season as they keep the beaches safe for vacationers. Frequently he must take action to save them from the raging seas and from the raging tempers that sometimes flare up between the young guards in this stressful job.

Last Updated: 9/29/2023Network: SyndicationStatus: Ended
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Breath of Life
star
9.09
11 votes

#1 - Breath of Life

Season 10 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/21/2000

Jason, at the request of a young woman, goes to visit her father and reluctantly learns a craft from him. Sean's feelings about Jenna change abruptly when he finds out her plans for the future and how they will impact him directly.

Directors: Rick Jacobson
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Black Widow
star
8.88
8 votes

#2 - Black Widow

Season 11 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/11/2000

At the same time, Sean is stuck in traffic in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. He sees something that makes him catch his breath: a woman that resembles his ex-wife, Maggie. Just as they see each other, his Nextel starts chirping. Crazy Bob has found the body of the husband and dragged it to shore. Sean immediately rushes to the scene. Leigh tries her best to perform artificial respiration, but it's too late. The man is dead. Strangely, his windpipe has been crushed. Leigh runs off to find Sasha, and catches her in the midst of a torrid embrace with Sergio, a ""friend of the family."" Leigh is immediately suspicious of what she has just seen, but Sean reminds her that they are lifeguards, not policemen, and to leave the detective work to the pros. Arriving at the scene of the crime is Maggie. She tries to talk to Sean, but because of the investigation, he can't talk to her at that moment. Instead, they agree to meet at a bar later. Once again, Sean's work has taken precedence over h

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The Stalker
star
8.78
9 votes

#3 - The Stalker

Season 11 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/5/2001

Two young and good looking spear fishermen, Ronnie and Eric, get into trouble when Eric accidentally shoots while Ronnie is in front of him. Ronnie's hand is pinned to the coral reef. Meanwhile, Sam (the adrenaline rushing pilot from Dangerous Games) has come back into Leigh's life. He has been sending her post cards and calling her. Carrie thinks Leigh's crazy for not going for him. Suddenly, Sam shows up behind them. He wants Leigh to date him again. Their reverie is interrupted by Eric's cries for help. The trio immediately spring into action. Eric has now been caught in the fishing line and is also in trouble. Using their best efforts and ingenuity, the trio is able to save Eric and Ronnie. Ronnie is taken to the hospital. Eric is very grateful to both Carrie and Leigh, but he seems to take an especial interest in Carrie. The two of them go out on a date. Carrie really likes him, and finds herself opening up to him in a way she hasn't before. The next day, he is on her front door s

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Big Island Heat
star
8.77
13 votes

#4 - Big Island Heat

Season 10 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/13/2000

As his trust in Jenna deepens, Sean decides to take a huge risk by sharing his most dark and emotional secret with her. He can only hope that Jenna will not betray his trust. Meanwhile, Allie struggles to keep up with a challenging day of rescues.

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A Knife in the Heart
star
8.75
12 votes

#5 - A Knife in the Heart

Season 11 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/9/2000

Axel, a young teenager riding a Jet Ski, blows past J.D., Zack and Leigh. J.D. yells at Axel to take it easy. Both Zack and Leigh see that something is disturbing J.D.: he never acts this way. Meanwhile, Kekoa is having one of the most nightmarish experiences a lifeguard can have: a grandfather suffers a heart attack. Moments later, Axel wipes out on his jet ski-the jet ski careening towards a young married couple. Kekoa calls for back up, but must contend with the man having the heart attack and Greer, Axel's father, who wants her to rescue his son first. Kekoa finally has to hit him with a rescue can to get him out of her face. J.D. and Zack arrive at the scene of the accident. JD tells Zack to stay with Axel while he tends to the couple. By the time he gets back to Zack, he sees that Zack has disobeyed his orders and has tried to bring Axel in, getting pummeled by the waves and nearly killing both himself and Axel in the process. This only sets off J.D. more. For Sean, the morning h

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Bent
star
8.73
11 votes

#6 - Bent

Season 10 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/6/1999

An experimental submarine and its passengers ends up in a devastating tragedy for Allie, who finds & loses love all too quickly. She finally learns to trust Nick, a rescue swimmer working at the U.S. Coast Guard; a man she's been into for two weeks. Nick takes some huge risks when trying to save the passengers in the submarine, which unfortunately leads to him getting a severe case of the bends. He never wakes up, and Allie is devastated. Mitch arranges a lifeguard memorial service for Nick. Mitch tells her "Nick wasn't a lifeguard, but he died being one."

Directors: Robert Weaver
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Liquid Visions
star
8.70
10 votes

#7 - Liquid Visions

Season 10 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/17/2000

The amazing recovery of a man rescued after being submerged for a very long time inspires Dawn. Kekoa debates getting involved in another relationship as she thinks she dooms her chances for happiness with self doubt.

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Gold From the Deep
star
8.70
10 votes

#8 - Gold From the Deep

Season 10 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/22/1999

The news of a lost treasure's location excites most of the Baywatch lifeguards but the excitement quickly threatens to tear the team apart in the rush to find it.

Directors: Robert Weaver
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Killing Machine
star
8.67
12 votes

#9 - Killing Machine

Season 10 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/15/2000

Mitch faces off against an eco-terrorist, and as the dust settles, Baywatchs' finest will never be the same.

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Ties That Bind
star
8.60
10 votes

#10 - Ties That Bind

Season 11 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/4/2000

The training period is coming to an end, and all of the trainees are anxious to see who will get the valued A-1 classification. During this final ""heat,"" everyone pushes themselves to the limit, including Zack and Carrie. Meanwhile, Barney Poe and his daughter Liv are on the beach. A thief sees her taking out a wad of bills and tries to steal them. Zack immediately jumps into action and chases the thief through the crowds in the water via jet ski. He collars the thief, but knows he is in trouble with Sean for acting so rashly. He wonders if it will impact his ability to get his qualifying certification. Zack and Liv are attracted to one another. As they look around the training center, Barney explains to Sean that he's been a widower for eight years. Sean, thinking of Ben, understands Barney's predicament and is sympathetic. True to his worst fears, Zack does not get his certification. Zack, of course, is completely devastated-particularly when Carrie consoles him on washing out in fro

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The Ex-Files
star
8.60
10 votes

#11 - The Ex-Files

Season 11 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/29/2001

Jenna is marching around the Training Center with Phil Price, a photographer getting publicity shots of her in action. Meanwhile, Zack is showing around Peggy, one of the trainees. They get a frantic call: a scuba tour group has lost some of its members near a reef. Seeing an opportunity for some photos in action, Jenna grabs Phil and directs Sean to bring him with them so he can get the shots. Zack will ride shotgun with Jenna. As they near the area the call came from, Sean notices that the channel marker is missing. He warns Jenna and Zack, but they are too intent on the rescue. The jet ski hits a reef and flips, tossing Jenna and Zack into the water. Zack breaks his ear drum, but suffers through the pain in order to get Jenna, who is trapped under the water. He and Sean rescue her. It turns out that there never was a group of scuba divers: it was just another in an increasing series of pranks that have been played on the lifeguards. McKenna attempts to use what happened to Zack and

Directors: David W. Hagar
Writer: Frank South
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Ben
star
8.60
10 votes

#12 - Ben

Season 11 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/27/2000

The days starts out beautifully, with Sean surfing with his good friend Mike, a seventeen year old who hopes to turn pro one day. Sean goes into shore to open the tower. When he looks out at the ocean again, Mike has disappeared. After a frantic search, Mike is found with his head lodged in a coral reef. Despite the best efforts of the team, Mike dies. His father, Peter, has known Sean for years and blames him for the death of his son. Sean blows up: he can't hang on to all the guilt and is tired of trying to orchestrate things like the Ocean Fest. He storms off. This gives Jenna a chance to take over the plans for the Ocean Fest. This is somewhat good news for Zack, who was going to be a bench warmer for most of the Fest owing to his position as a newbie. Jenna, however, keeps him an alternate. Carrie tries to warn Zack that he is not behaving very well politically, but he's too consumed with his own frustrations to hear her. Sean goes out on his canoe to be alone. He is not aware tha

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Maui Xterra
star
8.60
10 votes

#13 - Maui Xterra

Season 10 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/24/2000

Jessie accepts an offer from her sister Dawn, who claims that she wants to help Jessie regain confidence by competing in a challenging triathlon. Sean and Allie worry about Jessie's health and wonder if Dawn might have darker motives behind her offer.

Baywatch O'Hana
star
8.56
9 votes

#14 - Baywatch O'Hana

Season 10 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/1/2000

Sean and Jenna continue to develop feelings for each other, but Sean is afraid to go public with their romance. When he has a chance to lecture on lifeguard techniques, Sean welcomes the distraction. However, when Jenna ends up in grave danger, Sean's true feelings come to light in front of his team.

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The Cage
star
8.56
9 votes

#15 - The Cage

Season 11 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/20/2000

While watching over the Ironman Triathlon, J.D. and Sean must perform a rescue of two divers who have come face to face with a tiger shark. The reason the shark is so close in land is that Blake, a nefarious ""shark tour"" provider, had been dumping chum in the water. Sean, of course, is livid and becomes even more so when locals tell him not to interfere. Sean confronts Blake face to face, but Blake is not intimidated by Sean and even threatens him back. Unbeknownst to Sean, Kekoa and J.D. have continued their affair. They have, in fact, ramped it up to the next level, even though both know that what they are doing is dangerous and not in the best interests of the team. Meanwhile, Jason is having problems with tourist Al Raymond. Raymond is a good enough guy, but he wants so desperately to impress his son Noah that he keeps getting in Jason's way. To make things worse for Al, all of his attempts end in embarrassing failure. Al at first irritates Jason, but Max tells him how he misses hi

Directors: Rick Jacobson
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Father of the Groom
star
8.50
12 votes

#16 - Father of the Groom

Season 10 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/8/1999

Mitch is shocked when he finds out that Hobie is getting married to a woman he only met recently. The Baywatch lifeguards must undertake a dangerous rescue of a woman trapped in an underwater cave.

Directors: L. Lewis Stout
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Soul Survivor
star
8.50
12 votes

#17 - Soul Survivor

Season 11 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/2000

While heading back to the training center, Sean is hit by Zack McEwan, a twenty year old riding his skateboard while carrying his surfboard. Unbeknownst to Sean, Zack is going to be one of the new trainees for the team. Not wanting Sean to know that he is a prospective team member, Zack hastily makes his way out of the area. Further down the road, Zack watches as Peggy, a pretty nineteen year old, tries to control her younger brother, Casey, who wants to dive off the road. Using Sean's very words, Zack warns the youth to take it easy. Of course, Casey doesn't listen and moments later has dived off the cliff. Fortunately, daredevil jet ski champion Cliff Tyler is in the area and radios the training center for help. Sean and Leigh head out. Sean warns Cliff to stay away, but ever the hot dogger, Cliff wants to get into the action. Instead, he causes trouble as Peggy's hair gets caught in the intake of his jet ski. Sean is forced to cut the tail pipe in order to free her hair. Cliff at fi

Directors: Frank South
Writer: Frank South
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Chance of a Lifetime
star
8.49
47 votes

#18 - Chance of a Lifetime

Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/10/1997

Stephanie and Tom decide to spend their honeymoon on a two masted sailing schooner named ""Chance of a Lifetime"" with Mitch, Neely and a bunch of teenagers. They think the trip will help the teenagers face their fears and problems, while teaching them some important life lessons. The teenagers are Benjamin who is very intelligent, Megan whose parents died when she was five, Trisha who has a sense of humor, Diana who has asthma and Randy and Terry who are stepbrothers. Randy and Terry fight all the time and during one fight, they break the only radio on board. This means they don't get the warning call about a storm heading their way from Baja. When the sail collapses and the ship starts sinking, they are forced to abandon the ship. Caroline, Cody and C.J. are back at headquarters worrying about them. When they head toward the lifeboat, Stephanie notices that Trisha is missing. She goes back in and finds her on the cabin floor. When Stephanie and Trisha are on the deck, lighting strikes

Directors: Douglas Schwartz
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Talk Show
star
8.49
43 votes

#19 - Talk Show

Season 7 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/17/1997

Mitch rescues the life of a talk show host, who then invites him to appear on her show. C.J. is convinced that a stray dog found by her and Caroline posseses the reincarted soul of the late Stephanie.

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Risk to Death
star
8.46
13 votes

#20 - Risk to Death

Season 10 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/1/1999

Sean considers dismissing Jason from Baywatch unless he changes his attitude. A man and his pregnant wife need to be rescued from the ocean after falling overboard from their yacht.

Directors: Georg Fenady
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The Red Knights
star
8.44
48 votes

#21 - The Red Knights

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/24/1994

Some old lifeguards known as the Red Knights are having a reunion at Baywatch. Among the lifeguards are the legendary Bud Gates who was the first lifeguard ever to swim to Catalina and back in the nude. But after a couple of years he mysteriously disappeared from the beach. Later it's revealed that he is convinced he saw Marilyn Monroe on the beach one day. When he was about to make a move on her, he got a call that someone had seen sharks at Topanga Beach. Later when he got back, she was nowhere to be seen. When Marilyn Monroe died, he retired as a lifeguard and went back to Omaha and opened a hardware store. Meanwhile, Ben isn't to pleased about the reunion. All the other Knights are still in good shape, but Ben isn't because of his broken hip. Bud asks Mitch how Ben got injured and he tells Bud that a couple of years ago, Ben was hang-gliding and saw a surfer in trouble. Ben was the only one who could rescue him and then he jumped from 30 feet and rescued the surfer. But during the

Directors: Cliff Bole
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Last Rescue
star
8.38
8 votes

#22 - Last Rescue

Season 10 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/8/2000

When Sean learns that a young man Jamal has dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer, he decides to do whatever he can to help Jamal realize his goals. Meanwhile, Mitch has his hands full as he aids Jessie in overcoming a family crisis.

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Trapped
star
8.38
8 votes

#23 - Trapped

Season 11 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/23/2001

Sean and Leigh are in the scarab off of Maui investigating a new man-made reef that is being put in to lure additional tourists. Neither of them is happy with this new development because it has caused a shift in the rip patterns. Nick, a surfer, is also concerned and, for some reason, isn't feeling quite well. His brother Joe is surfing and tombstones. Sean and Leigh quickly jump into action and bring Joe to the beach. He is unconscious and Nick is nearly hysterical. Sean and Leigh try to get him to wait for the ambulance, but he's too caught up in trying to save his brother. The ambulance arrives and Nick hops in to go to the hospital. In the hospital, Joe is fine but Nick turns out to have pneumonia. Sean and Leigh begin to suspect that there is something wrong with the materials that are being used to create the new reef. To complicate matters, Sam Parks has come back. Sean definitely does not trust Sam, and Leigh is loathe to tell him the truth about Sam's status as a Navy Intell

Directors: Anson Williams
Writer: Kris Dobkin
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The Hero
star
8.30
10 votes

#24 - The Hero

Season 10 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/7/2000

Sean finds himself having to deal with romantic overtures from unexpected sources. Jason gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with a woman visiting Hawaii.

Directors: Rick Jacobson
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My Father the Hero
star
8.30
10 votes

#25 - My Father the Hero

Season 11 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/26/2001

Sean and Jenna are on their way back from the other side of the island, where they have met some mucky mucks who might be helpful to her reelection campaign when suddenly, they hear shouting from out in the water. They meet Lyle Garrett, a young, good looking man whose friend has been injured in a surfing accident. Sean dives into the water and, even though it will ruin her dress, Jenna does as well. After the friend is taken to the hospital, Jenna has a chance to talk with Lyle. He's an investment banker who handles some very wealthy clients. Jenna's eyes immediately light up: not only does she need to learn to invest her own money better, but a contact with wealthy friends could be very helpful indeed. She feels that Lyle could benefit from her coterie of political contacts as well. Sean, though, is not quite so easily impressed by him: there's something about his behavior that bothers Sean. Jenna poo poos him, especially when Lyle, ""as a favor,"" is able to turn her $5,000 into $10,0

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