The WORST episodes of Baywatch

Every episode of Baywatch ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst 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: 3/17/2024Network: SyndicationStatus: Ended
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Path of Least Resistance
star
6.00
13 votes

#1 - Path of Least Resistance

Season 10 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/13/1999

Dawn's past threatens to cause her problems in the present. A kid is caught in a storm drain and the Baywatch team races to rescue him before it is too late.

Directors: Rick Jacobson
Livin' on the Fault Line (1)
star
6.11
114 votes

#2 - Livin' on the Fault Line (1)

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/1/1994

After a minor earthquake, a geological survey team arrives at Baywatch to place an underwater seismometer in the Malibu fault. Hobie has an argument with his father about his future.

Writer: Michael Berk
Now, Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale
star
6.15
34 votes

#3 - Now, Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale

Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/24/1992

Mitch is not pleased to find his Baywatch staff glued to re-runs of Gilligan's Island at headquarters. He shuts down the TV just as Captain Thorpe arrives. Mitch sends them off on their various assignments. While Eddie is making his way toward a couple of young lovers, he slips and hits his head on the tower ramp. Things begin to go very odd at this point. When Eddie and Shauni have helped a girl on a wave runner, the scarab won't start, and Eddie and Shauni find themselves stranded on an island. There they meet Gilligan and Mary Ann. They take them back to Baywatch, where they find out that Captain Thorpe has won $ 70 000 000 on a lottery ticket. Thorpe buys a boat and names the boat the Minnow II. On that boat, they are going to sail out and try to find the rest of Gilligan and Mary Ann's crew members. But the boat ends up in the middle of a storm, and the gang is stranded again. Then a man sings a song and introduces the people: Gilligan, the skipper (Garner), the millionaire (Thorp

Directors: Douglas Schwartz
River of No Return (1)
star
6.25
71 votes

#4 - River of No Return (1)

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/14/1992

Mitch and friends travel to northern California's rugged gold country to investigate the death of Mitch's prospector uncle where they find an old treasure map leading to a valuable gold nugget along a rough river.

Directors: Douglas Schwartz
Sharks, Lies & Videotape
star
6.40
20 votes

#5 - Sharks, Lies & Videotape

Season 9 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/5/1998

Mitch and Cody witness a disaster involving a parasailer and a boat. When they are heading for the rescue, they are once again beaten by Bayguard, a new firm that specializes in privatizing lifeguards. When the rescue has been completed, Mitch is introduced to Alex Ryker. She is the CEO of Bayguard. She tells Mitch that she plans on going up against him for the county contract. Baywatch's contract with the county is about to expire. The next day, when Mitch goes to the Chief's office, he is surprised to find Alex there. It turns out that she has shown the Chief a videotape of some of Bayguard's amazing rescues. She has also shown the Chief a tape showcasing the Baywatch team slacking off. Mitch objects immediately, but the Chief thinks that Alex's proposal warrants consideration. After his meeting with the Chief, Mitch tells his lifeguards to start acting like professionals, otherwise they will not have any jobs left by the end of the week. Meanwhile, when April sees a man having a hea

Directors: Parker Stevenson
Princess of Tides
star
6.46
35 votes

#6 - Princess of Tides

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/2/1992

When Mitch and Newmie are in a boat race in Ben's scarab, C.J. comes into the race orbit and their opponents almost runs her over. Mitch and Newmie are forced to stop and see how she's doing. By that they only finish in fourth place. The winner James Lewiston is very happy and Mitch is angry and wants another race. Lewiston is engaged to a princess named Catherine and she wants a taste of the real world before she gets married. Her father doesn't want her to leave the boat because terrorists have threatened them. Therefore she elope and near the beach she is very tired and almost drowns. Mitch has to rescue her. Mitch and Catherine falls in love and she tells him she can't get in contact with her friends. Later when Hobie is looking in some newspapers, he finds out that Catherine is a princess. When Hobie and Catherine is out on roller-blades, two terrorists try to kidnap her, but Hobie helps her to get away from them. He also tells her that he knows who she really is. Then Catherine c

Directors: Parker Stevenson
Promised Land
star
6.48
21 votes

#7 - Promised Land

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/13/1995

Caroline tries to help a Chinese immigrant woman stay in America after the woman escapes from an illegal refugee boat. Garner and Matt try to stop a beautiful con artist rip off beach goers when she exposes too much.

Writer: David Braff
Point Doom
star
6.49
35 votes

#8 - Point Doom

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/26/1992

When Matt is out driving his motorcycle on the cliffs above Malibu, a woman on a motorcycle drives by him. He follows as the mystery girl with flowing blonde hair and a knockout body, races down Point Dume Road. But Matt can't catch up with her and she leaves him in the dust. Now Matt is wondering who she is and where she comes from. Then back on the beach, he sees her again. This time, she asks a guy named Hudson if he wants to race her at Point Dume Road. The winner can keep both bikes. He accepts and then he drives away from her with his gang. Later the mysterious girl goes down to the beach and Matt asks her out. They have a wonderful time together, but when Matt wakes up in the morning, she is gone. The next day, when the mysterious girl is leading the race, Hudson throws a chain around her back tire. Then she falls down into the water. Mitch and Stephanie who are out swimming, see the accident and swim to the rescue. They rescue her and then Matt finds out that her name is Jessie

Homecoming
star
6.70
20 votes

#9 - Homecoming

Season 8 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/17/1997

Neely returns to Baywatch after a long absence, recuperating from a terrible skiing accident. When she is getting her pills at a pharmacy, a robber comes in. An old man named Mr. O'Hara is standing next to Neely and he has a heart attack and Neely is forced to perform CPR. The robber freaks out and grabs the money and runs away. Mitch and Donna watch Neely on TV. It turns out that Neely has become hooked on painkillers. Donna figures it out but Neely denies everything. Meanwhile, Lani sees a group of Native American Indians constructing something on the beach. When she walks over to them, she finds out that they are building a Chumash Death Bed. The Chumash Death Bed is built for an old indian named Eyes That See At Night. When Mitch arrives, Craig Pomeroy makes a surprise visit as the old indian's lawyer. Craig and Mitch catch up on their lives and Craig tells Mitch that he and Gina have separated. Mitch wants him to come back to Baywatch again but Craig isn't sure he wants to do that

Directors: Paul Cajero
Dead Reckoning
star
6.73
11 votes

#10 - Dead Reckoning

Season 11 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/30/2001

Sean, Jason and Zack are headed to the Big Island to participate in the Showdown 2001, a 12 mile course of natural obstacles. Leigh will be taking over supervisory duties while Sean is away. J.D. is tending to Kekoa, who has come down with the flu. Fortunately, J.D. has an iron constitution, despite the fact that he didn't have his annual flu shot. Jason has always wanted to participate in the Showdown 2001, and this looks to be his big chance. However, as part of their sponsorship by Trail Tracker magazine, they need to take along a reporter who will participate. It turns out to be none other than Jessie. This is her big chance to change her career and make something of herself. Sean reminds her that the team will still be playing by all the rules, and there will be no exceptions made to help sell her story. Jessie is agreeable to these terms. She, though, has already chosen who her partner will be: Jason. He is not happy with this, since he still holds a grudge based on the way she b

Directors: Jefferson Kibbee
Diabolique
star
6.74
19 votes

#11 - Diabolique

Season 8 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/27/1998

Newmie has created a kite-flying contest for the benefit of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. His nephew Todd is diabetic. While Newmie, April, Todd and some teenagers are on the pier, a man falls into the water and Newmie and April have to rescue him. Todd is a very depressed young boy, and he wants to live a normal life like all of his friends. April befriends him and Todd tells her that her uncle Mike has told him a lot about the Baywatch gang. Manny and April participates in the kite-flying contest and finish dead last with their dolphin kite. Meanwhile, Mitch has to rescue a woman named Sara on a burning boat. She attempted to commit suicide. Mitch's mother Irene has been taken care of Ashley while Neely has been in San Diego, and Irene wants to hire Sara as Ashley's nanny. She has good references and Mitch and Irene don't know that she is insane. In the middle of the night, Sara goes to Mitch's bed and tells him he called her name, although he didn't. The next day outside headqua

Directors: Parker Stevenson
Air Buchannon
star
6.75
24 votes

#12 - Air Buchannon

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/29/1994

Mitch and Stephanie ponder rekindling their romance during a 24-hour shift at the beach.

Writer: David Braff
The Child Inside
star
6.76
21 votes

#13 - The Child Inside

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/22/1993

The episode starts with Stephanie and Barnett rescuing a diver in trouble. Baywatch hosts the Special Olympics for the first time. The Olympics is held by Mitch's old friend and elite gymnast Mary Lou Retton, who won 5 gold medals in the 1984 Olympics. She asks Mitch to take care of a troubled kid named Darnel while Stephanie to take care of a girl named Sammy. Darnel's father abandoned him when he was a little kid, and Mary Lou has managed to track him down. During a race, Darnel pushes his opponent in order to win and the coach for that team wants Darnel disqualified. But Mitch talks to Darnel and Mary Lou talks to the other boy's coach and they agree to let him stay in the Olympics if Darnel improves his sportsmanship. Meanwhile, Stephanie befriends Sammy who wants to be a gymnast. But she doesn't think that she's good enough. However Stephanie teaches her to believe in herself and during the final race Mr. Shepard shows up to watch his son compete. During the race, Sammy falls and

Directors: Douglas Schwartz
Stakeout at Surfrider Beach
star
6.77
30 votes

#14 - Stakeout at Surfrider Beach

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/15/1993

Mitch finds himself falling for an Italian actress who is being stalked by ruthless robbers. Meanwhile, CJ and Stephanie help Guido pretend to be a lifeguard in order to impress his visiting mother.

Writer: David Braff
Desperate Encounter
star
6.78
51 votes

#15 - Desperate Encounter

Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/10/1996

While vacationing in Mexico, Mitch and his new girlfriend witness an attempted murder and are then hunted by the killers. Country and Western singer Jesse Lee Harris helps Logan and the Baywatch lifeguards raise money to save a ranch that rescues endangered horses.

Directors: Douglas Schwartz
Masquerade
star
6.80
35 votes

#16 - Masquerade

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/9/1992

When the Baywatch gang has found Beverly Lowry, Gordon Lowry's wife, dead in the water, Stephanie is convinced that they are dealing with pirates, but Mitch and Garner doubt that. Then Mitch and Stephanie get a yacht from one of Stephanie's friends and acts as a newly wed rich couple named Trevor and Lilly van Tress. There is a man in the marina named Fred Adler who meets all the couples and he has the information of who is rich and who isn't. Garner and C.J. follow Mitch and Stephanie in the scarab when they sail off with their yacht Venus. Garner becomes seasick and tells C.J. to slow down. When Mitch and Stephanie are playing the role-play, thy get attracted to each other and almost makes love. But they are interrupted by Fred Adler and the pirates who have just arrived to their yacht. Meanwhile, C.J. is forced to do a rescue and transport the victim to shore. Then Garner takes another boat but boards the wrong yacht. Then Mitch is forced to go to shore and get all their money. Mean

Directors: Heather Hill
Bachelor of the Month
star
6.92
48 votes

#17 - Bachelor of the Month

Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/3/1997

Stephanie and Tom are planning a small and simple wedding. However, Caroline is convinced that a big wedding is the best thing to have. Tom tells Stephanie to tell Caroline how they feel, but Stephanie is afraid to hurt Caroline's feelings. She is still vulnerable after breaking off her engagement to Logan. In order to keep the wedding small, Stephanie and Tom decide to get married on the beach the same day. They have a small wedding on the beach and afterwards Stephanie throws her wedding bouquet, with Caroline catching it. Logan still loves Caroline, but they decide just to be friends. Meanwhile, a young editor from the Flash Magazine named Molly McCoy, approaches Mitch and tells him that he has been nominated to be the Flash Bachelor of the Month. It turns out that C.J. has nominated him. Meanwhile, a great Portuguese-Man-of-War is terrorizing the beach. When Molly doesn't get the video she wants for the Internet, she fakes a drowning. But then the Portuguese-Man-of-War comes and Mi

Directors: Reza Badiyi
Writer: David Braff
Aftershock
star
6.92
53 votes

#18 - Aftershock

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/15/1994

Hobie has returned from Ohio and Gayle has traveled with him back home. Gayle tells Mitch that their separation hasn't been good for Hobie and therefore she is willing to give their marriage another try. Hobie is very excited when he hears about the wedding-plans and the wedding will be held at the beach with Garner as Mitch's best man. Meanwhile, a fishing boat far out at sea gets an old mine in their fishing-net, and when the mine hits the boat, it explodes. When the lifeguards finds out about it, everyone leaves the wedding ceremony including Mitch. The rescue is successful but when Mitch comes back to the beach, Gayle is nowhere to be seen. He finds her on some rocks and she tells him that she has changed her mind. So the wedding is canceled making Hobie even sadder then he was before. Mitch does his best in order to comfort him. Meanwhile, when Caroline and Logan are out on a wave-runner, Logan is forced to make a rescue. Meanwhile, Caroline is waiting on the wave-runner that is k

Directors: Gus Trikonis
Writer: David Braff
The Swimmer
star
6.94
17 votes

#19 - The Swimmer

Season 9 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/16/1998

Jessie has hired medical supply salesman Ed Symes as her stunt instructor. She found him in the yellow pages. But Ed is of course a terrible stunt instructor. When Jessie throws a punch at him, he is knocked out cold. Later when he is jumping from the balcony at headquarters onto a mattress, he misses the mattress and lands beside it instead. Jessie does the same thing and lands on the mattress. After that accident, she fires Ed for his own safety. But she doesn't get rid of him just because of that. Later she and Mitch find him on the beach again. Ed wants to demonstrate other stunts to her now. First he wants her to break a candy glass bottle over the head. But the bottle is too hard and Ed is knocked out once more. Then when he tries to crash dive through candy glass, he is knocked out by the glass. Jessie tries to dive through the candy glass as well and does so perfectly. Ed tells her that she has the potential to be a great stunt woman. Meanwhile, two girls fall off the Redondo P

Forbidden Paradise (2)
star
6.96
51 votes

#20 - Forbidden Paradise (2)

Season 6 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/4/1996

Mitch and Matt are saved by Hawaiian islanders. Stephanie helps an unlucky camera man find love. Logan proposes to Caroline.

Directors: Douglas Schwartz
Beachblast
star
6.98
50 votes

#21 - Beachblast

Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/28/1996

Mitch and the Baywatch gang compete against Jenny McCarthy and MTV VJ's in a charity games to raise money for the Special Olympics.

Baywatch Down Under (2)
star
7.00
16 votes

#22 - Baywatch Down Under (2)

Season 9 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/22/1999

While team Baywatch prepares to compete against the Australian guards, Jake must choose between staying down under with his son or returning home. The competing lifeguards must put their intense rivalry aside to save a life.

Beauty and the Beast
star
7.00
50 votes

#23 - Beauty and the Beast

Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/3/1996

After swimmers are attacked by an alligator living in a storm drain, Mitch, Logan and Cody hunt for the creature. C.J., Caroline and Neely compete to become the cover model for Inside Sports magazine.

Directors: David W. Hagar
Writer: David Braff
Boys Will Be Boys
star
7.00
17 votes

#24 - Boys Will Be Boys

Season 9 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/1/1999

Craig returns to Baywatch after spending three weeks in Washington D.C. Both Mitch and April notice a change in him. He seems more depressed than usual. During a rescue, Mitch rescues the woman, while Craig is stuck with a 300-pound man. Craig is almost knocked unconscious by the man, but Mitch arrives just in time to bring them both back to safety. Mitch is concerned about Craig's health after the rescue. He tells Craig that divorces can be tough and if he needs someone to talk to, Mitch will always be there to listen. Craig just tells him that everything is fine. Mitch and April decide that he needs to talk to Craig. Therefore he plans on taking him paddle boarding. Just before they are about to go out on their boards, Craig confesses to Mitch that he has got cancer. When Mitch confronts him, he tells Mitch that he has a rare kind of cancer called Lymphoma. The doctors discovered it early and Craig might live for another ten years. When they have paddled out, they are caught in a fog

Directors: Georg Fenady
Memorial Day
star
7.00
19 votes

#25 - Memorial Day

Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1997

The episode starts with two men throwing a body into the ocean. The next morning, Mitch goes out on a dive search with the two rookies, April and Skylar. A fishing boat had reported that they had seen two men dumping something into the water last night. It doesn't take long for Mitch, April and Skylar to locate the corpse. April drops her can of air while trying to scream, and Mitch helps her up to the surface. Later, April tells Skylar that when she saw the dead man, she remembered when she was a little child and she saw a dead man under the ice while she was ice-skating. April and Skylar are surprised to find out from the coroner's office that the man was probably already dead when he was dropped into the ocean. Later April has a nightmare about the incident and is convinced that he is calling out to her. In the dream, she sees his silver necklace in the water. She recalls that she saw it during the rescue as well. Therefore, she and Skylar dives down with a metal detector and manage