The BEST episodes of Boston Public

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

Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place. It featured a large ensemble cast and focused on the work and private lives of the various teachers, students, and administrators at the school. It aired from October 2000 to January 2004. Its slogan was "Every day is a fight. For respect. For dignity. For sanity."

Last Updated: 9/15/2024Network: FOXStatus: Ended
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8.14
7 votes

#1 - Chapter Sixty-Five

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/5/2003

Hanson, looking for a way to increase his chances in adopting his niece, makes a sudden proposal to Claire (Missy Yager). Meanwhile, Guber challenges a student (rap star GQ guest stars) who wants to use rap music to show why Shakespeare ""sucks""; and Marilyn doesn't trust a record producer (hip-hop star/actor Method Man guest stars) who's pushing to sign Aisha to a recording deal. Also of note for this episode, the band Lifehouse (""Hanging by a Moment"") will perform at Doyle's Bar.

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star
8.00
10 votes

#2 - Chapter Fifty

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/25/2002

Violence and compassion commingle in this insightful episode. In the main plot, a rebellious, Irish-American teen squares off against an offended, African-American classmate in a racially incited brawl that distresses their caring teacher and leads to a more contentious fray with principal Harper. In other storylines, Winslow teachers undergo peer evaluations where Ronnie reluctantly grades Zach, with whom she has a somewhat romantic involvement; and Marla seeks to arrange medical help for a hearing-impaired student, whose parents aren't receptive.

Directors: Jeannot Szwarc
Writer: Jason Katims
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star
8.00
9 votes

#3 - Chapter Seventy-One

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/24/2003

An investment banker, convicted of securities fraud, avoids jail time by agreeing to community service: teaching math at Winslow High. A sexy and eccentric woman smashes into Guber's car and then crashes her way into his life.

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star
8.00
8 votes

#4 - Chapter Sixty-Eight

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/26/2003

After a cheerleader is attacked, blame falls on another student's mother (Sean Young); Carmen goes head to head with a ""bad boy"" student (Milo Ventigmilia); Hansen copes with a student who says he is the son of God.

Directors: Robert Yannetti
Writer: Jason Katims
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star
8.00
9 votes

#5 - Chapter Sixty-Two

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/31/2003

Courtroom drama energizes Ronnie, who's defending two teens in a murder arraignment; high test scores by poor students prompt Guber's undercover investigation.

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star
8.00
10 votes

#6 - Chapter Sixty-Six

Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/12/2003

When a student writes a letter to Whitney Houston asking her to attend the prom with him, faculty and students are amazed that she accepts. Houston's attendance at the prom causes Aisha, who is set to perfrom, to get stage fright. Meanwhile, Harper presents a radical way to prevent the firing of teachers for budget reasons; and Danny asks Claire's father's permission to marry her.

Directors: Jonathan Pontell
Writer: Jason Katims
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star
7.91
33 votes

#7 - Chapter Fifty-Eight

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/24/2003

American Idol songbird Tamyra Gray, who lost the competition but won the hearts of TV audiences, makes her TV dramatic debut. Gray plays a shy Winslow student named Aisha, whose solo in an empty study hall overwhelms Marylin. So she persuades Aisha to audition for the upcoming school musical. The tryout's a disaster, but, thanks to Marylin's confidence-building, Aisha gets another shot. In other storylines, the battering of a gay teen prompts Guber to take a stand for tolerance; and a quickening crush on a fellow student ruffles a schoolgirl genius---who's 12.

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star
7.90
10 votes

#8 - Chapter Forty-Six

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/28/2002

Temporary synopsis from TV Guide: Harsh echoes resound from the student riot; the Danny-Marla confrontations lead to racist allegations against her; a drug deal entraps one of Guber's prized pupils.

Directors: Arlene Sanford
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star
7.89
9 votes

#9 - Chapter Seventy

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/17/2003

An enraged student slaps Marla's face in front of the class, and Marla slaps her back; Hanson discovers Allison behaves like a bully at school; Carmen asks Harper to remove Jake from her class.

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star
7.89
9 votes

#10 - Chapter Eighty

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/1/2005

A former student of Winslow High dies in Iraq while serving the U.S. Army. Principal Harper receives a letter from the deceased student which brings back old memories back to the days when he took care of him and pulled him away from a life in the gutter. Danny Hanson struggles with a student in his class who's been hacking into the school's computer base; finding out about the teachers' private lives and upcoming tests.

Directors: Michael Rapaport
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star
7.88
8 votes

#11 - Chapter Fifty-Nine

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/10/2003

Anxiety besets Winslow staffers, scrutinized by the mayor's spy; a teacher's sex scandal is grist for the mill of student TV-journalists; boyfriend-related tensions affect school-musical star Aisha.

Directors: Bethany Rooney
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star
7.86
7 votes

#12 - Chapter Sixty-Four

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/28/2003

Aisha (Gray) is shocked when her father, a one-time famous musician but now an alcoholic, makes a surprise visit to Winslow High. He is seriously ill and leaves Aisha a tattered song manuscript. She puts words to the melody, which becomes her rendition of ""Dance With My Father"" (Luther Vandross' biographical song to be released in June). Meanwhile, motherhood troubles Marcie, who's taking a parental-training course, and fears for his niece's welfare preoccupy Danny, whose sister is still using drugs.

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star
7.82
11 votes

#13 - Chapter Forty-Five

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/21/2002

A new year arrives at Winslow High and new tensions immediately arise. Brooke is caught in the middle when a group of students plan a walkout because the administration has been unable to handle crucial issues such as toxic mold in the bathrooms and overcrowded classrooms. Harper and Guber try to talk to the students, but the students see it as another weak attempt to appease them. And when the students stage the walkout, a riot quickly ensues. Meanwhile, Marla finds a newborn baby in the toilet and discovers that her student Amy had just given birth and left the baby in the bathroom. Amy insists that she wanted her baby and was coming back to get her. Marla rationalizes that Amy was in shock and was coming back immediately. To protect Amy, Marla tells the police that her baby was on the floor. This prompts Danny, who is highly suspicious, to tell Harper and Guber, who are then forced to notify the authorities that evening. Senate runs into his student, Trina, while taking a drive in R

Directors: Jonathan Pontell
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star
7.82
11 votes

#14 - Chapter Forty-Nine

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/18/2002

Senate's erratic behavior rattles Ronnie and prompts a telling showdown with Harper; pupil misconduct provokes a new teacher, whose youth belies grit.

Directors: Robert Yannetti
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star
7.75
8 votes

#15 - Chapter Sixty

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/17/2003

Emotional Marla imperils a promotion; rattled Hanson tends to a 4-year-old niece; conflicted Aisha (Tamyra Gray), recast in the school musical, confronts her jealous boyfriend.

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star
7.73
11 votes

#16 - Chapter Forty-Three

Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/13/2002

Lauren and Marilyn investigate a student who seems to be eating her own hair. Danny is discovered having sent letters home to the ""over-weight"" girls in his class after he is punched a girl who receives one of these letters. Marla goes to Steven and Scott about this issue, asking that he be fired. Meanwhile, Scott and Steven are continuing to have personality conflicts regarding leadership. Jamal Crenshaw's brother, Amaad, murders a store clerk and soon after, Jamal confides in Harry. Harry takes it to Ronnie, a past lawyer, who believes that Jamal's best bet is to turn himself in. However, when he doesn't; Harry and Ronnie do. Later on, Amaad comes to visit Harry at Winslow High and when things get out of hand, Harry calls the police. But before he can give them any details, he is stabbed by Amaad; three times.

Directors: Mike Listo
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star
7.70
10 votes

#17 - Chapter Forty-Four

Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/20/2002

Staff and students at Winslow High struggle to get on with their lives after a number of tragic events.

Directors: Jonathan Pontell
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star
7.70
10 votes

#18 - Chapter Forty-Eight

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/11/2002

A sex scandal among teens rocks Winslow and prompts a mock trial of the accused instigator, a clean-cut senior who's defended, prosecuted and judged by his peers.

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star
7.69
13 votes

#19 - Chapter Thirty-Seven

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/25/2002

Controversy swirls at Winslow over a reviled racial epithet, which becomes a heated subject of debate in a class taught by the provocative Danny Hanson, who fans the flames by alleging a double standard. ""Clearly,"" he tells his students, ""people seem OK with Chris Rock using the word...But if Garry Shandling did...you'd all be sick."" Word gets to Harper, who calls upon Hanson to cease the discussion because ""the word stirs up too much hate."" But when the teacher persists, the principal trumps him. ""Do you think you understand n----r, Danny? Do you think you really get it?""

Directors: Mike Listo
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star
7.67
9 votes

#20 - Chapter Thirty-Six

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/18/2002

Seven teenagers, including Zack, are killed in a drunk driving accident and the students and teachers, both, must face their grief. Ronnie takes it especially hard having been close with Zack. Brooke's best friend was also killed in the accident. Meanwhile, Harvey tries to convince the students that he was George Washington in a previous life.

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star
7.63
8 votes

#21 - Chapter Sixty-Seven

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/19/2003

Ronnie witnesses an attempted rape, then receives a shock when she presses for legal action on behalf of the victim (guest star Amanda Fuller); Hanson tries to prevent a student from being expelled for drugs.

Directors: Jonathan Pontell
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star
7.63
8 votes

#22 - Chapter Forty-Seven

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/4/2002

Temporary synopsis from TV Guide: Misconduct charges target Guber, who's up against a new superintendent; race issues fester between Marla and Danny; reckless student driving sparks reproach.

Directors: Mike Listo
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star
7.60
5 votes

#23 - Chapter Seventy-Four

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/5/2003

Harper decides to call the FBI when he learns that a student has been accessing a terrorist recruitment web site from the school library; Ronnie learns that one of her students has HIV.

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star
7.57
7 votes

#24 - Chapter Eighty-One

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/2/2005

Ronnie catches a male teacher hugging a female student; Hanson worries that he may be a control freak following an incident in his Drivers' Education class; several students are caught photographing themselves nude with only words written across their bodies.

Directors: Mike Listo
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star
7.56
9 votes

#25 - Chapter Forty-Two

Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/6/2002

As the prom approaches, female students outrage the faculty when they auction themselves as dates, while Harper deals with angry students who oppose his allowing a gay student to compete for the queen's crown.

Directors: Arlene Sanford
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