The BEST episodes of China, IL

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

Frank and Steve Smith are brothers who teach in the history department of a state university in China, Illinois. They also happen to be legends in their own minds who will often sacrifice facts, lessons and syllabi for the sake of being awesome.

Last Updated: 2/27/2024Network: Adult SwimStatus: Ended
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Rewind, Pause, Pay!
star
8.82
111 votes

#1 - Rewind, Pause, Pay!

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/2011

Ronald Reagan wants revenge on the unstable Steve in the premiere of this animated comedy chronicling the hijinks of a pair of brothers who teach at a state university.

Directors: Mike L. Mayfield
Writer: Brad Neely
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
China-Man Begins
star
8.40
25 votes

#2 - China-Man Begins

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/2013

Frank bets that he will be the focus of the "Person of the Day" news segment.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Dream Reamer
star
8.37
30 votes

#3 - The Dream Reamer

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/26/2012

Baby cakes accidentally meets his old imaginary friend one day, and must travel into his own mind to defeat the beast before said friend destroys his real body.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Magical Pet
star
8.35
17 votes

#4 - Magical Pet

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/14/2015

The season ends with an hour-long musical. Baby Cakes wants a magical pet; Frank learns why women find him unattractive; Pony and Steve try to prove they are good people.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dean's List
star
8.20
30 votes

#5 - Dean's List

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/4/2012

Different departments on campus are selected for The Dean's List, an annual scavenger hunt that is much more dangerous than it sounds.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Total Validation
star
8.20
20 votes

#6 - Total Validation

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/2013

Total Validation, China, IL's newest counselling service, will determine who is right or wrong in any relationship.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Perfect Lecture
star
8.04
27 votes

#7 - The Perfect Lecture

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/2013

Frank wants to give a perfect lecture on the first day of school.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Is College Worth It?
star
8.00
27 votes

#8 - Is College Worth It?

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/2013

Pony must take drastic measures to afford a recently raised tuition.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Diamond Castle
star
8.00
22 votes

#9 - Diamond Castle

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/2013

Frank discovers that Thomas Jefferson's mythical Diamond Castle is real.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Life Coaches
star
7.95
19 votes

#10 - Life Coaches

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/31/2015

Steve, Frank, Baby Cakes and Pony all become life coaches for each other.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Secret Society
star
7.81
32 votes

#11 - Secret Society

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/30/2011

Steve realizes life after tenure isn't as exciting as he suspected, and Pony finds out that the Dean has a secret that he'd do anything to keep hidden.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dean vs. Mayor
star
7.80
45 votes

#12 - Dean vs. Mayor

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/9/2011

The Mayor is tired of the riots sparked by UCI, and challenges The Dean to an arm wrestling contest for control of the school.

Directors: Mike L. Mayfield
Writer: Brad Neely
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Displays of Manhood
star
7.80
20 votes

#13 - Displays of Manhood

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/17/2015

In order to prove his masculinity, Frank challenges a boxing legend to a fight; Baby Cakes and Pony compete in a game of Dungeons & Dragons.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Kenny Winker Rules
star
7.77
22 votes

#14 - Kenny Winker Rules

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/2013

Kenny Winker is giving away a ticket to hang with him on his tour bus.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Prom Face/Off
star
7.76
25 votes

#15 - Prom Face/Off

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/6/2011

The Staff-Only Prom is thrown in a condemned building formerly used by Professor Cakes who experimented on hippies there.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Prank Week
star
7.73
22 votes

#16 - Prank Week

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/17/2013

Frank becomes a Buddhist monk after being exiled from the university for playing a forbidden prank on Steve during "Prank Week". After dreaming about Joe McCarthy's "witch hunts" during a lecture, Baby Cakes decides to capture various professors who he suspects are witches, leading to rumors of a serial killer roaming China, IL.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Surfer God
star
7.70
20 votes

#17 - Surfer God

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/10/2013

God returns to Earth in the form of a surfer dude and starts rewriting his own Ten Commandments, but his appearance leads to the spread of a Beach Boys theme around campus, which Steve can't tolerate. Meanwhile, Professor Cakes uses Frank to test out his new invention, the "Haardvark."

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Do You Know Who You Look Like?
star
7.68
22 votes

#18 - Do You Know Who You Look Like?

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/6/2013

The history department hires a new professor who looks just like Steve. Pony reveals she can't speak Spanish.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Charlize
star
7.67
21 votes

#19 - Charlize

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/19/2015

Steve, Frank and Baby Cakes start a band in order to gain the attention of a beautiful celebrity.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Chinese New Year
star
7.60
25 votes

#20 - Chinese New Year

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/26/2011

The professors join together to build robotic replicas of themselves to take their place.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Wild Hogs
star
7.60
20 votes

#21 - Wild Hogs

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/24/2013

The UCI history professors place suggestion boxes in their classrooms, but one student's prank message in Frank's box convinces him to turn anorexic. Baby Cakes helps a foreign transfer student he calls "Aladdin" around campus, convinced that he's a genie. Overwhelmed by his worst fear, an infestation of wild "brown hogs" on campus, The Dean shuts himself off from the world and gives Pony carte blanche to bring the problem under control.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Crow College
star
7.60
20 votes

#22 - Crow College

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/26/2015

Since crows have the intelligence of 4-year-old humans, the dean enrolls a murder of them as new students.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Bi-Topping-Ality
star
7.60
20 votes

#23 - Bi-Topping-Ality

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/3/2015

The Mayor bans eating anchovies in town; Trump's child is the newest student at UCI.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Coming Out of the Casket
star
7.56
36 votes

#24 - Coming Out of the Casket

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/23/2011

Student registration for the History Department sinks to an all-time low after the death of Harold, one of the faculty's best professors. Steve must come up with a plan to save their jobs while Frank becomes convinced that he's getting unsolicited attention from a paranormal being.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Frankensteve
star
7.54
24 votes

#25 - Frankensteve

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/19/2012

After both Frank and Steve sustain life-threatening injuries during a wrestling match, Dr. Falgot performs surgery on them turning Frankensteve into a super brother.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV