The BEST episodes of Designing Women season 2

Every episode of Designing Women season 2, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Designing Women season 2!

Julia Sugarbaker, Mary Jo Shively, Charlene Frazier-Stillfield and Suzanne Sugarbaker are associates at their design firm, Sugarbaker and Associates. Julia is the owner and is very outspoken and strong-willed. Mary Jo is a divorced single-parent whom is just as strong-willed as Julia, but isn't as self-confident. Charlene is the naive and trusting farm girl from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Suzanne is the self-centered ex-beauty queen whom has a number of wealthy ex-husbands.

Last Updated: 9/22/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Howard the Date
star
9.50
40 votes

#1 - Howard the Date

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/14/1987

It's the mercy date from Hell when the female Sugarbakers staff accompany dateless Howard the nerd to his high-school reunion. Their sympathy quickly wears off when he begins to boast about handling his "four women."

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
Heart Attacks
star
9.36
42 votes

#2 - Heart Attacks

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/9/1987

Reese's fitness demonstration - arm wrestling an old buddy and sometime-rival -- causes a heart attack, and subsequent different treatment from Julia.

Directors: Matthew Diamond
Watch Now:Amazon
Stranded
star
9.30
47 votes

#3 - Stranded

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/7/1987

While Charlene, Julia and Mary Jo get the flu on a trip to St. Louis, a snowstorm forces Suzanne and Anthony to share a motel room in Tennessee.

Directors: David Trainer
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dash Goff, the Writer
star
9.28
43 votes

#4 - Dash Goff, the Writer

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/26/1987

Suzanne's visiting ex, a novelist who loves flowery Southern words and women, is in a writer's slump and contemplating suicide.

Directors: David Trainer
Watch Now:Amazon
Anthony, Jr.
star
9.17
42 votes

#5 - Anthony, Jr.

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/28/1987

Anthony goes to extremes to impress his girlfriends' wealthy parents, inventing a pedigreed family -- then an uninvited dinner guest informs him he is the father of her child.

Directors: David Trainer
Watch Now:Amazon
I'll Be Home For Christmas
star
9.14
42 votes

#6 - I'll Be Home For Christmas

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/21/1987

Charlene and Anthony scheme to outsmart Mary Jo's disbelieving son on Christmas Eve -- until their hired Santa beats them to it, by swiping the Sugarbakers' Christmas gifts.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
Ted Remarries (Ted and Tammy)
star
9.13
45 votes

#7 - Ted Remarries (Ted and Tammy)

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/21/1987

Mary Jo can't face her children being with her ex-husband's new wife, who is spoiling them.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
Half an Air Bubble Off
star
9.09
43 votes

#8 - Half an Air Bubble Off

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/19/1987

When an eccentric client harasses the women with bizarre decorating requests, they decide to matchmake him with Bernice.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
101 Ways to Decorate a Gas Station
star
9.08
48 votes

#9 - 101 Ways to Decorate a Gas Station

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/14/1987

A scruffy gas-station owner wins free interior decoration from Sugarbakers, Charlene consults a psychic about her future.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
Cruising
star
9.02
44 votes

#10 - Cruising

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/16/1987

Suzanne and Mary Jo become romantic rivals while doing a job aboard a cruise ship.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
How Great Thou Art
star
8.44
9 votes

#11 - How Great Thou Art

Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/22/1988

Scruples cause Charlene to resign from her church after she loses faith in her minister when he votes against allowing women in the ministry.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
Killing All the Right People
star
8.38
16 votes

#12 - Killing All the Right People

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/5/1987

News that a friend and fellow decorator is dying of AIDS (and wants Sugarbakers to design his funeral) gets Mary Jo fired up at a PTA debate on sex education and contraception.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
High Rollers
star
8.33
12 votes

#13 - High Rollers

Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/8/1988

After Charlene unwittingly puts a bug in Suzanne's ear by relating the success story of Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, Suzanne flits off to Atlantic City with Charlene and Anthony in hopes of winning a bundle to pay off debts by employing Anthony's gambling expertise.

Directors: Harry Thomason
Watch Now:Amazon
The Incredibly Elite Bona Fide Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club
star
8.29
14 votes

#14 - The Incredibly Elite Bona Fide Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/15/1988

Suzanne and Julia clash over a posh club's offer of membership when Suzanne discovers discrimination in the club's by laws.

Directors: Matthew Diamond
Watch Now:Amazon
There's Some Black People Coming to Dinner
star
8.23
13 votes

#15 - There's Some Black People Coming to Dinner

Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/25/1988

Mary Jo gives Claudia permission to go to a school dance with a black youth, contrary to his father's wishes.

Directors: Jack Shea
Watch Now:Amazon
Reservations for Eight
star
8.18
17 votes

#16 - Reservations for Eight

Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/28/1988

A romantic ski weekend becomes a battle of the sexes when an avalanche sidelines the Sugarbakers ladies and their boyfriends.

Directors: Hal Holbrook
Watch Now:Amazon
Oh, Brother
star
7.91
11 votes

#17 - Oh, Brother

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/18/1988

Julia and Suzanne disagree on how to handle the arrival of their half-brother, a recently discharged mental patient with aspirations to stand-up comedy.

Directors: David Trainer
Watch Now:Amazon
Second Time Around
star
7.90
10 votes

#18 - Second Time Around

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/11/1988

Charlene withdraws after being dumped by her boyfriend Bill, who is still grieving the loss of his first wife.

Directors: David Trainer
Watch Now:Amazon
Ted-Bare
star
7.85
13 votes

#19 - Ted-Bare

Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/21/1988

On the brink of marrying a young woman, Ted begins to appreciate ex-wife Mary Jo's maturity, but his sudden attentiveness strikes everyone else as suspicious.

Directors: Hal Holbrook
Watch Now:Amazon
Great Expectations
star
7.83
12 votes

#20 - Great Expectations

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/4/1988

Anthony is dismayed when an old prison cellmate arrives at Sugarbaker's with a business proposition -- he wants Anthony to become his partner.

Directors: David Trainer
Watch Now:Amazon
I'll Be Seeing You
star
7.73
11 votes

#21 - I'll Be Seeing You

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/23/1987

Charlene dreams the Sugarbakers back to WWII and the USO.

Directors: David Trainer
The Return of Ray Don
star
7.31
13 votes

#22 - The Return of Ray Don

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/1/1988

A penniless Suzanne faces stiff fines for back taxes, so after trying to charm Ray Don at the IRS, she sells off her possession and considers marriage to wealthy octogenarian Wilmont Oliver.

Directors: David Trainer