The BEST episodes of Girlfriends

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

A mixed batch of black women face life's tests and triumphs together. From dating to divorce, and friends to family to relationships, Joan, Maya, Lynn and Toni support each other despite their differing backgrounds, learning about true friendship in the process.

Last Updated: 1/9/2024Network: The CWStatus: Ended
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It's Been Determined (2)
star
8.50
2 votes

#1 - It's Been Determined (2)

Season 7 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/7/2007

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And Baby Makes Four
star
8.25
8 votes

#2 - And Baby Makes Four

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/2003

William convinces Joan to host a baby shower for his sister, Linda; and her partner, Kira. Kira's water breaks during the event. William wants to take her to the hospital, but they insist on having a midwife conduct a home delivery, which ends up taking place at Joan's house. Joan constantly worries that the water from the birthing pool will seep out and ruin her floors. Lynn drives everyone crazy as she suggests possible baby names and reads off their meanings. William fears that parenthood (and being a lesbian) is all just a phase for Linda, and they get into an argument. Linda threatens to keep William away from his nephew/son, so he says that he will not sign the papers relinquishing his parental rights. William's friends try to convince him to change his mind. He eventually apologizes and admits that the reality of having to sign away his rights had just hit him. He and Joan agree to have a baby together if neither is married or has a child in ten years. They soon come t

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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Viva Las Vegas
star
8.25
12 votes

#3 - Viva Las Vegas

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/10/2003

After Brock invites Joan to join her for a weekend in Las Vegas, she is convinced that he plans to pop the question. She brags about this constantly to her friends, but isn't so sure that she is really ready for marriage. She drives Brock crazy as she constantly makes him turn back to Los Angeles and then toward Vegas again, and even after he says that he is anxious to marry her, she continues to battle cold feet. Meanwhile, William carries around a baby doll to try to prove to his sister that he can handle the responsibilities of caring for a child.

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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New York Unbound
star
8.00
4 votes

#4 - New York Unbound

Season 4 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/24/2004

Maya learns that the publisher wants to sanitize her book to make it more accessible to white readers. She convinces her editor to stand up for her vision and get the original version of the book released. She succeeds, and Maya receives $25,000. After William shows up at her house to confront her, Joan flees for New York with Toni. Toni sees Todd with his colleague, Natalie, and again assumes he is cheating on her. She makes a scene on the set as she begs him not to leave her. Joan is surprised to run into William, who has come to New York to give legal advice to Maya. Joan tries to tell William that she isn't interested in him romantically. He says that this is okay, and that things between them will soon return to normal. William runs into Monica, his evil, golddigging ex-girlfriend. Lynn visits her birth mother, Sandy, for information on her biological father. She learns that Sandy wanted to marry Lynn's father, but Sandy's parents paid the man to go away. They claim it

Directors: Salim Akil
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Hopelessly Devoted to Two
star
7.92
12 votes

#5 - Hopelessly Devoted to Two

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/13/2003

Joan finds herself in a bind when she is forced to agree to a dinner with both Ellis and Brock. She does not know how to handle the situation, although she insists that she is going to stay with Ellis. Joan winds up sharing a passionate kiss with Brock. Ellis nearly catches them in the act, and her friends witness the whole scene from the laundry room. Joan finally confesses her actions on the night of the play to Ellis. He is initially furious, but later visits her and lets her off the hook. They admit that they cared about each other, but were never really in love. Joan dashes off to give Brock a call. Meanwhile, William tries to cut a deal with Maya to get her to actually do her job, but she continues to outwit him.

Writer: Karin Gist
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On the Couch
star
7.90
10 votes

#6 - On the Couch

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/1/2004

Toni continues to see her therapist, Dr. Miller. Rather than following the doctor's advice and writing a letter to her mother detailing her grievances against her, Toni instead brings her mother to her sessions. Veretta stays with Toni and Todd and monopolizes the house. Todd tries to tolerate her rude and thoughtless behavior, but insists that she stop smoking in the house. Veretta refuses, and says that she doesn't have to listen to Todd because her daughter paid for the house. They get into a heated confrontation, and wind up ordering Toni to choose between them. Meanwhile, William worries that the fact that he and Donna have such different backgrounds (she cleans bed pans for a living and insists on travelling by bus) will impede their chances of having a future together. He vows to try his best to keep the relationship going, because he considers Donna to be special. Joan obsesses over whether to resume sessions with her own therapist after Lynn and Maya make several deris

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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Prophet and Loss
star
7.80
10 votes

#7 - Prophet and Loss

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/12/2004

A stranger stops Joan on the street and tells her, ""You made the right decision."" He claims to be a psychic, and manages to convince Joan that he is for real. She takes his words as a sign that she was right to break up with Brock. However, she soon re-considers after she runs into Brock on the street. She observes him playing with his young niece and concludes that she might be satisfied having children in her life without being a mother for a while. However, a visit to her gynecologist gives her pause when she is forced to face the fact that her child-bearing years are limited (because many older women face complications in their pregnancies). Meanwhile, a dream prompts William to confront Lynn about annulling their marriage. He accompanies the skeptical Maya when she tries to confront the psychic. After the man tells him that ""she's right in front of you,"" he mistakenly believes that he is destined to be with Lynn. The psychic later directs him toward a woman waiting for a

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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Don't You Want Me Baby?
star
7.77
13 votes

#8 - Don't You Want Me Baby?

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/24/2003

Toni is furious to discover that Todd failed to deliver a message from a remorseful Greg before the wedding. Claiming that she needs closure but actually hoping to rub her happiness in Greg's face, she insists that she needs to meet with him. Todd fears that Toni still has feelings for Greg and threatens to leave her if she sees him. Toni declares that Todd needs to trust her; she ignores his ultimatum and meets with Greg anyway. Meanwhile, Joan is devastated when William's nephew/son cries every time she holds him, as she sees it a a sign that she wouldn't be a good mother. After Jabari tells Maya and Lynn that his classmates think they are lesbians, Maya angers Lynn by saying that she wouldn't even be her type.

Writer: Tim Edwards
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A Kiss Before Lying
star
7.75
12 votes

#9 - A Kiss Before Lying

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/16/2001

Sean grows uncomfortable with Joan's relationship with Davis, as he feels that she flirts with him too much. After she confesses that they once shared a kiss, Sean upsets Joan by ordering her to stay away from Davis and 847 for good. Meanwhile, Toni angers Greg by displaying some of his paintings at the restaurant; and Darnell becomes impatient when Maya is reluctant to resume sexual relations with him after her surgery.

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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Pregnant Pause
star
7.68
19 votes

#10 - Pregnant Pause

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/2000

Joan turns to her friends for support when she fears that she might be pregnant. When a test turns out positive, she tries to cope with her fears about impending motherhood. Meanwhile, Lynn recalls memories of her ""white"" childhood after receiving a box of belongings from her mother.

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One Night Stand?
star
7.67
40 votes

#11 - One Night Stand?

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/2000

After Joan reveals that she hasn't had sex in a year, her friends push her to go for a one-night stand. Joan is reluctant because she generally doesn't sleep with anyone until she has been in a relationship for three months, but tries to make a move on Davis Hamilton, a handsome man who owns the restaurant the girls frequent. She convinces Davis to drive her home and makes a pass at him, only to learn that he is engaged. Although nothing happens between them, Joan tells Toni and Lynn that she slept with him. When the girls blab the news around town, Davis' fiancée dumps him, leaving Joan to struggle for a way to clean up the mess.

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The Fast Track & the Furious
star
7.67
9 votes

#12 - The Fast Track & the Furious

Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/12/2003

Lynn persuades Toni to accompany her to Virginia, where she seeks Sandy's help before a presentation aimed at receiving a grant for her AIDS documentary. During the visit, Lynn meets her grandmother and learns a shocking secret about Sandy's health. After discovering how much money William is now earning, Maya tries to become his assistant in the hopes of improving her salary and returning to school. However, William will only sign off on the arrangement if Joan gives her approval.

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Inherit the Lynn
star
7.67
12 votes

#13 - Inherit the Lynn

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/20/2003

Maya learns that tuition has increased substantially, and she doesn't have enough money to cover it. William tries to give her the money by pretending she has received it from the firm's continuing education plan, but she turns him down. Lynn housesits for Joan so that her DSL can be installed while she is away with Brock. Lynn claims that she is going to work on a grant proposal for another documentary, but gets nothing done. Joan refuses to let her stay at the house, and Toni and William also reject her. Maya agrees to let Lynn move in for a month if she pays rent. Lynn proceeds to lie around and do absolutely nothing. Maya pays her tuition, but learns that her credits do not transfer and she must start over again as a freshman. She is unbelievably frustrated and breaks down in tears. Lynn annoys Maya by complaining about her own plight and claiming to be depressed. William tells Lynn what Maya is experiencing and convinces her to be more sensitive, and also to take action

Directors: Katy Garretson
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If It's Broke, Fix It
star
7.64
14 votes

#14 - If It's Broke, Fix It

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/22/2003

Toni refuses to speak to Todd because she is up in arms about his debt and feels betrayed by the fact that he failed to disclose this information sooner. While at the spa with Joan, Toni's ring is apparently repossessed by a woman on behalf of Harry Winston. A furious Toni plans to divorce Todd, but seems to soften as she discusses the situation with William. However, she still tries to throw Todd out of the house. After she explains that her greatest fear is becoming poor again, Todd says that he is afraid of losing her, and points out that he accumulated his debt trying to court her. Toni learns that Todd did not buy her ring at Harry Winston; the woman simply stole it after overhearing her conversation about debt. Todd gets Toni to agree to work on the marriage, and they reach a compromise about the insurance settlement for the stolen ring. Meanwhile, Joan confides in her new assistant, Peaches. She says that Ellis is away in New Zealand working on his movie, but she has dec

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Merry Ex-mas
star
7.64
11 votes

#15 - Merry Ex-mas

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/15/2003

Maya invites Darnell's girlfriend, Lena, to her Christmas party in an effort to be civil. However, she grows jealous and gets Jalen to pose as her boyfriend. She is also furious when Lena gets Jabari a Game Cube (he wasn't supposed to get one because of his poor performance in school), and accuses the couple of not communicating with one another. Maya later catches Lena with a man at the bar, and winds up in the strange position of trying to help her with her relationship. Meanwhile, Joan gets really carried away while organizing a caroling outing for her friends.

Directors: Mary Lou Belli
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He Loves Her, He Loves Me Not
star
7.63
8 votes

#16 - He Loves Her, He Loves Me Not

Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/26/2004

Joan feels bad about the way the girls have treated William's past girlfriends and decides to go out of her way to make Donna feel welcome. She hosts a dinner to give them a chance to get to know her. Donna is unnerved by the closeness between Joan and William, particularly when they take it upon themselves to help her organize a Cinco de Mayo party for the convalescent home where she works and get really excited about it. Donna confronts William during the ride home and offers the opinion that he is in love with Joan. He insists that this is not true and tries to provide reassurance. He then angers Joan by backing out of plans to do a song and dance together at the Cinco de Mayo party. Donna observes William's reaction to Joan's ridiculous performance and again opines that he loves her. William tells her about the psychic, but Donna believes that her purpose might actually have been to force William to face his true feelings for Joan. Meanwhile, the girls are furious when they

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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Spree To Be Free
star
7.63
8 votes

#17 - Spree To Be Free

Season 8 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/2007

After still being convinced that Maya is not dealing with her loss, Joan decides to take Maya on a shopping spree to help her recover but surprisingly, Joan realizes that she is the one who needs therapy because of Aaron departure to Iraq. Meanwhile, Monica tells William that she is pregnant but his reaction is unlike she expected.

Writer: Karin Gist
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Girlfrenzy
star
7.61
36 votes

#18 - Girlfrenzy

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/25/2000

Toni and Maya get into another argument before an evening out, in part because Toni refuses to believe that Maya can get the girls into an exclusive club. Toni tries to gain admission to the club and fails. Maya shows up and easily gets herself, Joan, Lynn and William past the doorman. Joan convinces the reluctant Maya to also get Toni into the club. When the doorman waves to Toni, another woman believes the wave was meant for her, and they get into an argument. Joan tries to play peacemaker, but the situation turns into a brawl. Maya and Lynn jump into the fight, but Toni is hurt by the fact that Joan fails to back her up. She begins to question their friendship, so Joan searches for a way to patch things up.

Directors: Erma Elzy-Jones
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Fried Turkey
star
7.56
16 votes

#19 - Fried Turkey

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/20/2000

Joan finds herself alone on Thanksgiving after everyone makes other plans for the holiday. After dining at 847, she meets Davis's friend Preston Hall, a handsome and highly successful attorney. Joan invites him back to her place for a home-cooked meal before he has to leave on the red-eye, but her friends suddenly begin appearing and she can't seem to get them to leave.

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Toe Sucking
star
7.55
55 votes

#20 - Toe Sucking

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/2000

Joan Clayton, a successful attorney, prepares to celebrate her 29th birthday (although she claims to be 26 to make her achievements seem more impressive). Toni, Joan's best friend, begins dating Charles, a venture capitalist with a propensity for toe-sucking who dated Joan until he freaked out at the prospect of marriage. Toni tries to hide the truth, but their friend Lynn forces her to confess to Joan. Joan claims she has no problem with Toni bringing Charles to her birthday party; but then brings her friend and colleague, William, to try to make him jealous. Joan is furious to learn that Charles is now interested in settling down, and the evening comes to a screeching halt. Meanwhile, Toni constantly clashes with Maya, Joan's sassy assistant.

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Old Dog
star
7.53
15 votes

#21 - Old Dog

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/19/2001

Joan decides to waive her ""three-month rule"" and sleep with Sean, but finds that the results are extremely disappointing. She seeks her friends' advice on how to help Sean improve his performance. Maya, with help from Toni, seeks medical attention after she and Darnell have difficulty conceiving a second child. William keeps having the misfortune of approaching every time Maya is discussing her gynecological situation with one of her friends.

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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Comedy of Eros
star
7.50
10 votes

#22 - Comedy of Eros

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/9/2004

Toni refuses to believe Joan's claims that she isn't upset about spending Valentine's Day alone, and insists on constantly trying to cheer her up. She follows Joan to the movies and annoys everyone by talking loudly and giving away plot points. Joan gets up and moves to another seat, and runs into her old friend Davis. They go out to dinner and have a nice time together, but Joan realizes that she isn't ready to get into another relationship. Toni tells Todd that they shouldn't exchange Valentine's gifts because of their limited finances, but then reveals that she recently spent $2800 on boots. Todd is hurt when Toni then buys Joan a gift, but Toni actually realizes this and takes steps to correct her mistake. William tries desperately to make a connection with Donna, the woman at the bus stop, but she wants nothing to do with him. He makes the ill-advised move of sending Lynn to talk to her, which only ends up frightening Donna further. However, he later pleads his case and co

Directors: Mary Lou Belli
Writer: Tim Edwards
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My Mother, Myself
star
7.50
12 votes

#23 - My Mother, Myself

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

Maya is stunned to learn that her mother has decided to sell her house and move away with her boyfriend. Toni's mother surprises her by coming to town for Joan's Mother's Day brunch. William eagerly anticipates a visit from his mother, who comes bearing a cake from his aunt's award-winning recipe.

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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Willie or Won't He II: The Last Chapter?
star
7.50
12 votes

#24 - Willie or Won't He II: The Last Chapter?

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/11/2002

On the eve of their wedding, Yvonne learns that William hasn't told his mother about their relationship.

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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The Fallout
star
7.50
20 votes

#25 - The Fallout

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/10/2001

Joan forgives Toni for slapping her in Jamaica and trying to seduce Sean, much to the shock and dismay of Maya and Lynn (who has returned from Jamaica). When Joan's hair begins to fall out due to stress, she sees a therapist, who recommends that she cut Toni out of her life for good. However, this proves difficult when Toni seeks Joan's shoulder to lean on after a setback at work. Meanwhile, Darnell is upset by Maya's bixini wax, and accuses her of changing as the result of her association with the girls.

Directors: Sheldon Epps
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