The BEST episodes of In the Heat of the Night season 7

Every episode of In the Heat of the Night season 7, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of In the Heat of the Night season 7!

Based on the critically acclaimed novel and film of the same name, this series provides a hopeful, yet honest look at life in the new South. Set in the fictional Sparta, Mississippi, the show is a blend of heartfelt drama and folksy humor, portraying both the professional and personal pursuits of Sparta P.D's officers. Series star Carroll O'Connor, in a role far removed from Archie Bunker, served as executive producer. Using the pen name Matt Harris, O'Connor was also the story editor and wrote many of the episodes.

Last Updated: 3/21/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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Conspiracy of One
star
7.33
6 votes

#1 - Conspiracy of One

Season 7 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/2/1994

Virgil accepts a position at a prominent law firm.But as a former police officer he feels conflicting emotions when he realizes that one of their clients is guilty of murder.

Directors: Joe Gannon
Writer: Joe Gannon
Watch Now:Amazon
Hard Choices
star
7.25
8 votes

#2 - Hard Choices

Season 7 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/9/1994

Eugene tries to protect a friend who was an unwilling accomplice to a robbery and in doing so endangers his probation -- and his life.

Directors: Russ Mayberry
Writer: Gina Barnett
Watch Now:Amazon
Dangerous Engagement
star
7.11
9 votes

#3 - Dangerous Engagement

Season 7 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/4/1994

Bill and Harriet's wedding plans are interrupted by a sniper who mistakes Bill for Sheriff McComb.

Directors: Vince McEveety
Watch Now:Amazon
Child's Play
star
7.00
9 votes

#4 - Child's Play

Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/16/1993

Chief Gillespie is fired by the city council and Sparta's new police chief Hampton Forbes arrives in town.Bill's last case with Sparta P.D. is a murder investigation in which a young boy has been implicated.

Directors: Harry Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Little Girl Lost
star
6.80
5 votes

#5 - Little Girl Lost

Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/1993

Tragic story of an alcoholic teen who accidentally kills a little girl while she is drinking and driving.

Directors: Larry Hagman
Watch Now:Amazon
Poor Relations
star
6.80
5 votes

#6 - Poor Relations

Season 7 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/30/1994

Comedic episode in which Parker's ne'er-do-well stepfather returns to Sparta with a new wife, a stolen painting and two inept art thieves who are determined to steal the painting back.

Directors: Reza Badiyi
Watch Now:Amazon
A Depraved Heart
star
6.71
7 votes

#7 - A Depraved Heart

Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/23/1993

The daughter of an old friend asks Bubba to arrest the man who knowingly gave her AIDS.

Directors: Harry Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Ches and the Grand Lady
star
6.60
5 votes

#8 - Ches and the Grand Lady

Season 7 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/26/1994

Lonnie must protect his Aunt Cordelia when her cherished friendship with Ches Collins angers one of his cousins.

Directors: Vince McEveety
Virgil Tibbs, Attorney at Law
star
6.57
7 votes

#9 - Virgil Tibbs, Attorney at Law

Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/4/1993

Attorney Virgil Tibbs returns to Sparta and is soon assigned his first case as a defense attorney.

Directors: Charles Mills
Hatton's Turn (1)
star
6.56
9 votes

#10 - Hatton's Turn (1)

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1993

Hampton Forbes assumes the office of Chief of Police and Bill becomes the Sheriff of Newman county.Former Spartan Wade Hatton returns to Sparta hoping to make sense of his life and rekindle his relationship with Sarah Hallisey.Bubba and Covey take the new chief on a tour of Sparta and Bill takes Wade to visit some distant cousins.Meanwhile two young criminals involve a mentally handicapped young man in a terrible crime.

Directors: Carroll O'Connor
Every Man's Family
star
6.50
6 votes

#11 - Every Man's Family

Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/10/1993

Bubba travels to Atlanta to help his nephew after the boy overdoses on drugs.He soon teams up with a street wise cop to take down the drug ring.

Directors: Harry Harris
Maybelle Returns
star
6.50
4 votes

#12 - Maybelle Returns

Season 7 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/12/1994

Maybelle's new phone sex business is a great success - until one her girls decides to moonlight as a prostitute.

Directors: Russ Mayberry
Writer: Joe Gannon
Singin' the Blues
star
6.50
6 votes

#13 - Singin' the Blues

Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/28/1993

Luann moonlights as a singer at a nightclub and finds romance with the clubs owner.Her happiness is shortlived when she realizes that the bartender is dealing drugs.

A Love Lost
star
6.50
6 votes

#14 - A Love Lost

Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/14/1993

Lana's ex- boyfriend comes to see her and brings a load of stolen rifles with him.

Directors: Larry Hagman
Writer: Joe Gannon
A Baby Called Rocket
star
6.40
5 votes

#15 - A Baby Called Rocket

Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/25/1993

A neglected baby stirs maternal feelings in Luann.

Directors: Paul Chavez
Writer: Gina Barnett
Your Own Kind
star
6.40
5 votes

#16 - Your Own Kind

Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/16/1993

Directors: Dick Martin
Incident at Brewer's Pond
star
6.33
6 votes

#17 - Incident at Brewer's Pond

Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/30/1993

A night of revelry at a local pond turns deadly.

Directors: Russ Mayberry
Writer: Terry Kay
Give Me Your Life (2)
star
6.33
3 votes

#18 - Give Me Your Life (2)

Season 7 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/11/1994

Bill and Harriet return home. The cult kidnaps the girl from her foster home. Forbes and his men arrest a man who has been supplying drugs used to keep the cult members under control.Soon a standoff develops and the officers realize that they have no intention of surrendering. Sarah is taken hostage.As they attempt to rescue the women and children Lonnie and Parker find themselves defusing a bomb and Bubba risks his life to rescue a small child from the building.

Hatton's Turn (2)
star
6.29
7 votes

#19 - Hatton's Turn (2)

Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/18/1993

Wade and Sarah try to keep young Henry from being punished for a crime he did not commit and Forbes and his officers search for the two men who are really responsible.

Directors: Carroll O'Connor
Good Cop, Bad Cop
star
6.25
4 votes

#20 - Good Cop, Bad Cop

Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/6/1994

Virgil defends Parker after he is falsely accused of police brutality by a drug dealer.The prosecution's main witness - the man's girlfriend, who was once engaged to Parker.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe
Time's Long Shadow
star
6.17
6 votes

#21 - Time's Long Shadow

Season 7 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/16/1994

Harriet tries to stop an arrogant developer from destroying an important archeological site.

Directors: Paul Chavez
The Last Round
star
6.00
3 votes

#22 - The Last Round

Season 7 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/19/1994

Forbes is delighted when his fiancee Angela comes to see him,but is disappointed when he realizes that they have very different plans for the future.

Directors: Reza Badiyi
Give Me Your Life (1)
star
6.00
3 votes

#23 - Give Me Your Life (1)

Season 7 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/11/1994

Bill and Harriet travel to New Orleans for their honeymoon.Forbes learns that a cult which has rented an old school building may be involved in child abuse and other illegal activities.While inspecting the premises Bubba and Dee rescue a frightened young girl.Bubba finds a foster home for the girl but the girl's mother tries to regain custody in court - with Sarah Hallisey as their attorney.

Directors: Russ Mayberry
The Rabbi
star
5.33
6 votes

#24 - The Rabbi

Season 7 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/9/1994

A Rabbi returns to Sparta after many years.Racists vandalize his synagogue and soon after their Torah is stolen.Forbes investigates but the Rabbi refuses to trust Bill because of his inaction while investigating a hate crime many years ago.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe