The BEST episodes of Knots Landing season 1
Every episode of Knots Landing season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Knots Landing season 1!
Hoping to ride the crest of its success with Dallas, CBS spun off this series featuring the black sheep of the Ewing Family, Gary Ewing. Gary was a weakened reformed alcoholic who had deserted his wife Valene Ewing, and then remarried her and moved to Southern California to escape the formidable nature of life with the Ewings in Dallas. All the equals in this series lived on the same cul-de-sac in the quiet little community of Knots Landing. In addition to being neighbors, their lives intertwined in other ways. Gary worked for Sid Fairgate, owner of Knots Landing Motors, the local classic car dealership. Sid and his wife Karen Fairgate had three teenage children: Eric Fairgate, Michael Fairgate, and Diana Fairgate. The other two couples on the cul-de-sac were young recording executive Kenny Ward and his attractive wife, Ginger, and Richard and Laura Avery.
#1 - Constant Companion
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/21/1980
Ginger is terrorized by Mrs. Handleman, her ex-boyfriend's mother. Mrs. Handleman is having a difficult time following the death of her son. It seems that Ginger has aborted a child fathered by her son eight years before and she was angry at Ginger for this.
#2 - Bottom of the Bottle (1)
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/20/1980
#3 - Civil Wives
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/14/1980
Sid's ex-wife, Susan, comes to the cul-de-sac where her motives are questioned by Sid and Karen.
#4 - Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/25/1980
Lilimae Clements, Val's mother, turns up in Knots Landing to visit her daughter. Valene confronts her over being abandoned as a child as Lilimae pursued her music career. As ghosts from the past come back to haunt the mother and daughter, they begin to put the past to rest.
#5 - Home is For Healing
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/31/1980
Lucy comes to visit Knots Landing to see her parents, Valene and Gary. Lucy hopes that she will be happier with her parents, but due to past issues and Lucy's lifestyle in Dallas, things do not go quite as planned.
#6 - Courageous Convictions
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/13/1980
When Richard lands in grave financial trouble, Laura wants to get a job to assist with the debt, but Richard won't hear of it. Richard throws a barbecue to try to borrow money from his neighbors to pay off the $20,000 he owes. When Sid finds he is missing a one hundred-dollar bill, Karen thinks it is merely coincidental. When Laura's father, who's visiting from out of town, lends them the money, Richard is relieved. After Karen worries that Diana is spending too much time with her boyfriend, the boyfriend turns out to be the thief of the hundred-dollar bill.
#7 - Let Me Count the Ways
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/10/1980
Richard is opposed to Diana's favorite teacher, David Crane, for his unorthodox teaching methods. He decides to run against him for a seat on the school board. Meanwhile Karen, who is going through mid-life uncertainty, decides to go to the school to find out more about this teacher, but ends up falling for him and even contemplates having an affair with him.
#8 - Land of the Free
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/7/1980
A motorcycle gang causes trouble for the cul-de-sac. Diana gets kidnapped by the group.
#9 - Small Surprises
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/6/1980
When Karen learns that she's pregnant, she isn't sure she wants the baby, while Sid can't understand her mixed feelings regarding the pregnancy. When medical complications develop, Karen decides she wants to have the baby, but she miscarries. Eric takes a liking to Ginger's 14-year-old sister who is visiting from Knots Landing. However, when he takes her out on a date, he finds her too sophisticated for him. Ginger tells Kenny she is ready for them to start a family.
#10 - Bottom of the Bottle (2)
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/27/1980
Gary and Richard get drunk. A drunken Gary takes an unconscious Richard home. Gary passes out and Laura offers Gary some coffee. Gary wants a drink and is very aggressive towards Laura. Laura calls Val as Gary tries to break into Laura's liquor cabinet. After Gary slaps Val in the face, she commits him to a detox ward. Kenny has an affair with Sylvie and his marriage with Ginger is strained. They make up at the Zoo as Kenny turns up in a gorilla suit. Gary escapes detox and goes to the bar for a drink. He is reminded of the doctor's trick when she made Gary choose between having a drink or Val. Gary decides to go to AA. (Way to go, Gary!)
#11 - The Lie
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/17/1980
Laura is feeling unappreciated, so she goes to a cocktail lounge in the middle of the afternoon and meets an artist. The artist buys her a drink, then invites her to his studio to do a portrait of her as a ruse to rape her. She hides the truth from Richard by saying a serial rapist that is on the loose in Knots Landing just had raped her at home before Richard got home. Val knows that this is not the case, and as she goes down to the police station to identify her attacker; the police end up arresting the wrong man.
#12 - Pilot
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/27/1979
Gary and Val move to their new home in Knots Landing that Miss Ellie Bought for them, and then get acquainted with their new neighbors. Sid's 18-year-old rebellious daughter, Annie from a previous marraige, is visiting the Fairgates and is causing havoc among the family. Val attempts to fix Annie's relationship with her father.
#13 - Community Spirit
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/3/1980
J.R. Ewing is in town planning an offshore drilling project on the beach, which everyone is opposed to, except for Richard who asks Laura to get together with Chip Todson, J.R.'s PR man. He asks her to do this so he can get the account. J.R. has an afternoon rendezvous with Karen (big mistake!). Gary goes to J.R.'s office to steal an important file he can use against his brother. Along with the rest of the community, Gary protests by picketing on the beach.