The BEST episodes of Melrose Place (2009) season 1

Every episode of Melrose Place (2009) season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Melrose Place (2009) season 1!

In an elegant Spanish-style apartment building in the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, a diverse group of 20-somethings have formed a close-knit surrogate family. Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton, the original "Melrose Place") is the landlady, still beautiful at 40, and a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially handsome and rebellious David Breck (Shaun Sipos, "Shark"). Sydney started an affair with David despite her turbulent history with his estranged father, Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro, the original "Melrose Place"). Both father and son learned through experience that Sydney was not above using blackmail to control people. Another tenant, high-powered publicist Ella Simms (Katie Cassidy, "Supernatural"), once considered Sydney her mentor, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal, and Sydney threatened to evict Ella and ruin her career. Sydney also played a pivotal role in the career of Auggie Kirkpatrick (Colin Egglesfield, "All My Children"). After they met at an AA meeting, she became Auggie's sponsor and encouraged his dream to become a chef. Now a successful sous chef at the trendy restaurant Coal, Auggie has been avoiding Sydney since she began drinking again. The other tenants include Lauren Yung (Stephanie Jacobsen, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"), a medical student in desperate need of money to pay her student loans, and Jonah Miller (Michael Rady, "Swingtown"), an aspiring filmmaker who has just proposed to his live-in girlfriend Riley Richmond (Jessica Lucas, "Cloverfield"), a first-grade teacher. The newest tenant, 18-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, "7th Heaven"), has just arrived in LA with her own secret connection to Sydney. When a bloody body is found floating in the courtyard pool, David is the leading suspect. However, as the police are soon to discover, almost everyone living at Melrose Place had a reason to want the deceased out of the way.

Last Updated: 10/3/2024Network: The CWStatus: Ended
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Sepulveda
star
8.15
155 votes

#1 - Sepulveda

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/6/2010

David’s new role as a restaurant owner is put to the test after he loses some of his wait staff on the day an important food critic has come to review Coal. In an effort to get David to forgive her, Lauren pitches in as a waitress and hostess and helps him out of his jam. Ella wants to hack into the WPK files to erase the fake evidence against her for embezzlement, but Jonah strongly disagrees with her tactics, so she looks to David for help. With Drew’s help, Riley throws a fundraiser for her education foundation but when Drew tries to increase the donations by auctioning off a date with Riley, things go awry after Drew and Jonah get into a bidding war.

Directors: Norman Buckley
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Wilshire
star
7.98
186 votes

#2 - Wilshire

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/13/2010

Amanda fires Ella from WPK. However, not one to go out without a fight, Ella searches for anything to blackmail Amanda. Unfortunately for one of the ladies, the end result is worse than she could have ever imagined. Meanwhile, after attending a NYU reunion, Jonah asks Riley to reconcile and Lauren and David get back together but a jealous Morgan retaliates and puts Lauren’s life in jeopardy. Drew tries to stop Michael from performing a dangerous surgery, but Michael sets Drew up to get caught with drugs, causing Drew to be thrown out of ULA. Finally, Sydney makes a surprise appearance.

Directors: Greg Beeman
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Oriole
star
7.96
184 votes

#3 - Oriole

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/9/2010

Violet asks Auggie to leave town with her. Amanda puts Ella in charge of a lavish party at her house to celebrate the arrival of her billionaire boyfriend Ben. However, after Amanda spies Ella and Ben together in a compromising position, she lashes out. Meanwhile, Riley asks Jonah if they can start over.

Directors: Greg Beeman
Writer: Alex McNally
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Santa Fe
star
7.94
180 votes

#4 - Santa Fe

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/30/2010

Ella discovers someone is embezzling from WPK and framing her for it, she investigates and starts with Jo, who concludes Amanda is up to her old tricks again. Jonah decides to throw a party in the courtyard to celebrate his newfound success. Jane confronts Amanda for not firing Ella and runs into Michael. Lauren is shocked after Michael tells her he'll reveal her secret if she doesn't sleep with him, she makes a harsh decision. Riley and Drew share a sweet date.

Directors: Greg Beeman
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Mulholland
star
7.92
152 votes

#5 - Mulholland

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/23/2010

Ella is a little overwhelmed by Jonah's constant attention and decides couplehood might not be for her. Lauren succumbs to Dr. Mancini's threats and David decides to buy Coal, but the price turns out to be a little higher than he thought. Meanwhile, Drew moonlights in a band and Amanda catches Ben and Riley in a compromising position.

Directors: J. Miller Tobin
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San Vicente
star
7.62
98 votes

#6 - San Vicente

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/8/2009

Jonah and Riley decide to head to Las Vegas to elope but the day doesn’t quite go as planned. Ella arranges a pitch meeting for Jonah with an important producer who is interested in buying his film. Meanwhile, Lauren calls David after she gets in trouble with one of her male clients and Auggie confesses his true feelings for Riley. Also, Michael gives David information about Sydney’ killer and Amanda bonds with Violet over Sydney, but of course Amanda has an ulterior motive in getting to know Violet.

Directors: Bethany Rooney
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Grand
star
7.44
125 votes

#7 - Grand

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/22/2009

Jonah becomes enraged when he finds out Riley hasn't told her family that they are engaged. After they fight, Riley turns to Auggie for comfort. Caleb exchanges words with Ella after her director for the music video quits, leading Ella to have Jonah fill in at the last minute. However, the lead singer may be more than Jonah can handle, which puts Ella's job in jeopardy once more. Meanwhile, David accuses Michael of Sydney's murder; Lauren applies to work on Michael's team at the hospital and Violet continues to make her move on Auggie.

Directors: Allan Arkush
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Stoner Canyon
star
7.28
210 votes

#8 - Stoner Canyon

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/16/2010

Sexy Drew Pragin moves into Auggie’s old apartment and immediately clashes with Lauren. She becomes even more upset when he shows up at the hospital as the newest resident. Riley asks Ben for a job, which infuriates Amanda, and David receives life-changing news from an unexpected source. Meanwhile, Ella makes an unrealistic demand of Jonah that backfires.

Directors: Seith Mann
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Cahuenga
star
7.22
127 votes

#9 - Cahuenga

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/17/2009

The Bitch is back! Heather Locklear returns as Amanda Woodward. Ella and Caleb are stunned when agency owner Amanda Woodward walks into WPK and immediately fires half the staff, including Caleb.

Directors: Michael Fields
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June
star
7.22
126 votes

#10 - June

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/1/2009

Amanda moves into Sydney's penthouse while her Bel Air mansion is being built and takes an interest in David. Meanwhile, David and Lauren’s relationship continues to grow, and Ella uses her charms to get Jonah a new job. Also, Amanda and Michael reunite.

Directors: David Paymer
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Shoreline
star
7.21
96 votes

#11 - Shoreline

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/13/2009

A famous fashion designer gives Riley an offer; Lauren panics after running into David after taking a job on a yacht; and Violet tries to set up a meeting with Michael.

Directors: Roxann Dawson
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Vine
star
7.20
125 votes

#12 - Vine

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/29/2009

Jane Mancini, Sydney's sister, arrives in Melrose Place to announce that she's inherited the building from Sydney. She later threatens Ella with incriminating e-mails she sent to Sydney unless she dresses a client for a movie premiere in one of Jane's designs. Desperate, Ella asks David for help. Detective Rodriguez asks Violet about her connection to Sydney, but Violet flees her apartment through her window. Lauren meets a John at a hotel bar when Toby stands her up, leading her to make the decision to take her side job to a new level. However, Wendi, a local madam, threatens Lauren to stay away from the hotel.

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Canon
star
6.98
95 votes

#13 - Canon

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/6/2009

As a result of Jane’s tip, the police bring Ella in for questioning about Sydney’s murder. Lauren is torn between going on a shopping date with Riley for her wedding and impressing her new boss Wendi who just set her up on a “date.” A stunned Jonah is accused of stealing a diamond necklace from a mansion he videotaped for a realtor, but becomes even more upset after Ella mentions a similar necklace that she saw in David’s apartment. Violet sabotages another employee so she can get closer to Auggie.

Directors: Norman Buckley
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Nightingale
star
6.77
154 votes

#14 - Nightingale

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/15/2009

In the wake of the murder, the Melrose Place tenants try to go back to a normal routine. Ella learns from her boss that her job may be in danger due to a recent merger. In need of tuition money, Lauren agrees to go out on another date in exchange for money.

Directors: Greg Beeman
Writer: Liz Tigelaar
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Tenants (Pilot)
star
6.72
194 votes

#15 - Tenants (Pilot)

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/8/2009

In the updated version of the popular 1990s series, landlady Sydney Andrews has made herself into the a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially David Breck, the son of her ex, Dr. Michael Mancini. Other tenents include publicist Ella Simms; Auggie Kirkpatrick, a sous chef; Lauren Yung, a medical student; and Jonah Miller, an aspiring filmmaker.

Directors: Davis Guggenheim
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Windsor
star
6.69
97 votes

#16 - Windsor

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/20/2009

Ella and Riley meet the photographer Jo Reynolds at the Anton V photo shoot. To help Riley get in touch with her emotions Jo pressures her into doing a topless shoot. Jonah and Kendra meet up for drinks.

Writer: Jon Caren
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Gower
star
6.50
124 votes

#17 - Gower

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/3/2009

Riley helps Jonah film a wedding, but the two get into a big fight in the middle of the ceremony. Putting her relationship with Jonah first, Riley breaks off her friendship with Auggie, who doesn’t take the news very well. Ella discovers Lauren’s expensive new clothing and lingerie plus a large envelope of cash and confronts her roommate about the late nights she’s been working. David fears he may be responsible for Sydney’s death.

Directors: David Barrett
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Ocean
star
6.49
66 votes

#18 - Ocean

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/10/2009

The police issue an arrest warrant for Auggie after learning his blood was on Sydney’s murder weapon.

Directors: Liz Friedlander
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