The WORST episodes of Party of Five

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

Nothing could be worse than the sudden death of parents. One day Nick and Diana Salinger were killed in a terrible car crash, and left their five children all alone. Charlie, the oldest, Bailey, the middle brother, Julia, Claudia, and little baby Owen, who was only 6 months old when his parents died. Together, they go through all sorts of problems.

Last Updated: 2/9/2026Network: FOXStatus: Ended
Strange Bedfellows
star
6.67
18 votes

#1 - Strange Bedfellows

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/24/1996

Claudia is caught smoking, and her teacher advises Charlie to make a deal with her. The deal is that Claudia won't smoke is Charlie doesn't get involved with her teacher, which he does. Claudia walks on them making out and she starts to smoke. Charlie dumps her, but when she gets back by giving hard tests to Claudia's class, Jody asks her to get them back together. Will has a new girlfriend who is really annoying, and he breaks up with her because Bailey doesn't like her. He regrets and Bailey apologizes in chemistry class. They get back together and Bailey tries to like her for Will. Justin's parents are trying to make them stop having sex, worrying that Julia might get pregnant. Justin's mother is pregnant and Justin worries about his father's affair, so he goes talk to him, and he says that's over.

Directors: Steve Robman
Summer Fun, Summer Not
star
6.79
19 votes

#2 - Summer Fun, Summer Not

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/21/1996

Bailey and Will plan a trip to Mexico, and the girls want to go too. The car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and later the car is stolen. Bailey and Will end up having a fight but they realize that 10 years of friendship is not worth a fight. Kristen's mom is spending a few days with them because her marriage is falling apart. She tells Kristen that Gene discovered about an old affair of hers, and Kristen won't forgive her until she forgives Charlie. Julia runs into Griffin, who got back without telling her. He never answered her letters and she gets mad. He tells her that he's in love with her. Claudia returns from summer camp in love with a boy who everybody thinks it's made up, but he comes to visit Claudia and she gets mad at everybody for not believing in her.

Directors: Steve Robman
Watch Now:Apple TV
Personal Demons
star
6.82
17 votes

#3 - Personal Demons

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/30/1996

Charlie is angry because Kristen is gone. Grace comes into the restaurant looking for support in her homeless program. She wants the leftovers from Salinger's, but Charlie kicks her out of the place. An old friend of Nick comes looking for a job, and Charlie gives him one because his father used to. Claudia believe that everything bad happening is the house's fault, so she gets an exorcist. Someone opens an account in the name of Nick Salinger, and they think it was the exorcist but actually it was Earl. Bailey tells Callie that the last time he had sex was 2 years ago. She seduces him and they sleep together. Sarah is throwing a Halloween party and Bailey goes so he won't feel so bad for cheating on her. Julia is upset because Justin is dating a new girl and tries to ruin everything, but regrets and get them back together. Bailey has a fight with Sarah and goes to Callie for comfort, but she is with another guy, so Bailey decides to look for comfort in a beer.

Directors: Michael Engler
Adjustment
star
6.83
12 votes

#4 - Adjustment

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/3/1997

Sarah convinces Julia that she needs to find a real job for herself. Charlie won't accept the help that his family is offering him. Bailey misunderstands Charlie's frustrations towards Annie. Claudia is furious to find out that Julia and Griffin fired Reed to get out of their financial problems.

Watch Now:Apple TV
What If ...
star
6.85
13 votes

#5 - What If ...

Season 6 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/22/2000

In this special episode, we, the viewers, get to take a look at what the Salingers' lives would have been like if their parents hadn't died. Claudia is a touring violinist, Bailey and Charlie become unsettled with their father and Julia is engaged to Justin until she meets a mechanic named Griffin, which sparks second thoughts.

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Altered States
star
6.85
20 votes

#6 - Altered States

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/28/1996

Julia doesn't want to go to school, and when she does she feels awful and guilty. She lies to Justin and Charlie and runs away to New Orleans to meet Griffin. She feels safe around him. They spend time together, talking about what happened to her, and he tells her to go back home. Bailey is jealous about Sarah for wearing tight clothes in her shows and for hanging out too much with her band. They fight because she thinks he's controlling her too much. Kathleen wants to be more in Charlie's life. She invites the whole family to go to Hawaii and Charlie gets mad at her because he wants to keep it casual. He tells her that he doesn't love her and she attempts suicide.

Directors: Michael Engler
Fight or Flight
star
6.86
14 votes

#7 - Fight or Flight

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/1997

Charlie and Nina's relationship gets slowed down when they realize they have different looks at the world. Bailey and Annie start bonding and talking about their addictions. Griffin realizes that something in wrong with Julia.

Close to You
star
6.87
15 votes

#8 - Close to You

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/20/1996

Bailey saves Callie from being raped. She is scared of going out of the house and Sarah tries to be her friend and wonders why she doesn't have many female friends. Charlie is helping Grace. He worries about her safety because she lives in a dangerous neighborhood. She tries to kiss him, but he tells her that he has someone - Kristen. After Sam gets fired for not covering the roof, Julia rehires him from her own money. He discovers her lie and she kisses him. Claudia is offered a column in the school paper about heart stuff and she soon realizes that something's up with Bailey. Callie tells him that she wants someone like him.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Gimme Shelter
star
6.87
15 votes

#9 - Gimme Shelter

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/13/1996

Charlie has a slogan contest at Salinger's and the winner wants to bring homeless people to have dinner at the restaurant. Charlie has to kick them out so his clients won't leave and Grace prints in the paper what he did, giving him a hard time. They have a discussion and after Grace admits being wrong about him they come up with a solution. Sarah is worried because Bailey is drinking too much, but he says he's only celebrating. He tries to get in the hockey team but he's not in good shape, so he gets invited to the wrestling team, which is the worse in school. He doesn't support Sarah's new job and they have a fight. She says he's changed. Julia is having problems with the roofers. Alec offers her pot, and she turns it down. She talks with his brother and he fires him. They flirt. Claudia tries to get back at Charlie for not letting her go to the conservatory.

Directors: Steve Robman
Going, Going, Gone
star
6.88
17 votes

#10 - Going, Going, Gone

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/28/1996

Will is leaving for college and his new roommate comes from Seattle so they can go together. He's a freak, but Will has to be nice to him - after all they're spending a year together. Bailey feels threatened by his presence and they have a fight. Bailey finds his car and decides to live in a dorm to meet people and move on with his life. Will leaves. Kristen gets a job far away and they have to deal with the distance. She tells Charlie that if they were married things might have been different. Julia wants Griffin to find a place of his own, but he spends his money buying her a car. She gets fired after he confronts her boss and decides to leave to San Diego to get on with his life. Claudia wants her relationship with Byron to be just like Julia and Griffin's, but Byron is more interested in Julia than in her. Claudia blames Julia for stealing her boyfriend but later realizes that he's the jerk.

Directors: Michael Engler
Significant Others
star
6.90
39 votes

#11 - Significant Others

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/15/1997

Bailey is very excited with wrestling and wants to tryout for All Stars. Although Coach Petrocelli doesn't think he is able, Bailey gets obsessed to win. He wants someone to be there for him, but Callie is mad at him and wants him to move out, and everybody else is busy, but Claudia, who misses him at home. Bailey celebrates every victory with a few drinks, and every time he gets more and more drunk. Julia finds out that Sam was engaged and she joins him in his dinner with his ex-fiancée. She is getting married and he realizes he still loves her. Charlie gets an award for helping the homeless and realizes how much he likes Grace when another man asks her out.

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Writer: P.K. Simonds
Parent Trap
star
6.92
12 votes

#12 - Parent Trap

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/14/1998

Tired of hiding their relationship to Natalie, Bailey and Annie decide to tell her the truth, who does not takes it too well. Reed finally tells Claudia the hard truth to convince her that he is not her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Julia and Griffin's relationship worsenes. Prompted by an unexpecting persistent rash Charlie decides to try out a medicine.

Promises, Promises
star
6.92
38 votes

#13 - Promises, Promises

Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/19/1997

Bailey is sober for a week. Callie gets jealous because Bailey is spending much more time with Sarah than with her, so she tries to help Bailey, but she can't. She goes to Sarah and tries to find out why Sarah is helping Bailey so much. Sarah tells her that she doesn't love Bailey, because she has a new boyfriend. Callie gets drunk and Bailey moves back to the house. Julia starts skipping school in order to hang out with Griffin, and she starts to get F in history, but he tells her to go back to school, and she goes. Claudia is convinced that Grace doesn't care> about her and Owen, so she makes up a story about a reporter just to spend some time with Grace. But she is more concerned about the reporter.

Directors: Lou Antonio
Watch Now:Apple TV
Fools Rush In
star
6.92
13 votes

#14 - Fools Rush In

Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/6/1998

Griffin wins a free trip to Los Angeles when he turns out to be the thousandth customer at the supermartket. He and Julia gets closer and ther relationship seems to filled with love again. Meanwhile, Charlie is bothered by Daphne's stripping and that makes some troubles in their relationship. The real shock comes when she admits being pregnant. Claudia is finally happy when Jamie asks her to go to his prom.

Directors: Michael Engler
Handicaps
star
6.93
14 votes

#15 - Handicaps

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/1/1997

Griffin holds back the truth about his financial problems to Julia. Bailey and Sarah decide to move in together, believing they will resolve their problems that way. All Charlie's dates turn out to be a disaster.

Directors: Lou Antonio
I Declare
star
6.97
39 votes

#16 - I Declare

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/22/1997

Bailey is not doing so well in school. Callie throws a big party at their place and the landlord threats to kick them out. He is trying to stay sober, but it's hard. Unable to keep up with school, he decides to quit. Charlie doesn't want to rush things with Grace, but the more they try to slow it down, the more they want to be together, so they sleep together. Julia is accepted in Stansford, but is not sure she wants to go. She wants a time off studies, and to find herself. Charlie thinks it's all Sam's fault. Ross is dating one of Claudia's teachers, and she outs him to the entire school. She tries to fix it, but Ross tells her it's not that easy.

Directors: Michael Engler
The Declaration of Co-Dependence
star
7.00
12 votes

#17 - The Declaration of Co-Dependence

Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/1/2000

Joe tells Bailey that he's been stealing money from the restaurant to pay for his divorce. Bailey covers for him taking money from his account to pay the others, but when Joe tells them, they want to solve the situation. Bailey meets a girl at na AA party, and she asks him to be her sponsor, and he says no because he's been having a beer for the last two weeks. Gus offers Charlie the factory. He talks to Kristen and decides to take it. Joe pressures Bailey to tell the others about his beer. Julia tells Adam she just wants to be friends with him and also says that but later he tells her how he really feels about her and kisses her. Daphne tells Charlie that she's moving to Texas and taking Diana with her.

Directors: Danny Leiner
Writer: Mimi Schmir
All's Fair
star
7.00
35 votes

#18 - All's Fair

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/10/1994

Charlie's ex-girlfriend, Rebecca, visits and turns to him for comfort, due to a failing marriage. They end up sleeping together and now Charlie begins lying to Kirsten and Rebecca. Bailey finds out that Kate's boyfriend, Tom, is too nice and feels bad trying to win Kate over. He eventually succeeds. Julia tries to pass for 18 to get a job waitressing in a club. Claudia pretends to be younger so she can enter a violin competition.

Directors: Peter O'Fallon
Fathers and Sons
star
7.00
33 votes

#19 - Fathers and Sons

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/17/1994

At work, Julia runs into P.K. and he later shows up on her doorstep sporting a black eye and seeking refuge from his abusive stepfather. As the family takes in P.K., they worry that hiding P.K. could get them in trouble with social services. Joe promotes Charlie from bartender to night manager, but Charlie's not interested. Bailey tries to impress Kate's stern father.

Mixed Signals
star
7.00
16 votes

#20 - Mixed Signals

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/18/1996

Julia moves into the attic now that Bailey is living with Callie. Cooper wants to sleep with Julia, but she's not ready yet, so he threats to break up. She decides to sleep with him but backs off in the last minute, which gets him really pissed. Bailey and Cooper have a fight and he dumps Julia. Callie convinces Bailey to pose as her boyfriend. Turns out his teacher used to date Callie. She tells Bailey that TJ is a psycho and Bailey confronts him, but it was all Callie's imagination. Claudia and Jody are back together. Claudia is sleeping over every night and Jody reveals that her mother's boyfriend is harassing her. Jody is missing and Claudia tells Charlie what's going on, and he tells her mother. Kristen is taking medication, but it doesn't seem to help. Claudia is worried about Kristen and call her parents.

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Not So Fast
star
7.00
16 votes

#21 - Not So Fast

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/6/1996

Julia meets a Stansford teacher who is also a writer. They become friends and she gets inspired to write. She asks for his opinion and he tells her that she's not good. She is devastated but after she finds out that her mom only chose music after college she realizes that it's too soon to decide what to do for the rest of her life. An old colleague of Diana, Avery Baltus, introduces himself to Claudia and tries to develop in her Diana's talent with the violin. Claudia gets overexcited and Charlie tells her not to hurry, she still has her whole life ahead, but she is stubborn and decides to enter the conservatory. Bailey has the chickenpox and Sarah is taking care of him, but he doesn't want to. They have a fight, but Sarah loves him too much to stay mad at him forever.

Directors: Ken Topolosky
Writer: Karen Kremis
Christmas
star
7.00
41 votes

#22 - Christmas

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/18/1996

It's Christmas. Jake comes back. Charlie decides to get rid of all Kristen's stuff left so he can finally move on with his life. He tries to help a homeless man at the restaurant. Sarah and Callie are away for the holidays and Bailey wants to spend it all by himself, but Coach doesn't let him. Julia notices that Jake can't see very well and he tells her he's going blind. Charlie sees him leaving and Jake says he has to go for his chemotherapy appointment. Julia asks Bailey to spend Christmas in the house and he brings Coach with him since his daughter is not coming anymore. Stuart gives Claudia a very expensive gift and she tries to give him a bad gift, but he loves it. She tells him that she doesn't like him in that way, and he gets mad, but apologizes and stay over for Christmas dinner. Grace shows up and Charlie invites her to stay, and they all celebrate Christmas.

Directors: Dennie Gordon
Life's Too Short
star
7.00
41 votes

#23 - Life's Too Short

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/8/1997

Libby, Julia's old friend, killed herself. Justin and Julia feel like if they paid more attention to her she would be alive. Her death makes everybody wonder what they are doing with their lives. Sarah realizes that life's too short to spend it with a ruined relationship so she decides to break up with Bailey. Meanwhile, Charlie is having some friends over for his high school reunion. He misses the good old days, but the truth comes up and he realizes his life wasn't as good as he remembered.

Writer: Lisa Melamed
Misery Loves Company
star
7.00
41 votes

#24 - Misery Loves Company

Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/29/1997

Will surprises Bailey showing up at his place. Will thinks Bailey drinks too much, and asks Sarah what's going on, but she doesn't want to talk about Bailey. He tries to advice Bailey about his drinking, but Bailey says it's no big deal. Callie asks him to move into her room. Grace's place burned down, so she moves into the house. Charlie doesn't want Julia to turn down Stansford. Julia, angry with Charlie, moves to Sam's so she won't have to listen to him. Charlie doesn't want her there, and they have a big fight. Sam tells Julia she should go back to the house. Claudia tries to get Bailey to help, but he ignores her.

Directors: Rodman Flender
A Little Faith
star
7.00
39 votes

#25 - A Little Faith

Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/26/1997

Claudia is invited to play in L.A., and nobody can take her there, but Bailey. They go and Claudia kicks him out of the rehearsals because he is distracting her. In the hotel room, Bailey has nothing to do, and he really wants to drink. He calls Sarah, but she isn't at home, he calls Charlie, but he isn't at the restaurant. So he can't resist and drink, and forget to pick up Claudia. Joe shows up and find a drunk Bailey. He and his wife pick up Claudia, who is very disappointed at Bailey. In the way back, they pass by an AA meeting, and Claudia tells Bailey to go and he does. Grace is really sick, and she may be pregnant. But when the results arrive, and she isn't, Charlie is sad, and when they talk, Grace tells him that she doesn't want to have babies. Julia decides to travel with Griffin all the way to Nevada, but the motorcycle breaks and they have to get back to San Francisco to get it fixed. Griffin decides to buy the repair shop.

Directors: Ken Topolsky