The BEST episodes of Picket Fences season 4
Every episode of Picket Fences season 4, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Picket Fences season 4!
Before Ally and The Practice, David E. Kelley was behind this superlative series. Picket Fences followed the lives of the residents of the small town of Rome, Wisconsin, where weird things happened. Cows giving birth to human babies, a spate of people turning up dead in freezers, sex change teachers, a revolving door of mayors who never lasted very long - and one who even spontaneously combusted! Struggling to maintain order in this Twin Peaksesque environment is Sheriff Jimmy Brock. Married to the town doctor, Jill, they are attempting to bring up their three kids Kimberly, Matthew and Zachary against the odds.
#1 - Dem Bones
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/5/1996
A skeleton discovered is that of a suspected Nazi murdered 50 years before and Wambaugh's son returns to prosecute the case.
#2 - This Little Piggy
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/8/1995
Animal-rights activist Kimberly is arrested for a felony. A woman's medical treatment is inhibited by her daughter's religious beliefs.
#3 - Witness for the Prosecution
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/15/1995
Rome is in a flutter when Mayor Bey announces that the Pope himself is coming to visit the town. It's a day of celebration as His Holiness arrives, but the walk down main street ends in chaos when someone in the crowd opens fire, killing a man. The resulting investigation reveals the death was suicide, according to the dead man's gay lover... until the Pope announces he saw the whole thing and that it was, in fact, murder. The court case that follows threatens to end Judge Bone and Wambaugh's tempestuous friendship for good.
#4 - Bloodlines
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/12/1996
Matthew's classmate shoots himself. A bear is loose in Rome and Kenny assumes the role of Mayor Bey's Lamaze partner.
#5 - Snow Exit
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/19/1996
In the middle of a major snow storm, Judge Bone has a heart attack while, snowed-in at the police station, Mayor Bey goes into labor with only Jimmy to deliver her baby. Meanwhile, it's bonding time with lots of alcohol for Jill, Kimberly and Lydia, as Max is reunited with an old adversary - the one and only Barney Bratwurst.
#6 - Heart of Saturday Night
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/1995
Saturday night in Rome and the residents' minds turn to leisure activities. Matthew goes cruising with his pals. Jill and Jimmy's attempt at romance leaves him in an extremely painful position. Meanwhile, Judge Bone and Wambaugh's poker gang loses a player when one of them drops dead at the table.
#7 - Down the Tubes
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/1995
Pregnant Mayor Bey shields the baby's father as Jill considers tubal ligation. Meanwhile, Littleton is haunted by memories of his brother and makes some big decisions about his future.
#8 - The Z Files
Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/9/1996
Zach's buddy sends a teacher's photo over the Internet. Max dates a chat-room acquaintance.
#9 - Bottled
Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/16/1996
Jill's emotions take control when the Brocks celebrate Zach's 13th birthday.
#10 - Liver Let Die
Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 6/26/1996
Jimmy is having a rough day. First, he receives some scary news about his health. Then, a young murder suspect, in a desperate attempt to escape, manages to grab Jimmy's gun and threatens him with it. Jimmy manages to calm him down enough to get the whole tragic story.
#11 - My Romance
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/26/1996
After being struck by a falling power line in a fluke accident, Carter meets his long dead Grandpa Bob while clinically dead for about 3 minutes. This causes him to question his relationship both with God, and his girlfriend Sue. Judge Bone meets up with an old flame from over 50 years ago, both of them now widowed, and a little flames are rekindled. Zack gets a crush on a beautiful young Asian gal that is in their home for a week for some kind of musical competition; she is a cello prodigy. However, she has eyes for Zack's older brother, Matthew, and Zack catches them kissing after dark, and is heartbroken.
#12 - Winner Takes All
Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 6/5/1996
The coach of the kids' basketball team collapses at a game and the parents group appoints Jill as interim coach. At first she is determined to play fair and give all the boys a chance, but under pressure from more gung-ho adults, she becomes as obsessed as the rest of them. Fed up with all this, Zach and the other boys on the team take out a court injunction against them. Meanwhile, Matthew becomes hooked on gambling and gets himself into serious trouble.
#13 - Forget Selma
Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 6/12/1996
Wambaugh is convinced Myriam's new beau has ulterior motives.
#14 - Dog Eat Dog
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1995
Max faces suspension for shooting a man dressed as a bratwurst. Jill suspects Kimberly is pregnant.
#15 - Dante's Inferno
Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/22/1996
With Mayor Bey off on maternity leave, Acting Mayor Max stirs up trouble in Rome with her sweeping changes and orders. Shock jock Chuck Dante makes the situation worse by homing in on her actions on his radio show. And though the situation doesn't seem that serious at first, it becomes that way when Max is gunned down.
#16 - Bye-Bye, Bey-Bey
Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/24/1996
It's the christening of Mayor Bey's baby, Michael, but the Rome residents are flabbergasted when Laurie announces that she had the baby for her brother Jerry and his lover Gordy, who plan to raise the baby in the town. The Beys' estranged mother Christine, who turned her back on her children because she was deaf and he was gay, turns up and announces she is taking them all to court to get custody of her grandson. Tension brews in Rome as the people take sides on the issue and a campaign begins to have Laurie removed as Mayor, resulting in Jerry and Gordy being attacked at the supermarket by a vicious homophobic gang. Despite attempts by the prosecution to discredit the men and prove their lifestyle is unsuitable to raise a child in, Judge Bone ultimately rules in their favour and allows them to keep baby Michael, saying he doesn't feel they pose a threat to the boy. The court case over, Mrs Bey leaves Rome again under a cloud, and Laurie is emotional as she leaves the baby in the care
#17 - To Forgive is Divine
Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 6/19/1996
When a young Amish rape victim is encouraged by her community not to testify, her rapist goes free and proceeds to rape another girl. Incensed, her parents sue the Amish community, blaming them for their daughter's rape.
#18 - Bloodbrothers
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1995
Two escaped convicts show up in Rome looking for one's half-brother, Littleton. Kenny is shot by one of the fugitives.
#19 - Reap the Whirlwind
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/1995
A tornado threatens Rome and Zach is so worried for Kimberly's safety that he sets out on his bike to warn her. Kenny's hooker is arrested in a sting operation organised by Max, who ends up commiting a felony by covering for him. Wambaugh's wife leaves him after he embarrasses her at their anniversary party.
#20 - Three Weddings and a Meltdown
Season 4 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/24/1996
Carter inadvertantly proposes to Sue after she gets her wires crossed. Nevertheless, he's a man of his word and they announce their engagement to the people of Rome. Their sudden decision to wed prompts Kenny and Max to do the same, although they later begin to experience cold feet. Digging in her friend Selma's backyard, Myriam Wambaugh discovers human remains and Selma goes on trial for murder. Persuaded to defend her by his ex-wife, Wambaugh manages to get her off and passion erupts again for Doug and Myriam, who decide to get re-married in a triple ceremony with Carter & Sue and Kenny & Max. Meanwhile, the Brocks' marriage is in serious trouble, with Jill feeling they've come to the end of the line. She moves in with Joey to do some thinking and Jimmy is left to do the same. At the wedding, the three happy couples tie the knot and the wedding fever gets to Jimmy and Jill, who make up and get back together. As the cast gather for a group photo in their wedding finery, we wave a sad
#21 - A Change of Season
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1995
Following Carter's narrow escape from a house fire, Jill fears he tried to commit suicide. Kimberly makes a career decision: she's not going to be a lawyer after all, she's going to be a doctor. Jill is both shocked and a little delighted.
#22 - Pal Joey
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/6/1995
A talk-show-host/physician tries to take over Jill's practice. An Asian man's courting ritual leads to his arrest and Kenny uses a dating-service.