The WORST episodes of Private Practice

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

Seattle fades into grey as renowned surgeon Dr. Addison Montgomery aims to reinvent herself. The promise of a simpler golden state of mind has her working alongside medical school friends at California's Oceanside Wellness Center. But is the new life prescription her cure? Join Addison newly-divorced-but-professionally-bound Naomi and Sam Bennet the kissable Pete Wilder and Violet Turner -- a psychiatrist with her own issues -- as affairs of the heart bring on symptoms of love lust and high drama in a journey worth taking.

Last Updated: 2/26/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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'Til Death Do Us Part
star
6.95
902 votes

#1 - 'Til Death Do Us Part

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/18/2010

It's Maya's wedding day and while Violet helps Sam prepare, a furious Naomi still refuses to take part as she works with Addison and Pete to save a premature baby. Meanwhile, Cooper becomes suspicious of Charlotte's new boyfriend and thinks that he may be abusing drugs.

Directors: Kenny Leon
Writer: Craig Turk
Watch Now:Apple TV
Shotgun
star
6.98
878 votes

#2 - Shotgun

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/4/2010

Addison and Cooper are counseling a couple who must pick a child to save with their newborn's cord blood. Meanwhile Dink wants to marry Maya.

Directors: Karen Gaviola
Watch Now:Apple TV
Do the Right Thing
star
6.99
479 votes

#3 - Do the Right Thing

Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/26/2009

Cooper struggles with the mother of a patient after learning she allows the 12-year old to be sexually active. Violet is jealous after Pete begins dating a patient's mom. Meanwhile, Sam is scheduled to testify at a colleagues trial for malpractice; and Addison continues to fight her romantic feelings for Noah.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Love Bites
star
7.03
875 votes

#4 - Love Bites

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/11/2010

When Naomi refuses to help plan Maya's wedding, Sam convinces Violet to help her. Meanwhile the tension between Addison and Sam deepens when they treat a suicidal patient and Cooper and Pete treat a girl with a questionable bite mark.

Directors: Matthew Penn
Writer: Dana Baratta
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Next Episode
star
7.04
823 votes

#5 - The Next Episode

Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/13/2012

A reality show centered around Sam sheds some light on issues in his colleagues' personal lives. Meanwhile, Sam's mother seeks his help after her boss falls ill; and the search continues for a girl who went missing from St. Ambros.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Good Grief
star
7.06
681 votes

#6 - Good Grief

Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2012

After hearing a patient's chilling confession, Violet turns to Sheldon for advice. Meanwhile, Addison tries to keep her grief a secret, Cooper and Charlotte adapt to their new reality and Sam confronts Sheldon about his denial.

Watch Now:Apple TV
What You Do for Love
star
7.07
532 votes

#7 - What You Do for Love

Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/23/2009

Addison sends a pregnant woman to St. Ambrose for help from Noah after she experiences heart complications. Meanwhile, Sam begins to rethink his friendship with Naomi; Pete and Lisa's relationship becomes increasingly complex; and Sheldon takes a stand.

Directors: Tom Verica
Watch Now:Apple TV
A Family Thing
star
7.12
710 votes

#8 - A Family Thing

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/1/2008

At Oceanside Wellness, friendships are tested and secrets revealed when Addison discovers that Naomi is concealing the practice's financial problems. Meanwhile, Violet wonders what secret Cooper is keeping from her, while Cooper himself has to decide whether or not to reveal a medical secret to a patient. Dell quits his job at Oceanside Wellness Group.

Directors: Mark Tinker
Watch Now:Apple TV
Fear of Flying
star
7.12
985 votes

#9 - Fear of Flying

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/4/2010

Things get too close for comfort when Addison, Pete and Sam must come together on a complicated case involving a dad-to-be who comes down with tuberculosis and threatens the future of his new family. Meanwhile, with Violet still gone on her Costa Rican escape, Sheldon takes over helping one of her patients, Natasha, to get over her crippling fear of flying, and Naomi finds herself in a bit of a love triangle of her own.

Directors: Mark Tinker
Watch Now:Apple TV
Crime and Punishment
star
7.13
535 votes

#10 - Crime and Punishment

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/3/2008

Addison and Charlotte fight to save the lives of a woman in a coma and her unborn child; members of the Oceanside staff clash with Meg; when a patient is suspected of murdering his wife, Violet seeks Kevin's advice.

Directors: Mark Tinker
Watch Now:Apple TV
In or Out
star
7.13
1230 votes

#11 - In or Out

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/21/2010

Addison butts heads with a new oncologist (Cristian de la Fuente) while treating a newborn with a malignant tumor; Pete is uncomfortable when Violet tries to help a parolee.

Watch Now:Apple TV
The Parent Trap
star
7.16
756 votes

#12 - The Parent Trap

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/3/2009

Addison performs a complex utero surgery, proving not only her talents to her father but giving them some common ground. Sam and Naomi deal with have a family crisis when they discover Maya is growing up way too fast. Violet does the unthinkable.

Directors: Donna Deitch
Writer: Craig Turk
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Drifting Back
star
7.17
725 votes

#13 - Drifting Back

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/8/2012

When a patient's partner and father are heatedly divided on his health care, Pete makes a decision that impacts everyone, including himself; meanwhile, Jake offers strength and experience to Amelia when he suspects she's being tempted to substance abuse, Sheldon and Violet treat a family concerned about the father's new sexual appetite, and as baby Henry draws Addison and Sam closer, they struggle to define their relationship.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Losing Battles
star
7.19
831 votes

#14 - Losing Battles

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/19/2012

Violet steps in to the middle of a dangerous situation.

Directors: Stephen Cragg
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Slip Slidin' Away
star
7.21
607 votes

#15 - Slip Slidin' Away

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/2009

The doctors venture into controversial territory when an unexpected new hire at Pacific Wellcare causes Naomi to struggle with the idea of genetically designing babies and Violet makes a sudden decision to try electric shock therapy on a patient. Meanwhile Addison somehow finds herself alone and with a cat.

Directors: Helen Shaver
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
In Which Sam Receives an Unexpected Visitor
star
7.21
617 votes

#16 - In Which Sam Receives an Unexpected Visitor

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/3/2007

Two couple are involved in an unfortunate baby switch, and the doctors must handle and solve it. Sam treats a client that may upset Naomi. A grandmother goes to extreme lengths to stop her son killing himself with alcohol, but her plan backfires.

Directors: Mark Tinker
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Second Choices
star
7.21
982 votes

#17 - Second Choices

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/22/2010

After her open-ended escape to Costa Rica, Violet has finally returned home and to the practice. Everyone treads a little lightly around her, especially Pete and Addison who have mixed feelings about Violet's desire to reconnect with Lucas. Meanwhile Amelia butts into Sam's personal life, pointing out that he can mend hearts in the OR but can't seem to do that for himself; and Sheldon encourages Charlotte to reconcile with Cooper, while Cooper deals with a young patient who eats everything in sight.

Directors: Jeff Bleckner
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Sins of the Father
star
7.21
686 votes

#18 - Sins of the Father

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/2009

While Addison deals with the unwelcome arrival of her father, Cooper is arrested because he refused to cooperate in a case involving a longtime patient. Meanwhile, Pete will stop at nothing to keep a terminally ill patient alive for as long as it takes for him to meet his new daughter.

Directors: Tom Verica
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Love and Lies
star
7.22
1009 votes

#19 - Love and Lies

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/17/2011

A couple wants to harvest eggs from their unborn child who is not going to survive, and the doctors cannot agree what the right path is; meanwhile, Amelia tries to comfort a friend while waiting for test results for Huntingtons disease.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Andromeda
star
7.22
910 votes

#20 - Andromeda

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/23/2012

Sam tries to take care of his sister, Corinne, but her mental condition makes that nearly impossible; Sheldon learns that Amelia has life-changing news; the flirtation between Addison and Jake continues, and Cooper rejects Charlotte's suggestion to seek outside help with Erica's care.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
A Step Too Far
star
7.22
1098 votes

#21 - A Step Too Far

Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/24/2011

Violet's book launch party has finally arrived but Sheldon finds himself attracted to the doctor who criticized her book. A surrogate under Addison and Pete's care is caught in a complicated love triangle. Cooper and Sam must convince a family that their son's health must take a priority over his sports career.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Best Laid Plans
star
7.22
766 votes

#22 - Best Laid Plans

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/21/2010

Maya shocks Sam and Naomi, while Pete and Fife disagree on patient care.

Directors: Bethany Rooney
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
A Better Place to Be
star
7.22
1143 votes

#23 - A Better Place to Be

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/14/2010

Emotions are stirred up at the practice when Dell's daughter arrives; a pregnant woman experiences chronic pain.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Playing God
star
7.22
1036 votes

#24 - Playing God

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/2010

The man responsible for killing Dell and endangering Maya's life comes to the clinic with a heart condition; news of Addison's new romance is not received well.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
What Women Want
star
7.23
463 votes

#25 - What Women Want

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/19/2009

A disturbed pregnant patient has lost her baby, and Violet must convince her that her baby needs surgery. Meanwhile, Cooper must tell a patient he needs part of his jaw removed due to a fast-growing cancer. Dell must cope with his daughter's absence when his ex has to move for a new job Sam and Addison must hold back their feelings for two unattainable people.

Directors: Mark Tinker
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV