The WORST episodes of Recess

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

Six brave fourth-graders at Third Street School make it their mission to protect the other kids on the playground. Despite the rule of King Bob and his minions, who enforce his unwritten laws, T.J, Ashley, Vince, Gus, Gretchen and Mikey seek a rational balance between conformity and individuality.

Last Updated: 6/10/2025Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
More Like Gretchen
star
6.14
14 votes

#1 - More Like Gretchen

Season 4 - Episode 39 - Aired 2/13/2000

After a visit to a beauty museum with Gretchen, Spinelli's parents seem to be a little "unsatisfied" with their daughter.

Directors: Howy Parkins
That Stinking Feeling
star
6.71
24 votes

#2 - That Stinking Feeling

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/13/1999

Spinelli gets a crush on a fifth grader and has to get over it to save her reputation.

Directors: Howy Parkins
Yope from Norway
star
6.79
14 votes

#3 - Yope from Norway

Season 4 - Episode 31 - Aired 11/21/1999

Gus becomes jealous of Yope, a Norwegian transfer student.

Directors: Howy Parkins
Schoolworld
star
6.80
15 votes

#4 - Schoolworld

Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 11/4/2000

The school gets a new technology system installed called the SAL 3000 which controls everything.

Diggers Split Up
star
6.81
16 votes

#5 - Diggers Split Up

Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 11/4/2000

Digger Dave quits digging and then bosses everyone around.

Writer: Cary Okmin
The Lost Ball
star
6.86
28 votes

#6 - The Lost Ball

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/26/1998

Gus has to go to the Yard of No Return when he kicks a good kickball over the fence.

Gus and Misdemeanors
star
6.87
15 votes

#7 - Gus and Misdemeanors

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 9/16/2000

The bad kids from The Girl was Trouble trick Gus into shoplifting candy from Kelso's.

Good Luck Charm
star
6.88
16 votes

#8 - Good Luck Charm

Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 9/23/2000

Spinelli gets too attached to the lucky marble that Vince loans her.

Writer: David Pitlik
Big Ol' Mikey
star
6.94
18 votes

#9 - Big Ol' Mikey

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/30/2000

Mikey begins to fear for his future when Gretchen's hand-held PC Galileo makes a gross miscalculation about his future height.

All the Principal's Men
star
6.95
20 votes

#10 - All the Principal's Men

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/7/2000

The gang tries to find out who removed all the balls from the playground.

Directors: Howy Parkins
Writer: Jack Monaco
The Library Kid
star
6.95
22 votes

#11 - The Library Kid

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/22/2000

When the gang catches the mysterious "Library Kid", they take her out to recess where she becomes obsessed with the playground.

The Beauty Contest
star
6.96
23 votes

#12 - The Beauty Contest

Season 2 - Episode 25 - Aired 2/27/1999

The Ashleys get back at Spinelli by entering her into the Kiddie Cosmetics Little Miss Blush Beauty Pageant. But her friends talk Spinelli into trying to beat the Ashleys in the pageant.

Directors: Chuck Sheetz
The Bet
star
6.96
24 votes

#13 - The Bet

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/25/1999

Fed up with Vince's ego, the kids bet Vince that he can't go one whole day without beating someone in a sport.

Writer: David Pitlik
The Candidates
star
7.05
19 votes

#14 - The Candidates

Season 4 - Episode 25 - Aired 11/14/1999

Gretchen and Vince both run for president.

The Fuss Over Finster
star
7.06
17 votes

#15 - The Fuss Over Finster

Season 4 - Episode 35 - Aired 11/29/1999

Miss Finster hurts her leg and can't keep up with the kids during recess.

Writer: Nick Dubois
Tucked in Mikey
star
7.06
16 votes

#16 - Tucked in Mikey

Season 4 - Episode 44 - Aired 2/21/2000

Menlo teaches Mikey to be more "organized", and Mikey starts changing

Recess is Cancelled
star
7.09
23 votes

#17 - Recess is Cancelled

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/9/2000

Secretary of Schools Garrison chooses 3rd Street School as the place to test his program to bring test scores up by cancelling recess.

My Funny Valentines
star
7.14
28 votes

#18 - My Funny Valentines

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/13/1999

In his hatred of Valentine's Day, T.J. sends a "funny" valentine to every single girl on the playground to show them how stupid Valentine's Day is, but his plan soon backfires when the girls mistake them for "real" valentine cards.

Writer: Gregg Taylor
A Career to Remember
star
7.16
32 votes

#19 - A Career to Remember

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/18/1999

A career day assembly gets all the kids to decide their future careers. That is all except Spinelli.

Prince Randall
star
7.18
17 votes

#20 - Prince Randall

Season 4 - Episode 40 - Aired 2/13/2000

Randall blackmails King Bob into giving him the throne.

I Will Kick No More Forever
star
7.18
44 votes

#21 - I Will Kick No More Forever

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 10/25/1997

Vince completely loses his confidence at playing kickball when Ashley Q. beats him in a game.

Outcast Ashley
star
7.19
31 votes

#22 - Outcast Ashley

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/10/1999

Ashley A. hooks up with Gretchen when she sins against the clique so gravely as to get thrown out.

Writer: Doria Biddle
This Brain for Hire
star
7.20
15 votes

#23 - This Brain for Hire

Season 4 - Episode 26 - Aired 1/6/2001

People start paying Gretchen for doing their homework so she can buy herself a new bike

Kurst the Not So Bad
star
7.20
20 votes

#24 - Kurst the Not So Bad

Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/4/2001

Mikey's new friendship with Kurst the Worst doesn't sit well with their friends.

Operation Stuart
star
7.21
28 votes

#25 - Operation Stuart

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/14/1998

The kids take in a really ratty stray cat that they find near the dumpster, naming it Stuart.

Writer: Katy Ballard