The BEST episodes of Soap season 1

Every episode of Soap season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Soap season 1!

Sisters Mary Campbell and Jessica Tate lead soap-opera lives with their crazy families.

Last Updated: 9/5/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
Episode 1.22
star
8.79
101 votes

#1 - Episode 1.22

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/28/1978

Jodie and Carol plan a weekend away as "just friends." Mary commits Burt to the mental hospital. Danny tells Mary he must marry Elaine. Billy runs away from home. Benson, Chester, and Jessica take the stand in Jessica's trial.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.20
star
8.77
133 votes

#2 - Episode 1.20

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/14/1978

Danny learns he must marry Elaine. Mary tells Burt of her plans to commit him. Jessica's case looks even more hopeless after she meets the prosecutor and judge.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.21
star
8.60
127 votes

#3 - Episode 1.21

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/21/1978

Elaine meets the kooky Campbells. Corinne tracks down Tim at his mountain retreat. Mallu's assistant, Carol, invites Jodie to lunch. Jessica's murder trial begins.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.13
star
8.44
138 votes

#4 - Episode 1.13

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/13/1977

"Piece of Chelief" Tinkler questions the Tates and Campbells, all of whom are suspects in Peter's grisly murder.

Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.24
star
8.32
92 votes

#5 - Episode 1.24

Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/21/1978

Carol seduces Jodie. Mary forgives Burt. Corinne returns to the Tates. Ingrid vows to destroy the Tates. Sheriff Tinkler arrives to arrest Chester for stock fraud. The jury begins deliberating Jessica's fate.

Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.14
star
8.25
114 votes

#6 - Episode 1.14

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/27/1977

Chester and Jessica discuss her affair with Peter. The Tates and Campbells wonder who among them is a murderer. Eunice and Congressman McCallum meet up in an airplane lavatory. Chief Tinkler arrests Corrine.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.18
star
8.11
127 votes

#7 - Episode 1.18

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/24/1978

Father Tim bids Corinne farewell. Burt tells Mary he can make himself invisible. Chester hires high-priced attorney E. Ronald Mallu to defend Jessica. Jessica decides to skip bail and head to Rio. Claire alerts the SEC to Chester's shady business dealings.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.15
star
8.11
133 votes

#8 - Episode 1.15

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/3/1978

Corrine goes to jail for killing Peter. Burt launches his own investigation. Danny decides to surprise the Godfather but must get past his daughter, Elaine, first. Ingrid Svenson arrives in Dunn's River, claiming to be Corrine's real mother.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.8
star
8.10
143 votes

#9 - Episode 1.8

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/8/1977

Unable to kill Burt as ordered, Danny goes on the run as a "spy" but not before finally accepting Jodie's homosexuality and bidding a tearful goodbye to Mary. At a dinner party for Chuck and Bob, Danny makes a surprise visit that turns into "a little Tuesday night shootout."

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.7
star
8.02
123 votes

#10 - Episode 1.7

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/1/1977

The Major terrorizes the neighbors. Chuck and Bob arrive and promptly offend the Campbells. Claire tells Jessica of her affair with Chester, but Jessica doesn't believe her. Danny gets Burt alone and at gunpoint in the woods.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.23
star
7.97
70 votes

#11 - Episode 1.23

Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/14/1978

Walter dumps Eunice. Burt tells Mary he killed her first husband. Corinne walks out on Ingrid. Father Tim tells his mother he's leaving the priesthood. Jodie and Carol plan a weekend at the Cape. The prosecution drops a bombshell at Jessica's murder trial.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.5
star
7.94
126 votes

#12 - Episode 1.5

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/4/1977

Eunice and Jodie discuss their man troubles. Burt and Mary visit a sex therapist. Corrine gives Tim one last chance before moving in with Peter, then catches Jessica kissing Peter.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.9
star
7.85
141 votes

#13 - Episode 1.9

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/15/1977

Jodie checks into the hospital for his sex-change operation. Dr. Medlow helps Burt overcome his guilt and his impotence. At lunch with Mary, Jessica spots Chester kissing Claire.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.11
star
7.85
139 votes

#14 - Episode 1.11

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/29/1977

Burt and Mary look forward to their first romantic evening in six months but are interrupted by news that Jodie has attempted suicide. Jodie survives. Corrine warns Peter. Jessica confronts Chester on his infidelity.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.12
star
7.83
140 votes

#15 - Episode 1.12

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/6/1977

Jessica delivers an ultimatum to the philandering Chester, and threatens to kill Peter Campbell for lying to her and betraying her daughter Corinne; late that night, while in the shower, Peter is murdered by an unseen assailant.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.2
star
7.83
171 votes

#16 - Episode 1.2

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/20/1977

Jodie tells Mary that he's planning to do a sex change. Burt finds his long-lost son.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.1
star
7.79
225 votes

#17 - Episode 1.1

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/13/1977

This begins the story of two sisters, Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell.

Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.17
star
7.74
130 votes

#18 - Episode 1.17

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/17/1978

Jessica is booked into jail. Mary realizes Burt needs psychiatric help. Elaine introduces Danny to her father. A blackmailer threatens to publish photos of Walter and Eunice. Chester hires an attorney for Jessica but is told Jessica's case is hopeless.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.25
star
7.74
97 votes

#19 - Episode 1.25

Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/28/1978

Jessica is convicted of murder--but she didn't do it.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.10
star
7.70
142 votes

#20 - Episode 1.10

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/22/1977

Danny, dressed as a rabbi, has a near run-in with the Godfather. Father Tim appeals to God for help. Burt overcomes his impotence, but Mary is no longer in the mood. Dennis dumps Jodie, who tries to kill himself.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.3
star
7.65
138 votes

#21 - Episode 1.3

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/27/1977

Jessica tries to confess to Chester about her affair with Peter. Danny makes peace with Burt, only to learn that he has to kill Burt in order to escape the mob.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.19
star
7.30
128 votes

#22 - Episode 1.19

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/7/1978

Mr. Mallu interviews the family in a desperate search for character witnesses in Jessica's trial. Dr. Medlow recommends that Burt be committed to a mental hospital. Jessica makes an impassioned plea to Corinne. The blackmail photos of Eunice and Walter end up in the wrong hands.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
Episode 1.6
star
7.21
98 votes

#23 - Episode 1.6

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/25/1977

Corrine moves in with Peter, leaving Chester angry and Jessica heartbroken. Burt receives word that Chuck and Bob are on their way from Hawaii. The Godfather gives Danny one last chance to kill Burt, this time at a cabin in the woods.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.4
star
7.14
110 votes

#24 - Episode 1.4

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/4/1977

Jessica and Corrine run into one another at Peter's apartment. Jodie tells Dennis of his plans for a sex change. Billy has girl trouble. Chester is caught cheating on his mistress. Danny tries to kill Burt but is more clumsy than lethal.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Episode 1.16
star
6.98
107 votes

#25 - Episode 1.16

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/10/1978

Corrine learns the truth about her mother. Ingrid hires an investigator to clear Corrine. Burt becomes obsessed with finding Peter's killer. Jessica is arrested.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Susan Harris
Watch Now:Amazon