The WORST episodes of Spenser: For Hire

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

Spenser: For Hire is a mystery/suspense series based on Robert Parker's "Spenser" novels. Spenser, a private investigator living in Boston, gets involved in a new mystery each episode. Using his years of experience, his natural talents for observation and reasoning, and the occasional bit of help from his friend Hawk, Spenser never fails to crack the case.

Last Updated: 4/23/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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McAllister
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#1 - McAllister

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/30/1988

Spenser assists a lawyer in proving the innocence of his client, a Navy seaman accused of murdering the captain's daughter. The only witness is a missing Polish sailor.

Directors: Harvey Hart
My Enemy, My Friend
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#2 - My Enemy, My Friend

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/4/1987

A streetwise young kid gets involved over his head in the underworld. Spenser and Hawk try to protect him from would-be killers.

Directors: Virgil Vogel
Watch Now:Amazon
The Heart of the Matter
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#3 - The Heart of the Matter

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/11/1987

Lt. Quirk faces his mortality when he suffers a heart attack. Spenser and Hawk protect him from revenge-minded villains as he recovers.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe
Watch Now:Amazon
On the Night He Was Betrayed
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#4 - On the Night He Was Betrayed

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/1/1987

Spenser helps an old friend, an alcoholic priest who tries to help homeless teenagers, when he gets involved over his head.

Directors: David M. Whorf
Sleepless Dreams
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#5 - Sleepless Dreams

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/8/1987

Spenser becomes obsessed with an apparently suicidal woman after a chance encounter on the street.

Watch Now:Amazon
Consilum Abditum
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#6 - Consilum Abditum

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/15/1987

Susan is in trouble when her claims of sexual harassment lead her college counselor to retaliate by hiring a hit man to keep her quiet. Spenser gets arrested for getting involved in a fight.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe
Thanksgiving
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#7 - Thanksgiving

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/29/1987

Spenser runs into an old friend while visiting a recreation of a Puritan village. Spenser does everything in his power to exonerate said friend when he's accused of a brutal slaying. As he uncovers more and more, Spenser begins to think it might be hard to clear the name of a guilty man.

Watch Now:Amazon
Gone Fishin'
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#8 - Gone Fishin'

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/6/1987

Spenser's fishing trip is interrupted when he has to protect a young man who's not allowed to marry the girl he loves.

Watch Now:Amazon
Child's Play
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#9 - Child's Play

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/20/1987

A sniper takes some shots at Spenser and Susan, and a young boy ends up dead in the crossfire. Spenser sets out to determine why such a tragedy happened and track down the shooter.

Watch Now:Amazon
Skeletons in the Closet
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#10 - Skeletons in the Closet

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/3/1988

Spenser and Hawk find themselves on opposite sides of the same case. Spenser is hired to retrieve a stolen journal containing information damaging to a judge's career. Hawk is hired by the thief to extort money from the judge.

Personal Demons
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7.00
2 votes

#11 - Personal Demons

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/7/1987

Spenser and Rita go after a corrupt African.

Watch Now:Amazon
Rockabye Baby
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7.00
2 votes

#12 - Rockabye Baby

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/1986

A mobster's pregnant teenage girlfriend tries to keep her unborn son from his father.

And Give up Show Biz?
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7.00
2 votes

#13 - And Give up Show Biz?

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/1/1986

Spenser protects a man suffering from amnesia.

The Long Hunt
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7.00
2 votes

#14 - The Long Hunt

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/8/1986

A young criminal's father attacks a bus transporting convicts to the state prison.

Watch Now:Amazon
Home is the Hero
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7.00
2 votes

#15 - Home is the Hero

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/22/1986

Rita hires Spenser to investigate a troubled teenager, yet another 'Spenser helps a misguided youth' episode.

Watch Now:Amazon
Shadowsight
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7.00
2 votes

#16 - Shadowsight

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/13/1986

A girl who apparently has the unique ability to 'see' through both space and time, enlists Spenser's help to solve a rash of arsons.

Murder and Acquisitions
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7.00
2 votes

#17 - Murder and Acquisitions

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/24/1987

Spenser investigates the apparent suicide of a philandering financier about to turn state's evidence to bring down insider trading. Rita has problems of her own when an old boyfriend shows up. Belson hires Spenser to find his missing wallet containing a winning lottery ticket.

Mary Hamilton
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7.00
2 votes

#18 - Mary Hamilton

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/14/1987

A girl comes to Boston looking for her estranged father. Spenser decides to help her.

The Road Back
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7.00
2 votes

#19 - The Road Back

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/21/1987

Spenser loses all feeling in his right arm after he's shot while guarding a politician.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe
Watch Now:Amazon
If You Knew Sammy
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7.00
2 votes

#20 - If You Knew Sammy

Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/4/1987

NRA poster-boy Sammy Backlin breezes into town for a book signing, unwittingly involving Spenser in a shoot out. Spenser agrees to protect Sammy from gangland thugs.

Company Man
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7.00
3 votes

#21 - Company Man

Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/12/1988

Spenser suspects insurance fraud when a building blows up. Susan has a possibly cancerous mass removed.

Watch Now:Amazon
Haunting
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7.00
3 votes

#22 - Haunting

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/7/1988

Spenser investigates an old child kidnapping case when he tries to track down a teenage girl's biological parents.

Directors: David M. Whorf
Watch Now:Amazon
The Hopes and Fears
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7.03
31 votes

#23 - The Hopes and Fears

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/20/1986

With the help of Hawk, a disgusted Spenser is determined to get rid of thugs who are terrorizing his Boston neighborhood.

Watch Now:Amazon
One for My Daughter
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7.50
2 votes

#24 - One for My Daughter

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/7/1987

Spenser and Hawk protect a man who owes money to men of dubious ethics. When their client, Bo Braxton tries to blackmail his creditors, he and his alcoholic teenage daughter go on the run.

Watch Now:Amazon
Watercolors
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7.50
2 votes

#25 - Watercolors

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/19/1988

Spenser protects a child artist after the child witnesses a mob execution while painting in the forest.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe