The WORST episodes of The Bernie Mac Show

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

Bernie and his wife, Wanda, reluctantly step into the role of parents when his sister drops off her three kids -- naive Bryanna, nerdy Jordan and teenager Vanessa -- en route to rehab.

Last Updated: 11/12/2024Network: FOXStatus: Ended
Growing Pains
star
6.44
9 votes

#1 - Growing Pains

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/14/2006

Bernie makes Vanessa prove she can manage her money.

The Big Payback
star
6.50
10 votes

#2 - The Big Payback

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/7/2005

Vanessa spends her money on shoes after Bernie specifically told her not to, which forces Bernie to have Vanessa work in his business.

Directors: Victor Nelli Jr.
Who's Your Mama?
star
6.56
9 votes

#3 - Who's Your Mama?

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/31/2006

Baby girls daddy Brian helps out around the house and the kids start preferring him over their Uncle Bernie causing Bernie Mac to take offense. Baby girl gets called flat chested at school and Brian and Bernie fight over who gets to buy her a new bra. Jordan competes for best smile at school.

Directors: Linda Mendoza
Bar Mitzvah Crashers
star
6.57
7 votes

#4 - Bar Mitzvah Crashers

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/3/2006

After a Jewish family arrive in the neighborhood, Bernie urges Jordan to befriending the son, David. Though hesitant at first Jordan begins to develop a friendship with his new neighbor. Not long after-wards David invites Jordan to attend his cousin's bar mitzvahs with him. After receiving various expensive parting gifts Jordan and David decide to crash bar mitzvahs of people to whom they do not know in order to receive more gifts. Before long it's time for David's bar mitzvahs but Jordan comes to a dilemma because this happens to be the same day of a very wealthy boy's bar mitzvahs. So Jordan must beside between friendship or material possessions.

Directors: Linda Mendoza
Exercise in Fertility: Part 2
star
6.67
9 votes

#5 - Exercise in Fertility: Part 2

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/20/2006

Bernie and Wanda have undertaken fertility treatments. Wanda suffers from mood swings due to hormonal issues. Distracted with the idea of having a child the couple neglect to stay on top of the kids they already have. Vanessa shares her experience with babies joining a family. She explains the baby will be Bernie's own baby girl, or his son. Everyone will have to adjust, and one will be replaced. Bernie and Wanda adjust to ups and downs with treatment, having to ride out extreme highs, lows, hopes, fears, and consider how committed they have to be to the process, rife...

Directors: Ken Whittingham
Watch Now:Amazon
Some Church Bull
star
6.78
9 votes

#6 - Some Church Bull

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/2/2005

In an effort to bring family members closer together, Wanda insists they participate in the annual parish retreat.

Watch Now:Amazon
Bernie's Angels
star
7.00
8 votes

#7 - Bernie's Angels

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/14/2006

In the series finale, after having a near-death experience involving the microwave, Bernie decides to turn his life around and starts being nicer and overly sensitive. Meanwhile, Jordan begins to take advantage of Bernie's new attitude. Vanessa is still working on finding a good college but she doesn't want Bernie's help. Bryana has to learn what belongs in a microwave and what doesn't since she was the one responsible for Bernie's near-death experience. In the end, Bernie discovers that Jordan has been using him and he reconciles with Vanessa. In the final scene, Bernie takes back the iPod he bought for Jordan and delivers a farewell message to "America".

Directors: Ken Kwapis
Watch Now:Amazon
Who Gives This Bride
star
7.00
10 votes

#8 - Who Gives This Bride

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/14/2005

Bernie's sister, Benita, is back in town and announces that she and her fiance are eloping in Las Vegas. Wanda offers the Mac residence as a wedding site, but has an ulterior motive- she's planning the wedding she never had. Excited at the idea of giving his baby sister away, Bernie is passed over when Benita ask their older brother Carl to do the honors.

Directors: Reginald Hudlin
Watch Now:Amazon
Five Stages of Bryana
star
7.00
9 votes

#9 - Five Stages of Bryana

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 6/15/2004

Bernie and Wanda struggle with how to discipline Bryana when she begins to change from their adorable baby girl into a bratty little bully. They consult a child therapist to determine what is making her suddenly throw tantrums, become a bully at school and fight with her siblings at home. Meanwhile, Bernie buys Bryana a guinea pig but it's Wanda who ends up taking care of the pet and eventually bonding with it

Directors: Michael Spiller
Writer: John Riggi
Watch Now:Amazon
It's Never as Bad as the First Time
star
7.09
11 votes

#10 - It's Never as Bad as the First Time

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/7/2006

Jordan dates Erica, one of the cheerleaders at school. Bernie is delighted, but when Jordan and Erica break up, he tries to remedy the situation.

Directors: Keith Truesdell
Writer: Fred Johnson
Watch Now:Amazon
Exercise in Fertility: Part 1
star
7.11
9 votes

#11 - Exercise in Fertility: Part 1

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/13/2006

After several failed attempts, Bernie and Wanda realize that making a baby is harder than they thought, and Wanda begins to question their fertility.

Directors: Linda Mendoza
Watch Now:Amazon
Night of Terror
star
7.13
8 votes

#12 - Night of Terror

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/28/2005

Jordan turns 13, but still acts like a monster fighting with Bryana. Eventually Jordan lets Bryana walk all over him to avoid further punishment. When he gets his gifts back, Bernie holds back an R-rated movie. Later when Bernie asks Jordan to babysit Bryana one night, Jordan accepts just so he can watch the R-rated movie behind his back.

Watch Now:Amazon
Spinning Wheels
star
7.13
8 votes

#13 - Spinning Wheels

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/7/2006

Wanda's sister visits and wants to throw a roller-disco party for Wanda's birthday.

Directors: Victor Nelli Jr.
Watch Now:Amazon
What Would Jason Do?
star
7.22
9 votes

#14 - What Would Jason Do?

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/31/2006

Vanessa's school prom is coming up so Bernie Mac picks a boy friend out for her (after doing his usual protective background check). Even after he chooses, he has all these worried fantasies. Bryana injures her ankle so Jordan has to be her servant, but in the end after Bryana took it a bit far Jordan gets some redemption.

Directors: Roger Nygard
Watch Now:Amazon
Pop Pop Goes the Weasel
star
7.25
8 votes

#15 - Pop Pop Goes the Weasel

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/2005

When Bryana's father, Bryan (Anthony Anderson), visits, he threatens Bernie's relationship with Jordan and undermines Bernie's barbecuing techniques.

Watch Now:Amazon
For Whom the Belt Tolls
star
7.25
8 votes

#16 - For Whom the Belt Tolls

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/4/2005

The kids finally cross Aunt Wanda's line while Bernie's away. Bernie gives Aunt Wanda "Big Mama's Belt" to keep them in line. The kids wind up fearing her even more than Bernie Mac.

Directors: Roger Nygard
Watch Now:Amazon
Stop Having Sex
star
7.30
44 votes

#17 - Stop Having Sex

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/17/2002

Bernie is concerned that the kids are exposed to mature subjects.

Watch Now:Amazon
Prison Break
star
7.33
12 votes

#18 - Prison Break

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/18/2005

After misbehaving yet again, Bernie punishes Bryana and Jordan severely. Yet again Wanda thinks he's being too hard on them. But in the end, she catches on. Vanessa turns out to be the sneakiest of them all.

Directors: Keith Truesdell
Watch Now:Amazon
Who's That Lady
star
7.33
9 votes

#19 - Who's That Lady

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/12/2004

Psychologist Dr. Phil makes a house call in Bernie's confessional. He counsels Bernie on how to deal with an angry Wanda, who feels left out after Bernie and his buddies bring a woman, Lynette, into their group. Meanwhile, the kids find where Bernie hides all of their dangerous toys and end up almost killing each other to keep the secret.

Directors: Ken Whittingham
Watch Now:Amazon
Saving Sergeant Tompkins
star
7.33
6 votes

#20 - Saving Sergeant Tompkins

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/14/2004

Bernie discovers that Jordan has taken his framed Redd Foxx ticket stub for the school time capsule when he is asked to include something that connects him to his past and doesn't have anything of his own. Bernie tells Jordan the hard facts about his past – how his father left them and that when life deals a rough hand one has to suck it up. But the hard facts harden Jordan and Bernie's afraid he's gone too far, so he decides to rewrite history a bit and make Jordan believe that his father left him a keepsake from when he was a sergeant in the Army. When Vanessa hears about Bernie's lies, she is infuriated but eventually agrees it is important that Jordan think well of their father. She gives Jordan the only picture she has of her father so that he can have a real connection to his past.

Directors: Ken Whittingham
Watch Now:Amazon
Starting School
star
7.35
55 votes

#21 - Starting School

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/2/2002

With the kids officially under Bernie's control, it's come time to find them schooling. He enrolls Bryana in a prestigious preschool, Jordan in Catholic school and Vanessa in public junior high. On the first day however, everything that can go wrong, does. With Wanda at work, Bernie is forced to figure everything out for himself. While trying to braid Bryana's hair, he gets hair grease all over his favorite shirt. Jordan fakes being sick and actually forces himself to puke on Bernie's second favorite shirt. Vanessa barricades herself in the bathroom, having ""the worst hair day ever!"" Bernie being Bernie fortunately finds away around all the problems. He fixes Bryana's hair, he foils Jordan's fake illness and he boosts Vanessa's confidence. Not bad for a day's work. If only he didn't ruin his favorite shirts in the process.

Directors: David Grossman
Watch Now:Amazon
Stone Nuts
star
7.36
11 votes

#22 - Stone Nuts

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/28/2005

Jordan wants to fit in with the popular kids in school, and Bernie suggests that he try playing games with them. When asking them to fly kites doesn't work and he's dubbed ""Benjamin Franklin"", Jordan tries his hand at their game, poker, and quickly loses his lunch money. Bernie teaches Jordan how to play cards and he becomes a whiz. Meanwhile, Wanda's friend Cheryl makes Bernie doubt that the gift he bought Wanda for her birthday is nice enough, so he enlists the help of his neighbor,Carl Reiner, on a search for the coveted and rare cognac-colored diamond.

Directors: Victor Nelli Jr.
Watch Now:Amazon
Here To Stay
star
7.38
34 votes

#23 - Here To Stay

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/12/2001

Bernie realizes that the kids are here to stay, so he begins treating them differently. Wanda complains that Bernie is treating the kids like roomates and holds off sex from him until he realizes the kids are truly part of their family.

Directors: Sam Weisman
Watch Now:Amazon
Bernie Mac, Ladies Man
star
7.39
33 votes

#24 - Bernie Mac, Ladies Man

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/28/2001

When Wanda plans a play date for a group of kids, Bernie ends up winning over the moms for the afternoon and becoming defensive about his masculinity.

Watch Now:Amazon
Father Knows Best
star
7.44
18 votes

#25 - Father Knows Best

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2005

Bryan, Bryanna's father, shows up to spend more time with his daughter-and ends up spoiling her.

Watch Now:Amazon