The WORST episodes of The King of Queens

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

Life’s good for deliveryman Doug Heffernan, until his newly widowed father-in-law, Arthur, moves in with him and his wife Carrie. Doug is no longer the king of his domain, and instead of having a big screen television in his recently renovated basement, he now has a crazy old man.

Last Updated: 12/17/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Inner Tube
star
6.94
744 votes

#1 - Inner Tube

Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/26/2001

Doug dreams that he could solve all of his problems if he could assume the roles of vintage sitcom characters.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Paint Misbehavin'
star
7.13
939 votes

#2 - Paint Misbehavin'

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/5/2001

Doug becomes jealous when Carrie makes the mistake of telling him she finds Deacon attractive; The gang go paintballing to celebrate Deacon's birthday, which turns into a war of jealousy.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Writer: Tony Sheehan
Departure Time
star
7.23
913 votes

#3 - Departure Time

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/30/2001

Doug, Carrie and Arthur head out to the airport to visit with Doug's parents while they have a short layover at Kennedy Airport on their way to Montreal. While there, his parents ask him to sign their living will, making him the one responsible for pulling the plug. When his sister Stephanie gets wind of this, she is offended that she wasn't the one asked to be responsible.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Writer: Nick Bakay
Party Favor
star
7.26
873 votes

#4 - Party Favor

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/10/2000

Carrie convinces Doug to be the best man at his cousin's wedding.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Watch Now:Apple TV
Separation Anxiety
star
7.32
818 votes

#5 - Separation Anxiety

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/16/2001

During the Palmer's separation, Doug and Carrie go to the movies with Kelly while Deacon takes the kids. While there, Carrie runs into a co-worker who seems interested in Kelly. The two end up going on a date, and when Deacon finds out he is ready to patch things up with her.

Directors: Andrew Susskind
Queens'bro Bridge
star
7.32
680 votes

#6 - Queens'bro Bridge

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/28/2003

Arthur and his half-brother Skitch are reunited when Doug sets it up for them to meet again at the tollbooth Skitch works at on the freeway. When Doug realizes they own a house together, he sees the possibility of getting his personal life back when he envisions the basement empty and he and Carrie having some personal time. Arthur moves in with Skitch until all hell breaks loose when the two are reminded that they should indeed live apart.

Directors: James Widdoes
Writer: David Bickel
Veiled Threat
star
7.33
832 votes

#7 - Veiled Threat

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/2001

While cleaning out the Heffernan freezer, Carrie comes across the top tier of her and Doug's wedding cake, and reflects back to the time when they got married. As she takes a trip down memory lane, Carrie remembers her uneasiness prior to their wedding day and her desperation in needing a sign from God to be sure about the marriage. The priest calms Carrie's insecurity by informing her that she and Doug actually met years before when they were kids. Carrie feels that that's a "sign" from above, but Doug later learns that it was Danny, his cousin, whom she met, not him, and is afraid to tell her the truth. Also, Arthur convinces Doug's parents to cover the cost of the wedding, and then proceeds to spend all their money to make the day extra special.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Watch Now:Apple TV
Frozen Pop
star
7.34
852 votes

#8 - Frozen Pop

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/24/2000

Arthur is moved upstairs to Carrie's office once the weather gets cold, but have problems when the weather warms up and Arthur thinks his move was permanent.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Writer: Ben Wexler
Strike Too
star
7.34
974 votes

#9 - Strike Too

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/6/2000

With no end to the IPS workers strike in sight, Doug tries substitute teaching at his sister Stephanie's school.

Writer: David Bickel
Watch Now:Apple TV
Hi Def-Jam
star
7.35
864 votes

#10 - Hi Def-Jam

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/29/2001

Doug sets up his sister with Carrie's boss so that he can watch the Super Bowl on a high-definition TV.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Pregnant Pause (2)
star
7.36
454 votes

#11 - Pregnant Pause (2)

Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/21/2001

Doug tells Carrie not to panic about having the baby, that he will take care of all her "burden," so he takes on a second job so that they can store a little extra money before the due date. Meanwhile, Arthur is annoyed that Doug still hasn't finished his bathroom and Deacon and Kelly reconcile.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Multiple Plots
star
7.37
625 votes

#12 - Multiple Plots

Season 6 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/25/2004

When Arthur tries to sell Spence his adjoining burial plot, he somehow winds up selling it to Spence's mother, Veronica. Doug is assigned a new delivery route and is freaked out by a man at one of his daily stops who always answers the door wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Meanwhile, Carrie takes on dog walking with Holly to make some money after being unemployed for several months, but immediately hates the job and hires a kid to do the walking for her.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Writer: Rock Reuben
Golden Moldy
star
7.38
753 votes

#13 - Golden Moldy

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/17/2003

Doug and Carrie are having fun on their vacation with their neighbors in St. Croix, but once Arthur calls with a quote on the current mold problem in the house, all is not so fun.

Directors: James Widdoes
Writer: Tony Sheehan
American Idle
star
7.40
763 votes

#14 - American Idle

Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/3/2003

Doug gets annoyed with Carrie when she loses her job and, rather than looking for employment, becomes extremely unmotivated. When Doug confronts Carrie about her laziness, she gets upset, claiming that she is simply trying to find herself. Carrie then enlists the help of Arthur and opens up her own company making decorative cell phone covers. However, when she invites her friends over to buy some of the covers, she realizes a new line of work might be in order.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Wedding Presence
star
7.40
896 votes

#15 - Wedding Presence

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/8/2001

Doug and Carrie rush to a friend's wedding before the bride and groom realize they're not there; Meanwhile, Arthur plans a scheme involving Spence.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Block Buster
star
7.40
785 votes

#16 - Block Buster

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/17/2000

Doug has his old football teammates over; Meanwhile, Spence tries to get his revenge on the football players for what they did to him in high school.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Writer: Tony Sheehan
Domestic Disturbance
star
7.40
653 votes

#17 - Domestic Disturbance

Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/19/2005

Carrie uses her extra income to hire a maid, but Doug feels left out and decides to hire his own help in the form of Spence's mom, Veronica. Soon, Veronica proves to make more messes than she cleans, especially when her newly subordinate position makes Arthur pine for her.

Directors: Ken Whittingham
Writer: Tony Sheehan
Better Camera
star
7.41
950 votes

#18 - Better Camera

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/11/2000

A battle of who got the cheaper gift begins; Lou Ferrigno moves next door.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Watch Now:Apple TV
No Orleans
star
7.42
764 votes

#19 - No Orleans

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/25/2002

Doug and Carrie find an old, unopened wedding present – a gravy boat – from Doug's third cousin Ron and his wife Marcia. Little did they know that inside was a check for $1,500 that they never realized was there and therefore never cashed. However, because the check expired a year after the wedding, they ask Ron and Marcia to rewrite it. Though they initially feel they need to treat this unbearable couple to a few meals before asking in order to justify their actions, Carrie loses her patience the first time and she re-opens the gravy boat and "notices the check." The plan backfires when Doug tells Ron and Marcia that they want to use the money for a trip to New Orleans and Marcia sets one condition – Doug and Carrie can't go to New Orleans without them! Trying to avoid that debacle, Doug and Carrie attempt to sneak off to the Big Easy alone without letting their cousins know about it. Meanwhile, Arthur tries getting a comic strip he created into Playboy magazine, but his artistic talents leave a little something to be desired.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Brace Yourself
star
7.44
681 votes

#20 - Brace Yourself

Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/3/2007

An unflattering picture by Major prompts Arthur to ask Doug and Carrie for braces. Meanwhile, Kelly hires an out-of-work Spence to help out around the house.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Dugan Groupie
star
7.45
807 votes

#21 - Dugan Groupie

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/3/2004

Carrie and Doug have a conflict of interest when Carrie begins to stay late every night at work but it leaves Doug to feel neglected.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Writer: Tony Sheehan
Deacon Blues
star
7.45
915 votes

#22 - Deacon Blues

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/12/2001

Doug is surprised to find his married best friend, Deacon, out with another woman. Meanwhile, Carrie questions her relationship with Doug because of their different views on cheating.

Directors: Rob Schiller
Raygin' Bulls
star
7.45
654 votes

#23 - Raygin' Bulls

Season 8 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/28/2005

Doug and Ray Barone have a "guy's night out." Meanwhile, Carrie gets a shock upon visiting her mother's grave.

Directors: Howard Murray
S'Poor House
star
7.46
608 votes

#24 - S'Poor House

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/24/2003

The mold problem in the Heffernan household grows and Doug and Carrie find out to fix the problem will cost them $12,000! Doug, with his tail between his legs, goes to his father to ask for the money, but hits a wall when he wants to know why he and Carrie don't have it in the bank. When Doug has to admit they have no savings, his dad wants to comb through their financial books to see where all the money is going. This prompts Doug to limit Carrie on her "wild spending," which does not go over well with her.

Directors: James Widdoes
Clothes Encounter
star
7.46
654 votes

#25 - Clothes Encounter

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/21/2003

Carrie can't stop buying expensive clothes, and then returning them within a few days. Spence's new girlfriend is afraid of his dog and tells him to decide who he wants, the dog or her.

Directors: James Widdoes
Writer: Chris Downey