The WORST episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Every episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show!
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the most literate, realistic, and enduring situation comedies of the 1970s. Mary Richards was the idealized single career woman. She had come to Minneapolis after breaking up with a man she had been dating for four years. Ambitious, and looking for new friends, she moved into an older apartment building and went to work as an assistant producer of the local news show on television station WJM-TV. In her early 30s, Mary symbolized the independent woman of the 1970s.
#1 - Where There's Smoke, There's Rhoda
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/12/1972
When Rhoda's apartment is destroyed by fire, she moves in with Mary. The two find that while they are best friends, they make awful roommates.
#2 - Father's Day
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/20/1973
Ted meets his father, who deserted him as a baby.
#3 - The Lou and Edie Story
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/6/1973
On the advice of their marriage counselor, Lou's wife, Edie, decides to move out. Lou is heartbroken by the prospect.
#4 - Rhoda's Sister Gets Married
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/29/1973
Rhoda and Mary fly to New York for Rhoda's younger sister's wedding. Rhoda's mother downplays the whole thing fearing that Rhoda is envious.
#5 - Remembrance of Things Past
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/17/1973
A former boyfriend visiting Minneapolis calls Mary who, deep down, wants to see him again but she has been hurt by him too many times before.
#6 - Murray Faces Life
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/10/1973
Murray becomes depressed when he realizes that the years are passing him by, after he learns that a contemporary has won a Pulitzer Prize.
#7 - What Do You Do When the Boss Says, “I Love You”?
Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/3/1973
The new station manager, an attractive woman, falls for Lou.
#8 - The Georgette Story
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/20/1973
Mary and Rhoda try to encourage Georgette to take a stand for herself after seeing how Ted takes advantage of her.
#9 - The Courtship of Mary's Father's Daughter
Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/23/1972
Mary runs into her former boyfriend Dan Whitfield in an elevator by chance. Subsequently, Dan realizes he still has feelings for Mary, breaks off his engagement, and begins dating her again.
#10 - It Was Fascination, I Know
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/2/1972
Bess's 15-year-old boyfriend falls in love with Mary and begins to surprise her with visits to her apartment and her work.
#11 - His Two Right Arms
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/4/1972
Mary gets city councilman Pete Peterson to appear on Face the People and discovers that he is completely incompetent. She and his aides try to bring him up to speed on current events so he can make a good impression on the show.
#12 - Some of My Best Friends Are Rhoda
Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/26/1972
Through a minor car accident, Mary befriends a young woman, Joanne. Rhoda becomes jealous when Mary spends more time with Joanne but Mary quickly ends the new friendship when she discovers Joanne is anti-Semitic and disapproves of Rhoda.
#13 - You Certainly Are a Big Boy
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/19/1972
Mary begins dating an architect and is astonished to learn that his son is only six years younger than she is.
#14 - Murray Ghosts for Ted
Season 7 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/19/1977
Ted offers Murray $200 to write an article on his behalf. The article becomes a success, but Ted refuses to share the credit with Murray.
#15 - Baby Sit-Com
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/22/1972
Mary agrees to babysit Bess for the weekend, but then a former boyfriend, in town for a few days, asks her out. When she can't find a babysitter for Bess on such short notice, she ends up asking Lou.
#16 - The Slaughter Affair
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/15/1972
Murray takes on a night job as a cab driver in order to save up and buy his wife Marie a new car for their 10th wedding anniversary. However, Marie becomes suspicious about Murray's absences and fears that Murray is having an affair with Mary Richards.
#17 - ... Is a Friend in Need
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/4/1971
Rhoda loses her job as a window-dresser and isn't in a hurry to find something new. When there is a job opening at WJM-TV, Mary lies to Rhoda and tells her the job has been filled, to Lou's surprise.
#18 - Don't Break the Chain
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/20/1971
Mary gets a chain letter from Lou, and she is persuaded to send it on. To her surprise, one of the recipients comes for a visit, giving Mary a less than pleasant time dealing with him.
#19 - Cover Boy
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/23/1971
Jack Cassidy guest stars as professional model Hal Baxter, who comes to visit his brother Ted at WJM-TV. Immediately, the two engage in a heated battle of sibling rivalry about EVERYTHING -- salaries, cars, & even women. In an effort to size up his brother, Ted claims that Mary is his girlfriend. Ted & Hal decide to go on a double-date with Mary & Rhoda. At the restaurant, Ted doesn't know any etiquitte, and it shows. Back at Mary's apartment, Ted & Hal arm wrestle before Hal decides to go with Rhoda up to her apartment to look thru magazines for his picture. Ted stays with Mary to make Hal think that he spends more time with his girl than he does. The next morning, Mary, who got no sleep last to night, falls asleep while typing. When Ted asks her for another double-date, she refuses. Ted feels beated and, when Hal comes in to WJM-TV, tells him the truth: he's not dating Mary. Hal admits to being a career slump and having a mole surgically installed. As the 2 walk out together
#20 - Smokey the Bear Wants You
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/27/1971
Rhoda falls in love with a top executive, and is shocked to find that he wants to give up the high-flying lifestyle to become a forest ranger.
#21 - Howard's Girl
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/2/1971
Mary begins seeing Paul Arnell, the brother of her former boyfriend Howard Arnell, and is shocked to discover that the brothers' parents still believe that she and Howard are an item.
#22 - He's All Yours
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/12/1970
After Mary invites Lou's nephew home for dinner, she must confront false rumors in the newsroom the following day.
#23 - Anchorman Overboard
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/5/1970
Ted loses his self-confidence after speaking at Phyllis's club and Mary has to find a way to get Ted back on a high.
#24 - Assistant Wanted, Female
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/21/1970
Mary's workload gets too much so Lou allows her to hire an assistant. She chooses Phyllis who hinders more than she helps.
#25 - Toulouse-Lautrec is One of My Favorite Artists
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/31/1970
Mary begins seeing an author who appeared as a guest on WJM-TV's Scrutiny, and becomes extremely self-conscious after discovering he is several inches shorter than her.