The BEST episodes of The Night Shift

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

"The Night Shift" focuses on the men and women who work the overnight shift at San Antonio Memorial Hospital. They are an irreverent and special breed, particularly adrenaline junkie T.C. Callahan. After three grueling tours of duty in Afghanistan, T.C. is about to learn that his toughest battles will be fought right here at home. He and his team of late-night docs, including best friend Topher and protégé Drew, know how to let off steam with the casual prank or two, but when lives are at stake, they are all business. Unfortunately, the night shift is now under new senior management and boss Michael Ragosa, who has to balance the real-world pressures of cutting costs while battling the stigma that he is more interested in saving money than helping people.

Last Updated: 2/24/2024Network: NBCStatus: Ended
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Save Me
star
8.13
605 votes

#1 - Save Me

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/15/2014

Topher is gravely wounded in a shootout with Milo. TC and Scott perform Topher’s emergency surgery as TC struggles to keep his increasingly troubling Afghanistan flashbacks under control. After experiencing the hostage situation, Jordan comes to understand the immense pressure that TC has been under since leaving Afghanistan. She struggles to maintain her composure when she must treat Milo, who was responsible for the shooting. Meanwhile, an explosion at a fertilizer factory sends badly burned victims to the ER and threatens to overwhelm the shorthanded staff. Krista must step up to manage a patient who is crashing. Jordan learns a devastating secret about TC.

Directors: Vincent Misiano
Writer: Gabe Fonseca
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Burned
star
8.08
585 votes

#2 - Burned

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 8/31/2016

Scott and Jordan must perform surgery in the field as the burning wildfire gains intensity around them. Syd has caught Typhus along with hundreds of other patients on the Syria-Turkey border, and TC goes to great lengths to get the medication. Meanwhile, Drew and Rick fight to keep Brianna, while San Antonio Memorial finds an unlikely buyer, though saving the hospital comes at a cost.

Directors: Tara Nicole Weyr
Writer: Tom Garrigus
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Blood Brothers
star
8.03
602 votes

#3 - Blood Brothers

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/8/2014

When a small plane goes down near San Antonio, TC and Topher chopper out to the scene and retrieve the lone survivor. Back in the ER, they deal with his serious injuries but must fend off Milo, a menacing law enforcement officer with a hidden agenda. Paul is mesmerized by an injured exotic dancer who lands in the emergency room after falling during her performance. When her condition takes a mysterious turn for the worse, Paul, Kenny and Drew are baffled by her life threatening symptoms and must go to an already swamped Jordan for help. Krista tries to help a teenager with a serious eating disorder that her family refuses to recognize. Meanwhile, TC struggles with increasing flashbacks and the traumatic death of his brother in Afghanistan.

Directors: Martha Coolidge
Writer: Zach Lutsky
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Off the Rails
star
7.98
635 votes

#4 - Off the Rails

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/29/2017

An amusement-park disaster results in mass-casualty victims flooding the hospital. Also, TC continues his quest to reunite with Syd; Drew reevaluates his priorities as a new father; Jordan tries to get Paul back on staff; Scott pursues a more active role in the hospital

Directors: Oz Scott
Writer: Tom Garrigus
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Resurgence
star
7.98
522 votes

#5 - Resurgence

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/31/2017

A shooting at a nearby college sends TC, Jordan, Drew and Amira into the field, where they assist Rick with a deadly situation. Scott implements a new training program and locks horns with Julian. Drew struggles with frustrations about going to Army Ranger School while Shannon and TC both contemplate their future at San Antonio Memorial.

Directors: Jeff Judah
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R3B0OT
star
7.97
538 votes

#6 - R3B0OT

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/17/2017

When Jordan realizes the hospital is under cyber-attack, she leads the team in managing patient care as chaos ensues. Drew and Kenny treat a critical patient forcing Drew to call on his medical and military training. TC joins Rick and his partner on a SWAT drug raid. Meanwhile, he wrestles with whether or not he should return to Syria to tie up loose ends.

Directors: Terrell Clegg
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Turbulence
star
7.96
596 votes

#7 - Turbulence

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/20/2017

Drew faces an emergency on his flight home when passengers become sickened. Also, some staffers participate in an obstacle-course fund-raiser hosted by Akbar Gbajabiamila ("American Ninja Warrior"); Scott has an unforgettable date; TC treats a soldier.

Directors: Timothy Busfield
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Family Matters
star
7.94
572 votes

#8 - Family Matters

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/27/2017

Kenny joins Drew at his MMA veteran's support group and finds himself in the fight of his life. Jordan and Cain treat casualties from a hotel fire while Shannon follows a hunch to help save a young victim. Paul's superstar sister, Dr. Bella Cummings, pays a visit to San Antonio Memorial and provides desperately needed support during a busy shift. Meanwhile, TC finally returns home, forcing him to deal with Topher's death.

Directors: Eoin Macken
Writer: Tom Garrigus
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Keep the Faith
star
7.91
549 votes

#9 - Keep the Faith

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/10/2017

When protestors descend on a funeral for a dear member of the night shift family, multiple veterans are injured and brought to San Antonio Memorial for treatment. A high profile politician from Drew's past triggers flashbacks to his time in Iraq. Jordan, Scott, and TC disagree on how to best provide care for the politician. Paul and Shannon must improvise while tending to Doug, a former POW. Cain and Drew treat a fearless photographer.

Directors: Timothy Busfield
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
star
7.90
564 votes

#10 - Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/3/2016

TC risks his life to rescue a victim of a crane collapse and Scott reunites with a boy he paralyzed. Jordan lends support in Scott's emotional case, which stirs up complicated feelings from the past.

Directors: Jeff Judah
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Recoil
star
7.90
686 votes

#11 - Recoil

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/22/2017

Jordan and Drew perform a daring rescue by jumping from a chopper. Landing at the nearest VA hospital, Jordan sparks a plan to appease Julian and reunite her night shift team. Back at the hospital, Paul deals with the repercussions of standing up to his father while Scott dives headlong into his professional life. Kenny butts heads with Cain, a traveling nurse with a mysterious past. Shannon indoctrinates Cain as they work in San Antonio Memorial's understaffed and overworked ER. Meanwhile, TC is held captive in Syria. In order to find Syd TC must treat his captor instead of returning to the safety of an air base with a civilian volunteer, Amira.

Directors: Marisol Adler
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Unexpected
star
7.88
557 votes

#12 - Unexpected

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 7/27/2016

When a bomb explodes outside the hospital, TC (Eoin Macken), Topher (Ken Leung) and Drew (Brendan Fehr) are forced to make the tough decision to stay and treat the injured or evacuate and begin transfers to nearby hospitals. Everything changes when TC suddenly realizes he may know the person responsible for the explosion. While the team works feverishly to tend to the wounded, the nurses go on strike just when the hospital needs them the most. Meanwhile, throughout the intense night shift, Shannon (Tanaya Beatty) and Paul (Robert Bailey, Jr.) attempt to confront each other about something personal.

Directors: Marisol Adler
Writer: Janet Lin
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Coming Home
star
7.86
569 votes

#13 - Coming Home

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/1/2014

Drew is looking forward to the return of his boyfriend Rick from his overseas deployment but things go terribly wrong as a horrific crash sends badly wounded soldiers, including Rick, into the emergency room. Drew struggles to keep his relationship under wraps with TC’s help, as they both try to save Rick. TC and Scott argue over who is in charge and Jordan realizes she has to deal with some unresolved feelings for TC. Topher struggles to diagnose a soldiers illness as Krista fends off the flirtations of young soldiers in the emergency room, and Paul must contend with their good-natured teasing because he looks so young. Kenny discovers Ragosa’s online dating profile and offers to help fix it up.

Directors: David Boyd
Writer: Janet Lin
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Trust Issues
star
7.85
555 votes

#14 - Trust Issues

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 8/3/2016

TC's hot temper results in a bar brawl, landing him and Drew in jail. Meanwhile, Jordan discovers her new date's secret life; Topher fights for a patient dismissed by numerous doctors; Scott struggles to save his relationship; Jessica tries to gain TC's trust; and Syd meets Brianna.

Directors: Oz Scott
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Land of the Free
star
7.85
535 votes

#15 - Land of the Free

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/24/2017

TC and Jordan accompany a SWAT team on a raid and wind up with an emergency room full of sickened immigrants, including one with murderous intentions. Scott pulls a dream team together to impress the Colonel in charge of setting up a combat training program. More is learned about Cain's past. Kenny shares some big news with the group, while Shannon keeps something personal from Paul.

Directors: Gabe Sachs
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All In
star
7.84
572 votes

#16 - All In

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/13/2016

Topher's mother arrives in the ER with life-threatening symptoms. As her condition deteriorates, the team works furiously to save her before it's too late. Drew and Shannon treat a gravely injured foster mom and while Drew bonds with the scared young foster daughter, the team discovers the mother has a secret. Meanwhile, Jordan and Scott treat a patient with a rare condition and when an important piece of equipment needed for his treatment fails, Jordan must enlist the help of TC's new girlfriend Jessica whose company makes the machine.

Directors: Tara Nicole Weyr
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Three-Two-One
star
7.83
622 votes

#17 - Three-Two-One

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/22/2016

As the city erupts in violence over an impending jury verdict, the night shift becomes ground zero when they have to take in the man suspected of the racially-motivated shooting at the source of the unrest. His presence in the emergency room sparks sharp conversation and disagreements among the staff over the highly-charged topic and even close friends Kenny and Paul find themselves at odds. Topher does his best to control the mounting chaos in the ER while out in the field, TC makes a decision as to which of two patients to bring in, leaving Paul and Scott to question TC's motives. TV-14 D, L, V.

Directors: Oz Scott
Writer: Zach Lutsky
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Storm Watch
star
7.83
608 votes

#18 - Storm Watch

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/24/2014

An epic storm hits San Antonio and the emergency room is awash in patients and must use their battlefield skills to deal with massive power outages. TC and Dr. Scott Clemmens race to the scene of a mudslide disaster to treat a gravely injured mother and her son. Paul rises to the challenge of caring for the boy, whose condition takes an unexpected turn for the worse. Scott considers an offer from Ragosa to join the hospital staff as head trauma surgeon. Jordan isn’t sure that’s going to work out with the tensions between TC and Scott. Landry is caught by surprise when a family member shows up at the hospital looking for money to cover his debts. She finds some needed moral support from Ragosa. Meanwhile, Topher must head out into the storm to help his wife who is stranded and going into labor with twins.

Directors: Eriq La Salle
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Control
star
7.82
575 votes

#19 - Control

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/13/2017

A patient from a distant town arrives for surgery. Meanwhile, Jordan gets creative to help a veteran in need; Drew struggles with being a working parent; Kenny learns to not worry about trivial matters; and TC joins in a daring rescue mission in Syria.

Directors: Oz Scott
Writer: Joe Hortua
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The Times They Are A-Changin (1)
star
7.81
605 votes

#20 - The Times They Are A-Changin (1)

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/1/2016

The night shift crew is back for more action and the gang finds themselves immersed in a life-and-death rescue of a woman gravely injured in a car accident. While TC Callahan, Scott Clemmens and Topher Zia deal with the situation at the hospital, Drew Alister is serving time overseas in Afghanistan and he, along with colleague Syd Jennings, have to figure out a way around the cultural divide to treat a young Afghani woman. Jordan Alexander has recruited Shannon Rivera to the night shift team and the recent med school graduate is eager to prove herself, but her spunky, outspoken nature may not sit well with everyone, particularly Paul Cummings. TC's sister-in-law, Annie, returns and JR Lemon also stars as Nurse Kenny Fournette.

Directors: Timothy Busfield
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Do No Harm
star
7.77
603 votes

#21 - Do No Harm

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/6/2017

Jordan and Cain travel to the scene of an oil-field explosion and treat a patient with extreme injuries. Also, Drew and Paul try to save a patient's severed hand; Scott encounters a person from his past; and TC tries to help a sick Syrian child.

Directors: Marisol Adler
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Emergent
star
7.76
584 votes

#22 - Emergent

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 8/24/2016

In part one of this two-part season finale, Scott and Jordan face grave danger during a rescue mission at a rapidly spreading wildfire outside San Antonio. Tensions are high between Syd and TC as they find themselves in the middle of a humanitarian crisis on the Syria-Turkey border. Paul and Shannon argue over treatment for a patient. Meanwhile a major setback threatens Drew's adoption plans for Brianna, Topher struggles to find a buyer for the hospital and medication goes missing.

Directors: Timothy Busfield
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Sunrise, Sunset
star
7.74
437 votes

#23 - Sunrise, Sunset

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/11/2015

Drew and Paul head to the scene of a multi-car collision while the newly-anointed Dr. Ragosa along with Jordan, Scott, Krista and Kenny, manage the deluge of incoming victims. Meanwhile, TC and Topher head into a war zone to treat an old friend.

Directors: Kevin Hooks
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Darkest Before Dawn
star
7.74
436 votes

#24 - Darkest Before Dawn

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/18/2015

TC and Topher return from Afghanistan to find Jordan's life on the line and San Antonio under fire as two deadly snipers terrorize the city. TC and Scott unite to care for a comatose Jordan and her unborn baby. Drew and Gwen are caught in a fire fight when a SWAT Team corners the two snipers. Meanwhile Dr. Joey Chavez scrubs back in for the night, and he calls into question his future with Krista. Ragosa helps Paul make a difficult decision about his future.

Directors: Eriq La Salle
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By Dawn's Early Light
star
7.74
568 votes

#25 - By Dawn's Early Light

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/6/2016

TC and Topher rush to the scene of a concert where a fireworks explosion has caused massive chaos. As the two jump in to manage the mess, a second explosion causes problems for one of our own. Syd, returns from Afghanistan and helps out with the team at San Antonio Memorial but finds herself grappling with best plans for herself and her young daughter. Drew tries to help but runs afoul of their unique family dynamic. Paul and Shannon put aside their differences to treat a patient and find they have more in common than they thought. Meanwhile, Jordan and Scott treat a patient injured in the fireworks explosion and have a chance to address some simmering differences.

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