The WORST episodes of The Night Shift

Every episode of The Night Shift ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst 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: 11/17/2024Network: NBCStatus: Ended
Pilot
star
7.29
851 votes

#1 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/27/2014

Welcome to the night shift at San Antonio Memorial, where those who work the Night Shift are a special breed. Every night is a balancing act between the heroic efforts to save lives and the hard truths of running a hospital. After a rough night, TC Callahan, a gifted ex-Army doctor, deals with a life-threatening situation on his way into work. TC’s current colleague and ex-girlfriend Jordan Alexander angles for the top job to run the night shift but she must convince their new boss Michael Ragosa that she has what it takes to bring order to the chaos. TC and Ragosa clash over hospital business matters - TC would do anything to save a patient while Ragosa has his eye on the bottom line. Later, TC and Topher are called to the scene of a nighttime crash and must deal with a dramatic injury that demands all of TC’s expertise. Back at the hospital, ER psychiatrist Dr. Landry De La Cruz consoles the brother of the wounded teen while TC performs an unusual and extremely risky surgery. TC later counsels Drew about a secret he is keeping but unbeknownst to the staff, Ragosa is hiding a secret of his own.

Directors: Pierre Morel
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Grace Under Fire
star
7.44
661 votes

#2 - Grace Under Fire

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/17/2014

The emergency room is flooded with patients from an annual Alamo reenactment. TC, Jordan and Kenny deal with a critically wounded patient who is disoriented and suffering from amnesia. The patient is also wearing a bracelet indicating he declines medical treatment, putting Jordan in a professional bind with Ragosa. Meanwhile, Drew must keep a severely wounded soldier alive while being miles away from help. Back at the hospital, Ragosa helps himself to aspirin in Landry’s office but soon realizes he has taken something very different. Topher schedules a vasectomy operation and the staff can’t resist the temptation to tease him at every turn. Jordan’s long-distance boyfriend Scott, surprises her with a visit to the hospital.

Directors: Kevin Dowling
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Second Chances
star
7.50
800 votes

#3 - Second Chances

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/3/2014

When a Sheriff’s Deputy is critically injured, TC Callahan faces a personal challenge and struggles to do everything to save him, even calling in a cardiac specialist over the objections of his boss Michael Ragosa. Topher and Krista assist in the delicate surgery, while Jordan works to keep the peace and keep the ER running. Paul must attend to an elderly woman with a very challenging case. Kenny deals with an injured groom who has been hiding a secret from his bride. Meanwhile, Drew and Landry are faced with a 9-year-old boy who has suspicious injuries. While they initially suspect the mother, the truth is a little more complicated.

Directors: Bill Johnson
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Hog Wild
star
7.51
696 votes

#4 - Hog Wild

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/10/2014

TC and Paul are called to the chaotic scene of a nighttime hog-hunting excursion that has gone horribly wrong. One patient has lost a hand to a feral hog and another has been shot with an arrow through the chest. Topher deals with a resourceful 9-year-old girl who has come to the hospital on her own to seek treatment but soon realizes the case is far more complicated. Drew injures his hand during a MMA fight and enlists Krista to help him keep it a secret from Jordan. Ragosa seeks some family counseling from Landry and when Ragosa threatens to close down the staff hangout known as the "Tailgate," Landry helps him understand the benefits of a compromise.

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Ghosts
star
7.54
505 votes

#5 - Ghosts

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/23/2015

Paul, Ragosa and Kenny care for a quarantined patient exposed to radiation; TC, Drew, and Gwen race to the site of a multi-victim car cash; a former patient harasses Jordan; Joey pushes Krista to take her future into her own hands; Drew struggles with his recent breakup and TC gets an unwelcome surprise upon his return to the ER. ''Note: This episode and episode 6 aired out of order, resulting in some inconsistencies.''

Directors: David Boyd
Writer: Tom Garrigus
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Fog of War
star
7.57
470 votes

#6 - Fog of War

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/24/2015

As a thick fog descends upon San Antonio, the doctors must improvise to save the victims of a car crash; Topher, Drew and Kenny treat siblings injured in the fog. ''Note: This episode and episode 5 aired out of order, resulting in some inconsistencies.''

Directors: Jason Priestley
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Back at the Ranch
star
7.58
492 votes

#7 - Back at the Ranch

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/2/2015

The night shift is tested when a rancher accidentally shoots his wife. TC heads to a teen party to save the life of a young football star. Jordan and Kenny treat a beauty queen in severe distress. Topher makes a decision about his job.

Directors: Timothy Busfield
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Need to Know
star
7.59
453 votes

#8 - Need to Know

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/30/2015

T.C. discovers his sister-in-law's complicated history after he treats her for a fall down stairs; Jordan and Gwen tend to a boy who fell down a well; Ragosa must come clean to his daughter about his position at the hospital.

Writer: Gabe Fonseca
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Best Laid Plans
star
7.59
448 votes

#9 - Best Laid Plans

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/6/2015

A downtown gas explosion sends dozens of casualties to San Antonio Memorial Hospital.

Directors: Tara Nicole Weyr
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Aftermath
star
7.60
436 votes

#10 - Aftermath

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/20/2015

Jordan and Krista rescue the victim of a motorcycle crash on a deserted rural road. Miles away from an ER, they improvise emergency medical care for the injured motorcyclist and rush him to the nearest operating room -- in a veterinary hospital. Back at the hospital, TC and Paul race to diagnose the cause of a teenager's life-threatening overeating condition while Topher treats a friend who is concealing a dangerous secret. Meanwhile, Drew shrinks from the media's eye as his heroic gunman takedown goes viral, but he gets a welcome surprise when Rick returns.

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Hot In the City
star
7.61
277 votes

#11 - Hot In the City

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/29/2016

Shannon and Jordan venture out for some fun at a local wrestling event only to find themselves treating people onsite when a fight breaks out amongst the audience. Back at the hospital, Sam attends to a marathon runner who has collapsed from the heat and things start to heat up even more when the air conditioning breaks. Meanwhile, tensions between TC, Jordan, Sam, and Annie start to boil.

Directors: Darnell Martin
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The Thing With Feathers (2)
star
7.61
618 votes

#12 - The Thing With Feathers (2)

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/8/2016

In the second half of this two-part episode, TC (Eoin Macken) and Scott (Scott Wolf) work desperately to save a young boy and his mother who were injured in a car accident. With the boy's life hanging in the balance, the team starts to realize there is more to the family dynamic than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Drew (Brendan Fehr) and Syd (Jennifer Beals), deployed overseas in Afghanistan, deal with the aftermath of shots fired in the OR.

Directors: Timothy Busfield
Writer: Tom Garrigus
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Recovery
star
7.63
538 votes

#13 - Recovery

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/23/2015

Topher takes over as chief of the night shift. TC is temporarily suspended. Jordan is scrutinized for her mishandling of the man who shot a recovered Topher. A father is trapped under an elevator. Ragosa returns to the ER.

Directors: Eriq La Salle
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Parenthood
star
7.64
447 votes

#14 - Parenthood

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/13/2015

Drew finds himself in the middle of a shooting at a friend's Army promotion ceremony and springs into action, disarming the shooter. Later, he has to treat his best friend's wife and finds that her bullet injury has revealed an even more severe medical condition. Topher and TC treat a young woman whose chronic bouts of psychosis are becoming a danger to herself and her family. The ER team has to scramble to diagnose and treat the young woman before she is arrested for her mysterious, violent behavior. Paul treats a nine-year-old boy with severe cystic fibrosis and his concern for the boy's health leads him to break a few rules regarding hospital protocol. Meanwhile, Ragosa is devastated when his financial troubles put his daughter's Quinceañera in jeopardy.

Directors: David Boyd
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Hold On
star
7.64
458 votes

#15 - Hold On

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/27/2015

A building collapses during a rodeo; Scott causes a serious car accident.

Directors: Timothy Busfield
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Shock To The Heart
star
7.65
498 votes

#16 - Shock To The Heart

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/16/2015

TC, Joey, and Gwen rescue an injured skydiver from the site of a near-fatal crash. Joey and Krista counsel the skydiver's girlfriend after they uncover serious complications in the operating room. TC, Topher, and Ragosa treat an electrocuted janitor whose family gathers around him in the ER. When the patient's wife and children suddenly come down with their own life-threatening symptoms, the night shift team works overtime to save them. Jordan and Paul attend to a college student who comes to the ER with a mild fever. As they uncover the cause of her condition, Jordan teaches Paul a difficult lesson about his limitations as a doctor. Meanwhile, Rick arrives at the hospital with an injury that he hides from his boyfriend, Drew.

Directors: David Boyd
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Moving On
star
7.65
443 votes

#17 - Moving On

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/4/2015

TC introduces the night shift team to his MMA group therapy leader Colonel Elwood "Smalls" Green (guest star, country music legend Trace Adkins), who surprises the group with special greeting from the White House. Jordan and Paul help a nine-year-old boy with a serious fever. When his high-strung mother begins to exhibit signs of distress as well, the team realizes there is more to the family dynamic than meets the eye. Topher is faced with a big decision about making an emergency trip overseas to help an old mentor. TC grapples with whether to accompany him on the journey. Meanwhile, Ragosa, Drew and Krista compete for the strangest cases of the night as the full moon brings out the worst in people.

Directors: Eriq La Salle
Writer: Jon W. Fong
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Eyes Look Your Last
star
7.65
499 votes

#18 - Eyes Look Your Last

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/9/2015

The night shift crew is put to the test when a teenage couple and a young mom land in the emergency room after a serious car crash. Topher, TC, Jordan and Scott tend to the youngsters, who were returning from their secret wedding. As the girl’s condition worsens, TC tries in vein to calm her distraught father. Jordan and Gwen tend to the other victim, a young pregnant woman whose fiancé is deployed in Afghanistan. The team hastily arranges a proxy wedding so that she can be married before delivering the baby through an emergency caesarian section. Meanwhile, Paul tends to a wealthy, eccentric hospital benefactor who teaches him it’s ok to follow his heart.

Directors: Eriq La Salle
Writer: Zach Lutsky
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The Way Back
star
7.71
594 votes

#19 - The Way Back

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/15/2016

Drew returns from deployment in Afghanistan and can't seem to shake off the stress of being back from overseas. Things get crazy right away as he, Jordan and Kenny treat a bride (Lindsey Morgan, "The 100") and her wedding party who have been injured during the festivities, as well as her father, whose presence is not making things easier. Meanwhile, TC helps Topher entertain his demanding mother, whose extended visit is putting stress on the family.

Directors: Tara Nicole Weyr
Writer: Janet Lin
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Get Busy Livin'
star
7.74
546 votes

#20 - Get Busy Livin'

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/29/2016

A college co-ed falls from a balcony and once she is in the ER, TC and Paul find that her situation is even more complex. Jordan bonds with a terminal patient who teaches her some important lessons about living. TC's errant sister-in-law Annie returns and hopes to make amends. Meanwhile, Jessica - a pharmaceutical rep with cutting-edge equipment that Scott is so close to getting for the hospital - if her tension with TC doesn't kill the deal.

Directors: Nicole Rubio
Writer: Gabe Fonseca
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Sunrise, Sunset
star
7.74
440 votes

#21 - 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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By Dawn's Early Light
star
7.74
570 votes

#22 - 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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Darkest Before Dawn
star
7.74
438 votes

#23 - 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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Emergent
star
7.76
586 votes

#24 - 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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Do No Harm
star
7.77
606 votes

#25 - 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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