The WORST episodes of The Wonder Years

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

The Wonder Years tells the story of Kevin Arnold facing the trials and tribulations of youth while growing up during the 1960s. Told through narration from an adult Kevin, Kevin faces the difficulties of maintaining relationships and friendships on his enthralling journey into adulthood.

Last Updated: 12/4/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
Poker
star
7.05
80 votes

#1 - Poker

Season 6 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/24/1993

Over a game of poker we learn some truths about Kevin's friends, including that Chuck thinks he's gotten Alice pregnant, that Randy is worried about failing trigonometry and that Paul and Kevin are drifting apart.

Who's Aunt Rose?
star
7.10
107 votes

#2 - Who's Aunt Rose?

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/6/1991

Kevin learns the importance of family when Grandpa Arnold returns to town for Aunt Rose's funeral.

Pfeiffer's Pfortune
star
7.10
106 votes

#3 - Pfeiffer's Pfortune

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/18/1991

The Pfeiffer and Arnold families have always been friends, but that friendship is threatened when the Pfeiffers come into a lot of money due to a real estate investment that Jack Arnold passed on. When the Arnolds are invited to the Pfeiffers country club, Jack cannot handle it. Norma saves the day with a toast to the families' continuing friendship

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Eclipse
star
7.12
103 votes

#4 - Eclipse

Season 6 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/3/1993

On the way to the Planetarium, Kevin and Winnie and Alice and Chuck play "Truth or Dare." When Winnie asks Kevin what he'd change about her, he thinks and then says sometimes she is just too perfect. She doesn't appreciate this and tries to prove that she make trouble as well as anyone else.

Directors: Stephen Cragg
Birthday Boy
star
7.14
198 votes

#5 - Birthday Boy

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/11/1989

When Kevin's birthday party is scheduled for the same day as Paul's Bar Mitzvah, Kevin feels put out, but also becomes interested in family traditions.

Directors: Steve Miner
Broken Hearts and Burgers
star
7.14
106 votes

#6 - Broken Hearts and Burgers

Season 5 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/13/1992

Kevin is torn between whether to try getting back with Winnie or just enjoying his time at the diner with friends. Includes flashbacks of Winnie in the pilot, "Steady as She Goes," "Nemesis," "How I'm Spending My Summer Vacation,"" among many others. There is also a flashback to Becky Slater in "Just Between You and Me and Kirk and Paul and Carla and Becky," to Lisa Berlini in "Dance with Me" and to Madeline in "It's a Mad, Mad, Madeline World."

Directors: Ken Topolsky
The Little Women
star
7.16
101 votes

#7 - The Little Women

Season 6 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/31/1993

Kevin and his dad don't know what to do about the women in their lives. First, Winnie has out-scored Kevin in the SATs and is thinking of applying to Harvard and Princeton. Second, Norma has gotten a job as a financial supervisor, leaving Jack to think she'll neglect her household duties. When the two Arnold men realize that the women in their lives are upset at their attitudes, Kevin takes Winnie to the bowling alley to apologise, only to find his dad has done the same thing for Norma.

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Lunch Stories
star
7.19
103 votes

#8 - Lunch Stories

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/18/1992

It's lunchtime at McKinley High and the cafeteria is full of life. Chuck spies a potential date. Ricky worries about an assignment he is yet to finish. Wayne tries to win $20 by finding out Maniac's first name. And Kevin is convinced by Winnie to donate blood.

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Courage
star
7.20
110 votes

#9 - Courage

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/13/1991

Kevin has a small crush on Dr. Tucker's dental hygienist, Miss Hasenfuss. She makes him feel like a man, though that all changes when she calls him in for his first cavity filling.

Directors: Daniel Stern
The Wonder Years
star
7.20
100 votes

#10 - The Wonder Years

Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/15/1991

A clip show of highlights from Kevin's years in Junior High. Including clips from "Don't You Know Anything About Women," "The Glee Club," "Just Between You and Me... and Kirk and Paul and Carla and Becky," "Summer Song" among others.

Directors: Nick Marck
The Test
star
7.22
110 votes

#11 - The Test

Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/2/1992

While Kevin and Winnie are concerned about their futures, Jack gets a disappointing evaluation from his employers at NORCOM. Kevin doesn't want to end up in a job like his dad has and Jack is getting pretty tired of it, too.

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Day One
star
7.23
113 votes

#12 - Day One

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/9/1991

Kevin's first day of high school is not all it's cracked up to be. He tries to set himself up as the class clown, but it backfires. He is hassled by a nerd and his new teacher, Mr. Botner. Even Winnie can't make him feel better.

Directors: Daniel Stern
The Journey
star
7.23
120 votes

#13 - The Journey

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/3/1990

News of a 10th-grade girls' slumber party has Kevin and his friends traveling across the city, believing they'll be invited in if they bring beer.

Directors: Peter Werner
The Cost of Living
star
7.24
125 votes

#14 - The Cost of Living

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/10/1990

When Kevin learns that Paul gets a weekly allowance of five dollars and that there is money to be made being a caddy, he goes to work for the first time.

Directors: Nick Marck
Writer: Mark Levin
The Candidate
star
7.25
113 votes

#15 - The Candidate

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/9/1991

Kevin enters the race for student-council president, head-to-head with nemesis Becky Slater.

The Ties That Bind
star
7.26
141 votes

#16 - The Ties That Bind

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/14/1990

When the family needs money, Jack demands a raise and gets it. But his new position means travelling across the country and it looks like he might miss Thanksgiving.

Directors: Peter Baldwin
Watch Now:Amazon
Road Trip
star
7.27
108 votes

#17 - Road Trip

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/6/1991

Kevin and his father endure a disastrous trip together to buy a suit for Kevin. They get lost and argue over the radio station and Kevin embarrasses Jack at a diner they stop at.

Directors: Ken Topolsky
Watch Now:Amazon
Fate
star
7.27
203 votes

#18 - Fate

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/28/1989

When Kevin confronts the school bully, he's driven by his love for Winnie.

Directors: Steve Miner
Writer: Bob Brush
Watch Now:Amazon
When Worlds Collide
star
7.31
105 votes

#19 - When Worlds Collide

Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/20/1991

Kevin's quest to remain cool is shattered when Norma takes a job at his school. He tries to rebel by stealing a hallpass for Tony Barbella, but Norma catches him in the act. When Norma acknowledges him during a fire drill and the other kids laugh, Kevin decides it is time to ask his mother to stop noticing him at school.

Directors: Lyndall Hobbs
Watch Now:Amazon
A Very Cutlip Christmas
star
7.32
117 votes

#20 - A Very Cutlip Christmas

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/12/1990

Kevin discovers a soft-spot inside Cutlip when he sees him playing Santa Clause at a local mall.

Directors: Michael Dinner
Writer: Mark Levin
Watch Now:Amazon
Nose
star
7.32
106 votes

#21 - Nose

Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/24/1993

When Kevin and friends are asked to write down the ways they feel inferior, they have trouble thinking of something. They don't have any problems picking on the new girl with the big nose. Ricky decides to ask her to an upcoming dance anyway, but all his friends laugh at him - none of them realising how insensitive they are being.

Directors: David Greenwalt
Writer: Sy Rosen
Watch Now:Amazon
Kevin Delivers
star
7.32
115 votes

#22 - Kevin Delivers

Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/25/1992

It's another day of work for Kevin, who keeps calling Winnie when he can - even though he keeps getting in trouble with Mr. Chan because of it. Kevin also feels he is in competition with the pizza delivery guy.

Directors: Arthur Albert
Watch Now:Amazon
It's a Mad, Mad, Madeline World
star
7.33
155 votes

#23 - It's a Mad, Mad, Madeline World

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/24/1990

Kevin has to cancel a date with Winnie to finish a homework assignment with Madeline, who has already kissed him once. To make matters worse, when he flees Madeline's, he drops a bracelet that Winnie had engraved for him.

Directors: Rob Thompson
Watch Now:Amazon
The Yearbook
star
7.33
111 votes

#24 - The Yearbook

Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/10/1991

Kevin finds himself in the in-crowd when he is invited to write witty captions for the photos in the yearbook. But when it comes to writing one for the fat kid in school, Peter Armbruster, Kevin has a hard time figuring out what is funny and what will hurt Peter.

Directors: Neal Israel
Watch Now:Amazon
Brightwing
star
7.34
167 votes

#25 - Brightwing

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 4/18/1989

Kevin becomes his sister's confidant when he discovers she is skipping school to go to ""the hill.""

Directors: Daniel Stern
Watch Now:Amazon