The WORST episodes of Welcome Back, Kotter
Every episode of Welcome Back, Kotter ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Welcome Back, Kotter!
Gabe Kotter, formerly a Sweathog, returns to James Buchanan High as a teacher and is assigned the remedial class to which he once belonged. Mr. Kotter is an involved and caring teacher, which one would have to be in dealing with a certain four students in his class, who end up in trouble on a regular basis -- lady's man Vinnie Barbarino, the always cool Freddie "Boom-Boom" Washington, the tough Juan (Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos) Epstein, and the sheepish Arnold Dingfelder Horshack. Welcome Back, Kotter was based on Gabe Kaplan's own high school experiences with redmedial education and a teacher who cared dearly for her students. Changes on the show. Gabe Kaplan left the series in the third season. He hadn't expected the show to run as long as it had. Kotter was made Vice-Principal, and thus was seen considerably less. John Travolta, of course, found his own place as a celebrity, leaving the show around the same time Gabe Kaplan did (returning every so often as a "spec
#1 - Washington's Clone
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/11/1978
A younger student begins to imitate Freddie, not much to Freddie's liking.
#2 - A Winter's Coat Tail
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/16/1978
Vinnie is saddened when his new coat is stolen.
#3 - The Sit-In
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/13/1976
The Sweathogs, diverged from a food-fight, hold a sit-in to protest the school cafetieria's Wednesday liver.
#4 - I'm Okay, But You're Not
Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 6/1/1979
Beau plays a number of pranks on Mr. Woodman.
#5 - Beau's Jest
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/18/1978
A new student, Beau De Labarre, sets up Epstein with a bad date.
#6 - Don't Come Up and See Me Sometime
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/25/1978
Vinnie throws the Sweathogs out of his new apartment.
#7 - The Bread Winners
Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 6/8/1979
While Horshack adjusts the married life, Epstein sets up an interview for a job. Washington gets the job before Epstein, unaware that it's the same job. The two get into a fight and end up in a gym ready to box.
#8 - The Sweatmobile
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/9/1978
The Sweathogs remember how they tried to buy a used car from Vinnie's uncle.
#10 - Oo-Oo, I Do (2)
Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/25/1979
Arnold gets upset when the other Sweathogs tease him about not being able to provide for Mary, and he vanishes. Mary finds him and convinces him not to worry, and the two get married.
#11 - Oo-Oo, I Do (1)
Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/25/1979
Arnold's relationship with Mary gets serious. Then he finds out he has to move and leave the school. Upset, Arnold decides to propose marriage to Mary. She accepts.
#12 - Sweatside Story
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/1976
The Sweathogs form a gang, but won't let Arnold in until the night of their first rumble, and Arnold, against the idea of being killed, brings along Gabe and Mr. Woodman in order to prevent the fight.
#13 - Barbarino's Girl
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/25/1975
In order to bring up Vinnie's grades, Judy Borden, highly unpopular with the Sweathogs, is called in to tutor him. But when the two start liking one another, problems arise.
#14 - The Gang Show
Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/17/1979
Freddie and Juan plan to do an act together for the upcoming talent contest, while Carvelli has some bribed judges up his sleeves. Arnold and Beau take over as judges, leaving Murray in the third spot.
#15 - Come Back, Little Arnold
Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/24/1979
To get up his nerve with Mary, Carvelli offers Arnold liquor. He doesn't like the idea at first, but as time goes on, he becomes addicted to drinking; developing a scary and unlikable new personality that only turns Mary away.
#16 - A Little Fright Music
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/2/1978
The Sweathogs opt to change Mr. Woodman's tired old school song.
#17 - Frog Day Afternoon
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/25/1978
After Horshack refuses to disect a frog in class, his grade is in jeopardy.
#18 - The Barbarino Blues
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/4/1978
Vinnie becomes depressed when it seems that he has lost his way with women.
#19 - Horshack and the Madame X
Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 2/23/1978
Arnold, saddened by the rejection he keeps recieving from the opposite sex, gets advice and comfort from Julie before quickly falling in love with her.
#20 - Good-Bye, Mr. Kripps
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/16/1978
Mr. Kripps, the shop teacher, has a heart attack and dies while yelling at Vinnie, who blames himself for the man's death.
#21 - There's No Business (2)
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/2/1978
Gabe must choose between the comedy life, or his life at Buchanan.
#22 - Dr. Epstein, I Presume
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/29/1976
Juan, because of his love for animals, decides that he would like to be a veterinarian. A guidance couselor quickly thwarts his dream, until he performs an emergency operation on his pet hamster.
#23 - The Longest Weekend
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/6/1976
When Julie goes away on a ski trip with a friend, stories from the Sweathogs and Mr. Woodman lead Gabe to be worried about the possibility of Julie cheating on him while she is away.
#24 - The Museum
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/28/1976
Mr. Kotter takes the sweathogs on a field trip to a museum. Mrs. Kotter and Mr. Woodman are along as chaperones. They meet the unusual museum curator Mr.Gore (John Astin) who seems odd and superstitious. In the Egyptian display, he warns them of the mummy coming back to life if they joke and kid around. Naturally, the door shuts itself and everyone is trapped. They humorously begin to panic and make attempts to get out. Epstein manages to get the door open.
#25 - The Fight
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/21/1976
Sparked by the fact that Vinnie neglected to do Freddie's homework, the Sweathogs spend the better part of class fighting with one another.