The BEST episodes of Who's the Boss? season 5

Every episode of Who's the Boss? season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Who's the Boss? season 5!

When Tony Micelli takes a job as housekeeper for Angela Bower, a successful businesswoman, he and his daughter, Samantha, move into Angela's home. Now Tony and Sam must adjust to their new lives with the Bowers- Angela, her son Jonathan, and her mother, Mona.

Last Updated: 9/25/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
Boozin' Buddies
star
8.00
14 votes

#1 - Boozin' Buddies

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/7/1989

Samantha gets drunk one night, and when she sees Tony drinking the next day, she calls him a hypocrite because he told her drinking was wrong.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Working Girls
star
8.00
12 votes

#2 - Working Girls

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/11/1989

At a practical program, where students are assigned different jobs, for Sam and Bonnie there are only two left: domestic engineer with Tony or advertising with Angela. Sam decides in favor of the housekeeping job which she regrets soon. The following day Bonnie and Sam switch their jobs but working for Angela isn't any fun, neither.

Directors: Frank Bonner
Watch Now:Amazon
Party Double
star
8.00
16 votes

#3 - Party Double

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/28/1989

Angela gets invited to a dinner at which Frank Sinatra is to perform; Tony, a huge Sinatra fan, is to be her guest. When business affairs leave her unable to go, Mona goes in her place, but doesn't tell Tony that the ticket is nontransferable.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
My Fair Tony
star
7.94
17 votes

#4 - My Fair Tony

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/25/1988

In an effort to better himself, Tony heads off to college. The public speaking class is headed up by a strict grammer enthusiast who singles Tony out as an impossible case. Its My Fair Lady as Tony does a complete turnaround, but he alienates himself from his family and friends and must rely on the "inner Tony" to figure out who he really wants to be.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: David Lesser
Watch Now:Amazon
First Date
star
7.94
17 votes

#5 - First Date

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/21/1989

Discouraged that Angela had to pay for an escort for a dinner event, Mona convinces Tony to ask her out on a date. The date hardly seems like a first for them, though, as they discover how much they know about each other. Things get ugly when Angela learns the reason behind the evening, and attacks an obnoxious comedian.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Double Dump
star
7.94
16 votes

#6 - Double Dump

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/6/1988

Samantha and Mona both break up with their boyfriends on the same night, so they go out to eat at a restaurant to clear their minds, which troubles Tony.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
A Spirited Christmas
star
7.87
15 votes

#7 - A Spirited Christmas

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/20/1988

The wife of Mona's brother has died. But to go to heaven she must make Mona reconcile with her brother. Tony is picked out as the mediator.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Heather Can Wait
star
7.85
13 votes

#8 - Heather Can Wait

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/21/1989

The Bowers get new neighbors: the Harpers. But they are a little bit too snooty and an big argument between Tony/Angela and the Harpers comes up. But Jonathan and Heather, the Harper's daughter, have fallen for each other.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Sam's Car
star
7.83
18 votes

#9 - Sam's Car

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/18/1988

Young Samantha has reached a teenage milestone - she has her driver's license! But in upscale Connecticut she feels left out when Bonnie gets a brand new car but Tony buys Samantha a hazard light on wheels! It comes down to pride vs love when it's discovered she's parking blocks away from her school.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
It's Somebody's Birthday
star
7.83
18 votes

#10 - It's Somebody's Birthday

Season 5 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/16/1989

Tony gets a new car as birthday present. First his pride forbids to accept it but after some encouragement he, however, decides to keep the car. But selling his Van brings up memories of good old times.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Alan Mantel
Watch Now:Amazon
Nineteen Again
star
7.81
21 votes

#11 - Nineteen Again

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/1/1988

Tony has been invited to a frat party and Angela accompanies him. But there Angela drinks a little too much of the (with alcohol mixed) bowle and 'entertains' those present. In the end Angela and Tony land up in the campus jail.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Tony Does Golf
star
7.78
18 votes

#12 - Tony Does Golf

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/25/1989

Tony has a new passion: golfing. Angela wins a country club membership for Tony. There Tony meets the owner of the biggest nationwide sport articles store who currently gives away a big advertising order. And of course, Angela's after this order, too.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Teacher's Pet
star
7.50
16 votes

#13 - Teacher's Pet

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/3/1989

Mason should run a seminar at the college, which also Tony attends. Because Mason is quite nervous Tony and Angela give him some hints: among these is also the tip that he should concentrate on one person. And Mason has choosen this one person: Tony.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
A Jack Story
star
7.47
15 votes

#14 - A Jack Story

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/29/1988

Angela engages a new employee. Because in the evening the both work together more and more often and longer, Tony fears the worst:he gets jealous.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Joe Fisch
Watch Now:Amazon
Cardinal Sin
star
7.47
15 votes

#15 - Cardinal Sin

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/7/1989

Tony goes to an 'Old Timer'-meeting of the Cards in St. Louis,accompanied by Angela. There Tony meets also his old friend Betty.But to prevent approaching attempts he introduces Angela as his wife. When Tony is 'unfaithful', the 'marital row' follows.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Winter Break
star
7.47
15 votes

#16 - Winter Break

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/14/1989

Tony and Sam spend a weekend together skiing in Vermont. There Tony meets Lisa, his skiing instructor. But Sam isn't happy about her father's fling. Inbetween - at home - Angela and Mona catches a cold.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
In Sam We Trust
star
7.47
15 votes

#17 - In Sam We Trust

Season 5 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/9/1989

Sam's friend Scott gets nervous about French finals, so on test day, Sam gives Scott the answers. When Tony finds out, he takes Sam's car privileges. But when Sam has to take chemistry finals, someone gives Sam the answers to the test, but she does not use it. When the teacher sees the answers under Sam's desk, he calls Tony. But will anyone believe anything she says?

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: David Lesser
Ton-an-Enterprises
star
7.42
12 votes

#18 - Ton-an-Enterprises

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/31/1989

Again Sam comes home with an expensive T-shirt. This time Tony wants to show her that she can have them cheaper and produces some of them himself. Angela and Sam persuade him selling them at the flea market. Both of them help him, especially Sam hopes she can get rid of her debts which she has made at Jonathan. But it happens what has to happen: Angela and Tony quarrel.

Ode to Angela
star
7.41
17 votes

#19 - Ode to Angela

Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/2/1989

Angela married Brian 20 years ago. As this was just meant as a college joke, Brian drove down to Mexico the following day to annul this marriage. But now when Brian wanted to marry again, he is told, that his marriage with Angela is still valid.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Men Are People, Too
star
7.40
15 votes

#20 - Men Are People, Too

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/4/1989

Angela hires a shy contractor to put a skylight in the kitchen. He takes an immediate liking to Mona, who agrees to go out with him. When he learns that he is not the only man in Mona's life, he abandons the skylight job. Tony accuses Mona of having no respect for men's feelings.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Yankee Doodle Micelli
star
7.31
16 votes

#21 - Yankee Doodle Micelli

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/22/1988

Tony feels guilty when he remembers he got his grandfather in trouble when he was a child, causing him to never take the American citizen swearing in, so Tony does the swearing in for his grandfather.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Apple TV
Life with Father
star
7.20
15 votes

#22 - Life with Father

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/13/1988

Samantha wants to go to Vermont ski lodge for the weekend, but Tony forbids her. Sam goes anyway. Along the way, she remembers everything her father did, even the embarassing moments.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Your Grandmother's a Bimbo
star
7.18
17 votes

#23 - Your Grandmother's a Bimbo

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/29/1989

Mona has saved the order for Angela and designs now the new get-up for the magazine 'Mature Woman'. Jonathan runs for treasurer in his school. For the magazine's cover Mona let herself photograph scantily dressed. When Jonathan schoolfellows see this cover, his chances getting elected seem to be gone.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Bud Wiser
Mrs. Rossini's Uncle
star
7.15
13 votes

#24 - Mrs. Rossini's Uncle

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/10/1989

Mrs. Rossini visits Tony. Accompanying her is her young uncle Al.Al is attending the nearby Beauty College and Tony should take care of him. In the course of this Sam and Al come closer.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Lee Aronsohn
Living Dolls
star
7.14
14 votes

#25 - Living Dolls

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/28/1989

Sam visits a beauty school run by Angela's friend. While there, she meets Charlie, a friend of hers from the old neighborhood, who is living there. Charlie is unhappy with her life there, and is considering running away.

Directors: John Sgueglia
Writer: Ross Brown