The WORST episodes of Wiseguy

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

Vinnie Terranova does time in a New Jersey penitentiary to set up his undercover role as an agent for the OCB (Organized Crime Bureau) of the United States. His roots in a traditional Italian city neighborhood form the underlying dramatic base throughout the series, bringing him into conflict with his conservative mother and other family members while acting undercover as syndicate enforcer.

Last Updated: 11/23/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
To Die in Bettendorf
star
5.20
5 votes

#1 - To Die in Bettendorf

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/17/1990

Steelgrave's former accountant, Sid Royce, is suffering in the Witness Protection life Frank assigned him. When his wife leaves, he snaps and decides to get revenge against Frank for destroying his life. Jenny agrees to have dinner with Frank, then invites him back home. Their romantic evening is destroyed when Sid pulls a gun on them. Jenny talks Sid into letting Frank go by convincing him she's his missing wife. Frank kills Sid in front of Jenny, ending whatever chance they might have had at reconciling.

Directors: Jorge Montesi
Watch Now:Amazon
Dead Right
star
5.67
3 votes

#2 - Dead Right

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/8/1990

Hillary asks Frank and Santana for help in a lawsuit involving defective aircraft parts.

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Meet Mike McPike
star
5.83
6 votes

#3 - Meet Mike McPike

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/10/1990

During a budget meeting, Frank gets a call from Jenny that his father is causing trouble at the rest home he's at. Frank takes Mike home while he looks for a new home for him. Mike tells Frank he's not going to leave until Frank reconciles with Jenny. Vinnie takes Mike to a bar for lunch and the old man gets them into a brawl. Jenny reluctantly agrees to have dinner with Frank and Mike. Mike realizes Frank and Jenny aren't going to get back together, so he allows Frank to find him a new rest home.

Directors: Robert Woodruff
Writer: Frank Megna
Watch Now:Amazon
Sleepwalk
star
5.83
6 votes

#4 - Sleepwalk

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/25/1989

Frank and Dan urge Vinnie to try and reconcile with Amber. At their urging, he goes to her, they make love, then she demands that they see a counselor. Following their therapist's advice, they go away for the weekend, where they both realize they're too involved in their careers to be able to maintain a relationship with each other.

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Point of No Return
star
6.00
3 votes

#5 - Point of No Return

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/8/1990

When his brother-in-law disappears, Santana is drawn into a web of police corruption.

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Black Gold
star
6.00
1 votes

#6 - Black Gold

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/17/1990

The arrival of a shipload of Haitian "boat people" in Miami inadvertently interferes in Santana and McPike's plans to catch Guzman in an illegal act, and opens up a new case.

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Romp
star
6.00
4 votes

#7 - Romp

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/7/1990

Feeling lonely, Vinnie joins his old buddy Mike Caccatori at the bachelor party for their high-school friend Jimmy "The Legend" Vitale, but the trio's friendship is put to the test when Jimmy reveals that he's broke and owes money to a loan shark. It ends up being a dream.

Directors: Ken Wahl
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The Reunion
star
6.17
6 votes

#8 - The Reunion

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/15/1989

Vinnie attends his 15-year high school reunion and bumps into two old friends, one a mob lawyer and one a detective. Vinnie is torn between telling Denise he's a cop and protecting his cover. Frank tells Vinnie that Denise has bugged his house, making Vinnie furious and determined to teach Denise a lesson. Denise and Mooch get married.

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La Mina
star
6.33
3 votes

#9 - La Mina

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/1/1990

Santana learns the details of Guzman's money laundering operation and comes face to face with the drug lord who cost him his job as a Federal prosecutor.

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A One Horse Town
star
6.33
6 votes

#10 - A One Horse Town

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/14/1990

Frank's reporter friend tells him about a corrupt town in Washington, spurring Frank to assign Vinnie to the case. Vinnie sets his cover as a truck driver whose rig just got repossessed. The local sheriff investigates Vinnie and finds out he used to be a cop, so he offers him a job as deputy. Vinnie prevents Bobby from killing Volchek, then fakes Bobby's death to win Volchek's trust.

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Let Them Eat Cake
star
6.40
5 votes

#11 - Let Them Eat Cake

Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/21/1990

Vinnie takes a job hauling hospital waste as he continues to hide out in Seattle. Frank finds out Volchek is going to bribe a state official to get the license for his hospital and plans to arrest them after dinner. Roger uncovers Volchek's cryogenic vault. Lacey talks to Roger about how important Volchek is to the town, causing him to throw the arrest.

Directors: James A. Contner
Watch Now:Amazon
Le Lacrime D'Amore (1)
star
6.43
7 votes

#12 - Le Lacrime D'Amore (1)

Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/24/1989

Vinnie warns Amber about her lawyer, but Amber thinks he's just jealous. Vinnie runs into an old high school buddy who urges Vinnie to pursue Amber. Vinnie uncovers proof the lawyer is conning Amber into selling Shakala. Amber and Vinnie fall in love.

Directors: Frank E. Johnson
Watch Now:Amazon
Day Nine
star
6.43
7 votes

#13 - Day Nine

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/20/1989

Vinnie is the fall guy in the alleged plot to disrupt the Japanese economy, prompting the Attorney General to launch a classified Senate investigation that could cost Vinnie his badge. Fearing her career is ruined, Kate attempts suicide. After hearing all the evidence, the Attorney General relieves Vinnie of his duties, stating there's enough to prosecute him for treason. Prescott Wilson arrives and places all the blame on Masters. Masters goes off the deep end and kills Strichen. Vinnie is cleared of all charges.

Directors: Les Sheldon
Watch Now:Amazon
The Gift
star
6.50
2 votes

#14 - The Gift

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/24/1990

Santana impresses Guzman with his trustworthiness and finds himself getting deeper into Guzman's operations, a move that endangers his father and Dahlia.

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Hello Buckwheat
star
6.50
6 votes

#15 - Hello Buckwheat

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/14/1990

Vinnie calls in Roger Lococco to take over the case, then holes up in a seedy hotel in Seattle. Frank is more interested in looking for Vinnie than in nailing Volchek. Paul orders Frank to continue the case and offers him another agent, which Frank refuses. Roger takes over as sheriff. Dan moves to Seattle to support Frank and look for Vinnie.

Directors: Jonathan Sanger
Watch Now:Amazon
Call It Casaba
star
6.50
8 votes

#16 - Call It Casaba

Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/17/1989

Wrapping things up at Shakala, Frank reminds Vinnie that they're scheduled to go fishing in the morning. Vinnie and Amber go to dinner, stay up all night talking. Vinnie is surprised to find they're going fishing with Lifeguard, who is in an emotional struggle over his daughter's plans to marry. Frank, Vinnie and Dan have a long talk about relationships around the campfire. Dan agrees to meet his future son-in-law. Frank tries to reconcile with Jenny. Vinnie decides to go after Amber.

Directors: Gus Trikonis
Watch Now:Amazon
Day Four
star
6.57
7 votes

#17 - Day Four

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/6/1989

In the aftermath of economist Valenti's assassination, new paths open in Vinnie's investigation of the plot to disrupt the Japanese economy. Although Vinnie strongly suspects that Masters is behind the plot, he follows the trail Masters sets out for him. Vinnie and Kate both go to Utah to track down the mysterious Mr. Wilson.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
6.60
5 votes

#18 - People Do It All the Time

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/8/1989

Vinnie and Frank try to cheer up Dan, who's depressed about becoming a grandfather. When Lauren finds a phony check in her husband's pocket, she asks Dan to investigate, and he uncovers a scam a local builder is using to bilk his insurance company. The builder is shut down, throwing Stephen out of a job and making him decide to leave town.

Directors: Jonathan Sanger
Watch Now:Amazon
How Will They Remember Me?
star
6.60
5 votes

#19 - How Will They Remember Me?

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/1/1989

When a local priest finds a box that belonged to Pete, he takes it to Vinnie, who finds a diary of his father's inside. As he reads it, he finds out about a dark episode involving his father and the local mob. The episode uses black and white film and familiar faces to bring John's diary to life.

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Meltdown
star
6.60
5 votes

#20 - Meltdown

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/28/1990

Volchek becomes depressed over losing the hospital. Roger and Frank try to save Lynchboro by getting Volchek to realize he really is in control. Vinnie goes to Kousakis when he realizes the waste they're dumping is causing a hepatitis outbreak in a nearby school, then attacks Kousakis when he tells Vinnie to mind his own business. Vinnie tries to alert an official to the toxic waste, but it turns out the guy is corrupt and tells Kousakis to kill Vinnie. Feeling trapped, Vinnie kills the two gunmen sent to kill him, then flees into the night. Roger leaves, telling Frank to tell Vinnie they're now even.

Directors: Frank E. Johnson
Watch Now:Amazon
Day Seven
star
6.83
6 votes

#21 - Day Seven

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/13/1989

Vinnie and Dan find evidence of the counterfeiting ring in Utah, but it seems to have come too easily, so Vinnie heads into the mountains to meet a billionaire recluse, Prescott Wilson, who might hold the key to the truth in the case. Frank and Vinnie convince Senator Pickering to delay passage of Senator Getzloff's trade bill while they search for the plane carrying the yen. Masters presents the Attorney General with photos of Vinnie and Kate talking with Wilson, as well as the printing plate with Vinnie's prints on it. Frank is ordered to arrest Vinnie.

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Changing Houses
star
7.00
3 votes

#22 - Changing Houses

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/8/1990

Santana goes after a group of high school drug dealers who shot his niece after she witnessed the murder of her high school principal.

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Brrump—Bump!
star
7.00
5 votes

#23 - Brrump—Bump!

Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/18/1990

Frank has an out-of-body experience, then briefly awakens when he hears Vinnie calling him. Kousakis kills Harriet, then hides out at the church while waiting to kill Boden. Vinnie decides to try repairing the church bells in the hopes that they will awaken Frank from his coma. Vinnie discovers Kousakis in the bell tower, but Kousakis jumps to his death before Vinnie can summon the police. Vinnie repairs the bells and rings them, waking Frank.

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Day One
star
7.00
7 votes

#24 - Day One

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/29/1989

Vinnie is called to Washington to investigate a counterfeiting operation designed to sabotage the Japanese economy. Frank warns Vinnie to be careful, that there is some kind of power play going on, because Paul was mysteriously sent to Thailand, leaving Mark in charge. Vinnie suspects Masters wants to set him up for throwing the coup of Isle Pavot. Mark is relieved of duty when he loses control after his former mentor is murdered. Vinnie meets Kate Gallagher.

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And It Comes Out Here
star
7.00
11 votes

#25 - And It Comes Out Here

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/8/1989

Despite Paul Beckstead's misgivings, Vinnie uses Diana's record to start a bidding war in the hopes of selling Dead Dog to a bigger label. When Vinnie signs elusive James Eliot, Newquay offers to buy Dead Dog without Vinnie, Bobby or Diana. Diana balks at Newquay's offer, revealing they used to be lovers. Contrary to Frank's wishes, Vinnie sells Dead Dog to Isaac. Frank warns Vinnie that Newquay has been digging into Vinnie's past.

Directors: Bill Corcoran
Watch Now:Amazon