The BEST episodes written by Dee Laduke
#1 - Suzanne Goes Looking for a Friend
Designing Women - Season 4 - Episode 23
A former beauty queen and current television weather forecaster announces her "coming out," causing a confused Suzanne to think she means she's the world's oldest debutante -- and to accept Eugenia's invitation to join her at a television industry dinner.
Watch Now:Amazon#2 - All About Odes to Atlanta
Designing Women - Season 6 - Episode 19
Songwriter Carlene gains notoriety -- and her first groupie -- by entering her ditty in the semi-finals Atlanta's theme-song contest, where she performs with Mary Jo and Julia, all decked out in "big hair" and costumes.
Watch Now:Amazon#3 - Blame it on New Orleans
Designing Women - Season 5 - Episode 19
When the gang attends a convention in intoxicating New Orleans, Mary Jo unwittingly sleeps with a married man.
Watch Now:Amazon#4 - Old Rebels and Young Models
Designing Women - Season 5 - Episode 7
Charlene's baby, Olivia, auditions for a modeling job, Mary Jo finds one of her former teachers in a nursing home.
Watch Now:Amazon#5 - High Noon in a Laundry Room
Designing Women - Season 5 - Episode 14
Anthony, concerned with his masculinity after working with the women so long, tries standing up to his bullying neighbor, and is further humiliated when the women come to his rescue.
Watch Now:Amazon#6 - Keep the Home Fires Burning
Designing Women - Season 5 - Episode 10
With her husband away on a mission, Charlene guiltily draws close to a man in her support group for military spouses who wife is also away. Meanwhile, lottery fever sweeps Sugarbakers.
Watch Now:Amazon#7 - And Now, Here's Bernice
Designing Women - Season 5 - Episode 12
After Bernice gets a local public-access cable TV show, Mary Jo has her heart broken by a client and decides that Bernice's show is the ideal arena to air her views on men.
Watch Now:Amazon#8 - Mamed
Designing Women - Season 6 - Episode 17
A tough-talking, hard-drinking, temperamental Broadway has-been promises to make Julia rue the day that she stole the role of Mame from her in Anthony's community-theater production. But on opening night she is too drunk to perform and Anthony is pressed into taking on the role.
Watch Now:Amazon
#9 - On the Couch
Girlfriends - Season 4 - Episode 16
Toni continues to see her therapist, Dr. Miller. Rather than following the doctor's advice and writing a letter to her mother detailing her grievances against her, Toni instead brings her mother to her sessions. Veretta stays with Toni and Todd and monopolizes the house. Todd tries to tolerate her rude and thoughtless behavior, but insists that she stop smoking in the house. Veretta refuses, and says that she doesn't have to listen to Todd because her daughter paid for the house. They get into a heated confrontation, and wind up ordering Toni to choose between them. Meanwhile, William worries that the fact that he and Donna have such different backgrounds (she cleans bed pans for a living and insists on travelling by bus) will impede their chances of having a future together. He vows to try his best to keep the relationship going, because he considers Donna to be special. Joan obsesses over whether to resume sessions with her own therapist after Lynn and Maya make several deris
Watch Now:Amazon#10 - Driving My Mama Back Home
Designing Women - Season 6 - Episode 14
Julia accompanies Mary Jo and her mother Darla on an overnight bus trip back to South Carolina; meanwhile, the other employees get locked into the storage room while doing inventory.
Watch Now:Amazon#11 - Miss Trial
Designing Women - Season 5 - Episode 4
Julia's dinner plans with former President Jimmy Carter and his wife are put on hold when her slow-moving jury gets sequestered.
#12 - If It's Broke, Fix It
Girlfriends - Season 4 - Episode 2
Toni refuses to speak to Todd because she is up in arms about his debt and feels betrayed by the fact that he failed to disclose this information sooner. While at the spa with Joan, Toni's ring is apparently repossessed by a woman on behalf of Harry Winston. A furious Toni plans to divorce Todd, but seems to soften as she discusses the situation with William. However, she still tries to throw Todd out of the house. After she explains that her greatest fear is becoming poor again, Todd says that he is afraid of losing her, and points out that he accumulated his debt trying to court her. Toni learns that Todd did not buy her ring at Harry Winston; the woman simply stole it after overhearing her conversation about debt. Todd gets Toni to agree to work on the marriage, and they reach a compromise about the insurance settlement for the stolen ring. Meanwhile, Joan confides in her new assistant, Peaches. She says that Ellis is away in New Zealand working on his movie, but she has dec
Watch Now:Amazon#13 - Fried Turkey
Girlfriends - Season 1 - Episode 9
Joan finds herself alone on Thanksgiving after everyone makes other plans for the holiday. After dining at 847, she meets Davis's friend Preston Hall, a handsome and highly successful attorney. Joan invites him back to her place for a home-cooked meal before he has to leave on the red-eye, but her friends suddenly begin appearing and she can't seem to get them to leave.
Watch Now:Amazon#14 - My Mother, Myself
Girlfriends - Season 2 - Episode 20
Maya is stunned to learn that her mother has decided to sell her house and move away with her boyfriend. Toni's mother surprises her by coming to town for Joan's Mother's Day brunch. William eagerly anticipates a visit from his mother, who comes bearing a cake from his aunt's award-winning recipe.
Watch Now:Amazon#15 - On the Road Again
Designing Women - Season 7 - Episode 4
In an attempt at spontaneity, a carefree Mary Jo takes off for Nashville on "a hen party on wheels" with Julia and Bernice, but become terrified when a trucker Bernice flirted with at a diner pursues them. Meanwhile, back at the office, Carlene and Anthony put their noses to the grindstone studying for midterms.
#16 - Sex and the Single Woman
Designing Women - Season 7 - Episode 2
Carlene allows herself to be seduced by her ex-husband, then admits she was just using him for sex.
Watch Now:Apple TV#17 - Marriage Most Foul
Designing Women - Season 6 - Episode 5
When Allison's ex-convict former flame (whom she turned in for insider trading) is released, she fears he is plotting revenge, instead, he proposes to her.
#18 - Picking a Winner
Designing Women - Season 6 - Episode 6
Mary Jo turns to a sperm bank to get pregnant, prompting mixed reactions at work. Meanwhile, Julia threaten to rip the draperies from the windows of the home of a wealthy client whose payment is overdue.
#19 - Just Say No
Girlfriends - Season 2 - Episode 2
Joan lies to Dr. Bales about ending her relationship with Toni, but he runs into them having lunch together. Toni is furious to learn that Joan has been talking to a therapist about her, and orders Joan to end their sessions. Joan continues to keep her appointments, and Dr. Bales suggests that she be more assertive with her friends. Lynn's boyfriend, Vosco, arrives from Jamaica, and Lynn hides him in Joan's house. William suddenly becomes more attractive to women after becoming engaged. Maya is upset by his insistence on flirting with all of his new admirers.
Watch Now:Amazon#20 - The Bridges of Fresno County
Girlfriends - Season 5 - Episode 20
Toni is surprisingly excited about a visit from her mother, as she hopes to be pampered before having her baby. However, she soon learns that her mother actually came to town because she recently received a letter from an ""old friend""--and is considering having an affair with him. Meanwhile, William and Joan panic when J-Spot has trouble bringing in customers. They hope to correct this by giving the place an air of exclusivity.
Watch Now:Amazon#21 - Loose Lips Sink Relationships
Girlfriends - Season 1 - Episode 21
After Toni accepts Clay's marriage proposal, a disapproving Joan advises her to look into her heart, as she believes that Greg is the one she really loves. Toni comes to agree with her, and tells Clay that she cannot marry him. Unfortunately, in the meantime, Joan (unaware that Greg and Toni are even still together) accidentally tells Greg that Toni is engaged to another man, prompting him to dump her. Meanwhile, William issues an ultimatum to Yvonne after she is shot in the line of duty; and Maya continues to try to avoid having sex with Darnell.
Watch Now:Amazon#22 - Dwayne's World
Designing Women - Season 6 - Episode 4
Mary Jo protectively takes divorcee Carlene under her wing -- going overboard with a lie about Carlene's latest flame -- when ex-hubby Dwayne shows up to sweep Carlene off her feet again.
#23 - Blood Is Thicker Than Liquor (a.k.a. Blood Is Thicker Than Water)
Girlfriends - Season 3 - Episode 22
Toni's family comes to town, and Toni worries that her mother will embarrass her in front of Todd's parents by voicing her objections to their Jewish background. Mrs. Childs becomes dejected about the bickering between Toni and her older sister, Sherri--whom Toni refuses to include in the bridal party--and falls off the wagon. Meanwhile, William worries that he will lose one of his few male friends when the man begins dating Maya.
#24 - P.D.A. - D.O.A.
Girlfriends - Season 5 - Episode 12
Maya and Toni question William and Joan's relationship because of their refusal to show affection in front of others. The couple gives holding hands in public a try, but soon runs into Joan's ex Brock. William is perturbed when Joan fails to tell Brock that they are dating, and suspects that she still has feelings for him. Maya and Toni back up this theory, and Joan is forced to admit this is true. Joan later gets into an argument with Brock and reaffirms her relationship with William. Meanwhile, the mother of Lynn's ex-boyfriend Lenny goes all out to try to reunite him with Lynn.
#25 - Losing It
Girlfriends - Season 8 - Episode 4
While experiencing writers block, Maya avoids her manager as her deadline approaches to complete her second book. Later, Maya learns that there may be some complications with her pregnancy and the doctor advises her to take it easy, but Maya doesn't comply. Meanwhile, Joan has a hard time getting Lynn to rent her apartment. Also, William and Monica realize differences in their relationship. Khalil Kain also stars.
#26 - A Scene From a Mall
Designing Women - Season 6 - Episode 18
Julia stages a sit-in at the mall to protest racial mistreatment of Anthony by brutish cops who accosted him for window shopping near a jewelry store -- and television coverage links Anthony romantically with Allison.
#27 - Mary Jo vs. the Terminator
Designing Women - Season 7 - Episode 3
After Julia completely rewrites a letter Mary Jo asked her to proofread, Mary Jo comes unraveled on a fashion-show runway, where she just plain has her fill of know-it-all Julia. Meanwhile, back at the office, B.J. has her hands full with angry vegetarians.
#28 - The Odyssey
Designing Women - Season 7 - Episode 12
B.J.'s contribution to the Democratic Party gets the Sugarbaker crew invited to the Inaugural Ball, but the trip proves to be a party for no one, even Julia, who struggles to maintain a cheery disposition in the face of disaster as bad weather forces a change in plans.
#29 - The Rabbit Died
Girlfriends - Season 5 - Episode 2
Toni's friends refuse to believe that she is pregnant, as they are certain it is all part of a ploy to win back Todd. Even after Toni shows them an ultrasound and experiences morning sickness, they still believe that she is lying and insist on tagging along to her doctor's appointment. After her pregnancy is confirmed, an apologetic Todd comes home to help care for her, but remains unsure about their relationship. Meanwhile, William grows fed up with Maya's poor performance at the office and places her on probation after her antics with client Rev. Al Sharpton (including giving him a copy of her book) prompt Sharpton to give William a lecture.