Arli$$ backdrop
Comedy

The Best Episodes of Arli$$ Season 1

Every episode of Arli$$ Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Arli$$ Season 1!

Binge this in 4h 52m•Peaking at 8.4/10

A behind-the-scenes look at the glitzy, big-money world of professional sports following the eternally optimistic and endlessly resourceful L.A. sports agent Arliss Michaels whose Achilles' heel is his inability to say “no” to clients and

Airs on
HBO
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons7

All1234567

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 1 - A Man of Our Times
    8.3/10(27 votes)

    #1 - A Man of Our Times

    S1:E1

    While being nominated for the civic honor "Man of Our Times," Arliss must juggle one client's plans for a same-sex marriage on the opening night of a huge ice-skating tour, Kirby's gambling habit, and another client's financial ruin and impending unemployment.

    Director:Andy Wolk
    Writer:Robert Wuhl

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 2 - Negotiating: It's Never Personal
    6.8/10(21 votes)

    #2 - Negotiating: It's Never Personal

    S1:E2

    While high-school hoops sensation Shaler Halimon announces he'll skip college and jump straight to the NBA, Arliss positions himself as Shaler's agent and uses the opportunity to settle a score with team owner Buddy Reingold.

    Director:Nick Marck
    Writer:Robert Wuhl

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 3 - How to Turn a Minus into a Plus
    8.2/10(26 votes)

    #3 - How to Turn a Minus into a Plus

    S1:E3

    AMM client and boxing champ Sucre Rey Santos finally gives in and grants top contender Cojones Ochonez a title fight. The huge payday means Arliss can finally buy that Gulfstream Jet he's had his eyes on. But when Ochonez is arrested and tossed in jail, the fight is no mas. However, Arliss gets the governor to sign off and approve the fight, allowing HBO to televise the Battle in the Bighouse, live from the state penitentiary.

    Director:Nick Marck
    Writer:Robert Wuhl

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 4 - Athletes Are Role Models
    7.8/10(19 votes)

    #4 - Athletes Are Role Models

    S1:E4

    Temptation gets the better of squeaky-clean QB Dan Hendricks. Arliss battles with a client's desire to confess his sins to the world while keeping the suspicious media and his scorned wife at bay.

    Director:Tucker Gates
    Writer:Kevin Falls

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 5 - What About the Fans?
    7.1/10(18 votes)

    #5 - What About the Fans?

    S1:E5

    L.A. Kings owner Flora Lansing dangles part-ownership in front of Arliss if he can find a new home for her hockey team--provided there's a new stadium, complete with luxury boxes and PSLs. But this must be kept a secret! So Arliss shops the team to three prospective homes: Raleigh-Durham, Las Vegas, and Mexico City.

    Director:Rodman Flender
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 6 - The Company You Keep
    8.3/10(19 votes)

    #6 - The Company You Keep

    S1:E6

    Mike Armstrong, president of multinational CPM, is interested in buying AMM. Arliss never dreamed of selling until he hears what Armstrong's paying. AMM staffers, particularly Kirby, Rita, and Stanley, know their boss is up to something and begin to worry about their job security.

    Director:Mary Kay Place
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Arli$$

    READ
  7. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 7 - Colors of the Rainbow
    6.9/10(24 votes)

    #7 - Colors of the Rainbow

    S1:E7

    A reporter overhears Arliss talking about the Jaboos of South Street, a rival stickball team from his old neighborhood and interprets this as a racial slur. A media siege begins and Arliss is under fire. Meanwhile, free-agent relief pitcher (and white supremacist) Trevor Heath decides to let Arliss represent him upon hearing the comments.

    Director:Rodman Flender
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 8 - Crossing the Line
    7.7/10(16 votes)

    #8 - Crossing the Line

    S1:E8

    Why would Arliss even consider representing Anya Slovachek, the 186th ranked woman tennis player whose father is a psychotic maniac? Well, when he sees Anya with his own eyes, Arliss' mind is made up for him.

    Director:Robert Wuhl
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 9 - Timing Is Everything
    8.4/10(29 votes)

    #9 - Timing Is Everything

    S1:E9

    Arliss and Kirby decide to take beach volleyball to the next level by creating a new made-for-TV indoor tour with high-level glitz, oiled bodies, fluorescent sand, and heavy promotion. But everything goes afoul as the tour's top women's pair have irreconcilable differences, and one of the top guys infects his toe on a petrified kelp pod.

    Director:Jace Alexander
    Writer:Kevin Falls

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 10 - The Client's Best Interest
    8.3/10(20 votes)

    #10 - The Client's Best Interest

    S1:E10

    In the 12th annual Den of Thieves Rotisserie Baseball League, Arliss and Kirby hope their Frozen Ropes can bring the title back where it belongs, away from cosmetic surgeon Vic Freed and his hated Silicone Valley. Arliss must resolve a conflict of interest between the good of the Frozen Ropes, and the good of AMM client and Phillies ace Ned Bastille.

    Director:Michael Tollin
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Arli$$ Season 1 Episode 11 - The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #11 - The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

    S1:E11

    As a kid, Arliss idolized Hall of Fame outfielder Rocky Framaggio so much that he still carries around the Rock's rookie card. And now, after a chance meeting at the racetrack, Arliss decides to help the downtrodden Rock make some scratch and get back on his feet. But after the Rock strikes out at three job attempts, Arliss comes up with a stroke of marketing genius.

    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"A Man of Our Times" is the best rated episode of "Arli$$" season 1. It scored 8.3/10 based on 27 votes. Directed by Andy Wolk and written by Robert Wuhl, it aired on 8/10/1996. This episode is rated 1.5 points higher than the second-best, "Negotiating: It's Never Personal".