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The Best Episodes of Hill Street Blues

Every episode of Hill Street Blues ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Hill Street Blues!

Binge this in 1d 4h•Peaking at 8.7/10

A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Hill Street Blues Season 2 Episode 11 - Freedom's Last Stand
    8.7/10(164 votes)

    S2:E11

    Bates plays in the interdepartmental poker finals; Fuchs refuses to help out one of his own men caught forging prescriptions; Henry goes undercover on a smash-and-grab purse snatching detail; Delgado admits he's afraid of testifying before the commission; Joyce chides Furillo for being naive about his supposed innocence protecting him against the commission; the scam saloon closes down after a gun battle; and a furious Furillo testifies before the commission and offers his resignation to Chief Daniels.

    Director:Gregory Hoblit
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco, Michael I. Wagner

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  2. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 14 - Grace Under Pressure
    8.7/10(151 votes)

    S4:E14

    Sergeant Esterhaus dies unexpectedly and the whole station house tries to deal with their grief as they eulogize the man. Meanwhile, Leo finds out his wife is cheating on him; Bates may get a unique promotion; Mrs. Furillo is mistakenly arrested for soliciting by a rookie; Sandy is raped.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writers:Karen Hall, Michael I. Wagner, Mark Frost

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  3. Hill Street Blues Season 2 Episode 8 - The World According to Freedom
    8.6/10(161 votes)

    S2:E8

    Belker meets an eccentric calling himself ""Captain Freedom"" while on a stakeout; LaRue gets more than he bargained for as a cell plant when he overhears an arson suspect taunting an accused child molester; and Furillo issues an ultimatum to the gangs after a savage massacre in a local tavern.

    Director:Jeff Bleckner
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Hill Street Blues Season 7 Episode 22 - It Ain't Over Till It's Over
    8.6/10(131 votes)

    S7:E22

    Sid and Furillo work to find out who is setting up Buntz while Daniels publicly vilifies him; LaRue decides to beat a TV crew doing a live broadcast from a gangster's cellar to the punch; Bates agrees to go out with Sal the plumber; rumors are flying about what will happen to the station house after a three-alarm fire guts it.

    Director:Stan Lathan
    Writers:David Milch, John Romano

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  5. Hill Street Blues Season 3 Episode 1 - Trial by Fury
    8.5/10(144 votes)

    S3:E1

    Furillo throws away the rule book when two young men rape and murder a nun during a church robbery; Belker befriends gay prostitute Eddie Gregg; Calletano faces a tax audit; and Joyce feels helpless as public opinion works to destroy her client.

    Director:Gregory Hoblit
    Writer:David Milch

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  6. Hill Street Blues Season 1 Episode 15 - Rites of Spring (2)
    8.4/10(186 votes)

    S1:E15

    Furillo and Neal go out of their way to help clear an obnoxious, racist narcotics detective accused of shooting an unarmed black man; LaRue's drinking gets really out of hand; and Hill and Renko try to help a young black woman accused of neglecting her children.

    Director:Gregory Hoblit
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Hill Street Blues

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  7. Hill Street Blues Season 1 Episode 1 - Hill Street Station
    8.3/10(421 votes)

    S1:E1

    Precinct Captain Furillo tries to defuse a hostage situation despite the advice of his gung-ho Emergency Action Team leader and the temperament of a self-absorbed gang leader; public defender Joyce Davenport tries to find a client who has been lost in the bureaucratic maze; Detective LaRue gets a lapful of coffee; Sgt. Esterhaus confides to Fay about his teenage sweetheart; Officers Hill and Renko are shot in the line of duty.

    Director:Robert Butler
    Writer:Steven Bochco

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  8. Hill Street Blues Season 2 Episode 4 - The Second Oldest Profession
    8.3/10(149 votes)

    S2:E4

    Bates loses a junkie prostitute through an error in judgement; Hudson beats up his lawyer after his release on bail; Furillo and Joyce reconsider their separation; and Esterhaus ends his friendship with Mac.

    Director:Robert Butler
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco

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  9. Hill Street Blues Season 3 Episode 19 - Eugene's Comedy Empire Strikes Back
    8.3/10(123 votes)

    S3:E19

    Bates poses as a bus driver; LaRue continues to groom Vic Hitler for his debut; Daniels is ready to sacrifice Coffey to quiet public opinion; and Furillo and Davenport take a major step in their lives.

    Director:David Anspaugh
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, David Milch

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  10. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 5 - Doris in Wonderland
    8.3/10(123 votes)

    S4:E5

    Commander Ozzie Cleveland enters the mayoral race; Officer Perez accidentally shoots a little boy; Daniels begins ""Operation Tenderloin"" out of a sexual cafeteria; and Mahoney tries to make political capitol for Daniels out of a shooting.

    Director:Arthur Allan Seidelman
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 17 - The End of Logan's Run
    8.3/10(111 votes)

    S4:E17

    Belker has a final run in with his bald headed pickpocket with many names; Joyce defends a man whose brother plans to threaten the prosecution witness into silence; and Operation Stop 'N Cop begins.

    Director:Christian I. Nyby II
    Writers:Mark Frost, David Milch

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  12. Hill Street Blues Season 2 Episode 17 - The Shooter
    8.2/10(123 votes)

    S2:E17

    Belker tries to renew his expired driver's license; Renko tries to take his father home from the hospital; LaRue rehabilitates himself with Furillo; and everyone follows the trail of the gun used to kill two officers during a burglary.

    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco

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  13. Hill Street Blues Season 3 Episode 8 - Requiem for a Hairbag
    8.2/10(143 votes)

    S3:E8

    LaRue and Washington open Maizel's safety deposit box and find evidence of his corruption; Bates and Coffey try to help an abused child with her baby; Belker ends his insurance scam investigation with a visit to Hill's doctor; and Daniels pressures Furillo to keep quiet about Maizel.

    Director:Bob Kelljan
    Writer:Mark Frost

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  14. Hill Street Blues Season 3 Episode 22 - A Hill of Beans
    8.2/10(115 votes)

    S3:E22

    Belker and LaRue learn that Washington was set up by someone in the station house; the long overdue cash payroll is hijacked; Joyce meets a really nice purse snatcher; and Furillo finds Jesus Martinez behind bars.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Mark Frost, David Milch

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  15. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 8 - Midway to What?
    8.2/10(116 votes)

    S4:E8

    Bates and Coffey clean up ""Buck Naked"" for a court appearance; a busted bookie turns over several tapes incriminating cops on the take, including a rookie Hunter; Belker pursues a paraplegic who spray painted his car; and Hill boxes for the precinct.

    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writers:Karen Hall, Michael I. Wagner, Mark Frost

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  16. Hill Street Blues Season 4 Episode 12 - Nichols from Heaven
    8.2/10(102 votes)

    S4:E12

    The rats return; Esterhaus is hospitalized for tests; Bates, Coffey and Joyce try to protect a woman and her children from her abusive husband; the latest cop killing looks to be a hired gun copying the random killer; and the corruption investigation strikes close to Hill Street; Hill Street gets word of the murder of Marty Nichols.

    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Hill Street Blues Season 6 Episode 9 - What Are Friends For?
    8.2/10(110 votes)

    S6:E9

    Belker goes to the dogs working undercover at the pound; Furillo chases down the reason he's been denied mortgage insurance; LaRue and Washington bust a former baseball star for drunken driving; and Buntz is held hostage by a vicious parolee.

    Director:John Patterson
    Writer:Dick Wolf

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  18. Hill Street Blues Season 1 Episode 5 - Double Jeopardy
    8.1/10(211 votes)

    S1:E5

    Neal continues to investigate Macafee's life as a way of clearing LaRue; Belker and several others go undercover dressed as women to catch a rapist; Esterhaus broods over his two women; and Goldblume questions his ability after losing a jumper.

    Director:Robert Butler
    Writer:Steven Bochco

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  19. Hill Street Blues Season 1 Episode 14 - Rites of Spring (1)
    8.1/10(166 votes)

    S1:E14

    Furillo and Neal go out of their way to help clear an obnoxious, racist narcotics detective accused of shooting an unarmed black man; LaRue's drinking gets really out of hand; and Hill and Renko try to help a young black woman accused of neglecting her children.

    Director:Gregory Hoblit
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco

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  20. Hill Street Blues Season 2 Episode 3 - The Last White Man on East Ferry Avenue
    8.1/10(139 votes)

    S2:E3

    Hill and Renko handle a domestic call involving an old man threatening his neighbors with a shotgun; Hudson looks for the informer in his gang; and Joyce asks Furillo for advice about the Downey case.

    Director:David Anspaugh
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco

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  21. Hill Street Blues Season 2 Episode 6 - Cranky Streets
    8.1/10(142 votes)

    S2:E6

    Hill covers for an old friend with personal problems who uses excessive force on an arrest; Coffey arrests an old family friend during a visit to his old neighborhood; Fay introduces her fiance; and negotiations breakdown between the police union and the city.

    Director:Randa Haines
    Writer:Robert Crais

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  22. Hill Street Blues Season 2 Episode 18 - Invasion of the Third World Body Snatchers
    8.1/10(116 votes)

    S2:E18

    Renko's father takes a final trip around the city; Belker goes undercover to find out who has been knifing winos; and Joyce finds her faith restored as she defends a nice young man accused of rape whose alibi is reluctant to testify.

    Director:Gregory Hoblit
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco

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  23. Hill Street Blues Season 3 Episode 4 - Rain of Terror
    8.1/10(122 votes)

    S3:E4

    Gennaro accompanies Belker on a drug buy; LaRue and Washington set up two patrolmen accused by Hogan of stealing from burglary victims; Renko's birthday is less than happy; and Furillo uses his favor to Detweiler to save Goldblume's job when Hogan's accusations prove partially correct.

    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writer:Anthony Yerkovich

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  24. Hill Street Blues Season 3 Episode 16 - Moon Over Uranus: the Final Legacy
    8.1/10(122 votes)

    S3:E16

    The courts settle Daniels' crime operation; a jealous Furillo questions Joyce about her interview at the Justice Department; LaRue imports a surplus tank; Fay gets herself arrested so she can confront Judge Grogan about the paternity of her expected child; and Goldblume outthinks some gang members threatening a stand up young man who turned in their friends.

    Director:David Anspaugh
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Michael I. Wagner, David Milch

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  25. Hill Street Blues Season 3 Episode 17 - The Belles of St. Marys
    8.1/10(120 votes)

    S3:E17

    LaRue makes a fool of himself with some high school girls; Belker endangers his relationship with Robin by trying to protect her; a talkative comic is brought in on numerous parking tickets; Goldblume and Calletano clash over seniority and rank; Coffey is forced to deal roughly with a man tripping on PCP.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:Anthony Yerkovich, Michael I. Wagner, David Milch

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Best Episodes Summary

"Freedom's Last Stand" is the best rated episode of "Hill Street Blues". It scored 8.7/10 based on 164 votes. Directed by Gregory Hoblit and written by Anthony Yerkovich, Steven Bochco, Michael I. Wagner, it aired on 1/28/1982. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Grace Under Pressure".