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The Best Episodes of Philly

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

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Philly is an American television series created by Steven Bochco that focused on criminal defense attorney Kathleen Maguire. It lasted a full season and was canceled due to low ratings. The final episode was advertised

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Philly Season 1 Episode 13 - Ripley, Believe It Or Not
    8.4/10(18 votes)

    #1 - Ripley, Believe It Or Not

    S1:E13

    No description available

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Philly Season 1 Episode 20 - Tall Tales
    8.3/10(21 votes)

    #2 - Tall Tales

    S1:E20

    Will's client takes him and the judicial system for a ride when he is charged with assault after his girlfriend dumps him on a tabloid TV show for another man. Kathleen faces an uphill battle in defending a woman who is unrepentant about killing the man who raped and tortured her after he is released on a technicality and threatens to rape her again. Will's never forgetting a pretty face foils Cabretti's attempt to dig up some dirt on Dan.

    Director:Jesse Bochco
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Philly Season 1 Episode 14 - Meat Me in Philly
    8.2/10(18 votes)

    #3 - Meat Me in Philly

    S1:E14

    A dying man's confession gives Kathleen what she needs to get a convicted rapist a new trial; Will and Erin clash in court over a wife charged with assaulting her husband with a frozen steak; and a Maguire & Froman client takes a dramatic leap of faith to avoid a certain prison sentence.

    Director:Charles Haid
    Writer:Tom Szentgyorgyi

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  4. Philly Season 1 Episode 15 - Lies of Minelli
    8.2/10(17 votes)

    #4 - Lies of Minelli

    S1:E15

    Kathleen races to get her wrongfully convicted client a new trial after finding that evidence may have been swept under the rug. Meanwhile, the owner of escort service recruits Maguire & Froman to clear her name in a prostitution case that could ruin her career—and her clients; and Will defends a high-school teacher accused of sexually molesting a student, who may have a darker secret to protect

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Philly Season 1 Episode 17 - There's No Business Like No Business
    8.1/10(29 votes)

    #5 - There's No Business Like No Business

    S1:E17

    Kathleen represents an innocent client who happened to be in the wrong car at the wrong time and is now charged as an accessory to murder. Tommy Cabretti, the prosecutor assigned to the case, knows that he doesn't have enough evidence to convict, but his ego gets in the way and he refuses to negotiate a plea in good faith. Despite warnings from Judge Armstrong and Dan, Kathleen brings Cabretti up on charges of prosecutorial misconduct. Before the hearing begins and Cabretti will be forced to testify, Dan forces Cabretti to withdraw all charges against Kathleen's client. To punish Kathleen for bringing Cabretti up on charges, Dan's boss (who is also Cabretti's uncle) orders Dan's office not to negotiate with Kathleen or Will. This has disastrous consequences for Will's client, when Terry is forced to withdraw a generous plea offer that Will's client had accepted. The case goes to the jury, and Will's client is found guilty on multiple felony counts, including rape, which will send him t

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Philly Season 1 Episode 19 - San Diego Padre
    8.1/10(15 votes)

    #6 - San Diego Padre

    S1:E19

    Kathleen defends a man who kidnapped his children and kept them hidden for nine years because he lost custody to his drug-addicted, neglectful ex-wife; Will asks Kathleen to call in a favor with Victor Tommasino to keep his client from getting killed by the wiseguy he robbed; Julian gets fired after posing as Will; Patrick and Jack get to know each other; Terry and Erin hook up; Dan declares his candidacy for District Attorney.

    Director:Michael Switzer
    Writer:Tom Szentgyorgyi

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Philly

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  7. Philly Season 1 Episode 6 - Blown Away
    7.9/10(18 votes)

    #7 - Blown Away

    S1:E6

    No description available

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Philly Season 1 Episode 7 - Prisoner of Love
    7.8/10(19 votes)

    #8 - Prisoner of Love

    S1:E7

    Kathleen starts out her day in tears -- it's the 12th anniversary of her marriage to Dan, and she grieves over the sad end to which the marriage came. Later, Kathleen runs into Dan in the courthouse. He's grieving over the end of the marriage as well, and they have a nice moment on the stairs, which ends with Dan giving her a small peck on the cheek and saying ""Happy Anniversary"". A bad day gets worse when Kathleen is unsuccessful in her defense of Janice Bonner, a female corrections officer charged with institutional sexual assault on a prisoner. Kathleen then miscalculates when she asks Judge Hawes for an immediate sentence so that she can file an immediate appeal. After the trial is over, he lets her know that he would have given her client a lighter sentence had she waited for the sentencing reports and psychological evaluation. On another matter, she appears before Judge Armstrong, who can't seem to make up her mind about whether or not the photo array used to identify Kathleen's

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Philly Season 1 Episode 11 - Live and Leg Die
    7.8/10(18 votes)

    #9 - Live and Leg Die

    S1:E11

    No description available

    Director:Michael Schultz
    Writer:Tom Szentgyorgyi

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  10. Philly Season 1 Episode 22 - Mojo Rising
    7.7/10(16 votes)

    #10 - Mojo Rising

    S1:E22

    Kathleen represents a storeowner who shot and paralyzed the boy who robbed him; Dan wins the race for District Attorney; a mentally unbalanced woman, believing that she is Jack's wife, confronts Kathleen and threatens Jack's life; Will's client, a witch accused of fraud, has a mesmerizing affect on the participants in her trial, and later helps Will to discover some hard truths about himself; and Jack gives Kathleen an early, and very romantic, birthday present.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Philly Season 1 Episode 8 - Truth or Consequence
    7.6/10(17 votes)

    #11 - Truth or Consequence

    S1:E8

    The Turner Case Engrossed in conversation with Trish on her cell phone one evening, Kathleen is on her way into a convenience store when she is knocked on her feet by her client, Richie Turner, as he rushes out the door. After Richie apologizes and then runs down the street carrying a paper bag stuffed with money, a stunned Kathleen realizes that he has just robbed the store. When she finds out that the store's surveillance camera wasn't working, she gives the cops Richie's description, but doesn't give them his name. As it happens, Richie is scheduled to appear in court the next morning on a hijacking charge, and Kathleen is successful in working out a plea for him with Teena. After the hearing, Kathleen confronts Richie and tells him that she cannot lie if the cops put him in a line up. Since she is a potential witness against him, she also tells Richie that she can't be his attorney any longer. Richie apologizes profusely, swearing that he's not a stick-up guy -- he just needed some

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Philly Season 1 Episode 3 - Light My Fire
    7.3/10(15 votes)

    #12 - Light My Fire

    S1:E3

    A drunken bar brawl brings Kathleen's father into court on assault charges, creating the opportunity for her to show Patrick where fighting at school could lead him. Will has a creative proposal to keep a stripper out of jail, and Kathleen presents an enlightening argument while defending a magician charged with drunken driving.

    Director:Peter Werner
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Philly Season 1 Episode 18 - Brotherly Love
    7.3/10(15 votes)

    #13 - Brotherly Love

    S1:E18

    Ripley comes under fire after Chris Maguire is busted for falsely claiming to have bribed the judge involved with his sister, while Dan sees the whole investigation as a plot to keep him from running for office. Meanwhile, Will puts his life on the line to get firsthand proof that his client has reliable testimony about a wanted killer.

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Philly Season 1 Episode 2 - Porn Again
    7.2/10(18 votes)

    #14 - Porn Again

    S1:E2

    Kathleen's pursuit of the man stalking her results in a fender-bender, a new and unsavory client for Will, and an unpleasant confrontation in the D.A.'s office. A woman seeks Kathleen's help in obtaining protection from her abusive husband, and another client tries to negotiate a plea by offering up the name of the Red Door murderer.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Philly Season 1 Episode 10 - Fork You Very Much
    6.4/10(25 votes)

    #15 - Fork You Very Much

    S1:E10

    The Flores Case The court assigns Kathleen to defend Diego Flores, a serial rapist who boasts about getting away with his crimes. Since all of the evidence that would convict him was recovered without a proper search warrant, Kathleen will be compelled to make a motion to have the evidence suppressed and have him released from custody. Since she knows that he will rape again as soon as he gets out of jail, she succumbs to the intense pressure everyone is exerting upon her not to represent Flores by submitting a petition to withdraw from the case, which Judge Ripley denies. She then agrees to Dan's request that she ask for a continuance to give the police more time to gather new evidence. Judge Ripley refuses her request, forces her to proceed with the motion to suppress, and releases Flores on $1 bail. Two hours later, Flores is shot and killed after pulling a gun on a police officer who stopped him and asked to see his identification. The Wyatt Case Kathleen represents Teresa Wyatt, w

    Director:Michael M. Robin
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Philly Season 1 Episode 21 - Thanks For the Mammaries
    6.2/10(24 votes)

    #16 - Thanks For the Mammaries

    S1:E21

    Clyde assists Will in proving that a client has been framed for a robbery at the strip club where she works, and discovers evidence that will doom Cabretti's bid for District Attorney. Terry seems to be taking the case of Kathleen's client accused of the mercy killing of his wife a little too personally when he refuses to work out a deal with her and reacts emotionally in the courtroom. After he blows up at Erin about the case, he apologizes to her and reveals the secret from his past that has made him react so strongly to the actions of Kathleen's client. Lisa breaks up with Will, while Erin and Terry grow closer together.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Philly Season 1 Episode 9 - Loving Sons
    5.9/10(27 votes)

    #17 - Loving Sons

    S1:E9

    Kathleen's defense of a disturbed teen hinges on the testimony of another, less-innocent client; Will's dad visits the city to see his son and Judge Brennan before joining his wife for the holidays.

    Director:Mark Tinker
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Philly Season 1 Episode 4 - Tempus Fugitive
    5.6/10(28 votes)

    #18 - Tempus Fugitive

    S1:E4

    With Patrick's unwitting aid, Dan foils Kathleen's attempt at a voluntary surrender for Hank Tyler, a client released in a jailhouse mixup. To curry favor with Dan, Lisa decides to take a hard line on prosecuting Tyler -- that is, until Will charms her into changing her mind.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Tom Szentgyorgyi

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  19. Philly Season 1 Episode 16 - Here Comes the Judge
    5.6/10(24 votes)

    #19 - Here Comes the Judge

    S1:E16

    Kathleen's escort owner client, Tabitha Davenport, goes on trial. Teena has evidently told Terry about seeing Kathleen and Ripley kissing in the garage stairwell, so Terry asks Ripley to recuse himself from the case on the grounds of his involvement with Kathleen. Ripley denies the involvement and refuses Terry's request. Kathleen discovers that Davenport's prosecution is politically motivated after Judge Hawes confesses that he and several other highly connected politicians are Davenport's clients. Fortunately for all concerned, Davenport is acquitted. Will and Lisa get stuck in the court house elevator, and Lisa's claustrophobia begins to get the better of her. Hot, sweaty and breaking out in hives, she removes her blouse, despondent that she is putting on such a freak show for Will. In a gesture of solidarity, Will removes his shirt and pants. Unfortunately for the both of them, at that point the elevator lurches, Will falls on top of Lisa, and the doors open, giving everyone in the

    Director:Michael Switzer
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Philly Season 1 Episode 12 - The Curse of the Klopman Diamonds
    5.5/10(25 votes)

    #20 - The Curse of the Klopman Diamonds

    S1:E12

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Philly Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    5.3/10(33 votes)

    #21 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    When her partner is hospitalized after a breakdown in court, criminal defense attorney Kathleen Maguire's already bulging caseload doubles. Will Froman, a P.D. who's eager to go into private practice, convinces her to take him on as a partner to save the firm.

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Steven Bochco

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  22. Philly Season 1 Episode 5 - Philly Folly
    5.3/10(26 votes)

    #22 - Philly Folly

    S1:E5

    Kathleen represents a client with poor impulse control, is forced to exchange favors with Judge Hawes to get another client released in time for his mother's funeral, and has a nice moment with her mother. Will's tactics in defending another attorney on assault charges are irritating, but effective; he and Lisa go their separate ways.

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Ripley, Believe It Or Not" is the best rated episode of "Philly". It scored 8.4/10 based on 18 votes. Directed by Rick Wallace and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/15/2002. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Tall Tales".