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The Best Episodes of The Good Lord Bird

Every episode of The Good Lord Bird ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Good Lord Bird!

Binge this in 5h 35m•Peaking at 8.3/10

Henry 'Little Onion' Shackleford, a newly freed teenager joins abolitionist John Brown on a holy crusade to end slavery. Onion encounters Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, and he finds himself as a part of the

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Good Lord Bird Season 1 Episode 7 - Last Words
    8.3/10(410 votes)

    S1:E7

    John Brown and his remaining army take a last stand as more federal troops descend upon Harper’s Ferry. With John Brown captured and held for public execution, Onion, truly on his own, risks his life to say his goodbyes to Brown. Series finale.

    Director:Kate Woods
    Writers:Erika Johnson, Mark Richard

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  2. The Good Lord Bird Season 1 Episode 6 - Jesus Is Walkin'
    8.1/10(414 votes)

    S1:E6

    The plan to take control of the nation's largest armory at Harper's Ferry is finally put into action. However, a crucial mistake by Onion threatens the success of the entire operation. Brown's army takes hostages, grabbing the attention of an angry mob and local militia. With shots firing, Onion is sent out to get reinforcements.

    Director:Haifaa al-Mansour
    Writers:Kristen SaBerre, Mark Richard

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  3. The Good Lord Bird Season 1 Episode 2 - A Wicked Plot
    7.9/10(533 votes)

    S1:E2

    Separated from Brown's army, Onion and fellow slave Bob leave the fight in Kansas, only to cross paths with pro-slavery 'redshirts' who escort them to the slave-trading town of Pikesville, MI. Onion is taken under the wing of Pie, a mixed-race prostitute working out of the local hotel, who instructs him in the ways of the world despite her discovering his dangerous secret. Onion soon finds himself enmeshed in a mounting slave insurrection where he learns the consequences of his own actions.

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writers:Erika Johnson, Mark Richard

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  4. The Good Lord Bird Season 1 Episode 5 - Hiving the Bees
    7.9/10(431 votes)

    S1:E5

    Onion and new recruit John Cook head to Harper's Ferry to prepare for the arrival of Brown and his army. However, Onion quickly struggles to perform his mission of recruiting more Black soldiers from the area when Cook's reckless behavior threatens their exposure to suspicious neighbors. After weeks of waiting, Brown, his army and his daughter Annie finally arrive — creating a new distraction for Onion: true love.

    Director:Haifaa al-Mansour
    Writers:Lauren Signorino, Mark Richard

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  5. The Good Lord Bird Season 1 Episode 1 - Meet the Lord
    7.7/10(679 votes)

    S1:E1

    Henry Shackleford, a young slave living in the Kansas territory in 1856, encounters abolitionist John Brown, who mistakes him for a girl and promptly 'frees' him. Believing Henry to be his good luck charm, Brown welcomes him into his ragtag army and nicknames him 'Onion'. Donning a dress for the first time while dodging bullets, Onion quickly awakens to the life or death stakes in the battle over human bondage and witnesses Brown's divinely inspired violent agenda: to free the land of slavery by any means necessary.

    Director:Albert Hughes
    Writers:Ethan Hawke, Mark Richard

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  6. The Good Lord Bird Season 1 Episode 3 - Mister Fred
    7.7/10(474 votes)

    S1:E3

    Following the battle in Pikesville, Brown, now one of the most wanted men in America, travels north with Onion to raise funds for the abolitionist cause. They take refuge at the home of famed orator and 'King of the Negroes' Frederick Douglass and his two wives. When Brown and Douglass clash over methodology, Onion discovers just how complex the fight for justice and human equality really is.

    Director:Darnell Martin
    Writers:Jeff Augustin, Erika Johnson

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Good Lord Bird

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  7. The Good Lord Bird Season 1 Episode 4 - Smells Like Bear
    7.7/10(446 votes)

    S1:E4

    Brown and Onion continue fundraising, this time heading to Canada on foot. After seeing true freedom for the first time and frustrated with Brown's increasingly irrational behavior, Onion demands freedom from Brown's army. But, when the legendary Harriet Tubman endorses Brown in a room full of new recruits, Onion realizes that he may be more invested in the cause and the 'old man' than he thought.

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Mark Richard

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Best Episodes Summary

"Last Words" is the best rated episode of "The Good Lord Bird". It scored 8.3/10 based on 410 votes. Directed by Kate Woods and written by Erika Johnson, Mark Richard, it aired on 11/15/2020. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Jesus Is Walkin'".