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The Worst Episodes of The Rockford Files

Every episode of The Rockford Files ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Rockford Files!

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Cranky but likable L.A. PI Jim Rockford pulls no punches (but takes plenty of them). An ex-con sent to the slammer for a crime he didn't commit, Rockford takes on cases others don't want, aided

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 21 - Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job: Part 2
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #1 - Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job: Part 2

    S5:E21

    The con continues and proves successful when one of the fellow con-artists appears to make of with the check.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writer:Rudolph Borchert

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  2. The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 22 - A Different Drummer
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #2 - A Different Drummer

    S5:E22

    While in hospital after a car accident, Jim stumbles across a black market for vital organs.

    Director:Reza Badiyi
    Writer:Rudolph Borchert

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  3. The Rockford Files Season 6 Episode 12 - Deadlock in Parma
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #3 - Deadlock in Parma

    S6:E12

    In the series finale, Jim Rockford drives off into a California sunset in his wounded Firebird, after being ensnared in a small-town council battle with big implications. While trout fishing in the mountains, the vacationing PI becomes the emergency proxy for a fellow angler, an environmentalist councilman, felled by appendicitis. But the seemingly-innocuous proposition for a Parma city park, attracts a trailer load of New Jersey mobsters who urge Rockford to keep his vote green, or sleep with the fishes. Meanwhile, this town council in the land of endless propositions, acts to force their temporary member Rockford to go fishing under the moonlight, but not in Parma.

    Director:Winrich Kolbe
    Writers:Lester Wm. Berke, Rudolph Borchert, Donald L. Gold

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  4. The Rockford Files Season 6 Episode 10 - The Big Cheese
    6.2/10(298 votes)

    #4 - The Big Cheese

    S6:E10

    Rockford gets a phone call telling him to expect a package in the mail. Two hoods then murder the caller and go to Rockford's trailer to await the package's arrival. When the package is a wheel of cheese the mystery only gets deeper.

    Director:Joseph Pevney
    Writer:Shel Willens

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  5. The Rockford Files Season 6 Episode 4 - Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (1)
    6.9/10(271 votes)

    #5 - Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (1)

    S6:E4

    Jim senses something is out of tune while looking into the disappearance of a rock star's producer.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writer:David Chase

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  6. The Rockford Files Season 6 Episode 3 - Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs (2)
    7.1/10(283 votes)

    #6 - Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs (2)

    S6:E3

    Jim traces a killer via a barman, florist and gangster in order to establish who ordered the Princess' friend killed…

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The Rockford Files Season 4 Episode 15 - The Gang at Don's Drive-In
    7.2/10(289 votes)

    #7 - The Gang at Don's Drive-In

    S4:E15

    An author suffering from writers block tells Jim he thinks he has the next best seller in an old murder case from 1961.

    Director:Harry Falk
    Writer:James Crocker

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  8. The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 11 - A Fast Count
    7.2/10(280 votes)

    #8 - A Fast Count

    S5:E11

    Jim puts up his dukes and steps forward to help a boxing coach who has been framed with bribery and murder.

    Director:Reza Badiyi
    Writer:Gordon T. Dawson

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  9. The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 14 - The Battle-Ax and the Exploding Cigar
    7.2/10(270 votes)

    #9 - The Battle-Ax and the Exploding Cigar

    S5:E14

    Ignorant that he's been driving a hot Cadillac with an illegal stash of guns in the trunk, leads Jim into rubbing shoulders with the FBI and the Company.

    Director:Ivan Dixon
    Writer:Rogers Turrentine

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  10. The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 12 - Local Man Eaten by Newspaper
    7.3/10(275 votes)

    #10 - Local Man Eaten by Newspaper

    S5:E12

    Jim could use some saintly guidance when he goes undercover on a scandal rag that is getting confidential medical information on a doctor's famous, and infamous, patients.

    Director:Meta Rosenberg
    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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  11. The Rockford Files Season 6 Episode 5 - Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (2)
    7.3/10(299 votes)

    #11 - Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (2)

    S6:E5

    While consoling his morose love-lorn friend Eddie, Jim continues to look for the missing producer. He eventually finds his body but the presumed killer is not whom he had expected.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writer:David Chase

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  12. The Rockford Files Season 1 Episode 17 - Claire
    7.4/10(407 votes)

    #12 - Claire

    S1:E17

    Jim's old girlfriend, Claire Prescott, phones, and asks him to help give her protection from 2 hoods chasing her. He soon discovers there's a missing undercover cop, which puts him up against an arrogant Cpt. Highland, as well.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writers:Stephen J. Cannell, Edward J. Lakso

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  13. The Rockford Files Season 2 Episode 20 - Where's Houston?
    7.4/10(320 votes)

    #13 - Where's Houston?

    S2:E20

    Rocky's friend is killed thinking his Granddaughter was kidnapped leading Jim with the help of Rocky to untangle a crooked real estate deal.

    Director:Lawrence Doheny
    Writer:Don Carlos Dunaway

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  14. The Rockford Files Season 3 Episode 18 - New Life, Old Dragons
    7.4/10(304 votes)

    #14 - New Life, Old Dragons

    S3:E18

    Jim is hired by a Vietnamese refugee to find her missing brother.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writer:David Taylor

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  15. The Rockford Files Season 4 Episode 2 - Trouble in Chapter 17
    7.4/10(333 votes)

    #15 - Trouble in Chapter 17

    S4:E2

    Jim is reluctantly drawn into being bodyguard for a famous author, who believes her popular book on the perfect wife is the cause of death threats against her.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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  16. The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 7 - Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow
    7.4/10(279 votes)

    #16 - Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow

    S5:E7

    After being strong-armed by an Arab sheik and his goons, and getting no help from the police, Jim decides to track down the two people who caused his trouble: a soft-voiced gigolo and the sheik's naive daughter.

    Director:Ivan Dixon
    Writer:David Chase

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  17. The Rockford Files Season 6 Episode 8 - The Hawaiian Headache
    7.4/10(265 votes)

    #17 - The Hawaiian Headache

    S6:E8

    Jim is tricked into believing he's won a trip to Hawaii, when it really turns out to be doing a favor for an old army pal in the CIA.

    Director:William Wiard
    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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  18. The Rockford Files Season 1 Episode 4 - Exit Prentiss Carr
    7.5/10(488 votes)

    #18 - Exit Prentiss Carr

    S1:E4

    Jim finds the murdered body of Prentiss Carr in his hotel room and after reporting the incident to the police learns it has been classified as suicide...

    Director:Alexander Grasshoff
    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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  19. The Rockford Files Season 1 Episode 6 - This Case Is Closed
    7.5/10(497 votes)

    #19 - This Case Is Closed

    S1:E6

    While investigating the fiance of Warren Jamison's daughter, Jim experiences some strange events which include kidnapping by the mob and the FBI who are anxious to get a statement - it all relates back to Jim recent trip to Newark...

    Director:Bernard L. Kowalski
    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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  20. The Rockford Files Season 3 Episode 11 - The Trouble with Warren
    7.5/10(321 votes)

    #20 - The Trouble with Warren

    S3:E11

    Beth's nerdy cousin Warren drags Jim into his mounting troubles.

    Director:Christian I. Nyby II
    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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  21. The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 6 - The Empty Frame
    7.5/10(290 votes)

    #21 - The Empty Frame

    S5:E6

    At a swank party, attended by some of LA's high society and police dept. VIPs, in honor of Angel's brother-in-law, Aaron, being made Chief of Police, a robbery takes place, while Lt. Doug Chapman is in charge of security. Desperate to get back into good graces with his superiors, Chapman swallows his pride and asks Rockford to help him.

    Director:Corey Allen
    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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  22. The Rockford Files Season 5 Episode 17 - The Man Who Saw the Alligators
    7.5/10(307 votes)

    #22 - The Man Who Saw the Alligators

    S5:E17

    If having the IRS wanting to do an audit isn't bad enough, a gangster Jim helped put in prison is out on parole and wants a pound of his flesh in revenge.

    Director:Corey Allen
    Writer:David Chase

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  23. The Rockford Files Season 6 Episode 7 - Nice Guys Finish Dead
    7.5/10(291 votes)

    #23 - Nice Guys Finish Dead

    S6:E7

    The special guest of a P.I. convention dinner is found murdered in the restroom, and Jim unhappily finds himself once more having to team up with flawless Lance White (Tom Selleck), while accident prone Freddie Beamer tags along.

    Director:John Patterson
    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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  24. The Rockford Files Season 1 Episode 2 - The Dark and Bloody Ground
    7.6/10(573 votes)

    #24 - The Dark and Bloody Ground

    S1:E2

    Jim reluctantly agrees to work for Beth Davenport. His job is to help her prove her client, Ann Calhoun, is innocent of the crime she is accused of; murdering her husband Kevin Calhoun. Jim's investigation takes him to the town of Parker, Arizona, where the Calhouns are from. He digs up info someone doesn't want found out and is almost killed trying to return to L.A. Socialites Clyde Russell and Elizabeth Gorman, who were throwing a party the Calhouns attended, are also investigated. Jim's investigation is making someone nervous as another attempt is made on his life.

    Director:Michael Schultz
    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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  25. The Rockford Files Season 1 Episode 3 - The Countess
    7.6/10(570 votes)

    #25 - The Countess

    S1:E3

    Jim is helping a Countess avoid a blackmailer but is then charged for the Blackmailer murder...

    Director:Russ Mayberry
    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job: Part 2" is the worst rated episode of "The Rockford Files". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by William Wiard and written by Rudolph Borchert, it aired on 3/3/1979. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "A Different Drummer".