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The ‘90s comedy Grace Under Fire followed a family much more hardscrabble than that of Home Improvement, the sitcom it was initially paired with on ABC.
The show, created by Chuck Lorre, starred Brett Butler as Grace Kelly, a single mom raising three kids, while recovering from alcoholism and an abusive marriage, with the support of her colleagues and neighbors in the fictional town of Victory, Missouri.
Unfortunately, Butler was struggling with addiction in real life, dealing with Vicodin abuse off-screen. And after a curtailed fifth season, a ratings downfall, and plenty of behind-the-scenes tumult, ABC pulled the plug in 1998. “At the bloody, bitter end, I really was difficult,” Butler told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. “I was out of my mind. Drugs will do that to you. The show should have been pulled sooner than it was.”
Nevertheless, the show started off a big hit with viewers, ranking as the highest-rated new series on TV in its first season and becoming TV’s No. 4 show in its second. And now that it’s been off the air for a quarter-century — after ending on February 17, 1998 — we’re rounding up IMDb voters’ picks for the best of Grace Under Fire’s 112 episodes.
10. Season 4, Episode 25: “Grace’s New Job”
It’s every corporate drone’s worst nightmare: a damning email sent to the wrong person. In Grace’s case, she accidentally emails a complaint letter to company headquarters at her new ad-agency job. Luckily for her, that mistake leads to an intriguing career prospect.
9. Season 4, Episode 14: “Grace of Wrath”
As Grace continues her college education, she offers her garage apartment to her classmate Martha (Kari Coleman). But neighbor Wade (Casey Sander) recognizes Martha from a nearby strip club…
8. Season 4, Episode 4: “Grace and Sailor Bob”
Grace’s daughter Libby (Kaitlin Cullum) confesses that she has been pen-palling with a sailor named Bob (Scott Paetty) under the guise of an adult divorcée. And when Bob shows up at the Kelly house unexpectedly, Grace takes on Libby’s alter-ego.
7. Season 4, Episode 11: “Grace Tests Out”
Grace learns that her company will no longer pay for her night classes… and that she can take a proficiency test to accumulate the college credits she needs. She’s scheduled to work the day of the test, however, so she has to make a hard choice about her future.
6. Season 5, Episode 6: “Finders Keepers”
The Kellys have a literal windfall when $200,000 of casino money lands on their doorstep during a tornado. Grace insists on returning the money, but when she does, she’s accused of stealing some for herself. And when that last bit of cash finally turns up, Grace turns the situation to her advantage.
Dave Florek and Brett Butler in ‘Grace Under Fire’ (Daniel Watson/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection)
5. Season 5, Episode 12: “Fall from Grace”
In her new job at a construction company, Grace vouches for Vic (Dave Florek), a lazy coworker from her old oil-refinery job, when he shows up looking for work. And then he gets himself trapped on a construction beam! But the real crisis is that neighbor Wade is facing a divorce…
4. Season 5, Episode 3: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Grace goes into helicopter-mom mode when she hears that her son Quentin (Sam Horrigan) might have been partying at the quarry with a new girlfriend. Quentin allays her concerns, and she agrees to back off… until she hears from pharmacist Russell (Dave Thomas) that Quentin has picked up condoms at the store.
3. Season 4, Episode 8: “Redeeming Jimmy”
Grace helps her abusive ex-husband, Jimmy (Geoff Pierson), get a job at the oil refinery as part of his fresh start. But her colleagues, who are solidly Team Grace, sabotage his work. Jimmy fares better on the homefront, however, helping Quentin get a date with a friend.
Sam Horrigan and Brett Butler in ‘Grace Under Fire’ (Frank Carroll/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection)
2. Season 5, Episode 21: “Quentin Gets His Gun”
Grace grudgingly leaves Quentin to babysit Libby while she’s working late, with assurances from Wade, who says he’ll drop by to check on the kids. But when the kids hear a noise, Quentin grabs a gun left behind by Jimmy, as Grace is horrified to find out.
1. Season 4, Episode 12: “A Holly Jolly Christmas”
As an exasperated Russell sends his pharmacy boss off on a Christmas vacation, Grace realizes that Quentin’s yuletide bliss may be the result of a certain green plant — and we’re not talking about mistletoe.
