Becker

Becker's in withdrawal from cigarettes and driving everybody crazy; Jake's girlfriend leaves him for a deliveryman; Chris awaits her delivery of Supersculpt Leave-In Hair Conditioner.

John feels like climbing the walls after Chris bans smoking from the diner and Margaret won't let him light up in the office. Elsewhere, Bob convinces Jake that Amanda is cheating on him after Jake unwittingly walks into the diner wearing lime green pants that are too small for him; and Linda persuades John to treat a friend's dog.

Fed up with his practice, John applies for a research position in Baltimore, without telling his friends. His suspicious behavior then leads them to believe he's either sick or on drugs.

John is stalked by an elderly but frisky neighbor (Betty Garrett) who is determined to make him her man. Also: Linda decides to tell her boyfriend (Shawn Christian), who thinks she lives in L.A., the truth about where she resides.

John gets upset when a patient refuses to take any more medication because he believes God is healing him through prayer. At the diner, Bob brags that he is part Native American and tries to cash in on his newfound heritage, and Linda attempts to keep up the charade in her “long-distance” relationship with a fellow New Yorker.

Becker's old college roommate Rick Cooper, a recovering alcoholic, comes to town to make amends; but John was unaware until now that Rick was the one behind the misdeeds he confesses, which include stealing and sleeping with his wife. Meanwhile, Margaret spends time with Cliff, the medical supply salesman, until Linda accuses her of having an affair with him; and Bob becomes obsessed with his supposedly imminent death.

Jake and Bob misinterpret one of Chris's phone conversations and assume that she and John are sleeping together. At the office, John tries to persuade a promiscuous teen to use condoms.

Margaret looks back 10 years to her first meeting with John, when she persuaded him to hire her and keep his practice open instead of closing shop and returning to Boston. Meanwhile, Bob hides at the diner from an angry tenant who wants him to fix a clogged drain; and Chris finds Jake's old keyboard.

Chris gets jealous when she hears from John that he is dating an editor at a leading magazine and is going to spend Christmas with her in Vermont. Also: Bob fears that a street-corner Santa is out to get him, and Margaret tries to cheer up Linda by having her go caroling with a church group.

Jake begins to believe that his blindness makes him less of a person. The feeling sets in after he allows a crook carrying cash from Chris's register to walk right past him and out of the diner. Jake even holds the door open for the thief. After Chris and John's attempts to cheer him have the reverse effect, John figures a hockey game may help take Jake's mind off of the matter. But while the two are at the game, Jake believes he hears the robber's voice and he wants John to make a citizen's arrest.

Becker's desperately trying to figure out what happened to the atlas he ordered from a door to door high school student; Chris is an over giver; Bob plans his mother's funeral.

Jim Reynolds is a soft-spoken, likable man whom John is treating for high cholesterol. But Jim's condition is worsening because he isn't taking his medication. The reason: One of his three alter egos, the evil Jerry, keeps hiding the pills. So John goes straight to the source and speaks to Jerry, who then accuses Jim of lying. Adding to all of the confusion is yet a third persona Jim begins to exhibit: a three-year-old girl. Elsewhere, Chris and Jake annoy each other; and Bob becomes a big brother to a 10-year-old boy.

John gets jealous and lies to a friend who expresses interest in Chris by telling him that she is gay. Unfortunately, the man acts on John's information and sets Chris up with a lesbian acquaintance. Also, Bob tries to deepen his friendship with Jake and buys a pair of walkie-talkies so that the two of them can stay in constant contact with each other.

John becomes jealous when Chris turns down his offer to watch a movie with him and instead goes out with another man. Later, in an awkward attempt to show Chris his true feelings, John shows up at her job and inadvertently gets her into trouble.

A grumpy patient who claims he's dying insists that John visit him in the hospital every night. Also, Bob accidentally sees Chris naked in her apartment, but what really upsets her is that he doesn't brag to the guys about what a beautiful body she has.

Neighbors John and Chris do whatever they can to annoy each other, from smoking cigars to using a sander at 4 A.M. to strip a floor; Linda pretends she is from L.A. to impress a new guy she is dating; Jake worries that Amanda is decorating his apartment in an overly feminine fashion.

John tries desperately to persuade Chris that he chose to be with her before he learned that Reggie was leaving town, but Chris doesn't believe him. Also, Jake and Bob decide to follow in Reggie's footsteps and get out of town, and Margaret and Linda try to find out the identity of a man who claims he is a former patient.

Becker spends the night with Reggie, but whilst trying to sneak out of the diner, Jake discovers him and finds out everything. Becker decides to dump Chris, and when she comes to the diner he tells her that he slept with Reggie and can't be with her. Later Becker has second thoughts and after a conversation with Linda about following your heart, decides to dump Reggie and be with Chris. He goes to the diner but Reggie is nowhere to be seen. The phone rings. It's Reggie. She's realized she hit rock bottom when she slept with Becker and has decided to leave town. Becker goes to Chris and tells her he changed his mind, and she's ready to be with him too until she finds out that Reggie left town and she assumes she's some sort of consolation prize. Meanwhile Linda argues with Margaret over what the term "next Thursday" means.

Bob enlists the services of a questionable friend to get Reggie a great deal on a new freezer, under one condition. While trying to make a deal with Reggie, Bob's friend insults Reggie, teases Jake because he's blind and then threatens to kill the whole deal if Reggie doesn't go out with him on a date. Meanwhile, John finds himself acting as a sex therapist for the Bennetts, an 80-year-old couple having problems in the bedroom because of Mr. Bennett's newly revived libido.

To Jake's horror, Reggie is obsessed with assisting him reach a goal he made up in the sixth grade. Reggie's persistence only causes pain and embarrassment for Jake, and she refuses to listen to John's pleas to leave Jake alone. Meanwhile, Linda drives the office crazy when she saves a patient's life and now thinks she can skip medical school and go straight to telling John and Margaret what to do.

When a patient loses the ability to speak, John gets him a machine that talks for him, but the man uses it to lash out at people; Bob turns into an environmentalist to impress a girl; Linda accuses Margaret of stealing her bracelet.

John is elated to learn that an article he submitted is being published in The New York Medical Journal, but when it appears, his article is accompanied by a picture of an overweight, unattractive stranger. After constant phone calls to correct the mistake, John is finally able to meet Wally, the editor, but then even more damage occurs. Meanwhile, Jake loses his hearing after going to a concert, and Linda is the dumpee-not the dumper-when she goes out Arnoldo the water delivery man.

Parents are enraged when they learn that John's talk on nutrition to a class of 8-year-olds turns into a discussion about sex; two cops use the diner for a stakeout.

John worries that women no longer find him attractive after Jake's girlfriend makes a disparaging remark to him; Linda fears that a pretty temp is going to replace her.

A tuxedo-clad John is on his way to his ex-wife's wedding in Connecticut when he stops in a bar because, in all honesty, he doesn't want to attend the event. Instead, the grumpy doc would prefer to have a few drinks, bend the ear of Frank the bartender for a while and get home in time to see the Knicks game on TV. And in the end, that's what he does, but not until he recalls (via flashbacks) his miserable Valentine's Day to Frank. While John complains about being all alone, the wise barkeep helps him realize how truly lucky he is.

John agrees to give free medical care to Bob, Reggie and Jake in exchange for repairs, food and magazines.

Reggie starts dating one of John's recently divorced friends, but can't stop obsessing about the guy's former wife.

John's day is filled with wacky people, from two guys who want a prescription for marijuana to a man who is upset when he learns that he isn't dying.

John reluctantly agrees to buy a poor child a Christmas gift and then discovers that he has to deliver it as well; Bob visits his mother, who still treats him like a kid.

John believes he is finally in a perfect relationship after seeing Laura for several months. Their no-strings, no-pressure friendship is just right for him: it's filled with casual sex and devoid of responsibility. Unfortunately for John, it's no longer ideal for Laura. She wants a commitment, which is something John just isn't ready to make. Elsewhere, Bob boasts about finding a Super Bowl ring in the backseat of a cab and plans to sell it rather than try to find its rightful owner; and Linda tries to talk her parents out of getting a divorce.

Reggie makes a special "connection" with her friend's, Sara, husband. While Reggie and Becker are with another couple, Becker receives an emergency page and must rush off, reluctantly leaving his credit card to pay for the meal. Then Reggie's friend, Sara, also races off to tend to her children, leaving her husband Richard to stay and enjoy dinner with Reggie. But the two end up enjoying more than a meal-they end the night with a dessert that wasn't on the menu.

Jake encounters a depressed man who is about to hang himself, so he takes him back to the diner to cheer him up; John learns that a patient's wife is pregnant by another man.

John hurts his shoulder and is afraid to have an MRI, so Reggie goes with him for support; Linda dates identical twins.

John takes Reggie's advice that he should tell women that he's sorry when he disappoints them, only to have it backfire; Jake and Bob switch jobs for the day.

A con man posing as a homeless person pulls on everyone's heart strings. Becker ignores his first instinct and comes to the aid of the man. Bob, Jake and Reggie chip in by offering money, a hot meal and advice; however, the man is not really homeless and the gang is shocked when his profession is revealed. Meanwhile, Margaret, in desperate need of extra cash, takes on a second job, then regrets it.

Everyone's shocked when Jake announces that he got married over the weekend to a woman he met at a friend's wedding. After realising he may have rushed things, Jake gets an annulment.

John is more irritable than usual when he tries to quit smoking; Reggie believes a friendly customer stole all of her good luck and left her with his bad fortune.

At the end of last season, John was thrown in jail for contempt of court during a malpractice case. Tonight, he's released after reluctantly apologizing to a judge, who orders him to see a therapist and work on his problem with authority. However, the therapist, Katherine Simmons, is dealing with her own authority issues, which John winds up "helping" her work out. Becker is shocked one night when she shows up at his apartment a changed woman. Elsewhere, Jake grows weary of his new girlfriend's annoying habit of describing for him every little thing she's doing; and Linda lobbies for a raise.

John is crankier than normal when he suffers a bout of insomnia, which he believes can be cured by watching mindless TV shows. Unfortunately, his TV set is broken and he refuses to buy a new one.

John, for once, is at a loss for words when his godson (Marc Valera) seeks his advice on how to tell his father that he is gay; Reggie gets caught up in a game of one-upmanship with a snooty acquaintance (Molly Hagan).

John doesn't know what to do when he accidentally learns that Linda and Reggie are dating the same guy; Bob tries in vain to figure out who the hooker is in his building.

Reggie secretly conducts a psychology experiment on John to see if he treats attractive patients the same as unattractive ones. Also, Jake gets into a jam when he's accidentally sent a driver's license.

Jake's grandmother (Adrian Ricard), who insists she has a heart murmur, gets angry at John when he declares her to be in good health; Reggie goes through an old high-school yearbook and gets more depressed by the minute; Margaret becomes concerned about Linda's relationship with a young boy.

John is honored when he's asked to fill in for the mayor and be the commencement speaker at his old high school, until he discovers why the mayor dropped out.

John's former flame, Megan (Jaclyn Smith), appears unexpectedly at his door and announces that she has left her husband and wants to move in with John.

Dr. Becker sails off on a gay cruise because of Linda; Jake's girlfriend is letting her looks go due to his blindness.

John has his hands full when a former patient dies and leaves him his ashes, and a current patient suffers a puzzling rapid heartbeat. Elsewhere, Reggie turns a blind eye to her handsome new boyfriend's glaring flaws

Everyone makes fun of John when he starts dating an attractive 27-year-old lawyer (Angela Shelton) and even he begins to wonder if everything is fine after he experiences chest pains when the subject of sex comes up.

Margaret has an erotic dream about Becker; Jake accidentally signs for a keg of beer, so Reggie can't return it. Since Reggie also doesn't have a liquor license and therefore can't sell it, she, Jake, and Bob decide to drink it all.

Dr. Becker's back goes out on Christmas Eve, stranding him in a holiday nightmare. Trying to cut through a crowded department store on Christmas Eve, Becker stumbles into a Christmas display and knocks his back out, leaving him immobilized in Santa's Village. While the same grating Christmas tune plays over and over again, Becker waits for the paramedics and lives out his worst nightmare as he is assaulted by toy trains, cheerful pandas and really irritating kids. Meanwhile, Reggie decides to one-up an annoying woman who collects presents for orphans by organizing an unusual toy drive at the diner.

Becker decides to quit smoking -- unfortunately, on a day when nothing goes right; Margaret is worried that her marriage is falling apart when her husband plans a trip to Atlantic City without her; when Linda keeps screwing up an X-ray, she convinces an old woman that she's crazy to get the woman to keep coming in for new X-rays; Bob, instead of fixing Becker's broken radiator, sleeps in Becker's bed and breaks his clock radio; and Reggie makes Becker do a memory test for a school project.

Becker's car is stolen and things work out to his benefit with the insurance company; Reggie receives a very unexpected marriage proposal on her second date with a new guy.

"The one who got away" comes back into Becker's life looking to rekindle the flame -- even though she's married. He entertains an invitation up to her hotel room, but after he hallucinates his friends mirroring his own guilt, he makes the hard decision to leave shortly after getting there. Meanwhile, Margaret struggles desperately to get Linda and Becker to sit still long enough to have a staff meeting.

Becker's office is vandalized, and many, many people appear to have a plausible motive. It turns out that it was just Linda throwing a party, but she goes on a date with the clueless cop assigned to the case to keep him quiet. Meanwhile, Bob has been hanging out in Becker's apartment during the day and impersonating the doctor.

When Becker has a high school student shadow him for a day, it turns out to be the most boring day ever at the office. Meanwhile, Reggie, Jake and Bob find that they have told each other all of their stories and have nothing to say to each other anymore. They decide to start sharing more personal stories, and Reggie and Jake learn a little more about Bob than they wanted to know.

Challenged to do so by his friends, Becker changes his routine with disastrous results. When he eats at a new Chinese restaurant, Linda gets a stalker, Margaret gets food poisoning, Bob gets punched in the nose, and Reggie and Jake lose $80 to a scam artist.

Becker's super dies and Bob takes his job, and the diner is packed, but no one is a paying customer.

Becker tries in vain to see a movie without the experience being ruined for him, while Margaret has trouble coping with her marital problems.

John fumes when he can't get out of jury duty and then can't get picked to actually serve on a jury; Jake gets a dog.

After John agrees to take on a vacationing doctor's patients and one of them dies, he inadvertently leaves a phone message, then desperately tries to retrieve it. Meanwhile, Linda tries to comfort her friend Lynda, who won't leave the office; and Reggie and Jake trade barbs during a slow time in the diner.

When a long-distance call to Chico, California shows up on Becker's phone bill, he decides to dispute the charge. He even disputes the existence of the town, claiming that it's just a code word that the phone company uses for bogus charges. Margaret warns Becker not to fight the phone company, after all, "they're like God with computers," but Becker persists. Meanwhile, Reggie is upset when she isn't invited to a friend's wedding, and Bob listens to motivational tapes in order to land a job.

Annoyed that they never hang out with other people, Becker's girlfriend, Liz, makes him throw a dinner party. Becker invites the gang, although only Reggie and her date attend -- a college boy she worries is too young for her -- unless you count the complete stranger with whom Becker seems to have the most in common.

On the heels of being slapped with a traffic citation for reckless driving, a broken tail light and missing rear view mirror, Becker takes Margaret's advice when she suggests that he turn his jalopy into a potted plant. Although he doesn't get rid of his car, he does buy a motorcycle from one of his patients, causing everyone around him to agree that the doctor is suffering a mid-life crisis.

A judge sentences John to attend an anger-management class after he insults two police officers. It's taught by Richard, an irritating calm instructor -- and needless to say, Becker is hardly on his way to graduating with honors.Meanwhile, after Bob's mother kicks him out of her retirement home, Linda invites him to move in with her -- much to everyone else's dismay.

A rumor starts that John is dying when he suddenly begins eating healthy food and tries to control his temper.

John's waiting room turns into a maze of boxes when Linda orders too many supplies; Reggie becomes attracted to a much younger student and Margaret learns that a former patient died and has included her in her will.

Becker is his usual bitter self as Christmas rolls around, until a department store Santa drops dead in his waiting room. Meanwhile, Reggie prepares for her Christmas party.

Jake's old friend, who was responsible for the car accident in which Jake lost his sight, pays him a surprise visit. Meanwhile, Margaret tries to get out of an annual road trip with some nursing school friends; and Becker experiences screen envy when Jake wins a huge television at his grandmother's church raffle.

As Becker continues to recoup from his gunshot wound, he's caught off guard when Elizabeth claims that she doesn't have any aspirin -- although he found a bottle of them among her things while earlier snooping through her purse. Becker, of course dismissing his own bad behavior, is miffed at her actions and begins to think that she may not have an honest bone in her body. Meanwhile, Bob wins the lottery.

Confined to his apartment during the recuperation period, Becker is subjected to the intruding lifestyles of those who live in his building, which has him seeing red. His mood brightens -- temporarily -- when his doctor from the hospital, Elizabeth Carson, makes a house call. Meanwhile, "good help is hard to find" takes on a new meaning when Margaret and Linda try to find a doctor to fill in for Becker.

While going to rescue the just-robbed Jake, Becker finds himself caught in the crossfire between two motorists who are arguing over a parking space. A struggle between the two ensues and one of them pulls out a gun. But it's Becker who takes a bullet to the shoulder. Despite his weakened state, he still manages to annoy everyone at the hospital and refuses to take the advice of his agitated doctor.

Becker starts receiving phone calls from a woman he doesn't know, so he tries to avoid her. The strange woman shows up at the diner to explain that a mutual friend suggested they meet while she is in town. Taking a liking to each other, Becker and his new friend begin to spend a lot of time together, that is, until she confesses a shocking secret that sends Becker reeling.

Before leaving for a medical conference in Chicago, at which he is scheduled to speak, Becker discovers that he has an extra airline ticket, which Reggie ends up using. Once aboard the plane, Reggie is immediately annoyed by the flight attendant and fellow passengers while Becker is uncharacteristically taking it all in stride. When Reggie discovers that Becker is high on Valium, she's alone in her misery until bad weather causes a delay and finds them stuck for hours on a tarmac in Buffalo. As the Valium wears off, Becker's temper and tongue-lashings return and the situation becomes a pressure-cooker about to explode.

Reggie begins dating Jordan, the most popular guy from her high school, who is building a hospital in the area, but quickly learns his dark side. Meanwhile, John fumes over his former research partner's patent for anti-wrinkle cream, and Linda adopts the bum who hangs out in the office doorway.

Linda quits her job after she makes a mistake on a patient's prescription, and Becker hires what seems like an ideal replacement. Meanwhile, Reggie, Jake and Bob wonder why a nicely dressed man keeps pacing back and forth outside the diner.

When Dr. John Becker finds out that one of his patients is dating Reggie, he decides to give the guy some free advice on how to "court her properly." Meantime, Linda becomes a volunteer for Big Sisters and gets stuck being a mentor to a greedy brat who takes advantage of her at every turn.

Becker is grumpier than usual after he decides to quit smoking, but he gets a lift from Reggie's friend (Marjorie Monaghan), an ex-smoker who tells him the only substitute that worked for her was sex.

Becker performs his doctorly duties at the diner when a woman begins to choke on her food. After regaining her composure, the woman intensely expresses her gratitude to Becker, which takes him more than a little off-guard. As the days go by, Becker's fears are compounded when she begins to drop by the office and his apartment bearing gifts and well-wishes. Soon enough, Becker is outright panicked, and convinced that she's a certifiable lunatic who's become a danger to his well-being.

Much to Becker's dismay, an alley cat finds its way into his office and refuses to leave. When they realize that the cat is sick, Becker's guilted into taking care of it -- to the tune of $1,500. Meantime, Margaret attempts to help Becker plan a trip she knows he'll never take.

When Becker's computer is stolen from his apartment, he's shocked to learn that the insurance company's reimbursement won't even cover the cost of a keyboard. Against his better judgment, he purchases a top of the line system via shady means and soon realizes he's made a "fatal error."

When a patient's mother desperately needs Becker to watch her two kids for the day, he reluctantly agrees and then makes Margaret and Linda keep an eye on them. But when the day turns into an unexpected sleepover at Becker's, his attempts to establish rules for the kids are about as effective as a blender during a power outage.

When Becker learns that his ex-wife Sandra is in town for a book signing tour, he feigns disinterest until he learns that chapters of her new self-help publication denounces "Angry Man," a pseudonym for Becker. When Becker confronts Sarah at her hotel, it becomes abundantly clear that their explosive chemistry remains fiercely intact.

Becker copes with a patient who believes he can talk directly to God; Linda decides to keep a jacket mistakenly returned to her by her dry cleaner.

Becker is less than thrilled when his estranged father, Fred, makes an unannounced visit. Although Becker is unhappy to see his father, the others are instantly charmed by Fred's easygoing, jovial manner. Despite Becker's chilly welcome, Fred refuses to give up on resuming contact with his polar opposite son.

Becker, not convinced of the wonders of love after witnessing a woman stab her husband with a fork, is forced to consult a teenager who wants a vasectomy, treat a woman with a severe allergic reaction to roses and watch Linda begin and end a relationship within hours. Even so, a late night hospital visit abruptly softens his perspective as he begins to understand why this holiday can be so important to others.

Becker agrees to write an article for a fellow doctor's medical journal, but has trouble finishing the project. With the article's deadline quickly approaching, Becker tries desperately to find a place to sit and hash out the piece. Unfortunately, he can't seem to acquire five minutes of quiet time before something or someone finds a way to interrupt his concentration.

When a self-serving reporter witnesses a heated argument between Becker and a man at the diner, he determines that Becker's comments are "politically incorrect" and uses his column to create a local controversy. Becker tries to ignore the reporter's comments, but when the hack then belittles Becker on a local radio show, the short-fused doctor heads to the station for a one-on-one confrontation.

When Reggie announces that she has an extra ticket to a Rangers-Flyers hockey game, Jake and Becker each makes it his primary goal to be chosen as the lucky recipient.

The disagreeable doc gets even more irritable when he becomes the patient in this pungent episode of the surprise hit of the season. The arrogant Bronx doctor is once again complaining about the shortcomings of society, sparking another verbal sparring match with Reggie. Becker is later compelled to swallow his pride and ask for her help when his back goes out, leaving him prone on the floor of his apartment. But he scoffs when she suggests he see an acupuncturist. Meanwhile, Margaret receives special deliveries from a smitten mailman.

Becker is crabbier than ever when a flickering street light keeps him from getting any sleep. When the city refuses to make the broken street light a priority assignment, Becker takes matters into his own hands to ensure that he gets a proper night's rest. Meanwhile, Margaret agrees to let Linda bring one personal item into the office, unaware that Linda's item is breathing.

Becker's attempt at friendship is short lived; with Margaret at home with the flu, the flaky Linda is left in charge of the office; Reggie receives an unwelcome visit from a former high-school classmate.

Becker initially declines the offer of a blind date, but he eventually agrees to meet the woman. After hearing about her passion for line-dancing, karaoke and aroma therapy, Becker is kicking himself for not trusting his instincts. Meanwhile, Reggie's evening goes south when she realizes that the guy she's dating is just too... nice.

Becker and Jake notice that Reggie is upset about something, but she refuses to tell them why. Becker presses Reggie for details, but she responds with a series of lies before finally revealing the truth.

Despite his best efforts, Becker can't escape the sexual overtones that follow him throughout the day. He starts his morning at the cafe where Reggie and Jake are discussing the various things they do to release sexual tension. When Reggie suggests jogging, Becker quickly dismisses the idea, declaring that he doesn't have any such issues. As his day progresses, a bemused Becker is faced with various circumstances that make him all too aware of his sex life -- or, rather, lack thereof.

Becker must make a house call after a patient has an adverse reaction to his brutal bedside manner. He remains hellbent on convincing his patient, Mr. Marino, to acknowledge the fact that his diabetes has just triggered a minor heart attack and his condition needs to be monitored. Unfortunately, Mr. Marino is convinced that Becker is just trying to get away with a medical scam. Meanwhile, Jake takes a sculpting class in order to meet women.

Becker deals with an HIV-positive child, and the fact that Reggie has inherited his favorite diner from her father.