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Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episodes

18 Episodes 1985 - 1986

Episode 1

Sam's Missing

Fri, Sep 27, 198524 mins

Drummond and Maggie begin an all-out effort to rescue Sam from their captors through a variety of methods, some of which backfire. Meanwhile, Don goes to great lengths to hide from his own family the fact that he kidnapped Sam. But the 7-year-old Sam uses his intuition and instinct to rescue himself, knowing that everyone he loves could face a very violent death if he is caught.

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Episode 2

Bully for Arnold

Fri, Oct 4, 198524 mins

A school bully orders Arnold to "guard" his girlfriend, but things become complicated when the girl falls for Arnold instead.

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Episode 3

Love on the Run

Fri, Oct 11, 198524 mins

Drummond and Maggie's hectic schedules and lack of time spent with each other leads Sam to believe that they'll be getting divorced soon.

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Episode 4

Willis Goes to College

Fri, Oct 18, 198524 mins

After a difficult first week of college, Willis comes home and fakes sickness so that he won't have to go back.

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Episode 5

Arnold's Job

Fri, Oct 25, 198524 mins

After landing a job as a photographer at a small newspaper with Drummond's help, Arnold quickly gets tired of being an errand boy for a cranky boss and considers quitting.

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Episode 6

A Tale of Two Teachers

Fri, Nov 8, 198524 mins

Remember Mr. Wilkes, the no-nonsense substitute teacher whose career was nearly destroyed when Arnold claimed he hit him? Well, Mr. Wilkes is back ... and gotten full-time employment as Arnold's hard-nosed English literature teacher, in this tale about Arnold goofing off in class, acting like a know-it-all and then Mr. Wilkes demanding that his deviant student put up or shut up - by teaching the class for a day. The task: Teach the students Dickens' classic "A Tale of Two Cities."

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Diff'rent Strokes, Season 8 Episode 6 image

Episode 7

So You Want to Be a Rock Star?

Fri, Nov 15, 198524 mins

In order to impress a girl, Arnold gets his friends and Sam to start up a band. After practicing a few times, they realize that Arnold is terrible and ask Sam to fire him.

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Episode 8

Speak No Evil

Fri, Nov 29, 198524 mins

Arnold and Drummond have a difference of opinion when Arnold and his friends consider throwing fruit to protest a local civic group that is against black people.

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Episode 9

Arnold's Bad Rep

Fri, Dec 6, 198524 mins

Feeling peer pressure from the guys, Arnold lies about having sex with his girlfriend. However when the actual opportunity arises, he is anything but ready.

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Episode 10

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

Fri, Dec 13, 198524 mins

With Sam depressed that no one will come to his birthday party, Drummond pulls some strings and gets the popular kids TV show host Captain Jack to appear. However, the plan does not work out very well for Sam when the kids at the party ignore him and pay more attention to Captain Jack.

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Episode 11

Arnold's Initiation

Fri, Jan 10, 198624 mins

Arnold's desire to join a coveted elite club at school has serious consequences for the busboy at the local hamburger joint when the prank prompts the busboy's unsympathetic boss - without investigating the situation - to unmercifully fire him on the spot.

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Episode 12

Bulimia

Fri, Jan 17, 198624 mins

Kimberly makes a return visit home and all seems well with her, except that she's hiding a dark secret. The fact that she has been utilizing the dangerous Bulimic practice of staying thin by eating and then regurgitating it back out in the bathroom. She does her best to hide this from everyone until it becomes all too clear that her health is in jeopardy.

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Episode 13

Sam's Big Brother

Fri, Jan 24, 198624 mins

Arnold gets jealous when Sam begins spending more time with Willis and he is the odd man out.

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Episode 14

Arnold's Tangled Web

Fri, Jan 31, 198624 mins

Arnold overhears Drummond's phone conversation where he authorizes the firing of a poorly performing employee. Knowing he is getting an F in geometry (and fearing similar treatment from his father), Arnold turns to a con artist to forge his report card and Drummond's signature. But things backfire when Drummond - elated when he thinks his son had done outstanding in the class - plans to have him enrolled in an advanced placement course.

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Episode 15

Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown

Fri, Feb 7, 198630 mins

Sam considers getting into a fist fight with a new kid in school who is constantly picking on him. Drummond and the family are featured on a television show about the rich and famous.

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Episode 16

The Big Bribe

Fri, Feb 21, 198624 mins

Seeing that Arnold is afraid to ask out a pretty girl from his school, Willis bribes her with concert tickets so that she will ask him out. The plan backfires when Arnold eventually finds out.

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Episode 17

The Photo Club

Fri, Feb 28, 198624 mins

Arnold and Lisa get stuck working together on a school assignment, and get locked in their school's darkroom. This leads to the two of them coming to an understanding about their adversarial relationship, and they both end up liking each other, but it doesn't last.

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Episode 18

The Front Page

Fri, Mar 7, 198624 mins

In the last completed episode, Arnold discovers a steroid ring operating among athletes at his school and tries to publicize it in the school newspaper.

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